Bricks vs. Promptly: Choosing the Right AI Power Tool for Your Workflow
In the rapidly evolving landscape of AI-driven productivity, two tools have emerged as frontrunners for different types of power users: Bricks and Promptly. While both leverage artificial intelligence to streamline work, they tackle entirely different problems. Bricks reimagines the traditional spreadsheet as a dynamic, AI-powered reporting engine, whereas Promptly serves as a comprehensive platform for prompt engineering and AI application development. This comparison will help you decide which tool belongs in your tech stack.
Quick Comparison Table
| Feature | Bricks | Promptly |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Category | AI Spreadsheet & Data Visualization | AI Prompt Engineering & App Builder |
| Core Strength | Automated reporting and data storytelling | Building and managing AI workflows/agents |
| Key Features | Natural language formulas, AI charts, Notion-style docs | Prompt library, multi-model testing, no-code AI apps |
| Integrations | Google Sheets, CRM data, CSV exports | Slack, Discord, Web Widgets, various LLMs |
| Pricing | Free; Paid plans from $9/user/month | Free; Pro plan at $99/month |
| Best For | Business analysts, Sales, and Ops teams | Developers, Prompt Engineers, and AI builders |
Overview of Each Tool
Bricks is the "AI spreadsheet" designed to eliminate the friction between raw data and professional presentations. It combines the power of a high-performance spreadsheet engine with the flexibility of a document editor. Users can use natural language to generate complex formulas, create beautiful charts, or build entire project timelines and roadmaps. By merging the grid-based logic of Excel with a blocks-based visual layer, Bricks allows teams to transform their data into shareable, interactive reports without needing advanced design or technical skills.
Promptly is an enterprise-ready platform focused on the "engine room" of AI: the prompts. It is designed for users who want to discover, optimize, and deploy powerful AI instructions across various models like GPT-4, Claude, and Midjourney. Beyond just a prompt library, Promptly allows users to build no-code AI applications, internal agents, and RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) pipelines. It serves as a centralized hub for teams to collaborate on prompt engineering, ensuring consistency and performance across all AI-driven workflows.
Detailed Feature Comparison
The primary difference between these tools lies in their interface and intent. Bricks is data-centric. Its standout feature is the "Board," which acts as a hybrid between a slide deck and a wiki. You can reference data directly from your spreadsheet grid, and the visuals on the board update automatically as the data changes. This "build once, use forever" approach is powered by an AI assistant that can clean data, generate pivot tables, and suggest the best visual format for your specific dataset.
Promptly, on the other hand, is model-centric. It provides a sophisticated environment for testing how different prompts perform across various Large Language Models (LLMs). Its "Smart Prompt Optimizer" uses proprietary algorithms to refine user input into high-quality instructions. For those looking to go beyond simple chat interfaces, Promptly’s ability to "chain" models and deploy them as embeddable web widgets or Slack bots makes it a powerful tool for creating custom AI solutions for a business.
In terms of collaboration, both tools offer robust sharing features, but they serve different ends. Bricks focuses on collaborative reporting—allowing teams to work together on a single dashboard or document. Promptly focuses on collaborative engineering—enabling teams to share a "Prompt Vault," manage version control for AI instructions, and set granular permissions for who can edit or deploy specific AI agents.
Pricing Comparison
- Bricks Pricing:
- Personal (Free): Includes unlimited grids, 5 collaborators, and 50 AI credits per day.
- Teams ($9/user/month): Increases collaborator limits to 20 and provides priority support.
- Enterprise (Custom): Offers unlimited AI credits, dedicated support, and advanced security features.
- Promptly Pricing:
- Free: Ideal for getting started with up to 10 apps, 1 private app, and 1,000 one-time credits.
- Pro ($99/month): Designed for power users, offering 100 apps, 10 private apps, and 13,000 monthly credits.
- Enterprise (Custom): Provides unlimited apps, usage-based storage, and "white-glove" service for large organizations.
Use Case Recommendations
Use Bricks if...
- You spend hours every week moving data from Excel/Google Sheets into PowerPoint or Notion.
- You need to create professional-looking project roadmaps, sales dashboards, or performance reports quickly.
- You want an AI that can write formulas and clean your data using simple English commands.
Use Promptly if...
- You are building custom AI agents or chatbots for your company or clients.
- You want a centralized library to manage and test prompts across multiple models (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.).
- You need to build no-code AI workflows that integrate with your own data sources (PDFs, Notion, Google Drive).
Verdict
The choice between Bricks and Promptly comes down to whether you are a consumer of AI insights or a builder of AI tools.
If your goal is to make sense of business data and present it beautifully without the "spreadsheet headache," Bricks is the clear winner. Its affordable $9 price point and focus on visualization make it an essential tool for modern office workers.
However, if you are an AI enthusiast or developer looking to harness the full power of LLMs to build custom applications and workflows, Promptly is the superior platform. While it carries a higher price tag for its Pro tier, the depth of its prompt management and app-building features is unmatched for those looking to create their own AI-powered ecosystem.