Not On The High Street Alternatives UK | Time to Be Love
Not On The High Street is the UK's most popular personalised gift marketplace. But it's not the only option — and depending on what you're looking for, it may not be the best one. This guide compares NOTHS, Moonpig, and Time to Be Love across the factors that matter most: personalisation quality, where products are made, and value for money.
Last updated: June 2026
Why People Look for Not On The High Street Alternatives
Not On The High Street is a marketplace — which means it hosts thousands of independent sellers with very different quality standards, shipping times, and personalisation processes. Common complaints include:
- Inconsistent quality across sellers
- High prices relative to what's included
- Limited visibility into where products are actually made
- Slow customer service when issues arise with a seller
- Products made overseas despite the "small business" positioning
If any of these matter to you, it's worth knowing your alternatives.
NOTHS vs Moonpig vs Time to Be Love: At a Glance
| Factor | Not On The High Street | Moonpig | Time to Be Love |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Marketplace (multiple sellers) | Single brand | Single brand |
| Made in UK | Varies by seller | Partly | Yes — all products |
| Personalisation depth | Varies by seller | Photo + text on cards/mugs | Custom illustration, maps, engraving |
| Starting price | £15–£120+ | £4.99 | £9.90 |
| Free delivery threshold | Varies | £30 | £50 |
| Made-to-order | Varies | No (bulk printed) | Yes — every order |
| Customer review score | 4.4 Trustpilot | 4.6 Trustpilot | 4.9 Etsy (5,000+ reviews) |
Not On The High Street
NOTHS is the UK's largest personalised gift marketplace. It hosts thousands of independent sellers, which means quality, pricing, and delivery times vary significantly depending on which seller you buy from.
What it does well: Huge range of products and styles; discovery experience is excellent; brand recognition is high.
What to watch out for: You're buying from a specific seller, not NOTHS directly. Refund and support processes vary. Products from different sellers can't be combined into one order. Price premiums are significant across many categories.
Best for: Shoppers who want maximum choice and are willing to vet individual sellers carefully.
Moonpig
Moonpig started as a card company and has expanded into gifts. Their personalisation model is primarily photo-on-product — adding a photo and text to a card, mug, cushion, or print.
What it does well: Very low price entry point; fast turnaround on cards; large range of occasion-specific designs; same-day delivery available for cards.
What to watch out for: Personalisation is surface-level — typically photo + text placed on a template. Not hand-made or illustrated. Gift quality is lower at the price points. Less memorable as a keepsake.
Best for: Quick, affordable cards and simple photo gifts with fast dispatch.
Time to Be Love
Time to Be Love is a made-to-order personalised gift maker based in Nottingham. Every product is individually made from scratch — no marketplaces, no third-party sellers, no overseas fulfilment.
What we do well: Custom caricature illustrations made from photos; first date map plaques; engraved keychains; cake toppers; star map night lights. All made in Nottingham. 4.9 stars from 5,000+ Etsy customers.
What to know: Smaller product range than NOTHS (we specialise rather than generalise). Dispatch is 1–3 working days for most products. We check every order before making it.
Best for: Shoppers who want a genuinely personal, handmade gift with high quality and UK-made assurance — especially for milestone occasions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Time to Be Love cheaper than Not On The High Street?
In most comparable categories, yes. Our caricature gifts start from £10.90 vs £20–£40+ on NOTHS for similar illustration products. Our free delivery threshold is £50 (orders over that ship free). NOTHS delivery costs vary by seller.
Are Time to Be Love products really made in the UK?
Yes — all products are made to order in Nottingham. We print, illustrate, assemble and ship everything ourselves. We don't use overseas fulfilment centres.
What personalised gifts does Time to Be Love make?
We make caricature standees, cake toppers, engraved keychains, first date map plaques, custom star map night lights, and acrylic plaques. Gifts start from £9.90.
How fast is delivery from Time to Be Love?
Most products dispatch within 1–3 working days. If you need something by a specific date, contact us before ordering and we'll advise.