The Dola Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Dola in one document: what it costs, its grades, getting a refund, getting help and what else to look at. Read it here, or keep a copy.
Dola
The Insider’s Guide
ByteDance's international AI assistant, formerly called Cici
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI assistants, read from Dola’s own pages.
Made by SPRING (SG) PTE. LTD. · checked Oct 5, 2026 · toolgpa.com
Contents
- 01WelcomeWhat it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
- 02What it costsEvery plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
- 03What it doesIts main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
- 04Where it standsIts grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
- 05The alternativesThe tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
- 06Quick answersThe questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
- 07About ToolGPAWho made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
ToolGPA put this guide together from Dola’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Dola’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 5, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.4
GPA, above 12 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade
Dola is the international version of Doubao, the AI assistant developed by ByteDance, and was known as Cici before its rename. It handles chat with web search, writing help, summaries of files and webpages, image generation and photo editing, and voice input, on the web and in iOS and Android apps. A Free plan covers basic use with daily limits on some features, and paid Plus, Pro and Max plans add allowances for advanced features. It is not offered in every country, and the US app stores do not list it.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Dola, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It covers chat with web search, summaries of files and pages, images from a prompt and voice calls.
- 1
Best for everyday chat, images and voice where it's offered
Dola is ByteDance's international AI assistant, formerly called Cici, on the web, iPhone and Android.
- 2
Paid plans start at about $8.26 a month
As its pricing page puts it: £7.49 per month, or £74.99 per year (Dola Plus, UK App Store).
- 3
There is a free plan
Basic chat and web search, chat with images and webpages, and a limited number of uses per day of work tools, image and video generation and voice calls.
- 4
It runs on 3 platforms
Web, iOS and Android.
- 5
Chat with web search
Basic chat and web search are part of the Free plan, along with chatting about images and webpages you share with the assistant.
- 6
Writing help
Brainstorms ideas and drafts or polishes emails, social posts, resumes and reports. You can send in a draft to have it made clearer.
- 7
Image generation and photo editing
Creates images from a prompt or a photo in styles such as cyberpunk and anime, and edits or restyles photos from a plain-language request.
- 8
A 2.4 GPA, above 12 of 57
That is against the other AI assistants we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Dola you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Dola at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from £7.49 per month, or £74.99 per year (Dola Plus, UK App Store)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, iOS, Android
- Made by
- SPRING (SG) PTE. LTD., since 2023
- Category
- AI Assistants
- Our grade
- 2.4 GPA, fair
The report card
Best for everyday chat, images and voice where it's offered
Dola is ByteDance's international AI assistant, formerly called Cici, on the web, iPhone and Android. It covers chat with web search, summaries of files and pages, images from a prompt and voice calls. It isn't offered in every country, the US app stores don't list it, no plan says how many uses you get, and the terms describe it as for private, non-commercial use.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | No dollar price is published anywhere. The figures come from the UK App Store, where Plus is £7.49 a month and Pro and Max are £36.99 and £109.99, and the listing gives no usage numbers for any of them. |
| Free plan and trial | C | Free covers basic chat, web search and chatting about images and webpages. But work tools, image and video generation and voice calls get a set number of uses a day, and nobody says how many, so you find the wall by hitting it. |
| Features | C | Chat with web search, drafts and rewrites, summaries of files and pages, images from a prompt and voice calls. The basics, done plainly, and the gaps are real: no desktop app, nothing it connects to, no numbers on any limit. |
| Ease of use | B | It's a chat box and a microphone: ask, and it answers. Fast mode handles most questions, with Pro mode behind sign-in. We have no App Store rating on record, as the US store doesn't list the app at all. |
| Platforms and integrations | B | Web, iPhone and Android, where it's offered. Availability varies by country: dola.com shows a not-available notice in some places, and the US App Store and Google Play don't list it. Nothing says it connects to other apps. |
An A is worth 4 points, a B 3, a C 2, a D 1 and an F nothing. The GPA is the average of the five.
Who Dola is for
- Fits if you live where it's offered and want chat, summaries and pictures in one app
- Works for people who'd rather talk than type, since it has voice input and voice calls
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you're in the US, where neither the App Store nor Google Play lists the app
- Not for you if it's for work, as the terms describe the service as for private, non-commercial use
- Watch out: no plan, free or paid, says how many uses a day you get, so you find the cap by hitting it
- Pricey if you move up the plans, with Pro at £36.99 a month and Max at £109.99, and no dollar price published
- Watch out: refunds are at the company's discretion, and there's no desktop app or anything it connects to
Good to know
Good for
- Everyday writing, summaries and questions on a phone
- Creating and restyling images from a prompt or a photo
- Talking to an assistant by voice instead of typing
Worth knowing
- Availability varies by country: dola.com shows a not-available-in-this-region notice in some places, and the US App Store and Google Play do not list the app.
- No US dollar price was found. Prices are set per storefront; the figures here come from the UK App Store, and the terms say fees vary by jurisdiction.
- The Free plan caps work tools, image and video generation and voice calls at a set number of uses a day, and paid plans have limits too; the listing gives no numbers.
- The terms describe the service as provided for private and non-commercial use, and say refunds are granted only at the company's discretion.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
~$8.26
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Dola has a free plan. Paid plans start at £7.49 per month, or £74.99 per year (Dola Plus, UK App Store).
Free covers basic chat, web search and chatting about images and webpages.
Free
£0
Basic chat and web search, chat with images and webpages, and a limited number of daily uses of work tools, image and video generation and voice calls.
Plus
£7.49
per month, or £74.99 per year (UK App Store)
Lowest paid plan. Each paid plan has its own limits for Pro mode, advanced image and video generation, advanced spreadsheet tasks and multimodal research.
Pro
£36.99
per month (UK App Store)
Middle paid plan. Its limits for the advanced features are set out on the in-app plan page and are not stated in the store listing.
Max
£109.99
per month (UK App Store)
Top paid plan. The listing says the three plans range from everyday work to complex professional tasks but gives no usage limits for Max.
The free plan
Basic chat and web search, chat with images and webpages, and a limited number of uses per day of work tools, image and video generation and voice calls.
Read from apps.apple.com on Oct 5, 2026.
Ways to pay less
Annual discount
About 17% off Plus with annual billing
On the UK App Store, Dola Plus is £74.99 a year against £7.49 a month, about 17% less than twelve monthly payments. The listing shows an annual price only for Plus.
Stated on apps.apple.com
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
3
Places it runs: Web, iOS and Android
ByteDance's international AI assistant, formerly called Cici. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, chat assistant, AI search.
Chat with web search, drafts and rewrites, summaries of files and pages, images from a prompt and voice calls.
- Chat with web search
- Basic chat and web search are part of the Free plan, along with chatting about images and webpages you share with the assistant.
- Writing help
- Brainstorms ideas and drafts or polishes emails, social posts, resumes and reports. You can send in a draft to have it made clearer.
- Image generation and photo editing
- Creates images from a prompt or a photo in styles such as cyberpunk and anime, and edits or restyles photos from a plain-language request.
- Voice input and voice calls
- You can speak instead of typing. Voice calls are among the features the Free plan allows a limited number of times each day.
- Summaries and study help
- Summarizes meetings, articles, files and webpages, breaks down complex concepts and works through math questions.
- Fast and Pro modes
- The web app's mode menu lists Fast, which handles most questions, and Pro, an advanced model that requires sign-in. Pro mode use is limited by plan.
Where it runs
- Web
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
Its own pages name no integrations.
Dola is made by SPRING (SG) PTE. LTD., and has been around since 2023.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
12/57
Other AI assistants it is graded above
Dola's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 12 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 10.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (B, above 23 of 57) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at about $8.26 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 11 of the 38 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 6 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 58 AI assistants we grade, cut by the letter each got. Dola’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 5 of 57
- CFree plan and trialAbove 5 of 57
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 57
- BEase of useAbove 21 of 57
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 23 of 57
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 45 AI assistants. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Dola is the marked dot.
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
Keep it, or make your own?
Whether this is something you could build for yourself with an AI app builder, and what you would give up.
Keep it
To replace Dola you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 35 of the 57 other AI assistants grade higher. It costs $99.14 a year.
What you could not
- An AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
- A search engine with an AI model behind it.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
- Sharing with other people, which means accounts and invitations.
What this rests on. Dola’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
Part 05 · Alternatives
The alternatives
The tools it is most often weighed against, side by side
ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI, DeepSeek and Qwen Studio
The 5 tools Dola is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.4GPA
ChatGPT
Free plan · from $8/mo
OpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant for chat, images and voice.
- Only ChatGPT lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- 3.8GPA
Gemini
Free plan · from $4.99/mo
Google's AI assistant, tied into Gmail, Docs and other Google apps.
- Only Gemini lists macOS and Windows apps.
- 2.8GPA
Meta AI
Free plan · from $7.99/mo
Meta's free AI assistant across its apps, the web and AI glasses.
- Meta AI also covers research.
- 3.0GPA
DeepSeek
Free
Free AI chat assistant built on DeepSeek's openly released models.
- Only DeepSeek lists macOS and Windows apps.
- DeepSeek is open source, according to its own site.
- DeepSeek also covers AI agents.
- 2.4GPA
Qwen Studio
Free plan
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
12
Questions, each answered in a line or two
The short version of everything above, for when you only need the answer. Each one is told in full in its part of the guide.
Is Dola free?
Dola has a free plan. Basic chat and web search, chat with images and webpages, and a limited number of uses per day of work tools, image and video generation and voice calls.
How much does Dola cost?
Dola lists 4 plans. Free: £0.
What platforms does Dola work on?
Dola is available on Web, iOS and Android.
Does Dola offer any discounts?
Dola publicly lists the following: About 17% off Plus with annual billing.
Does Dola have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Dola is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Dola have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 5, 2026. Dola is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Dola open source?
Dola is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Oct 5, 2026.
Who makes Dola?
Dola is made by SPRING (SG) PTE. LTD.
What are the alternatives to Dola?
The closest alternatives to Dola in our directory are ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI, DeepSeek and Qwen Studio.
How does Dola compare with other AI assistants?
Dola's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 12 of the 57 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 10.
Is Dola good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Dola C for value for money. Its paid plans start at about $8.26 a month, against a middle price of $10 for the category: 11 of the 38 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Dola?
To replace Dola you would be making an AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Dola’s own pages on Oct 5, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Dola's own pages and its UK App Store listing on 5 October 2026. Prices are in pounds because no US dollar price was found. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-02-16.
Every tool we list gets five grades, A to F, each with its reason, and a GPA that averages them. How each is decided is at toolgpa.com/grades. This guide is ToolGPA’s own work; it is not made, paid for or approved by SPRING (SG) PTE. LTD. Prices change, so check dola.com before you buy.
- apps.apple.com/gb/app/dola-smart-ai-assistant/id6451431247
- dola.com/chat/
- dola.com/legal/terms/en
- play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.larus.wolf&gl=SG&hl=en
- apps.apple.com/sg/app/dola-smart-ai-assistant/id6451431247
- apps.apple.com/au/app/dola-smart-ai-assistant/id6451431247
- apps.apple.com/us/iphone/search?term=dola
- play.google.com/store/search?q=dola%20ai&c=apps&gl=US&hl=en
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doubao
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
3,189
Tools graded, in 94 categories
ToolGPA grades software the way a school report grades a pupil: five subjects, a letter for each with the reason written beside it, and a GPA that averages them. Prices, plans and platforms are read from each maker’s own pages and dated, so you always know how fresh a figure is.
Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Every tool on the site has a guide like this one, free to download and pass on. It all lives at toolgpa.com.
3,189
tools graded
94
categories
426
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Dola, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/dola
- How grades are givenThe rules behind every letter and every GPAtoolgpa.com/grades
- Value chartsWhat each tool costs against what it scores, for every categorytoolgpa.com/charts
- CompareAny two tools side by side, plan by plantoolgpa.com/compare
- Price changesEvery price rise and cut on record, each with its sourcetoolgpa.com/price-changes
- Prices by countryWhat apps cost on the App Store in 12 countriestoolgpa.com/prices-by-country
- Pay lessEvery public discount: yearly billing, students, nonprofitstoolgpa.com/save
- Keep or makeWhich tools are worth paying for, and which you could build yourselftoolgpa.com/keep-or-make
Scan for the live page
Prices and grades as they are today
Quoting this guide?
Please name ToolGPA and link to the live page, so readers can check the figures for themselves:
ToolGPA, "Dola: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 5, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/dola
Know someone choosing between AI assistants?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/dola/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded AI assistants after Dola, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Assistants Insider's GuideEvery one of the 58 AI assistants we grade, compared
- Gemini Insider's GuideGoogle's AI assistant, tied into Gmail, Docs and other Google apps3.8 GPA
- Chatbox Insider's GuideAI chat client for your own API keys or a hosted model plan3.4 GPA
- ChatGPT Insider's GuideOpenAI's general-purpose AI assistant for chat, images and voice3.4 GPA
Choosing software? Every tool graded, every price dated.
Compare tools at toolgpa.com ›Everything in this guide is ToolGPA’s own summary of what Dola’s pages, its app-store listings and public reviews said on the dates shown. Grades are our judgement under the rules at toolgpa.com/grades. Every grade, review and ranking on ToolGPA is our own judgement. No company can pay for a grade or change one. Dola is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by SPRING (SG) PTE. LTD. Prices and plans change: check dola.com before you buy.