Instinct vs Poke

Instinct

• People who would rather text or phone an assistant than learn a new app
• Personal errands that involve phone calls, bookings and online orders
• Google Workspace users who want one assistant across mail, calendar and files

Poke

• People who would rather text an assistant than open another app
• Handling email, calendar and reminders from a message thread
• Developers who want to add their own tools through MCP

Instinct

• Access is restricted: the invite page works only from a link sent by an existing member, and the terms refer to a waitlist.
• No prices are published. The terms say fees may be charged for certain features, payable in US dollars.
• By default the terms allow your materials to be used to train AI models; you can opt out in settings. Vault and Google Workspace data are excluded.
• The terms and privacy policy name a Mac app and mobile apps, but the public site links only to web sign-in.

Poke

• Poke has no app of its own: it works through Apple Messages, WhatsApp, Telegram or RCS, with settings managed on the website.
• Email support covers Gmail and Outlook only; Poke says it has no immediate plans for iCloud or Yahoo Mail.
• The Free plan has a small usage allowance, and background automations and frontier models start at Pro.
• Poke Human is included only with Ultra at $199 a month, and expenses paid on your behalf are deducted from your credit balance.

Instinct

Reached by text or phone call

There is no separate chat app to learn: you text the assistant or call it. Sign-in on the web is by a one-time code sent to your phone number.

Acts on a phone and a computer

The site says Instinct can use a phone and a computer as a person would. Its examples include disputing a bill, sending gifts, ordering groceries and booking appointments.

Connected services

You authorize it to work in third-party sites and apps for you. Linking Google Workspace gives it Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides and Tasks.

Purchases on your behalf

It can buy things on connected services with a payment method you provide, such as booking a ride. The terms treat you, not Instinct, as the buyer in each transaction.

Vault

A separate store for sensitive material. The terms say items added to the Vault are used only to provide the service to you and are not used to train AI models.

Poke

Works inside messaging apps

You use Poke by texting it in Apple Messages, WhatsApp, Telegram or RCS, including by voice message, and you can choose which channel it texts you on.

Email and calendar

Reads, searches and drafts email and schedules meetings, with full support for Gmail and Outlook inboxes, calendars and contact sync.

Recipes

Recipes set up integrations and automations in one step and can be shared with others. The directory covers apps such as Notion, GitHub, Linear and Oura.

Reminders and proactive updates

Creates reminders and gets a head start on tasks from a text, then draws on connected services and its memory to message you when something needs attention.

Custom integrations and API

Developers can add custom integrations through MCP servers, and the Poke API lets scripts, webhooks and other tools send messages to your assistant.

Poke Human

On Ultra, real-world tasks such as restaurant reservations, phone calls and orders are dispatched to a person, who sees only the details needed for that task.

Instinct

Pricing could not be confirmed. See instinct.com.

Poke

• Free$0

  Connect apps, email and calendar with a small usage allowance; when it runs out, Poke answers in a lighter mode until it refills.

• Pro$19

  per month, billed monthly

  Frontier models for complex tasks, automations that run in the background, higher rate limits and priority support.

• Ultra$199

  per month, billed monthly

  Frontier models on every action, a monthly credit pool with pay-as-you-go top-ups, Poke Human and highest-priority support.