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Endearist vs Monica
A fair, specific comparison — written so you'd be comfortable if a Monica engineer read it.
Fairness pledge
Monica (monicahq.com) is the closest thing to Endearist's spirit in the personal-CRM space — it has been around since 2017, it's open source (AGPL), and its self-hosted edition is genuinely free. If you're comfortable running a PHP/Laravel app yourself, Monica is an excellent choice and we say so on this page. Endearist is for people who want the same data control without operating a server. Note: this page is about Monica the personal CRM (monicahq.com), not monica.im (an unrelated AI browser sidebar that shares the name). If you landed here looking for the AI assistant, monica.im is the right URL.
Where your data lives
Monica self-hosted: your server, your database (MySQL). Monica Cloud: shared servers in Europe operated by the Monica team. Endearist: your device first — sync optional via your own cloud (Google Drive, iCloud, WebDAV) or Endearist Cloud.
How AI is accessed
Monica now bundles AI in its paid Cloud tier; the Free tier includes ~40 basic-model requests/day. Endearist's Magic Buttons (apology drafting, reconnect, birthday) run client-side with no AI by default. If you bring your own AI key (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini), it stays on your device. If you'd rather not manage a key, Endearist Pro Cloud Light bundles ~250 EU-routed actions/month on fast Haiku-class models for €4.99/month, and Pro Cloud upgrades to ~600 actions/month on richer Sonnet-class models plus voice-note transcription for €9.99/month.
3-year total cost
Monica self-hosted: ~€30 over 3 years (typical $1/month VPS). Monica Cloud: ~€270 over 3 years ($9/month or $99/year). Endearist Free: €0. Endearist Pro Lifetime: €69 once. Endearist Pro Cloud Light: €4.99/month (~€180 over 3 years — cheaper than Monica Cloud). Endearist Pro Cloud: €9.99/month (~€360 over 3 years — still cheaper than monica.im-style AI sidebars at $9-20/month).
What we don't do
We don't have Monica's full activity log, gift tracker, or relationship-graph visualisation. Monica's feature surface is broader. If you want a comprehensive web-based system of record, Monica wins. If you want a quiet local-first journal that travels with you on mobile and desktop, Endearist is built for that.
Feature matrix
Side-by-side.
| Feature | Endearist | Monica |
|---|---|---|
| Local-first data storage | Yes — your device is the primary store. | Self-host: yes (your server). Cloud: no — Monica's EU servers. |
| End-to-end encrypted sync | Yes — AES-256-GCM, you hold the key. | Transport TLS only; server holds plaintext. |
| Mobile native apps (iOS / Android) | iOS, Android (native Flutter). | Mobile is a web view of the Laravel app — no native iOS/Android. |
| Desktop native apps | macOS, Windows, Linux (native). | Web only — no desktop client. |
| AI features | Opt-in: bring your own key (on-device) or Pro Cloud Light (~250 EU-routed actions/mo) or Pro Cloud (~600 actions/mo + voice). | Free: ~40 basic-model calls/day. Cloud Pro: bundled AI. |
| Self-host option | Not currently — the desktop app is the local store. | Yes — Docker, manual install, AGPL v3. |
| Pricing | Free up to 25 contacts. Pro Lifetime €69 once, Pro Cloud Light €4.99/mo, or Pro Cloud €9.99/mo. | Self-host free. Cloud $9/mo or $99/yr. |
| Open source code | Source-release pledge on shutdown/acquisition. | Yes — AGPL v3, public GitHub. |
| Plain-Markdown export | Yes — readable without any app. | JSON / SQL dump; no Markdown export. |
| Voice-note transcription | Yes — on Pro Cloud (60 min/mo) or your own key. | No. |
| Family / multi-vault share | Family share on Pro Cloud (2 seats). Multi-vault on the roadmap. | Yes — Monica supports multiple vaults per account. |
| Journal / reflection | Built-in journal + weekly ritual + appreciation prompts. | Yes — "Tell your life story" + activity log. |
| Relationship depth (how-we-met, pets) | How-we-met, pets, custom pronouns, life events, debts, attachments. | Strong — how-we-met, pets, debts, life events, custom genders/pronouns. |
| Calendar / messenger integrations | Read-only calendar (Google/Apple/Outlook); manual share-sheet capture for messenger context. | Limited — no native calendar sync; manual logging. |
When to pick Monica
When Monica is the better fit.
If you already run a Linux VPS and like operating things yourself, Monica's self-hosted edition is genuinely free and AGPL-licensed — the data sits on hardware you control, the code is auditable, and the project has a long track record since 2017. It's also broader than Endearist on certain features: the activity log, debt tracker, and relationship-graph visualisation are mature. Pick Monica if you want a comprehensive web-based system of record, are comfortable maintaining a PHP/Laravel stack, and don't need native mobile or desktop apps. We're a different shape of product — local-first, native cross-platform, journal-quiet — and we'd rather lose a comparison fairly than misrepresent the trade-off.
Switching
Coming from Monica?
If you're on Monica Cloud and want to switch: export your data from Monica's settings → Account → Export (you get a SQL dump + JSON). Endearist imports the JSON form directly — contacts, notes, and reminders flow across in one step. If you self-host Monica and just want lighter mobile access, you can keep Monica running and use Endearist alongside; we don't require you to migrate everything.
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Prices and positioning verified 2026-05-20.
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