Instinct vs Poke vs Lucie

Three assistants that get things done, compared.

The short answer

Poke is the easier one to start with. You text it in iMessage, WhatsApp or Telegram, there is a free plan, and it is open to everyone. It is best at your inbox, your calendar and small routines.

Instinct goes further on real-world errands like groceries, tickets and bookings, and it can call places for you. But it is US-only and invite-only, has no published price, and its Terms say agreements it makes for you are binding on you.

Lucie handles the same everyday requests, from email and calendar to bookings and follow-ups, and asks before it acts. Its proactive support watches your calendar, inbox and day, so it can flag what needs you before you ask.

Sources · How we compared

How Instinct, Poke and Lucie compare

Instinct, Poke and Lucie compared
InstinctPokeLucie
Type of productPersonal assistant you textTexting assistant for email and calendarPersonal AI for your whole life
Questions and researchYesNot verifiedYes
Everyday requestsYesYesYes
Email and calendarVia integrationVia integrationYes
Connected appsNoVia integrationVia integration
Multi-step tasksYesLimitedRequires approval
What it isA personal assistant you text or call, which uses a phone and computer the way you wouldA personal assistant that lives in your text messagesA personal AI assistant that gets things done and helps before you ask
How you use itText or phone call, including WhatsAppText it in iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram or RCSChat or talk in the Lucie app
What it does bestErrands end to end: groceries, tickets, reservations, inbox clean-upsEmail and calendar triage, reminders and “recipes” for routinesEmail, calendar, research, follow-ups and bookings, connected to your health and goals
How much it does aloneLimitedBuilt to act with little back-and-forth; press testers saw it send an email without askingSends proactive messages; acts through connected appsProactive support helps before you ask, and many agents work on your goals. It acts only when you confirm
Before it actsNo general confirm-first promise. Terms: confirmations may apply to “certain Actions”; agreements are “binding on you”Not publicly confirmedNo approval policy published on its siteRequires approvalNothing is sent, booked or bought until you confirm
Proactive helpLimitedMostly acts on requests; users report it flagging calendar conflictsYesSends proactive messages from your email and calendar, and runs routines you setYesProactive support reads your calendar, inbox, health and memory, and speaks up only when something matters
Connects toVia integrationGmail, Google Calendar and Drive; messaging appsVia integrationGmail, Outlook, Google Calendar, Notion, GitHub, Linear and moreVia integrationGmail, Outlook, iCloud, Google Calendar, Apple Health, Oura, WHOOP, Garmin and more
What users report on XPraised for real errands in iMessage. One user lost about $350 on a wrong refund deadlinePraised for email monitoring and price. Seen as limited: it can’t open a browserOur own product, so we left it out of this row. It is only on iPhone and Mac
Who can get itLimitedUS only, by invite or waitlist. 18+YesAll regions, per its docsYesOn the App Store and for Mac
PriceNo published price. Free during private access, per pressFree; Pro $19/mo; Ultra $199/mo7-day trial, then a subscription

How Instinct, Poke and Lucie differ

01How do you talk to it?

Instinct

Text or call, including WhatsApp

Poke

Text in iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram or RCS

Lucie

Chat or talk in its iPhone and Mac app

02What does it do best?

Instinct

Errands that need a website or a phone call

Poke

Email and calendar triage, reminders, routines

Lucie

Email, calendar, bookings and follow-ups, with proactive support

03Does it ask before acting?

Instinct

Not promised; its Terms make its agreements binding on you

Poke

No approval policy published

Lucie

Always. Nothing is sent or booked without your yes

04Can you get it?

Instinct

US only, by invite

Poke

All regions, with a free plan

Lucie

On the App Store and for Mac

Reactive or proactive?

Most AI waits for you to ask, Lucie helps before you need to.

Instinct

Limited

Mostly acts on requests; users report it flagging calendar conflicts

Poke

Yes

Sends proactive messages from your email and calendar, and runs routines you set

Lucie

Yes

Proactive support reads your calendar, inbox, health and memory, and speaks up only when something matters

  • An important meeting tomorrow: it helps you prepare
  • An email that needs a reply: it drafts one for you
  • A restaurant that’s fully booked: it watches in the background and tells you when a table opens, even on another date
  • A friend’s birthday coming up: it suggests a gift and can order it with your OK
  • A request nobody answered: it follows up
  • A refund or insurance claim you’re owed: it spots it in your email and helps you claim it

Most assistants wait for a message.
Lucie’s proactive support doesn’t.

Proactive support speaks up only when something matters.

A reply you owe, drafted for you.

When someone is waiting on you, Lucie drafts the reply. It sends only when you tap Send.

Connect your email and calendar

A follow-up nobody else would send.

When a thread goes quiet, Lucie drafts a polite nudge in your voice, ready for your OK.

It remembers the people you care about.

Tell Lucie once about a birthday or a promise. It brings it up at the right moment.

Instinct, Poke and Lucie, feature by feature

Feature comparison including Lucie
InstinctPokeLucie
Type of productPersonal assistant you textTexting assistant for email and calendarPersonal AI for your whole life
How you use itText or call itText itChat or talk in the Lucie app
EmailVia integrationReads and acts on GmailVia integrationGmail and OutlookYesGmail, iCloud Mail and Outlook: inbox overview, drafts and follow-ups. You send
CalendarVia integrationGoogle CalendarVia integrationGoogle CalendarYesGoogle, iCloud and Outlook calendars. Morning briefing and day-ahead plan
Taking actionsActs for you; Terms make its agreements binding on youLimitedThrough connected appsRequires approvalBooks tables, buys tickets, places orders, drafts replies and works on your Mac. Only after you confirm
Background agentsLimitedOne assistant that uses a phone and computer for youLimitedRoutines (“recipes”) you set upYesMany agents that work on your goals in the background
Proactive helpLimitedMostly acts on requests; users report it flagging calendar conflictsYesSends proactive messages from your email and calendar, and runs routines you setYesProactive support reads your calendar, inbox, health and memory, and speaks up only when something matters
Personal memoryNot verifiedNot verifiedYesRemembers what matters. You can review, edit or remove it, and import a ChatGPT export
Sleep insightsNot currently supportedNot currently supportedYesSleep duration, stages and history, with patterns you can ask about
Workout supportNot currently supportedNot currently supportedYesWorkouts and a weekly plan around your recovery
Meal trackingNot currently supportedNot currently supportedYesSend a photo of a meal for calories and macros, linked to your day
Focus and app blockingNot currently supportedNot currently supportedYesFocus sessions, app and website blocking, daily allowances. Within iOS and macOS limits
WearablesNot currently supportedLimitedReads Fitbit and Withings data, per its site. No health featuresVia integrationApple Health, Oura, WHOOP, Garmin, Polar, Suunto, Fitbit, Google Health Connect
PlatformsMessages and phoneiMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram, RCSiPhone (iOS 18+) and Mac (macOS 14+, Apple silicon)

What happens to everything you tell it?

Privacy and data, side by side
InstinctPokeLucie
Is advertising part of the business?Not publicly confirmedIts privacy policy mentions advertising on its services and through ad networksNoNo ads, and it never sells your data. Paid by subscription
Can your chats train its models?YesOn by default, per its privacy policyYesOn by default, per its privacy policyNoNo. Lucie does not train on your chats
Can you opt out of training?LimitedYes, in settings, but only from then onYesChoose “Maximum Privacy”Nothing to opt out of. You also choose what to connect and can disconnect any source
Can you delete your data?LimitedYou can request deletion; disconnecting an account does not delete its dataYesSettings > Privacy > Delete Account (up to 24 hours)YesEdit or remove memories; request deletion of your account and data
What does it connect to?Google Workspace, messages, and what it reaches through a phone and computerEmail, calendar, contacts, notes, tasks, code, Fitbit, WithingsMail, calendars, contacts, tasks, wearables and Screen Time, each with its own permission
Where is data stored?Not publicly confirmedOperated in the US; storage location not publishedThe US and other countries, per its privacy policyMade and hosted in the EU: servers and team offices are in Europe. The holding company is in Delaware, US
What happens before it acts?Terms: confirmations “may” apply to certain actionsNot publicly confirmedRequires approvalNothing is sent, booked or bought until you confirm

Read the privacy policies yourself: Instinct · Poke · Lucie

Price and who can get it

Instinct

No published price. Free during private access, per press.

US only, by invite or waitlist. 18+.

Poke

Free. Pro $19/mo. Ultra $199/mo.

All regions, per its docs. Owned by Cognition since July 2026.

Lucie

7-day trial, then a subscription. See the App Store for prices where you live.

On the App Store and for Mac.

Also built in: health, focus and wellbeing

Lucie connects your body to your plans.

A bad night changes the plan.

With Oura, WHOOP, Garmin or Apple Health connected, Lucie sees when your energy will dip and asks whether to move a hard workout. Nothing moves until you say yes.

See which wearables work

Our honest take

Pick Instinct when

  • You have an invite and live in the US
  • Your to-do list is full of errands that need a website or a phone call
  • You are comfortable letting it act with very little checking in

Pick Poke when

  • You want help with email and calendar inside iMessage or WhatsApp
  • You want to start free, today, wherever you live
  • You like setting up small routines once and forgetting them

Pick Lucie when

  • You want everything they do: errands, email, calendar and bookings
  • You also want your health, sleep and relationships connected to your plans
  • You want it all in one place, with your data kept private
  • Want email and calendar help in your texts?Poke. It is free to start and available almost everywhere.
  • Have an Instinct invite and lots of errands?Instinct, if you are happy with how much it does on its own. Read its Terms first.
  • Want help before you have to ask?Lucie. Email, calendar, bookings and follow-ups with your approval, and proactive support that flags what matters. It is an app on iPhone and Mac, not a texting service.

What people report on X

Instinct

What works

What goes wrong

Poke

What works

What goes wrong

Your life is more than a to-do list.

Your inbox, calendar, sleep and workouts in one AI.

Discover LucieGet it on iPhone

iPhone and Mac.

Questions people ask

Is Instinct better than Poke?

Instinct goes further on errands that need a website or a phone call. Poke is easier to start, has a free plan and is open to everyone. Pick Instinct for errands if you have an invite, and Poke for email and calendar in your texts.

What is Lucie’s proactive support?

Proactive support is how Lucie helps before you ask. It connects signals from your calendar, email, health and daily life, recognises what matters and suggests the next step. Anything it sends, books or changes waits for your yes.

How much does Poke cost?

Poke lists a free plan, Pro at $19 a month and Ultra at $199 a month.

How do I get Instinct?

Instinct is invite or waitlist only for now. It has not published a price.

Does Instinct ask before it acts?

Its Terms say confirmations may apply to “certain Actions” and that agreements it makes for you are binding on you. Press testers reported it sending an email without asking.

Can I text Lucie like Poke or Instinct?

Not by text message. You chat or talk with Lucie in its app on iPhone and Mac, and it sends you a message when something matters.

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More about Lucie

Sources

How we compared. We read each product’s own website, help pages, terms and privacy policy, then reputable press where official pages were missing or unreachable. Anything we could not confirm is labelled. Lucie is our product, so we have tried to describe the others the way we would want to be described. The Lucie screens on this page are illustrations, not screenshots.