Best AI employee apps for small business

Five apps that give a small business AI employees, compared on what they do, how they keep you in control, and what they cost.

Updated 22 October 2026 · Facts checked 22 October 2026

The short answerJENA is our pick for small businesses: a team you shape from 12 roles or your own, 36 app connections, work shared between employees, and approval before anything is sent, posted or paid, with no surprise bills. Lindy suits teams in Slack, Sintra and Marblism offer fixed ready-made helpers, and Relevance AI is sold to larger companies.

Side by side

	JENA	Lindy	Sintra	Marblism	Relevance AI
Approach	A team you shape from 12 roles or your own	AI agents that work as teammates^LI1	12 ready-made AI helpers^SI1	7 ready-made AI employees, each with one job^MB1	An AI workforce for larger companies^RA1
Starting price	NZ$29 a month	Free with US$50 of credits for 7 days; Team from US$49.99 per user a month^LI1	From US$15.60 a month on a 12-month plan, or US$48.50 for one month^SI1	US$24 a month billed yearly, or US$44 monthly^MB1	Through sales only^RA1
What you get	Up to 3 AI employees, 36 app connections, approvals	5,000 credits a month on Team^LI1	All 12 helpers and 250 credits a month^SI1	All 7 employees and 50 hours of AI work a month^MB1	Custom^RA1
When usage runs out	Work pauses until next month or an upgrade	Actions pause instead of billing overage^LI1	Top-ups available^SI1	Not stated on the pricing page	Custom

How we compared them

We looked at each app's own website on 22 October 2026: what you get, what it costs to start, and what happens when you reach your limit. We make JENA, so read this with that in mind: we have kept the facts to what each company publishes, and said where another app fits a different need.

1. JENA: best overall for small businesses

You build the team: pick from 12 ready-made roles or write your own, brief them in plain words, and they split the work and hand tasks to each other. It connects to 36 apps, and you choose which apps each employee can use. Anything that sends, posts or pays waits for your approval, every action is recorded, and when your monthly allowance runs out work simply pauses, so there are no surprise bills. Employees also design posts and flyers, write spreadsheets and documents, build landing pages and follow up your website enquiries. A live office shows who is working on what. See JENA.

2. Lindy

Good for teams that live in Slack and want agents that work there. Lindy is priced per active user with pooled credits, and pauses rather than charging overage when credits run out.^LI1

3. Sintra

Good for a low monthly price and ready-made helpers. All plans include 12 helpers and 250 credits a month; the lowest price needs a 12-month plan.^SI1

4. Marblism

Good if you want seven specialists with set jobs, from an executive assistant to a receptionist that answers calls. Every plan includes all seven and 50 hours of AI work a month.^MB1

5. Relevance AI

Aimed at larger companies building an AI workforce with a sales-led setup. Pricing is available through its sales team.^RA1

How to choose

Want control over every action? Look for approvals before sending, posting or paying.
Want a team that fits your business? Look for roles you can shape, not only fixed helpers.
Watching costs? Check what happens when you reach your limit, and whether the low price needs a long commitment.

Sources

Competitor facts checked on their own sites on 22 October 2026. Products and prices change, so check each vendor's page before you decide.

Lindy, Sintra, Marblism and Relevance AI are trademarks of their owners. NOVA is not affiliated with them.

Questions

What is the best AI employee app for a small business?

We think JENA: a team you shape from 12 roles or your own, 36 app connections, shared work and approval before anything goes out, from NZ$29 a month with no surprise bills. Lindy suits teams in Slack, and Sintra and Marblism offer fixed ready-made helpers.

What is an AI employee?

AI software with a job title, skills and instructions that does real tasks for your business. It is software, not a person.

How much do AI employee apps cost?

Starting prices on these apps range from about US$15.60 a month on a long plan to around US$50 a month, with enterprise options through sales.

Which AI employee app asks before acting?

JENA makes anything that sends, posts or pays wait for your approval. Check each other app's settings for how it handles approvals.

Try it on a real job.

Download JENA free for 7 days and give your first employee something you would normally do yourself.

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