folk alternative
folk vs Town
Town (town.com), backed by Andreessen Horowitz and Forerunner, is a deeply capable AI assistant for work — each user gets a 'Townie' and a dedicated @town.com email address that triages your inbox, drafts in your voice, and runs briefings across Gmail, Slack, and your docs. Folk is a personal AI for your whole life that lives in your texts, with its own cloud computer and real-world skills.
why people switch from Town to folk
folk lives in your texts, not an inbox
Town is email-native — you delegate by emailing or CC'ing your @town.com address, plus an app and Slack. Folk lives where you actually chat: iMessage, Telegram, and WhatsApp. You text it like a friend.
built for your life, not just your job
Town is optimized for operators and founders — inbox triage, meeting prep, competitive intel. Folk is optimized for everything: booking dinner, planning a trip, tracking a flight, and remembering your people, alongside work tasks.
folk has its own computer
Folk gives every user a cloud computer that browses the web and runs code, and connects to any tool via MCP. Both assistants are proactive and private; folk adds a real execution environment and consumer skills like Resy booking and flight tracking.
your own models and keys
Folk lets you bring your own Anthropic, OpenAI, or OpenRouter keys, kept in your private sandbox, so you control the models and the spend.
feature comparison
| Feature | Folk | Town |
|---|---|---|
| Lives in iMessage | Yes | No |
| Lives in Telegram | Yes | No |
| 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 | Yes |
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 Town?
Town is a personal AI assistant for work, backed by Andreessen Horowitz and Forerunner. Each user gets a 'Townie' with a dedicated @town.com email address that learns how you work and proactively triages your inbox, drafts replies, prepares meetings, and runs briefings across Gmail, Outlook, Slack, and Teams.
How is Folk different from Town?
Town is email-native and work-focused — you interact through an @town.com address, an app, and Slack. Folk is messaging-native and life-focused — you text it in iMessage, Telegram, or WhatsApp, and it has its own cloud computer to book restaurants, track flights, manage email, and run tasks for your whole life.
Is Town or Folk better for personal tasks?
Town shines at professional, email-heavy work. Folk is built for personal life and real-world action — reservations, travel, reminders, errands — while still handling email and calendars. Many people use Town for work and folk for life.
Can I switch from Town to Folk?
Yes. Sign up at getfolk.app, subscribe, and you will get an iMessage number and a Telegram bot. Folk learns your preferences from the first conversation.