27 Best StoryWorth Alternatives for 2024
The Definitive Guide to Capturing Family History
by Mark Noonan
You want to save your Grandma, Dad, Sister, or Your Own favorite memories and stories before it’s too late. How best to make it happen? Read on for StoryWorth alternatives to help capture family history…
When it comes to preserving, you have 2 options:
DIY – Do It Yourself
DFY – Done For You
First, decide if you want to do this yourself, either one-time or weekly over the course of a year. Or, you can hire someone to complete the task for you.
Generally, DIY is cheaper, but you must factor in the time it takes to do it on your own. DFY will cost more but save your time. As Ben Franklin once quipped: time is money.
Book, Audio, Video, Documentary, Biography
Second, you need to decide what you want the final product to be.
Do you want a book, an audio recording, a video, a documentary, or a biography?
In simplest terms, these go up in price, from least expensive to most…
Book
Many of the choices below offer books. The book option is inexpensive because it automates the process. Each week for a year, a question is emailed to your Grandpa/Mom/You. Then your Grandpa/Mom/You must take the time to write out an answer to the question. After fifty-two weeks, you get a book. Numerous companies offer this service because it is cheap to produce and requires you or your loved one to tackle the heavy lifting.
Audio
Everyone has an audio recorder in their smartphone now, either with voice memos or any of the free apps. Likewise, you can record a phone call. Time and time again, the #1 thing people want to preserve from their loved one is their voice. With the prevalence of podcasts and ease of audio recording this has become a great option. But once again, there are many ways to do this yourself (if you put in the effort and time). Or someone else can perform the interview for you, as we’ll see below.
Video
For DIY: everybody has a video camera now: it’s called your smartphone. If you want to record your Grandpa/Mom/You, you simply have to put in the time and effort to do it (notice a theme here?). You have to choose questions, sit down, and make it happen. Fix audio and lighting. Edit it. Add subtitles. Title cards. Opening sequence…If you’re a proactive person, that’s great, go get it done. If you need some help, then DFY might be a better choice. A scheduled video interview does it for you. Then edits it and adds all the flourishes for a full finished product.
Documentary
The most DFY of all the choices. The final product involves interviews, pictures, documents, music, and home movies. All brought together to create a full biographical documentary film of a life. A full professional experience.
Biography
Also DFY. Like the documentary video, you hire a professional writer to compose a complete biography of your loved one. You give photos, thoughts, keepsakes, and sit for interviews. The biographer puts it all together into a book of the person’s life. None of the options in the list below will be Robert Caro’s The Years of Lyndon Johnson (all 3,000 pages and counting). But you can achieve a great story-of-life biography in less than 100 pages.
Price
The three most common options:
Free
Subscription
One-Time Charge
Let’s explore companies and products:
BOOK
StoryWorth DIY
$99/one year subscription (includes 1 color hardcover, black & white interior book)
$39 additional book
The pioneer book option. StoryWorth is the Coca-Cola Classic for the life story create-a-book space. Launched over 10 years ago, they put this offering on the map. Purchase and your Grandpa/Mom/You receives an email every week with a question to answer. A year later (50+ questions), they print a book for you. All DYI: you do the edits, you choose any pictures, you decide the book cover. Krista & Nick Baum and his dad understood the importance of capturing memories and stories and making it simple and easy for seniors to do. Because of the automated system they created, a million make-a-book competitors popped up. If you want a book, StoryWorth is the original and remains a great service.
Meminto App & Website DIY
$99/one-time charge - 1 full-cover color image hardcover, color interior book included
Additional product offerings (transcription, video, etc) are also simple one-time charges
Founder Albert Brückmann launched Meminto in 2017 from his hometown in Germany, aiming to capture his grandfather’s stories through the Memorial Book. This allows relatives and friends to preserve lasting memories of loved ones. Meminto stands out by offering a free mobile app, various book options such as Life Stories, Wedding, Childhood, and Travel, along with interactive technology that brings photographs to life.
By combining an easy-to-use app with nine book options and incorporating audio and video, Meminto merges the best of traditional storytelling (the printed word) with cutting-edge technology (AI) to create impactful results. The app simplifies the addition of videos and photos to your account, and you can embed audio and video in your book using QR codes for a virtual pop-up experience. It even has a senior-friendly interface that makes answering the questions particularly easy.
There’s a fantastic free option to create a small e-book if you’d like to explore what Meminto offers without commitment. Notably, it is the only product on this list that doesn’t require a subscription, allowing you to make a straightforward purchase without worrying about unexpected subscription fees. The Meminto team is quick to respond, so feel free to reach out with any questions; they will be happy to help you choose the right book.
Memorygram DIY
$178/one year subscription - color hardcover, color interior, professional proofread
$69 additional book
$20 digital copy
$49 audio book version
Memorygram follows the StoryWorth model but adds interior color and review by a professional proofreader. You can also buy a digital copy and audio book version. Childhood friends Paul and Larry started Memorygram in Austin, Texas.
A Life Untold DIY
$199/one year subscription – color hardcover, color interior
$79 additional book
Free digital e-book copy
Australians Beatrix and Josh Kates founded A Life Untold after the birth of their daughter, Eve inspired them to record parents’ stories. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia A Life Untold follows a similar model to Memorygram.
My Life in a Book DIY
$79/one year subscription – color hardcover, color interior
$55 additional book
$39 spoken audio transcription (voice to text) instead of writing
Like the other color book offerings, My Life in a Book does not share specific founding history or names on their website. It appears they operate from France.
Storykeeper DIY
$299/one year subscription – 2 color hardcover, color interior books
$35 additional book
Storykeeper is another book-prompt product. As with My Life in a Book, no genuine founding story emerges, so it is unclear who runs the business and if they are UK based.
LifeStoryPRO DIY
$129/one year subscription – 1 color hardcover, color interior book
Since 2016, LifeStoryPRO has been offering their make-a-book service. Ownership and founding story is uncertain.
Remento App DIY
$99/one year subscription – 1 color hardcover, color interior book included
$69 additional book
Co-founder Charlie Greene began his Remento journey after a family health crisis. Launched in 2023, the App offers a make-a-book option, but instead of typing you can talk. If your loved one doesn't want to write, they can speak, record, and the audio gets transcribed to text. You may also send short videos of yourself to your loved one asking them a question and requesting an answer. If you can put in the time to ask your Grandpa/Mom/Sister questions, Remento is a valuable new platform.
AUDIO
StoryCorps App DIY
Free - suggested minimum donation of $35
Founded in 2003 by Dave Isay, StoryCorps is the original independent non-profit audio advocate of this field, recording voices for over 20 years. Using their App it is easy to record right from your smartphone and then save, upload, or share.
LifeBio App DIY
$149 - lifetime use of the App + $100 for book
Enterprise Pricing - Inquire
Similar to StoryCorps but geared towards healthcare and senior living, LifeBio also offers an App to capture voices, upload photos, and create a memory book. Founded by Beth Sanders in 2001, LifeBio was the first online biography generator, App, and HIPPA-compliant platform.
Artifact DFY
$149 – 30 minute interview recorded by professional interviewer
Ross Chanin and George Quraishi started Artifact to save precious family stories before it’s too late. A professional interviewer guides the thirty minute conversation which is then edited down to 20 minutes with photos added, and you receive a professional studio-quality audio keepsake.
Storii DIY
$99/one year subscription (over phone call)
Under the Storii umbrella are 2 products: an audio phone call (Storii) and an all-in-one management system for senior care providers (Storiicare). Storii is an automated phone call that dials your loved one three times a week, asks them a question, and then records, transcribes, and saves it in their Storii account. It is not a human being calling them, but an AI voice.
Vita DIY
Pricing - Unknown
$18 Storytime interview cards: 40 questions (the download version is free)
You either dial a phone number (like Storii) or record using your own device/app and then Vita’s memoirists help you create a digital memoir with text, photos you can add to, all on a custom webpage. It is elusive who is behind this service or if it is still operating.
Memory Lane AI DIY
$99/one year subscription to the AI biographer + 1 hardcover book
Memory Lane is a platform that allows you or your loved one to converse with an AI chatbot (biographer). The AI chatbot asks you or your loved one questions. You answer. All automated. You create an account, log in, and then respond either via your desktop browser or on your smartphone. Memory Lane is a team of serial entrepreneurs and AI research scientists. This new process uses some of the same Natural Language Processing (NLP) technologies as our next company.
VIDEO
StoryFile DIY
$499 one-time for full access
StoryFile offers 2 products: Conversa - an enterprise business solution for conversational AI video; and StoryFile Life – a consumer product that uses the same conversational AI technology. StoryFile birthed from Steven Spielberg’s Shoah Foundation. They video recorded Holocaust survivors, asked them hundreds of questions, and created a conversational hologram version of each person. The purpose: an interactive Holocaust Museum exhibit that allows visitors to ask questions and the survivor provides answers. The consumer version is all DIY. 1,600 questions to pick from, you can choose and record, and then be able to have a conversation with your loved one after they are gone. StoryFile’s technology is amazing. The platform allows users enormous options for an all-encompassing DIY approach.
LifeStory DFY
$499 one-time – recorded video interview
Capture family stories with a keepsake video interview. Full transparency, this is my own product I have been providing for 3 years with powerful results. LifeStory is a 1:1 recorded Google Meet interview we conduct for up to 2 hours, using 71 in-depth questions to produce a full 360 degree view of a life. Professionally edited, titled, and scored with a personalized opening sequence, you then receive the full version (16:9) and your top three favorite stories (1:1) for easy social media sharing. We strive to dig deep and preserve the most meaningful stories which are then shared weekly at our Humans of New York-style blog.
Circa Legacy DFY
$500 one-time – audio or video (phone/Zoom)
$1,500 one-time – audio/video & writing (transcription)
$2,800 one-time – audio/video, writing & full-color book
Iowa native Keesia Wirt started Circa Legacy for all the busy moms, grandmas, and everyone else who feel regret from missed family history. Grandmothers Maxine and Betty passed before Keesia had the opportunity to preserve their memories. So she built her website and offerings with a flagship product: a 4 hour audio/video interview which can then be transcribed and turned into a full-color book. Keesia also shares many inexpensive gifts: a family time capsule kit and how to write a good obituary kit that are helpful guides.
Todd Hansen DFY
https://www.toddhansenlearn.com/legacy-story-project
$497 one-time - online course to learn how to professionally record yourself
$727 one-time – video Zoom recording – up to 2 hours – opening & closing title
$1,997 one-time – in-home recording session – up to 2 hours – opening & closing title
As creator, host, and executive producer across 12 seasons of The Story Trek on BYUtv, Todd Hansen has collected life-changing stories from everyday people. He offers his services, either through an online course, via Zoom, or live in-person.
Legacy Stories DFY
https://www.legacystories.com/
$59 guidebook – 230 legacy questions, specify assets, summarize family history
$580 – 1 hour remote interview to create a book – color cover, color interior
$890 – 1 hour onsite interview to create a book – color cover, color interior
$1,449 – legacy video memoir – remote interview
$1,890 – legacy video memoir – onsite interview
Legacy Stories provides online services for families to collect, archive, preserve, and share legacy assets for future generations. They also have an advocate program for estate planning attorneys, financial advisors, and an affiliate opportunity.
Megilla DIY
Free (for 6 months) but normally a subscription service
Megilla Story has a vault of 750 questions and allows you to record and share videos under three minutes and store them on the site. There is another site (https://www.megilla.com/) with the same logo. This other Megilla is for enhancing business marketing through user generated content.
Stories of a Lifetime DIY
https://storiesofalifetime.com/
$36 each “life chapter”
$360 for full access (all 10 life chapters)
Each chapter (childhood, career, marriage, etc) costs $36. There are 10 chapters to choose from and 10 questions per chapter. Each question has a 3 minute limit. To record, you visit the website and then record yourself answering the question. The answers are then stored in your account. So in theory, if someone is a big gabber, and does the full 10 chapter experience, you could achieve a 5 hour video.
Tribute DIY
$29 one-time charge (DIY)
$99 one-time charge concierge (DFY)
An easy way to send a group video gift or memorial. The tribute website works for birthdays, anniversaries, memorials, and many more. Video messages gather from multiple sources and create a unique personalized gift. For the DIY version, you must get everyone to respond to your email requests and edit it yourself. With concierge (DFY), they will send email reminders and edit the video for you, with your final approval.
DOCUMENTARY
Video of a Lifetime DFY
http://videoofalifetime.com/index.html
Pricing - contact
Jan and John Goldsmith are veteran Emmy and Peabody award-winning television producers, hosts, and writers who create a personal broadcast quality video documentary that celebrates your life in your words. Due to the intensive nature, they only do a few of these productions each year. Inquire for pricing.
Positive Emissions DFY
https://www.positiveemissions.com/
Pricing – contact
Founded by native Iowan Brittany Overton, whose personal experience as a radiation therapist treating cancer patients inspired her business, Positive Emissions offers two products: an individual life story and a couple’s love story. Through a filmed interview, vintage photographs, and other shared mementos, a personal video documentary is born. Inquire for pricing and to learn more.
Family Tree Video DFY
https://familytreevideo.com/video-biography-packages-prices/
$4,800-$5,400 - Video Biography Silver (Zoom or onsite)
$5,800-$6,400 - Video Biography Gold (Zoom or onsite)
$450-$850 - Video Biography Interview Unedited (Zoom or onsite)
Founded by Susan Saunders in 2008, Family Tree creates a video biography. Through interviews, photos, documents, and research a full picture of a life emerges. They also offer Anniversary Video options to capture the shared memories of marriage milestones.
BIOGRAPHY
No Story Lost DFY
$1,099 – 12,000 words (2 phone interviews)
$1,649 – 24,000 words (4 phone interviews)
$2,199 – 36,000 words (6 phone interviews)
They conduct phone interviews, use your photos, collaborate on design, and write to create a full-color coffee table biography book. Founded by a pair of Canadian cousins, Andrew Hall and Jeremy Bryant, they realized how difficult it is to produce a person’s biography and aim to guide and ease the process.
Memoir for Me DFY
$2,340 – 40 pages (4 hours of interviews)
$2,940 – 50 pages (6 hours of interviews)
$3,540 – 60 pages (8 hours of interviews)
In 2015, Nora Kerr interviewed her father who was dying from cancer. Combining memories, photographs, and design into a beautiful book launched her business. Since then she has been preserving family stories throughout the greater Chicago area. A high resolution digital flipbook is part of all services, and the full legacy package also includes the video interview files and a family tree.
StoryTerrace DFY
$2,700 – 60 pages (4 hours of interviews)
$4,950 – 90 pages (6 hours of interviews)
$9,050 – 125 pages (10 hours of interviews)
A personal professional biographer. They will ghostwrite your life story and turn it into a full-color hardcover book. Founded by Rutger Bruining after realizing the adventures of his grandfather were never recorded, StoryTerrace pairs you with a writer to guide the seven month process through a questionnaire, interviews, and design to produce a comprehensive written narrative of a life.
NarrAIted DIY
$99 one-time – PDF, Word doc, or e-book
Either via the website or App, their Biography Bot interviews you or your loved one. They then transcribe the audio file to text. You can edit it or add photos. Final product is a downloadable e-book, PDF, or Word doc. Clearly, the main difference between this offering and the other Biography-makers is that it is a DIY AI bot so the impetus is on the user to answer, edit, and create the final version. The backstory of NarrAIted is undetermined. Their corporate headquarters is in Calgary, Canada.
BONUS
LifePosts DIY
Free
A platform to create an online memorial or celebration page. You can choose a life milestone and then populate it with stories and photos. If you wish, the option to create a book or keepsake is available. You may also share your life post on social media. Founded by veteran journalist, Steven Waldman, the free digital tool is useful for commemorating important life moments.
Tales DIY
$60 – life story interview kit is a deck of 150 question cards, plus tips for recording
$25 – digital version
What started as a way for co-founder, Spencer Wise to record his grandmother’s stories is now a simple, easy-to-use product that all can enjoy.
Life Story Club DIY
Free (donations welcome)
A non-profit social storytelling space dedicated to bringing people together – over Zoom or phone – to exchange life stories and spark connection. Special focus on engaging seniors with younger generations to lessen loneliness and proffer wisdom.
Chptr App DIY
Free (paid premium features)
Memorial App to collect remembrances of a person all in one place. You create an account for your loved one or yourself, then add preferred material (photos, audio, video, documents). They also have an adorable elephant logo.
PIVOT/UNKNOWN
Unclear if these companies are still offering services:
Saga App DIY
Appears that Saga has pivoted to Honeycomb, a baby AI photo App.
Kindred DFY
Their website is no longer available. Prior they were offering a video service.
StoryWorth Alternative Conclusion
Have you decided?
Will it be DIY or DFY?
Do you want a Book, Audio, Video, Documentary, or Biography?
Price: Free, Subscription, or One-Time charge?
The challenge with the DIY platforms and options is actually doing it. Life moves pretty fast and finding the time to make it happen proves challenging…
All I know is this: time and time again, when asked what do people most want to remember their loved one, #1 is the voice so they can hear it again, and #2 is to see them tell their tales.
If buying for a Grandparent/Parent, the question you must ask yourself is: will it get done? Will Grandpa/Mom actually take the time to do it? If the answer is yes and you/they are proactive people, then great: go for it!
But life has a tendency to get in the way (jobs, kids, friends, family, hobbies). If you don’t have time to devote to writing answers for a book or recording your loved one, then a DFY option is probably best.
Either way, you now have 27 options (and bonuses) to preserve memories and stories before it’s too late. Which brings us to the final question…
What are you waiting for?
Do Something!
Trust us, before you know it life speeds by and then all your amazing memories and stories get lost before grandkids even know what they’re missing.
All these technologies, new and old, are tools to achieve your real purpose: save memories and stories before it’s too late.
Our ancestors sat around a campfire and told each other tales (some tall!) about their lives. Even with new easy book printing, vast video conferencing, and generative AI technologies, we must remember: it’s about sharing that story with someone.
Don’t sit around the campfire alone and tell your amazing adventure to no one (except the squirrels).
Share stories with everyone. Do it now before it’s too late…
*NOTE: If you have an offering or business in the life story world that I missed or don’t know about, kindly email me and I’ll be happy to check it out and include in this guide.
