A Storyworth alternative: the printable memory journal

Two good ways to keep a life story

Storyworth and a printable memory journal solve the same problem in different ways. Both give someone you love a series of questions about their life, and both end with a keepsake the family can read for years. The difference is in how the answers are captured, what it costs and what you hold in your hands at the end.

This page is written by Porch Stories, so we are not neutral. We have tried to be fair: both approaches work well for different people, and the right choice depends on the storyteller, not on us.

How Storyworth works

Storyworth is a subscription service. Questions arrive weekly by email (or text); stories can be written by email or on their website, and some plans add phone recording with transcription. At the end, the final book is printed and shipped as a hardcover.

According to Storyworth's pricing page (checked September 2026), plans are yearly subscriptions at $69 (one black-and-white hardcover book credit), $99 (one full-color book credit) and $199 (two full-color book credits; renews at $99), with extra books from $39 to $99. Prices change, so check storyworth.com for current details.

What Storyworth does well: it takes care of the whole process, prompts arrive on their own every week, family members can follow along, and the result is a typeset, professionally printed book. It suits storytellers who are comfortable with email or a website, or who prefer to talk rather than write.

How a printable memory journal works

A printable journal is a one-time download. Tell Me Your Story comes as five PDF files: the full journal in US Letter and A4, each in full color and an ink-saver version, plus a printable cover. You print it at home or at a local print shop, bind it the way you like, and give it.

Each journal has 176 pages, 100 guided questions across ten chapters from childhood to the lessons of a lifetime, about 120 quick memory prompts, photo pages, a family tree and a letter page. There are editions for Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, and a Family Bundle with all four.

The storyteller answers with a pen, in their own handwriting, whenever they like. Nothing needs to be connected, logged into or renewed.

Side by side

• Price: Tell Me Your Story is $10.99 per journal or $24.99 for all four, paid once. Storyworth plans are yearly subscriptions ($69, $99 or $199 on its pricing page in September 2026).
• What you receive: a printable journal you print and bind yourself (printing and binding cost extra, and it is not a professionally printed book) versus a typeset hardcover book printed and shipped by Storyworth.
• How answers are captured: handwriting on paper versus typing by email or on a website, with phone recording and transcription on some Storyworth plans.
• Account and subscription: none with us; you buy the files once on Etsy. Storyworth runs as a subscription with its own sign-up.
• Offline use: the printed journal needs no internet, email or phone at all. Storyworth works through email, its website or the phone.
• Timing: the journal is an instant download, ready to print the same day, and there is no deadline for filling it in. Storyworth is organised around a year of weekly questions.
• Handwriting and photos: the journal keeps their actual handwriting, with pages for glued-in photos and keepsakes. Storyworth books include uploaded photos in a printed layout.

When the printable journal is the better choice

• The storyteller does not use email much, or prefers pen and paper.
• You want their handwriting kept, not just their words.
• You want a meaningful gift under $25, with no subscription to remember or cancel.
• You need a gift today: it is an instant download you can print tonight.
• You want to give the same questions to several people, such as Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, for one price.
• You like the idea of sitting together, asking a question out loud and writing the answer down.

When Storyworth is the better choice

Some families use both: the journal to get a parent or grandparent writing and remembering, and a service or a photo book later to collect the stories in print.

• The storyteller is comfortable typing, or would rather speak their stories over the phone.
• You want a professionally printed hardcover book without doing any printing yourself.
• You want weekly reminders sent automatically for a year.
• Family members far apart want to read the stories as they come in.

A note on names

Storyworth is a trademark of its owner; Porch Stories is not affiliated with it. The details about Storyworth on this page come from its own website as of September 2026. If anything here is out of date, please tell us through our contact page and we will correct it.