Independent category guide
Poke alternatives in 2026
Poke deserves credit for making messaging the interface: it works in Apple Messages, WhatsApp, and Telegram, connects to email, calendar, and more than 30 apps, and makes scheduled work legible through Recipes. It also has a permanent free plan and a $19 monthly Pro tier.
The best alternative depends on what you want to change. Read the direct Pally comparison for a detailed feature-by-feature view, then use this list to choose between broader personal actions, voice and an app, a configurable work system, or a free WhatsApp chatbot.
Pally
Best Poke alternative for finished personal actions
Pally keeps the no-app, text-first idea and extends it to your own connected inboxes and approved real-world actions. It is the closest alternative when you want native texting but also want WhatsApp triage, web bookings and purchases, or calls on the Max plan.
Pros
- Native texts on iPhone and Android with no app
- Connects your own WhatsApp as an inbox to watch
- Completes approved bookings, purchases, and replies
Tradeoffs
- Pally Pro costs more than Poke Pro
- Does not offer Poke's visible, named Recipes interface
Pricing: Free $0, Pro $25/mo (or $250/yr - 2 months free), Max $200/mo (or $2,000/yr - 2 months free). See plan details
Martin
Best for voice and an app-based home
Martin is a personal assistant with an iOS app at its center and access through SMS, phone, email, Slack, and WhatsApp. It is a stronger alternative when voice mode, a talking alarm, or an app-based control surface matters more than staying entirely in a text thread.
Pros
- First-class voice mode and phone access
- Strong inbox, calendar, scheduling, and reminders
- Available through several work and messaging channels
Tradeoffs
- No permanent free tier after the seven-day trial
- Does not manage your own WhatsApp inbox
Pricing: Martin costs $35 a month for Basic, or $21 a month billed yearly. Pro is $49 a month, or $30 a month billed yearly. Every plan starts with a seven-day free trial, and there's no free tier after that. Check latest pricing
Town
Best for configurable team workflows
Town provides a configurable Townie for email, Slack, WhatsApp, Telegram, web chat, and optional apps. Its routines, editable wiki, team controls, and work integrations make it the stronger alternative for a team standardizing its assistant rather than one person seeking a native-text contact.
Pros
- Specific routines for inbox, meetings, research, and follow-ups
- Visible, editable memory in a Townie wiki
- Permanent free plan and team features
Tradeoffs
- No iMessage or native-phone-text channel
- Paid usage is metered in credits
Pricing: Town has a permanent free plan and a $15-a-month Starter plan. Pro is $49, Power $99, and Power Plus $199 per user per month, billed annually, with usage metered in credits. New signups get a 14-day Pro trial. Check latest pricing
Meta AI
Best free option for answers inside WhatsApp
Meta AI is already inside WhatsApp and costs nothing. It is a practical alternative when the actual need is quick answers, translations, images, or group-chat participation rather than an assistant that connects to accounts and runs automations.
Pros
- Free and built into WhatsApp
- Strong range across writing, images, translation, and questions
- Works in WhatsApp group chats
Tradeoffs
- Does not connect to email or calendar
- Cannot run background work or complete external actions
Pricing: Meta AI inside WhatsApp is free. Check latest pricing
Bottom line
How to choose.
Pally is the closest Poke alternative for someone who wants to keep texting as the main interface while adding connected-inbox monitoring and actions that finish outside chat. Martin is the more convincing switch for voice and app lovers, while Town is a better organizational system for teams.
Do not switch from Poke to Pally if WhatsApp or Telegram is where you want to talk to the assistant, or if named Recipes are the feature you value most. Poke is genuinely strong at both, and its Pro tier costs less.
Questions
Poke alternatives in 2026 FAQ.
Is there a free alternative to Poke?+
Yes. Pally and Town have permanent free plans, and Meta AI inside WhatsApp is free. Martin has a seven-day free trial but no free tier after it.
Which Poke alternative works through text messages?+
Pally works through native texts on iPhone and Android, and Martin works over SMS in addition to its other channels. Town is reached through email and chat apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram; Meta AI is built into WhatsApp.
What is the difference between Pally and Poke?+
Both are messaging-first and have free plans. Poke can be messaged through Apple Messages, WhatsApp, and Telegram and emphasizes named Recipes; Pally lives in native texts, connects your own WhatsApp as an inbox, and completes approved bookings, purchases, replies, and Max-plan calls.
Which Poke alternative is best for teams?+
Town has the clearest team case in this list because its comparison record includes shared workspaces, pooled credits, organization controls, a visible wiki, and more than 50 integrations.