Stash vs Poke: Desktop AI Agents vs iMessage AI Assistant

AI assistants are evolving beyond simple chatbots. Stash and Poke represent two distinct philosophies: Stash brings powerful AI agents to your desktop for file-heavy work, while Poke embeds AI directly into your messaging app to anticipate your needs.

This comparison helps you understand which approach - desktop automation or messaging-first AI - better fits your workflow.

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What is Poke?

Poke.com is an AI assistant that lives inside iMessage and SMS. Launched in September 2025 with $15M seed funding at a $100M valuation, Poke is used by over 6,000 Silicon Valley insiders who send 200,000+ messages per month.

Key Features:

• Lives in iMessage/SMS: No app switching - AI is always one text away
• Proactive assistance: Anticipates your needs before you ask
• Deep integrations: Connects to email, calendar, files, and more
• Action-oriented: Drafts replies, manages invoices, reschedules meetings, books travel
• Context-aware: References previous conversations and your schedule
• Messaging-native: Designed for quick, conversational interactions

Poke's philosophy: your phone is already your most-used device, so why not make AI accessible through messaging?

What is Stash?

Stash is an AI-powered desktop application that combines a persistent file system, long-term memory, and real-time access to your files and information.

Key Features:

• Desktop-first: Complete workspace for knowledge work
• Persistent file system: AI understands and remembers your entire context
• Long-term memory: Maintains context across all your documents and sessions
• Real-time integrations: Direct access to Gmail, Google Drive, Notion, bookmarks
• Natural language workflows: Build custom automations without complex agents
• Learns your voice: AI sounds and acts like you over time
• Version control: See every change, rollback instantly

Stash's philosophy: knowledge workers need AI that organizes, synthesizes, and acts on information, not just quick answers.

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Key Differences

Poke: Pros and Cons

Pros

✅ Zero friction - Already in your messaging app, no app switching ✅ Proactive AI - Anticipates needs before you ask ✅ Mobile-optimized - Perfect for on-the-go task management ✅ Email & calendar integration - Manages inbox and scheduling seamlessly ✅ Travel assistant - Books flights, hotels, and handles itinerary changes ✅ VC-backed - $15M funding means rapid feature development

Cons

❌ iOS only - Requires iPhone and iMessage ❌ Not for heavy file work - Limited document editing capabilities ❌ Closed beta - Not publicly available yet (6,000 users) ❌ Closed source - Proprietary platform, no transparency ❌ No version control - Can't rollback changes ❌ Messaging-limited - Interface constrained by SMS/iMessage format

Stash: Pros and Cons

Pros

✅ Persistent file system - Complete workspace with long-term memory ✅ Real-time data access - Direct access to files, emails, and integrations ✅ Learns your voice - AI that sounds and acts like you ✅ Natural language workflows - Build automations without coding ✅ Version control - Full change history and instant rollback ✅ Works offline - Desktop-first means no internet required for local files ✅ Privacy-focused - Your files stay on your machine

Cons

❌ Desktop only - No mobile app for quick tasks on the go ❌ Requires installation - Not as frictionless as a text message ❌ Not optimized for mobile tasks - Travel booking, quick emails better suited for Poke ❌ No email integration yet - Doesn't manage your inbox like Poke

<!-- Screenshot placeholder: Poke handling a travel booking via iMessage -->

Who Should Choose Poke?

Poke is ideal if you:

• Use iPhone/iMessage as your primary device
• Need quick, mobile AI assistance throughout the day
• Want AI to manage email and calendar proactively
• Travel frequently and need booking assistance
• Prefer messaging interfaces over desktop apps
• Don't need heavy document or file operations
• Are comfortable with a closed, proprietary platform

Best use cases: Busy professionals managing inbox on the go, frequent travelers, anyone who lives in their phone rather than laptop, executives delegating quick tasks.

Who Should Choose Stash?

Stash is ideal if you:

• Deal with information overload across multiple systems
• Want persistent memory that remembers your entire work context
• Need real-time access to files, emails, and integrated data
• Want AI that learns your voice and organizational patterns
• Need proactive assistance based on your ongoing work
• Work primarily from a desktop or laptop
• Need AI for knowledge work (reports, presentations, research)
• Want to build natural language workflows without coding

Best use cases: Product managers creating documents, consultants managing research, analysts working with spreadsheets, anyone doing file-heavy knowledge work. See PowerPoint automation use case.

Final Recommendation

These tools serve fundamentally different needs:

Choose Poke if you want a mobile-first AI assistant living in your messaging app, perfect for quick tasks, email management, and travel bookings.

Choose Stash if you do knowledge work involving documents and files, need bulk editing capabilities, and want persistent AI memory for complex projects.

Interestingly, these tools aren't mutually exclusive. Poke excels at quick mobile tasks ("Book me a flight to SF next Tuesday"), while Stash handles heavy document work ("Update all 50 client presentations with Q4 numbers").

For knowledge workers and document-heavy roles - consultants, product managers, researchers, analysts - Stash's file-first approach and persistent memory make it essential. For mobile professionals managing quick tasks throughout the day, Poke's messaging interface is unbeatable.

If you're deciding between them, ask: "Do I spend more time in documents or in my inbox?" Document-heavy? Choose Stash. Inbox-heavy? Choose Poke.

Ready to Try Stash?

Stash Desktop is perfect for automating your document workflows.

Download Stash Desktop • View all use cases • Learn more about Stash