Alternatives › Mob
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Ciao! vs Mob
Mob, by Benjamin Kaiser
An open-source personal CRM you fill by talking to your AI assistant over MCP, or through a web app, with notes, reminders, birthdays, gift ideas and debts.
Not in the App Store; it runs in a browser and installs as a web app. In beta in 2026, made by one developer in Australia.
|
Ciao!
|
MMob | |
|---|---|---|
| What it costs | One payment $9.99 |
Free during the beta, then $5 a month or $50 a year hosted. Free to self-host |
| Free tier | 3 friends | Every feature and no contact cap during the beta |
| Account needed | None | Yes |
| Where it runs | iPhone | Any browser, installable as a web app |
| Where your notes live | Your phone and your own iCloud | Mob’s servers, or a server you run yourself |
| A creature for each friend | 15 animals, 6 moods | No |
| A weekly swipe deck | Yes | No |
Every row comes from Mob’s own App Store listing or website, read on 2 October 2026. Nothing here is taken from another app’s reviews.
Sources: Mob on AlternativeTo · Mob’s website
M Where Mob wins
- •You can talk to your AI assistant to add people and reminders. "Remind me to call Lisa next Tuesday" and it is set.
- •Free with no caps during the beta, and free for good if you host it yourself.
- •It imports from Monica, vCard and Google Contacts, and keeps gift wishlists and IOUs in any currency.
Where Ciao! wins
- •The timer counts from the last time you actually talked, so it starts again when you do. Mob’s reminders are dates you set, one-off or recurring.
- •An iPhone app with a widget and a deck on Sunday. No browser tab and no AI to connect.
- •No account. Your notes stay on your phone and in your own iCloud.
Which one should you actually get?
If you already talk to an AI assistant every day and want it to look after your contacts, Mob is made for exactly that, and it is free right now. If you are on an iPhone and want a quiet weekly nudge with nothing to connect or sign up for, Ciao! is the simpler of the two.
