Comparisons
Hark vs Poke: app, messaging and human help compared
Hark Pro centers tasks in its own app and browser agent. Poke uses messaging channels and connected apps, with Poke Human providing a person for errands under Ultra. Choose by where you want to ask, the access your task needs and whether you want human assistance.
Hark gives you a dedicated app for projects and browser tasks. Poke puts connected-app work in a messaging conversation, with a human errand service under Ultra. The choice is how you want to ask and who should handle the job.
We make Arlo. The linked official descriptions were checked 3 November 2026. This comparison covers published features and plans.
What changes your choice
| Decision | Hark Pro | Poke |
|---|---|---|
| Where to ask | Web, iOS and Android apps | Messages, WhatsApp and Telegram |
| Task workflow | Projects and Handoff browser agent | Connected apps and Recipes |
| Starting point | Free use with all features | Free plan; paid tiers add headroom |
| Calling route in reviewed pages | Outbound business calling not described | Poke Human uses a person under Ultra |
Hark: a place for ongoing projects
Hark's homepage describes a single conversation, Projects and Handoff, its agent with a browser on its own computer. That may fit ongoing jobs you want to revisit in a dedicated app.
The reviewed Hark pages do not describe a direct iMessage or WhatsApp assistant channel or outbound business calls. That does not prove those capabilities could never be supported.
An illustrative request: "Find two hotels near the venue for these dates. Show cancellation terms and total cost. Do not reserve or pay." This is an example, not a completed test. Check whether the result contains options or an actual reservation.
Poke: messaging with an optional human route
Poke lists Messages, WhatsApp and Telegram and uses Recipes for connected tasks. Check your available channel and required account connections.
The Poke Human FAQ describes real people handling errands under Ultra, including calls and reservations. It says operators receive the details needed for the task rather than the user's full chat history or integrations. Treat that as Poke's published description, not an independent privacy finding.
Ask what the operator may agree to and which details they receive. Keep purchases and fees separate from permission to gather information.
Compare the cost of the actual job
Hark pricing lists all features on the free plan, with $20 monthly for twice the usage and $100 for ten times the usage. It does not publish a fixed free task count. Poke pricing lists Free, $19 Pro and $199 Ultra, with pay-as-you-go usage beyond Ultra credits. Merchant expenses remain separate from an assistant subscription.
Neither pricing structure establishes how many of your errands will finish. Start with the same bounded job and compare the result, necessary access and charges before increasing usage. The wider choices are in Hark alternatives and Poke alternatives.
Hark also has a feature-specific regional constraint: its privacy policy says Memory is unavailable in the EEA, UK and Switzerland. Check the feature you need, even if signup works.
Arlo can call businesses, navigate menus and wait on hold from a request in Messages or WhatsApp. Start free with one task, with Slack available when you need help at work.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hark or Poke better? Choose by interface and task. Hark describes an app and browser agent; Poke describes messaging and a human errand option. This page does not prove a performance winner.
Can I text Hark like Poke? Poke lists messaging channels. The reviewed Hark pages describe its own apps and web access, without a direct iMessage or WhatsApp channel.
Does Poke use AI to make every call? Its documented Poke Human route uses a real person under Ultra. Do not treat that service as an AI placing the call.
Are both free? Both publish free offerings. Their allowances and paid services differ; check the current plan and whether your intended task requires a paid service.