The best AI companion app depends on what you want from it. Kindroid is the most fully described option for memory, voice and video calls, and verified adult access. Nomi is built around long-term memory. Replika is the longest-running name. OurDream.ai and Candy.ai are adults-only, image-focused platforms. Character.AI is a roleplay and storytelling site that has restricted under-18 chat.
How this comparison was built
Here is the honest version of the method. We did not run a hands-on test of these apps and we are not giving scores. Every fact below comes from the app's own published pages, terms of service or help documentation, read on 25 October 2026. Where a page does not say something, the table says "not published" and the text leaves it out.
That has a cost. Plenty of the details people care about most, such as exact monthly prices, are not on the home pages. Several apps show the price only at checkout. We would rather tell you that than pass along a number from a third-party review site that may be out of date. Prices and policies in this category change often, so check the checkout screen before you pay.
We also dropped one candidate. Grok's companion characters came up in our research, but we could not confirm their current availability, pricing or age rules from an official page, so they are not included.
The comparison at a glance
The table covers the six apps we could verify. "Not published" means the app's own pages that we read did not state it.
| App | Best for | Free tier | Paid price | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kindroid | Memory, calls, customisation | One-time preview: 50 messages, 5 selfies, 2 Kindroids | Shown at checkout; monthly, 3-month and yearly plans | iOS, Android, web |
| Nomi | Long-term memory, group chats | Free to start, no card required | Not published | Web sign-in listed; app stores not published |
| Replika | Established, mainstream companion | Free Use, limited access | Not published (shown in app store) | iOS, Android, legacy web app |
| Character.AI | Roleplay and stories with many characters | Not published | Not published | Web, iPhone, Android |
| Candy.ai | Adults-only chat with images and voice | Up to 5 messages | Not published; monthly, quarterly, yearly plans | Browser on desktop or mobile |
| OurDream.ai | Adults-only, character builder, images and video | Free sign-up; limits not published | $19.99 monthly, or $9.99 a month billed yearly ($119.88) | Not published |
What an AI companion app actually is
An AI companion app is a chat product built around one ongoing character instead of a one-off question and answer. You pick or design a personality, talk to it over days or months, and the app tries to remember what you said. Some add voice, photos and video on top.
That is different from a general chatbot. A general assistant is meant to help you finish a task. A companion is meant to be someone to talk to. The best AI companion app for you is therefore a matter of taste as much as features: how the character talks, how well it remembers, and how much you are comfortable paying and sharing.
One thing worth saying plainly before the reviews. These are software products, not people. Nomi's own terms tell users not to treat its output as medical, mental health or other professional advice, and Candy.ai's terms describe its service as personal entertainment, not emotional support. That framing is a useful guide for how to use any of them.
What to compare before you pick one
Most "best of" lists rank on vibes. A better approach is to decide what matters to you and check each app against it. These are the questions that separate the apps in practice, and each one maps to something the apps publish.
- Memory. Does the app remember details across weeks, or only the last few messages? Kindroid and Nomi both publish pages on how their memory works.
- Voice and video. Voice messages are common. Live calls and video are rarer.
- Customisation. Can you shape the personality, backstory, look and voice, or do you pick from a roster?
- Age checks. A real adults-only app should say how it checks age instead of only asking you to tick a box.
- Billing terms. Auto-renewal, refund windows and what happens to unused credits vary a lot.
- Content rules. What is allowed, what is banned, and who decides.
If you want a deeper look at privacy and risk before you sign up for anything, read are AI companion apps safe. If you already know you want a girlfriend-style companion, our best AI girlfriend apps guide narrows the list further.
Kindroid: the most thoroughly documented
Kindroid is the app whose own documentation tells you the most, which is worth something when you are about to hand over payment details.
What it offers
Each companion, which Kindroid calls a Kin, keeps the backstory and key memories you give it, plus long-term memory of past conversations. Subscribers also get what Kindroid calls Cascaded Memory, which keeps hundreds of recent messages in view. You choose the name, personality, backstory, appearance and voice. Beyond text, Kindroid lists voice messages, voice calls and live video calls, along with photo and short video selfies. It also offers group chats and a beta feature called Rooms for shared conversations with friends' Kins.
It runs on iPhone and iPad, Android and the web under one account. Kindroid's home page cites more than 4 million downloads and a 4.8 star app store rating, which are the company's own figures.
Age checks and pricing
Kindroid requires users to be 18 or older and publishes a page explaining how it checks. Paid subscribers are verified through their payment. Free users are verified if they start a trial or subscription, or if the system flags an account as possibly belonging to a minor. A flagged user can verify with Yoti, a selfie-based age estimate. People estimated at 21 or older pass; 18 to 20 year olds and anyone who fails the selfie check upload a government ID, and Kindroid says it receives only a pass or fail result.
On price, Kindroid does not list a number on its documentation. The plans page says you will see the exact price for your country and platform at checkout, and that web prices are usually lower than App Store or Google Play prices. The base plan comes as one month, three months or one year, and Ultra and MAX are higher tiers sold monthly only, with more memory and more audio credits.
New accounts get a one-time preview of 50 messages, 5 selfies and 2 Kindroids. The free trial lasts 3 days, needs a payment method on file, and converts to a paid plan automatically unless you cancel first. Kindroid says it emails a reminder one day before conversion.
Who it suits
Readers who want a heavily customisable companion with calls and a clear explanation of how age checks and billing work. Its pages make no statement about mature content either way, so we do not describe it as an adult platform.
Nomi: memory is the pitch
Nomi puts memory at the centre of its marketing. Its home page describes short-, medium- and long-term memory as central to the experience.
What it offers
You can chat one-on-one or place several Nomis in a group chat. Voice chat and hands-free calls are listed, with tone that shifts with the Nomi's emotions. Nomis can view images you send and send selfies of their own. Optional extras include proactive messages after you have been away, internet access and custom backstories.
Starting to chat is free with no credit card required, according to the page. The page does not list plans or prices, and its sign-in links point to a web address, so we cannot confirm native app availability from its own pages.
Terms and content
Nomi's terms set the minimum age at 18, require a date of birth at signup, and say the company may add age verification and will suspend accounts it suspects belong to minors. Paid upgrades are subscriptions that renew automatically, and the terms say payments are nonrefundable except as the agreement states. Prices are not in the terms either.
The home page says Nomi is built on freedom of expression and describes chats as unfiltered. It also says all chats are anonymized and no chat data is shared with third-party sites. These are the company's claims; we cannot audit them.
Nomi also publishes a page on California's SB 243. It says users in California who express self-harm will see a message with links to crisis service resources. That is a small detail, but it shows the company is thinking about the harder side of this category.
Who it suits
People who care most about a companion remembering long-running details, and who are happy to confirm the price inside the app. Because pricing and platform details are not public, budget a few minutes to check before committing.
Replika: the long-running name
Replika is the one most people have heard of. Its home page says it built the first AI companion ten years ago and cites 42,160,934 users worldwide, both the company's own claims.
What it offers
The home page lists calls, selfies and doodles on your photos, deep customisation and memory. It is available for iOS and Android, with a legacy web app still linked in the footer.
The terms of service lay out four tiers. Free Use has limited access. Replika Pro adds relationship status, premium activities, selfies, image generation, voice messaging, background calls, daily gems and premium voices. Replika Ultra adds smarter conversations, heightened emotional intelligence, self-reflections and saving messages to memory. Replika Platinum adds real-time video recognition, a training mode, a "Read Replika's mind" feature and realistic selfie videos, each with weekly limits. Paid plans bill monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually through the app marketplace.
Prices are not in the terms. They say costs appear on the in-app subscription screens and in the app store, and that prices can change without notice. You will see figures quoted on review sites, but we could not confirm any from Replika itself, so we leave them out.
Rules worth knowing
You must be 18 or older. The terms say that if you are under 18 you are not authorized to use the services. Content rules prohibit obscene or pornographic material, and they bar creating companions that impersonate a specific real person without written consent. That makes Replika a more mainstream, less adult-oriented choice than the two platforms later in this list.
For cancellation, the terms say you can delete your account in the app, which is irreversible, downgrade to Free Use at the end of the billing period, or stop auto-renewal through Apple or Google. No refunds are given for partial months.
Who it suits
Someone who wants a well-established companion app with a free tier to try first, and who is not looking for adult content.
Character.AI: stories more than a single companion
Character.AI describes itself as an interactive entertainment platform to connect, learn and tell stories. It runs on the web, iPhone and Android. It is closer to a library of characters than to one dedicated companion that grows with you, and that shapes who it suits.
The under-18 change
The most important recent fact is on its own blog. On 29 October 2025, Character.AI announced that users under 18 would lose open-ended chat with AI, effective no later than 25 November 2025. It said it was rolling out age assurance that combines an in-house model with third-party tools including Persona. Teens can still create videos, stories and streams with characters, and existing protections such as the Parental Insights tool remain.
If you are an adult looking at the category, that is relevant for two reasons. It shows how seriously the biggest roleplay platform now treats minors. And it means you may be asked to prove your age.
The pages we could read did not state subscription details, so the table shows pricing as not published. The terms of service page we reached carried only headings, so we cannot say more about its adult-content rules.
Who it suits
Roleplay and storytelling fans who want a huge range of characters rather than a single relationship. Check the current subscription screen for pricing.
Candy.ai: adults-only, token-based extras
Candy.ai is a browser-based companion service. Its page says no installation is needed and offers prompts to add the site to your iOS or Android home screen for notifications.
What it offers
The home page lists chat, voice, AI-generated images, AI-generated video, a character builder, a Discover feed, Shorts, a Collection gallery and roleplay. It mentions more than 100 characters and 24/7 support. It also describes "uncensored fantasy experiences" and says roleplay must follow its community guidelines.
How billing works
The terms are unusually specific, which helps. Free users can send up to 5 messages to AI characters. Paid subscribers get unlimited messaging plus a monthly token allowance, generally 100, disclosed at checkout. Tokens pay for extras like image generation and voice notes. Subscriptions are monthly, quarterly or annual and renew automatically. Unused tokens expire at the end of the billing period and do not carry over.
Refund rules are tight. Subscription refund requests must come within 24 hours of payment and are denied if more than 20 tokens have been used, and only card payments qualify. EU and UK users may withdraw within 14 days of the first purchase, with a deduction for use. The terms are published by EverAI.
On age, the terms say you must be old enough to form a binding contract where you live, and that EverAI may ask you to verify you are an adult. A specific age sits in a separate underage policy that we did not read, so we do not quote one. The terms also state that child sexual abuse material is a zero-tolerance violation.
Who it suits
Adults who want a visual, chat-plus-media experience and are comfortable with a token system. Read the refund terms before paying, since the window is short.
OurDream.ai: the app our landing page links to
Our own landing page at /ai-companion sends readers to OurDream.ai, so here is the same level of detail as the others, without the sales voice.
What it offers
The site is labelled adults only and requires users to confirm they are 18 or older. It also says age verification is required, though it does not describe how that works. Features listed on the home page include chat with AI characters, sending images and videos, voice calls, and customising a companion's personality, appearance and voice. It describes a memory system that retains past chats and says chats are end-to-end encrypted. That encryption statement is the company's claim, and we have not verified it.
Its FAQ says users can generate adult images and video and describes the service as a platform to roleplay any fantasy. It prohibits content involving minors, including characters that look underage, and bans deepfakes or lookalikes of real people, including celebrities. Accounts that break these rules may be suspended.
Pricing
This is the one app here that puts clear numbers on its home page. The monthly plan is $19.99 a month. The yearly plan works out at $9.99 a month, billed as a single payment of $119.88. Both include unlimited messages with any AI character, image and video generation and 1,000 dreamcoins each month, and the yearly plan adds 1,000 extra dreamcoins on first subscription.
The page invites you to sign up for free but does not list what the free tier includes or limits. It also does not state supported platforms.
Things to be aware of
Two small inconsistencies are worth noting. The page cites "over 11 million characters" in one place and 7 million user-generated characters in the FAQ, so treat its character counts loosely. And we could not load its terms page, so we have no verified detail on refunds or data handling beyond what the home page and FAQ state. If those matter to you, read the terms inside the sign-up flow before paying.
Who it suits
Adults who want a character builder with image and video generation and prefer to know the price upfront. If that sounds right, you can look at it through our partner page.
Which one fits which person
Instead of crowning one winner, match the app to the way you plan to use it.
- You want the clearest paperwork: Kindroid. Its age verification, plans and memory each have their own documentation page.
- You want memory above all: Nomi, then confirm pricing in the app.
- You want something established and mainstream: Replika, which lists a Free Use tier and says adult material is not allowed.
- You want stories and many characters: Character.AI, keeping in mind its under-18 changes and age assurance.
- You want adults-only with images and know the cost: OurDream.ai for upfront pricing, or Candy.ai if you prefer a token model and a short free trial.
If your priority is a free option specifically, free AI girlfriend apps covers what you actually get without paying.
Billing traps to check on any app
Pricing is where people most often get caught out, and the apps we read show a few patterns worth knowing.
Trials that convert
Kindroid's 3-day trial requires a payment method and converts automatically unless you cancel first. That is common across the industry. Note the date and cancel before it ends if you only want to try it.
Credits and tokens
Candy.ai's tokens expire at the end of each billing period. OurDream.ai's dreamcoins and Kindroid's audio credits are further examples of allowances that sit on top of the base price. Ask what happens to them when you cancel.
Refund windows
These range from none to very short. Nomi's terms say payments are nonrefundable except as stated, Replika says purchases through the Apple App Store are final, and Candy.ai gives 24 hours with conditions. If you may change your mind quickly, an app store subscription can be easier to cancel than a card payment on a website.
Prices that move
Replika's terms say prices can change without notice. Nomi says it can raise fees effective at your next renewal. Treat any price you read, including the ones in this article, as a snapshot.
Privacy and safety basics
Companion chats can be deeply personal, so treat what you type the way you would treat anything sent to a company. Our full guide on are AI companion apps safe goes further. These are the quick checks.
- Read what the app says about data. Nomi says chats are anonymized and not shared with third-party sites; OurDream.ai says chats are end-to-end encrypted. These are claims, not audits.
- Avoid putting your full name, address, workplace or financial details into a chat.
- Look for deletion options. Replika's terms describe in-app account deletion that removes associated data permanently, and Nomi's terms say content is removed after the deletion period.
- Do not use a companion as a substitute for professional help. Nomi and Candy.ai both say as much in their terms.
- If a service asks for ID, such as Kindroid's Yoti check, confirm you are in the official app before uploading anything.
A simple way to choose in ten minutes
- Decide whether you want adult-oriented content. If not, Replika (which prohibits such material) and Kindroid (which makes no adult-content claims) are the better fit. If yes, you are looking at the adults-only platforms.
- Pick the one or two features you would miss most, such as memory, calls or images.
- Start with the free option or trial of your top two apps.
- Before paying, read the billing, refund and cancellation text. Screenshot it.
- Revisit after a week. If you have stopped opening it, cancel.
Final thoughts
There is no single best AI companion app, and any list that claims otherwise without showing its method should be read with care. From what the apps themselves publish, Kindroid is the most transparent, Nomi leans hardest on memory, Replika is the established mainstream choice, Character.AI is for stories, and Candy.ai and OurDream.ai serve adults who want image and video features.
Whichever you try, start free, read the terms, and keep your own limits in place. If you want to see the partner app our readers are sent to, the landing page explains it in one place.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI companion app?
It depends on what you want. Kindroid has the most detailed public documentation on memory, calls and age checks. Nomi focuses on long-term memory. Replika is the longest-running option. OurDream.ai and Candy.ai are adults-only platforms with image features. Try free options first and read the billing terms before paying.
Are AI companion apps free?
Most have a limited free option. Replika lists a Free Use tier with limited access, Nomi says you can start chatting free with no credit card, and Candy.ai's terms allow free users up to 5 messages. Kindroid offers a one-time preview of 50 messages, and its 3-day trial needs a payment method. Fuller features need a subscription.
Do AI companion apps check your age?
Policies differ. Kindroid requires 18 or older and verifies paying users through payment, with a Yoti selfie check or ID for flagged accounts. Nomi and Replika set a minimum age of 18. OurDream.ai is labelled adults only and says age verification is required. Character.AI announced age assurance in 2025 after ending open-ended chat for under-18 users.
How much does an AI companion app cost?
Many apps do not publish prices on their home pages. OurDream.ai lists $19.99 a month, or $9.99 a month billed yearly as $119.88. Kindroid shows the exact price at checkout and says web prices are usually lower than app store prices. For the others, check the checkout screen, since prices can change.
Can I cancel an AI companion subscription easily?
Usually yes, but you must act before renewal. Nomi and Replika say subscriptions renew automatically and must be cancelled before the next period. Replika also says you can stop renewal through Apple or Google. Kindroid's trial converts automatically unless cancelled. Check each refund policy first, because several are strict or short.
Is Replika different from Nomi and Kindroid?
Yes. Replika's terms prohibit obscene or pornographic content and describe four tiers: Free Use, Pro, Ultra and Platinum. Nomi describes its chats as unfiltered and centres on memory. Kindroid emphasises customisation, calls and detailed memory documentation. All three set 18 as the minimum age in the pages we read.
Did Character.AI stop teens chatting with AI characters?
Yes. Character.AI announced on 29 October 2025 that users under 18 would lose open-ended chat with AI, effective no later than 25 November 2025. It said it was adding age assurance using an in-house model and third-party tools including Persona. Teens can still create videos, stories and streams with characters.
Should I use an AI companion instead of professional support?
No. Nomi's terms say not to treat its output as medical, mental health or other professional advice, and Candy.ai's terms describe its service as entertainment, not emotional support. If you are struggling, speak to a qualified professional or a local crisis service.
Sources
- Replika home page
- Replika Terms of Service
- Nomi home page
- Nomi Terms of Service
- Nomi: compliance with California SB 243
- Kindroid home page
- Kindroid subscriptions help page
- Kindroid age verification
- Character.AI about page
- Character.AI: under-18 experience announcement
- Candy.ai home page
- Candy.ai Terms of Service
- OurDream.ai home page