Marbles vs HelmIQ: a full deal CRM or a memory for the people
The short answer. HelmIQ is a full AI CRM for M&A advisors and search funds, with a dialer, sequences, a seller book, document screening, and a data room. Marbles does one thing: it remembers the personal details people share in your Granola meetings and briefs you before you see them again. If you need a deal system, look at HelmIQ. If you already track deals somewhere and want to remember the owner, the broker, and the banker as people, Marbles is the smaller, cheaper fit. Some searchers could use both.
Side by side
Last checked: October 30, 2026. HelmIQ details come from helmiq.net.
| Topic | HelmIQ | Marbles |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | AI CRM for M&A and search funds | Personal relationship manager for Mac |
| Price | $249 per banker per month, with Twilio telephony billed separately | $12/mo or $96/yr. Founding: $6/mo for 12 months. 14-day trial. |
| Sign-up | Access by request | Download for Mac |
| Meeting notes | Requires Granola or Fireflies | Requires Granola Business or Enterprise |
| Brief | Emailed, cited, about an hour before each calendar meeting | Mac notification, 10 minutes ahead by default (adjustable from 5 to 120), for people you've met |
| Brief focus | The meeting and the deal | The person: family, life events, work, how they think |
| Deal features | Power dialer, sequences, "Future Sellers" book, teaser and CIM screening, data room, Gmail and Outlook capture | None. Leaves out deal terms, pricing, and tasks on purpose |
| Sensitive details | Not documented | Kept in "Handle with care," never suggested as an opener |
| Platforms | Web | Apple silicon Mac only |
How searchers use Marbles alongside a deal CRM
A search can take around 20 months (Stanford GSB's 2026 search fund study), and you may talk to the same owner many times before a letter of intent. Here is how a searcher can use Marbles: keep deal terms in your CRM and let Marbles hold the human side: the owner's grandkids, the boat, the reason they're thinking about retiring. Before the next call, the brief gives you an easy opener.
Searchers are one example. Marbles works the same way for founders, sales teams, investors, recruiters, and consultants. Read how searchers remember owners and the search fund CRM guide.
Example
Before you meet
Dana Reyes
Someone you've met · 10 minutes ahead by default
What to open with
How was Maya’s first week of kindergarten?
Q3 planning
Still set on the Chicago run in October?
Last check-in
Worth remembering
Maya starts kindergarten Monday.
Dana, on a Q3 planning call
They closed on the cabin.
Five minutes before the agenda
Handle with care
Kept separate. Never suggested as an opener.
Asked to keep the job search quiet for now.
End of a check-in
A Marbles brief before a call with a business owner.
Best fit and not the best fit
Marbles is the best fit if you already have a CRM or spreadsheet for deals, record calls in Granola Business, use an Apple silicon Mac, and want to remember people across a long search.
HelmIQ may fit better if you want one system for outreach, calling, sequences, screening, and a data room, and your budget fits $249 per banker per month.
Related: pricing, Granola briefs, and an Affinity alternative for self-funded search.
HelmIQ and Granola are trademarks of their owners. Marbles is not affiliated with or endorsed by them.
FAQ
Is Marbles a CRM for search funds?
No. Marbles is a personal relationship manager. It remembers people, not deals. It leaves out deal terms, pricing, pipelines, and tasks.
Can I use Marbles and HelmIQ together?
Yes. Both work from your meeting notes, and Marbles only keeps personal details, so they cover different ground.
How much does HelmIQ cost?
HelmIQ lists $249 per banker per month, with Twilio telephony billed separately, as of October 30, 2026.
How much does Marbles cost?
$12/mo or $96/yr. Founding: $6/mo for 12 months. 14-day trial.
Does Marbles need Fireflies or Granola?
Marbles works only with Granola, on a Business or Enterprise plan.
Requires an Apple silicon Mac on macOS 15 or later.