Storyworth is a lovely product. You buy it for a parent or grandparent, they get a question by email every week for a year, they write an answer, and at the end the answers are bound into a hardcover book. If what you want is a book of a loved one's life stories, you should probably just buy Storyworth.
This page is for a different want — the one people describe as "I just wish I could hear her voice." A book keeps the words. It doesn't keep the way your dad tells a story, or your grandmother's laugh halfway through one. That's the part ttyl is for, and it's a smaller, cheaper, and more immediate thing than a year-long book project.
storyworth vs. ttyl
Details about Storyworth are as we understand them at the time of writing — check their site for current features and pricing.
| Storyworth | ttyl | |
|---|---|---|
| What it captures | Written life stories, one question a week for a year | Short voice recordings, whenever you want |
| What you end up with | A printed hardcover book | Recordings that arrive on dates you choose |
| Whose voice | Primarily written — the words, not the sound | The actual voice |
| Time commitment | A year of weekly answers | A minute per recording |
| Best for | Preserving a parent's or grandparent's life story as a keepsake | Keeping how someone sounds, and sending messages between people across time |
| Cost | An annual purchase that includes the book; check their site | 3 free recordings at sign-up, then stamp packs. No subscription. |
when storyworth is the right choice
Buy Storyworth if the goal is a finished, physical object: a book on the shelf that a grandchild can pick up in twenty years. It's structured, it's gentle about pacing, and it produces something you can hold. For a parent who likes to write and has stories they've never gotten around to telling, it's hard to beat.
when ttyl does the job better
Choose ttyl when the thing you're afraid of losing is the sound. Ask your mom to record the story about the summer she met your dad — one minute, on her phone, no editing — and have it delivered to you on your birthday next year. Ask your grandfather to leave a message for the great-grandchild who isn't born yet. Record your kid at four telling a joke that makes no sense, and send it to yourself for when they're fourteen.
It's also the better fit when a year-long project is too much to ask. Not every parent wants to write an essay a week. Almost everyone will talk for a minute if you ask them a good question, and ttyl is built around that: one prompt, one recording, one date.
And it goes both ways. Storyworth is a gift you give someone; ttyl is something you can do together. Tag each other on recordings and they arrive for both of you on the same day — a small, recurring reason to stay in touch.
questions worth asking a parent to record
Short ones work best. A single question, a minute of talking, delivered on a date that matters. Tap one and it loads into the recorder above — then hand them the phone, or send them the link.
FAQ
keep the voice
Ask someone one question and have their answer arrive on a date that matters. Three recordings are free — no app required.
