To use an AI agent, you no longer need to download a separate app and open it every time you need help. Many new services work directly inside familiar messengers: all it takes is sending a message to plan a trip, schedule a meeting, send an email, book a table, or get a reminder a few days later.

TechCrunch has compiled two dozen such solutions — from universal personal assistants to specialized services for families, travelers, office workers, and content creators. Some of them are capable not only of answering questions, but also of independently carrying out multistep tasks using connected apps and services.

One of the most prominent players in the market is Instinct, which in September 2026 raised $1 billion at a $10 billion valuation. But the competition is not limited to a single startup: new assistants are offering different approaches to automation, organizing everyday life, and protecting user data.

Universal AI assistants

Instinct is one of the most ambitious projects in this category. The assistant accepts text and voice commands and can work with email, calendars, and Google Workspace. Among the tasks users assign to it are travel planning, grocery shopping, ticket booking, and subscription cancellations.

In September, the company added the ability to give assistants separate email addresses. This allows them to register for services, contact companies, and track the progress of requests without mixing that correspondence with the user’s personal inbox. At the same time, such a high degree of autonomy raises questions about privacy and security. Instinct remains in closed beta for now.

Poke appeared in March 2026 as a universal assistant available through text messages. It can work with calendars, planning, photos, smart home management, and other everyday tasks. In June, Apple approved Poke as the first AI agent on the Messages for Business platform. In July, the startup was acquired by Cognition, known for its AI-powered programming tools.

Folk works through iMessage, WhatsApp, and Telegram. It remembers the context of conversations, sets reminders, looks up information, tracks flights, works with email, and helps book restaurants. Unlike a regular chatbot, Folk has its own cloud computer and can run code while executing a sequence of actions. The basic version is free, while the $8.33-per-month Pro subscription removes limits on the number of background tasks.

Martin is available via SMS, phone calls, WhatsApp, email, Slack, and a standalone iOS app. It helps manage calendars, tasks, notes, and correspondence, and can also send messages and make calls on the user’s behalf. In addition, the assistant compiles daily summaries of items requiring attention. Subscriptions start at $21 per month.

Comma is focused on completing tasks rather than just preparing answers. It can work with a browser, computer, and files, preserving context across devices and conversations. Through Signal, Telegram, and WeChat, users can assign tasks to it remotely. Comma also creates daily summaries, highlights urgent issues, and processes call records. The service is free and open source.

Rene is positioned as a personal assistant you can approach almost like an acquaintance. It turns ordinary messages into tasks, reminders, and summaries, remembers previous conversations, and proactively draws attention to issues it’s time to revisit. In addition, Rene can work with a browser, write code, make purchases, and create presentations and images. It is available through iMessage, Telegram, and WhatsApp.

Pally brings together information from different services, including WhatsApp, Gmail, calendars, and Google Drive. The assistant helps track plans, receipts, dates, files, and other details that are easy to lose in the flow of messages. There is a free tier; paid options include a $25-per-month plan with 30 minutes of calls and a $100 plan with 60 minutes.

Tab lets users delegate everyday tasks through iMessage and WhatsApp — for example, ordering groceries or looking for birthday gifts. In early October 2026, the company emerged from stealth with a $300 million valuation. Its investors include SV Angel, Valar Ventures, and American Spirit.

Wajo offers an agent called Fo, which can call companies, send emails, join group chats, make bookings, and complete purchases. To do this, Fo has its own email address, phone number, and payment card, allowing the agent to interact with organizations without asking the user for their credentials. If a task turns out to be too complex, the company promises to bring in a human to help complete it. Fo became publicly available in September; the basic version is free, while more complex tasks are offered through the paid Pro tier.

Assistants for family and home

Fambot gathers school messages, sports events, family calendars, meal plans, and household tasks in one place. Every night, it automatically sends a summary for the next day: what events are scheduled, what needs to be done, and, for example, which school uniform or items to bring along. Parents can reply to messages, уточнять information, and change plans.

The service works on iOS, Android, and the web, and also accepts SMS. It currently connects to Gmail, Google Calendar, Outlook, and WhatsApp; support for Apple Calendar is planned for later. Fambot launched in beta in early September and raised $3.5 million at an early stage. For now, it can be used for free, but the company plans to introduce a fee in the future roughly at the level of a Netflix subscription.

Ohai also helps organize family life. Users can forward messages and emails to it or send voice requests, and the assistant turns them into schedules, reminders, and plans. It also coordinates calendars, household chores, and meals for multiple family members. There is a free basic tier, and paid subscriptions start at $9.99 per month and vary depending on family size.

Ollie combines school messages, calendars, to-do lists, and family chats, helping keep information up to date. The assistant keeps track of schedules, emails, reminders, and household tasks, then sends users the information they need in messages.

A distinctive feature of Ollie is compliance with the SOC 2 standard, which is used to assess security and control measures in service companies. The app launched in June 2026. There is a free tier, while paid plans start at $25 per month for 150 messages; the $100 option includes up to 1,000 messages.

Orbits works through its own app and text messages. It combines family calendars, lists, and correspondence, helps search for information online, buy goods, book restaurants, reschedule meetings, and request quotes from household service providers. In addition, Orbits can remind family members about responsibilities and contact service providers. The project is backed, among others, by a16z Speedrun, N49P, and Garage Capital.

Tomo stands out in that it can be connected not only to one-on-one chats but also to group conversations. The assistant helps coordinate plans, schedule meetings, maintain discipline in achieving goals, and distribute everyday tasks. It can also send reminders, look up information, work with calendars and email, watch videos, and edit photos. The basic plan costs $19.99 per month.

For travel, work, and content planning

Miso specializes in travel. It works through iMessage and combines trip planning with support from a dedicated team of specialists. A user can arrange a flight right in the chat, while the service takes into account their preferences, loyalty programs, and other priorities. Miso also provides trip details, flight status updates, and personalized recommendations.

Town is aimed at professional tasks. Its assistant, Townie, studies the user’s work habits and helps carry out regularly recurring assignments using email, calendars, documents, Slack, and other platforms. In June 2026, the company raised $55 million in a Series A round led by Andreessen Horowitz and Forerunner.

Skye works differently: instead of ongoing chat-based communication, it serves as an intelligent home screen for the iPhone. The service analyzes data from connected apps and displays contextual cards, recommendations, reminders, and daily summaries. It can also prepare audio summaries and gather information before meetings. Skye developer Signull Labs raised about $3.6 million in seed funding in 2025. In April 2026, the product moved into closed testing, but a public launch date has not yet been announced.

Stanley is designed for content creators. It helps come up with topics, turn them into posts, and maintain a regular publishing schedule. By connecting Instagram, a user can receive suggestions based on their own activities and events rather than only abstract ideas. Stanley turns voice notes into scripts, captions, and other materials for social media. The service also includes a content calendar and the ability to schedule posts. It is available through iMessage, Telegram, and a web interface.

Szn coordinates tasks and follow-up actions in a single conversation. A user can send text, voice notes, photos, and forwarded emails, while the assistant can make calls, send emails, and track the completion of assignments. According to the company’s website, Szn has served more than 7,500 companies in 16 countries, completed over 10,000 tasks, and processed 95 hours of calls.

Caddy helps turn fragmented information from a phone into concrete actions. On iPhone, it works in iMessage, and on Android, via RCS. For example, if an email includes a meeting time or a friend sends a shopping list, Caddy can recognize what needs to be done and suggest adding the event to a calendar, setting a reminder, or planning follow-up actions. The assistant also conducts research and keeps track of commitments. The public beta has been available since April 2026.

Iris, built on Hermes Agent, lets users assign tasks through iMessage. The user connects the necessary apps and describes the task in a normal message. The agent performs the required steps, takes previous conversations into account, and can remind the user about an issue on its own without waiting for a new request.

Underdog emphasizes privacy. Unlike cloud services, it runs the model directly on the user’s device so that personal data stays on the user’s own hardware. An invitation-only closed beta for Mac and Windows computers launched in early October 2026. The company plans to add Linux, iPhone, and Android in the future. At launch, the app is promised to be distributed free of charge and without ads.

What to consider before choosing

These assistants are gradually becoming intermediaries between people and digital services: instead of searching for the required function on their own, users formulate a goal, and the agent tries to carry it out independently. But the capabilities vary significantly. Some tools mainly gather information and set reminders, while others can write emails, make calls, complete purchases, or carry out multistep assignments.

Before connecting one, it is worth checking which apps will get access to data, where messages are processed, and what actions the agent can perform without additional confirmation. The more authority it has — for example, the ability to manage email, create accounts, or use payment methods — the more important it is to understand the boundaries of that autonomy.

Cost also needs to be considered: a free starter tier does not necessarily mean unlimited use, and some services limit the number of messages or background tasks. Finally, availability through a familiar messenger does not in itself guarantee that the agent works with the necessary apps or supports all features in a specific country.

The main change is not that AI has learned to respond to messages. It is gradually turning into a tool to which actions can be delegated. How convenient and safe that is depends not only on the quality of the model, but also on what data and authority the user is willing to give it.