Howdy Mate! vs Dex
Dex is a personal CRM for networking, and Howdy Mate! is a free app for keeping up with friends. Pick Dex if you keep up with hundreds of contacts for work, and Howdy Mate! if you’re trying not to lose touch with a few dozen mates.
Side by side
| Howdy Mate! | Dex | |
|---|---|---|
| Free | YesNo limit on people, no in-app purchases | NoPremium is $19.99 a month or $143.99 a year in the US App Store; its site offers a 6-day trial with a card |
| Built for friends, not networking | YesFor the people you’d invite to your birthday | NoIts listing: “leverage your network” and “become a superconnector” |
| No account needed | YesNothing to sign up for | NoYour data lives in your Dex account, online |
| Keep-in-touch reminders | YesA rhythm per mate, counted from your last catch-up | YesA frequency per person, counted from your last interaction |
| Notes on each person | YesNotes, things to remember and gift ideas | YesNotes, groups, tags and views, all searchable |
| Updates itself from your messages | Texts onlyA Shortcuts automation can log a check-in when a mate texts you | YesSynced inboxes and WhatsApp, plus LinkedIn through its extension |
| Syncs across your devices | NoiPhone only, no sync yet | YesiPhone, Android, the web and desktop |
| Your people stay on your phone | YesYour mates never leave your iPhone | NoStored online; its privacy label lists contacts linked to you |
Dex facts are from its US App Store listing and the developer’s own pages, checked on 18 October 2026. “Not mentioned” means we couldn’t find it there, not that the app can’t do it. Prices and features change, so check the listing before you decide.
When Dex is the better pick
If you network for work. Dex pulls people in from LinkedIn and your inbox, and a message in a synced chat updates the “last spoke” date for you, which Howdy Mate! can’t match across hundreds of contacts. It also runs on Android, the web and your desktop, so your list follows you everywhere.
When Howdy Mate! is the better pick
If the people you’re trying to keep are friends and family. There’s no account, no subscription and no browser extension, and nothing about your mates leaves your iPhone. A year of Dex Premium buys a fair few coffees, and Howdy Mate! will happily tell you who to have them with.
Bring your list
Export your contacts from Dex as a CSV, open it, copy everything and paste it into the search field on Add mates (Settings › Data › Move from Another App opens it ready). Names, last-contacted dates, birthdays, notes and phone numbers come across when the file has them, so the people you spoke to recently aren’t all due on day one. Untick the work contacts before you tap Add.
Try Dex for yourself
We make Howdy Mate!, so weigh our take accordingly. Dex: Rolodex and Personal CRM is by Dana HQ on the App Store, and you can read more on getdex.com.
More comparisons
Try the friendly one.
Free on the App Store for iPhone. No account, no subscription, no catch.
On a computer? Point your iPhone’s camera here.