Kiwi and Orchid are both AI assistants that live in your messages. You text them like a person, and they help you get things done. They look alike at first glance, but they are built for different jobs.
The short version: Orchid is built as an executive assistant for your inbox and calendar, from $29.99 a month. Kiwi is a proactive assistant for your whole day. It texts you first, does it on any app or website when you say yes, works on iMessage and WhatsApp, and is free to use.
At a glance
| Kiwi | Orchid | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Your whole day, home and work | Being your executive assistant |
| Where you talk to it | iMessage and WhatsApp | iMessage and SMS |
| Texts you first | Yes | Yes |
| Price | Free to use | From $29.99 a month |
| Free to use | Yes | No general free plan or trial |
| Gets things done | Books, orders and replies on any app or website when you say yes | Drafts held for your approval by default |
| Works with | Gmail, Outlook, Google Calendar, Slack, Spotify, Uber and many more, plus any website | Gmail, Google Calendar, Granola, Slack and more |
Facts about Orchid are from Orchid's own website, checked on 12 October 2026.
Built for different jobs
Orchid describes itself as organised around one job: being your executive assistant. Its focus is your inbox and calendar, with morning digests, meeting briefs and replies drafted for you to approve.
Kiwi is built for everything that pulls you back to your phone, at home and at work. It keeps an eye on your calendar and email, and when something needs doing, it messages you once, at the right time:
Your flight to London tomorrow is delayed by an hour. Want me to book a car for 7:30 so you're not rushing? UberX is €34, Comfort €41
You reply "UberX", and it's booked.
Doing it, not just drafting it
This is the biggest difference. Kiwi doesn't stop at a suggestion. When you say yes, it does the whole thing: books the ride, orders dinner, reserves the table, replies to the email, cancels the subscription. It works on the apps you already use, and when there's no app for something, it uses the website for you.
Kiwi still keeps you in charge. It only does what you asked for or agreed to, anything that costs money shows its price first, and it only says something is booked once the company confirms it.
WhatsApp, for any phone
Orchid works over iMessage and SMS. Kiwi works on iMessage and WhatsApp, so anyone with any phone can use it, Android included. If your friends and family live in WhatsApp, Kiwi is already there.
Price
Orchid starts at $29.99 a month, with no general free trial. Kiwi is free to use, with no card needed to start. When Kiwi books something for you, you pay the company directly, at the price Kiwi showed you first. See Is Kiwi free?
Privacy
Kiwi never sells your data and never shows your passwords to its AI: they are encrypted before they're saved and filled in for you. And nothing written in an email or on a website can tell Kiwi what to do. Only you can. More in Is Kiwi safe?
Which one is right for you?
Orchid may suit you if you want an executive assistant focused on your work inbox and calendar, and you're happy to pay a monthly subscription.
Kiwi suits you if you want an assistant for your whole day that notices what needs doing, texts you first, and gets it done on any app or website when you say yes, on iMessage or WhatsApp, for free.
Try Kiwi
Tap Sign up on heykiwi.co and pick iMessage or WhatsApp. Kiwi asks a few quick questions, and you're in.
Questions people ask
Is Kiwi an alternative to Orchid? Yes. Both are AI assistants you text. Kiwi is free, works on WhatsApp as well as iMessage, and books things on any website when you say yes.
Does Kiwi work on Android? Yes, through WhatsApp.
Can I use both? Yes. They're separate numbers in your messages, so you can try Kiwi alongside anything you use today.