Books of My Life (booksofmylife.com) is the U.S. maker of Cortie, an AI biographer that writes parents' and grandparents' stories into a private online memoir. It is not affiliated with the UK memoir ghostwriting service "Book of My Life". Prices and features below come from each company’s public pages as checked November 6, 2026—confirm at checkout.
What is Remento, in one paragraph?
Remento sells a year of guided prompts with Speech-to-Story™: storytellers record by link (no app login/password per their positioning), prompts arrive by email or SMS, and a color hardcover can include QR codes to the original recordings. Their pricing guide describes year-one pricing around $99 including one year of access and one hardcover book credit, with the credit covering up to 200 pages and +$30 to expand up to 380 pages, plus extra hardcover copies $69 for books up to 200 pages; print timing FAQ cites about 21 business days after order on that guide. Remento FAQ notes a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Why do people look for Remento alternatives?
- Renewals: After year one, Remento lists renew at $99/year or $12/month to keep recording, editing, prompts, photo changes, and new storytellers—see what happens if you don’t renew and why renew.
- Input style: Some parents would rather type in email or answer a daily text than record audio clips.
- Budget shape: A pay-once competitor or free start may fit better than a year-one bundle—depends on total copies and later years.
- Landline or phone rhythm: Services with scheduled calls may fit technophobes who won’t tap links.
Remento alternatives at a glance (honest table)
| Service | Price (Nov 6, 2026) | Medium | How they answer | Who answers | Book | Ongoing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remento | ~$99 year 1 incl. book credit per remento.co + pricing guide; renew $99/yr or $12/mo (FAQ) | Audio → Speech-to-Story text + QR to audio | Email/SMS prompt; record via link | 1 storyteller + collaborators | 1 color credit ≤200 pp incl.; +$30 up to 380 pp; extra copies $69 (≤200 pp) — pricing guide | Renew to keep creating; see non-renew FAQ |
| Storyworth | Basic $69 / Color $99 / Unlimited $199 (welcome pricing); Unlimited renew $99/yr noted there | Write + optional voice/phone paths by tier | Weekly email/text questions | 1 storyteller (Unlimited: multiple memoirs while subscribed per marketing) | Books vary by tier; extra copy $39 B&W / $79–$99 color tiers per Storyworth book pricing | Unlimited plan renews; others: print timelines per FAQ |
| Books of My Life (Cortie) — gift | Free start; after 3 stories $9.99 memoir or $99.90 hardcover instead; extras $59 | Text / voice memo / photo in chat | One question a day in iMessage or WeChat | Parent/grandparent (giver + family read-along) | Private memoir; full-colour hardcover when chosen | No subscription; questions continue |
| Meminto | Essential $99 / Complete $149 / Premium $397 pay once — meminto.com/pricing | Write + audio/video via QR flows per site | Question-driven book project | Varies by plan | Printed hardcover tiers; digital flip book optional on site | No subscription; editing window per plan |
| StoryKeeper | Classic $99 / Plus $139 — storykeeper.com | Write, dictate, or audio/video | Online prompts (Plus adds phone service per site) | Classic: one narrator; Plus: unlimited contributors | Classic 1 hardcover; Plus 2 hardcovers — site copy | No subscription; no time limit — site |
| Storii (optional) | Blog: $9.99/mo or $99/yr; Gift Box $119 — Storii blog; plans: storii.com/pricing | Phone calls + transcription (per site) | Up to 3 scheduled calls/week — blog | Storyteller on phone | Keepbooks / downloads—not the same bundle as Remento’s included color hardcover | Subscription |
How does each alternative differ from Remento?
Storyworth — Best when someone will open email each week and type (or use Storyworth’s voice paths on higher tiers). Watch-outs: book types and extra-copy prices differ by tier—use Storyworth’s book-pricing help article. For Storyworth-seekers, our full list lives at Storyworth alternatives.
Books of My Life (Cortie) — Best when they already live in iMessage or WeChat and want bite-sized daily prompts. Free to start; after 3 stories the payer chooses $9.99 for the memoir or $99.90 for the hardcover instead; no subscription. Watch-outs: not a fit without a texting habit. There is no published print-by-holiday timeline; families order the hardcover when they are ready, and the online memoir does not need shipping. Start from the gift page or write your life story.
Meminto — Best when you want a pay-once project with a bounded editing window. Watch-outs: compare total printed copies and add-on costs on Meminto pricing.
StoryKeeper — Best when you want no subscription and flexible time. Watch-outs: confirm whether Classic vs Plus matches how many narrators and books you need on StoryKeeper.
Storii — Best when phone-based prompts beat links. Watch-outs: subscription pricing per their blog table; print deliverable differs from Remento’s integrated color book—don’t assume identical keepsakes.
Remento — Best when hearing their voice in the final book matters and weekly recording fits their stamina. Watch-outs: renewal to keep creating new stories; page-count surcharges above 200 pages per the pricing guide.
Remento vs Storyworth — when you only need that?
Use Storyworth vs Remento for prompts cadence, book specs, and guarantee detail—we keep that long-form comparison there so this page stays focused on people typing “Remento alternatives”. For the wider Storyworth competitor set (including StoryCorps), see Storyworth alternatives.
Which alternative fits which parent?
- They will talk into a link but not write → Remento stays in the running; compare Storii if they prefer phone calls.
- They text every day → Cortie (iMessage or WeChat); see write your life story.
- They want a pay-once book project → Meminto or StoryKeeper per their pricing pages.
- They like classic weekly writing → Storyworth Basic/Color (Storyworth pricing).
- They want a methodical long guide first → how to write your life story pairs with any tool.
How do renewals and “after year one” compare?
- Remento: Renewal keeps recording, editing, prompts, photo swaps, and new storytellers; without renewing you keep access to view/play/download existing content and order books, but not new capture—per Remento’s FAQ.
- Storyworth Unlimited: Auto-renews at $99/year on the welcome pricing page; confirm print windows in Storyworth FAQ.
- Cortie: No subscription; after payment the daily questions continue for life per our offer—you still need a storyteller willing to engage.
- Meminto / StoryKeeper: Pay-once positioning on their sites; extensions may cost extra (Meminto lists add-on editing time on pricing).
- Storii: Subscription per blog pricing table.
Still gathering questions before you choose a service? Questions to ask your parents can double as prompts whichever medium you pick.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best Remento alternatives in 2026?
The best Remento alternatives depend on how your storyteller prefers to answer: speaking into a link (Remento, Storii), typing weekly emails (Storyworth), one-question-a-day text (Cortie), or pay-once book projects (Meminto, StoryKeeper). Compare renewal rules, book credits, and who sets up the tech before you buy.
Is Storyworth a good alternative to Remento?
Storyworth is a strong alternative when someone prefers to write or likes weekly email prompts; Remento is built around speaking into a recording link and QR-linked voice in a hardcover. For the full head-to-head, see our Storyworth vs Remento guide; Storyworth’s purchase page listed Basic $69, Color $99, and Unlimited $199 for the first year when checked Nov 6, 2026.
What is a Remento alternative without a subscription?
Books of My Life (Cortie) has no subscription: free to start, then $9.99 once for the memoir website or $99.90 for the printed hardcover after 3 stories, with questions continuing for life. Meminto and StoryKeeper advertise one-time pricing. Remento’s first year includes platform access and a book credit; after year one you renew to keep recording new stories.
Does Remento require an app?
Remento’s own help content describes recording via a link without an app login or password—prompts arrive by email or SMS. Always confirm current product copy on remento.co and Remento’s FAQ before you assume every edge case.
How does Books of My Life (Cortie) differ from Remento?
Cortie sends one question a day in iMessage or WeChat—your storyteller types, sends voice memos, or photos; after 3 stories the payer chooses once between a $9.99 memoir or a $99.90 hardcover (memoir included), with no subscription. Remento centers spoken answers converted with Speech-to-Story into a colour hardcover with QR codes to recordings, with year-one pricing around $99 including a book credit on Remento’s public pages as checked Nov 6, 2026.
Can I keep my Remento stories if I don't renew?
Remento’s renewal explainer states that without renewing you keep viewing, playing, and downloading existing content and can order books, but you cannot record new stories, send new prompts, edit, change photos, or add storytellers—confirm the latest terms on help.remento.co before you decide.
Related guides
More on the way. For now, this guide covers the big picture.