English
  • English
Start savingStart saving
Back to blog
6 min readOctober 15, 2026

Poke vs Memorae: Which Assistant Remembers, and Which Comes Back

Poke vs Memorae, compared on three questions: does it remember, does it come back on its own, and where does it live. Plus what each one needs access to, what it costs, and a third option if you would rather not connect your inbox.

dEssence TeamEditorial @ dEssence
Poke vs Memorae: Which Assistant Remembers, and Which Comes Back

Poke vs Memorae comes down to how much you want to connect. Poke is a texting assistant that works best once it can use your email, calendar and other apps. Memorae is a reminder and memory assistant built around WhatsApp that also works in Telegram, email and its own apps. Both remember what you tell them and message you first; they differ in access, channels and price.

Most comparisons of these two are written by a third competitor, and each one wins its own table. This one sticks to what Poke and Memorae say on their own websites as of October 6, 2026, and asks the three questions that matter for a memory assistant:

  1. Does it remember what you tell it?
  2. Does it come back on its own, without you asking again?
  3. Where does it live, and what does it need access to?

Google's AI Overview for this search describes both as a memory layer on top of your apps. That is close, but the way they get there is different.

What is Poke?

Poke is an AI assistant you text. Its homepage says it works in Messages, WhatsApp and Telegram, and calls it "proactive, private, personal, and right in your texts." You connect apps such as Gmail, Notion or an Oura ring, and Poke can search and draft email, create reminders, and run small automations it calls recipes. It also says Poke uses your connected services and its memory to message you at the right time.

On its pricing page, Free costs $0 and includes connecting your email and calendar. Pro is $19 a month and adds stronger models and real-time automations in the background. Ultra is $199 a month. The homepage also carries a note that Poke is joining Cognition, so expect changes.

What is Memorae?

Memorae turns WhatsApp into what it calls a second brain. You write or speak to it in WhatsApp (it also works in Telegram, email, a Chrome extension and iOS and Android apps) to set reminders, save notes, build lists and sync your calendar. Its site lists Google Calendar, Outlook and Gmail connections, a daily briefing, and a feature that turns a photo of a poster or schedule into a reminder or task. It can also send a reminder to another person over WhatsApp, even if that person does not use Memorae.

The pricing page lists three plans, Origin, Supernova and Big Bang, with a 7-day free trial and a 14-day money-back guarantee. The price you see depends on your region and billing period, so check it in your own browser before you start the trial.

Poke vs Memorae: the three questions

Does it remember?

Both do. Poke has its own memory and also draws on what it sees in your connected apps. Memorae keeps your notes, lists and reminders and lets you ask for them later in WhatsApp; long-term memory is listed from its Supernova plan up.

Does it come back on its own?

Both message you first. Poke does it from your connected services: something new in a connected app, like an important email, or an automation you set up. Memorae does it from what you saved: reminders at the time you asked, plus a daily briefing.

The difference is the trigger. Poke reacts to what happens in your accounts. Memorae reacts mostly to times and dates you gave it.

Where does it live?

Poke: Messages, WhatsApp and Telegram. Memorae: WhatsApp first, plus Telegram, email, a Chrome extension and its own apps. If your family organizes everything in WhatsApp, Memorae sits right there. If you live in iMessage, Poke works there, and so does Tracy.

Poke vs Memorae vs Tracy in one table

QuestionPokeMemoraeTracy (dEssence)
Remembers what you tell itYes, plus what it sees in connected appsYes, notes, lists and remindersYes, what you send, with the useful details pulled out
Comes back on its ownYes, from connected apps and automationsYes, reminders and a daily briefingYes, when a date is close or a watched price or stock changes
Where it livesMessages, WhatsApp, TelegramWhatsApp first; also Telegram, email, Chrome, appsTelegram, iMessage, Chrome extension, web
Needs inbox or calendar accessFor most of its valueOptional calendar and GmailNo connection to inbox or calendar
Price (Oct 6, 2026)Free; Pro $19; Ultra $199 a monthPaid plans after a 7-day trial, price by regionFree; Pro $10 a month
Honest minusBest results mean giving it your accountsBuilt around WhatsApp; paid after the trialYou send things yourself; no WhatsApp

Honest minuses of all three

Poke. The more you connect, the better it gets, and the more a company holds on your behalf. Read its privacy page and decide on purpose. The note about joining Cognition means the product may change.

Memorae. Its home is WhatsApp, and most of its examples assume you chat there, though it also works in Telegram, email, a Chrome extension and its own apps. After the trial, it is a paid product.

Tracy. Tracy is the assistant in dEssence, the product we build. She does not read your email, connect to your calendar or live in WhatsApp. You send her what matters: a link, a screenshot, a PDF, a photo of a letter. She works out what it is and comes back when there is a reason. Price and stock watches are something you ask for on a saved item. Free covers 20 saves and 20 messages a day.

Which one should you pick?

Start from what you want the assistant to do when you are not talking to it.

  • You want it to act in your accounts. Draft replies, sort email, check the calendar, run automations. Poke is built for that.
  • You want reminders and lists where your family already talks. Memorae, if everyone is on WhatsApp.
  • You want it to keep track of things you hand over and come back on its own, without account access. Tracy, which works from what you send.

You can also test two at once. A week with real items will tell you more than any table, including this one.

Poke vs Memorae for a family

Family admin is where the channel matters most. School notes, practice changes and who picks up whom usually arrive in a group chat. Memorae's reminders for other people fit that well: you can ask it to remind your partner about pickup, and the message reaches them over WhatsApp even if they never signed up.

Poke is more personal. It runs your own accounts, and its value grows with how much of your own life you connect. That suits one busy adult more than a household.

Paper is the other half of family admin. The school calendar comes as a PDF, the permission slip as a photo. Memorae can turn a photo of a schedule into a reminder inside WhatsApp. On Pro, Tracy turns a document you send into dates, tasks and reminders, from Telegram, iMessage or the web.

Is Poke better than Memorae?

Neither is better across the board. Poke does more if you connect your apps and do not mind paying $19 a month for the background automations. Memorae is narrower and built around WhatsApp, which is exactly what some people want. Pick the one whose trigger matches your problem: account activity for Poke, dates and reminders you set for Memorae.

Is Poke free?

Poke has a free plan at $0 that includes connecting your email and calendar. Pro at $19 a month adds stronger models and real-time automations running in the background, according to its pricing page on October 6, 2026.

Does Memorae have a free plan?

Its pricing page offers a 7-day free trial and a 14-day money-back guarantee rather than a free plan. Plans are called Origin, Supernova and Big Bang, and the price shown depends on your region and billing period.

Do these assistants read my messages?

Each one sees what you send it. Poke also sees what you connect, such as Gmail. Memorae sees your chat with it, in WhatsApp or another channel it supports, and anything you connect, such as a calendar. Tracy sees only what you send from Telegram, iMessage, Chrome or the web.

Related reading