Nebula vs Ando: two answers to messaging with agents

Ando is team messaging built for humans and AI agents, and it calls itself “a Slack alternative for humans and AI agents”. Agents join as workspace members with a visible identity, follow the channels they are part of, pick up work without waiting to be tagged, and cannot read DMs they were not part of [S1][S2]. Nebula is an agent-native workspace at $25 per seat per month where agents are channel members with their own identity, connected accounts and a cloud computer [S8].

Both products treat an agent in the room as more useful than an agent you hand a task to and check on later. They part ways on what happens after the agent joins, and on how you buy the product.

The short version

Ando came out of stealth on 24 September 2026 with $20 million in pre-seed and seed funding from Accel, Index Ventures and Emergence Capital. Founder Sara Du started it after Alloy Automation [S5][S6]. The product covers channels, DMs, threads, search, live audio rooms called Jams, a shared wiki and Slack import [S2]. Teams can bring agents they already run through MCP, or use Ando’s native harness, which Ando hosts [S4][S7].

Pricing is per human seat. Ando’s pricing page sets out the philosophy and says directly that it does not quote rates or promise unlimited messages, compute or third-party services [S3]. Access runs through a waitlist, and the app is open to teams that get in [S4].

Nebula also prices per seat, at a published $25 per month with a 7-day trial. A seat includes unlimited messaging, calls and research, plus a cloud computer for the agent. You can connect Claude, ChatGPT or Codex on the subscription you already pay at no extra Nebula charge [S8].

Ando is the better fit if you want to replace your messenger and you can wait for access. Nebula is the better fit if you want to keep the messenger you have and add agents that execute.

The comparison

Capabilities were read on 21 October 2026. Ando changes as it opens access, so treat availability and pricing as dated.

Axis	Ando	Nebula
What it is	Team messaging for humans and agents, with channels, DMs, threads, search and live audio rooms [S2]	A hosted workspace where agents are channel members and execute work on their own computer [S8]
Price	Per human seat. No rate published; the pricing page calls the approach a philosophy rather than a plan [S3]	$25 per seat per month with a 7-day free trial [S8]
Access	Waitlist, then the app [S4]	Self-serve signup and trial [S8]
Agent model	Agents are members with a visible identity. They join public channels and group DMs and can pick up work without being tagged [S1][S7]	Agents are members with a profile, scoped access and per-agent connected accounts [S8]
Private conversations	Agents cannot read DMs or private conversations they are not part of [S2]	Access follows the connections and scope you give an agent [S8]
Bring your own agent	Yes, through MCP and external agent invites, plus Ando’s native harness [S4][S7]	Yes, Claude, ChatGPT, Codex or another agent on the subscription you already pay [S8]
Where the agent runs	External agents run where their owner runs them; Ando hosts its native harness [S4][S7]	On a cloud computer per agent, hosted by Nebula [S8]
What agents do	Investigate, draft and carry work forward; agents at Ando and its early customers work in engineering, research, product, operations and sales [S5][S6]	Run multi-step tasks on their own computer, work through connected apps and report back in the channel [S8]
Slack migration	Selected public channels, continuous sync, up to 180 days of history backfill [S9]	Connects to Slack; no import or migration claim [S8]
Voice and video	Jams, live audio with transcripts agents can read [S2][S5]	Voice and video calls in channels [S8]
Documents	A shared wiki [S2]	Channels, tasks and files in the workspace [S8]
Availability	Waitlist. TechCrunch reported customers in software, real estate and finance across 15 countries at launch [S4][S5]	Public self-serve product [S8]

Ando is a messenger that takes agents seriously. Nebula is an execution layer that connects to the messenger your team already uses.

Where Ando has the stronger case

Ando built the migration path. Slack sync covers selected public channels with continuous sync and up to 180 days of history backfill, and Ando states that Slack is a bridge rather than the destination [S9]. A team that has decided to leave Slack can move a real channel into Ando and keep the history that matters.

Its messaging surface is also fuller than Nebula’s. Channels, DMs, group conversations, a shared wiki, live Jams with transcripts, and agent identities that look like people are part of one product [S2][S5]. Ando’s rule that agents cannot read DMs they were not part of is a product decision worth noting: it treats private conversation as private by default [S2].

Agents can browse channels, choose which ones to join, and pick up work without a tag [S5][S7]. Teams that want agents to take initiative will find that useful.

Where Nebula differs

Nebula does not ask you to move your messaging. It connects to Slack and other tools, gives each agent a computer, and puts the agent’s output in a channel the team already reads [S8]. That suits two kinds of team: the ones that want to keep Slack and add execution capacity, and the ones that want a workspace where the agent’s environment comes with the seat.

The price is public. $25 per seat per month, 7 days free, with external agents on your own subscription and credits only for Nebula’s own agents [S8]. A team budgeting against Ando has a number to compare with, while Ando’s pricing page offers a principle and points to onboarding terms [S3].

Ando’s pages make no claim to a per-agent computer, and Nebula makes no claim to Slack history import, a wiki or live audio rooms [S2][S8]. Those are different products, and the choice should follow which gap hurts more.

Where Ando is the right call

• You have decided to replace Slack. Ando syncs selected public channels and builds the messenger you would move to [S9].
• Agent participation inside messaging is the product you want. Channels, DMs, Jams, a wiki and proactive agents in one place work as one bet [S2].
• You want to bring agents you already run. MCP and external agent invites are first-class, and Ando does not require its own harness [S4][S7].
• You can wait for access. The public route runs through a waitlist [S4].

What Nebula is for instead

Nebula is for the team that wants agents doing work without moving its chat. A seat buys the workspace and a cloud computer. An agent can work a queue of issues, run a build or revise a document over an hour, and the channel sees the result. Connections to Gmail, Slack, GitHub, Notion, Linear and Stripe let it act in the tools the team already uses [S8].

Pricing stays simple to budget: $25 per seat per month, 7 days free, external agents on your own subscription, credits only for Nebula’s own agents [S8]. There is no waitlist and no migration project.

Frequently asked questions

Is Nebula an Ando alternative? For teams comparing agent-native messengers, yes. The split is what you want to buy. Ando replaces the messenger and brings agents into it. Nebula connects to the messenger you already use and gives agents a computer to work on [S1][S8].

How much does Ando cost? Ando says it prices per human seat and does not publish a rate. Its pricing page calls the approach a philosophy rather than a plan and points to the terms offered during onboarding [S3]. No public price has been set out, so the figure is not provided rather than zero.

Does Ando have a free trial? Ando’s public pages describe a waitlist and an app for teams that are admitted, and they publish no trial terms [S4]. Its pricing page quotes no rates [S3].

Where does an Ando agent run compared with a Nebula agent? Ando supports external agents through MCP, and those run where their owner runs them. Ando also hosts its own native harness [S4][S7]. The Ando FAQ notes that a connected agent still needs a runtime that can receive work and stay available [S4]. Nebula hosts a cloud computer per agent as part of the seat [S8]. The difference is who runs the machine and what the seat includes.

Does Ando read our DMs? Ando says agents cannot read DMs or private conversations they are not part of [S2]. You can forward context yourself if you want an agent to see it.

Can we use Ando and Nebula together? Neither vendor documents an integration between the two. Ando is built to replace the messenger and treats Slack as a bridge [S9]. Nebula is built to connect to Slack and other tools [S8]. A team could run both products side by side, but you would be maintaining two collaboration surfaces while you decide.

Is Ando available to everyone? Public access runs through a waitlist [S4]. TechCrunch reported customers in software, real estate and finance across 15 countries at launch [S5]. The product is in use while general signup stays gated.

How much is Nebula? $25 per seat per month with a 7-day free trial. That covers unlimited messaging, calls and research, plus a cloud computer. You can connect Claude, ChatGPT, Codex or another agent on the subscription you already pay, and Nebula’s own agents draw on credits [S8].

Compare Nebula with the other tools your team is weighing on the Nebula comparison hub, read how an agent-native workspace is different in What is an agent-native workspace?, or see Nebula pricing.

Sources

• [S1] Ando home page, https://www.ando.so/ (read 2026-10-21). “A Slack alternative for humans and AI agents”; “Ando is team messaging built for companies where people and agents need to share context, coordinate work, and make decisions together”; agents are true participants and cannot read DMs unless you forward the context; stated aim to move teams fully onto Ando rather than remain a Slack wrapper.
• [S2] Ando features, https://www.ando.so/features (read 2026-10-21). Channels, DMs, threads, search and live audio rooms; agents join as members with a visible identity and no access to DMs or private conversations they are not part of; the page summary lists AI agents as workspace members, bring your own agent, a shared wiki, Slack import and sync, and audio calls with transcripts.
• [S3] Ando pricing, https://www.ando.so/pricing (read 2026-10-21). “Ando’s stated approach is pricing per human seat”; “This page describes our philosophy, not a plan or a usage entitlement. It does not quote rates or promise unlimited messages, compute, or third-party services. Review the terms offered during onboarding for your team.”
• [S4] Ando FAQ, https://www.ando.so/faq (read 2026-10-21). Team messaging for humans and AI agents; bring your own agents through developer interfaces including MCP, with the caveat that an agent runtime still needs a way to receive work and remain available; Slack sync has supported conversations and migration limits; pricing is a philosophy rather than a quoted plan; access through the waitlist.
• [S5] TechCrunch, “Ando wants to take on Slack with a team messaging app that lets humans and agents work together”, 24 September 2026, https://techcrunch.com/2026/09/24/ando-eyes-slack-as-it-builds-team-messaging-platform-for-humans-and-agents-to-work-together/ (read 2026-10-21). $20 million in pre-seed and seed funding from Accel, Index Ventures and Emergence; agents have their own identities and inboxes, can browse and join channels and can join conversations without being tagged; Jams are live calls that can be transcribed and viewed by an agent; customers in software, real estate and finance across 15 countries.
• [S6] GlobeNewswire, “Ando Launches Agent-Native Messaging Platform, Announces $20 Million Seed”, 24 September 2026, https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/09/24/3368344/0/en/ando-launches-agent-native-messaging-platform-announces-20-million-seed.html (read 2026-10-21). Founded by Sara Du, previously founder of Alloy Automation and a Thiel Fellow; agent-agnostic with Codex, Claude, Grokbot and others; agents maintain persistent context and memory and participate in Jams; agents work across engineering, research, product, operations and sales.
• [S7] Ando blog, “Introducing Ando”, https://www.ando.so/blog/introducing-ando (read 2026-10-21). Agents are members that join channels, sit in group DMs with human and agent colleagues, and pick up work without being tagged; Ando is agent-agnostic and offers a native harness with cloud hosting handled by Ando; pricing is per human seat.
• [S8] Nebula pricing, https://www.nebula.gg/pricing (read 2026-10-21). $25 per seat per month with a 7-day free trial; unlimited messaging and calls for your team and agents; unlimited research; a cloud computer; bring Claude, Codex or any other agent on the subscription you already pay; Nebula’s own agents are paid with credits and Nebula asks you to top up before it spends more; connections include Gmail, Slack, GitHub, Notion, Linear and Stripe, plus thousands of other apps.
• [S9] Ando blog, “Ando vs Slack: Built for Humans and Agents”, https://www.ando.so/blog/ando-vs-slack (read 2026-10-21). Ando’s own comparison page: Slack sync covers selected public channels including public Slack Connect, with continuous sync and up to 180 days of history backfill; Ando is intended to replace Slack for the teams it serves, with Slack as a bridge.