folk alternative
folk vs Poke
Poke, by The Interaction Company, is a personal AI you text in iMessage, Telegram, and WhatsApp. Folk works the same way — but every folk user gets their own cloud computer, a memory graph that goes deeper, the option to bring your own models and keys, and real-world skills like restaurant booking and flight tracking built in.
why people switch from Poke to folk
folk gives you a real computer, not just integrations
Poke connects your apps and runs automations on top of them. Folk goes a layer deeper: every user gets a dedicated cloud computer that browses the web, writes and runs code, and works inside a real environment. It is the difference between wiring up integrations and having a machine that can do almost anything you ask.
real-world skills, built in
Ask folk to book a table on Resy for Thursday at 7 and it finds availability, books it, and confirms. Ask it to watch a route and it monitors fares and pings you on a drop. These are first-class folk skills, not recipes you have to assemble yourself.
bring your own models and keys
Folk lets you run your own Anthropic, OpenAI, or OpenRouter keys, kept inside your private sandbox. You control the models and the spend — an option Poke does not offer.
simpler pricing at the top end
Both start free and land around $19–$20/month for the main plan. But folk's top tier is $100/month flat, versus Poke's $199/month Ultra — so heavy users get the strongest models for less.
feature comparison
| Feature | Folk | Poke |
|---|---|---|
| Lives in iMessage | Yes | Yes |
| Lives in Telegram | Yes | Yes |
| Its own cloud computer | Yes | No |
| Persistent memory | Yes | Yes |
| Books tables (Resy) | Yes | No |
| Watches flights | Yes | No |
| Runs scheduled tasks | Yes | Yes |
| Connects to all your apps | Yes | Yes |
| Bring your own API keys | Yes | No |
| Web browsing | Yes | Yes |
| Code generation | Yes | No |
| Data privacy (no training) | Yes | No |
pricing comparison
Folk Pro
$20/mo
- Unlimited messages and tasks
- iMessage + Telegram
- Persistent memory
- Its own computer with web browsing and code
- Connects to all your apps
Folk Max
$100/mo
- Everything in Pro
- The best AI models available
- Zero queue, priority access
- 2x daily capacity
- First access to new features
frequently asked
What is Poke and who makes it?
Poke is a personal AI assistant you interact with by text, built by The Interaction Company of California. It lives in Apple Messages, Telegram, WhatsApp, and RCS, and helps with email, calendar, reminders, web search, and proactive automations.
How is Folk different from Poke?
Both folk and Poke are messaging-native and run proactive automations. Folk's difference is depth: every user gets their own cloud computer that browses the web and runs code, a memory graph that grows over time, the ability to bring your own API keys, and built-in real-world skills like Resy booking and flight-price tracking.
How does Folk's pricing compare to Poke's?
Poke offers Free, Pro ($19/month), and Ultra ($199/month). Folk is Pro ($20/month) and Max ($100/month). Pricing is similar at the entry level, while folk's top tier costs less than Poke's.
Can I switch from Poke to Folk?
Yes. Sign up at getfolk.app, subscribe, and you will get an iMessage number and a Telegram bot. Folk starts learning your preferences from your first conversation.