LettersLetter vs Zip's Mailbox Club

Where they differ

Both are letters, art & prints and activities clubs. LettersLetter covers postcards and stickers on top of that; Zip's Mailbox Club stays narrower.

LettersLetter is the cheaper of the two — $11.99/mo against $19.99/mo, roughly 40% less on a monthly basis. Whether that gap means anything depends on what turns up: the dearer club is not automatically sending more, and on a gift the up-front total matters more than the monthly figure.

They arrive on different rhythms. LettersLetter comes monthly; Zip's Mailbox Club comes twice a month. More frequent post is not automatically better — it is more to keep up with, and for some children the wait is part of it.

The age ranges differ too: LettersLetter is pitched at ages 5–11, Zip's Mailbox Club at ages 3–12. Match the reading level rather than the birthday — a child who cannot yet read the letter alone needs an adult in the loop either way.

Shipping is the one that rules a club out rather than in: LettersLetter ships to US and 23 other countries, Zip's Mailbox Club to US.

Zip's Mailbox Club expects a reply — there is something to write back to. LettersLetter is one-way. A write-back club is the better one if an adult will actually sit down and help; if not, it turns into a pile of unanswered post.

What each one sends

LettersLetter

One envelope a month with an illustrated short story, a collectible postcard, a coloring page, a character sticker and a small surprise such as a mini game. The envelope is addressed to the child by name. Subscribe by the 15th to start in the same cycle.

Zip's Mailbox Club

Two envelopes a month from a character called Zip: an illustrated personalized letter with a monthly Mailbox Hunt and a collectible crew card, then a mid-month envelope with a coloring page, a paper game and a letter the child can pass on to a friend. Every package includes a reply card, envelope and stamp, and what the child writes back is worked into later letters.

Which one to pick

We are not going to pretend there is a winner here — they are close enough to be on the same shortlist, which is why this page exists. What we would say is that the choice usually turns on the household rather than the club: how much adult time there is, whether the child reads independently yet, and whether you want post that asks something of them or post that simply arrives.

Read the full listings before deciding, and follow through to each club's own site — prices, terms and gift options are theirs to change and ours only to record.