Giving someone Storyworth is one of the most thoughtful gifts you can offer a parent or grandparent: a year of guided story prompts, a lifetime of memories captured, and a hardcover book your family will treasure for generations. Storyworth and Memorygram both send weekly prompts and compile responses into a printed book, but real differences in phone accessibility, family involvement, and book customization. Here's how they compare.

TLDR:

• Storyworth books run up to 480 pages with unlimited photos; Color and Unlimited plans include full-color interiors, while Memorygram has fewer customization options.
• With Storyworth, family members can read stories in real-time, comment, and contribute throughout the year at no extra cost.
• Storyworth is family-owned with 1,000,000+ books printed and 50,000 five-star Trustpilot reviews since 2013.
• On Color and Unlimited plans, Storyworth Voice gives storytellers three phone-based ways to share memories: Story Calls, Magic Interviews, and Family Calls, all on any phone including a landline, with no app or password needed.
• Storyworth starts at $59/year and includes your first hardcover book; Memorygram's one-time price is $123.50, with an extra $50 to add a second contributor.

What is Memorygram?

Memorygram is a memory book service designed to help individuals document their life stories. It works by sending weekly email prompts that guide the storyteller through their personal history. The storyteller can write their stories or share them over the phone. Once the writing process is finished, these responses and photos are compiled into a printed keepsake book for the family.

What is Storyworth?

Founded in 2013, Storyworth helps families capture their most meaningful stories through weekly guided prompts. The New York Times called it "The best gift I ever gave my dad," and it's been recommended by CNN and Tim Ferriss as well. Storytellers can share memories five ways: by email reply, on the Storyworth website, or through three phone-based Storyworth Voice options on Color and Unlimited plans: Story Calls (word-for-word transcription), Magic Interviews (guided conversations shaped into polished narratives), and Family Calls (where a loved one joins the call). All Voice options work on any phone, including a landline, with no app or password needed. At the end of the year, every photo and memory is compiled into a 6" x 9" hardcover memoir with a custom color cover, and every plan includes a free downloadable e-book. Color and Unlimited plans also include a full-color interior, an audiobook version, and a private podcast feed. Our community has shared over 35 million stories printed in more than one million books, and as an independent, family-owned company, we treat your family's history with the care it deserves.

Question Library and Personalization

Memorygram

Memorygram sends weekly prompts from a standard collection covering core life topics like childhood and family history. Users can choose from their library or write their own questions, but the experience focuses on selecting existing prompts instead of leaning heavily on tailored, highly personalized question sets.

Storyworth

At Storyworth, our question library covers more than 500 prompts across diverse categories including Childhood & Family, Love & Relationships, Military & Service, Life Reflection and Wisdom, Travel and Experiences, and more. Questions are browsable by category or searchable by keyword, so you can build a queue that fits your storyteller's life following a generic template. We aim to spark meaningful stories with questions such as:

• “How did you meet your spouse? When did you know you wanted to marry them?”
• “What are the most important lessons you’ve learned in life?”
• “What are some of your favorite family traditions?”

We also offer complete flexibility so the experience fits your family. You can edit any question, write your own from scratch, or use Magic Questions (available on Color and Unlimited plans): share details about your storyteller (where they grew up, what they did for work, their hobbies, their children's names) and Storyworth instantly generates personalized questions drawn from those specific details. A parent who served in the military might receive questions about their service years; a grandparent who grew up on a farm might be asked about the routines and rhythms of that early life. Whether you draw from our curated library, use Magic Questions, or write your own from scratch, you decide exactly what your loved one is asked each week. On Color and Unlimited plans, a built-in proofreader works quietly alongside the storyteller, reviewing each completed story for spelling, grammar, and punctuation so the storyteller can stay focused on the memory rather than the mechanics of writing it down. It makes corrections without altering the storyteller's voice or phrasing, so the memoir reads exactly as they would say it.

Story submission and accessibility

Memorygram

With Memorygram, storytellers receive prompts and can type their responses, use voice-to-text transcription (which lightly edits out filler words like ums and ahs), or speak with a virtual interviewer over the phone. The virtual interviewer must be scheduled at a set recurring day and time. A $19.99 fee covers indefinite digital storage of voice recordings.

Storyworth

Storyworth offers five ways to share memories. Storytellers can reply to their weekly email or write on the Storyworth website with no login required. On Color and Unlimited plans, Storyworth Voice adds three phone-based options that work on any phone, including a landline, with no app or password needed: Story Calls (word-for-word transcription), Magic Interviews (guided conversations shaped into polished narratives), and Family Calls, where a loved one joins the call and Storyworth turns the conversation into a story. A grandmother who has never touched a smartphone can request a call and have her words captured exactly as spoken, with no typing or logging in required.

Photos, design, and book quality

Memorygram

Memorygram allows you to upload photos to accompany your narratives. The final product is a standard hardcover book created using set templates. While this results in a printed volume, the service appears to offer fewer options for customizing the cover design or adjusting the interior layout compared to some other family story apps.

Storyworth

With Storyworth, you can include unlimited photos with every story at no extra cost, placed alongside text with captions. Our layouts were redesigned in 2025 by book designer Carol Ly, giving every memoir a modern, bookstore-quality look. The final product is a 6" x 9" hardcover made from archival-quality materials, with full creative control over the title, cover, and color. Color and Unlimited plans include up to 300 pages (extendable to 480), and Basic includes up to 480 pages with a B&W interior. Every book includes a QR code linking to any voice recordings from Story Calls, Magic Interviews, or Family Calls.

Family collaboration and sharing

Memorygram

With Memorygram, family members can read or listen to stories as they arrive, but participation is limited to that — they cannot add questions, contribute photos, or help edit throughout the year. Adding a second contributor costs an extra $50.

Storyworth

At Storyworth, family connection doesn't wait until the book is printed. As stories arrive each week, you can share them with family members in real time, and their replies, reactions, and memories can be woven into the final hardcover book. Family members can add questions to the queue, help edit stories, suggest cover photos, and contribute photos from their own archives throughout the year. On Color and Unlimited plans, Family Calls go a step further: a loved one joins a phone call with the storyteller, asking the questions they've always wanted to ask while Storyworth turns the conversation into a polished story. Color plans include monthly Family Calls; Unlimited plans include weekly Family Calls. When the printed book arrives, every copy includes a QR code that links back to any voice recordings from Story Calls, Magic Interviews, or Family Calls, so the storyteller's voice stays with the book wherever it goes.

Storyworth and Memorygram differ in pricing structure. Storyworth starts at $59/year and includes your first hardcover book; Color and Unlimited plans add Storyworth Voice (Story Calls, Magic Interviews, and Family Calls), Magic Questions, and expanded options. Memorygram charges a one-time flat fee of $123.50 with no recurring subscription, though adding a second contributor costs an extra $50. With Storyworth, every family member can read stories, add questions, contribute photos, and stay involved throughout the year at no added cost.

Why Storyworth is the better choice

Memorygram provides a straightforward approach, but Storyworth gives families more ways to share stories and stay connected throughout the year. On Color and Unlimited plans, Storyworth Voice gives storytellers three phone-based options: Story Calls (word-for-word transcription), Magic Interviews (guided conversations shaped into polished narratives), and Family Calls, where a loved one joins the call. All three work on any phone, including a landline, with no app or password needed. Family members can read stories as they arrive, contribute questions, add photos, and help edit throughout the year at no added cost. And if a question comes up at any point during the year, Storyworth's support team is available 24/7 by email and text, and by phone during business hours; Memorygram's support is AI chatbot only. Families have trusted us with over 35 million stories, reflected in over 63,000 verified Trustpilot reviews.

If you'd like a book where many people contribute, Storyworth Celebrations invites friends, family, coworkers, or neighbors to each contribute their own story, memory, or photo to a shared book. It's a natural fit for milestone occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, retirements, or memorials. Storyworth Celebrations is free to start, and you only pay for the hardcover books you order.

FAQs

How should I decide between Storyworth and Memorygram for my family?

Consider how your loved one prefers to share stories. If they're comfortable typing responses via email, either service could work. However, if they find typing difficult or prefer speaking their memories aloud, Storyworth offers phone transcription, making the process accessible to everyone, regardless of technical comfort.

What is the main difference in how family members can participate?

Memorygram focuses on a single storyteller working independently until the book is complete. Adding a second contributor will cost an additional $50. Storyworth allows family members to read stories as they're written, reply with their own memories, add questions and photos, and help edit, turning the memoir into a collaborative family experience throughout the year.

What happens if my parent or grandparent isn't comfortable using a computer?

With Storyworth, there are several phone-based options on Color and Unlimited plans, all working on any phone including a landline, with no app or password needed. Through Story Calls, they request a call and their words are transcribed word-for-word, exactly as spoken. If they'd prefer a more guided experience, Magic Interviews has Storyworth call them, ask thoughtful follow-up questions to draw out more detail, and shape the conversation into a polished story. A family member can also join through Family Calls to ask questions and share memories together, with Storyworth turning the conversation into a story. There's no need to type, log in, or download anything.

Final Thoughts on Capturing the Stories Your Family Will Keep Forever

Research shows that children who know their family history have stronger resilience and higher self-esteem, making these stories one of the most meaningful gifts your family can share. Storyworth gives your storyteller five ways to share memories, including word-for-word voice transcription through Story Calls and guided phone conversations through Magic Interviews, all on any phone, including a landline (available on Color and Unlimited plans). Family members can read stories, add questions, and contribute photos throughout the year at no extra cost. Your family's memories are irreplaceable, and they deserve a service trusted with over 35 million stories since 2013.

Give the gift of a lifetime of memories today.