Manage relationships, or write to people?
Dex is a beautifully designed personal CRM with browser extensions and rich timelines. Thoughtful is a writing partner that helps you send the next card. Same broad space, different center of gravity.
How they're different
Dex is built around the timeline, every interaction with every person, captured and surfaced. The browser extension is a hallmark feature. Thoughtful is built around the next card, you don't capture every interaction, you don't need to. The app shows up when there's something to send.
Thoughtful is for you if…
You'd rather write a card than log an interaction. You want the heavy lifting to be the writing, not the data entry. You want the AI to draft for you, in your voice.
Dex is for you if…
You want a comprehensive timeline of every meeting, message, and touchpoint with the people in your network. You're using a personal CRM to build a relationship-management practice.
Feature-by-feature
| Feature | Thoughtful | Dex |
|---|---|---|
| iOS-native app | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extension | No | Yes |
| AI card drafting in your voice | Yes | Limited (note suggestions) |
| Print-and-mail card flow | Yes | No |
| Conversation timeline | Light contact log | Comprehensive timeline |
| LinkedIn / contact integrations | No | Yes |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing | Small subscription | Free + paid plans |
Where Thoughtful is better
- • Best if cards are the primary act, not interactions.
- • Best at writing in your voice with AI you can trust.
- • Best for the print-and-mail moment.
- • Best if you want less to log and more to send.
Where Dex is better
- • Best for power users with large professional networks.
- • Best if browser-based capture is critical.
- • Best for relationship-management workflows borrowed from sales.
- • Best if you want timeline depth.
The bottom line
Dex is the answer if your problem is 'I forget what I talked about with whom.' Thoughtful is the answer if your problem is 'I keep meaning to send a card and never do.' Pick the one that matches the problem you actually have.