You want to learn more about a loved one's life and preserve their stories for future generations in a lasting keepsake. When you start looking at options, Storyworth and Storied are two names that come up a lot. They both help capture family stories, but they provide two different experiences. The right one for you depends on whether you want a genealogy tool or an easy-to-use memoir service that turns memories and photos into a beautiful book. In this post, we'll explain how both Storyworth and Storied work, to help you decide.

TLDR:

• Storied combines genealogy research with storytelling, while Storyworth focuses solely on memoir creation.
• With Storyworth, you can answer questions by email, website, or phone call. The service can transcribe spoken stories automatically. Storied requires storytellers to use either their mobile app or website to add memories.
• Storyworth books hold up to 480 pages with unlimited photos and no QR codes or digital dependencies. Storied books hold up to 200 full-color pages and include QR codes that link to additional media.
• Storyworth has helped families preserve over 35 million stories and print more than 1 million hardcover memoirs.

What Is Storied?

Storied is a genealogy service that combines ancestry research with storytelling features. The service functions as a family tree building tool, providing users access to historical records, newspaper archives, and genealogical documents to trace their lineage.

Users can preserve photos, scan historical documents, and invite family members to contribute stories or memories tied to specific ancestors in their tree. The service offers a genealogy subscription that bundles these research tools with the ability to compile findings into a printed book.

Storied focuses on ancestry exploration, with storytelling as a secondary feature. This makes it a good fit for people who want to research their family history through records and documents while capturing personal narratives along the way.

What Is Storyworth?

At Storyworth, we help people preserve their life stories through a yearlong memoir service. Each week, the storyteller receives an email with a question prompt, such as "What's the best advice you ever received?" They can respond by replying to the email (no login required), typing on our website, or recording their spoken stories over a phone call, which we automatically transcribe.

We compile these weekly responses along with unlimited photographs into a complete memoir. Family members can read along and contribute their own memories and photos to the book.

At the end of a year, you can order a professionally printed hardcover book. One copy is included with the service subscription, and additional copies can be ordered for other family members.

Story Creation and Submission Methods

Storied requires storytellers to use either their mobile app or website to add memories. Stories are typed into text fields and linked to specific individuals in your family tree. This genealogy-focused interface means searching through ancestor profiles and records to add narrative content, with no option to call in or record stories verbally.

We designed Storyworth with accessibility as a priority. Storytellers can answer weekly questions three different ways: replying directly to the email (no password or login needed), typing on our website, or requesting a phone call. When a storyteller wants to speak their story instead of writing it, they schedule a call through their account. We call them at the agreed time, record the conversation, and transcribe everything automatically.

This phone option has been transformative for families whose loved ones struggle with typing. The storyteller simply talks, and we handle the rest. Their authentic voice gets captured exactly as they speak, preserving their personality and speech patterns in the written memoir.

Primary Focus and User Experience

Storied functions as a genealogy service that includes storytelling capabilities. Users build family trees while accessing historical records, census data, and newspaper archives. Stories attach to specific ancestors within the tree structure, requiring navigation through genealogy interfaces and documentation tools.

This approach suits families who are actively researching ancestry and who want stories to add detail to historical records. You can explore lineage through documents while inviting relatives to contribute memories about specific family members in your tree.

If capturing a living relative's memories is your primary goal, Storied may not be right for you. The genealogy framework adds unnecessary steps for memoir creation, requiring you to manage family tree structures and research tools even if you simply want to preserve a loved one's stories.

How Storyworth Works Differently

We built Storyworth exclusively for memoir creation. There's no family tree to populate, and no genealogical research required.

Storytellers receive questions like "What's your earliest childhood memory?" or "What was your wedding day like?" They answer at their own pace, stories are saved automatically, and family members can read along as the memoir is created. The year unfolds as a guided storytelling journey through weekly prompts.

With Storyworth, your loved one can spend time reminiscing about their life rather than learning genealogy software. They're sharing memories that become a finished memoir, not searching databases or documenting historical records.

Final Book Format and Accessibility

You use Storied's StoriedBook Studio to compile stories into a hardcover keepsake with up to 200 full-color pages. The books include QR codes that link to additional media, like audio recordings or extra photos stored digitally.

The QR code approach creates a dependency on tech. Future generations will need smartphones or scanners to access the complete memoir. If QR codes become obsolete or the linked content goes offline, portions of the family story could become inaccessible.

Storyworth prints a 6-inch-by-9-inch hardcover memoir that contains everything: no apps, no QR codes, no digital dependencies. Stories and unlimited color photos are printed on the pages.

One hardcover book is included with Storyworth. Books hold up to 300 pages at no extra cost, and can extend to 480 pages for longer memoirs. Family members can order additional copies at any time.

Why Storyworth Is a Better Choice

Storied works well for families who want genealogical research and storytelling in one service. If you're building family trees through historical records while collecting narratives, their bundled approach may fit.

Most families we work with want something simpler: preserving the life stories of parents and grandparents. If that's you, Storyworth offers a more direct path.

As America's aging population grows, with over 40 million people now over age 65, we've focused exclusively on memoir creation for more than a decade, helping families preserve more than 35 million stories and print over 1 million books.

Every feature serves one purpose: making it easy for storytellers to share memories and turning those memories into beautiful keepsake books.

Our accessibility makes a real difference. Email and phone submission options mean anyone can participate without learning new software or navigating family tree interfaces. Stories live in a physical book that remains readable for generations, never locked behind QR codes or digital dependencies.

We accommodate longer memoirs, too. Books hold up to 480 pages (compared with Storied's 200-page limit), so detailed life stories fit in one complete volume without splitting across multiple books or cutting content.

When your goal is to capture memories rather than research ancestry, Storyworth offers the simplest and most beautiful way to create a lasting family memoir.

Final Thoughts on Preserving Family Stories

Choosing between family story services gets easier when you know what matters most to you. Storied combines ancestry research with storytelling, which adds value if you're actively building family trees. We created Storyworth to do one thing really well: help families capture life stories through weekly questions that are then compiled in a printed memoir: no genealogy required, no tech barriers, just a life's stories preserved in a keepsake book.

FAQ

How do I decide between Storyworth and Storied for my family?

Consider your primary goal. If you want to research your family's ancestry through historical records and documents while collecting stories, Storied's genealogy tools may fit. If your focus is preserving a parent or grandparent's life memories in a memoir without genealogy research, Storyworth provides a simpler, more direct approach designed exclusively for storytelling.

What's the main difference in how stories are submitted?

Storied requires using their app or website to type stories into family tree profiles. We let storytellers respond in three ways: replying to the weekly email (no login needed), typing on our website, or requesting a phone call, during which we record and transcribe their spoken stories automatically.

Who is each service best for?

Storied works well for families actively building family trees and researching lineage through census records and archives, who also want to attach personal narratives. We're the better choice for families who simply want to capture and preserve a loved one's life stories in a beautiful hardcover memoir without having to learn genealogy software.

What happens if QR codes in a Storied book become obsolete?

Storied uses QR codes to link to additional digital content like audio or extra photos, which could become inaccessible if the technology changes or their servers go offline. We print everything in a physical book with no digital dependencies, so your memoir remains fully readable for generations.