Storyworth® – How it Works, Price, Reviews & Top Alternatives

Capturing a loved one’s life stories can feel like a big task, but platforms like Storyworth^® make it more approachable. Storyworth helps families record personal histories through weekly prompts that eventually become a hardcover book.

In this guide, we’ll walk through everything you need to know about Storyworth, including:

• What Storyworth is and how it works
• Who Storyworth is best for
• How much Storyworth costs
• Example Storyworth questions
• Pros and cons based on real families’ experiences
• The best Storyworth alternatives, including Remento and others

If you’re thinking of gifting Storyworth or just exploring your options, this guide will help you make an informed choice.

What is Storyworth?

Storyworth has been around for more than a decade, helping families document their memories through writing. Each week for a year, the storyteller receives a new question by email—for example, “Who was your childhood best friend?” or “What’s a lesson you learned from your parents?” They can type their response directly in the email or log in to their account to manage stories.

Recently, Storyworth introduced a speech-to-text feature, allowing storytellers to dictate responses instead of typing. However, the recordings themselves aren’t incorporated into the final product —only the transcribed text appears in the printed book. That means while you can read their words, you can’t hear their real voice or emotion.

Who is Storyworth for?

Storyworth works best for people who enjoy writing and want a structured way to reflect each week. It’s also a good fit for those who like long-term, consistent projects and don’t mind typing or dictating carefully.

For older adults or those who express themselves more naturally through conversation, Storyworth can feel a little formal. Since it relies on written text and doesn’t preserve voice or tone, it’s better suited for storytellers who are comfortable composing their answers rather than speaking off the cuff.

How does Storyworth work?

Here is a step-by-step breakdown:

1. Set up your Storyworth account

When you sign up, you create a project, select your storyteller, and invite family members to contribute prompts or read along.

2. Choose Your Questions

Storyworth provides a question bank from which prompts are selected. You can customize or swap prompts based on interest. While these questions are great starting points, many customers enjoy picking and choosing questions relevant to their storyteller from Storyworth’s question bank (see example questions). If you need additional inspiration beyond those provided by Storyworth, we’ve collected a selection of deep questions to go a bit further with someone you love.

Storyworth’s question library covers a wide range of life experiences, from childhood memories to lessons learned and defining moments. Although flexible to a point, it still centers on a curated list that may feel limiting for storytellers who prefer more open-ended or spontaneous storytelling.

3. Weekly Prompts and Responses

Every week, your storyteller gets a new question by email. They can reply directly or type their answer on the platform. The new dictation option turns spoken words into text, but storytellers still need to log in to manage their stories. Because audio isn’t part of the final book, you get the text but not the voice - an important limitation for families who want to hear their loved one’s natural storytelling.

Learn more from Storyworth customers

4. Review and Rearrang

As stories accumulate, the organizer can review, edit, and reorder them before printing. Storyworth makes this easy to do in its online dashboard. You can add images, adjust story order, and preview your final book layout, though the design remains consistent across all Storyworth books.

Here are a few tips to reviewing these stories and organizing them for printing in your Storyworth book:

• While the questions are not sent in chronological order, you can rearrange stories in the table of contents on your Storyworth dashboard. Just click and hold the story, and drag it to your preferred order.
  
• Preview the book before ordering, as it cannot be canceled or returned once printed.
  
• Add images if you haven’t already. While there’s no limit to the number of images you can include, your Storyworth book must not exceed 480 pages. Just remember you’ll be charged a fee if you decide to print your book in color.

As for the book cover, you can customize the title and image, not the title’s typeface or font size. There’s also a selection of cover styles and colors to choose from.

These customization steps help shape the final keepsake, but the design remains relatively fixed, keeping Storyworth books consistent in look and structure.

5. Book Printing

At the end of the subscription year, Storyworth compiles and prints a hardcover book. You’ll have three months to edit your stories and order the book after the subscription ends. Once your subscription ends, you will still be able to keep your account and access your stories. However, if you haven’t finished writing within the year and want to add more stories, you will need to renew your subscription for another year.

What Are Some Storyworth Questions or Prompts?

Storyworth has developed a list of general-purpose questions designed to inspire the recall of memories, ranging from distant family history to more contemporary experiences. These prompts cover a wide variety of themes, such as childhood, family traditions, personal achievements, and life lessons.

They are meant to spark reflection and storytelling in a comfortable and accessible way, whether the storyteller is reminiscing about early years or sharing wisdom gained later in life.

These questions are designed to encourage people to share their memories, thoughts, and experiences in a meaningful way.

Explore a list of 48 sample Storyworth questions and prompts 

What do Storyworth book look like? Can Storyworth books be customized?

Storyworth books are 6x9-inch hardcovers with color-printed interiors and customizable covers. You can add photos and adjust story order, but formatting options like fonts and layouts are fixed. The result is a clean, consistent book that showcases a loved one’s written memories.

How Much Does Storyworth Cost?

A Storyworth annual subscription is priced at $99 and includes:

• Weekly prompts delivered over one year
• Unlimited contributors who can view or propose prompts
• One hardcover keepsake book included in the subscription

Additional books and formats cost extra, depending on page count and whether you choose color or black and white printing. Storyworth occasionally runs promotions or discounts, such as during holidays, which can reduce the total cost.

Refunds are available within 30 days if no book has been printed. Once a book has been printed, returns or exchanges are generally not offered.

How Much Do Additional Books Cost?

Pricing for additional Storyworth books depends on the print format and total number of pages. Here is a general breakdown:

• $39: Black and white interior, up to 480 pages
• $79: Color books, up to 300 pages
• $99: Color books above 300 pages, up to 480 pages

Pro Tip: You can earn credits for a free black and white book by referring a friend using your referral code. Your friend will also receive a $10 discount.

Returns and Refunds

Storyworth offers a full refund within 30 days of purchase, as long as no books have been printed. Printed books cannot be returned or exchanged. Refunds can be managed from your Storyworth account by navigating to Manage Account > Billing.

Are Storyworth Coupons or Discounts Ever Offered?

Storyworth occasionally offers a $10 discount during key holidays such as Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and the December holiday season. These promotions are typically short-term and are featured directly on the Storyworth website or in their marketing emails.

Storyworth Reviews: Pros and Cons

After reviewing feedback from hundreds of Storyworth families, here is an overview of what customers appreciate most and what they find challenging about the platform.

Pros:

• Preferred by writers: Ideal for those who enjoy reflective writing, or can speak exactly how they'd want their book to be written.
• Structured and reliable: Weekly prompts over 52 weeks provide a consistent storytelling cadence.
• Simple and familiar format: Relatively easy for most users to understand and use.‍
• Produces a polished book: Creates a hardcover, keepsake book with clean design and consistent formatting.

Cons:

• No voice preservation: Recordings of the storyteller are not accessible through the book.
• Verbatim transcription only: Dictated stories appear exactly as spoken, often without punctuation or cleanup, making them feel raw or fragmented - not ideal for less-structured speakers.
• Can’t record the stories behind photos: Photos can be added to existing stories, but they cannot be used to inspire the sharing of memories associated with the image itself.
• Smaller (and more expensive) books - Printing additional copies of Storyworth’s 6”x9” color-printed books costs $79 each.‍
• Minimal collaboration: Family can suggest prompts and edit stories, but cannot add comments to ensure the storyteller feels heard and valued.‍
• Platform reliability concerns: A few users have reported occasional data loss or accessibility issues. ‍

Learn more: Storyworth Reviews

Storyworth Alternatives

If you love the concept of Storyworth but want a more dynamic experience, here are three strong alternatives, each with a slightly different approach.

1. Remento: The Voice-Powered Memory Book

Best for: Families who want to preserve stories and voices.

Remento transforms voice or video recordings into written stories using Speech-to-Story™ technology. Storytellers simply talk without needing to write—they can record from any device, no apps or logins required. Family members can listen, react, and comment weekly, turning the process into a shared experience rather than a solo writing project.

Each Remento book features full-color pages (8x10 inches) with written stories, color photos, and scannable QR codes that link to the original recordings. This means families can read their loved one’s words and also hear their voice, laughter, and emotion, preserving the moments that text alone can’t capture.

Remento’s guided prompts cover everything from family milestones to forgotten memories, but they’re also customizable—you can add photos, edit questions, or create your own. The result is a deeply personal storytelling journey that evolves week by week.

Unlike Storyworth, which produces a written book, Remento preserves both the written narrative and the storyteller’s true voice. It blends technology and emotion in a way that feels timeless, helping families relive not just what was said but how it was said.

Books are printed in full color, bound in a premium hardcover format, and include free shipping.

Price: $99/year, which includes a full year of recording unlimited stories and one hardcover book. Extra copies are available for $69

Learn more about the differences between Storyworth and Remento

Storyworth v. No Story Lost

No Story Lost is a service that helps families capture and preserve their cherished memories through professional interviews and beautifully bound books. The process starts with a friendly interviewer conducting recorded conversations with your loved ones, focusing on their unique stories and experiences.

Here are some features that make No Story Lost Stand Out.

• Professional interviewers: Experienced interviewers conduct engaging and thoughtful conversations to draw out the most meaningful stories from your loved ones.
• Personalized editing: Each story is carefully transcribed and edited to reflect the storyteller's authentic voice and essence, maintaining authenticity and emotional depth.
• High-quality keepsake books: The final product is a beautifully designed, hardbound book that integrates personal photos and stories into a lasting heirloom.

Price: Starting at $1,099

Other companies offering similar products to Storyworth include:

• My Life in a Book: Like Storyworth, My Life in a Book sends weekly emails to prompt users to write about their lives. We wrote an article comparing Storyworth, My Life in a Book and Remento.
• A Life Untold: Storytellers type their answers and stories into an online interview. The company is based in Australia but offers global shipping to Canada, the USA, New Zealand, and the UK. 
• Storykeeper: Storykeeper uses an online web application where you start responding to story prompts or wait for their weekly email prompt.