# folk vs Instinct > folk scores 19.8 (F) to Instinct's 7.3 (F) for proactive personal assistants. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side. - Canonical: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-instinct - Markdown: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-instinct.md (~3,300 tokens) - Slim: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-instinct.min.md (~630 tokens, same facts, less prose, for token-sensitive contexts) - JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-instinct.json (this page as data, same URL with Accept: application/json) - Site index for agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt (full text: https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms-full.txt) - API: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json - Updated: 2026-10-13 folk scores 19.8 (F) on agent readiness against Instinct's 7.3 (F), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Both do proactive personal assistants. - folk: grade F, 19.8/100, rank #993 of 1010. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/folk-nozomio.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/folk-nozomio.json - Instinct: grade F, 7.3/100, rank #1009 of 1010. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/instinct.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/instinct.json - Best AI personal assistants that act for one person: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/personal-assistants/index.md - All 834 assistants comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/personal-assistants/index.md ## Which one, for what ### folk (F) Good for: People who want a texting companion for habits, workouts, study and money goals, with a free tier. Ahead on: - Reliability, 25 against 10 - Schema & documentation, 10 against 0 - Payments & pricing, 30 against 0 - Maintenance & community, 35 against 2 - Transparency & trust, 67 against 53 Also in its favour: - Free to start without a card Watch for: No API, MCP server or A2A endpoint for an outside agent. ### Instinct (F) Good for: People who want to hand errands to an assistant by text or phone. Watch for: No API, MCP server or A2A endpoint for an outside agent. ## Score by category | Category | Weight | folk | Instinct | Edge | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 25 | 10 | folk +15 | | Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run | | Schema & documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 10 | 0 | folk +10 | | Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 0 | 0 | even | | Security & auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 3 | 3 | even | | Payments & pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 30 | 0 | folk +30 | | Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run | | Maintenance & community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 35 | 2 | folk +33 | | Transparency & trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 67 | 53 | folk +14 | | Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | 0 | | | **Total** | | **19.8 · F** | **7.3 · F** | | ## Facts side by side | Fact | folk | Instinct | | --- | --- | --- | | Kind | Platform | Platform | | Vendor | Nozomio, Inc. | Spear Street Technology, Inc. (d/b/a Instinct) | | Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) | | Transports | | | | Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key | | Pricing | Freemium | Paid | | x402 | no | no | | Licence | Closed service under folk's terms (Nozomio, Inc., last updated 8 September 2026). | Closed service under Instinct's Terms of Service (Spear Street Technology, Inc. d/b/a Instinct, last revised 26 August 2026). | | Read-only variant documented | yes | no | | llms.txt | yes | no | | Last release | 2026-10-12 | none | | Terms last updated | | 2026-08-26 | | Privacy policy last updated | | 2026-08-26 | | Customer content may train models | | yes, with an opt-out | | Terms restrict automated access | | yes | | Terms restrict benchmarking | | yes | | Terms or service can change without notice | | not found in the text | | Arbitration or class-action waiver | | yes | ## Verdicts **folk.** folk is a texting accountability assistant with its own cloud computer, a free tier with no card and a privacy policy that rules out training on user data. No outside agent can call it, no status page or changelog was found, and its llms.txt and pricing file disagree on free limits and Max's price. **Instinct.** Instinct is a hosted assistant reached by text or call that acts in the owner's Google Workspace and WhatsApp and can make purchases. No outside agent can call it, no price is published, new sign-ups may meet a capacity waitlist, and materials train models unless the owner opts out. ## Before you call either ### folk 1. Don't plan to call folk from another agent. It answers only the owner's iMessage, Telegram or WhatsApp thread and iPhone app. 2. Quote limits and prices from pricing.md and the terms, and note that llms.txt gives different free-tier limits. ### Instinct 1. Don't look for an endpoint. app.instinct.com/mcp serves the web app shell and refuses POST with 405. 2. Confirm any purchase with the owner. The terms say Actions may not be reversible. ## Questions ### Which is better for AI agents, folk or Instinct? folk scores 19.8 (F) on agent readiness against Instinct's 7.3 (F), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. ## For agents - This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-instinct.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-instinct.min.md - Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {"a": "folk-nozomio", "b": "instinct"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare folk-nozomio instinct` - Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/folk-nozomio.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/instinct.json ## Other comparisons with folk or Instinct - [asaply vs folk](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/asaply-vs-folk-nozomio.md) - [asaply vs Instinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/asaply-vs-instinct.md) - [Asmi vs folk](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/asmi-vs-folk-nozomio.md) - [Asmi vs Instinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/asmi-vs-instinct.md) - [Boba vs folk](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/boba-vs-folk-nozomio.md) - [Boba vs Instinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/boba-vs-instinct.md) - [Brea vs folk](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/brea-vs-folk-nozomio.md) - [Brea vs Instinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/brea-vs-instinct.md) - [Del vs folk](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-folk-nozomio.md) - [Del vs Instinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/del-vs-instinct.md) - [folk vs HireAlpha](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-hirealpha.md) - [folk vs OpenInstinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-openinstinct.md) - [folk vs Orbits](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-orbits.md) - [folk vs Orchid](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-orchid-ai.md) - [folk vs szn](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-szn.md) - [folk vs Tab](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-tab-bot.md) - [folk vs Zapia](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-zapia.md) - [HireAlpha vs Instinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hirealpha-vs-instinct.md) - [Instinct vs OpenInstinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-openinstinct.md) - [Instinct vs Orbits](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-orbits.md) - [Instinct vs Orchid](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-orchid-ai.md) - [Instinct vs szn](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-szn.md) - [Instinct vs Tab](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-tab-bot.md) - [Instinct vs Zapia](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-zapia.md) - [AstrBot vs folk](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-folk-nozomio.md) - [AstrBot vs Instinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/astrbot-vs-instinct.md) - [Boski vs folk](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/boski-vs-folk-nozomio.md) - [Boski vs Instinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/boski-vs-instinct.md) - [Caddy vs folk](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/caddy-app-vs-folk-nozomio.md) - [Caddy vs Instinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/caddy-app-vs-instinct.md) - [CowAgent vs folk](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-folk-nozomio.md) - [CowAgent vs Instinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cowagent-vs-instinct.md) - [folk vs GAIA](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-gaia.md) - [folk vs Gemini Spark](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-gemini-spark.md) - [folk vs Grok Bot](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-grok-bot.md) - [folk vs Haven](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-haven.md) - [folk vs Hermes Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-hermes-agent.md) - [folk vs IronClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-ironclaw.md) - [folk vs Leon](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-leon.md) - [folk vs Lindy](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-lindy.md) - [folk vs nanobot](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-nanobot.md) - [folk vs NanoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-nanoclaw.md) - [folk vs Dots](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-openai-dots.md) - [folk vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-openclaw.md) - [folk vs PicoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-picoclaw.md) - [folk vs Poke](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-poke.md) - [folk vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-qwenpaw.md) - [folk vs Town](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-town.md) - [folk vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-zeroclaw.md) - [folk vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-zo-computer.md) - [GAIA vs Instinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gaia-vs-instinct.md) - [Gemini Spark vs Instinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-spark-vs-instinct.md) - [Grok Bot vs Instinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/grok-bot-vs-instinct.md) - [Haven vs Instinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/haven-vs-instinct.md) - [Hermes Agent vs Instinct](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/hermes-agent-vs-instinct.md) - [Instinct vs IronClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-ironclaw.md) - [Instinct vs Leon](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-leon.md) - [Instinct vs Lindy](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-lindy.md) - [Instinct vs nanobot](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-nanobot.md) - [Instinct vs NanoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-nanoclaw.md) - [Instinct vs Dots](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-openai-dots.md) - [Instinct vs OpenClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-openclaw.md) - [Instinct vs PicoClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-picoclaw.md) - [Instinct vs Poke](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-poke.md) - [Instinct vs QwenPaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-qwenpaw.md) - [Instinct vs Town](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-town.md) - [Instinct vs ZeroClaw](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-zeroclaw.md) - [Instinct vs Zo Computer](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-zo-computer.md) - [folk vs Natura tinyNature](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-natura.md) - [folk vs Pally](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-pally.md) - [folk vs Tomo](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-tomo.md) - [folk vs Wajo (Fo)](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-wajo.md) - [Instinct vs Natura tinyNature](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-natura.md) - [Instinct vs Pally](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-pally.md) - [Instinct vs Tomo](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-tomo.md) - [Instinct vs Wajo (Fo)](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-wajo.md) - [folk vs Talorys](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/folk-nozomio-vs-talorys.md) - [Instinct vs Talorys](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/instinct-vs-talorys.md) ## Disclosure - folk competes with LocalGhost, which Anchor Terminal's founder builds. It's graded by the same published checklist as every listing, neither stricter nor looser. Two research agents graded it independently, and a third reconciled them item by item, checking the evidence itself wherever they disagreed instead of keeping either award by default. - Instinct competes with LocalGhost, which Anchor Terminal's founder builds. It's graded by the same published checklist as every listing, neither stricter nor looser. Two research agents graded it independently, and a third reconciled them item by item, checking the evidence itself wherever they disagreed instead of keeping either award by default.