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Pally vs Folk
A friend in your texts with a big personality, or an assistant that runs more of your inboxes and picks up your calls.
Checked October 11, 2026 · Folk is live in iMessage and Telegram, with WhatsApp rolling out by region and an iOS app launched in October 2026. Its base plan is free. See their site for the latest.
So, Folk or Pally?
The case for Folk
Pick Folk if you want a friend in your texts first and a tool second: the roasts, the group-chat energy, the odds and markets with friends, and a strict line on training. It handles a lot of real work too, and Pro is $9.99 a month.
The case for Pally
Pick Pally if the job is getting your life run. It manages your WhatsApp, iMessage, LinkedIn and X inboxes, keeps a CRM of the people you know and picks up calls on a number you give out. You can message it over RCS on Android, by email, or from ChatGPT and Claude. Both are free to start, so the useful differences are tone, inboxes and calls.
| Feature | FolkFree | PallyFree |
|---|---|---|
| Inbox management | ||
| Email and calendar | Yes | Yes |
| Slack | Yes | 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 researchPally: Signs in with your saved logins | Yes | YesSigns in with your saved logins |
| Long-term memory | Yes | Yes |
| Long-running tasks | Yes | Yes |
| Reminders and routinesFolk: One-off, recurring, location-basedPally: One-off, recurring and location-based | YesOne-off, recurring, location-based | YesOne-off, recurring and location-based |
| Inbound email addressFolk: Its own address, separate from yours, in your dashboard | YesIts own address, separate from yours, in your dashboard | Yes |
| Personal CRM of your contactsFolk: People grouped in the memory map | PartialPeople grouped in the memory map | Yes |
| Outbound callsFolk: Calls businesses; waits on holdPally: Waits on hold, gets through phone menus | YesCalls businesses; waits on hold | 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 travelFolk: Restaurants and web bookings; fare watch, delay alerts, check-inPally: Restaurants, appointments, travel; fare-drop watch, check-in | YesRestaurants and web bookings; fare watch, delay alerts, check-in | YesRestaurants, appointments, travel; fare-drop watch, check-in |
| Shopping and checkoutFolk: You approve payment on your phonePally: With your payment wallet | YesYou approve payment on your phone | YesWith your payment wallet |
| Add to your group chatsFolk: iMessage and Telegram groups | YesiMessage and Telegram groups | Yes |
| Creates apps and websitesFolk: Little websites and apps | YesLittle websites and apps | Yes |
| Generates images, video and musicFolk: Images and short videos | PartialImages and short videos | Yes |
| Integrations | ||
| Gmail and Google servicesFolk: Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets | YesGmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets | Yes |
| Outlook and Microsoft 365Folk: Outlook, Teams, Excel | YesOutlook, Teams, Excel | Yes |
| Apple Mail, Calendar and ContactsFolk: Calendar and Contacts only | PartialCalendar and Contacts only | Yes |
| Apple PhotosFolk: Via iPhone app | YesVia iPhone app | Yes |
| Notion, Linear, GitHub, JiraFolk: Notion, Linear, GitHub, Todoist and more | YesNotion, Linear, GitHub, Todoist and more | Yes |
| Granola and other meeting notesFolk: Own meeting notes. Joins video calls as a notetaker | YesOwn meeting notes. Joins video calls as a notetaker | Yes |
| LinkedIn and X | No | Yes |
| Bank accountFolk: Read-only via Plaid | YesRead-only via Plaid | Yes |
| Partiful | No | Yes |
| School portalsFolk: Canvas onlyPally: Google Classroom, Canvas, Moodle, Brightspace, Blackboard | PartialCanvas only | YesGoogle Classroom, Canvas, Moodle, Brightspace, Blackboard |
| Any MCP or APIFolk: Any MCP-compatible tool | YesAny MCP-compatible tool | Yes |
| Ways to message it | ||
| iMessage | Yes | Yes |
| WhatsAppFolk: Rolling out by region; iMessage and Telegram everywhere | PartialRolling out by region; iMessage and Telegram everywhere | No |
| RCSFolk: Channels are iMessage, Telegram, WhatsApp | NoChannels are iMessage, Telegram, WhatsApp | Yes |
| Telegram | Yes | Yes |
| ChatGPT, Claude and other AI toolsFolk: Channels are iMessage, Telegram, WhatsApp | NoChannels are iMessage, Telegram, WhatsApp | Yes |
| Phone callFolk: 10 min/week free; 120 min/mo Pro | Yes10 min/week free; 120 min/mo Pro | Yes |
| EmailFolk: Email is not a chat channel | NoEmail is not a chat channel | Yes |
| Native mobile appFolk: iOS setup app, launched Oct 2026 | YesiOS setup app, launched Oct 2026 | No |
| Privacy and security | ||
| Encrypted in transit and at restFolk: Encrypts sensitive data and its vault | PartialEncrypts sensitive data and its vault | Yes |
| Doesn't train on your conversations and tool outputsPally: Trains by default; turn it off in settings | Yes | PartialTrains by default; turn it off in settings |
| Doesn't train on your connected dataPally: Your email, calendar and other connected accounts | Yes | YesYour email, calendar and other connected accounts |
| Never sells your dataFolk: Hashed signup data sent to ad platforms for measurement | YesHashed signup data sent to ad platforms for measurement | Yes |
| No paid placement in recommendations | No | Yes |
| View, edit and delete your dataFolk: View and delete memory; delete account | YesView and delete memory; delete account | Yes |
| Price | ||
| PlansFolk: Free · $9.99/mo Pro (Free has 3 background routines)Pally: Free | Free · $9.99/mo ProFree has 3 background routines | Free |
Features neither one offers are left out. See every assistant on one grid.
Where Folk shines.
A personality you can't miss
Folk commits to a voice: it roasts your DoorDash habit, talks like your group chat and makes money admin feel like banter. If you want an assistant with main-character energy, Folk delivers it consistently.
Fun is a feature
Live Kalshi odds in the group chat, play-money markets with friends, budget roasts. Folk leans into being entertaining, and for a product that lives among your conversations, that's a real reason people keep texting it.
A strict line on training
Folk says it never trains on your conversations or your connected data, and bars its AI providers from training on them. Pally doesn't train on your connected data, but it does train on conversations by default until you turn that off in settings.
Its own computer, always on
Each Folk runs on its own cloud computer around the clock, watching prices, listings and your inbox. It can also join your video calls as a notetaker and keep its own meeting notes.
What each one costs.
Folk
Free · $9.99/mo Pro
Folk is free with every feature and unlimited chat, with up to three background routines or watchers and ten minutes a week of calls with Folk itself. Calls to businesses don't use those minutes. Pro is $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year, with a smarter engine, unlimited background routines and 120 call minutes a month. The first Pro subscription usually starts with a seven-day trial.
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 Folk.
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 Folk FAQ.
What is Folk?
Folk calls itself the friend in your texts. It runs on its own always-on computer, remembers what you tell it, and covers your inbox, calendar, reminders, research, bookings and shopping. It also runs live Kalshi odds and play-money markets with your friends. You message it in iMessage or Telegram, with WhatsApp rolling out by region.
Is Folk really free?
Yes. Folk includes every feature free, with unlimited chat, three background routines or watchers, and ten minutes a week of calls with Folk itself. Pro is $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year and adds a smarter engine, unlimited background routines and 120 call minutes a month. Pally is free, with almost unlimited usage limits.
Can Folk call a restaurant for me?
Yes. Folk calls the business numbers listed on their websites and waits on hold, and those calls don't use its call minutes. Pally calls businesses too, waits on hold and gets through phone menus. Only Pally takes calls for you: give out its number, and Pally picks up, handles the call and tells you what happened.
Does Pally have a personality like Folk?
Not one it performs. Folk's voice is the product. Pally keeps it short and puts its effort into the work: the email answered, the table booked, the call made.
Does Pally watch my spending like Folk?
Both link your bank. Folk links read-only through Plaid, texts you the moment a charge hits, finds forgotten subscriptions and tracks the budget you set. Pally answers spending questions and sends a weekly brief that calls out unusual and recurring charges, with an offer to cancel renewals you don't want. It doesn't text you as each charge lands.
Which is better, Pally or Folk?
Folk fits someone who wants a playful companion in texts and group chats; its free plan includes three background routines, while Pro is $9.99 a month. Pally fits broader inbox management and calls it takes for you, and is free.
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.