# OpenAssistant vs Poke (2026): Feature Comparison

Facts last verified 2026-10-03.

Poke is a text-based assistant in iMessage, SMS, WhatsApp, and Telegram. OpenAssistant is an executive assistant for work that involves other people.

## OpenAssistant vs Poke at a glance

| | OpenAssistant | Poke |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Built for** | Professionals and teams whose work runs through colleagues, clients, and vendors | Individuals: a text-based assistant in your messaging apps |
| **Where you use it** | Phone calls, iMessage, SMS, WhatsApp, email, and web | iMessage, SMS, WhatsApp, and Telegram; no separate app |
| **Its own phone number** | Built in: Its own number, for calls and texts | Partial: A number you text; no calling or separate identity found |
| **Its own email address** | Built in: Including one on your company domain | Not offered or not found: None found |
| **Its own computer** | Built in: Its own secure computer | Not verified: Not verified |
| **Contacts people on your behalf** | Built in: Runs the whole exchange; the people it deals with never need an account | Not offered or not found: Not found in public documentation |
| **Multi-person threads and hand-offs** | Built in: Many people on one thread, with hand-offs, approvals, and follow-ups | Not verified: Group-chat use reported by a secondary source; not verified |
| **Shared tasks, files, and workflows** | Built in: Inside your company and across companies | Not offered or not found: Individual accounts; not designed for team use |
| **Recurring and triggered work** | Built in: Plain-English workflows on demand, on a schedule, or on a trigger | Partial: Proactive alerts, reminders, and background automations on Pro |
| **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: May train on your data unless you choose Maximum Privacy |
| **Security certifications** | Built in: SOC 2 Type II, GDPR, CCPA; encryption in transit and at rest | Not verified: SOC 2 Type II reported by a secondary source; not verified |
| **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** | Private beta; request access | Public with a free tier; acquired by Cognition (announced July 2026), and TechCrunch says nothing changes immediately through the end of the year |
| **Price** | Paid plans per seat | Free; Pro $19; Ultra $199 per month |

## Where Poke shines

- Fast setup: you start by texting a number, with no app to install
- Proactive alerts for meetings and flight changes, plus reminders and automations
- 30+ integrations and custom MCP server support

## Pick Poke if

- You want a free or low-cost assistant you text from iMessage, SMS, WhatsApp, or Telegram, for personal use.
- You are comfortable that Poke is joining Cognition and that its roadmap beyond this year is not committed.

## Pick OpenAssistant if

- You need an assistant colleagues and clients can reach, with its own email, and shared team work.
- You need documented admin controls and compliance for a company rollout.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the difference between OpenAssistant and Poke?

Poke is a text-based assistant in iMessage, SMS, WhatsApp, and Telegram. OpenAssistant is an executive assistant for work that involves other people.

### Does Poke have its own phone number?

A number you text; no calling or separate identity found. OpenAssistant: Its own number, for calls and texts.

### Can Poke work with a team?

Individual accounts; not designed for team use. OpenAssistant: Inside your company and across companies.

### Does Poke train on my data?

May train on your data unless you choose Maximum Privacy. OpenAssistant: Never trains on customer data.

### How much does Poke cost?

Free; Pro $19; Ultra $199 per month. OpenAssistant: Paid plans per seat.

## Sources

- [Poke](https://poke.com)
- [Poke privacy policy](https://poke.com/privacy)
- [TechCrunch: Why Cognition bought Poke (Jul 24, 2026)](https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/24/why-cognition-bought-poke-ai-personality-is-becoming-a-competitive-advantage/)

## Read more

- [More about Poke](https://openassistant.us/blog/poke-ai-acquired-by-cognition)

- [All AI assistants compared](https://openassistant.us/ai-assistants-compared)
- [Best AI personal assistants in 2026](https://openassistant.us/blog/best-ai-personal-assistants-2026)