3 June 2026,storyfile alternative, hereafter alternative, legacy platform, digital biography, life story app, preserve memories, family history, storyfile bankruptcy
Vivlore vs StoryFile vs HereAfter: What Happened and What to Use Instead
StoryFile filed for bankruptcy, HereAfter AI went dormant. If either was part of your plan to preserve a life story, here is what changed and where to go next.
Vivlore vs StoryFile vs HereAfter: What Happened and What to Use Instead
Two of the most talked-about platforms in the life story preservation space have gone quiet, one through bankruptcy and acquisition, the other through neglect. If you found this article because you had a StoryFile or HereAfter account, or were considering one, here is an honest account of what happened and what your options look like now.
What Happened to StoryFile
StoryFile Life was an ambitious product. The concept: record guided video answers and use AI to let people have interactive "conversations" with that recording after you are gone. It attracted real media attention and a genuine following in the tech and grief communities.
In 2024, StoryFile filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In February 2025, the company was acquired out of bankruptcy by Key 7 Investment Co. The relaunched business is moving toward corporate and institutional clients, not the consumer memorial and family history use case that originally drew most of its audience.
For families and individuals who signed up hoping to preserve a personal life story, that pivot matters. The product that was marketed to you is no longer the focus of the company that now owns it.
What Happened to HereAfter AI
HereAfter AI offered a similar premise: record audio answers to interview prompts, build a conversational AI based on your voice, let family ask it questions later. The vision was warm and the format accessible.
In practice, HereAfter AI has been dormant for some time. The app holds roughly a 1.5-star average on the App Store, and there have been no meaningful product updates in over two years. User reviews describe basic functionality issues and a product that no longer feels maintained. For something you are trusting with irreplaceable recordings, that track record is a meaningful warning sign.
Where Vivlore Fits
Vivlore is built around a different idea. Not an AI simulation, not an interactive chatbot, but a living record of a person's actual story, written, organised, and kept by the people who knew them.
On Vivlore, you can create a free tribute page for any occasion: a birth, a wedding, a graduation, a retirement, or someone you want to remember. Pages are public and shareable from the start. Paid biographies unlock a full life story format with chapters, memories, and collaborative editing so the whole family can contribute. And unlike either platform in this comparison, Vivlore is live, working, and free to start.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | StoryFile | HereAfter AI | Vivlore |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | No | No | Yes, free tribute pages |
| Currently available to consumers | No (pivoted to corporate) | Dormant | Yes, fully live |
| Public shareable pages | No | No | Yes |
| Family collaboration | No | No | Yes |
| Written biography format | No | No | Yes |
| Printed biography book | No | No | Yes (via Lulu, from £89) |
| AI conversation feature | Yes (corporate only, post-acquisition) | Yes (dormant, 1.5 stars) | Planned |
| Occasion types | Legacy and death focused | Legacy and death focused | Birth, wedding, graduation, retirement, in memoriam, and more |
| Ongoing updates | Post-acquisition direction unclear | No recent updates | Yes, active development |
| Pricing | Unclear for new customers | From $99 | Free tribute, paid biography from £5.99/month |
Honest Pros and Cons
StoryFile
What it did well: The core concept was genuinely compelling. Interactive video conversations based on recorded answers gave families something most legacy products could not. The team produced notable public examples. The vision was real.
Where things stand now: The company filed for bankruptcy in 2024 and was acquired by Key 7 Investment Co in early 2025. The new owners are focused on corporate and institutional clients. Consumer users who signed up for a personal memorial product are not the current business priority. Whether consumer access returns, and in what form, is not publicly clear.
Best for: Watching this space cautiously. If you have existing recordings there, check your account terms and explore export options.
HereAfter AI
What it did well: The interview-driven audio format was accessible and the conversational output could feel personal. For families who recorded a loved one during the product's active years, those recordings may carry real value.
Where things stand now: The app has a 1.5-star average and no meaningful updates in over two years. It is not recommended for new projects. If you have existing recordings, the priority should be exporting them while the service is still running.
Best for: Existing users managing recorded content. Not a sound choice for new preservation projects.
Vivlore
What it does well: Vivlore is live and working today. A tribute created now can be added to for years. Public, shareable pages mean a tribute to a grandparent can be found by family members who were not involved in creating it. Collaboration means the story does not depend on one person. The platform covers any meaningful occasion, not just the final chapter of a life.
For families who want something tangible, a paid biography on Vivlore can be professionally printed as a hardback book through Lulu, a physical object that exists completely independently of any platform or server.
Where it falls short: Vivlore is newer than either platform in this comparison. The AI conversation feature that StoryFile pioneered is on the roadmap but not yet built. If interactive AI is the specific thing you need, that is not available today.
Best for: Families who want a living, shareable, collaborative record they can actually use right now, for free. Or a printed biography that does not depend on any company staying in business.
The Wider Picture
AI-powered life story technology attracted real investment and attention over the past few years. Some of it delivered. A significant amount of it did not, ending in waitlists, bankruptcy, or quietly abandoned apps.
The quieter insight is that what most families actually need is not an AI simulation. They need a place to collect the photos, the stories, the voices, and the memories that already exist, somewhere those things will not be lost, can be shared, and will still be there in ten years.
A printed book does not require a server to stay online. A public tribute page does not require a company to remain solvent. That is the kind of permanence worth building toward.
Which Should You Choose?
If you had a StoryFile account: The company has changed direction significantly. Check your account status, export any recordings you can, and consider whether the new corporate focus serves your original purpose.
If you had a HereAfter account: Treat this as a recovery task. Export recordings now. The product does not appear to be under active development.
If you are starting fresh: Vivlore is the working option in this comparison. Start with a free tribute page, no commitment required. If you want something that goes deeper, a paid biography gives you a full life story format, family collaboration, and the option to print a hardback book.
The best time to preserve a story is before it starts to fade. That remains true regardless of which platform gets there first.
Create a free tribute today. Start at vivlore.com.
Vivlore offers free tribute pages for any occasion, plus paid biographies starting at £5.99/month. See how others are telling their stories at vivlore.com.
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