Honest review

    StoryWorth review: what the three plans cost, and what turns up

    $59, $109 or $199 a year. And on the $59 plan, the weekly email asks her to type.

    By the Ethos team8 min readPrices checked August 2026
    A woman holding open her finished hardcover life story, showing a numbered chapter beside scanned family photographs
    A finished life story book, open at chapter 10. This one is ours.

    We make a competing product. Ethos is ours. So read this the way you would read any review written by one of the two companies in it.

    Everything we say about StoryWorth is linked. Every number and every feature below comes from a page StoryWorth publish, all of them listed at the foot of this article and all read on 26 August 2026. The four screenshots are from a live StoryWorth account we paid for and used, captured on 25 August 2026. Where StoryWorth do not publish something, we say that instead of guessing.

    The short version

    StoryWorth sends one question a week for a year. She answers it. At the end of the year the answers are printed as a hardcover book, and the book is included in the price.

    That is a good product. Their Trustpilot rating is further down this page, so you can see for yourself how it has gone for other families. The part people do not think about before they buy is who does the writing. On the cheapest plan the question arrives by email and she writes the answer out. Talking down the phone starts on the middle plan. The interview that listens and asks a follow up question is the top plan only.

    If she likes writing, StoryWorth is the right buy and we will say so again further down. If she does not, look at the picture of their empty writing page further down before you spend anything.

    What StoryWorth costs

    Three plans, all billed by the year, all from their own pricing page. Every plan includes at least one hardcover book credit, printed in the USA, with free economy shipping inside the US on the book that comes with the plan. Basic and Color include one credit. Unlimited includes two.

    Basic, $59 a year
    A year of weekly questions for one storyteller, sent by email. She writes her answers, either by replying to the email or on their website. One hardcover book credit, up to 480 pages, black and white inside with a color cover. Free e-book downloads.
    Color, $109 a year
    Everything above, and the questions can arrive by text message as well as email. She can tell stories over the phone and they are transcribed for her. One Family Call a month, so a relative can join her on a recorded call. Personalized questions written for her. The built-in proofreader. The book credit here is full color inside, up to 300 pages.
    Unlimited, $199 the first year, then $99
    Everything above, plus weekly guided phone interviews for each storyteller, weekly Family Calls, and two hardcover book credits up to 300 pages. You can give memoirs to everyone in the family while the plan is active, and you get $10 off additional books. Their page marks it as auto renewing yearly at $99, cancel at any time.

    The costs that come later

    These are the ones that surprise people, and they are all published on their printing costs page.

    Going past 300 pages in color
    A color book includes 300 pages. If it runs longer you pay $20 at the time of printing, which takes it up to a maximum of 480 pages. So 480 pages costs nothing extra in black and white, and $20 extra in color.
    Extra copies
    $39 for a black and white book up to 480 pages, $79 for a color book up to 300 pages, and $99 for a color book above 300 pages. On the Unlimited plan you get $10 off each of those.
    Shipping beyond the first book
    Free economy shipping inside the US covers the book that comes with the subscription. Faster shipping is available and costs more, and they say the price depends on the address and how many books you order. They also note that international orders may carry customs or import fees.

    Their pricing page lists a 30 day money back guarantee. Their help centre adds the condition: full refunds within 30 days, as long as no books have been printed.

    What Ethos costs, for comparison

    $99, once, for a hardcover. Shipping on a single copy is $3.95, and two or more copies ship free. Five copies bought together are $237, which works out at $47.40 a book, and one more ordered after the book is finished is $69. There is no plan, no renewal date and nothing to cancel. If the book takes six months instead of three, it costs the same.

    What the StoryWorth book is

    From their page about the books: 6 by 9 inches, which they describe as similar to a book you might find in a bookstore. The paper inside is 70# white uncoated, acid free, archival quality. That page does not say the book is a hardcover. Their pricing page and their printing costs page both do.

    Read the page limits twice. The biggest number only applies to black and white printing. 480 pages is black and white only. That is the Basic plan. A color book includes 300 pages and $20 more at printing takes color up to 480. Every plan gets a custom color cover.

    They do not publish what the cover is made of, or how the book is bound. We looked, we could not find it, and we are not going to make it up.

    StoryWorth

    6 x 9 in

    70# white uncoated archival paper

    Ethos

    7 x 10 in

    Thick coated paper

    Drawn to scale against each other. StoryWorth publish 6 by 9 inches, which they describe as similar to a book you might find in a bookstore. Ours is 7 by 10. Theirs holds more pages if you print in black and white. Ours is bigger, so a wedding photograph prints bigger on the page.

    How it actually works, on screen

    These four pictures are from a live StoryWorth account, captured on 25 August 2026. This is what you get after you pay.

    The StoryWorth account home page, showing a plain green book cover and a list of questions underneath
    The account home, captured 25 August 2026. The cover is plain green until somebody changes it, and the list underneath is the questions waiting for an answer.
    A numbered list of StoryWorth questions, each with a Start writing link beside it
    The question list, captured 25 August 2026. They are numbered, and each one says Start writing. StoryWorth publish no feature that writes the next question from the last answer.

    And then this, which is the whole thing in one picture. A good question, at the top. Underneath it, an empty page and a Save button.

    A StoryWorth question above a completely empty writing area with a Save button
    The writing page, captured 25 August 2026. On the $59 plan this is what arrives every week for a year. If she enjoys writing, this is a gift. If she does not, this is homework.

    We are not saying that to be unkind about StoryWorth. The question on that screen is a good question. It is just that a question is the easy half. The hard half is sitting down and writing the answer out, fifty two weeks running.

    Talking instead of typing

    StoryWorth do have phone features, and they have three of them. Their voice recording page says there are three ways to record over the phone and that you can even use a landline, which genuinely matters for this age group. None of the three is on the $59 Basic plan.

    A StoryWorth dialog headed Record your story over the phone, with a phone number field
    Asking StoryWorth to call, captured 25 August 2026. You pick a question that has not been answered yet and type a phone number, and the call goes out. The number here is blurred because it was ours.

    Story Calls

    She talks, and StoryWorth transcribe it into the memoir word for word. On the pricing page, telling stories over the phone with automatic transcription is a Color plan feature, so it is not on the $59 plan.

    Magic Interviews

    This is the one that asks a follow up question. Their help page says guest storytellers on the Unlimited plan can voice record using Magic Interviews, so it is the $199 plan. When the call ends, StoryWorth turn the conversation into a written story, which is different from the word for word transcript a Story Call gives you.

    One practical thing we found by using it: you cannot book one in advance. Somebody opens the website, picks an unanswered question and types a phone number, and the call goes then. StoryWorth publish no way to schedule one, and no standing weekly slot. If your plan was that the phone would just ring every Sunday without anyone organising it, it does not work like that.

    Family Calls

    A relative joins the storyteller on a recorded call. Their help page says StoryWorth then make a cleaned-up transcription of the conversation and add it to the account. So this one is not word for word. Their pricing page puts one Family Call a month on the $109 plan and weekly Family Calls on the $199 plan, and their help centre says a Basic plan has to upgrade to reach them.

    Worth saying plainly, because it gets misreported: StoryWorth do keep the audio. Their voice page says a QR code is added to the memoir so you can listen to the recordings later. The voice is not thrown away.

    The proofreader is a button

    The pricing page lists a built-in proofreader to catch and correct mistakes. Their help centre explains what it is: you open a story in the editor, click into the text, and choose PROOFREAD in the upper left. It is a tool in the software, on the Color and Unlimited plans. No person at StoryWorth reads the story.

    Nobody at Ethos reads it either. We have no editor and no proofreader, and we would rather say that here than let you assume otherwise. What we do instead is pull every name and every place we heard into one list and send it to the family to check before anything is printed, because a misspelled maiden name is the mistake a family notices and a computer does not.

    StoryWorth reviews: 4.7 from 64,742 people

    They are the biggest name in this market by a long way, and the review count shows it. On 26 August 2026, their Trustpilot page showed a TrustScore of 4.7 out of 5 from 64,742 reviews. StoryWorth claimed the profile in December 2022. The same page states that the company invites its customers to review, whether positive or negative, and that it has replied to 100% of negative reviews.

    That is the whole picture we found. What it is worth is your call.

    Is StoryWorth worth it?

    If she likes writing, yes. She gets a question a week, she answers it in her own words, and they print her words. If she does not like writing, look hard at what the $59 plan asks her to do every week, because that is where these books stall.

    Where StoryWorth beats us

    It does not rewrite her sentences
    If she types the answer, or records a Story Call, the page in the book is her words in her order. Nothing shapes them. For some families that is exactly the point, and it is a real strength that we do not match, because our software does turn what he said into chapters. (Two things on their side are not word for word: a Magic Interview, which they say is turned into a written story, and a Family Call, which they say is added as a cleaned-up transcription.)
    She can answer by replying to an email
    The question arrives as an email, and their pricing page says a storyteller on any plan can write the answer in a reply to it or on their website. For a storyteller who does not want to log in to anything, that is worth a lot. Their pricing page also says the phone recording works on any phone, even a landline, but that is on the $109 plan and up, not on the $59 plan.
    A cheaper way in
    $59 including the printed book and free US shipping is less than $99. If she is happy writing, they cost less and you should buy them. We are not going to talk you out of it.
    More pages, if black and white is fine
    480 pages black and white on the $59 plan, against our 400. If he has a lot to say, more of it fits in their book.
    Far more people have used it
    64,742 Trustpilot reviews against our few hundred customers. They have been doing this for years and they have printed a lot of books. We are the newer company here and pretending otherwise would be silly.

    What Ethos does differently

    He does not write anything. He talks, for about fifty minutes at a time, and the next question is written from what he just said. So the story opens outward instead of working down a numbered list. The order the questions come in is biographer-designed, and software runs it.

    An Ethos question on screen with three follow-up questions listed beneath it
    A question on Ethos, shown with a sample story rather than a customer's. One question, three follow-ups under it, second of six inside one chapter.
    The Ethos record screen, showing numbered chapters that unlock one after another
    Chapters unlock one at a time. The next one is written after the last one is recorded, which is why it is still locked.

    The book is 7 by 10 inches, full color inside on thick coated paper, up to 400 pages with nothing more to pay to reach it. Up to 50 family and friends can each be interviewed on their own, and their memories go into his book. Every recording is yours to download and keep, not only to listen to. And it is one payment, so nothing renews while you are getting round to it.

    $99, once

    No subscription and no renewal date. Prices checked August 2026; features checked August 2026.

    • A hardcover life story, 7 by 10 inches, full color inside on thick coated paper
    • Up to 400 pages, with nothing more to pay to reach it
    • His whole life in order, from childhood to now, in chapters
    • A question a week, answered out loud. No typing, no app, no password
    • Each question written by the software from what he already said, in a biographer-designed order
    • Up to 50 family and friends, each with their own interview, all of it in his book
    • Every recording, yours to download and keep
    • The digital copy
    • A list of every name and place we heard, for your family to check before it prints
    30 day money back guarantee. No questions asked.See the Ethos life story book

    What our own customers say

    ★★★★★

    I'm 74. Figured I had nothing worth writing down. Two months in, I had 180 pages. My grandkids read it together at Thanksgiving.
    Robert

    ★★★★★

    I just answered the questions. That's all I had to do. They sent me back a book that sounds like me. My daughter said she could hear my voice on every page.
    Margaret

    ★★★★★

    Got this for my dad who never talks about himself. There are stories in this book none of us had heard.
    Marcus C., Ogden, UT

    ★★★★★

    Good experience overall. We gave it to my father in law and he answers his question every week. Printing took longer than we expected.
    Rebecca M., Nampa, ID

    Questions people ask us

    How much does StoryWorth cost?

    There are three plans a year: Basic at $59, Color at $109 and Unlimited at $199. Unlimited renews after the first year at $99. Basic and Color each include one hardcover book credit and Unlimited includes two, printed in the USA with free economy shipping inside the US on the book that comes with the plan. Extra books are $39 for black and white, $79 for color up to 300 pages, and $99 for color above 300 pages. If a color book runs past 300 pages you pay $20 more at printing to take it up to 480. They offer a 30 day money back guarantee.

    Does she have to type?

    On the $59 Basic plan, yes. The question arrives by email and she answers it by writing, either by replying to the email or on their website. Talking down the phone starts on the $109 Color plan. The guided interview that asks follow up questions, which StoryWorth call a Magic Interview, is on the $199 Unlimited plan only. This is the single thing most worth knowing before you buy, and it is why we put a picture of their empty writing page on this article.

    What is the StoryWorth book like?

    It is a hardcover, 6 by 9 inches, which their help centre describes as similar to a book you might find in a bookstore. The paper is 70# white uncoated, acid free and archival quality. The $59 plan prints black and white inside, up to 480 pages, with a color cover. The $109 plan prints in color up to 300 pages, and $20 more at printing takes a color book up to 480. They do not publish what the cover is made of or how the book is bound, so we are not going to guess.

    Is StoryWorth worth it?

    If she likes writing, it is a good buy and we will not pretend otherwise. She gets a question a week, she answers it in her own words, and StoryWorth print those words. Nobody rewrites a typed answer. Their pricing page says a storyteller on any plan can write the answer in a reply to the weekly email, so she does not have to log in to anything. If she does not like writing, look hard at what the $59 plan actually asks her to do every week, because that is where these books stall.

    Does the subscription renew?

    The Unlimited plan says it auto renews yearly at $99 and that you can cancel at any time. Their pricing page also says that even after a plan has ended you will always have access to your account to edit or add to your existing stories and print new copies. That is their claim, on their page, and we have not tested it. Ethos is one payment of $99. There is no plan and nothing to cancel.

    Can other people in the family add stories?

    StoryWorth have a second product for that called Celebrations, where several people add stories and photos to one book. Their FAQ says setting it up and collecting the stories is free and you only pay for the books. On their Memoirs plans, Family Calls let a relative join a storyteller on a recorded call, monthly on the $109 plan and weekly on the $199 plan. With Ethos, up to 50 family and friends can each be interviewed on their own, and what they say goes into the storyteller's book.

    Still working it out?

    If Remento is also on your list, we compared all three, with screenshots of both products because we have used both: StoryWorth vs Remento vs Ethos. And if you want the shorter list of what else exists, we wrote that here: StoryWorth alternatives.

    See the Ethos life story book

    One last thing. The question to ask is not which one is cheapest. It is who is doing the work. With StoryWorth on the $59 plan, she is, every week, by writing. That suits some people. If it does not suit her, the price does not matter, because a book that never gets written is a wasted year.

    Sources. Everything said about StoryWorth above comes from these pages, all read on 26 August 2026. The screenshots were captured from a live StoryWorth account on 25 August 2026. Prices verified August 2026. Features verified August 2026. Competitor prices change, and if you are reading this much later, check them yourself.

    1. StoryWorth pricing — the $59, $109 and $199 plans, what each includes, the one and two hardcover book credits, the $99 renewal, free US shipping, the built-in proofreader, personalized questions, questions by text, answering in a reply to the weekly email on any plan, phone recording on the upgraded plans working on any phone including a landline, access to your account after a plan ends, and the 30 day money back guarantee.
    2. StoryWorth help centre, printing costs — hardcover with a full color cover, $20 at printing past 300 pages in color, extra books at $39, $79 and $99, free US economy shipping on the book included with a subscription, faster shipping priced by address and quantity, and possible customs fees.
    3. StoryWorth help centre, about the books — 6 by 9 inches, similar to a book you might find in a bookstore, 70# white uncoated acid free archival paper. This page states neither the binding nor the cover material.
    4. StoryWorth help centre, is it possible to get a refund — full refunds within 30 days, as long as no books have been printed.
    5. StoryWorth help centre, voice recording — three ways to record by phone, landlines work, and the QR code in the memoir for listening back.
    6. StoryWorth help centre, Story Calls — transcribed into the memoir word for word.
    7. StoryWorth help centre, Magic Interviews — Unlimited plan, the conversation turned into a written story, and no published way to schedule a call.
    8. StoryWorth help centre, Family Calls — a cleaned-up transcription added to the account, and Basic must upgrade to reach them.
    9. StoryWorth help centre, checking spelling and grammar — the Proofread button in the editor, on Color and Unlimited.
    10. StoryWorth Celebrations FAQ — setting one up and collecting stories is free, you pay for books.
    11. StoryWorth on Trustpilot — 4.7 out of 5 from 64,742 reviews, claimed profile since December 2022, invites customers to review, replied to 100% of negative reviews. Read 26 August 2026.

    StoryWorth is a trademark of its owner. We are not affiliated with them, and this page is not endorsed by them.