Storyworth vs Tell Me: a book at the end of the year, or a conversation that carries on?
Storyworth emails your parent a question a week for a year and prints the answers as a hardcover book. Tell Me sends a question every few days on WhatsApp, your parent answers with a voice note, and every story and recording is kept in a family archive on your phone, with a book as an optional extra rather than the point. Storyworth is the one for a finished memoir; Tell Me is the one for a conversation that keeps going.
If you're looking for a Storyworth alternative in the UK, or trying to decide between the two, this is the page. Storyworth is the original: thirteen years, a million books, and since 2024 a phone-call option on its higher plans. Tell Me is the newer one, built in Scotland, and it isn't Storyworth without the book. It's a different shape: the question arrives in the chat they already open, they answer by talking, and the next question is written from what they said.
I built Tell Me, so read this knowing that.
Every fact about Storyworth here comes from its own website and help pages, checked on 11 September 2026, and each one links to where I found it. Where Storyworth's own pages disagree with each other, the table says so rather than picking a side, and both products get the same number of things they do well and the same number they do badly. If I've got something wrong, tell me and I'll fix it. How the whole comparison was put together.
Who should pick which
Three reasons each way, because a comparison that only finds reasons for one side isn't one. The cases where Storyworth is the better buy are real, and they're first.
Pick Storyworth if
- You want a hardcover book at the end, and a year with a finish line suits your parent.
- Your parent prefers email, or would like to be phoned: on the Color and Unlimited plans they can ask for a call-back on any phone, a landline included.
- You'd rather buy from the company that has been doing this longest, with sixty thousand reviews to read first.
Pick Tell Me if
- Your parent is on WhatsApp. The question arrives in the chat they already open, and they answer it there with a voice note.
- You want the little stories as much as the big ones: a question every few days, the next one written from what they said, and no year to finish.
- You want to try it first. The first 10 stories are free with no card, and everything is yours to download on any plan.
Storyworth and Tell Me, in words
Sentences rather than ticks, a source you can open on every Storyworth cell, and prices in each company's own currency. Checked 11 September 2026. All five side by side.
| What we compared | Storyworth | Tell Me |
|---|---|---|
| Getting the question | ||
| How the question arrives |
Email on the Basic plan; email or text on Color and Unlimited
Weekly by default; you can make it anything from daily to monthly. Source: welcome.storyworth.com |
WhatsApp, email, or the storyteller app. You pick one
A couple a week by default (Monday and Thursday); daily, every other day, or your own days if you prefer. Where this comes from |
| Do they need a smartphone or computer? |
Not on the phone plans (Color, Unlimited): any phone, even a landline. Email answers need a device
|
Yes. A phone with WhatsApp, an email address, or an iPhone for the app
|
| Who sets the pace |
A weekly rhythm you can adjust; family can suggest questions
|
An ordered queue you curate. Think of a question on a Tuesday night and it goes to the front
Follow-ups that reference what they said are written for you and slot in next. Where this comes from |
| Answering | ||
| Can they just talk? |
Yes, over a phone call, on Color and Unlimited: Story Calls, Magic Interviews and Family Calls
Storyworth's help centre lists Magic Interviews under Unlimited only; its blog says Color and Unlimited. Check before you buy. They request a call and Storyworth rings back within moments; the transcript is word for word. Not on the Basic plan. Source: welcome.storyworth.com |
Yes. A voice note on WhatsApp, or a recording in the app (up to ten minutes)
Email replies are typed, with photos attached. Where this comes from |
| Can they write instead? |
Yes. Reply to the email or type on the site. Writing is where Storyworth started
|
Yes. A text on WhatsApp, a typed email reply, or typing in the app
|
| Do they answer where the question arrived? Every extra tap is a place to give up. |
Yes. Reply to the email, photos attached
|
Yes. Reply to the WhatsApp message or the email, or tap record in the app
|
| Video |
No
|
Yes, on WhatsApp or in the storyteller app
|
| Works on a landline? |
Yes, on Color and Unlimited
|
No
|
| Their voice | ||
| Is the original recording kept? |
Yes. Phone recordings are kept and transcribed word for word
|
Yes. Every recording and the exact original words sit next to the story
|
| Where you can hear it |
Online, as a free audiobook and a private podcast feed, and one QR code on the last page of the book
|
In the archive, on the web and in the Tell Me app, and in the download you can take home
|
| What the AI does | ||
| The AI's job |
Transcribes calls word for word. Magic Interviews asks follow-ups on the call and writes a narrative; Magic Questions suggests personalised questions
|
Shapes each reply into a story and writes the follow-up questions from what they said. Nothing is trained on your family
|
| Can you see what they actually said? |
Yes. Story Calls are word for word; Magic Interviews keep the recording
|
Yes. The original words are shown under every story, and the recording plays
|
| Follow-up questions |
Yes, on the call, with Magic Interviews
Plan availability is unclear on Storyworth's own pages. Source: welcome.storyworth.com |
Yes. Written from what they said, sent as a later question
|
| The rest of the family | ||
| Family members |
Invite family free; they can suggest questions
|
Invite family free, as viewers or as editors who can manage the questions
|
| Both parents, or a grandparent too |
UK
A subscription each, or Unlimited for as many storytellers as you like
US
A subscription each, or Unlimited ($199, then $99 a year) for as many storytellers as you like
|
UK
The second is +£5.00/month or +£30/year; each after that +£39/year
Each storyteller gets their own questions, their own archive and their own free stories. Where this comes fromUS
The second is +$6.00/month or +$40/year; each after that +$49/year
Each storyteller gets their own questions, their own archive and their own free stories. Where this comes from |
| The questions | ||
| Question library |
500+, editable, plus your own
|
Every question is written for them, with their name, their family and their era. Around 200 to start, plus your own and the follow-ups written from what they said
Every one starts "Tell me…". Sensitive topics can be switched off per storyteller. Where this comes from |
| What you end up with | ||
| A printed book |
Yes. A 6×9 inch hardcover is included: black and white on Basic, colour on Color and Unlimited
|
Optional. The archive is the product and it works from the first week; a printed book is an extra you order when there are enough stories worth printing, with a QR code on each story that plays their voice
|
| What you can download |
A free e-book and a free audiobook
|
Everything: every story, the original words, every voice and video recording, and every photo, in one download, on any plan
|
| Money | ||
| Can you try it before paying? |
No. You buy the year up front
|
Yes. The first 10 stories are free, with no card
A free story is only used when they actually reply, so a question they skip costs nothing. Where this comes from |
| What it costs to start |
UK
From £49 for a year of questions and a book, on Storyworth's UK site. The Colour and Unlimited tiers are priced at checkout
US
Basic $59, Color $109, Unlimited $199. Each is a year of questions plus a book
Storyworth's help centre lists Color at $99; its pricing page says $109. Source: welcome.storyworth.com |
UK
10 free stories per storyteller, then £9.99/month or £69/year
A free story is only used when they actually reply. No card to start. Where this comes fromUS
10 free stories per storyteller, then $12.99/month or $89/year
A free story is only used when they actually reply. No card to start. Where this comes from |
| Each year after |
Renew for another year of questions, or stop and keep reading. Unlimited auto-renews at $99
|
UK
£9.99/month or £69/year while questions are being asked. When they stop, a free year, then Legacy at £20/year to keep reading and listening
US
$12.99/month or $89/year while questions are being asked. When they stop, a free year, then Legacy at $25/year to keep reading and listening
|
| Extra copies of the book | ||
| Changed your mind |
30-day money-back guarantee
|
No money-back window: the free stories are the trial, and you can cancel any time
|
| If you stop paying | ||
| What happens to the stories |
Questions stop; three months to keep editing; then read-only for good. Books can still be ordered
|
UK
Nothing is deleted. The archive stays open for a year at no charge, then Legacy at £20/year keeps it online and looked after, with every story, recording and photo still yours to download; the full plan restarts whenever you like
The full download is included on every plan, so take your copy before you stop, or on Legacy. Where this comes fromUS
Nothing is deleted. The archive stays open for a year at no charge, then Legacy at $25/year keeps it online and looked after, with every story, recording and photo still yours to download; the full plan restarts whenever you like
The full download is included on every plan, so take your copy before you stop, or on Legacy. Where this comes from |
| Where you are | ||
| Billed in | ||
| Getting the book to you |
UK
Printed in the US and Europe, about ten working days. Storyworth warns that customs may be charged on delivery
|
|
| Phone numbers and messaging |
UK
Story Calls work on "any phone"; Storyworth does not say whether UK numbers are supported
Ask Storyworth before buying a phone plan for a UK storyteller. Source: help.storyworth.com |
WhatsApp in every country bar six; email anywhere
|
| The company | ||
| Who's behind it |
Founded in 2013 by Nick and Krista Baum to record his father's stories. Family-owned, US
|
Tell Me Stories Ltd, Scotland, 2026. One person: me, David. I built it for my own parents, who use it, and I answer the email
My parents' own stories are in it. That is the plainest reason I can give that it isn't going anywhere. Where this comes from |
| Reviews Trustpilot, checked 11 September 2026. |
4.7 from 64,845 reviews
|
Launched 2026. The first 10 stories are free, so you can judge it yourself before paying
|
| Languages |
English and Spanish; stories can be written in any language
|
English only
|
"Check at checkout" marks a place where Storyworth's own pages disagree with each other, or say nothing. Sources open in a new tab. How this was put together.
One at a time, properly
What each one is, what it does well, where it falls short, and what it costs where you are. The same questions for both, mine second.
Storyworth
The original weekly-question memoir, now with phone calls
Storyworth sends your parent a question a week by email (or text, on the higher plans), collects the answers for a year, and prints them as a hardcover book. It started in 2013 as a writing product and is still family-owned. Since 2024 it has added three ways to talk instead: Story Calls, where they request a call-back and dictate; Magic Interviews, where an interviewer asks follow-ups on the call and the conversation is shaped into a narrative; and Family Calls, where a relative joins in.
What it does well
- Thirteen years and a million books: the layouts, the printing and the support are mature, and there are more than sixty thousand Trustpilot reviews to read.
- The lowest way in: a year and a book from £49 on its UK site, billed in pounds.
- The most ways to answer of the five: reply to the email, type on the site, or, on Color and Unlimited, talk on any phone including a landline.
- A free audiobook and a private podcast feed of the recordings, and a 500-question library you can edit.
Where it falls short
- It is a project. A question a week, a year to fill, a book to finish. Forum threads are full of parents who did ten questions and stopped.
- The voice features cost more, and Storyworth's own pages disagree about which plan includes Magic Interviews.
- One QR code on the last page, not one per story. And UK books may attract customs on delivery.
- Reviewers' recurring niggles: adding photos, and control over the layout.
What it costs where you are
UK From £49 for a year and a black-and-white book; colour and the phone features cost more, priced at checkout. Extra books £29 to £79.
US Basic $59, Color $109 (with phone recording), Unlimited $199 then $99 a year for any number of storytellers. Extra books $39 to $99.
Checked 11 September 2026.
Tell Me
A question in their WhatsApp, a voice note back, and the next question written from what they said
Tell Me sends your parent a question every few days on WhatsApp (or by email, or in a small app of its own). They answer with a voice note or a text in the same chat, whenever they like. Each reply is shaped into a story with the recording and their exact words kept underneath, and the next question is written from what they said. The stories go into a searchable archive the family can be invited into, and everything can be downloaded, on any plan. A printed book is an optional extra rather than the point, on purpose: Tell Me is built for the phone you will reach for when you miss them, not the shelf, and the book is what you order at the end if you want one. I built it for my own parents. They use it, their stories are in it, and I have more reason than anyone to keep it running.
What it does well
- The only one of the five where the next question is written from what they said last time. Mention the pub and the next question asks about the pub. Think of one yourself and it goes to the front of the queue.
- It lives where they already are. The question arrives in the WhatsApp chat they open every day and they answer it right there, with a voice note. No link, no sign-in, no app to learn.
- Everything is yours to take. Every story, every original word, every recording and photo, in one download, on every plan. Remento won't export the written stories at all.
- The only one you can try before paying. The first 10 stories are free, no card, and a skipped question never costs a story. Each question is written with their name, their family and their era.
Where it falls short
- It can't phone a landline. WhatsApp or email needs a device they use.
- The storyteller app is iPhone only; Android storytellers use WhatsApp or email.
- It is a subscription while the questions are running, not a one-off, and a year after they stop a small yearly Legacy fee is what keeps the archive online.
- English only. If your parent would answer more happily in another language, Storii and Storyworth can do that and Tell Me can't.
What it costs where you are
UK 10 free stories per storyteller, then £9.99/month or £69/year. A second storyteller adds £30/year. Legacy, for reading and listening once the questions stop, £20/year after a free year.
US 10 free stories per storyteller, then $12.99/month or $89/year. A second storyteller adds $40/year. Legacy, for reading and listening once the questions stop, $25/year after a free year.
Checked 11 September 2026.
Short answers
Is Tell Me a Storyworth alternative?
Which is cheaper, Storyworth or Tell Me?
Can my parent answer by phone call on Storyworth or Tell Me?
Which one keeps their voice, Storyworth or Tell Me?
What happens to the stories if I stop paying Storyworth or Tell Me?
Tell Me against the others
- All five side by sideStoryworth, Remento, Storii, StoryKeeper and Tell Me: a fit-finder, the full chart, and what families worry about.
- Remento vs Tell MeSpeak, and it writes; a book with their voice on every page
- Storii vs Tell MeIt phones them. Nothing to install, nothing to tap
- StoryKeeper vs Tell Me£69 once, two hardbacks, their voice by QR code on each chapter
Start with one question.
Every storyteller starts with 10 free stories. No card. Pick a question, send it, and see what comes back. If the first voice note doesn't make you sit down, you've spent nothing. If it does, you'll know what the rest are for.
Every fact about Storyworth, Remento, Storii and StoryKeeper was taken from that company's own website, pricing page or help centre on 11 September 2026. Storyworth and Remento each publish articles about the other, and several smaller rivals publish "best alternatives" lists; none of those was used as a source for anything. Review scores are Trustpilot's on the same day. Forum quotes are paraphrased and unattributed.
Where a company's own pages disagreed with each other, the chart marks the cell rather than choosing. Where a figure isn't published, it says so. Tell Me's prices are pulled from the same place the rest of this site gets them, so they can't drift.
Prices change. If you find one that has, email me, and I'll check it and update the date above.
David
Tell Me Stories Ltd