Ideas and guides

Storyworth alternative? Memoair vs Storyworth vs Remento

An honest comparison of three ways to turn a parent’s or grandparent’s memories into a book: how each works, what it costs and who it suits best.

If you are looking for a Storyworth alternative, you probably already like the idea: a book of your mum’s, dad’s or grandparent’s stories, in their own words, for the whole family to keep. The question is simply which approach fits your storyteller. Someone who loves writing long emails is very different from someone who would rather just talk.

Below we compare three services side by side: Storyworth, Remento and our own service, Memoair. We have tried to be fair. All three are good ideas done well, and each suits a different kind of family. Prices and features below are taken from each company’s own website in November 2026; they change often, so please check the current details before you buy.

Storyworth: one question a week, for a year

Storyworth is the best-known name in this space. Each week the storyteller receives a question by email (or text, on some plans). They answer by replying to the email, writing on the website or, depending on the plan, by phone with automatic transcription. Higher plans add guided phone interviews and family calls. After the year, the stories are gathered into a printed hardcover book, and you can add photos along the way.

At the time of writing, Storyworth’s pricing page lists plans from $69 to $199 (USD), each including at least one hardcover book; extra copies cost more. Its great strength is the gentle weekly rhythm and the physical book delivered to your door. It works best for storytellers who are comfortable writing, or who are happy answering one prompt at a time over many months.

Remento: record your answers, get a hardcover with QR codes

Remento also sends a weekly prompt by text or email, but the storyteller answers by recording audio or video in their browser, with no app or login. Remento’s “Speech-to-Story” feature then turns the recording into either a cleaned-up transcript or a written story. The finished hardcover book includes QR codes that let readers hear the original recordings.

According to Remento’s help centre, the first purchase is $99 (USD) per storyteller and includes a year of access and one hardcover book credit. After the first year, creating new stories requires a renewal (listed at $99 a year or $12 a month), while existing content remains accessible. It is a lovely choice for families who value hearing the real voice behind each story, especially if they are in the US, where its shipping and add-ons are focused.

Memoair: a real conversation, written up as a book

Memoair takes a different route. Instead of one prompt a week, the storyteller has a spoken conversation with a warm, patient companion on their phone, tablet or computer. It asks a question, listens, and asks follow-up questions the way a good interviewer would, never rushing and never filling a silence too quickly. They can pause whenever they like and pick up later. If they prefer typing, that works too.

From these conversations Memoair writes a chapter-by-chapter life story in the storyteller’s own first-person voice, with a title and a foreword. Old photos can be shown to the camera or uploaded, and they appear in the right chapter with captions drawn from what was said. You read the book online, share it with family via a private link, and print it as a nicely formatted PDF.

A few things are distinctive. Memoair works in 22 languages, and the family can read and listen to the finished book in any of them, even if Grandma told her story in another (the translation is machine translation, written to literary quality). Couples can tell their story together. And the book can become an audiobook: with a premium narrator voice (€39), or, only with the storyteller’s explicit consent, in their own voice (€89).

The book costs €83, one time, with no subscription. Please note what Memoair does not do: it does not print and ship a hardcover for you. You get a print-ready PDF that you can print at home or at any local print shop.

At a glance

• How the storyteller takes part: Storyworth – writing, or phone on some plans · Remento – recording audio/video answers · Memoair – a live spoken conversation with follow-up questions.
• Rhythm: Storyworth and Remento – a weekly prompt · Memoair – no fixed schedule; as many or as few conversations as they like.
• The book: Storyworth and Remento – a printed hardcover included · Memoair – online book, private family link and print-ready PDF.
• Languages: Memoair – 22 story languages with translation for the family. For the others, check their sites directly; we did not find multilingual support advertised.
• Pricing model: Storyworth – plans with a year of prompts · Remento – one-time first year, renewal to keep creating · Memoair – one-time €83.

Which one should you choose?

Choose Storyworth if your storyteller enjoys writing and you would love a hardcover arriving after a year of weekly prompts. Choose Remento if you want their real voice and face preserved alongside a printed book, and you are in the US. Choose Memoair if your storyteller would rather talk than write, if they need a patient listener who asks follow-up questions, if your family speaks more than one language, or if you want a gift that can be given instantly. If you are still deciding how to approach the project at all, our step-by-step guide to recording your parents’ life story may help. You can order Memoair here; until 24 December 2026, the code XMAS20 takes 20% off.

Frequently asked questions

Is Memoair a subscription like some alternatives?

No. The book is a one-time payment of €83. There is no renewal and nothing to cancel. The audiobook is an optional extra.

Does Memoair send a printed hardcover book?

No. Memoair delivers the book online, with a private link for the family and a nicely formatted PDF you can print at home or at a print shop. If a shipped hardcover is essential to you, Storyworth or Remento may suit you better.

My grandmother doesn’t like writing. Which option is easiest?

Any approach where she can simply talk will feel easiest. With Memoair she just has a conversation, without typing. Remento lets her record answers, and some Storyworth plans include phone-based storytelling.

Can the stories be told in a language other than English?

With Memoair, yes: there are 22 story languages, and the family can read and listen to the book in any of them, whichever language the story was told in.