When you are choosing a family story app, the details matter. On the surface, Storyworth and Memorygram may look similar: both send weekly questions and turn your answers into a printed book. In practice, there are important differences in how easy they are for less tech-comfortable storytellers, how much your family can collaborate, and how customizable the final memoir can be. In this guide, we will walk through how Storyworth and Memorygram compare on questions, story submission, photos and book design, family sharing, and company background so you can decide which service is the right fit for your family’s stories.

TLDR:

• Storyworth offers unlimited full-color photos and up to 480 pages per book, 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.

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?

Storyworth was founded in 2013 as a dedicated memory book service to help families capture their most meaningful stories. Each week, we send an inspiring story prompt, such as ‘What is one of your fondest childhood memories?’ to the storyteller, and over the course of a year, these responses build a rich narrative of a life well-lived, echoing research that links family storytelling with higher self-esteem and better coping skills in children and teens.

At Storyworth, we designed our service to be accessible for everyone. Storytellers can reply simply via email or record answers over the phone, which we transcribe. You can easily add unlimited photos to each story and design a custom cover for your book.  At the end of the year, we compile every photo and memory into a 6" x 9" full-color hardcover memoir. To date, our community has shared over 35 million stories, which have been printed in more than one million books. As an independent, family-owned company, we treat your personal history with the care and respect 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 vast library covers diverse categories including Childhood & Family, Love & Relationships, Military & Service, Life Reflection and Wisdom, Travel and Experiences, and more. 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, which creates custom prompts based on your storyteller's life. Whether you rely on our curated list or write your own, you are in control of the questions your loved one receives.

Story Submission and Accessibility

Memorygram

With Memorygram, storytellers receive prompts via email and can type their responses or share them over a phone call.

Storyworth

Storyworth offers flexibility in how stories are captured so storytellers can share memories in the way that feels most natural. They can simply reply to their weekly email or write directly on our site. We also provide a phone submission option. If typing is difficult or the story is easier to tell out loud, the storyteller can request a call, and we record their spoken memories, transcribe them into text, and automatically add them to their memoir.

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 full-color photos with every story at no additional cost. You can place these images alongside text and add specific captions to visually enhance the narrative. For the final keepsake, we produce a 6" x 9" hardcover book made from archival-quality materials designed to last. You have creative control to customize the title, cover design, and color. Our standard book holds up to 300 pages, with an option to extend to 480 pages for longer memoirs. This focus on quality and flexibility is part of why we have printed over a million books and received tens of thousands of 5-star reviews.

Family Collaboration and Sharing

Memorygram

Memorygram offers multi-storyteller books and allows loved ones to contribute memories, stories, and photos through their online tool, but adding multiple contributors and extra features may increase cost.

Storyworth

At Storyworth, we encourage connection throughout the year. You can invite recipients to receive your stories via email as you write them, and loved ones can reply with their own memories that you can include in your final memoir. Family members can also help edit stories, add photos, choose questions from our library, or write their own, turning the project into a shared, ongoing conversation.

Why Storyworth is the Better Choice

Memorygram provides a straightforward approach, but we believe Storyworth is the better choice for families who want accessibility and depth. Studies show that young people who know more about their family history tend to have higher self‑esteem, stronger resilience, and better emotional well‑being, which makes capturing these stories an especially meaningful gift. As the original memory book service, families have trusted us with more than 35 million stories printed in over 1,000,000 books. Our community trusts us to keep their most important stories safe, which you can see in our over 62,000 reviews.

At Storyworth, we include features that make storytelling accessible for everyone. If typing feels difficult, storytellers can share their story over a phone call that's automatically transcribed into their memoir. We also have multiple ways for families to share and engage with the storyteller's stories.

Finally, our business model protects your legacy. We are family-owned and independent, with no outside investors. This independence means we can focus on longevity, privacy, and security. When you choose Storyworth, you have a partner dedicated to preserving your history for the long term.

If you want a book where many people contribute from the start, like for a birthday tribute or retirement gift, we offer a collaborative, flexible format called Celebrations, where friends and family can all share stories, advice, well-wishes, and photos together. It's free to start; you only pay for the books you order.

Final Thoughts

Choosing a family story app comes down to flexibility and how well the service fits your family's needs. At Storyworth, we believe storytelling should be easy and inclusive, which is why we support phone transcription, rich question personalization, unlimited photos, and true collaboration across the whole family. Your family's memories are irreplaceable, and they deserve a service that treats them with care, privacy, and long-term stability.

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.

Can I customize the questions my loved one receives each week?

Yes, with Storyworth, you have full control over the prompts. You can select from our library covering topics like “What is one of your fondest childhood memories?” or “How did you meet your spouse? When did you know you wanted to marry them?” You can edit any question to make it more personal, write entirely new questions from scratch, or use Magic Questions to create custom prompts based on your storyteller's life.

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

With Storyworth, they can request a phone call to answer any prompt. We transcribe the audio into text and add it to their memoir automatically. They can share their entire memoir just by speaking over the phone.