Brea vs Poke: which AI assistant you text should you use?

Short answer: Pick Brea if you want an assistant that gets things done on any website, including bookings and approved purchases, for free, with a HIPAA-compliant option for healthcare work. Pick Poke if you want a witty, proactive assistant on WhatsApp or Telegram as well as Messages, and you're fine with Gmail or Outlook as your only email options.

Both are agents, not chatbots: they act on your behalf instead of only answering questions. The difference is how far each one goes on its own. We build Brea, so we're biased. To keep this fair, every Poke fact below comes from poke.com or Poke's own terms, checked November 4, 2026.

At a glance

• Price: Brea is free, with every feature included. Poke is Free, Pro $19/mo or Ultra $199/mo (Poke pricing).
• Where you text it: Brea runs in iMessage, and healthcare users get the Brea app. Poke names Messages, WhatsApp and Telegram on its homepage.
• Email and calendar: Brea connects Gmail, Outlook, Google Calendar and more than 2,000 other apps. Poke supports Gmail and Outlook, with "no immediate plans" for iCloud or Yahoo Mail (Poke FAQ).
• Tasks on websites: Brea uses its own browser to fill forms, compare prices and book on sites without an integration. Poke's site doesn't say its AI browses the web.
• Purchases: Brea buys only after you approve in Link by Stripe, with a new one-time card for each purchase. On Poke, orders and reservations go to Poke Human, a real person, on the $199 Ultra plan.
• Health information: Brea is HIPAA compliant, with a BAA at signup. Poke's terms say the service "is not designed to store or engage with" protected health information (Poke terms).
• Model training: Brea never trains on your data. Poke's privacy notice says it uses data to train its models unless you choose Maximum Privacy (Poke privacy).

Where Brea is stronger

It finishes tasks on real websites. A lot of errands don't have an API: a school portal, a booking form, a utility account. Brea opens the site in its own browser and does the work. Your logins sit in an encrypted vault the AI never sees (security). Text "Book a table for 4 Friday at 7 near Union Square" or "Renew my parking permit," and it handles it.

Purchases are free and controlled. Brea asks before every payment, and each approved purchase uses a fresh one-time card through Link by Stripe. You don't need a $199 plan, and no operator places the order for you.

It's free. No paid tier to unlock better models or background tasks.

There's a healthcare option. Therapists, solo doctors and small clinics can use Brea for patient admin under a BAA. Poke rules out health information in its terms.

It asks first. Before Brea sends, deletes, shares or changes a setting, you get a message and reply allow, always or deny.

Where Poke is stronger

More messaging apps. If your life runs on WhatsApp or Telegram, Poke meets you there. Brea doesn't support Android, SMS, WhatsApp or Telegram.

Personality and polish. Poke is known for its voice and proactive nudges, and it was the first AI agent approved for Apple's Messages for Business, according to TechCrunch. It has a big user base and a developer kit with custom MCP integrations.

A human for the physical world. On Ultra, Poke Human will make calls and handle real-world errands. Brea doesn't make phone calls yet, though that's coming soon.

Backing. Cognition acquired Poke in July 2026 and says users "can continue using the product just as before" (Cognition).

Which should you pick?

• You're on iPhone and want things done, not just reminders: Brea.
• You handle patient or client health information: Brea, through the Brea app, with a BAA.
• You live in WhatsApp or Telegram: Poke.
• You want a human to make calls for you, and $199/mo is fine: Poke Ultra.
• You don't want your chats used for training: Brea by default. On Poke, turn on Maximum Privacy.

FAQ

Is Brea free? Yes, with every feature included and no credit card needed.

Is Poke free? Poke has a free plan. Pro is $19/mo and Ultra is $199/mo.

Who owns Poke? Cognition, the company behind Devin, announced the acquisition on July 23, 2026.

Can I try both? Yes. Both sign you up with your phone number. Text each the same three errands and compare.

Can Brea make phone calls? Not yet. Phone calls are coming soon.

Who makes Brea? Brea AI LLC. We're not Brea AI Receptionist (talkbrea.ai) or Bria AI.

Try Brea

Start at app.brea.ai/start and text it something real:

• "Find a dentist near me with Saturday hours and book the earliest slot."
• "Unsubscribe me from every promo email from last month."
• "Watch this jacket and buy it if it drops under $120."

More comparisons: Brea alternatives and the best AI assistants you can text.