Memowrite and Storyworth are memoir writing services that help people who want to write their story simplify the process. Many people hear about Storyworth first because it is the older name in the industry, founded in 2013. It has printed over a million and is a popular gift choice every holiday season. Memowrite is the quieter option. It is a guided service that edits and designs your memoir, and also produces a full-color hard copy book as the standard.
Making a decision based on popularity alone will be shortsighted, as both services ask very different amounts of work from their users, and the sticker prices do not tell you the full story from the jump.
This is why we’ve put together this detailed comparison to walk you through how each one works, the real costs, the editing process, and what reviewers have said about both services.
The Short Answer
Memowrite is built for families who want more support throughout the storytelling process. While Storyworth relies on the storyteller to write every response and organize the book themselves, Memowrite makes it easier to capture memories through either voice recordings or written answers. Every book is professionally edited and designed by a human team, resulting in a polished, full-color keepsake that feels like a finished family legacy rather than a DIY project.
Keep reading to see which option is the better fit for preserving your family’s stories.
What is Storyworth?
Storyworth sends weekly questions by email for a whole year. The storyteller writes back by email or on the website, in their own words, and they can drop in photos too. Once all 52 weeks are done, it’s turned into a 6×9 hardcover with a custom color cover. It ships in about ten business days after you place the order.
The basic plan costs $59 a year, and it covers only a black-and-white interior, including photos. Upgrading to the color plan at $109 gets you a full color interior, questions sent via text (in addition to email), phone recording that transcribes itself, one monthly family call, and a proofreader built right in. The Unlimited plan is at $199 for year one (it renews at $99 after that), and you can cover more than one storyteller, plus you get two free book credits.
What is Memowrite?
Memowrite is designed to make preserving family stories as easy as possible. It starts with 50 thoughtfully crafted prompts that guide storytellers from childhood memories to life lessons and milestones. All questions are available from day one, and users can keep them, replace them, or add their own. Stories can be shared through written responses or voice recordings, making the process accessible even for people who don’t enjoy writing.
What truly sets Memowrite apart is what happens next. Once the stories are collected, Memowrite’s professional editorial team proofreads and polishes every response, carefully organizes the content, and transforms it into a beautifully designed book. Families can choose from 20 cover designs, include up to 100 photos, and review as many revisions as needed before printing.
The result is a premium full-color A5 hardcover book of up to 500 pages, printed on durable, high-quality paper and designed to be passed down for generations. With worldwide shipping included, Memowrite delivers a finished family keepsake – not just a collection of memories, but a professionally crafted legacy.
A Year of Weekly Prompts or Your Own Pace?
Storyworth’s weekly prompts can be just the right fit for someone who wants that pace. But it also means the book won’t exist for a full year no matter what. If the storyteller is less motivated in one month, the finished book just gets thinner. The questions come one at a time, so there’s no chance to plan out the whole shape of the book until much later, if ever.
Memowrite opens every single question the day you sign up. A storyteller can jump around however they like, and be done in a few months if they’re motivated. If you like structure, you can still take it slow. If you’re racing a memory that’s starting to slip, you don’t have to wait on next week’s email.
This difference in pace also affects how a whole life story is shaped. Laying the entire book out at once makes it easier to spot the gaps. The result of using a life timeline approach instead of an events list tends to read like an actual story instead of a scrapbook.
Color, Photos, and What the Sticker Price Hides
Storyworth’s $59 plan prints the inside pages in black and white. Every photo shows up gray unless you pay for the $109 Color plan, and even then the color book maxes out at 300 pages instead of 480. Extra copies cost $39 in black and white, $79 in color up to 300 pages, or $99 up to 480.
Photos are another pain point for Storyworth users. The service’s own help pages warn that only a photo or two fits on a page, and a lot of the complaints on Trustpilot are about photo layout being stressful.
Memowrite prints in full color no matter which plan you pick, includes up to 100 photos, and its own team handles the layout for you. That one difference might decide everything for a family with a lot of photos to include.
Storyworth Reviews: A Big, Mostly Happy Crowd
People praise the thoughtful questions, the friendly support, and how good the finished hardcover looks.
The complaints that keep coming up are the same ones already covered. Photo placement is fiddly. Instructions around editing and putting the book together confuse some people. Color printing costs extra on top.
Memowrite Reviews: A Smaller Base, Familiar Themes
Customers frequently mention how Memowrite’s guided questions help uncover stories and memories they hadn’t thought about in years. Many reviewers also highlight how easy the process feels for older family members, especially compared to writing an entire memoir from scratch. The finished books receive consistent praise for their professional editing, thoughtful design, and high-quality presentation.
The small number of negative reviews tend to focus on subscription renewals or additional offers rather than the quality of the final product itself. Notably, Memowrite actively responds to customer feedback and engages with reviewers across both positive and negative experiences.
Most importantly, the core product earns strong praise. Customers consistently describe the finished books as meaningful family keepsakes that capture personal stories in a polished, professional format. Ultimately, that’s what matters most – and on that front, Memowrite delivers.
Why Books Like These Are Worth Making
The research behind this whole category holds up better than most gift ideas ever do. One review looked at 21 separate studies covering more than 18,000 older adults, and found that programs built around remembering the past most often eased symptoms of depression.
The good it does runs down through the family too. Robyn Fivush, a psychologist at Emory University who has studied family stories for decades, has found that kids who know their family’s history tend to have higher self-esteem, less depression and anxiety, and a stronger sense of meaning in their own lives.
Pick whichever service fits your family. The point remains that a recorded life story pays off twice, once for the person telling it, and once for everyone who reads it later.
Where Storyworth Wins
- A long track record, with over a million printed books and thirteen years in business.
- A weekly ritual that gives families a full year of small, regular conversations.
- Plans built for more than one storyteller, with phone interviews for relatives who aren’t great with tech.
- The lowest starting price here, as long as black and white is fine with you.
Where Memowrite Wins
- Full color included every time, no upgrade needed, plus 500 pages against Storyworth’s 300 in color.
- Real editing and design done by actual people, so the storyteller can just talk or type and let the team handle the rest.
- A pace and format you control, with all 50 questions unlocked from day one, answered by voice or by hand.
- Free shipping anywhere in the world, while Storyworth only ships free inside the US.
Memowrite vs Storyworth: The Verdict
Choose Storyworth if you like the idea of a year-long storytelling tradition. Its weekly-question format encourages a steady pace, and its long track record has made it a popular choice for families who enjoy building a book one memory at a time.
Choose Memowrite if your priority is the quality of the finished book and the amount of support provided along the way. Rather than asking storytellers to write, edit, organize, and design everything themselves, Memowrite guides the process from start to finish. Voice recordings, professional editing, custom book design, full-color printing, and extensive revision support all help transform family memories into a polished keepsake that feels truly publication-ready.
Storyworth has earned its reputation and remains a solid option. However, for families looking for a more hands-off experience and a professionally crafted final product, Memowrite offers the more complete storytelling service. The result is not just a collection of memories, but a thoughtfully edited family legacy designed to be treasured for generations.
