Nellie by Anello

A text-message AI agent that keeps a family's schedule, lists and reminders in sync

Beginner
Screenshot of Nellie by Anello, A text-message AI agent that keeps a family's schedule, lists and reminders in sync

What is Nellie by Anello?

Nellie by Anello is a text-message AI agent for parents. It handles family reminders, shared lists, calendar entries and forwarded school emails, works inside group chats and iMessage, and never requests access to your email inbox. A free starter plan is available and no app install is required.

Nellie is an AI agent built for parents by Anello, a small independent studio in Berkeley, California. It works through ordinary text messages rather than an app you install. You message Nellie the way you would message a capable friend, and it works out what you actually need: a reminder, a calendar entry, a shared shopping list, a note captured for later. New threads can also be added to a group chat, so both parents and older children can see and update the same running record of who is doing school pickup, who already bought what, and what still needs a decision. The tool is aimed at households where coordination happens in fragments between work, school and errands, and where nobody wants to administer yet another family dashboard. Nellie can read an email you forward to it rather than logging into your inbox, can produce a shopping list from a photo of a cookbook page, and can suggest where to order the same meal for delivery when cooking is not going to happen. Calendar work runs through Google Calendar and iCal, and text messages arrive over iMessage, so the interaction stays inside a channel most parents already check constantly. The privacy design is the most distinctive part of the product. Nellie never asks for inbox access and therefore never sees private messages, personal notes or login codes; anything it knows about your email came from something you chose to pass along or from a forwarding rule you set up. Models run on US providers that do not train on customer data, data is encrypted in transit and at rest, and closing an account permanently deletes messages, notes and lists from Nellie's servers. Nellie also does not send mail in your name or invite people to events on your behalf, which keeps a human in the loop on anything outward facing. Compared with general assistants and family organizer apps, Nellie trades a polished interface for low friction: no install, no new habit beyond texting, and a free starter plan before any payment. The trade-off is that its depth depends on the messaging channel and the specific calendars you connect, so families wanting rich visual planning boards or deep task hierarchies should look elsewhere.

How do you use Nellie by Anello?

  1. 1Text Nellie to open the conversation
    Send a message to the number listed on the homepage. Signing up can be completed later, so the first exchange is about seeing what Nellie can do with a real request.
    Nellie by Anello — Text Nellie to open the conversation
  2. 2Set up reminders and the family calendar
    Ask Nellie to create reminders and schedule entries, then connect Google Calendar or iCal so the same commitments appear where the household already looks.
  3. 3Add Nellie to a group chat
    Bring Nellie into the thread both parents already use so pickup duty, purchases and open questions are tracked in one place instead of scattered across separate texts.
    Nellie by Anello — Add Nellie to a group chat
  4. 4Forward school email instead of granting inbox access
    Pass along individual messages or set a forwarding rule. Nellie reads only what you send, which keeps private mail and login codes out of reach.
    Nellie by Anello — Forward school email instead of granting inbox access
  5. 5Build shared lists from whatever you have
    Ask for a shopping list directly, or send a photo of a cookbook page and let Nellie turn it into an itemized list the household can act on.
  6. 6Compare plans and pick a tier
    The starter plan is free. Review the pricing page to see what each paid plan includes before committing the family's routines to it.
    Nellie by Anello — Compare plans and pick a tier

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Starts from a plain text message, so there is nothing to install and no new interface to learnAI
  • Shared lists and reminders keep both parents aligned on pickup, shopping and other recurring tasksAI
  • Inbox privacy is preserved by design: Nellie only sees emails you forward or route to itAI
  • Group chat support lets the whole household update the same record in one threadAI
  • Free starter plan lowers the cost of trying it with a real family scheduleAI

Cons

  • The experience is tied to messaging and the calendars you connect, so there is no rich visual planning dashboardAI
  • Email handling depends on manual forwarding or rules you configure, which is extra work compared with direct inbox accessAI
  • Homepage gives no detail on plan limits, message caps or what paid tiers unlockAI
  • Calendar and email support is described broadly, with no published list of deeper integrationsAI
  • Nothing on the site covers offline use, data export formats or migration away from the serviceAI

How much does Nellie by Anello cost?

Free trial

A free starter plan is available rather than a time limited trial. The homepage does not describe a separate trial period for paid tiers.

Learn more

Pricing

Nellie starts on a free starter plan, and the homepage points to a separate pricing page to compare plans. Specific prices, message limits and paid tier features are not stated on the homepage, so the comparison page is the place to confirm current terms.

Learn more

Support

Questions go directly to erik@anello.co. The site also publishes background pages on privacy, how Nellie is built and the company itself, but no help centre or live chat is described.

Learn more

Integrations

Works with iMessage and group chats for conversation, Google Calendar and iCal for scheduling, and email through forwarding rather than inbox access. No other connectors are listed on the homepage.

Features

Nellie handles shared lists and reminders, calendar scheduling, notes and idea boards, and shopping lists built from text or a photo of a cookbook. Calendar work connects to Google Calendar and iCal, messages run over iMessage and group chats, and forwarded email can be interpreted. Nellie never logs into your inbox and does not send email as you or invite people to events.

Frequently asked questions about Nellie by Anello

  • How much does Nellie by Anello cost?
    Nellie starts on a free starter plan, and the homepage points to a separate pricing page to compare plans. Specific prices, message limits and paid tier features are not stated on the homepage, so the comparison page is the place to confirm current terms.
  • Does Nellie by Anello offer a free trial?
    A free starter plan is available rather than a time limited trial. The homepage does not describe a separate trial period for paid tiers.
  • How do you use Nellie by Anello?
    The walkthrough on this page covers 6 steps: 1. Text Nellie to open the conversation 2. Set up reminders and the family calendar 3. Add Nellie to a group chat 4. Forward school email instead of granting inbox access 5. Build shared lists from whatever you have 6. Compare plans and pick a tier.
  • What platforms does Nellie by Anello support?
    Nellie by Anello is available on Web App, iOS and Android.
  • What does Nellie by Anello integrate with?
    Works with iMessage and group chats for conversation, Google Calendar and iCal for scheduling, and email through forwarding rather than inbox access. No other connectors are listed on the homepage.
  • What are the limitations of Nellie by Anello?
    The experience is tied to messaging and the calendars you connect, so there is no rich visual planning dashboard. Email handling depends on manual forwarding or rules you configure, which is extra work compared with direct inbox access. Homepage gives no detail on plan limits, message caps or what paid tiers unlock.

Status

StatusActive
Views0
Outbound clicks0
Added10/22/2026

Platforms

Web AppiOSAndroid

Pricing

FreeFreemiumSubscription