The Sesame Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Sesame 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.
Sesame
The Insider’s Guide
Voice-first personal AI agents on iOS and Android
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI assistants, read from Sesame’s own pages.
Made by Sesame AI, Inc. · checked Nov 12, 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 Sesame’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Sesame’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Nov 12, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
3.2
GPA, above 77 of the 87 other AI assistants we grade
Sesame makes personal AI agents you talk to by voice or text. You choose among four characters, Maya, Miles, Simone and Charlie, each with its own memory, and they can search the web and work with connected apps such as Gmail and Google Calendar. The company also says it is building eyewear with an assistant, due in 2027.
To get you started, here are 8 things to know about Sesame, taken from its own pages and our grades.
It is free to download with no paid plan listed, but the maker still calls the iOS release a preview and has published no later pricing.
- 1
Best for talking to an AI by voice on your phone
Sesame is a voice and text AI companion app with four characters that can connect to Gmail, Google Calendar and Drive.
- 2
It is free
Sesame has no paid plan at all. The iOS app is free to download, and no paid plan is listed on the App Store page or on sesame.com.
- 3
It runs on 2 platforms
iOS and Android.
- 4
Voice and text conversation
Agents are built for spoken back-and-forth and can be texted when talking is not practical.
- 5
Four characters
Maya, Miles, Simone and Charlie each have their own personality and voice, and each keeps its own memory and app access.
- 6
Connected apps
Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Drive can be connected, and external MCP servers that use OAuth are supported.
- 7
A 3.2 GPA, above 77 of 87
That is against the other AI assistants we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 8
Keep it
Sesame is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
Sesame at a glance
- Pricing
- Free
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- iOS, Android
- Made by
- Sesame AI, Inc.
- Category
- AI Assistants
- Our grade
- 3.2 GPA, very good
The report card
Best for talking to an AI by voice on your phone
Sesame is a voice and text AI companion app with four characters that can connect to Gmail, Google Calendar and Drive. It is free to download with no paid plan listed, but the maker still calls the iOS release a preview and has published no later pricing.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | A | Free to download, and no paid plan or usage limit is published on the App Store page or sesame.com. Free and full counts as top value, though it may not stay that way. |
| Free plan and trial | A | Free outright, with no plan to buy. The open question is future pricing, which the maker has not said anything about. |
| Features | C | Voice and text chat, four characters, connected apps, skills and an incognito mode. English is the only officially supported language, and the iOS release is still a preview. |
| Ease of use | A | 4.9 on the App Store from about 2,000 ratings. There is no plan to pick before you start talking. |
| Platforms and integrations | C | Phones only: an iOS listing, with Android mentioned on the maker's site but not read. No web or desktop app, and only some countries are supported. |
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 Sesame is for
- Fits if you want to talk to an AI by voice on your phone for free
- Works for iPhone owners who want it to reach Gmail and Calendar
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want a desktop or web app, as only phones are listed
- Watch out: the maker calls the iOS release a preview and has published no later pricing
- Not for you if you need a language other than English, which the maker calls early and less reliable
- Watch out: the app is limited to a list of supported countries
Good to know
Good for
- Talking through ideas or questions out loud
- Quick email and calendar tasks by voice
- People who want an assistant with persistent memory
Worth knowing
- The maker still calls the iOS release a preview, and the full experience was free at launch with no later pricing published.
- Sesame officially supports English; other languages work but are described as early and less reliable.
- The app is limited to a list of supported countries, so it may not be available everywhere.
- The app list on the maker's site says it is available on iOS and Android, but only the iOS listing was read for details.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
Free
No paid plan at all
Sesame is free to use.
Free to download, and no paid plan or usage limit is published on the App Store page or sesame.com.
Free
$0
The app is free; the maker has published no paid plan and no usage limits.
The free plan
The iOS app is free to download, and no paid plan is listed on the App Store page or on sesame.com.
Read from apps.apple.com on Nov 12, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
2
Places it runs: iOS and Android
Voice-first personal AI agents on iOS and Android. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: AI features, dictation, chat assistant, AI agents.
Voice and text chat, four characters, connected apps, skills and an incognito mode.
- Voice and text conversation
- Agents are built for spoken back-and-forth and can be texted when talking is not practical.
- Four characters
- Maya, Miles, Simone and Charlie each have their own personality and voice, and each keeps its own memory and app access.
- Connected apps
- Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Drive can be connected, and external MCP servers that use OAuth are supported.
- Skills
- A skill is a plain-language playbook created in conversation that runs on demand or on a schedule.
- Incognito mode
- In this mode nothing new is saved to memory or to Sesame's servers, according to the App Store description.
Where it runs
- iOS
- Android
What it works with
- Gmail
- Google Calendar
- Google Drive
Sesame is made by Sesame AI, Inc.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
77/87
Other AI assistants it is graded above
Sesame's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 77 of the 87 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 5.
It stands best on ease of use (A, above 73 of 87) and worst on features (C, above 1).
Sesame has no paid plan.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 88 AI assistants we grade, cut by the letter each got. Sesame’s own letter is outlined.
- AValue for moneyAbove 63 of 87
- AFree plan and trialAbove 68 of 87
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 87
- AEase of useAbove 73 of 87
- CPlatforms and integrationsAbove 2 of 87
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 65 AI assistants. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Sesame 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
Sesame is free, so making your own would save you nothing.
And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.2 is higher than 77 of the 87 other AI assistants we grade.
What you could not
- An AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- Dictation that types into any app on your computer.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. Sesame’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, Pi, Gemini, Character.AI and Claude
The 5 tools Sesame 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 a web app.
- Only ChatGPT lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Sesame also covers dictation and AI agents.
- 2.8GPA
Pi
Free
Emotionally intelligent personal AI for talking things through.
- Only Pi lists a web app.
- Sesame also covers dictation and AI agents.
- Pi also covers natural-language input.
- 3.8GPA
Gemini
Free plan · from $4.99/mo
Google's AI assistant, tied into Gmail, Docs and other Google apps.
- Only Gemini lists a web app.
- Only Gemini lists macOS and Windows apps.
- Sesame also covers dictation and AI agents.
- 2.8GPA
Character.AI
Free plan · from $4.99/mo
Chat and voice calls with user-made AI characters.
- Only Character.AI lists a web app.
- Sesame also covers dictation and AI agents.
- Character.AI also covers community.
- 3.0GPA
Claude
Free plan · from $17/mo
Anthropic's AI assistant for writing, analysis and coding.
- Only Claude lists a web app.
- Only Claude lists macOS, Windows and Linux apps.
- Only Claude lists a browser extension.
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 Sesame free?
Yes. Sesame is free to use.
How much does Sesame cost?
Sesame lists one plan. Free: $0.
What platforms does Sesame work on?
Sesame is available on iOS and Android.
Does Sesame have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Sesame is listed for iOS and Android.
Does Sesame have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 12, 2026. Sesame is listed for iOS and Android.
Is Sesame open source?
Sesame is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 12, 2026.
What does Sesame integrate with?
Sesame's listing names Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Drive. A listing names up to eight integrations, so it may connect to more.
Who makes Sesame?
Sesame is made by Sesame AI, Inc.
What are the alternatives to Sesame?
The closest alternatives to Sesame in our directory are ChatGPT, Pi, Gemini, Character.AI and Claude.
How does Sesame compare with other AI assistants?
Sesame's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 77 of the 87 other AI assistants we grade, and level with 5.
Is Sesame good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Sesame A for value for money. Sesame has no paid plan.
Could I make my own version of Sesame?
Sesame is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Sesame’s own pages on Nov 12, 2026, and the grades were given on Nov 12, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Sesame's own pages on 12 November 2026, and its App Store rating. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews.
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 Sesame AI, Inc. Prices change, so check sesame.com before you buy.
Part 07 · About
About ToolGPA
Who made this guide, what else is on the site, and how to cite it
7,721
Tools graded, in 95 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.
7,721
tools graded
95
categories
739
price changes on record
579
apps priced in 12 countries
What else is on toolgpa.com
- Sesame, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/sesame
- 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, "Sesame: The Insider's Guide", checked Nov 12, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/sesame
Know someone choosing between AI assistants?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/sesame/guide
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See our other guides
The best-graded AI assistants after Sesame, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Assistants Insider's GuideEvery one of the 88 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 Sesame’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. Sesame is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Sesame AI, Inc. Prices and plans change: check sesame.com before you buy.