Software advice
Best AI Companion Apps in 2026
An AI companion app is a chat product that keeps a persistent character, remembers earlier conversations and talks with the user as a friend, partner or guide, using a language model the vendor hosts. It differs from a general assistant such as ChatGPT, which is built for tasks, and from customer-service bots, which answer questions for a business.
Quick answer
Nomi is the best AI companion app in 2026 for memory and group chat. Pick Tolan for a non-romantic daily guide, Kindroid for deep customization, and Sesame for voice. Character.AI entered Chapter 11 on 12 October, so treat it as short-term.
People choosing an AI companion are rarely comparing language models. They are choosing a character that must remember them, a company that will keep running, and a privacy policy covering the most personal text they type anywhere. This ranking judges those three things: how memory is described, what the vendor says about training on conversations and deletion, and whether the operator can be identified. Eleven apps are ranked from vendor pages read in October 2026. Prices are mostly absent because many of these products show them only inside the app, and numbers we could not read are left out. Prices and limits come from vendor pages.
The 11 best AI companion apps in 2026, ranked
There is no score. Vendors can pay for more visibility on this website, for example a higher place in a ranking or more room on a page. Commercial relationships can also affect which products we feature and how prominently. How we rank.
| # | Tool | Best for | Free plan | Entry price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nomi | Adults who want one long-running companion with deep memory and group chats. | Yes | Quoted |
| 2 | Tolan | People who want a friendly, non-romantic guide for daily planning and talking things through. | Trial | Quoted |
| 3 | Kindroid | Users who want detailed control over a character's backstory, voice and memory. | Trial | Quoted |
| 4 | Sesame | Voice-first users who want to talk to a character about ideas and daily tasks. | Trial | Quoted |
| 5 | Dopple | People who want to chat with fictional and historical characters rather than a single companion. | Yes | Quoted |
| 6 | Chai | Heavy chatters who like trying many user-made characters and stories on mobile. | Yes | Quoted |
| 7 | Candy.ai | Adults who want an image and video heavy, customizable companion on the web. | Trial | Quoted |
| 8 | Replika | Beginners who want the longest-running companion app with an avatar and daily activities. | Yes | Quoted |
| 9 | Character.AI | Casual roleplay and fandom chats with a huge library of user-made characters. | Yes | $4.99 per month |
| 10 | Romantic AI | Adults who want a girlfriend or boyfriend style chat with an anime option. | Yes | Quoted |
| 11 | SpicyChat | Adults who want character roleplay with a large library of user-made characters and long memory | Yes | $5.95 per month (Get A Taste) |
- 1
Nomi
Nomi sits first because it spends its effort on the part buyers keep complaining about elsewhere, which is remembering what you said weeks ago. Glimpse.ai describes short, medium and long-term memory, group chats between several Nomis, voice calls and proactive messages. The company is small, the privacy policy is short, and the free start lets you test memory before paying.
Strong on
- Describes layered short, medium and long-term memory plus group chat across several Nomis.
- Privacy policy says account deletion removes personal information, apart from training archives.
- Offers voice messages, hands-free calls and selfies inside the same companion.
Weak on
- Describes itself as unfiltered, which makes it unsuitable for shared or monitored devices.
- Subscription price and free message limits were not stated on pages we could read.
- Training archives are excluded from deletion, though made non-attributable.
Skip it if: Anyone under 18, and buyers who want a filtered or workplace-safe experience. Chatting is free to start without a card; subscription prices were not on a page we could read.
- 2
Tolan
Tolan ranks second because it takes the opposite approach to most of this category: an alien character, no romance pitch, and an app framed around everyday help such as dinner plans, goals and check-ins. Portola publishes a plain FAQ with crisis-support rules and a Family Plan for shared billing. It is the pick for people wary of dependency-style companions.
Strong on
- Frames the companion as an everyday guide with check-ins rather than a romantic partner.
- FAQ states crisis-support behavior and hourly break reminders for users known to be under 18.
- Offers a Family Plan with shared billing, individual Tolans and usage controls.
Weak on
- Conversations are logged on Portola servers to build the memory, so there is no private mode.
- Full features require a paid subscription after a limited trial.
- Its site lists an App Store download and no web version.
Skip it if: Buyers who want romantic roleplay, custom character creation or a web version. New users get a limited trial; full access needs a subscription, and no price was visible on its pages.
- 3
Kindroid
Kindroid ranks third as the customization option. Its site lists text, voice messages, voice and video calls, selfies, group chats and a beta feature called Rooms, with one account across iOS, Android and web. It claims stored chats are encrypted and not sold. We could not read its plans or legal pages, so the verdict rests on the homepage.
Strong on
- Lists voice and video calls, selfies and short video selfies from the character.
- Gives subscribers a memory system that keeps hundreds of recent messages in view.
- One account works across iPhone, Android and the web.
Weak on
- Pricing and legal pages render only inside the app, so costs and policy were not checked.
- Does not state where the company is based on its homepage.
- Rooms, the shared-conversation feature, was still labeled beta.
Skip it if: Buyers who need published prices, a named company address or a read-through of the privacy policy first. The site says new accounts can try the service first; plan prices load only inside its app.
- 4
Sesame
Sesame sits fourth because it has moved from companion toward personal assistant. Its journal describes four voice characters (Maya, Miles, Simone, Charlie) that you call or text, plus Gmail and Calendar connections with your permission and smart glasses planned for 2027. The privacy policy ties model training to an opt-in. It suits voice conversation, not romance.
Strong on
- Four named voice characters, reachable by call or text, with distinct personalities.
- Privacy policy says model improvement uses your conversations only if you allowed it.
- Can work across connected tools such as Gmail and Calendar with your permission.
Weak on
- Positions itself as an assistant, so it is a weaker fit for relationship-style roleplay.
- Voice recordings and transcripts are collected as inputs under its privacy policy.
- Prices and the free allowance were not stated on pages we could read.
Skip it if: Anyone seeking a romantic partner character or a text-only companion with deep customization. Plans and prices were not found on its site pages; the app is listed on iOS and Android.
- 5
Dopple
Dopple ranks fifth because it works as a character library, with thousands of public characters across anime, games, comics and helpers. Dopple Labs adds image generation inside chats and themes. The terms are the sticking point: you grant a perpetual license to use your chat history for training, which is unusually direct for this category.
Strong on
- Thousands of community-made characters, grouped by anime, games, TV, helpers and more.
- Can generate images from the conversation inside the chat.
- Terms bar registration under 13, or under 16 in the EU.
Weak on
- Terms grant Dopple Labs a perpetual license to chat history for improving and training.
- Prices and free limits were not visible on its pages.
- Characters are user-made, so quality varies from one to the next.
Skip it if: Buyers who want a single persistent companion or any assurance that chats stay out of training. No plan table was visible; the site lets you browse characters and sign in.
- 6
Chai
Chai ranks sixth as the scale player among the smaller names. The company says it passed $100M annualized revenue in July 2026 and reached $120M by 1 October, and describes training its own models in-house. Characters are user-built. Its policy keeps data up to five years after account deletion, and the web version was marked coming soon.
Strong on
- Company states it trains and serves its own models, including a 235B mixture-of-experts one.
- Privacy policy lets users delete the account from inside the app.
- Has a published Safety Center with crisis helpline links.
Weak on
- Privacy policy allows keeping data up to five years after account deletion.
- Revenue and user figures are self-reported on its own homepage.
- Web version was labeled coming soon, so it is a mobile-first product.
Skip it if: Anyone who wants a web app, published prices or a short data-retention window. Paid subscriptions exist per its privacy policy; no prices were published on pages we could read.
- 7
Candy.ai
Candy.ai takes seventh place because its pitch is explicitly adult and visual: chat, image generation, video and voice, all metered in tokens that can be topped up. Operator EverAI Limited is a Maltese company, so the privacy notice is written for GDPR. The privacy notice also permits human review of anonymized interactions for training. It is not a pick for general use.
Strong on
- Combines chat, voice, image and video in one token-based system.
- Operator is a Maltese company with a GDPR-style privacy notice.
- Offers a free trial before you commit to any subscription or tokens.
Weak on
- Privacy notice allows human review of de-identified interactions to prepare training datasets.
- Token metering means detailed characters and media use more of the allowance.
- Adult-oriented positioning rules it out for general or shared use.
Skip it if: Anyone who wants a SFW companion, fixed monthly cost or a no-training guarantee. A free trial exists; paid subscriptions and token top-ups were described without prices on the page we read.
- 8
Replika
Replika is eighth because the name is the best known while the product has been rebuilt: its homepage says the app was rewritten and cites 42,160,934 users worldwide. Luka, Inc. runs it from San Francisco with free, Pro, Ultra and Platinum tiers. It is the reference point for beginners, but newer rivals offer more memory or transparency.
Strong on
- Terms describe tiers from a free program up to Platinum with video recognition and training mode.
- Privacy policy says anonymized message portions train only internal safety and chatbot systems.
- Account deletion removes associated data permanently, per its terms.
Weak on
- The user count is self-reported and its homepage lists no prices.
- Several features such as selfies, voice messages and calls sit behind paid tiers.
- Terms bar anyone under 18 from the service.
Skip it if: Buyers who want a transparent price list, a web-first app or unfiltered roleplay. A free-of-charge program exists with limited access; Pro, Ultra and Platinum prices were not on its pages.
- 9
Character.AI
Character.AI is ninth because its future is uncertain. On 12 October 2026 the company announced a voluntary Chapter 11 process to seek a court-supervised sale, expected to finish around late November or early December, and said the platform will be wound down if no bid appears. The service and subscriptions run as normal today. Treat it as a short-term tool.
Strong on
- Free plan stays unlimited for messaging, per its September 2026 plan announcement.
- Offers lite at $4.99 per month with daily premium-style messages and fewer ads.
- Lets users delete their account or export data through the app or website.
Weak on
- Chapter 11 filing means the platform could be sold or shut down within weeks.
- Free users see ads and slower responses when the service is busy.
- Subscription and chat styles may change after any sale.
Skip it if: Anyone who needs a companion that is guaranteed to exist next year. Character.AI lite costs $4.99 per month or $2.49 per week, varying by region; the free plan remains.
- 10
Romantic AI
Romantic AI is tenth because its published documents tell a buyer the least. The terms (updated 23 September 2026) describe a free Basic program, a paid Premium plan and virtual Hearts for gifts and generations, but they name no company or address. Its FAQ claims encryption and several partners at once. The missing operator makes it a risk.
Strong on
- Describes a free Basic program, a Premium plan and Hearts for gifts and generation.
- Lets users chat with several virtual partners at once.
- Includes an AI image generator and an anime character option.
Weak on
- Terms do not name an operating company or address, so accountability is unclear.
- Terms state all subscription purchases are final, with refunds only in limited cases.
- Privacy claims are marketing statements, not a detailed retention policy.
Skip it if: Buyers who need to know who runs the service before sharing personal conversations. Terms describe a no-charge Basic program and a Premium subscription; no prices were stated.
- 11
SpicyChat
SpicyChat ranks eleventh because it is a character roleplay platform with explicit adult content more than a single daily companion, and its public pages do not say who operates it. Its documentation is detailed on tiers, memory and pricing: three paid levels with 4K to 32K context. Buyers who want a named company behind intimate chats have less to rely on.
Strong on
- Documents three paid tiers with context memory from 4K up to 32K tokens.
- Lets users create private characters or share them publicly, with group chat.
- Subscribers who joined before September 8 2026 keep their earlier price while active.
Weak on
- Pages read do not name an operating company, address or data retention period.
- Monthly prices rose on September 8, 2026, with the top tier now $29.95.
Skip it if: Buyers who want a non-romantic, single-companion app or need a named operator before sharing personal chats. Free use exists; Get A Taste adds no ads and 4K memory, and True Supporter is $19.95 monthly.
How these AI companion apps were judged
How well does a companion remember and stay in character?
Companion quality is about continuity more than prose. A character that forgets your job or your sister breaks the illusion faster than a clumsy sentence does. Nomi describes short, medium and long-term memory, Kindroid describes a memory system that keeps hundreds of recent messages in view, and Tolan builds its memory from logged conversations. Character libraries such as Character.AI and Dopple vary by character, because many are user-made. Every vendor here still produces invented details, and none of these products should be used for medical or crisis advice. We could not test conversations, so this describes design, not measured output.
What does an AI companion cost per month?
Most companion apps are free to start and charge once memory, voice, images or calls matter. The only entry price we could read on a vendor's own page was Character.AI lite at $4.99 per month or $2.49 per week, as of October 2026. Replika's terms list Pro, Ultra and Platinum tiers, and Candy.ai and Romantic AI sell tokens or Hearts for media. Tolan, Kindroid and Nomi show prices inside their apps or on pages we could not read. Expect a monthly subscription plus optional top-ups, and check the store listing before paying.
Who reads my companion conversations, and are they used for training?
Companion chats are among the most sensitive text a person writes, so the policy matters more than the feature list. Dopple Labs' terms grant a perpetual license to chat history for training. Candy.ai allows human review of anonymized interactions. Replika says anonymized portions train internal safety and chat systems only. Sesame ties model improvement to a choice you make, and Nomi says deleting your account removes personal data except training archives. Chai may keep data up to five years after deletion. Read the deletion terms before you confide anything.
What happens to my companion if the company changes or shuts down?
Your companion exists only on the vendor's servers, so a shutdown ends the relationship. Character.AI is the live example: it filed for Chapter 11 on 12 October 2026 and says the platform will be wound down if no buyer appears, while it states that data practices and subscriptions are unchanged for now. Most apps here offer account deletion; few advertise exports of your chat history. Annual or lifetime plans increase the loss if a service closes, so prefer monthly billing with newer or smaller vendors and keep notes of the details you care about.
Which AI companion fits which kind of user?
The right app depends on what you want from the conversation. Choose Tolan for a gentle daily guide with crisis-support rules, Sesame for spoken conversation and tool help, and Nomi or Kindroid for a long-term character with memory and customization. Dopple and Character.AI suit browsing many characters. Candy.ai and Romantic AI are adult products and belong on a private device. Minors should not use most of these services: Nomi, Kindroid, Replika and Sesame set adult or 18 plus rules in their terms, and Tolan recommends parental involvement under 18.
How to choose an AI companion app in three steps
- Decide whether you want a partner, a guide or a library. Start with the relationship you expect, because the products split along it. A partner-style app such as Nomi or Replika builds one character over months. A guide such as Tolan or Sesame helps with tasks and plans and avoids romance. A library such as Dopple or Chai hands you many characters for short chats. Choosing the wrong type is the usual reason people quit after a week, so match the format first and compare features second, using the free start or trial each vendor offers.
- Read the training and deletion clauses before the first confession. Open the privacy policy and search for training, retention and delete. Note whether the vendor trains on chats by default, whether you can opt out, how long data survives account deletion and who may review conversations. In this ranking those answers differ sharply, from Dopple's perpetual license to Sesame's opt-in. If a vendor does not name its operating company or address, as in Romantic AI's terms, treat that as a reason to share less personal detail. Write down what you find for each app you shortlist, so the comparison does not rest on memory.
- Test on the free tier and pay monthly, not yearly. Use the free plan or trial for a week and check three things: whether the character recalls something from day one, whether the tone stays stable, and how often limits interrupt you. Pay monthly if you subscribe. Companion apps change quickly, and Character.AI's October 2026 bankruptcy filing shows that even the best-known name can face a sale. A yearly or lifetime payment only pays back if the service is still running, and a monthly plan leaves you free to leave.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI companion app in 2026?
Nomi is first in this ranking because its vendor documents layered memory, group chats, voice and selfies, and its privacy policy is short and readable. Tolan is second for a non-romantic daily guide and Kindroid third for customization. The order reflects published design and policy, not hands-on testing, and prices could mostly not be verified.
Are AI companion apps free?
Most let you start for free but limit features. Nomi says chatting is free to start without a card, Replika's terms describe a limited free program, Romantic AI describes a no-charge Basic program, and Character.AI keeps a free plan with ads. Voice, images, calls and long memory usually sit behind a subscription or token top-ups.
Is Character.AI shutting down?
Not yet. Character.AI announced a voluntary Chapter 11 process on 12 October 2026 to seek a court-supervised sale, expected to complete around late November or early December. The company says the platform stays up and subscriptions remain active, but it will be wound down if no acceptable bid appears.
Do AI companion apps train on my chats?
It depends on the vendor. Dopple Labs' terms grant a perpetual license to chat history for training, Candy.ai allows human review of anonymized interactions, and Replika says anonymized portions train internal safety systems. Sesame ties improvement to a user choice. Check each privacy policy, because defaults differ and policies change.
Which AI companion is not romantic?
Tolan and Sesame are the two in this ranking that present themselves as non-romantic. Tolan is an alien guide for everyday planning and check-ins, and Sesame offers four voice characters that handle conversation and connected tasks. Both state they are not substitutes for professional help.
Can children or teenagers use AI companion apps?
Mostly not. Nomi, Kindroid, Replika and Sesame require users to be 18 or older in their terms or site. Tolan says it is built with a teen and adult audience and recommends parental involvement under 18. Dopple's privacy terms bar under 13 and, in the EU, under 16.
Can I delete my data from an AI companion app?
Most offer in-app account deletion. Tolan, Chai and Character.AI describe deleting the account inside the app, Replika's terms say associated data is removed permanently, and Nomi says personal information is deleted except for training archives. Chai's policy allows retention up to five years afterward, so read the exceptions.
Is Candy.ai based in Europe?
Yes, legally. Its terms name EverAI Limited, a company incorporated in Malta with an address in Santa Venera, as operator. The privacy notice is written for GDPR. Being European does not change the product's adult focus, and the notice still allows human review of anonymized interactions for training.