Macaron vs Poke (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Poke grades higher than Macaron: 2.6 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 5, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 10, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Macaron grades higher on ease of use. Poke grades higher on the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Macaron
Personal AI agent that builds small life tools from a chat
Poke
AI assistant you text in Messages, WhatsApp or Telegram
Which one is for you
Pick Macaron if
- Fits if you want small personal trackers or planners made by chatting on your phone
- Works for people who like an assistant that remembers their preferences
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay free: projects cost 10 almonds each
- Skip it if you want a browser or desktop app, as it is phones only
- Watch out: almond packs run from $3.99 to $199.99 on the US App Store
- Watch out: the Sweet plan's price could not be read
Pick Poke if
- Fits if you'd rather text an assistant than open another app
- Works for developers who want to plug in their own tools through MCP
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if your email is on iCloud or Yahoo, as Poke supports Gmail and Outlook only
- Tight if you're staying free, with a small allowance of unstated size and no background automations
- Pricey if you want a person to make calls and bookings, since Poke Human is Ultra only at $199 a month
- Not for you if you want an app of its own, as it works through messaging apps with settings on the website
- Watch out: its maker said in July 2026 that it is joining Cognition
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAMacaronFair | 2.6GPAPokeGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BClassic is $9.99 a month on the US App Store, under 60% of the category's $19.99 start, but its 60 almonds cover about six project changes. We hold it to B for that. | BPro is $19 a month, billed monthly, which comes in under what agent tools here start at, and it adds frontier models, background automations and higher limits the listing can't put a number on. Ultra is a long way up, at $199. |
| Free plan and trial | CThe app is free with core features, but building or changing a project costs 10 almonds and voice chat is for subscribers. | BFree with no card, your apps, email and calendar connected, and when the allowance runs out Poke keeps answering in a lighter mode until it refills. One person could live on that, though the allowance is small and nobody says how small, and automations need Pro. |
| Features | CChat-built mini projects, memory across chats and voice. Almond-metered, with the 350-almond plan's price unreadable. | CIt does the texting-assistant job fully: reads, searches and drafts mail, books meetings, sets reminders, messages you when something needs attention, and Recipes add an app and its automation in one step. That's a smaller job, and email is Gmail and Outlook only, with no iCloud or Yahoo planned. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record, but it is a phone app you install and chat with, after a short personality quiz. | CYou text it like a contact, by voice message if you like, so there's nothing new to learn and nothing to install. It's no use until your email and calendar are connected, settings live on the website, and there's no rating on record. |
| Platforms and integrations | CiPhone and Android only, with no browser or desktop app described and no integrations. | BIt works in Apple Messages, WhatsApp, Telegram and RCS, with no app of its own, and connects to Gmail, Outlook, Notion, GitHub, Linear and Oura. Developers get an API and can add their own tools through MCP servers. |
| Best for | a phone agent that builds small life tools | email and calendar help from your message thread |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Macaron and Poke. How we grade
Price against what you get
Macaron starts at $9.99 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Poke starts at $19 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Macaron starts $9.01 a month lower. Of the other AI agents on the chart, 1 scores higher than Macaron for less, and 9 score higher than Poke for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Macaron also covers daily notes and habit tracking.
- Poke also covers workflow automation.
At a glance
| Macaron | Poke | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $9.99 per month (Classic Monthly, US App Store) | $19 per month, billed monthly (Pro) |
| Free plan | The app is free to download and the FAQ says core features are free; building or changing a project costs 10 almonds, and voice chat is for subscribers only. | Free plan with no credit card: app, email and calendar connections and a small usage allowance that refills automatically. Once it is used up, Poke keeps responding in a lighter mode. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | MINDAI PTE. LTD. | The Interaction Company of California (Cognition) |
| Price read from | apps.apple.com | poke.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Oct 5, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Macaron
- Almonds meter usage: a new project or an edit costs 10 almonds, so the 60 monthly almonds in Classic cover about six changes.
- The Sweet plan (350 almonds a month, 4 pinned projects, unlimited voice calls) is described in the FAQ but its price was not readable.
- Listed only as phone apps for iOS and Android; no browser app or desktop app is described.
- The in-app purchase list shows almond packs from $3.99 to $199.99 on the US App Store.
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.
Key features
Macaron
- Chat-built mini apps
- Describing a need in chat produces a small tool, such as a cooking journal, fitness tracker or gift guide. Changing a project later also costs almonds.
- Deep Memory
- Remembers preferences and context between conversations and syncs across devices signed in to the same account.
- Personality match
- Three quiz questions set the agent's color, personality and speaking style when the app is first opened.
- Playbook
- A library of more than 200 example projects. Adding someone else's project costs 2 almonds.
- Voice chat
- Voice conversation with adjustable voice settings, available to subscribers only.
- Everyday topics
- The App Store listing names food and calorie logging, language learning, a mood journal, scheduling and habit tracking, and a Pomodoro timer.
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.
Plans
Macaron
Free$0
Free download with core features; almonds are spent on projects and voice chat needs a subscription.
Classic$9.99
per month, billed monthly (US App Store price)
60 almonds a month, 1 pinned project and 500 minutes of voice calls. An annual option exists; its price was not shown.
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.
Ways to pay less
Macaron
- Annual discount
Annual billing
The FAQ says monthly and annual billing are available and that annual saves more, but does not state the amounts.
Poke
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Macaron or Poke?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Macaron is cheaper to start with: $9.99 a month, against $19 a month for Poke. Macaron starts at $9.99 per month (Classic Monthly, US App Store), and Poke starts at $19 per month, billed monthly (Pro).
Which has a free plan, Macaron or Poke?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Macaron and Poke have a free plan.
Which platforms do Macaron and Poke run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Macaron lists iOS and Android apps and only Poke lists a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.