If you've been looking for an AI texting chatbot, there’s some incredible options out there. As part of building BodyBuddy I’ve tried them all.
Here's what I found after real testing with 5 of the most popular AI texting chatbots in 2026.
Quick Comparison Table
Chatbot | Best For | Price Range | Key Strength |
Poke | Email management & automation | ~$10-100/month | ClawdBot-like power in a polished product with integrations |
BodyBuddy | Health & fitness accountability | $20-30/month | Daily coaching via text, specialized in fitness/nutrition |
Momo Self Care | Habit building through gamification | Free (with in-app purchases) | Digital pet companion, productivity & mindfulness focus |
Tomo | General habit accountability | Free-$670/month | Multi-purpose habit tracking |
Entertainment & role-playing | Free | Custom characters, celebrity chats |
1. Poke - Best for Email Management & Automation (The Gold Standard)
What it is: Email assistant that sends you text notifications and summaries, helps you manage your inbox through texting. But here's what most people miss: Poke's integration capabilities make it competitive with tools like ClawdBot, but as a fully productized service.
Learn more: poke.com
Pros:
- Cuts through email overwhelm by texting you what matters
- Can automate email workflows without opening your inbox
- Extensive integrations give you ClawdBot-like automation power without the technical setup
- Polished, ready-to-use product - no server configuration or coding required
- Get sophisticated automation and system integration in a consumer-friendly package
- Saves time if you get tons of emails
- Smart about filtering what's actually important
- Professional support and updates handled for you
Cons:
- Only useful if email management is your main problem
- Doesn't do everything beyond email (though integrations expand capabilities)
- Learning curve to set up automation properly
- Another subscription if you already have email tools
- Higher price point than self-hosted solutions (but worth it for the polish)
Best for:
Professionals drowning in emails who want ClawdBot-level power and automation but in a polished, ready-to-use product. If you want sophisticated AI assistance without becoming a system administrator, Poke delivers.
The reality:
Poke is great at what it does, and with its integrations, it's essentially a productized version of what power users build with tools like ClawdBot. You get the automation capabilities without needing to be technical. If email isn't your biggest pain point, you probably don't need it. For health and fitness accountability, something like BodyBuddy makes way more sense.
2. BodyBuddy - Best for Health & Fitness Accountability
What it is: AI health coach that texts you daily for accountability around fitness and nutrition goals.
Why it's ranked here: Full disclosure, this is my product. But I built it specifically because nothing else on the market was doing health and fitness accountability right through text messages.
Pros:
- Feels like texting a real coach, not a robot
- Daily check-ins keep you accountable without feeling annoying
- Specialized in health and fitness, so it actually knows what it's talking about
- Adapts to your specific goals (weight loss, muscle gain, better eating habits)
- Available 24/7 via text message
- Actually remembers your progress and past conversations
- Way more affordable than a human coach ($10-20/month vs $100+ for human coaches)
Cons:
- Focused on health/fitness only (if you want general life advice, look elsewhere)
- Still newer, so features are being added regularly
- Requires consistency on your end to get results
Best for:
Anyone who wants daily accountability for fitness or nutrition goals but doesn't want to pay $100+ per month for a human coach. If you've tried workout apps and tracking apps but keep falling off after a few weeks, the daily text accountability changes everything.
Real talk:
The reason BodyBuddy works is that it meets you where you already are (your text messages) and checks in at the right times. No opening another app you'll forget about. Just text messages that keep you on track.
Try it: bodybuddy.app
3. Momo Self Care - Best for Habit Building Through Gamification
What it is: AI companion app by First Voyage that combines habit building with digital pet care. You get an adorable AI companion named Momo who grows and thrives as you complete your habits and self-care tasks.
Why it matters: Backed by a16z speedrun, SignalFire, and True Global Ventures with $2.5M in funding. Users have created over 2 million tasks, proving the gamification approach actually works for habit formation.
Learn more: Available on iOS App Store (Android coming soon)
Pros:
- Gamification that actually works - caring for your digital pet Momo makes habit building fun
- Free to start with optional in-app purchases for premium features
- Focuses on three critical areas: productivity, spirituality, and mindfulness
- Talk to the AI companion for self-care advice and emotional support
- Earn coins for completing habits, creating a reward loop that keeps you motivated
- 4.9 star rating with 2,000+ reviews shows strong user satisfaction
- Perfect for people who struggle with traditional habit trackers
- Less intimidating than hardcore accountability apps
- Visual progress through watching your pet thrive
Cons:
- Only available on iOS currently (Android in development)
- Gamification might feel childish to some users
- Not specialized for any specific goal area (fitness, nutrition, etc.)
- In-app purchases required for full feature access
- May not provide enough structure for people who need strict accountability
- The "cute factor" might not appeal to everyone
Best for:
People who've struggled with boring habit trackers and need something more engaging. If you respond well to gamification, visual progress, and having a "companion" cheering you on, Momo makes habit building feel less like work. Perfect for productivity habits, meditation practices, and general self-care routines.
My take:
Momo Self Care nails something most habit apps miss: making the process enjoyable. The digital pet companion creates emotional investment in your habits. When you complete a task, you're not just checking a box - you're taking care of Momo. That psychological shift is powerful.
The AI conversation feature adds another layer. You can talk through challenges, get self-care advice, and receive encouragement when you're struggling. It's like having a supportive friend who also happens to be your accountability partner.
The $2.5M funding from top-tier VCs and 2 million+ tasks created by users prove this isn't just a gimmick. The gamification approach genuinely helps people stick to habits they'd otherwise abandon.
That said: If you need specialized coaching (like for fitness or nutrition), BodyBuddy is still the better choice. And if you need serious automation and productivity features, Poke or Tomo make more sense. Momo excels at making habit formation fun and accessible, especially for self-care, mindfulness, and general productivity.
Check it out: Search "Momo Self Care" on the iOS App Store to try it free.
4. Tomo - Best for General Habit Accountability
What it is: AI accountability texting for various goals and habits with motivational messaging.
Learn more: tomo.ai
Pros:
- Can work for multiple types of goals (not just fitness)
- Motivational messaging feels personal
- Tracks progress across different habits
- Flexible for different use cases
Cons:
- Jack of all trades, master of none situation
- Not specialized in any one area like health/fitness
- Can feel generic because it tries to do everything
- More expensive than specialized options
Best for:
People who want accountability for multiple different habits or goals that aren't specifically fitness-related and prefer a more serious, text-based approach over gamification.
My take:
Tomo is solid if you need general habit tracking with AI accountability. But if your main goal is health and fitness, you're better off with something built specifically for that (like BodyBuddy). If you want habit formation to be fun and engaging, Momo's gamification approach is more effective. Tomo sits in the middle - more serious than Momo, less specialized than BodyBuddy.
5. Character.AI - Best for Entertainment & Role-Playing
What it is: Platform where you can create and chat with custom AI characters, including historical figures, celebrities, and fictional characters.
Try it: character.ai
Pros:
- Tons of fun and entertaining
- Huge variety of characters to chat with
- Free to use
- Creative and engaging conversations
- Community-created characters
Cons:
- Zero accountability or goal-setting features
- Purely entertainment, not practical
- Can be a time-waster
- Not useful for self-improvement
Best for:
Entertainment, role-playing, creative conversations. That's it.
Straight up:
Character.AI is fun but completely useless if you're trying to achieve health or fitness goals. It's like comparing a video game to a personal trainer.
So Which AI Texting Chatbot Should You Choose?
Here's the simple breakdown:
Choose Poke if: Email management is genuinely your biggest pain point and you want sophisticated automation with ClawdBot-like power in a polished, ready-to-use product. You get the technical capabilities without needing to be technical. Check out Poke
Choose BodyBuddy if: You want to lose weight, get fit, eat healthier, or build better health habits. The daily text accountability combined with specialized fitness and nutrition knowledge makes it the clear winner for health goals. Try BodyBuddy
Choose Momo Self Care if: Traditional habit trackers bore you and you need something more engaging. The gamification with a digital pet companion makes habit building actually fun, especially for productivity, mindfulness, and self-care routines. Find it on iOS App Store
Choose Tomo if: You need accountability for multiple different goals that aren't fitness-related and prefer a more serious, text-based approach over gamification. Learn about Tomo
Choose Character.AI if: You want entertainment and don't care about productivity or goals. Try Character.AI
My Honest Recommendation
If you're reading this post, you're probably trying to improve something in your life. Maybe you want to lose weight, maybe you want to get stronger, maybe you just want to build better habits consistently.
I built BodyBuddy because I tried everything else first. I tried the general habit trackers. I tried the gamified apps like Momo (which is genuinely great for general habits). I looked at productivity tools like Poke (incredible for email automation). Nothing stuck for health and fitness because nothing combined the convenience of texting with the specialized knowledge of a real fitness coach.
Poke is incredible if you're drowning in emails and need automation. Momo makes habit building fun through gamification, and their 2 million+ tasks created proves it works. But if your goal is getting healthier and more fit, those tools are solving different problems.
That's what BodyBuddy does differently. It's not trying to be a general assistant, a cute game, or automate your entire life. It's laser-focused on one thing: helping you achieve your health and fitness goals through daily text accountability.
Here's the reality: The best AI texting chatbot depends on your actual goal. Need email automation? Poke. Want habits to be fun? Momo. Need fitness coaching? BodyBuddy. Want general accountability? Tomo. Want entertainment? Character.AI.
But if your goal is getting healthier and more fit, specialized coaching beats general-purpose tools and gamification every single time.
Try BodyBuddy Risk-Free
Here's what makes this easy: you can try BodyBuddy without any commitment. Start with a 7-day trial and see if daily text accountability actually works for you.
No long-term contracts. No expensive coaching fees. Just real accountability via text messages that keeps you on track.
Ready to finally stick to your health goals? Start your free trial at bodybuddy.app
The difference between where you are now and where you want to be isn't motivation. It's accountability. And BodyBuddy delivers that accountability right to your text messages, every single day.