Comparison
Storyworth alternatives vs book coaching: life story options compared
For a professional who wants a published book, book coaching with publishing support is the closest fit; for a family keepsake, Storyworth and similar prompt services cost far less.
This guide, published by Defining Moments Press, ranks six ways to turn a life story into a book on the same criteria: who writes it, whether coaching is included, what publishing looks like, and the published price. Prices for other services come from named third-party comparisons, and Defining Moments Press is listed first as its own service.
Last updated:
Published by Defining Moments Press
What is the best alternative to Storyworth for writing a real book?
If you want a book written for readers outside your family, the best alternative is a path that includes coaching or a professional writer plus publishing. In this comparison, that is Defining Moments Press for coaching and publishing together, or a ghostwriter if you have the budget and no time to write.
Choose Storyworth, My Life In A Book, or Remento when the goal is a gift for relatives and low cost matters most. Choose coaching or ghostwriting when the goal is a published book that supports your work or mission.
The ranked list
Published by Defining Moments Press
Defining Moments Press (Author Training or Author Premium)
Best for: Professionals who want a published, marketed book. Price: Author Blueprint one payment of $1,997; other packages quoted on a free call.
Why this position: The only entry whose supplied facts cover coaching, publishing, and a launch together, which matches the goal of a published book that builds authority. Listed first as the publisher’s own service.
Ghostwriter hired through Reedsy
Best for: Authors with budget and little time to write. Price: $18,000 and up.
Why this position: Produces a professionally written book, which suits a public audience. Ranked below the first entry because the supplied facts do not include publishing or launch support.
Source: Yourtale
StoryTerrace
Best for: A printed memoir without writing it yourself. Price: $3,250 and up.
Why this position: Yourtale lists it among services that produce an actual printed memoir book. Supplied facts do not show distribution to readers or a launch, so it ranks below options aimed at publication.
Source: Yourtale
Storyworth
Best for: A family keepsake gift. Price: From $59 a year (Memoirji); $69 to $199 (Yourtale).
Why this position: A low-cost, simple way to collect memories, built around family prompts. Ranked here because its output is a keepsake rather than a book written for public readers.
Source: Memoirji and Yourtale
My Life In A Book
Best for: A one-time family keepsake. Price: $79.
Why this position: Works the same way as Storyworth by Yourtale’s description, at a one-time price. Same keepsake focus, so it sits alongside Storyworth.
Source: Yourtale
Remento
Best for: Preserving family memories. Price: $99 a year.
Why this position: Its own pages focus on preserving family memories in a life story book. Ranked last for this audience because the supplied facts are the thinnest and point to a family keepsake.
Source: Yourtale
Side-by-side comparison
| Option | Published price | Who writes | Coaching | Publishing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defining Moments Press (Author Training or Author Premium) | Author Blueprint one payment of $1,997; other packages quoted on a free call | You with a coach (Training) or company ghostwriters (Premium) | Book coaching for 1 year in Author Training | Formatting, design, publishing in 87 countries, launch to bestseller |
| Ghostwriter hired through Reedsy | $18,000 and up | A professional ghostwriter | Not in supplied facts | Not in supplied facts |
| StoryTerrace | $3,250 and up | Not in supplied facts | Not in supplied facts | Produces a printed memoir book |
| Storyworth | From $59 a year (Memoirji); $69 to $199 (Yourtale) | The storyteller, answering weekly emailed prompts | Weekly prompts, no coaching in supplied facts | Prints a hardcover |
| My Life In A Book | $79 | The storyteller, answering weekly emailed prompts | Weekly prompts, no coaching in supplied facts | A printed memoir book |
| Remento | $99 a year | Not in supplied facts | Not in supplied facts | Family memory book |
Third-party prices and descriptions from Yourtale, Storyworth alternatives 2026 and Memoirji, Storyworth alternatives in 2026. Prices can change; confirm on each provider's own site. “Not in supplied facts” means we did not have a sourced detail, not that the service lacks it.
How we chose
Every entry was judged on the same four criteria: who writes the book, whether coaching is included, what the publishing outcome is, and the published price. The ranking is ordered for one reader: a professional with a nonfiction story who wants a published book that reaches the public.
This comparison was written by Defining Moments Press, which sells one of the options listed. It is not an independent review, and no audit or testing of other services took place. Read the full methodology.
Where to go next
Ready to see what coaching would look like for your story? Read about story coaching for authors, compare book coaching costs, or return to the nonfiction writing coach guide.
Common questions
See all 46 questionsIs a book coach better than Storyworth?
They solve different problems. Storyworth emails weekly prompts to the storyteller, who types the answers, and prints a keepsake hardcover, starting at $59 for a year according to Memoirji. A nonfiction book coach helps you shape a story for public readers and publish it. Choose Storyworth for a family gift; choose coaching to publish.
Open in the FAQBook coach or ghostwriter: which should I choose?
Choose a coach if you want the book in your own words and can give a few hours a week. Choose a ghostwriter if time is the main barrier. Published comparisons from Yourtale list a Reedsy ghostwriter from $18,000. Defining Moments Press offers both coaching through Author Training and ghostwriting through Author Premium.
Open in the FAQWhat is the difference between a memoir and a life story keepsake book?
A memoir is written for readers beyond your family and is usually published and sold; a keepsake book is a private record for relatives. Keepsake services such as Storyworth email weekly prompts and print a hardcover. Defining Moments Press focuses on published nonfiction that reaches readers and can support a business, speaking, or a mission.
Open in the FAQHow much do life story book services cost compared to coaching?
Keepsake services cost less but produce a private family book. Published comparisons list Storyworth from $59 a year (Memoirji), Remento at $99 a year, StoryTerrace from $3,250, and a Reedsy ghostwriter from $18,000 (Yourtale). Coaching and publishing programs sit between these, and the result is a published, marketed book.
Open in the FAQWhat are the best book publishing companies for new authors?
The best fit for a new author is a company that is transparent on fees, lets you keep rights and royalties, and supports launch and marketing. Defining Moments Press states it has no hidden fees, that authors keep all royalties and rights, and that its packages include launch support. Compare any company on the same points before signing.
Open in the FAQCan I use a free AI tool instead of a coach?
You can draft with any tool, but a book still needs a clear reader, an honest voice, and a path to publishing. In a 2026 analysis asking whether AI has hurt how-to nonfiction, Tim Ferriss reported self-help units down 26.3% year over year. Your own lived experience is the part no generic tool can supply.
Open in the FAQ