Lowtide vs readywhen: two ways to keep the promises you make
Updated
Short answer: Both find what you owe people and draft the follow-through. Lowtide is the better choice if you work on a Mac and want one list in your menu bar that closes cards on its own once you’ve answered, with your coding agents, pull requests and Linear issues in the same place. readywhen is the better fit for a small owner-led business that wants unpaid invoices chased and an assistant to message from its web app or Slack.
At a glance
| Lowtide | readywhen | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A Mac menu bar app that keeps one list of what you owe people across your tools | An AI assistant for owner-led businesses that catches what you promise in email, calls and messages |
| Works with | Gmail and Google Calendar (several accounts), Slack, Granola, GitHub, Linear, Claude Code and Codex | Gmail, Outlook, Google Calendar and Meet, Slack, Notion and notetakers like Granola; its site lists over 100 connectors |
| Runs on | Mac (macOS 26 or later) | Its web app and Slack; WhatsApp in early access |
| Price | Free during early access | Free during its beta; prices not yet published |
| Emails that need a reply | Yes: emails and Slack messages that need you, ranked, each with the reason it’s there | Yes: catches the replies you owe in Gmail and drafts them |
| Emails nobody answered | Yes: questions you asked by email or Slack that nobody answered come back with a nudge drafted | Spots approvals, buyers and trials that have gone quiet, with a chaser drafted |
| Promises from meetings | Yes: what you promised, read from Granola notes or the recap Zoom, Google Meet, Fathom, Fireflies or Otter emails you | Yes: reads notes and transcripts from Google Meet, Granola or Fathom, with no bot in the call |
| Slack | Yes: messages that need your reply, and questions you asked that nobody answered | Catches promises in threads, DMs and the channels it’s added to |
| Drafts in your voice | Yes: learns from your sent mail and from the changes you make | Yes: learns how you like to sound |
| Sends on its own | Never on its own; every send has an 8-second Undo | Its site says nothing goes out without your OK; its terms also describe a mode that acts, then tells you |
| Unpaid invoices | Not tracked | Yes: chases them, from QuickBooks or invoices in your sent mail |
| Coding agents | Claude Code and Codex sessions waiting on you, pull requests to review and Linear issues sit in the same list | Not described; its site lists GitHub and Linear connectors |
What’s the difference between Lowtide and readywhen?
They’re close. Both read your email, Slack and meeting notes for what you promised and who’s waiting on you, and both draft the reply. The difference is shape. readywhen is an assistant you message, in its web app or in Slack, built for owner-led businesses of one to twenty people, with a morning brief and help before and after calls. Lowtide is a list in your Mac’s menu bar: the replies you owe, the answers you’re waiting on and what you promised, most pressing first, each with the reason it’s there and a draft ready.
What does Lowtide do that readywhen doesn’t describe?
Two things. A Lowtide card closes on its own once you’ve answered, even in the other app: answer on Slack someone who emailed you, and the email card goes, with Undo. And Lowtide keeps coding work in the same list: Claude Code and Codex sessions waiting on your answer, pull requests waiting on your review and Linear issues assigned to you. readywhen’s site describes neither.
What does readywhen do that Lowtide doesn’t?
readywhen chases unpaid invoices, from QuickBooks or from invoices in your sent mail, and its site lists over a hundred connectors, from HubSpot to Stripe. It works on any computer through its web app and Slack. Lowtide doesn’t track invoices, and it’s a Mac app.
How much do they cost?
readywhen is free while it’s in beta and hasn’t published prices; its terms mention paid plans billed in pounds. Lowtide is free while it’s in early access.
Can you use both?
You could, but they’d catch many of the same promises and draft the same replies. Pick the one whose shape suits you: a list on your Mac, or an assistant you message.
Choose Lowtide if
- You work on a Mac and want one list in your menu bar, not another chat.
- You want cards that close on their own once you’ve answered, in whichever app.
- You run Claude Code or Codex, review pull requests or get Linear issues, and want them in the same list.
- You want questions nobody answered brought back on the day you asked for, not before.
Choose readywhen if
- You run a small owner-led business and want unpaid invoices chased.
- You’d rather message an assistant than check a list.
- You use Windows, or want it on any computer through the web.
- You want it connected to tools beyond email, Slack and meetings, like HubSpot or QuickBooks.
Questions people ask
Is Lowtide a readywhen alternative?
Yes, for the core of it: both catch what you promised and who’s waiting on you across email, Slack and meetings, and draft the follow-through. readywhen adds invoice chasing and works through chat; Lowtide adds coding agents and cards that close themselves, in your Mac’s menu bar.
Does readywhen send on its own?
Its site says nothing goes out without your OK, and you approve, edit or bin each draft; its terms, last updated in April 2026, also describe a mode that acts and then tells you. Lowtide only sends when you press Send, with an 8-second Undo.
Sources
What this page says about readywhen comes from its own site, checked on October 21, 2026. Products change; if something here is out of date, tell us through the form on our home page and we’ll fix it.