Storywish vs. Wonderbly: An Honest Comparison from the Newcomer

We make Storywish, so read this with that in mind. We wrote it because parents ask us how we compare, and a straight answer helps more than a sales page. Everything below about Wonderbly comes from its own website and from Penguin Random House's announcement, checked on October 30, 2026. If something has changed, email us at seth@storywish.ai and we'll fix it.

The short version

Wonderbly has made personalized picture books since 2013, and Penguin Random House bought it in June 2025. Its stories are written and drawn by its own team ("Created by artists, never AI," its Lost My Name page says). You make the book yours with your child's name and a character you pick.

Storywish (storywish.ai) uses AI to write and illustrate a new story for your family. Your child's character is drawn from a photo or a few words, the story comes out of a conversation with you, and you can read it on screen or order it as a printed book for $25.

How your child appears

On Wonderbly's best-known book, The Little Boy or Girl Who Lost Their Name, you pick one of three characters for a boy or a girl, then choose hair and skin tone.

On Storywish you add a photo of your child, or describe them in a few words, and Storywish draws them as a storybook character who looks the same on every page. Grown-ups and pets work the same way, and one family photo can bring in everyone in it. The photo is used to draw the portrait, then it isn't kept, and we don't use it to train AI models. Details are in how we handle your child's photo.

Where the story comes from

Wonderbly's stories are written by its team. In Lost My Name, each letter of your child's first name brings in a different character, so the book changes with the name. The words you write yourself go in the dedication, up to 400 characters.

On Storywish you talk or type with Storywish about who is in the story. It asks a question or two about their real life, then asks if you have a story in mind. Tell it yours, or pick from ideas it builds from your answers. Before the book is made you see it as eight page lines, and you can change any of them. Once it's made, you can change any page by saying or typing what you want, or paint over one spot in a picture.

The honest trade-off: a Storywish story isn't written by a children's author. That's why every page stays editable, and why we suggest reading it through before you print.

The printed book

• Wonderbly: Lost My Name is 22 pages, A4 (11.7 x 8.3 inches), in softcover or hardcover, from $39.99. Wonderbly recommends it for ages 0 to 8.
• Storywish: every story is 8 pages plus a cover, printed as an 8.5 x 8.5 inch stapled softcover with a dedication page and pages that introduce the characters. It's $25 on any plan, with free standard shipping to US addresses, and most books arrive 10 to 12 business days after you order. We print and post to US addresses only.

Price

A Wonderbly book is one story, bought once. Storywish starts free with 2 stories to read on screen, and plans start at $12 a month for 8 stories. You can print any story for $25 without a plan. See plans and pricing.

Which one to pick

Pick Wonderbly if you want a book written and illustrated by a known publisher, made without AI, and a name plus a chosen character feels personal enough.

Pick Storywish if you want your child to look like themselves on every page, want the story to come from your family's real life or your own idea, or want to read new stories together often and print the ones you love. You can make your first 2 stories free and decide from there.