The artificial intelligence sector is witnessing an accelerated trend toward developing AI agents that can be communicated with via standard text messages, eliminating the need for users to download separate applications. These systems allow users to send requests via text, enabling the agents to remember context, connect to used services, and perform tasks on their behalf, such as scheduling appointments, organizing calendars, searching for trips, and sending emails.
Given the massive financial support received by companies like Instinct, which reached a valuation of $10 billion following a $1 billion funding round, several startups are competing to provide solutions tailored for daily, family, and professional use via SMS platforms and instant messaging apps.
Top AI Agents via Text Messaging
The options currently available in the market vary to include assistants that meet different needs, and the list includes the most prominent ones:
- Ask Proxy: An assistant that relies on anticipating user needs, allowing interaction via text messages to manage appointments, reminders, and provide ideas. It is available in a personal version for $1 per day, and a corporate version with prices starting from $15 to $23 per employee per month.
- Caddy: An assistant integrated into iMessage for iPhones and RCS for Android, which connects scattered information across the phone with calendars and contacts to identify tasks that require intervention. It has been available in a public beta since April 2026.
- Comma: A system designed to manage personal and professional tasks across browsers, computers, and files, with accessibility via apps such as Signal, Telegram, and WeChat. It is open-source and free to start.
- Fambot: Acts as a "chief of staff" for families, connecting school and sports activities, meal schedules, and calendars, and providing daily summaries via text messages, with plans to adopt a subscription model similar to streaming services.
- Folk: A smart assistant accessible via iMessage, WhatsApp, and Telegram, operating on a private cloud to perform complex, multi-step tasks such as tracking trips and making reservations, with a free version and a paid version available for intensive use.
- Instinct: One of the most funded and highly valued projects in this field, allowing voice or text communication to perform complex tasks such as planning trips and purchasing products, while providing dedicated email addresses for assistants to manage accounts without cluttering the user's personal inbox.
What is practically changing for users?
The model of interacting with technology is shifting from relying on separate applications and complex interfaces to familiar chat and messaging interfaces. This transition simplifies the management of daily and professional life, as these systems handle complex background tasks, such as setting up accounts or linking calendars and email, thereby reducing technical friction and providing a direct alternative to traditional applications.