Arlo and Kiwi do a lot of the same work. Both are free to start, both message you before you ask, and both call places, use websites with your accounts and book things for you. The differences are in what happens to your data, how each one handles a booking you asked for, and how the free plan is measured.
At a glance
| Kiwi | Arlo | |
|---|---|---|
| Texts you first | Yes | Yes |
| Your data trains AI | No | In the US, yes unless you turn it off; elsewhere, only if you turn it on |
| When you tell it to book | Your words are the yes; the price comes first | It checks with you before a booking that needs your approval |
| Where you text it | Messages on iPhone, WhatsApp on any phone | iMessage and SMS, WhatsApp, Slack, a phone call |
| Price | Free to use | Free with $10 of usage a month; Plus $20 and Max $100 a month |
Sources: Arlo's homepage, pricing page and privacy policy (updated 5 November 2026), all checked on 10 November 2026. Kiwi's privacy policy.
Training on your data
Arlo's privacy policy says you decide about AI training. In the US it's on until you turn it off in your account settings, and outside the US it stays off unless you turn it on. Arlo never trains on your email, calendar, calls or connected apps. Kiwi doesn't use your conversations or connected accounts to train general-purpose AI models, wherever you live, so there's nothing to switch off. More in Is Kiwi safe?
Doing what you asked
Tell Kiwi "book the 7:30 table" or "send Marco the invoice" and it does it. Your words are the yes, and there's no second step. For anything that costs money, Kiwi tells you the price first. It asks again only when something changed, like a higher price, or when it's offering something you didn't ask for.
What free means
Arlo's free plan comes with $10 of usage a month, calls and bookings included, and inviting friends can raise that to $100. Kiwi is free to use: chatting with it and everything it notices are always free, and every week includes some bookings, calls and research. Kiwi Plus gives more room, and Kiwi tells you its price in the chat when you need it. More in Is Kiwi free?
To start, tap Text Kiwi on heykiwi.co.
Questions people ask
Is there an Arlo alternative that doesn't train on my data? Yes. Kiwi doesn't use your conversations or connected accounts to train general-purpose AI models, and it texts you first and books things for you too.
Does Kiwi make calls and bookings on the free plan? Yes. Every week includes some bookings, calls and research, and noticing is always free.
Can I text Kiwi from Android? Yes, on WhatsApp.
Can I use both? Yes. They're separate contacts in your messages.