Alternatives › ConnectMachine
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Ciao! vs ConnectMachine
CM: Digital Business Card, by Connect Machine, Inc.
A digital business card and contact manager for networking: you scan cards and badges, share your own card by QR code or Apple Wallet, and ask an AI who you met where.
51 ratings in the App Store, October 2026. iPhone and Android, last updated in September 2026. Built for networking and events, not for friends.
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Ciao!
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ConnectMachine
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| What it costs | One payment $9.99 |
$5.99 a month or $59.99 a year. CSV export $4.99 |
| Free tier | 3 friends | Free download, limits not stated |
| Account needed | None | Yes |
| Where it runs | iPhone | iPhone and Android |
| Where your notes live | Your phone and your own iCloud | Its servers (EU data stays in the EU) |
| A creature for each friend | 15 animals, 6 moods | No |
| A weekly swipe deck | Yes | No |
Every row comes from ConnectMachine’s own App Store listing or website, read on 2 October 2026. Nothing here is taken from another app’s reviews.
Sources: ConnectMachine on the App Store · ConnectMachine on AlternativeTo · ConnectMachine’s website
Where ConnectMachine wins
- •It is made for meeting new people. Scan a paper card, an event badge or a LinkedIn QR code and the contact is saved.
- •An AI you can ask "Who did I meet at the Austin conference?", plus a notetaker that records and sums up meetings.
- •It runs on Android, sends new contacts to Salesforce, HubSpot or Notion through Zapier, and has team plans.
Where Ciao! wins
- •Ciao! is for the friends you already have. Each one gets a rhythm, and on Sunday you see who is due.
- •No account. Your notes stay on your phone and in your own iCloud.
- •$9.99 once, against $59.99 a year.
Which one should you actually get?
These two apps do different jobs. If you go to events and want to swap cards and remember who you met, get ConnectMachine. If you want to keep up with the friends and family you already have, Ciao! is built for that and ConnectMachine is not.
