Abrevity vs. Remento: Which Is Better for Preserving a Life Story? (2026)

Choosing a service to capture your family’s stories is a big decision, and when comparing Abrevity vs. Remento, you're looking at two of the most popular options. You want a process that’s easy for everyone, especially the family member sharing their memories. You also want a final keepsake that feels special—not just a folder of files on a computer. But with different approaches, one focused on audio and the other on video, it’s tough to know which is the right fit.

This guide compares Abrevity and Remento side-by-side, focusing on what really matters: the experience for your loved one, the quality of the final product, and the total cost.

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What you'll learn:

• The key differences between Abrevity's audio-first and Remento's video-first approaches.
• A clear breakdown of pricing and potential hidden costs for both services.
• Which platform is genuinely easier for non-tech-savvy parents or grandparents.
• How a simpler alternative might be a better fit for your family's needs.

Abrevity vs. Remento: The Quick Verdict

Short on time? Here’s the verdict on how these two stack up in our family biography service comparison.

What Are Abrevity and Remento?

While both services help you create a family biography, their methods are quite different.

Abrevity is a service that turns recorded audio conversations into a professionally written and designed hardcover book. Their process feels like a guided interview. You or a loved one answers thought-provoking questions, and their team of writers transforms the spoken words into a polished narrative. The focus is on creating a timeless, physical keepsake—the book.

Remento is a platform centered around video storytelling. It helps you capture short video clips of your family members answering prompts. You can then compile these clips into a longer "Remento Reel" or create a photobook that includes QR codes linking back to the videos. It’s designed to be collaborative and easily shareable on digital platforms.

Detailed Feature Comparison: Head-to-Head

Here’s a breakdown of how Abrevity and Remento handle the most important parts of the life story process.

Ease of Use & Storyteller Experience

This is one of the most critical factors. If the process is frustrating for your parent or grandparent, it just won't work.

• Abrevity: The experience for the storyteller is incredibly simple. The best setup is sitting together while a phone captures the conversation on video. When that isn’t possible, record audio in person or use a call as the fallback. Winner: Abrevity. Its flexible recording options make it more accessible for the camera-shy or less tech-savvy while still preserving video when you’re together.

• Remento: Remento is also designed to be user-friendly, but it requires the storyteller to record themselves on video using a smartphone or computer. While familiar to many, this can be a hurdle for some older adults who find video calls intimidating or don't like seeing themselves on screen.

Story Prompts & Guidance

Good questions are the key to unlocking meaningful stories.

• Abrevity: Provides a library of well-crafted questions. The process feels structured and aims to cover a complete life story, from childhood to the present day. The guidance is geared toward creating a comprehensive narrative for the book.

• Remento: Also offers a great selection of prompts, often with a more conversational and lighthearted feel. The platform encourages capturing shorter, anecdotal stories. The prompts are excellent for sparking individual memories. Winner: Tie. Both offer high-quality prompts, but with slightly different goals—Abrevity’s for a linear book, Remento’s for shareable moments.

Recording Method: Audio vs. Video

• Abrevity (Audio-First): The audio-first format can feel more intimate and less performative. People often open up more when they aren't worried about how they look on camera. When video is captured, it can be viewed alongside the finished book, so you can preserve both voice and visual moments.

• Remento (Video): Video captures the full person—their expressions, their mannerisms, their laugh. It’s incredibly powerful. The challenge is that video can feel more produced and might make some storytellers self-conscious. It also requires better lighting and a quieter environment. Winner: Tie. This is purely a matter of family preference. Do you want the raw emotion of a voice or the full context of video?

Family Collaboration Features

• Abrevity: Allows you to invite other family members to contribute their own stories and photos to the project. It’s a collaborative way to build a more complete picture of a person's life from multiple perspectives.

• Remento: Shines in its collaborative features. Family members can be invited to view video clips, leave comments, and even add their own video responses. It creates a living, interactive archive that the whole family can engage with. Winner: Remento. Its platform is built from the ground up for modern, digital family interaction.

The Final Keepsake: Book & Digital Quality

What do you actually get to hold and share at the end?

• Abrevity: The star of the show is the professionally written, edited, and designed hardcover book. This is their core promise, and the quality is very high. It’s a true heirloom. You also receive the digital audio, and any captured video can be viewed alongside the book.

• Remento: The final products are video montages and a photo book. The book features photos and transcribed quotes, with QR codes that link to the video clips. It’s a modern, multimedia approach, but the book itself is less of a standalone narrative. Winner: Abrevity. For those whose primary goal is a classic, beautifully crafted biography book, Abrevity's offering is more comprehensive.

Data Security & Privacy

Your family’s stories are precious and private. Both Abrevity and Remento take privacy seriously, using encryption to protect your data and maintaining clear privacy policies. It's always a good idea to read the latest policy for any service you consider, but both platforms are built to handle sensitive personal information.

Pricing Deep Dive: Abrevity vs. Remento Costs

Pricing is often a deciding factor, and the models here are quite different. This is a key part of any abrevity vs remento pricing comparison.

Abrevity Pricing Model

Abrevity is positioned as a premium, full-service offering. Their pricing is typically a significant one-time project fee that covers everything from the initial recordings to the professional writing, editing, design, and printing of your book. Expect this to be a four-figure investment.

• Pros: All-inclusive, no hidden fees. You get a completely finished product.
• Cons: High upfront cost can be a barrier for many families.

Remento Pricing Model

Remento uses a more accessible model. They often have a lower initial cost or subscription to use the platform for recording and compiling videos. Creating a physical photo book is an additional purchase.

• Pros: Lower barrier to entry to start collecting stories.
• Cons: The final cost can add up if you purchase multiple books or maintain a subscription over time.

Hidden Costs to Consider

• Extra Books: With either service, ordering additional copies of the final book for family members will add to the total cost.
• Subscription Renewals: For subscription-based models like Remento, ensure you know what happens to your stories if you stop paying. Can you download everything?
• Shipping & Taxes: Always factor these into the final price.

Who Is Abrevity For?

Abrevity is the ideal choice for families who:

• Prioritize a physical book as the primary heirloom.
• Want a "done-for-you" service where professionals handle the writing and design.
• Have a storyteller who would be more comfortable with audio-first recording (with video optional).
• Are prepared for a significant financial investment in a single, high-quality project.

Who Is Remento For?

Remento is a great fit for families who:

• Love the idea of video and want to capture the full personality of their loved one.
• Want a highly collaborative process where many family members can participate digitally.
• Prefer creating short, shareable clips over a single, long narrative.
• Are comfortable with a DIY approach to curating and compiling the final product.

A Simpler Alternative for Your Family Story

Both Abrevity and Remento offer compelling ways to save your family's history. But what if you're looking for an Abrevity vs Remento alternative? Something more structured than a DIY in-person phone recording, but more flexible and affordable than a high-end service.

Addressing the Downsides of Abrevity and Remento

Many families find that Abrevity's cost is prohibitive, while Remento's DIY video editing can become another project that sits on the to-do list. The pressure to create a "perfect" final product can sometimes get in the way of simply capturing the stories.

How Abrevity Works

We bridge this gap. Abrevity offers a guided process with thoughtful prompts, just like the others. But we focus on making it easy to turn your recorded conversations into a beautifully structured, written story—without the four-figure price tag or the video editing homework. You handle the fun part (the conversations), and we provide the writing and structuring support to create a finished book you'll be proud of. It’s a simpler alternative that puts you in control, letting you be the final editor.

Real Stories from Our Families

"Abrevity made the whole process feel manageable. We got the beautiful book we wanted for Grandma's 90th birthday, and it felt like a true family project, not a massive, expensive undertaking." - The Johnson Family

Final Recommendation: Which Should You Choose?

There’s no single "best" option—the right choice depends entirely on your family's goals and comfort level.

• Choose Abrevity if: Your primary goal is a professionally written, heirloom-quality book, and budget is not the main concern.
• Choose Remento if: Your family is tech-savvy, loves video, and wants a fun, collaborative digital experience to create shareable memories.
• Consider Abrevity if: You want the quality of a structured, written narrative but need a more affordable and flexible process that gives you editorial control.

No matter which path you choose, the most important step is to start. For more guidance, check out our tips for starting your family biography.