Features
Where Collections Are Catalogued & Connected
No matter what you collect
The Shoebox Archives helps you document, organize, and thoughtfully share your collections with the people that care — now and forever.
Supported Formats
Capture Every Type of Memory
From photos to recipes to 3D scans — we support all the ways you preserve your story.
Photos & Images
High-resolution photographs, scans, and digital images in all common formats.
Video
Home movies, recordings, and video content.
Audio
Voice recordings, oral histories, music, and audio memories.
Documents
PDFs, scanned documents, letters, and printed materials.
Text Notes
Written memories, transcriptions, and contextual notes.
3D Models
Three-dimensional scans and models of physical objects.
Conversations
Chat logs, text messages, and digital correspondence.
Locations
Places and coordinates that matter to your story.
Recipes
Family recipes with ingredients, instructions, and photos.
Archive Management
Powerful Tools, Simple Interface
Everything you need to document, organize, and share your collections.
Document
Add descriptions, dates, locations, and the stories behind each item. Transcribe handwritten notes and preserve context for future generations.
Organize
Group related files into items — like a book with multiple pages or an event captured in photos, video, and audio. Collections, folders, and tags keep everything in order.
Collaborate
Add unlimited collaborators on any plan. Set granular permissions — viewer, commenter, editor, or manager — for each archive.
Preserve
Your memories are safely stored and backed up in the cloud. Never worry about losing precious items to time or disaster.
Share
Set archives as draft, private, or public. Public archives are discoverable in the app and can be bookmarked by others.
Search
Find any item instantly with powerful search across titles, descriptions, transcriptions, and metadata.
For Collectors
Preserve the story behind every keepsake
That concert ticket stub. The mug from your first apartment. Grandma's recipe cards. Every object in your life tells a story — don't let them be forgotten.
Upload photos & mementos
Capture artwork, school projects, keepsakes, and everyday treasures with your phone camera.
Add stories & memories
Record the story behind each item — who gave it to you, when, and why it matters.
Transcribe handwritten notes
Preserve letters, postcards, and recipe cards by transcribing them for easy searching.
Capture video milestones
Upload videos of important moments alongside photos and documents.
Invite others to contribute
Let family members add their own memories and stories to your items.
For Family Archivists
Organize and share your family legacy
Preserve generations of memories. Digitize photos, documents, and heirlooms so your family history lives on.
Unlimited family members
Add your whole family as collaborators at no extra cost — everyone can contribute.
Multi-generation collaboration
Invite relatives to view, contribute, and help identify people in old photos.
Granular permissions
Control who can view, edit, or contribute to each archive. Perfect for sensitive family materials.
Photos, videos, documents & more
Support for all media types including scanned documents, audio recordings, and home movies.
Preserve for future generations
Create a digital time capsule that can be passed down through your family.
For Connoisseur & Curators
Document museum-quality collections
Whether you collect rare books, vintage cameras, fine art, or antiques, your collection deserves professional-grade documentation.
Multi-angle documentation
Attach multiple photos, videos, and documents to each item — capture every detail from every angle.
Document condition & history
Record the condition, location, and historical context of each piece in your collection.
Organize themed collections
Group items into curated collections by era, style, artist, or any criteria you choose.
Rich metadata
Capture descriptions, dates, locations, dimensions, and contextual notes for each item.
Share or keep private
Make your collection public for discovery, or keep it private. You control the visibility.
For Professional Historians
Organize your research collections
Whether you're a local historian, genealogist, or academic researcher, keep your research materials organized and accessible.
Structured hierarchy
Organize materials into Archives, Collections, and Items with multiple files per record.
Rich metadata
Capture descriptions, dates, locations, condition, and contextual notes for each item.
Typed tags
Tag items by person, date, place, event, or subject for easy cross-referencing.
Add transcriptions
Add transcriptions of handwritten documents to make them fully searchable.
Collaboration
Invite fellow researchers with granular view, comment, or edit permissions.
On the Horizon
What's Coming Next
We're constantly improving. Here's what's on our roadmap — and how you can help shape it.
AI-Powered Transcription
Automatically transcribe handwritten letters, postcards, and documents using advanced AI.
Scannable Codes
Generate QR codes for physical items that link to their digital records.
Export & Backup
Export your archives in standard formats for preservation, migration, or offline access.
Batch Import
Import large collections efficiently with bulk upload and metadata templates.
Citation Generation
Generate proper citations in academic formats for research and publication.
Have an idea for a feature? We build based on what our users need most.
Get Started
Start Preserving Your Memories Today
Free tier includes 10 items and 20 files. No credit card required.