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I began my research two weeks ago.

It was a different world, a different time. I desired to do a better job of staying in touch with the people around me. But then, we were all confronted with the fragility of the world we took for granted, and that sentiment has only grown.

Software reviews sound extremely futile in the current context.

But it’s not about software; it’s about being thoughtful with friends.

The apps and the process

I found 20 candidates.

I eliminated the apps focused on the commercial aspects of relationships, which left this list. You can read the individual atomic reviews by clicking on each.

• Monica
• Clay
• Notion
• Contacts +
• Airtable
• Uphabit
• Nat
• Mogul
• Hippo
• Dex

The results

In the end, I believe there are three strong options.

They are not in competition, as their approaches are radically different.

I think the choice will eventually depend on your relationship with computers.

Clay

Clay is a beautiful app. The adjective applies to the design and the concept. If you want the software to lead you, and you have no wish to do any maintenance on your own, Clay is the answer. It leverages machine learning to present you with a limited set of choices. You have to accept to give up control and let the AI make decisions for you.

Mogul

Mogul is at the opposite end of the spectrum. Nothing happens that you haven’t initiated manually. It is a minimalistic approach where you are never confused, never surprised. Of course, keeping full control has its tradeoffs, and in Mogul’s case, they are about entering all the data by hand.

Dex

Dex is the most complex to use. It has more options and more flexibility. Most data input is automated, but it uses straightforward algorithms that are easy to follow. It requires more maintenance than Clay but not as much manual work as Mogul. It’s a good solution if you enjoy using apps.