Arco: the Poe alternative for comparing model answers, not just accessing them.
Poe is an AI aggregator. You subscribe, you get access to a lot of models, and multi-bot chat is one feature inside a general-purpose platform. Arco is built around a single job: ask every model the same question, read the answers together, and make better decisions from what they all say.
The short version
Skip the scroll and get the verdict.
Where Arco wins
- Purpose-built for asking multiple models the same question and comparing answers to make better decisions
- No compute points. Your OpenRouter tokens are the only limit, and chat history doesn't cost extra
- Chats stored locally on your Mac. Not on Poe's servers
Where Poe falls short
- General-purpose AI hub. Multi-model comparison is one feature among many, not the product's core
- Free tier is around 300 points/day (roughly one message), and even keeping chat context burns points
- Every conversation lives on Poe's infrastructure and is forwarded to third-party model providers
The verdict
Pick Poe if you want an all-in-one AI hub with mobile apps, a million community bots, and don't mind a monthly bill plus a points budget. Pick Arco if comparing model responses is the actual job you're doing, you're on a Mac, and you'd rather your chats stay on your machine.
Arco vs Poe, feature by feature
Where each tool wins and where it falls short.
Three reasons people switch
The specific things Poe can't match.
Built for comparison, not for aggregation.
Poe's business is giving you a bunch of models under one subscription. Multi-bot chat is one feature you can turn on. Arco is the opposite: the whole product exists so you can ask every model the same question and decide from the mix of answers. Everything is designed around that workflow, from Summarize to the layout options.
No compute points. No context tax.
Poe meters everything with points. Free tier is around 300 points a day. Even keeping chat context on burns extra points, which is why there is a "Save points by limiting chat history" toggle in settings. Arco doesn't meter anything. You pay OpenRouter directly for the tokens you actually use, and your chat history is just your chat history.
Chats stay on your Mac. Not on Poe's servers.
Every Poe conversation lives on their infrastructure and gets forwarded to third-party model providers under their policies. Arco stores everything locally. Nothing gets uploaded, because there is no server to upload to.
What you actually pay over 3 years
Poe bundles its subscription with model access and meters both with compute points. Arco separates them. You buy the app once and pay OpenRouter directly for the tokens you actually use. Here is the breakdown.
(10K points/day, yearly)
(660K points/mo, yearly)
The fine print worth knowing
- Add-on points expire after 1 year. Even if you buy extra points to cover a busy month, they don't roll forever.
- Chat history costs points too. Poe has a "Save points by limiting chat history" toggle in settings, which is a hint about how quickly they add up.
- Arco's ongoing cost is your OpenRouter usage. It can be $0 in a quiet month. Poe bills the flat rate whether you used it or not.
Switching from Poe? Here's how you start.
Three steps, about five minutes total.
Download Arco
Free forever tier, no card, no email required. macOS 13 or later, Apple Silicon.
Add your OpenRouter key
Sign up at openrouter.ai (free account) and paste your key into Arco. That's it. One key, 400+ models.
Ask every model at once
Type your question once. Every selected model answers in parallel. Compare, summarize, copy.
What about my Poe history?
Questions people ask before switching
Straight answers, including where Poe still wins.
Make better decisions without compute points getting in the way.
Arco uses your own OpenRouter key. No points, no caps, no monthly subscription. Just 400+ models and your questions. So you can stop guessing and start deciding.