Most memoir gifts stall the same quiet way: a parent opens the email, sees a blank box waiting for a written answer, thinks "I'll do it this weekend," and never does. Remento was built specifically to break that pattern. Instead of asking your mom to write, it asks her to talk — and that one change is why families who'd given up on capturing stories suddenly end up with a finished book, and her actual voice playing back from every page.
Short answer up front: Remento is worth it if the storyteller would rather speak than write — which describes most parents and grandparents — and if hearing their voice years from now matters to you. It costs a little more than the cheapest writing-based services, and there are a couple of fees worth knowing about, but for the "won't sit down and type" problem, nothing else solves it this neatly. Here's the full breakdown.
Quick verdict: The easiest way to actually finish a family memoir, with a standout feature — the recorded voice — that no writing-first service matches. Watch two fees and one subscription catch.
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What Remento is and how it works
Remento is a year-long, voice-first memoir service — and it's the one Mark Cuban backed on Shark Tank. Each week, the storyteller gets a prompt by email and text. They tap the link and simply start talking, on whatever phone, tablet, or computer is already in their hand — no app to download, no password to remember. A typical answer runs two to ten minutes (up to thirty).
Then Remento's Speech-to-Story™ technology does the work writing usually demands: it turns the recording into clean text, either a word-for-word transcript with the filler words removed, or a flowing narrative. You can pick first person ("I remember…") or third person ("She remembers…"), and concise or detailed. Every story stays fully editable, and family members get notified when a new one is ready — which tends to spark reactions and follow-up questions.
At the end of the year, the stories and photos are bound into a full-color 8"×10" hardcover. Its signature feature: each story carries a QR code that plays the original recording. A grandchild reading a chapter decades from now can tap it and hear it in the voice it came from. Remento's ratings reflect how well this lands — 4.8 on the App Store across 8,000+ ratings, and 4.8 on Trustpilot.
Pricing and hidden costs
What the subscription includes
- Remento — $99/year (or $12.99/month): one storyteller, weekly video prompts, AI transcription, basic editing, and one printed book credit with free US shipping.
That bundled color book with free shipping is a real part of the value — many competitors charge for the book on top of the subscription.
The extra costs people miss
- Additional copies: $69 (up to 200 pages) or $99 (201–380 pages); expanding a book to the full 380 pages adds $30.
- Digital copy: $49.99 to download a digital version of your own book — the fee that surprises people most.
- Extra storyteller: a one-time $99, which includes a full year plus one book credit.
- Renewal: $99/year, but renewal does not include another book credit.
The honest cost takeaway: Remento's $99 base is a few dollars more than StoryWorth's entry plan, but it includes a color book and free shipping — so once you put a writing-first service on its color tier, the two land in the same neighborhood. Just budget around the $49.99 digital download and the fact that renewal doesn't include a new book.
What real users like
- It actually gets finished. This is the recurring theme: parents who stalled on writing-based services participate happily once all they have to do is talk. Reviewers repeatedly describe it as easy and user-friendly, including for relatives with vision or motor difficulties that make typing hard.
- The voice is the magic. The first time families hear a story play back from the printed book, it's the moment that sells the whole product.
- It's collaborative. Multiple family members can take part, react, and nudge the storyteller along — it feels like a shared project, not a solo assignment.
- No tech friction. No app, no password, works on any device, including for people who aren't comfortable with technology.
Common complaints
Real ones worth knowing before you buy:
Your stories go read-only when the subscription ends
Some users were surprised to find that once their subscription lapses, they can still view their stories but can't create new ones without resubscribing. Your content is stored, but ongoing access to keep adding is tied to an active subscription — plan for that.
The AI isn't perfect, and there's no phone support
Speech-to-Story occasionally alters a name, switches a perspective, or smooths a phrase into wording the storyteller wouldn't actually use — so you'll want to edit and proofread (the tools make this easy, but it's a step). Support is email-only; there's no phone line, and a few reviewers reported slow responses.
The QR audio depends on Remento's servers
The recordings play through Remento's app and servers via the QR codes, so those audio links live as long as the company and its infrastructure do. The printed words are yours permanently; the playback is a hosted feature.
Who Remento is best for
Buy it if:
- The storyteller would rather talk than write — especially an older parent or grandparent.
- You want their recorded voice preserved, not just their words.
- You want a memoir that actually gets finished, with minimal tech friction.
- You'd like several family members involved.
Look elsewhere if:
- The storyteller genuinely loves writing and wants word-for-word control (a writing-first service fits better).
- The storyteller has no smartphone or tablet at all — consider Storii, which works over a normal phone call.
- You want to avoid annual subscriptions entirely — consider Meminto's one-time payment.
Remento alternatives
Remento's main rival is StoryWorth, the writing-first standard — cheaper to enter, perfect for people who like to type, but with no saved audio. For seniors without a smartphone, Storii records stories over a regular phone call. Meminto replaces the yearly subscription with a one-time payment, and HeritageWhisper (around $79/year) is another voice-first option.
We compare them directly in the StoryWorth vs Remento guide and across the whole field in the best memoir and life-story services roundup.
Frequently asked questions
Is Remento worth it? Yes, if the storyteller prefers speaking to writing and you value preserving their voice — it's the most reliable way to actually finish a family memoir. If they love to write, StoryWorth may suit them better and costs a little less to start.
How much does Remento cost? $99/year (or $12.99/month), which includes one color hardcover with free US shipping. Extra copies are $69–$99, a digital download is $49.99, and an extra storyteller is a one-time $99. Renewal is $99/year but doesn't include another book.
Do I keep my stories if I cancel? Remento offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, and you keep full access until your paid period ends. After it lapses, your stories stay viewable but become read-only — you can't create new content without resubscribing. Printed books aren't refundable.
Does Remento really save the voice? Yes — that's its headline feature. Each story in the printed book has a QR code that plays the original recording, so future readers can hear it in the storyteller's own voice.
Is Remento good for elderly parents? Generally yes — tapping a link and talking is far easier than typing, with no app or password. For someone with no smartphone at all, Storii (which works over a phone call) may be a better fit.
Remento vs StoryWorth — which should I get? Remento for talkers and for preserving the voice; StoryWorth for confident writers and the lowest entry price. Full breakdown in our comparison guide.
Bottom line — and where to go next
Remento solves the one problem that sinks most memoir gifts: it removes the blank page. If the person sharing the stories would rather talk than type — and most parents and grandparents would — it's the surest way to end up with a finished book, plus a voice your family can return to for generations. Pay attention to the digital-download fee and the read-only-after-lapse behavior, and you'll know exactly what you're buying.
Still weighing it against the writing-first option? Read the StoryWorth vs Remento comparison. Ready to go, and want the stories to be unforgettable rather than generic? Start with How to interview your parents: 100+ questions to ask — the questions matter more than the platform.