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Pally vs Sidekicks
Sidekicks offers textable companions and group chat help; Pally handles errands and connected inboxes.
Checked October 12, 2026 · The free plan has message limits. See their site for the latest.
So, Sidekicks or Pally?
The case for Sidekicks
Choose Sidekicks if you want a conversational persona in an iMessage group or a textable wellness or health companion. It offers limited free use and a $19.99 monthly Pro plan.
The case for Pally
Choose Pally if you want connected inboxes, calls, bookings, and checkout from your texts. Pally uses RCS on Android and offers almost unlimited free usage.
| Feature | SidekicksFrom Free limited | PallyFree |
|---|---|---|
| Inbox management | ||
| Email and calendarSidekicks: Calendar planning, no inbox connection listed | PartialCalendar planning, no inbox connection listed | Yes |
| Slack | No | Yes |
No | Yes | |
| iMessagePally: Only via the Mac app | No | PartialOnly via the Mac app |
| LinkedIn DMsPally: Only via the Mac app | No | PartialOnly via the Mac app |
| X DMsPally: Only via the Mac app | No | PartialOnly via the Mac app |
| Capabilities | ||
| Browser use, sign-ins and deep researchSidekicks: Web search on ProPally: Signs in with your saved logins | PartialWeb search on Pro | YesSigns in with your saved logins |
| Long-term memorySidekicks: Remembers conversations and preferences | YesRemembers conversations and preferences | Yes |
| Long-running tasks | No | Yes |
| Reminders and routinesSidekicks: Individual and shared remindersPally: One-off, recurring and location-based | YesIndividual and shared reminders | YesOne-off, recurring and location-based |
| Inbound email address | No | Yes |
| Personal CRM of your contacts | No | Yes |
| Outbound callsPally: Waits on hold, gets through phone menus | No | YesWaits on hold, gets through phone menus |
| Takes calls for youPally: A number you give out. Pally picks up, handles the call and tells you what happened. | No | YesA number you give out. Pally picks up, handles the call and tells you what happened. |
| Bookings and travelPally: Restaurants, appointments, travel; fare-drop watch, check-in | No | YesRestaurants, appointments, travel; fare-drop watch, check-in |
| Shopping and checkoutPally: With your payment wallet | No | YesWith your payment wallet |
| Add to your group chatsSidekicks: iMessage and SMS group chats | YesiMessage and SMS group chats | Yes |
| Creates apps and websites | No | Yes |
| Generates images, video and musicSidekicks: Image generation on Pro | PartialImage generation on Pro | Yes |
| Integrations | ||
| Gmail and Google services | No | Yes |
| Outlook and Microsoft 365 | No | Yes |
| Apple Mail, Calendar and Contacts | No | Yes |
| Apple Photos | No | Yes |
| Notion, Linear, GitHub, Jira | No | Yes |
| Granola and other meeting notes | No | Yes |
| LinkedIn and X | No | Yes |
| Bank account | No | Yes |
| Partiful | No | Yes |
| School portalsPally: Google Classroom, Canvas, Moodle, Brightspace, Blackboard | No | YesGoogle Classroom, Canvas, Moodle, Brightspace, Blackboard |
| Any MCP or API | No | Yes |
| Ways to message it | ||
| iMessageSidekicks: iMessage on iPhone | YesiMessage on iPhone | Yes |
| RCSSidekicks: Sidekicks documents SMS for Android, not RCS | NoSidekicks documents SMS for Android, not RCS | Yes |
| TelegramSidekicks: Sidekicks lists iMessage and SMS, including SMS on Android; this channel is not listed. | NoSidekicks lists iMessage and SMS, including SMS on Android; this channel is not listed. | Yes |
| ChatGPT, Claude and other AI tools | No | Yes |
| Phone callSidekicks: Sidekicks lists iMessage and SMS, including SMS on Android; this channel is not listed. | NoSidekicks lists iMessage and SMS, including SMS on Android; this channel is not listed. | Yes |
| EmailSidekicks: Sidekicks lists iMessage and SMS, including SMS on Android; this channel is not listed. | NoSidekicks lists iMessage and SMS, including SMS on Android; this channel is not listed. | Yes |
| Privacy and security | ||
| Encrypted in transit and at restSidekicks: Policy says encrypted in transit; at-rest encryption not stated | PartialPolicy says encrypted in transit; at-rest encryption not stated | Yes |
| Doesn't train on your conversations and tool outputsSidekicks: No complete commitment for this row found in the published privacy termsPally: Trains by default; turn it off in settings | NoNo complete commitment for this row found in the published privacy terms | PartialTrains by default; turn it off in settings |
| Doesn't train on your connected dataSidekicks: No complete commitment for this row found in the published privacy termsPally: Your email, calendar and other connected accounts | NoNo complete commitment for this row found in the published privacy terms | YesYour email, calendar and other connected accounts |
| Never sells your dataSidekicks: Policy says it does not sell or share personal information under CCPA | YesPolicy says it does not sell or share personal information under CCPA | Yes |
| No paid placement in recommendationsSidekicks: No complete commitment for this row found in the published privacy terms | NoNo complete commitment for this row found in the published privacy terms | Yes |
| View, edit and delete your dataSidekicks: Users can request deletion, subject to legal retention | PartialUsers can request deletion, subject to legal retention | Yes |
| Price | ||
| PlansSidekicks: Free limited · Pro $19.99/moPally: Free | Free limited · Pro $19.99/mo | Free |
Features neither one offers are left out. See every assistant on one grid.
Where Sidekicks shines.
Group chat participation
Sidekicks can join an iMessage group, summarize missed messages, run quick polls, and manage shared reminders.
Different personas
It offers a personal assistant, health coach, wellness coach, and companion personas over text.
Works on SMS too
Its site says Android and other non-iMessage users can text the same number over SMS.
What each one costs.
Sidekicks
Free limited · Pro $19.99/mo
Sidekicks has a free plan with limited messages, image analysis, voice messages, memory, and reminders. Pro is $19.99 a month for unlimited messages, web search, image generation, and proactive check-ins.
Pally
Free
Pally is free, with almost unlimited usage limits. No waitlist or invitation. Cloud Mac is a paid add-on. Every connection, every automation, calls, and its own number and email.
Switching from Sidekicks.
Pally's setup is texting a number, and connecting accounts is tapping a link it sends you. No account to create first.
Connect your email and calendar first
Gmail, Outlook, or iCloud Mail, and your calendars. Pally flags what needs you, summarizes the rest, and checks availability, books and moves events.
Then add the rest
Slack, Notion, Linear, GitHub, Drive, your own WhatsApp, your bank, and your own MCP servers. Save logins to its password vault and Pally runs web errands in a browser with them. Add it to group chats, with per-capability grants controlling what it shares from your accounts.
What carries over
Your accounts: Pally works from the email, calendars, and apps you already use. It remembers the people in your life and what matters to them, and you can browse and edit that memory in its web dashboard.
Pally vs Sidekicks FAQ.
Is Sidekicks free?
Yes. Sidekicks has a free plan with limited messages per persona, reminders, memory, image analysis, and voice messages. Pro is $19.99 a month for unlimited messages and more features; Pally is free with almost unlimited usage limits.
Which is better, Pally or Sidekicks?
Sidekicks fits an iMessage group that wants polls, shared reminders, or a companion persona; Pro is $19.99 a month. Pally fits connected inboxes, calls, bookings, and errands with almost unlimited free usage.
Can Sidekicks join an iMessage group chat?
Yes. Sidekicks says it can summarize a group chat, set shared reminders and to-do lists, and run polls or tie-breakers.
Can I text Sidekicks from Android?
Yes, over SMS. Sidekicks documents SMS for Android but does not list RCS; Pally's main Android channel is RCS, with SMS as a fallback when service is poor.
Can Sidekicks call a business for me?
Sidekicks does not list outbound business calling among its published features. It lists reminders, to-do lists, calendars, and companion features; Pally can call businesses for you.
So how does Pally make money?
Pally plans to earn a fee from merchants when you buy through it. Merchants can never pay to change what Pally recommends to you. Cloud Mac, an optional add-on, is paid.