HeySurf vs Muse by Meta: two personal agents, two approaches

In September 2026, Meta launched Muse, a personal AI agent powered by its Muse Spark models. Like Surf, it does real work: it browses, connects to your apps, and keeps going in the background. We think that is great news for everyone building in this space. Here is an honest comparison, as of October 31, 2026.

The short version

• Choose Muse if you live in Meta’s world (WhatsApp, Instagram and soon Meta’s AI glasses) and want an agent that shops and checks out for you.
• Choose HeySurf if you want an independent assistant in iMessage or Telegram that you can tune closely, with Zero Data Retention routing on paid plans.

Side by side

Big features, briefly

• Muse’s headline features: shopping and checkout built in, realtime voice you can talk to for long stretches, a customizable avatar you can video chat with, WhatsApp access and, soon, Meta’s AI glasses.
• HeySurf’s headline features: a proactive assistant in iMessage and Telegram, a live browser you can take over at any moment, deep Google Workspace, GitHub and Notion work, background tasks that run while you sleep, and control over every nudge.

Where they meet you

Muse launched in the US in September 2026 and has since expanded to more countries, including Canada and Japan. It is on the web, iOS, Android and inside WhatsApp, with realtime voice and an avatar you can video chat with, and it is coming to Meta’s AI glasses. Surf works in the web workspace and in iMessage and Telegram, and you can add it to your home screen as an app.

How they work

Both run on their own cloud computer, so tasks keep going after you close the tab. Muse runs each agent in its own secure VM. Surf has a Cloud Computer for files and tools, plus a browser you can watch live and take over whenever you like, then hand back.

Connections

Muse connects to a wide range of everyday services: email, calendar, payments, health, shopping and the smart home. It checks out with Link by Stripe. Surf connects to Google (Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets and Forms), GitHub and Notion, and reaches any other site through its browser. It is built for knowledge work as much as errands.

Proactivity, on your terms

Both can suggest things before you ask. Surf ranks each idea by urgency, usefulness, confidence and how annoying an interruption would be. You choose one or two daily nudges and set quiet hours. Deleting or sharing a Drive file always waits for your approval.

Privacy

Meta says Muse keeps conversations out of its ads systems and hides passwords and payment methods from the agent. HeySurf is an independent product with no ads business. Paid plans route AI requests with Zero Data Retention, and you can review or forget anything Surf remembers.

Pricing

• Muse: free to start (a payment card is required), with Power at $20 a month and Maximum at $100 a month.
• HeySurf: Free with 500 AI credits a month, or Pro at $20 a month with 5,000 credits, up to 300 hours of Cloud Computer, 3 hours of Chrome-time and background tasks.

Which one?

If WhatsApp is your home and shopping is the main job, Muse is a strong pick. If you want a focused assistant in your iMessage or Telegram that handles research, docs, code and routines, say hey to Surf.