The Vellum Insider’s Guide
Everything we know about Vellum 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.
Vellum
The Insider’s Guide
Personal AI assistant with long-term memory that acts across apps
Every plan, grade, refund rule and rival among AI agents, read from Vellum’s own pages.
Made by Vellum · checked Oct 9, 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 Vellum’s own pages, its app-store listings and our grades. Every fact in it is on Vellum’s page too, where it is kept up to date. Checked Oct 9, 2026.
Part 01 · Overview
Welcome
What it is, who it suits, its grades and the ten things to know first
2.6
GPA, above 27 of the 51 other AI agents we grade
Vellum is a personal AI assistant with its own identity, long-term memory and skills that carries out tasks across your email, calendar, files and work tools. It runs in an isolated Vellum Cloud container by default, or locally and self-hosted from its MIT-licensed runtime, and is reached from web, desktop and mobile apps as well as Telegram, Slack, email and voice. Hosting is free on the Base plan, usage is paid for in credits, and Pro packages bundle a larger machine, storage and monthly usage.
To get you started, here are 9 things to know about Vellum, taken from its own pages and our grades.
The docs also call the Windows app a dev build.
- 1
Best for one assistant with memory on every device
Included usage doesn't roll over, the Windows app is a dev build, and the phone apps only talk to the cloud.
- 2
Paid plans start at $30 a month
As its pricing page puts it: $30 per month (Mighty).
- 3
There is a free plan
Base plan, free with no card: a Small cloud machine (1 vCPU, 2 GiB RAM) and 6 GiB of storage. Model usage, web search and image generation draw on pay-as-you-go credits. Self-hosting the runtime is also free.
- 4
It runs on 5 platforms
Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android, with a browser extension too.
- 5
Long-term memory
The assistant keeps facts, preferences and people in a personal knowledge base and recalls them across conversations. On your own machine the workspace is plain-text files plus a SQLite database.
- 6
Skills for your work tools
Built-in skills and OAuth integrations cover Google Workspace, Outlook, Slack, Notion, Linear, GitHub, HubSpot, Asana and Todoist. More skills come from a catalog or are written yourself.
- 7
Permission prompts
Sensitive actions such as file access, shell commands or emailing a new contact show an Allow or Deny prompt with a risk badge until you create a trust rule for them.
- 8
A 2.6 GPA, above 27 of 51
That is against the other AI agents we grade, on value, the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
- 9
Keep it
To replace Vellum you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
Vellum at a glance
- Pricing
- Free plan, from $30 per month (Mighty)
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None stated
- Runs on
- Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android, Browser extension
- Made by
- Vellum
- Category
- AI Agents
- Our grade
- 2.6 GPA, good
The report card
Best for one assistant with memory on every device
Vellum is a personal assistant with memory that you reach on the web, desktop, phone, Telegram, Slack, email or a phone call, and it asks before risky actions. Hosting is free and the runtime is open source, but nothing it does is free: every reply, web search and image draws on credits at $1 each. Included usage doesn't roll over, the Windows app is a dev build, and the phone apps only talk to the cloud.
| Subject | Grade | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C | Mighty is $30 a month, right on the line where the dearest quarter of agent tools here begins, for a Small machine, 10 GiB of storage and a monthly usage allowance whose size the listing never states. Model usage is extra at $1 a credit. Super is $100 and Ultra $200. |
| Free plan and trial | B | Base is free forever with no card, and the MIT runtime runs on your own Mac or Linux box for nothing. But free covers the hosting, not the thinking: every reply, search and image draws on credits at $1 each. Self-host with your own model key and one person could live on it. |
| Features | C | A knowledge base of facts and preferences it recalls later, skills across Google Workspace, Slack, Notion and GitHub, Allow or Deny prompts on risky actions, computer control and a form-filling Chrome extension. But the docs name two gaps: the Windows app is a dev build, and the phone apps can't run it locally. |
| Ease of use | C | No rating on record. The cloud default means nothing to host, but you still connect OAuth integrations, prepay credits and build trust rules before the permission prompts stop interrupting. The docs also call the Windows app a dev build. |
| Platforms and integrations | A | Web, Mac, Windows, iPhone, Android, a Chrome extension and a command line, plus Telegram, Slack, email, voice and phone calls, with integrations for Gmail, Calendar, Slack, Notion, Linear and GitHub. No Linux desktop client, and the phone apps are cloud clients. |
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 Vellum is for
- Fits if you want one assistant that keeps your preferences across devices and chat apps
- Works for people who want to read the code or host the open-source runtime themselves
Who it is not for
- Skip it if you want free to mean free, as every reply, search and image draws on credits at $1 each
- Not for you if you bank what you don't use: included usage doesn't roll over and bought credits expire after 12 months
- Tight if you're on Windows or Linux, since the Windows app is a dev build and there's no Linux desktop client
- Watch out: the iPhone and Android apps are clients for the cloud assistant and can't run it on the phone
- Pricey if you want a custom subdomain, static IP or priority support, which start at Super for $100 a month
Good to know
Good for
- People who want one assistant that remembers them across devices and chat apps
- Handing off email triage, calendar work and recurring background tasks
- Users who want to inspect or self-host the assistant's open-source runtime
Worth knowing
- The Base plan is free to host, but model usage, web search and image generation are paid for in prepaid credits at $1 per credit.
- Included monthly usage does not roll over, and pay-as-you-go credits expire twelve months after purchase.
- The docs describe the Windows app as a dev build tied to Vellum's development environment, and no Linux desktop client is shipped.
- The iOS and Android apps are clients for a cloud assistant; they do not run a local assistant on the phone.
Part 02 · Pricing
What it costs
Every plan, the free plan, ways to pay less and how prices have moved
$30
A month to start. There is a free plan too
Vellum has a free plan. Paid plans start at $30 per month (Mighty).
Base is free forever with no card, and the MIT runtime runs on your own Mac or Linux box for nothing.
Base
$0
Free forever: a Small cloud machine (1 vCPU, 2 GiB RAM), 6 GiB of storage and managed model access paid for with pay-as-you-go credits.
Self-hosted
$0
The open-source runtime on your own Mac, Windows PC, Linux host or GCP project, with your own model API key and no platform or machine fees.
Mighty
$30
per month
Small machine, 10 GiB of storage and a monthly Mighty Usage allowance. Leaves out the custom subdomain, static IP and priority support.
Custom
From $50
per month
Pick a machine size, storage tier and optional usage bundle yourself. The minimum is a Medium machine with 10 GiB and no usage bundle.
Super
$100
per month
Medium machine (2.5 vCPU, 5 GiB), 30 GiB of storage and Super Usage, plus an assistant email, custom subdomain, static IP and priority support.
Ultra
$200
per month
Large machine (4 vCPU, 8 GiB), 60 GiB of storage and Ultra Usage, with the same assistant email, subdomain and support as Super.
The free plan
Base plan, free with no card: a Small cloud machine (1 vCPU, 2 GiB RAM) and 6 GiB of storage. Model usage, web search and image generation draw on pay-as-you-go credits. Self-hosting the runtime is also free.
Read from vellum.ai on Oct 9, 2026.
Part 03 · Features
What it does
Its main features, where it runs, what it works with and who makes it
6
Places it runs: Web, macOS, Windows, iOS, Android and Browser extension
Personal AI assistant with long-term memory that acts across apps. Here is what it does, as its own site describes it, and what it covers: open source, self-hostable, chat assistant, workflow automation, AI agents.
But the docs name two gaps: the Windows app is a dev build, and the phone apps can't run it locally.
- Long-term memory
- The assistant keeps facts, preferences and people in a personal knowledge base and recalls them across conversations. On your own machine the workspace is plain-text files plus a SQLite database.
- Skills for your work tools
- Built-in skills and OAuth integrations cover Google Workspace, Outlook, Slack, Notion, Linear, GitHub, HubSpot, Asana and Todoist. More skills come from a catalog or are written yourself.
- Permission prompts
- Sensitive actions such as file access, shell commands or emailing a new contact show an Allow or Deny prompt with a risk badge until you create a trust rule for them.
- One assistant on every channel
- The same identity, memory and schedules are available from the web, Mac, Windows, iOS and Android apps, a CLI, Telegram, Slack, email, voice and phone calls.
- Computer and browser control
- The desktop app adds voice input and computer control, and a Chrome extension lets the assistant read open tabs, fill in forms and act on the page in front of you.
- Cloud, local or self-hosted
- Run it in Vellum Cloud, locally on a Mac or Windows PC, or self-hosted on a Linux host or your own Google Cloud project, bringing your own model API key.
Where it runs
- Web
- macOS
- Windows
- iOS
- Android
- Browser extension
What it works with
- Gmail
- Google Calendar
- Slack
- Notion
- Linear
- GitHub
- Telegram
- HubSpot
Vellum is made by Vellum.
Part 04 · Standing
Where it stands
Its grades against its category, and whether to keep it or make your own
27/51
Other AI agents it is graded above
Vellum's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 27 of the 51 other AI agents we grade, and level with 12.
It stands best on platforms and integrations (A, above 43 of 51) and worst on features (C, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $30 a month, against a middle price of $21.25 for the category: 34 of the 44 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 8 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 52 AI agents we grade, cut by the letter each got. Vellum’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 14 of 51
- BFree plan and trialAbove 40 of 51
- CFeaturesAbove 0 of 51
- CEase of useAbove 5 of 51
- APlatforms and integrationsAbove 43 of 51
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 49 AI agents. Further left costs less; higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Vellum 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 Vellum you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $360 a year. Vellum is open source, so there is a third way: take its code and run it yourself.
What you could not
- An AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
- An AI model, which you can rent by the request but not make.
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- Apps for macOS, Windows, iOS and Android that stay in step with each other.
What this rests on. Vellum’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
OpenClaw, Hermes Agent, Poke, Martin and Lindy
The 5 tools Vellum is most often weighed against, with where each one differs from it.
- 3.2GPA
OpenClaw
Free
Open-source personal AI agent you run yourself and message in chat.
- Only Vellum lists a browser extension.
- Only OpenClaw lists a Linux app.
- 2.8GPA
Hermes Agent
Free plan · from $20/mo
Open-source AI agent with persistent memory and a messaging gateway.
- Only Vellum lists iOS and Android apps.
- Only Vellum lists a browser extension.
- Only Hermes Agent lists a Linux app.
- 2.6GPA
Poke
Free plan · from $19/mo
AI assistant you text in Messages, WhatsApp or Telegram.
- Only Vellum lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Only Vellum lists a browser extension.
- Vellum is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- 1.8GPA
Martin
Free trial · from $21/mo
Personal AI assistant you text, call, email or message in Slack.
- Vellum has a free plan. Martin does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Vellum lists macOS, Windows and Android apps.
- Only Vellum lists a browser extension.
- 2.4GPA
Lindy
Free trial · from $29.99/mo
AI teammate for Slack that works across your team's tools.
- Vellum has a free plan. Lindy does not, though it has a free trial.
- Only Vellum lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps.
- Vellum is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
Part 06 · Questions
Quick answers
The questions people ask about it, each answered in a line or two
11
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 Vellum free?
Vellum has a free plan. Base plan, free with no card: a Small cloud machine (1 vCPU, 2 GiB RAM) and 6 GiB of storage.
How much does Vellum cost?
Vellum lists 6 plans. Base: $0.
What platforms does Vellum work on?
Vellum is available on Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android. It also has a browser extension.
Does Vellum have a Linux app?
No Linux app was listed when its pages were read on Oct 9, 2026. Vellum is listed for Web, macOS, Windows, iOS and Android.
Is Vellum open source?
Yes. Vellum is open source, according to its own site.
What does Vellum integrate with?
Vellum's listing names Gmail, Google Calendar, Slack, Notion, Linear, GitHub, Telegram and HubSpot.
Who makes Vellum?
Vellum is made by a company of the same name.
What are the alternatives to Vellum?
The closest alternatives to Vellum in our directory are OpenClaw, Hermes Agent, Poke, Martin and Lindy.
How does Vellum compare with other AI agents?
Vellum's GPA of 2.6 is higher than 27 of the 51 other AI agents we grade, and level with 12.
Is Vellum good value for money?
ToolGPA grades Vellum C for value for money. Its paid plans start at $30 a month, against a middle price of $21.25 for the category: 34 of the 44 others that charge start lower.
Could I make my own version of Vellum?
To replace Vellum you would be making an AI agent, with the models and the safeguards behind it.
Where this guide comes from
The prices, plans, platforms and features were read from Vellum’s own pages on Oct 9, 2026, and the grades were given on Oct 10, 2026. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Vellum's own pages on 9 October 2026. Also tested with a demo account on 2026-08-14.
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 Vellum. Prices change, so check vellum.ai before you buy.
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
- Vellum, kept up to dateEverything in this guide, with prices and grades as they are todaytoolgpa.com/tools/vellum-ai
- 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, "Vellum: The Insider's Guide", checked Oct 9, 2026. https://toolgpa.com/tools/vellum-ai
Know someone choosing between AI agents?
Send them this guide: toolgpa.com/tools/vellum-ai/guide
ToolGPA elsewhere: youtube.com/@toolgpa
See our other guides
The best-graded AI agents after Vellum, each with an Insider's Guide of its own.
- AI Agents Insider's GuideEvery one of the 52 AI agents we grade, compared
- Genspark Insider's GuideAI workspace with an agent for research, slides, sheets and docs3.2 GPA
- Manus Insider's GuideGeneral AI agent for research, slides, websites and browser tasks3.2 GPA
- OpenClaw Insider's GuideOpen-source personal AI agent you run yourself and message in chat3.2 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 Vellum’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. Vellum is a trademark of its owner, and this guide is not made, paid for or approved by Vellum. Prices and plans change: check vellum.ai before you buy.