Instead of installing another application, an expanding group of AI agents can be messaged like a regular contact. Users text their request, and the agent can retain context, link to existing services, and complete actions such as booking appointments, researching trips, sending emails, making reservations, shopping online, or sending reminders days later.
Instinct currently enjoys the most buzz, valued at $10 billion after a $1 billion funding round, yet many other services are competing for the same niche.
Below is a rundown of the most notable agents, ranging from all-purpose assistants to family-focused, travel-oriented, and workplace tools.
Ask Proxy
Ask Proxy claims to "think like a woman," aiming to anticipate user needs before they are voiced, according to its website. The service works as a chatbot you can text for gift ideas, event planning, or weekend activity suggestions, and it can add dates to calendars, set reminders, or aid everyday decisions. Users may also send photos, such as an empty table, to receive decoration advice.
The platform takes a proactive stance, reaching out when it spots a potential forget-to-do or discovers a new restaurant or experience you might like. A work-focused version is marketed as helping employees return to work faster while keeping personal data off corporate systems.
Personal use costs $1 per day. Business pricing begins at $15 per employee per month for large firms and $23 per employee per month for teams under 49 members.
Ask Proxy operates via SMS; texting "start" to 820-732-2625 initiates the service.
Caddy
Caddy converts scattered phone information into actionable items. It lives inside iMessage for iPhone users and RCS for Android, eliminating the need for a separate app. When an email contains a meeting request or a friend sends a shopping list, Caddy links to calendars and chats, extracts tasks, adds events, sets reminders, tracks follow-ups, and even performs research.
The tool has been in public beta since April 2026.
Comma
Comma manages tasks across work and personal life, carrying them through to completion and flagging when a decision or approval is required. It notifies users proactively and suggests next steps.
Accessible via browsers, computers, files, and messaging apps such as Signal, Telegram, and WeChat, Comma preserves context across devices, offers daily briefings, highlights urgent items, and can summarize recorded calls. The service is free to start and open source.
Fambot
Fambot acts as an AI "chief of staff" for families, consolidating school notices, sports schedules, meal plans, calendars, and other daily responsibilities into an organized plan. It works through an app and SMS, available on iOS, Android, and the web. Each night it sends a summary of the next day's events, to-dos, and details like uniform or packing needs, and parents can reply to adjust calendars.
Current integrations include Gmail, Google Calendar, Outlook, and WhatsApp, with Apple Calendar support slated for the future.
Launched in beta in early September 2026, Fambot has raised $3.5 million in pre-seed funding. The beta is free, with plans to charge roughly the cost of a Netflix subscription later.
Folk
Folk can be reached via iMessage, WhatsApp, and Telegram, remembering personal context, handling reminders, researching topics, tracking flights, managing email, and making restaurant reservations. It runs on its own private cloud, can execute code, and perform multi-step tasks beyond simple replies.
The beta launched in May 2026; the service is free but offers a Pro subscription at $8.33 per month for unlimited background tasks.
Instinct
Instinct first attracted attention after raising $350 million at a $2.5 billion valuation, then in September 2026 secured $1 billion, pushing its valuation to $10 billion.
The always-on agent can act on behalf of users, not just answer questions. It connects to email, calendar, Google Workspace, and other services, and early adopters have used it for trip planning, grocery orders, ticket bookings, and subscription cancellations.
In September, Instinct began assigning users dedicated email addresses for their assistants, allowing the AI to create and manage accounts without crowding the user's inbox. It can also place calls, though this autonomy has raised privacy and security concerns. The product remains in private beta.
Iris
Powered by Hermes Agent, Iris lets users delegate tasks through iMessage. After linking apps, a simple message triggers the assistant to complete the steps, retain relevant context, and follow up proactively.
Martin
Martin is a general-purpose assistant reachable via SMS, phone, WhatsApp, email, Slack, and its own iOS app. It manages calendars, email, reminders, tasks, notes, and communications, can send messages or make calls on the user's behalf, and provides daily summaries. Subscriptions start at $21 per month.
Maverick
Maverick describes itself as an "AI companion who lives in your texts," handling typo fixes, subscription cancellations, meeting scheduling from voice notes, and group-chat date decisions. It asks for permission before acting.
The platform supports hundreds of integrations, including Discord, Gmail, and Slack. It is currently in beta and free on iMessage, with a Pro tier at €27 per month (about $30.25 USD) offering 500 tasks, 20 connected apps, scheduled tasks, and memory.
Miso
Miso focuses on travel, operating through iMessage and blending AI trip planning with a dedicated travel team. Users can book flights via chat, with the assistant considering loyalty points, preferences, and priorities, while also providing trip details, flight updates, and personalized recommendations.
Ohai
Ohai is a family-oriented assistant that turns messages, forwarded emails, or voice requests into schedules, reminders, and plans, coordinating calendars, chores, and meals across family members.
A free basic tier exists, with paid subscriptions based on family size starting at $9.99 per month.
Ollie
Ollie aggregates family information from school messages, calendars, task lists, and group chats, keeping everything in sync. It tracks calendars, emails, reminders, tasks, and household details, delivering relevant updates via text.
It is among the first mainstream family AI assistants to achieve SOC 2 compliance. Launched in June 2026, Ollie offers a free tier and paid plans beginning at $25 per month for 150 messages, with a $100-per-month option for up to 1,000 messages.
Orbits
Orbits provides a household-focused AI assistant accessible through its app and SMS, consolidating calendars, lists, and conversations while performing tasks like web searches, purchases, restaurant bookings, appointment changes, and service quotes. It also reminds family members of chores and coordinates responsibilities beyond the home.
Investors include Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), Speedrun Fund, N49P, and Garage Capital.
Pally
Pally lets users interact as if chatting with a friend, linking to services such as WhatsApp, Gmail, calendars, and Google Drive to track plans, receipts, dates, files, and more. A free plan is available, and it works over iMessage, RCS, and Telegram.
Poke
Launched in March 2026, Poke is a general-purpose assistant reachable via text, handling calendars, planning, health, smart-home controls, photos, and other daily tasks.
In June 2026, Apple approved Poke as the first AI agent on the Apple Messages for Business platform. A month later, its parent, The Interaction Company of California, was acquired by Cognition in a low-nine-figure deal.
Rene
Rene positions itself as a user's "best contact," converting natural-language chats into tasks, reminders, summaries, and follow-ups while preserving context across conversations.
It also includes a browser, can write code, shop, and create slides and images. Rene is available on iMessage, Telegram, and WhatsApp.
Skye
Skye functions as an "agentic homescreen" for iPhone, analyzing data from connected services and presenting relevant cards, suggestions, and daily briefings. It can generate audio briefings, prep meeting info, surface reminders, and highlight useful data.
Signull Labs raised about $3.6 million in seed funding in 2025, entered private testing and beta in April 2026, and has not announced a public launch date.
Stanley
Stanley is an AI content assistant for creators, available via iMessage, Telegram, and the web. It acts as a virtual head of content, suggesting ideas, turning them into posts, and maintaining a publishing schedule.
It can link to Instagram for context-based suggestions, convert voice notes into scripts, captions, and other assets, and includes a content calendar with scheduling capabilities.
Szn
Szn coordinates tasks and follow-ups within a single conversation thread, handling texts, voice notes, photos, or forwarded emails, and can make calls, send emails, and manage follow-ups on behalf of users.
The company reports serving over 7,500 businesses in 16 countries, completing more than 10,000 jobs, and handling 95 hours of calls.
Tab
Tab lets users delegate everyday tasks through iMessage or WhatsApp, from grocery orders to gift searches, with the assistant handling the process.
The company emerged from stealth in early October with a $300 million valuation, backed by SV Angel, Valar Ventures, and American Spirit.
Tomo
Tomo's personal assistant for iMessage can join group chats, helping with goals, accountability, scheduling, and everyday organization. It can send reminders, search the web, manage calendars and email, watch videos, and edit photos.
The basic plan starts at $19.99 per month.
Town
Town targets professional users, offering a "Townie" AI that learns work habits and handles recurring tasks across email, calendars, documents, Slack, and other platforms.
In June 2026, Town raised a $55 million Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz and Forerunner.
Underdog
Underdog is a privacy-focused assistant that launched an invite-only beta in early October 2026. The model runs entirely on the user's device, keeping data local. The initial release supports Mac and Windows, with Linux, iPhone, and Android versions planned.
The app will be free at launch and will never include advertising.
Wajo
Wajo's consumer agent, Fo, can call businesses, send emails, join group chats, make bookings, purchases, and coordinate tasks.
Fo has its own email address, phone number, and payment card, allowing interactions without exposing user credentials. When Fo cannot complete a request, Wajo can involve a human assistant.
Fo launched publicly in September 2026 with a free tier; heavier workloads and custom agents are offered through a paid Pro plan.
