Shorthand vs Storydoc (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Shorthand grades higher than Storydoc: 2.2 against 1.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Shorthand grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Which one is for you
Pick Shorthand if
- Fits if you make long visual stories for a communications team
- Works for publishers who want stories on their own CMS
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a price, because none is published
- Tight if you publish a lot, as Core includes 12 new stories a year
- Watch out: a published story uses a credit that is not returned if you unpublish it
- Watch out: unused publishing credits expire at the end of each yearly cycle
Pick Storydoc if
- Fits if you send sales decks and want to see which pages the buyer read
- Works for teams that connect decks to a CRM, on Pro
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you want the CRM links, as integrations start on Pro at $36 a month
- Tight if you make many decks: Starter allows 5 active documents
- Watch out: no monthly price is shown in the page text, and Teams is for 5 or more users and quoted
- Watch out: the page does not say what the 'Create Free' buttons give you
How we grade them
| 2.2GPAShorthandFair | 1.6GPAStorydocWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CNo plan price is published; Core, Unlimited and Enterprise are arranged with sales, so it sits at C. | DStarter is $19.80 a month billed yearly, but integrations, collaboration and variables are on Pro at $36, over three times the category's $10 middle. |
| Free plan and trial | CBuilding stories is free, but a paid plan is needed to publish or export them, so you cannot ship anything on the free plan. | FNo free plan or trial is on record. The buttons read 'Create Free', but the page does not say what that gives you. |
| Features | CA story editor, publishing, branding, collaboration and analytics. Core includes only 12 new stories a year, and publishing a story spends a credit that is not returned. | CInteractive slides, personalisation variables, analytics, AI credits and CRM links. Starter has limited slides and templates, and 5 active documents. |
| Ease of use | CNo store rating is on record, and designing a story page by page takes learning. | CNo store rating on record. You build decks from templates and set up variables and integrations. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, with WordPress, Drupal, Sitecore, Contentful and Adobe Experience Manager listed. No desktop or phone app. | BWeb, with HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho, Pipedrive, Slack and Google Slides links. No desktop or phone app is listed. |
| Best for | scrolling web stories like annual reports | interactive sales and pitch decks |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Shorthand and Storydoc. How we grade
Where they differ
- Shorthand also covers documents.
- Storydoc also covers sales pipeline and web analytics.
At a glance
| Shorthand | Storydoc | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Paid |
| Starts at | Not published | $19.80 per month, billed annually ($237.60) |
| Free plan | Creating stories is free; a paid plan is needed to publish or export them. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| Made by | Shorthand | Storydoc |
| Price read from | Not confirmed | storydoc.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Shorthand
- No plan prices are published: Core, Unlimited and Enterprise are arranged through the sales team, so pricing is recorded as unverified.
- Core includes 12 new stories per year, and publishing a story uses one credit that is not returned if you unpublish.
- Unused publishing credits expire at the end of each yearly cycle.
- Shorthand says it is SOC 2 Type II compliant and ISO 27001 certified.
Storydoc
- Starter limits you to 5 active documents and limited slides and templates.
- Integrations, collaboration and personalization variables are not on Starter.
- Plan buttons read Create Free, but the page does not say what free access includes; no monthly price is shown in the page text.
- Teams is for five or more users and is quoted through a sales conversation.
Key features
Shorthand
- Story editor
- Stories are built from sections and layouts in a browser editor, and can be embedded into existing pages.
- Publishing options
- Shorthand-hosted publishing on annual plans, or self-hosted through S3, WordPress, Drupal plugins or API.
- Branding
- Themes carry a team's logos, colors and fonts across stories.
- Collaboration
- Editors, designers and developers work in one shared workspace.
- Analytics
- Built-in cookieless analytics, plus Google Analytics, Tag Manager and other trackers.
- AI Creative Companion
- An AI feature the site describes as turning a rough draft into a designed story.
Storydoc
- Interactive slides and templates
- Decks are built from interactive slide templates. Starter has a limited set; Pro and Teams list unlimited slides and templates.
- Personalization with variables
- Pro and above create versions of a deck for each customer or lead using text variables and live data.
- Deck analytics and alerts
- Track traffic and reader behavior on each deck. Analytics are basic on Starter and extended on Pro.
- AI credits
- Monthly credits cover AI text and AI image generation: 25 and 20 on Starter, 125 and 50 on Pro.
- CRM and marketing integrations
- The integrations page lists HubSpot, Salesforce, Zoho, Pipedrive and others; the plan table puts integrations at Pro and above.
- Done-for-you design
- Teams adds a designated storytelling expert and studio design services.
Plans
Shorthand
Pricing could not be confirmed. See shorthand.com.
Storydoc
Starter$19.80
per month, billed annually ($237.60)
5 active documents, 20 AI image and 25 AI text credits a month, basic analytics, PDF export, branding removal.
Pro$36
per month, billed annually ($432)
30 active documents, 50 image and 125 text credits a month, extended analytics, collaboration, variables, integrations.
TeamsCustom
Designed for 5 or more users: unlimited documents, advanced security and reporting, designated storytelling expert.
Ways to pay less
Shorthand
- Nonprofit
Discounts for charities and NGOs
Shorthand says it offers discounted plans for registered charities and NGOs, and free educational plans for universities and colleges.
Storydoc
- Annual discount
Save 40% with annual billing
The pricing page marks annual billing as a 40% saving over paying monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Shorthand or Storydoc?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Shorthand has no price we could confirm, and Storydoc starts at $19.80 per month, billed annually ($237.60).
Which has a free plan, Shorthand or Storydoc?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Shorthand has a free plan. Storydoc does not.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.