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Endearist vs Dex
A fair, specific comparison — written so you'd be comfortable if a Dex engineer read it.
Fairness pledge
Dex is the strongest professional-networking CRM in the personal space — its LinkedIn integration, browser extension, and team features genuinely set it apart for people whose relationship work is also their job. If you're a recruiter, BD lead, or VC partner, Dex is a strong choice and we say so. Endearist is for people who want a similar contact memory without paying a SaaS subscription or trusting a US server with sensitive notes.
Where your data lives
Dex: hosted on US servers (AWS). Endearist: your device first — sync optional via your own cloud or Endearist Cloud (EU-hosted).
How AI is accessed
Dex has AI-powered relationship insights and meeting summaries, processed on Dex's servers using OpenAI's API. Endearist's AI features are opt-in, run with your own key, and your contact data never leaves your device.
3-year total cost
Dex Premium: $12/month (Monthly billing) — Quarterly and Annual billing discount further. Dex Professional: $20/month. No lifetime tier. Over 3 years on Premium Monthly: ~€432. Endearist Free: €0. Endearist Pro Lifetime: €69 once. Endearist Pro Cloud: €4.99/month (~€180 over 3 years).
What we don't do
We don't have Dex's LinkedIn auto-sync, team workspaces, or pipeline/deal tracking. Dex is built for the professional networker for whom the contact list IS the work product. Endearist doesn't try to replace a sales CRM — it's a quiet personal journal for relationships you care about outside of work, or alongside work.
Feature matrix
Side-by-side.
| Feature | Endearist | Dex |
|---|---|---|
| Local-first data storage | Yes — your device, not a US data centre, is the primary store. | No — AWS US-hosted. |
| End-to-end encrypted sync | Yes — AES-256-GCM, and the key stays in your hands, not ours. | Server-side encryption; Dex holds the keys. |
| Mobile native apps (iOS / Android) | iOS and Android, native via Flutter. | iOS, Android (native). |
| Desktop native apps | Native on all three desktops: macOS, Windows, Linux. | Web + macOS native; Windows / Linux: web. |
| AI features | Never server-side by default — opt-in via your own key (on-device), Pro Cloud Light (~250 EU-routed actions/mo), or Pro Cloud (~600 actions/mo + voice). | OpenAI-based, processed on Dex's servers; meeting summaries + Pro relationship insights. |
| Self-host option | Not offered yet — local storage sits inside the desktop app. | No. |
| Pricing | Free to 25 contacts, then Pro Lifetime €69 once — or Pro Cloud Light €4.99/mo / Pro Cloud €9.99/mo. | Free tier. Premium $12/mo. Professional $20/mo. |
| Open source code | Pledge in place: the source gets released if we shut down or are acquired. | No. |
| Plain-Markdown export | Yes — plain Markdown, legible without any software. | CSV export, no Markdown. |
| Voice-note transcription | Yes — Pro Cloud carries 60 min/mo, or bring your own key. | Yes on Professional tier. |
| Family / multi-vault share | Yes, for households: family share (2 seats) on Pro Cloud; multi-vault on the roadmap. | No — Teams plan is org-only. |
| Journal / reflection | A dedicated journal, with weekly ritual and appreciation prompts included. | Notes per contact; no journal surface. |
| Relationship depth (how-we-met, pets) | Life-side depth: how-we-met, pets, custom pronouns, life events, debts, attachments. | LinkedIn-rich (job changes, role updates). No pets / how-we-met / debts. |
| Calendar / messenger integrations | Deliberately lighter: read-only calendar (Google/Apple/Outlook), messenger context via manual share-sheet capture. | Strong — Google Calendar 2-way, Chrome extension for LinkedIn capture. |
When to pick Dex
When Dex is the better fit.
If your relationship work is also your job — recruiting, BD, VC, sales-adjacent — Dex is the strongest networking CRM in the personal space. The LinkedIn integration is best-in-class, the Chrome extension captures contacts in one click, and the Teams plan lets a small group share a contact network. Pick Dex if you need LinkedIn auto-sync, you want a tool that's openly built for professional networkers, and you can absorb a SaaS subscription as a work expense. We're built for the relationships outside (or alongside) work — quieter, with no LinkedIn dependency by design — and that's a different lane.
Switching
Coming from Dex?
Dex's CSV export lives at Settings → Account → Export Data. Endearist imports the CSV directly: contacts, notes, reminders, and tags come across. LinkedIn-linked profiles import as URLs in a contact's links field — no re-sync needed. Allow about 5 minutes for the import to settle on the first device, then turn on sync to bring it to your other devices.
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Prices and positioning verified 2026-05-20.
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