Story app guides and comparisons
The best Wonderbly alternatives (2026): personalized books and story apps
Full disclosure: we make one of the alternatives below, and it's an app, not a book. Wonderbly makes some of the loveliest personalized picture books there are. These are the options worth knowing when you want something different, including when to stick with Wonderbly.
| App | Best for | Price | What it does that Wonderbly doesn't |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hooray Heroes | a printed book starring several family members, pets included | About $30–$60 a book; US shipping from $7.99 | Up to five characters, each with their own look |
| StoryJumper | a book your child writes, printed | Free to make online; paperback $14.99, hardcover $27.99 (up to 16 pages) | Your child writes every word, and it costs less to print |
| Branchlings (ours) | a new story every night, which your child steers | From $9.99/month; sample stories free to read, no free trial | A new story every time, with choices at every fork |
| Oscar Stories | low-cost personalized stories, on any device | $4.99/month or $39.99/year on iPhone; coin packs; first stories free | A new story whenever you like, in about ten languages |
| Gemini Storybook | a free storybook you can print yourself | Free | Free, and you can print it or save a PDF |
Why people look for a Wonderbly alternative
- The price. About $27 for a softcover to about $75 for a premium lay-flat book, plus shipping.
- It's one story. Beautiful, and the same every time you read it.
- Waiting for it. Printed and sent in 2–4 working days, then about a week more to a US door, and personalized books can't be returned unless they're faulty.
When to stick with Wonderbly
For a present, it's hard to beat: written and illustrated by professionals, previewed page by page before you pay, and a book that will still be on the shelf in ten years. If that's what you want, buy it.
1. Hooray Heroes
- Best for
- a printed book starring several family members, pets included
- Price
- About $30–$60 a book; US shipping from $7.99
- What it does that Wonderbly doesn't
- Up to five characters, each with their own look
Hooray Heroes builds printed picture books starring several people at once, with detailed looks for each: hair, skin tone, eye color, glasses, freckles and more. Tracked US shipping starts at $7.99, and three or more books ship free for a limited time.
The catch: on October 2, 2026 it was moving to a new owner and a new website, with some books temporarily unavailable, and you can only change or cancel an order within 24 hours.
2. StoryJumper
- Best for
- a book your child writes, printed
- Price
- Free to make online; paperback $14.99, hardcover $27.99 (up to 16 pages)
- What it does that Wonderbly doesn't
- Your child writes every word, and it costs less to print
Your child types their own story in StoryJumper, builds the pages from its scenes and props or uploads photos of their drawings, and you can order a paperback or hardcover of the result. Making the book is free.
The catch: it's real work, so younger children need help, and it runs in a browser on a computer or iPad, not on a phone.
3. Branchlings ours
- Best for
- a new story every night, which your child steers
- Price
- From $9.99/month; sample stories free to read, no free trial
- What it does that Wonderbly doesn't
- A new story every time, with choices at every fork
This is ours, and it isn't a book you can hold. Branchlings makes a new painted story whenever you like, starring the character your child designed. They choose what happens at every fork, or add their own idea, and the cast comes back for the next adventure.
What it won't do: print, or replace a gift. It's an app (iPhone and iPad, from $9.99 a month, no free trial), and the stories and pictures are made by AI.
4. Oscar Stories
- Best for
- low-cost personalized stories, on any device
- Price
- $4.99/month or $39.99/year on iPhone; coin packs; first stories free
- What it does that Wonderbly doesn't
- A new story whenever you like, in about ten languages
Oscar Stories writes a new illustrated bedtime story starring your child, with narration, on iPhone, Android and the web. It's $4.99 a month on iPhone, and your first stories are free.
The catch: it's on a screen, made by AI, and reviewers say the free allowance is small.
5. Gemini Storybook
- Best for
- a free storybook you can print yourself
- Price
- Free
- What it does that Wonderbly doesn't
- Free, and you can print it or save a PDF
Google's Gemini writes and illustrates a story of about 10 pages from your prompt, around your own photos or your child's drawing if you like, and you can print it at home or save a PDF.
The catch: it's for users 18 and over, the pictures are AI-made and can be inconsistent, and a home print isn't a bound book.
How to choose
- Buying a present? Stay with Wonderbly, or Hooray Heroes for the whole family.
- Want your child to make it? StoryJumper.
- Want a new story every night? Branchlings or Oscar Stories.
- Want it free? Gemini Storybook, printed at home.
Questions
- What's cheaper than a Wonderbly book?
- StoryJumper is free to use, with paperbacks from $14.99. Gemini Storybook is free, and you can print it yourself. Hooray Heroes books start at about $30. Story apps like Oscar Stories and Branchlings are subscriptions, from $4.99 and $9.99 a month.
- Is there a personalized book with siblings or the whole family?
- Hooray Heroes books can star up to five characters, pets included. In Branchlings, your child can bring anyone into the story, from a baby brother to Grandma to the dog.
- Can Branchlings print my child's story?
- No. Branchlings stories live in the app, on your family's shelf.
Try Branchlings
Your child dreams up the story and picks what happens at every fork, and Branchlings writes and paints it. Free to download, with in-app purchases. You can read the sample stories before you choose a plan. Painting your character and new stories come with a plan. Plans start at $9.99 a month, and there's no free trial. For iPhone and iPad in the US.
Pricing and features for every app on this list checked October 2026. Apps change fast, so double-check on each app's own site before you buy. Names of other apps are trademarks of their owners and are used here only to identify them; we're not connected with any of them.