MakeStories AI Story Builder vs Smart Stories | Video Story
Two Shopify apps, side by side: detected stores, momentum, reviews, plans, listed features and who runs each. Store counts as of Oct 14, 2026 for MakeStories AI Story Builder, Oct 13, 2026 for Smart Stories.
The short answer
- Only MakeStories AI Story Builder lists a free plan. Paid plans start at $69/month for MakeStories AI Story Builder and $24.99/month for Smart Stories.
- Smart Stories lists 14 features MakeStories AI Story Builder’s listing doesn’t mention, including Add to cart, Analytics, Autoplay.
Head to head
Momentum
New reviews each month
Review pace is the clearest public read on how fast an app is winning new merchants.
Free
- · 10 WebStories
- · 3 step Story Creation
- · Automatic Story creation using AI
- · Custom Brand Settings
- · Embed Story widgets in 1 click
- · Google Fonts
Pro Plan
- · 3 step Story Creation
- · Automatic Story creation using AI
- · Custom Brand Settings
- · Embed Story widgets in 1 click
- · Google Fonts
- · Set Up Once, Automate Forever
Standard Plan
- · 20,000 views per month
- · Unlimited stories
Premium Plan
- · 100,000 views per month
- · Unlimited stories
Enterprise Plan
- · Unlimited stories
- · Unlimited views
Coverage counts what each App Store listing names. Every feature, checked off app by app, is in Shoplist.
See every featureMakeStories AI Story Builder auto-generates engaging web stories for all your Shopify products using powerful AI to improve store SEO. Quickly edit these automated stories via an intuitive drag-and-drop editor or build new ones from scratch. Showcase stories as Instagram-style bubbles or Facebook-style story lists and embed them seamlessly anywhere across your store pages with just a few clicks—no coding required.
Publish Instagram like video stories in minutes and add them anywhere on your shop easily by defining a section and using drag and drop. Upload videos to your story like you would do on Instagram or Snapchat. Allow your customers to add-to-cart or copy a coupon code while playing the video story. Select an existing collection on your Shopify store and auto-create a story from its product images and videos.
- Auto-generate SEO-friendly product stories instantly with powerful AI.
- Easy drag-and-drop editor to quickly customize or create new stories.
- Instagram and Facebook-style widgets to embed stories anywhere on your store.
- Add videos stories of UGC, branded content, product demos and reviews in minutes
- Video player with 20+ video stories templates to publish your content anywhere
- Make your videos shoppable, enable video shopping from stories to increase sales
- Auto-create products or collections stories with your existing video and images
All the numbers
Every figure, side by side
A green dot marks the app ahead on a measured figure. Estimates, gaps and apps that leave no storefront trace never take the lead.
Adoption
| Measure |  MakeStories AI Story Builder | Smart Stories |
|---|---|---|
| Detected stores | Not published | Not published |
| Net store change, 28 days | 0 | 0 |
| Stores added, 28 days | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Big-brand share | Not enough data | Not enough data |
| Top store categories | Not published | Not published |
| Top store countries | Not published | Not published |
Reviews
| Measure | MakeStories AI Story Builder | Smart Stories |
|---|---|---|
| App Store rating | Not published | 5.0 ★ |
| App Store reviews | Not published | 8 |
| New reviews, 28 days | Not enough data | 0 |
| Reviewers a year or more in | Not enough data | Not enough data |
Pricing
| Measure | MakeStories AI Story Builder | Smart Stories |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Not listed |
| Lowest paid monthly plan | $69/month | $24.99/month(ahead) |
| Longest free trial | Not listed | 7 days |
| Plans listed | 2 | 3 |
Listing
| Measure | MakeStories AI Story Builder | Smart Stories |
|---|---|---|
| Shopify category rank | #72 | #113 |
| Shopify App Charts | Not on this week’s charts | Not on this week’s charts |
| Built for Shopify | No | No |
| Launched | Jun 18, 2025 | Apr 24, 2023 |
| Languages | 1 | 1 |
| Developer | Eszmeletlen Holding Co. | Smart Stories |
FAQ
MakeStories AI Story Builder and Smart Stories: common questions
- Is MakeStories AI Story Builder or Smart Stories cheaper?
- Only MakeStories AI Story Builder lists a free plan. Paid plans start at $69/month for MakeStories AI Story Builder and $24.99/month for Smart Stories. Shoplist compares base prices only between monthly plans in the same currency; usage charges and annual plans vary, so check each plan’s limits.
- What features does each app list that the other doesn’t?
- Smart Stories lists 14 the others don’t mention, such as Add to cart, Analytics, Autoplay, Carousels. A feature missing from a listing may still be supported; this compares what each App Store listing says.
- Where does this comparison’s data come from?
- Shoplist crawls Shopify storefronts to detect which apps each store runs, and reads each app’s Shopify App Store listing for reviews, pricing, features and integrations. Store counts are as of Oct 14, 2026 for MakeStories AI Story Builder, Oct 13, 2026 for Smart Stories; estimated figures are labeled.
How Shoplist compares apps
Store counts come from Shoplist’s crawl of Shopify storefronts, which detects the apps each store runs; they are as of Oct 14, 2026 for MakeStories AI Story Builder, Oct 13, 2026 for Smart Stories. Reviews, ratings, plans, features and integrations come from each app’s Shopify App Store listing. 28-day figures are labeled when estimated, and a figure that is missing or estimated never decides who leads. Read the methodology.