Heard vs Poolside AI

Poolside AI offers a full stack of foundation models (Laguna family) and agent orchestration, targeting high-consequence software engineering. The latest models provide up to 1M context on Laguna S 2.1, on-device capability on XS 2.1, and multi-agent planning with sandboxed execution. Features like role-based access control, governance auditing, and custom on-prem deployment make it enterprise-ready. Heard, by contrast, is a focused voice interface that layers onto existing AI coding assistants (Claude Code, Codex). It provides speech-to-text transcription and AI voice responses, enabling hands-free prompting and code readback. While Poolside builds its own models and agent platform, Heard enhances third-party tools with voice input/output. The two do not compete directly—Poolside replaces the entire coding AI stack, while Heard augments existing ones.

Poolside AI uses a contact-sales model with custom enterprise pricing, typical for on-prem deployments and custom foundation models. There is no self-serve tier, which puts it out of reach for individuals or small teams without budgets for enterprise procurement. Heard operates on a freemium model (free to use), with no pricing details indicating a paid tier—making it accessible to any developer. The cost difference is stark: Poolside requires significant investment in vendor engagement, while Heard is instantly free. Buyers should consider total cost of ownership: Poolside includes governance, security, and custom models; Heard is a low-risk add-on.