Best Storyworth alternatives in 2026 (free and paid)

Storyworth is a lovely idea. A weekly email prompt goes out to someone you love -- a parent, a grandparent, maybe yourself -- and over the course of a year, their answers get printed into a hardcover book. For $99 a year plus book printing costs, you end up with something real on the shelf.

But a printed book of prompted stories, as meaningful as that can be, doesn't cover everything people actually need when they think about preserving their legacy. What about the passwords your family will need? The insurance policies nobody knows about? The letter you want your daughter to read on her wedding day?

If you've been looking at Storyworth and thinking "this is close, but not quite what I need," you're not alone. Here are six alternatives worth considering, depending on what you actually want to leave behind.

What to look for in a legacy and story preservation tool

Before jumping into the list, it helps to know what separates a good tool from a great one. Storyworth does one thing well -- prompted storytelling turned into a printed book. But depending on your needs, you might want a platform that also handles:

• Guided story prompts that help you write without staring at a blank page
• Secure document storage for wills, insurance policies, account information
• Legacy letters -- personal messages delivered to specific people after you're gone
• Encryption and privacy so your most personal writing stays protected
• One-time pricing instead of an annual subscription that lapses if you stop paying
• Family sharing controls so the right people see the right things at the right time

No single tool does everything perfectly. But the best ones cover more ground than a book of prompted stories.

The 6 best Storyworth alternatives in 2026

1. Storyworth Celebrations (free to start)

If you love the Storyworth concept but don't want the $99/year subscription, their own Celebrations product is worth knowing about. It's a collaborative book where friends and family each contribute a story and photos -- think of it as a group project rather than a solo interview.

You only pay when you order printed books ($39-$99 depending on format and page count). The catch is that it doesn't include the weekly prompted email system that makes the original Storyworth special. It's better suited for a specific occasion (a retirement party, a milestone birthday) than for long-term storytelling.

Best for: One-off collaborative books for special occasions.

Pricing: Free to create and collect stories. Books start at $39.

2. When I Die Files (pre-launch)

Full disclosure: this is our product, so take this with the appropriate grain of salt. But When I Die Files exists specifically because we saw a gap that Storyworth and similar tools don't fill.

The idea is that your legacy isn't just your stories. It's also the practical information your family will scramble to find when you're gone -- and the personal messages you want delivered to specific people at specific times. When I Die Files combines legacy letter writing, secure document storage with end-to-end encryption, and guided prompts into one platform. No annual subscription. You pay once and your files are there when your family needs them.

The story-writing features are built around the same kind of thoughtful prompts Storyworth uses, but they're part of a larger system that also handles the will-adjacent logistics most families forget about until it's too late.

Best for: People who want to preserve their stories and organize the practical information their family will need.

Pricing: One-time purchase (pricing announced at launch). Join the waitlist to get early access.

3. Everplans ($99.99/year)

Everplans focuses on the organizational side of legacy planning. It's a digital vault where you can store important documents, account details, medical wishes, and instructions for your family. You assign "deputies" -- trusted contacts who gain access to your information either immediately or after you pass away.

The free tier lets you store up to 10 items. The premium plan ($99.99/year) gives you unlimited storage, up to 5 GB of documents, and unlimited deputies with granular access controls.

What Everplans doesn't do well is the storytelling side. There are no writing prompts, no memoir tools, no way to craft personal messages for individual family members. It's a vault, not a creative space. If you're looking for something that replaces Storyworth's story-gathering function, this isn't it. But if your main concern is making sure your family can find your passwords and insurance policies, Everplans is solid.

Best for: Organized document storage and digital estate planning.

Pricing: Free tier (10 items) or $99.99/year for premium. Read our full Everplans comparison.

4. Memoir (iOS app, free with in-app purchases)

Memoir is a mobile app that uses AI-generated prompts to help you write and record your life stories. You can type or dictate stories, and the app organizes them into a timeline. It's lightweight and easy to use, which makes it a good option if you don't want to commit to a full platform.

The limitation is that your stories live on your phone. There's no built-in sharing mechanism, no printed book option, and no secure vault for documents. It's a personal journaling tool more than a family legacy tool. If your goal is simply to get your stories down somewhere, it works. If you want those stories to reach your family, you'll need a plan for that.

Best for: Personal story recording on the go.

Pricing: Free to download with optional in-app purchases.

5. MyHeritage (from $89/year)

MyHeritage is primarily a genealogy platform -- family trees, DNA testing, historical record searches. But it also offers features for preserving family stories and photos. You can attach stories to individual family members in your tree, scan and restore old photos, and build a rich family archive.

It's more research-oriented than Storyworth. You won't get weekly writing prompts, but you will get tools to build out your family's full history across generations. If you care about connecting your stories to a broader family tree, this is worth exploring.

Best for: Genealogy enthusiasts who want stories connected to their family tree.

Pricing: Plans start around $89/year. DNA kits sold separately.

6. A simple notebook and a fireproof safe

I'm not being flippant. Before there were apps and subscriptions, people wrote letters by hand, put them in envelopes, and stored them somewhere safe. If the technology feels like a barrier and you just want to get your thoughts down, buy a quality journal and write in it. Label it. Tell someone where it is.

The downside is obvious: no encryption, no access controls, no backup if the house floods. A physical notebook can't notify your daughter on her 30th birthday that you left something for her. But it also costs $15 and requires zero technical setup.

Best for: People who prefer pen and paper and want to start now.

Pricing: $15 for a nice journal. $50 for a fireproof safe.

How these alternatives compare

Which alternative is right for you?

Choose Storyworth if you specifically want a printed book of stories and don't need anything else. The weekly prompt system is genuinely well-designed, and the book makes a great gift. Just know that you're paying $99/year for the prompts and one book -- additional copies cost extra.

Choose When I Die Files if you want the full picture: stories, legacy letters, secure document storage, and the practical information your family will actually need. It's designed for people who've thought past "I should write my stories" to "I should make sure my family isn't scrambling when I'm gone." Join the waitlist for early access.

Choose Everplans if your main goal is organizing documents and account information. It's the strongest vault on this list, and the deputy system for granting access is well thought out. Just don't expect it to help you write anything personal.

Choose Memoir if you want a lightweight, no-commitment way to record stories on your phone. It's a starting point, not a complete solution.

Choose MyHeritage if genealogy is your primary interest and you want stories woven into a larger family history project.

Choose a notebook if you want to start writing today and don't want to evaluate software.

No matter which tool you pick, the act of writing down what matters to you is the part that counts. The medium is just logistics. If you're interested in why legacy letters specifically are worth writing, our guide on what a legacy letter is and why it matters more than a will is a good place to start.

And if you're ready to go deeper than stories into the full scope of what your family will need, take a look at our guide to safely storing legacy documents with end-to-end encryption.

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When I Die Files is currently in pre-launch. Join the waitlist to be the first to know when we go live.

Compare other tools: Best Everplans Alternatives | Best Trust & Will Alternatives | When I Die Files vs. Storyworth