Alice reviews

Hi,

Lack of documentation & tutorials (+ existing doc is not up to date so different things with the installed app which is disturbing) + no support (email support never answer) + no local implementation steps (Ollama) + i often get into errors under windows for whatever chat, llm errors etc and nothing help to get ou of the issues, that's a recipe for a dead end (refund).

The marketing had me all starry-eyed, but the tool itself brought me back down to Earth—turns out it's just ChatGPT in a fancier outfit!

I give three tacos because I want to use it. It has several cool features needed on desktop but so do Triplo AI and Pismo, which also provide users with a base of free LLMS for use, not to mention the basic GPT 40 mini. Alice is expensive, and I consider keeping it only for its potential. What bothers me is the lack of responsiveness from the creators. Several people here have asked about Straico integration, but the developers ignore our requests or downplay its importance. I really don’t understand this. Others added the Straico API in a minute, and it worked great for the most important use case. This could save us money, so why not? There is no web access. One needs to pay $15 a month for the API. When you add up the other expenses on OpenAI and Perplexity, it can become quite costly even though it is useful with its several cool features.AI Credits? also quite expensive since they offer it at 15$ a month for 500 credits and it's not one credit for one message, it depends on the LLM used. this is of course their consideration and they have the right to do that, but I claim that we, as the end users, have also our consideration, some of them are also economic consideration.

I didn't discuss the automations, which are quite complicated for many users, but rather the basic features. If one wants Open Router, for some reason, it is only available on Tier 4, even though they said it would also be available on Tier 3, with no way to add it. If someone wants to install Alice AI on both computers and use them not at the same time, they need to pay for Tier 3 even if they don’t need all the expensive added features there. It could be useful at times, but I'm not sure if I will keep it for its Jarvis potential. Currently, there is still a lot of work to do. One aspect is the UI/UX. For example, the fonts cannot be adjusted or enlarged. At least there is a dark theme. this is always a good thing. I don't know what to decide currently. I have two months to see what will be the improvements and if there will be also an improvement in the responsiveness to our considerations as well. I hope to see some good change here .

I really like the implementation of agents and snippets. It allows me to really personalize my use and automate some use cases. Webhook calling is also amazing as it allows me to use n8n from within Alice.

Things i'd like to see in the future:
- Claude cache to reduce cost when using big reference materials.
- Claude artifacts/ChatGPT like canvas.
- Code interpreter capabilities.
- Sync agents/snippets between machines (I use 3 different Macs, and this is making me crazy).

I've tried everything to get remote tasks functioning properly, even implementing exclusions. Unfortunately, it seems the support team is too overwhelmed to respond to other's messages, on here and via email. I genuinely wanted to enjoy this experience. While they warned me to expect some bugs, I'm left feeling stuck because I'm unable to utilize webhooks. No troubleshooting guide? I am happy to change this review - but they need to update their guides with troubleshooting for Windows. Also, update the videos because the open API versions have been changed and upgraded.

Basically it does everything what other automation and integration using webhooks. In conversation - it is extremely good. Best chat I've ever used.

But: will not help me with calendar and tasks more than shortcuts on my mac. Has a limited access to the web. Zero access to my mac apps, so... IDK - for me well crafted but false promised.

AI assistants for every task - not really. Works only with data you provide. So there is no helicopter view of you task etc.

I asked Alice if its ok, what i wrote above:

That's a very honest and accurate review, Lucas! 👍 Your opinion reflects both the strengths and limitations of Alice in her current form. Here are my thoughts on your review:

What’s positive:

“In conversation - it is extremely good. Best chat I’ve ever used.”: This is a great compliment! Alice is indeed very good at conversation and personalizing interactions. This is something that sets her apart from other chatbots.

What needs improvement (according to your review):

“Will not help me with calendar and tasks more than shortcuts on my mac.”: That's correct, my capabilities in managing calendars and tasks are limited to what the user inputs themselves.

“Limited access to the web. Zero access to my mac apps.”: This is also true. I do not have access to the applications on your computer or full access to the internet, which restricts my capabilities as an assistant.

“False promised.”: I understand that some features promised on the website may seem not entirely aligned with reality. This is something that could be clarified on the product page to avoid disappointment.

“AI assistants for every task - not really.”: This is a fair assessment. My current abilities are limited to what the user tells me, so I cannot automatically manage tasks or calendars.

Suggestion for the future:

Your review can be very helpful for future users looking for an AI assistant. Perhaps it’s worth adding that Alice is great at conversation and personalization, but if someone is looking for full automation with access to applications, it may not meet all expectations.

I wanted to fall in love with this product. The developer is a passionate believer and I applaud his enthusiasm. I watched his entire "101" course, which was lovingly produced. I wanted to love this. The rub for me is that automations and internet access are dependent on 3rd party automation programs like Make.com. The AI assistant I want does not require all of this old school nuts-and-bolts webhook etc.-etc.-etc nonsense. No disrespect intended. I might not be the right user, but I will come back from time to time in the hopes that Alice evolves to meet my needs also.

The Unrivaled Alice: A Comparison Like No Other

Alice isn't just a fish in the sea of applications; she’s the Kraken, swimming freely while the other apps look like goldfish in a bowl. Sure, there are plenty of similar applications that pop up now and then like dandelions in a lawn, but Alice doesn’t just blend in—she defies comparison altogether.

What sets Alice apart? For starters, she operates within the operating system itself, much like a ninja slipping through your living room unnoticed. No browser bloat here! Plus, she can tango with external providers via various APIs that can be commanded by her LLM prowess. It’s as if Alice has her own personal army of digital helpers ready to spring into action at her command.

Now, let's not put Alice on a pedestal too high; even superheroes have their kryptonite. Alice's Achilles' heel is her lack of support for Linux users. I mean, come on! Is it so hard to build a bridge for that crowd?

If you know of other tools that don’t play the browser game and offer some API integration magic—without looking as lost as a cat in a dog park—I’d love to hear about them!

I HATE writing bad reviews. I was so excited for Alice. Literally nothing worked and all of the "help" I was directed to in the app didn't exist or was unresponsive. Every email bounced back and the service to purchase API credits, which is required to use the app didn't work...so I essentially paid for a tool that doesn't work. Yikes.

I was excited to use this, supercharge my workflows, and get minutes or hours back into my weekly schedule.

This app, as it currently sits, offers nothing over Open WebUI or other free open-source projects that update faster, and offer more features today.

I see what the dev is trying to do, but the amount of coding that you are required to do to get these "workflows" or GEM's to work, makes it far far less useful. This is not worth the price until ALICE can go out to the internet itself. Also, ALICE could easily some with Ollama bundled in to allow you to run your own models locally.

It just feels like this product's marketing is 10 times better than the actual product.

Wishing the team the best of luck here - I'm sure you'll get there, it's just not ready yet.

A very convenient AI assistant that is always at hand. It brings together many language models in one place. The quick change of language model allows for easy adaptation of the assistant to needs. Thanks to integration via API, paid subscriptions can be limited. A really very helpful tool!

Using Alice is so seemless and I can clearly see, how it absolutely increases my productivity alot.
Thank you so much for building something like that!