Top AI Agents You Can Text in 2026, From Instinct to Caddy
Text-based AI agents now schedule, shop, travel and manage families or work, as Instinct hits a $10 billion valuation and privacy risks sharpen in 2026.
Summary
Caddy, public beta since April 2026, turns messages into events, reminders and research. Free, open-source Comma spans devices, Signal, Telegram and WeChat, verifies work, briefs users and summarizes calls. Family organizer Fambot entered beta in early September 2026 with $3.5 million in pre-seed funding; it links Gmail, Google Calendar, Outlook and WhatsApp, with Apple Calendar planned, and is free before Netflix-like pricing. Folk, in beta since May, runs privately in the cloud, free or $8.33 monthly for unlimited background tasks.
Instinct raised $350 million at $2.5 billion, then $1 billion at $10 billion in September 2026; its private-beta agent plans, shops, books, calls and uses dedicated email addresses, raising privacy and security concerns. Hermes-powered Iris delegates through iMessage. Martin starts at $21 monthly; Miso combines travel planning with human support; Ohai starts at $9.99. June-launched Ollie offers SOC 2-compliant family coordination free, $25 for 150 messages or $100 for 1,000. Orbits is backed by a16z Speedrun, N49P and Garage Capital. Pally includes 15 free call minutes, 30 for $25 or 60 for $100.
Poke launched in March 2026, became Apple Messages for Business’s first AI agent in June, then parent The Interaction Company of California sold to Cognition for low nine figures in July. Rene browses and codes; Stanley serves creators. Signull Labs’ Skye entered April beta after raising $3.6 million in 2025, without a public date. Szn served 7,500 businesses in 16 countries, completing 10,000 jobs and 95 call hours. October arrival Tab was valued at $300 million. Tomo starts at $19.99. Town raised $55 million in June. October beta Underdog runs locally on Mac and Windows. Wajo’s Fo launched publicly in September with email, phone, card and human fallback.
Positives
- Instinct’s September 2026 round raised $1 billion and lifted its valuation from $2.5 billion to $10 billion.
- Ollie’s SOC 2 compliance gives families a security-focused option for coordinating sensitive household information.
- Poke became the first AI agent approved for Apple Messages for Business in June 2026.
- Fambot raised $3.5 million in pre-seed funding and connects major email, calendar and messaging services.
- Comma is free and open source, while Underdog processes personal data locally and promises no advertising.
- Szn has completed more than 10,000 jobs for 7,500 businesses across 16 countries.
Risks & concerns
- Instinct’s dedicated email addresses and growing autonomy have intensified privacy and security concerns.
- Instinct remains in private beta, while Skye has not announced a public release date.
- Ollie charges $25 for 150 messages and $100 for 1,000, making heavier family use costly.
- Martin starts at $21 monthly, while Tomo begins at $19.99 and Fambot plans future paid pricing.
- Underdog initially supports only Mac and Windows, with Linux, iPhone and Android still planned.
- Agents connecting email, calendars, purchases and communications concentrate substantial personal access in one service.