# Vellum vs Town > Open-source personal AI assistant vs email-native cloud assistant > Last updated: July 10, 2026 > Comparison: https://www.vellum.ai/compare-assistants/vellum-vs-town ## The contenders ### Vellum Website: https://vellum.ai Vellum is a personal AI assistant that runs as a native Mac app on your own machine or in Vellum Cloud, with iOS, web, Slack, and Telegram surfaces in sync across both. It builds a persistent, structured memory of your work and people automatically, and executes real actions across 50+ services through managed OAuth. Why choose Vellum: - Runs as a native Mac app on your own machine or in Vellum Cloud, with iOS, web, Slack, and Telegram surfaces in sync across both - Persistent, structured memory that builds itself as you go, with no uploading, tagging, or training required - One-click managed OAuth across 50+ services like Google, Slack, Notion, GitHub, and Linear, executing real actions on your behalf - Free Base plan, with Pro from $50/mo for pay-as-you-go credits, configurable compute and storage, and your assistant's own email and subdomain ### Town Website: https://www.town.com Town is a personal AI assistant that manages your inbox, schedules your meetings, and handles the busywork through a dedicated @town.com email identity. It learns from your work to become more autonomous over time, with scheduled routines, meeting briefings, and research lookups across email, Slack, WhatsApp, and Telegram. Available on Free, Starter ($15/mo), Pro ($49/mo), Power ($99/mo), and Power Plus ($199/mo) plans on a credit-based model. Why choose Town: - Dedicated @town.com email identity that learns how you write and work - Auto inbox triage, email drafts, and meeting scheduling on autopilot - Scheduled routines and automatic meeting briefings that run whether you are at your desk or not - Free tier with 30 chats per month, paid plans from $15/mo on a credit-based consumption model ## The scorecard ### channels Vellum: 7 native surfaces, one memory iOS, native Mac app, web app, voice, email, Telegram, Slack, and Microsoft Teams. Every surface shares one memory. Vellum runs natively on Mac, iOS, web app, voice, email, Telegram, Slack, and Microsoft Teams. Every surface shares the same memory and thread history, so you can start a task on your Mac and pick it up on your phone or in a chat. Town: Channels Web app, email (@town.com identity), Slack, WhatsApp (inbound only), and Telegram (inbound only). No native desktop app, iOS, voice, or Microsoft Teams. ### hosting Vellum: On-device, managed cloud, or self-hosted Run on-device as a native Mac app, on Vellum's managed cloud, or self-host on your own VPS. Vellum gives you the full range: run the native Mac app entirely on your own hardware, use Vellum Cloud for managed uptime and cross-device sync, or self-host on your own VPS for full infrastructure control. Town: Hosting Fully cloud-hosted by Town. No self-host option, no on-device execution. All processing runs on Town infrastructure. ### integrations Vellum: 50+ managed OAuth integrations Native agent skills plus 1-click integrations with 50+ services through managed OAuth. Vellum connects to 50+ services through managed OAuth: Google, Slack, Notion, GitHub, Linear, and more. Your assistant acts in real services on your behalf without you handling tokens or API keys. Town: Integrations & Skills Town integrations included on all plans: Google Calendar, Gmail, Slack, Pylon, QuickBooks, Ramp, Salesforce, Sentry, Supabase, and more. No custom skills or extensibility. ### memory Vellum: Persistent, structured personal memory Builds a persistent, structured memory of your work and people that gets sharper with every conversation and correction. Vellum builds a structured memory graph of your projects, people, and preferences across every surface. It compounds over time through use and explicit corrections, so each conversation picks up where the last left off. Town: Memory Town builds a profile from your email and calendar, learning how you write and work. Memory is cloud-stored and shared across channels, but not structured or exportable. ### modularity Vellum: Adapts to you personally Builds its own skills, learns your tone, and adapts based on what you reward and correct. Vellum adapts at the individual level: it learns your communication style, builds custom skills from your instructions, and updates its behavior based on your feedback. Each assistant is shaped by the specific person using it. Town: Modularity Fixed set of routines and integrations. No custom skills, no skill marketplace, no extensibility beyond what Town ships. ### open-source Vellum: Open source under MIT Open source under MIT license. Full codebase available on GitHub. Vellum is open source under the MIT license. The full codebase is on GitHub and can be self-hosted, audited, and extended. Town: Open Source Proprietary. Closed-source SaaS. Source code not available. No self-host option. ### pricing Vellum: Free Base, Pro from $50/mo Free Base with 10 free credits + referral credits. Pro from $50/mo with configurable compute, storage, and assistant email. Vellum offers a free Base plan with 10 credits and a referral credit system. Pro starts at $50/mo and comes with configurable compute, configurable storage, and a personal assistant email and subdomain. Town: Pricing Free with 30 chats per month. Starter $15/mo (1,250 credits). Pro $49/mo (5,000 credits). Power $99/mo (12,000 credits). Power Plus $199/mo (40,000 credits). Credit-based consumption. ### privacy Vellum: Local or cloud, always yours Run locally on Mac, in Vellum Cloud, or self-host. Vellum never has access to your data on any deployment path. Vellum gives you three deployment paths: native Mac app on your own hardware, Vellum Cloud with per-customer isolation, or self-hosted on your own infrastructure. On every path, Vellum never has access to your data. Town: Privacy Cloud-hosted by Town. All email, calendar, and message data processed on Town infrastructure under Town data and provider policies. No on-device or self-host option. ### schedules Vellum: Built-in scheduling, always running Built-in scheduling for daily briefings, weekly reports, and hourly checks that just run on a cadence. Vellum has native scheduling for recurring tasks: daily briefings, weekly reports, hourly checks. Scheduled tasks run in the cloud whether or not you have a session open. Town: Schedules Scheduled routines including daily morning briefings, auto-inbox triage, and meeting briefings. Up to 2 custom routines on Starter, unlimited on Pro and above. ### security Vellum: Isolated credential vault Credentials live in an isolated vault and never enter the language model, so prompt injection can't exfiltrate keys. Vellum stores every connected service credential in an isolated vault that never touches the LLM inference layer. Prompt injection attacks cannot reach your API keys or OAuth tokens. Town: Security Cloud-hosted with subprocessor list published. No isolated credential vault, no sandboxed tool execution. Credentials managed by Town infrastructure. ### setup Vellum: Up in 5 to 10 minutes Up and running in 5 to 10 minutes: Web app and/or download the Mac app, sign in, connect your tools. No terminal needed. Vellum setup takes 5 to 10 minutes: use the Web app and/or download the Mac app, create an account, and connect your tools via one-click OAuth. No terminal, no config files, no infrastructure to provision. Town: Setup Sign up at town.com, get a @town.com email identity, connect your calendar and inbox. No download required, web-first. 14-day Pro trial included on signup. ### storage Vellum: Storage Vellum Cloud: 3 GB RAM and 4 GB storage by default. Mac app runs on standard Mac hardware. Town: Storage Cloud-hosted by Town. No published storage specs. Credits consumed for memory-intensive operations like person research lookups. ## Where they split ### Open source vs closed Town is proprietary and closed-source. Your data lives in Town cloud, processed under Town data policies, with no way to inspect the code or run it yourself. Vellum is open source under MIT. You can inspect every line, run it on your own machine, self-host on your own VPS, or use Vellum Cloud. Your data stays yours on every deployment path. ### Data privacy Town processes your email, calendar, and messages in Town cloud. Your data sits on Town infrastructure under Town provider policies, with no on-device alternative. Vellum runs locally on your Mac, in Vellum Cloud, or self-hosted on your own VPS. Vellum never has access to your data on any deployment path. Credentials live in an isolated vault that never enters the language model. ### Memory that compounds Town builds a profile from your email and calendar, learning your writing style and work patterns. It gets more intuitive over time, but memory is cloud-stored and not structured or exportable. Vellum builds a persistent, structured memory of your work and people that gets sharper with every conversation and correction. It runs across Mac, iOS, web, voice, email, Telegram, and Slack with one shared memory on every surface. ### Extensibility Town offers a fixed set of routines and integrations. You get what Town ships, no custom skills, no skill marketplace, no way to teach it new tricks. Vellum builds its own skills, learns your tone, and adapts based on what you reward and correct. Install community skills or build your own. 50+ managed OAuth integrations across Google, Slack, Notion, GitHub, Linear, and more. ## Lingering questions ### When should I choose Vellum over Town? Choose Vellum if you want a personal AI assistant that runs on your own machine or self-hosted, with persistent structured memory, custom skills, and 50+ managed OAuth integrations. Vellum shows up across Mac, iOS, web, voice, email, Telegram, and Slack with one shared memory. Choose Vellum if data control and open source matter to you. ### When does Town make more sense than Vellum? Town makes sense if you want an email-first assistant with a dedicated @town.com identity and do not need self-hosting, custom skills, or open source. Town auto-triages your inbox, drafts emails in your voice, and schedules meetings on autopilot. If your primary surface is email and you want something that just works in the cloud, Town is a solid pick. ### How much do Vellum and Town cost? Vellum has a free Base plan with 10 free credits plus referral credits. Pro starts at $50/mo with pay-as-you-go credits, configurable compute and storage, and your assistant own email and subdomain. Town has a free tier with 30 chats per month, Starter at $15/mo (1,250 credits), Pro at $49/mo (5,000 credits), Power at $99/mo (12,000 credits), and Power Plus at $199/mo (40,000 credits). Both use credit-based consumption models. ### How does memory work in Vellum vs Town? Vellum builds a persistent, structured memory of your work and people that gets sharper with every conversation and correction. It is shared across every surface and runs whether you are online or not. Town builds a profile from your email and calendar, learning your writing style and work patterns, but memory is cloud-stored and not structured or exportable. ### What integrations do Vellum and Town support? Vellum offers 50+ managed OAuth integrations including Google, Slack, Notion, GitHub, Linear, and more, plus native agent skills you can install or build. Town includes Google Calendar, Gmail, Slack, Pylon, QuickBooks, Ramp, Salesforce, Sentry, and Supabase on all plans, with no custom skills or extensibility. ### Does Town work on iPhone or only desktop? Town is web-first with no native desktop or mobile app. You interact with your Town assistant through email, Slack, WhatsApp, and Telegram. Vellum has a native Mac app, iOS app, web app, voice, email, Telegram, and Slack, all sharing one memory. ### Where does my data live with Vellum vs Town? With Vellum, your data lives on your Mac, in Vellum Cloud, or on your own VPS if you self-host. Vellum never has access to your data on any deployment path. With Town, all your email, calendar, and message data is processed on Town cloud infrastructure under Town data and provider policies. ### Is Vellum or Town better for non-technical users? Both are designed for non-technical users. Town is web-first with a dedicated email identity, which is familiar and approachable. Vellum is up and running in 5 to 10 minutes with a Mac app and web app, no terminal needed. The open-source and self-hosting options are there if you want them, but you do not have to touch them to use the assistant. ### Can I run Vellum or Town on my own machine? Vellum runs as a native Mac app on your own machine, in Vellum Cloud, or self-hosted on your own VPS. It is open source under MIT, so you can inspect and run the full codebase. Town is cloud-only with no self-host option and no on-device execution. ### Can I use Vellum and Town at the same time? Yes. Some users run Vellum for local-first work and custom skills while using Town for email triage and meeting scheduling. They serve different needs and can coexist. If you want one assistant everywhere with shared memory, Vellum covers email, calendar, and scheduling natively. ### What is the difference between Vellum memory and Town profile? Vellum builds a structured, persistent memory of your work and people that compounds over time, is shared across every surface, and runs proactively in the background. Town builds a profile from your email and calendar that learns your writing style and work patterns, but it is cloud-stored, not structured, and not exportable. Vellum memory is designed to get sharper with every correction. Town memory is designed to make your assistant more intuitive. --- Full comparison index: https://www.vellum.ai/compare-assistants Try Vellum: https://www.vellum.ai