OpenAssistant vs Instinct
Instinct is a proactive personal assistant you text. OpenAssistant is an executive assistant for work that involves other people.
OpenAssistant
OpenAssistant
Instinct
Spear Street Technology, Inc.
Who it is for
Built for
Presence
Where you use it
Its own phone number
Its own email address
Its own computer
Working with people
Contacts people on your behalf
Multi-person threads and hand-offs
Shared tasks, files, and workflows
Getting work done
Recurring and triggered work
Trust and control
Your say before it acts
No training on your data by default
Security and admin
Security certifications
SSO, SCIM, roles, and audit logs
Availability
Availability
Price
| OpenAssistant OpenAssistant | Instinct Spear Street Technology, Inc. | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | ||
| Built for | Professionals and teams whose work runs through colleagues, clients, and vendors | Individuals: trips, bookings, groceries, subscriptions, life admin |
| Presence | ||
| Where you use it | Phone calls, iMessage, SMS, WhatsApp, email, and web | Text and phone calls; web settings |
| Its own phone number | Built in Its own number, for calls and texts | Built in Per press coverage |
| Its own email address | Built in Including one on your company domain | Built in Launched its own email addresses in September 2026, per press coverage |
| Its own computer | Built in Its own secure computer | Built in A persistent cloud computer |
| Working with people | ||
| Contacts people on your behalf | Built in Runs the whole exchange; the people it deals with never need an account | Built in Makes calls and sends emails for you |
| Multi-person threads and hand-offs | Built in Many people on one thread, with hand-offs, approvals, and follow-ups | Partial Links to friends' agents who also use it |
| Shared tasks, files, and workflows | Built in Inside your company and across companies | Not offered or not found None found; appears single-user |
| Getting work done | ||
| Recurring and triggered work | Built in Plain-English workflows on demand, on a schedule, or on a trigger | Partial Proactive nudges; no workflow builder documented |
| Trust and control | ||
| Your say before it acts | Built in Per-action autonomy you set; an admin can lock it team-wide | Not verified Not documented |
| No training on your data by default | Built in Never trains on customer data | Not offered or not found On by default; opt out in settings |
| Security and admin | ||
| Security certifications | Built in SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, CCPA; encryption in transit and at rest | Not offered or not found None found on its site |
| SSO, SCIM, roles, and audit logs | Built in SAML SSO, SCIM, and RBAC on Team plans; audit logs on Enterprise | Not offered or not found None found |
| Availability | ||
| Availability | Private beta; request access | Invite-only private beta |
| Price | Paid plans per seat | Free during the beta; pricing not published |
Instinct details reflect its public documentation and press coverage as of September 2026, last verified 2026-10-03. This market changes quickly, so re-check before relying on any single row.
Where Instinct shines
- Proactive: it starts the conversation when something needs doing, like a flight check-in
- Finishes errands end to end, including calls, bookings, and cancellations
- Zero install: you start by texting it
Pick Instinct if
- You want a private concierge for your own life: trips, bookings, subscriptions, errands.
- You want something proactive that you start by texting, and you can get an invite to the beta.
Where OpenAssistant fits better
- Multi-person threads and hand-offs: Many people on one thread, with hand-offs, approvals, and follow-ups
- Shared tasks, files, and workflows: Inside your company and across companies
- Recurring and triggered work: Plain-English workflows on demand, on a schedule, or on a trigger
- Your say before it acts: Per-action autonomy you set; an admin can lock it team-wide
Pick OpenAssistant if
- Your work runs through colleagues, clients, and vendors, and you need multi-person threads, hand-offs, and follow-ups.
- You need admin controls, SSO, and a security review your company can sign off on.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between OpenAssistant and Instinct?
Instinct is a proactive personal assistant you text. OpenAssistant is an executive assistant for work that involves other people.
Does Instinct have its own phone number?
Per press coverage. OpenAssistant: Its own number, for calls and texts.
Can Instinct work with a team?
None found; appears single-user. OpenAssistant: Inside your company and across companies.
Does Instinct train on my data?
On by default; opt out in settings. OpenAssistant: Never trains on customer data.
How much does Instinct cost?
Free during the beta; pricing not published. OpenAssistant: Paid plans per seat.
Read more
- OpenAssistant vs Instinct: the full written comparison
- Best AI Personal Assistants and Agents in 2026, Compared
- Instinct vs Meta Muse (2026): Which AI Personal Agent Is Better?
- Instinct vs Cue by Manus (2026): Which AI Agent Wins?
- Instinct vs Grok Bot (2026): Which AI Agent Is Better?
- All AI assistants compared
- Best AI personal assistants in 2026
- OpenAssistant Trust Center
Sources
- Instinct terms of service
- Digital Today: Instinct launches dedicated email (Sep 2026)
- TechCrunch: Instinct raises $1B Series C (Sep 28, 2026)
9 products tracked. Machine-readable version: /data/ai-assistants.json.