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AI · head to head

Vellum vs Poe

Vellum logo

Vellum

AI

Personalized AI assistant with persistent memory and autonomous action-taking

From
Free
Rated
-
Poe logo

Poe

AI

Chat platform that gives access to many AI models from one subscription

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Vellum pricing varies significantly by computational tier, making budget planning difficult; Poe points-based pricing makes cost per message hard to predict across models.
  • They diverge on capability: Vellum covers Persistent AI identity, Poe covers Multi-model chat.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Vellum and Poe actually diverge.

Attributes where Vellum and Poe differ
AttributeVellumPoe
Pricing modelFreemium with paid plans and pay-as-you-go creditsfreemium
PlatformsWeb, macOS, iOS, Slack, Telegram, Terminalweb, ios, android, windows, mac
FoundedUnknown2009

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (AI).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Vellum

  • Persistent AI identity
  • Long-term memory
  • Email automation
  • Calendar management
  • Autonomous task execution
  • Multi-device synchronization
  • Custom plugins
  • Open-source deployment

Only in Poe

  • Multi-model chat
  • Custom bots
  • Image and video generation
  • Points-based usage
  • API access for bot creators

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Vellum

  • Personal productivity automation across email and calendarnot Poe
  • CRM updates and pipeline managementnot Poe
  • Expense report generation and managementnot Poe
  • Document drafting and content creationnot Poe
  • Meeting scheduling and calendar coordinationnot Poe

Poe

  • Comparing responses across multiple AI modelsnot Vellum
  • Building and sharing custom prompt-based botsnot Vellum
  • Accessing premium models without separate subscriptionsnot Vellum
  • Generating images or video from a chat interfacenot Vellum

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Vellum

  • Pricing varies significantly by computational tier, making budget planning difficult
  • Requires explicit permission for sensitive actions, limiting autonomy
  • Self-hosting option may intimidate non-technical users
  • Learning curve to develop customizations with plugins

Poe

  • Points-based pricing makes cost per message hard to predict across models.
  • Heavy usage of top-tier models can exhaust points quickly on lower plans.
  • No native fine-tuning or persistent long-term memory across bots.
  • Custom bots are limited to prompt engineering rather than full agent tooling.

Pricing, plan by plan

Vellum

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Starter credits included
    • Basic features
  • Mighty$30/month
    • 1 vCPU, 2 GiB RAM
    • 10 GB storage
    • Included usage allowance
  • Super$100/month
    • 2.5 vCPU, 5 GiB RAM
    • 30 GB storage
    • Assistant email and subdomain
  • Ultra$200/month
    • 4 vCPU, 8 GiB RAM
    • 60 GB storage
    • Assistant email and subdomain

Poe

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Limited daily messages across select models
  • Starter$4.99/month
    • Monthly compute points
    • Access to premium models
  • Premium$19.99/month
    • Larger monthly point allowance
    • Priority access to premium models
  • Premium Plus$49.99/month
    • Higher point allowance for heavy usage

Which should you pick?

Choose Vellum if

  • You need persistent ai identity.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, macOS, iOS, Slack, Telegram, Terminal.
  • You also want long-term memory.

Choose Poe if

  • You need multi-model chat.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, ios, android, windows, mac.
  • You also want custom bots.

Questions people ask

Is Vellum or Poe better?
Neither clearly leads. Vellum starts at Free and Poe at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Vellum or Poe?
Vellum starts at Free and Poe at Free.
Does Vellum or Poe run on more platforms?
Vellum runs on Web, macOS, iOS, Slack, Telegram, Terminal. Poe runs on web, ios, android, windows, mac.
Can I use Vellum for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Vellum best used for?
Vellum is most often used for personal productivity automation across email and calendar, crm updates and pipeline management, expense report generation and management, document drafting and content creation. Of those, personal productivity automation across email and calendar and crm updates and pipeline management are not what Poe is typically brought in for.
What can Vellum do that Poe cannot?
Vellum covers Persistent AI identity, Long-term memory, Email automation, Calendar management. Poe covers Multi-model chat, Custom bots, Image and video generation, Points-based usage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Vellum: How does Vellum protect my data privacy?

Vellum uses permission-based controls requiring explicit approval for sensitive actions. Data is encrypted and the option for self-hosting provides complete data control. Open-source deployment option allows hosting on your own infrastructure.

Source
Poe: How does Poe's pricing work?

Poe uses a monthly points system: each subscription tier grants a pool of compute points that are spent per message, with the amount depending on which underlying AI model is used.

Source
Vellum: Can I use Vellum for business team collaboration?

Vellum is primarily designed as a personal assistant with persistent identity. For team collaboration, platforms like Lindy offer better multi-user features with shared credit pools and Slack workspace integration.

Source
Poe: Is there a free plan on Poe?

Yes, Poe offers a free tier with limited daily messages across a selection of models before users need a paid subscription for more access.

Source
Vellum: What does the free tier include?

Vellum offers free starter credits to begin using the platform. Beyond that, it operates on a pay-as-you-go credit model with paid tiers starting at $30/month for increased computational resources and bundled credits.

Source
Poe: What do the paid subscription tiers cost?

Poe offers Starter at $4.99/month, Premium at $19.99/month, and Premium Plus at $49.99/month, each granting a larger monthly pool of compute points.

Source
Poe: What happens if I run out of points?

Once a subscription's monthly point allowance is exhausted, further use of premium models is limited until the points refresh or the user upgrades or purchases more.

Source
Poe: Can developers build on Poe?

Yes, Poe lets creators build and publish custom bots, and developers can connect their own model endpoints as bots via Poe's API.

Source
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