A little over a year ago, I was looking for a unique gift for my mother-in-law for Mother’s Day when an ad for Storyworth popped up on my screen. Initially, I didn’t love the idea of a digital gift that would require work and a good year before an actual physical gift would be delivered, but after reading through countless raving reviews, I went for it.
It turns out that Storyworth was an amazing investment. Our family learned so much about my mother-in-law that we would likely not have known or remembered had Storyworth not prompted the conversation.
This article details my experience with purchasing Storyworth for a loved one and why we are grateful for the life-long gift we now have as a result of it.
Rating Storyworth
Overall, Storyworth is a genuine brand that delivers more than just a gift, it’s a series of memories that will last a lifetime. This is one of the most meaningful gifts I have ever given, but also received as it gave me and my family the opportunity to get to know one of our family members better than we ever would have otherwise. The entire process is smooth, easy, and honestly, very fun to participate in.
Brand
For the purpose of this review, I did a little digging into the brand’s story and mission and was excited to discover that Storyworth was founded by a husband and wife duo whose goal was to provide a way for people to learn about and preserve the memories of their loved ones. I was shocked to find out that the brand originated in 2012 as I hadn’t come across it yet, but the fact that the company has been around for over a decade now shows that it’s a solid brand with longevity, not a fly-by-night money-making scheme.
Ease of Use
I found Storyworth to be very user friendly, simple to understand, and easy to use. The concept is simple and the directions are clear for all involved in the process of building the stories.
Question Quality
I thought that some of the questions seemed a bit strange, however, as the gift giver, you get to control the questions that are sent to the recipient. If there’s a question that you don’t like or don’t think will be relevant or of value, you can skip it and choose another.
Value
Storyworth operates on a subscription-based model for $99 for the whole year, which I find to be a great value for what you get. The subscription can be canceled at any time. Even if you stay on for just one year, you’ll get a ton of value from the subscription.
What Using Storyworth Is Like

Giving Storyworth as a gift is really simple and they make it easy to schedule the gift recipient’s delivery to be on a certain date i.e. a birthday, Mother’s Day, anniversary, etc. When you give Storyworth as a gift, the gift recipient is sent an email with the invitation to get started.
As the gift giver, you have access to the recipient’s account, which means that you will have the ability to control the questions that get sent to the recipient and to view their responses. I love this feature as it feels like a gift for everyone as we all get to follow along and enjoy the stories!
When you send your loved one the gift of Storyworth, they can set up their profile online and invite as many contributors as they’d like. For example, I was the one who initially purchased Storyworth for my mother-in-law, but she was able to share the answers with me and her three sons so we all got to follow along as she answered the questions. Additionally, all of us who were added to her account had the ability to control the questions she got asked if we wanted to, which was a cool way to customize the experience.
Throughout the duration of your subscription, the recipient receives 1 question per week via email that’s either chosen by a family member or by Storyworth. The recipient has the option to answer that question or choose a different one to answer. Once the recipient answers the question, providing all the details and photos (if applicable), the answers get sent out via email to all the loved ones on the account to read and enjoy.
All questions and answers are also recorded in the online Storyworth account to be viewed at any time.

Capturing the “Stories Of My Life”
The goal of using Storyworth is to prompt the gift recipient to tell the stories of their life that most of us don’t think to ask. Questions like “What was your first boss like?” and “What was your mom like when you were a child?” have a unique way of allowing someone to open up and talk about things that they likely haven’t thought about in years.
The truth is, we all leave this earth at some point, and most of us will leave with a lifetime of stories, experiences, and memories with us that, if not for gifts like Storyworth, would never be re-told, remembered, or cherished.
The gift recipient gets to take as much time as they want to write their answers and are encouraged to be as detailed as possible, adding photos when and where they can. Once recorded, the stories can be edited at any time in case edits need to be made or more details need to be added.
Weekly Emails
During your subscription period, the gift giver as well as the recipient will receive emails. The recipient will get an email with their weekly question (which they can change if they wish) and the family members attached to the account will receive an email when the recipient has answered a question.
The emails come through with the full story, including any photos. If you prefer, you can log into the Storyworth account and read the answers there, however, I always read them via email as they came in.
Crafting Your Book Full of Lasting Memories
Every question that gets answered goes into a digital book called “Stories of My Life.” The book can be customized with a special cover, or it can be left plain. You have the opportunity to order a physical copy of the book and before you do so, you can you can preview it.
The book includes a table of contents detailing the questions that are answered and the stories told within the pages. Each page is numbered and any photos that were included with specific stories will be added to the book in order.



Every subscription comes with one copy of the book. Additional copies can be purchased at any time.
What I Learned From Storyworth
I learned so much more about my mother-in-law after our experience using Storyworth for a full year. I got to know her on a level that I probably would have never been able to otherwise. The question prompts were ones that I would have never thought to have asked and the answers she provided were very detailed.
I loved hearing the stories of my mother-in-law’s life, I feel as though they brought us closer together. In fact, I was so impressed with the way this subscription allowed me to get to know a close family member even better that I recently purchased it for my own mom. I can’t wait to learn more about my mom and how the experiences of her life have shaped the person that she is today.
I also learned that we all have a special story that’s completely unique to us and that, without prompting, we would probably never tell. I think there is so much value in learning about our loved one’s experiences as they can evoke emotions and compassion that you might not otherwise get to experience.
Is Storyworth Worth It?
It’s no coincidence that the word “worth” is in the name, this subscription is 100% worth it. Sure, you could replicate a similar experience on your own for free (plus the cost of a book), but I guarantee that Storyworth will make the process so much easier and more personalized. I know I personally would never think up the majority of the questions that get asked. Plus, your Storyworth subscription includes access to your online account where everything is stored neatly and reliably.
The stories that Storyworth is able to prompt the recipients into telling are phenomenal way to get to know your loved one better, create a closer relationship with them, and pass down their legacy to the next generation. There are many nuggets from getting to know my mother-in-law better over the last year that I will cherish for a lifetime. And I feel great knowing that her stories are etched in time in a book that we can pass on to our children and they to theirs one day.
Wrapping Up
I am a huge fan of Storyworth, and I see it as a meaningful gift that will be cherished and treasured forever, from the weekly emails filled with stories to the compilation that you get at the end of the year in the form of a hardcover book. Storyworth is a gift worth giving over and over again.
I am beyond grateful for the way Storyworth was able to help me connect with my mother-in-law on a much deeper level and the way I will be able to share those stories with our children (her grandchildren) one day.
Next up, I’ll be gifting a subscription to my own mom and I cannot wait to learn more about her and her life.