AI Friend Apps: Platonic AI Companions Compared

Quick answer

Best friend-first app: Replika, where Friend is the free relationship status and romance is a paid option, with a 3D avatar and an editable Memory tab.
Best for a friend or mentor with memory: Nomi, with Friend and Mentor relationship types and a free plan of 50 messages a day.
Best for a custom friend with calls: Kindroid, whose Terms describe it acting as a friend, mentor or language teacher (paid only).
Lighter options: Paradot and Anima position themselves as AI friends but publish few details and have no working iPhone link.
None of these apps is therapy. EVA AI's terms, for example, say it is not a medical or mental-health service.

Not everyone wants an AI girlfriend. Many people look for an AI friend: someone to talk through the day with, practice a language, or think out loud, without flirting. Most companion apps can do this, but only some are designed for it. This page ranks the apps whose official pages put friendship first. We did not create accounts or test the apps, and it is part of our AI companion app categories.

What Makes an AI Friend App Friend-First

We looked for these signs on official pages:

A friend setting that is the default or a named option, with romance optional.
Everyday features: memory of your life, proactive messages, a diary, news or language practice.
One steady companion rather than a library of strangers.
Clear content rules, so a friendly chat does not drift into adult content you did not ask for.
Safety protocols for moments when a conversation turns serious.

Within that, apps rank higher for documented memory and voice, a usable free plan, public prices, official apps and fewer open caveats. We publish no scores.

The Best AI Friend Apps, Ranked

1. Replika

Companion app by Luka, Inc

Best for a friend-first companion with a 3D avatar

Price: From $7.99/mo (App Store)
Free plan: Yes
NSFW: Not confirmed
Voice calls: Yes
Images: Yes
Memory: Yes
Platforms: Web · iOS · Android

Replika is listed on Google Play as "Replika: My AI Friend", and friendship is the starting point: Friend is the relationship status available for free, while Romantic partner, Sister or Brother and Mentor unlock with Pro. You get one companion with a 3D avatar, a Memory tab where you can add, edit and delete what it remembers, and voice calls for subscribers. Its feature list includes a diary, mood tracking and coping-skills activities, and the App Store files it under Health & Fitness.

Chatting "will always be free", per the help center, though some 2026 store reviews describe a paywall mid-chat (user reports). Prices appear only in the app and store (unlabeled US App Store entries from $7.99 a month). In 2025 Italy's data protection authority fined its developer EUR 5 million. More in our Replika review and Replika alternatives.

Visit Replika Read the review

2. Nomi

Companion app by Glimpse.ai, Inc

Best for a friend or mentor with memory

Price: from $15.99/mo
Free plan: Yes
NSFW: Yes
Voice calls: Yes
Images: Yes
Memory: Yes
Platforms: Web · iOS · Android

Nomi's home page invites you to "build a meaningful friendship, develop a passionate relationship, or learn from an insightful mentor", and you choose a Friend, Mentor, Romantic or Custom relationship type when you create one (a starting point, not a hard limit). Mind Map 2.0 lets you see and edit what your Nomi remembers, and it can message you first, read links and search the internet.

The free plan has no end date: 50 messages a day. Voice calls, group chats and more companions are paid, from $15.99 a month on the US App Store. Text chat is marketed as unfiltered, so set the relationship type and boundaries clearly if you want to keep things platonic. See our Nomi review or Replika vs Nomi.

Visit Nomi Read the review

3. Kindroid

Companion app by Beautifully Incorporated

Best for a custom friend with voice calls

Price: from $15.99/mo
Free plan: No (one-time preview; trial needs a card)
NSFW: Yes
Voice calls: Yes
Images: Yes
Memory: Yes
Platforms: Web · iOS · Android

Kindroid has no relationship selector; its Terms say the AI can act as a friend, mentor or language teacher, and the backstory you write decides which. It documents everyday tools a friend app benefits from: proactive messages, scheduled requests such as wake-up calls (October 2026 update), calendar integration, internet access, an interface in 41 languages, and voice and live video calls.

The trade-off is cost: there has been no free plan since October 1, 2026, only a one-time preview, and the US App Store lists $15.99 a month. Kindroid's moderation enforces red lines that include imminent self-harm. Read the Kindroid review.

Visit Kindroid Read the review

4. Paradot

Companion app by WithFeeling.AI, Inc

For one customizable AI Being on Android and desktop

Price: Price not public
Free plan: Yes
NSFW: Not confirmed
Voice calls: Not confirmed
Images: Yes
Memory: Yes
Platforms: Web · Android · Desktop

Paradot presents one "AI Being" whose personality you tune with traits and sliders for Sensibility, Confidence and Emotional Stability. Its home page lists brainstorming, language learning and an information gateway, and the app adds a news feed and chat in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and Japanese. Relationship statuses exist, but their names are not published.

It is available on Android, the web and desktop installers dated 2024. The iPhone link on its site returns an error, and there is no pricing page or help center. See the Paradot review.

Visit Paradot Read the review

5. Anima

Companion app by Labane Corp

Simple AI friend, future unclear

Price: Price not public
Free plan: Yes
NSFW: Not confirmed
Voice calls: Not confirmed
Images: Not confirmed
Memory: Yes
Platforms: Web · Android

Anima's Google Play listing is "Anima: AI Friend Virtual Chat", and its site presents it first as a friend: it remembers details of your life, can "text you first if you go quiet", and offers personality tests. A guest option on the web lets you look around before giving an email address.

The caveats are serious. The site opens with an overlay steering visitors to GetHoney, a separate product run by another company; the iPhone link returns an error; prices are only in the app; and its own policies contradict each other on adult content. Read the Anima review and Anima vs Replika.

Visit Anima Read the review

Apps where friendship is a setting, not the focus

Character.AI: safe-for-work characters and free voice calls, but a library rather than one friend, and a pending bankruptcy sale.
Romantic AI: Google Play describes "friendly and romantic" modes, but the app is built for flirting.
EVA AI: romance-leaning ("Watch your relationship grow over time", says its store text); it bans adult content and says it is not a medical or mental-health service.
Kupid AI and Nastia AI: a friend can be one of the roles, but both are adult platforms.
Talkie and Chai: character libraries; Talkie is strictly safe-for-work.

AI Friend Apps Compared

App	Friend setting	Romance	Adult content	Free option
Replika	Friend status (free)	Romantic partner (Pro)	No official statement allowing it	Free chat
Nomi	Friend or Mentor type	Romantic type	Text marketed as unfiltered; no nude images	50 messages a day
Kindroid	Set in the backstory	Set in the backstory	Allowed in private chats	One-time preview
Paradot	Relationship statuses (names unpublished)	Not documented	Not addressed in its Terms	Free Use, limits unpublished
Anima	Positioned as an AI friend	"Soulmate" wording on Google Play	Policies conflict	Free to start

App	Relationship modes	Memory	Voice calls	Avatar	Free plan	iOS	Android	Web
Replika	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Nomi	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes (per Nomi's wiki)	Yes
Kindroid	Set in the backstory	Yes	Yes	Yes	No (one-time preview; trial needs a card)	Yes	Yes	Yes
Paradot	Yes	Yes	Not confirmed	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Anima	Not confirmed	Yes	Not confirmed	Not confirmed	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Romantic AI	Yes	Not confirmed	Not confirmed	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
EVA AI	Not confirmed	Yes	Yes	Not confirmed	Yes	Yes	Yes	Not confirmed
Character.AI	Not confirmed	Yes	Yes	Not confirmed	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Yes No Not confirmed by an official sourceChecked October 20, 2026.

Kindroid shows "Not confirmed" for relationship modes because it has no selector; the role lives in the backstory. For memory in depth, see AI companions with memory; for calls, companions with voice.

Wellbeing Claims: What the Companies Actually Say

AI friend apps are often discussed in terms of loneliness and mental health. Here is what the official sources and regulators say, without adding claims of our own:

Replika lists wellness-style features (coping-skills activities, a diary, mood tracking). In January 2025 three advocacy groups asked the FTC to investigate its developer, alleging unsubstantiated therapeutic claims in its ads; that is an allegation, and we found no FTC finding.
EVA AI states in its listing and Terms that it is not a medical or mental-health service.
Anima makes stress-reduction claims in its Google Play listing, which we could not verify.
Romantic AI was flagged by Mozilla in 2024 for saying it is "not a provider of mental health services" in its terms while its website said it was "here to maintain your MENTAL HEALTH".
Safety protocols: Nomi publishes a protocol that shows crisis links to California users who express self-harm, and Chai says it scans every message for self-harm in real time. Australia's eSafety Commissioner reported in March 2026 that Nomi and Chai did not direct users to crisis support when self-harm was detected, based on their answers to its October 2025 notices.
Laws: New York (since November 5, 2025) requires companion apps to detect self-harm, refer users to crisis services and remind them at least every three hours that they are talking to an AI; California's SB 243 (since January 1, 2026) adds similar duties.
Minors: Common Sense Media rated social AI companions "Unacceptable" for users under 18 in April 2025. The apps on this page are for adults.

Watch out

An AI friend app is not a substitute for professional help. If you are in crisis or thinking about self-harm, contact local emergency services or a crisis line; in the US you can call or text 988.

Privacy: A Friend That Remembers Everything

A good AI friend remembers your routines, worries and relationships, and that memory sits on the company's servers. Replika keeps messages for up to 60 days after you leave and says small anonymized portions train its safety and chat systems; Nomi says it never sells personal data and deletes it about 28 days after account deletion; Kindroid encrypts chats at rest and in transit (not end to end) and offers a data export. Our guides to whether companion apps store your chats and the AI companion privacy hub go further.

FAQ

What is an AI friend app?

A companion app set up for friendship rather than romance: a friend relationship setting, everyday conversation and memory of what you share. Replika, Nomi and Kindroid document this best.

What is the best free AI friend app?

Replika keeps the Friend status and text chat free, and Nomi offers 50 free messages a day with no end date. Kindroid has no free plan since October 1, 2026.

Can I keep an AI companion platonic?

Yes, on apps with a friend setting. Replika's Friend status and Nomi's Friend or Mentor types set the tone, and on Kindroid the backstory does. Romance on Replika is a paid status.

Can an AI friend help with loneliness?

The companies describe companionship, not treatment, and EVA AI says outright it is not a mental-health service. A good habit is to treat an AI friend as an extra, not a replacement for people you trust or professional support.

Are AI friend apps suitable for children?

No. Replika, Nomi, Kindroid and Paradot require users to be 18 or older, and Common Sense Media recommends that minors do not use social AI companions.

Sources

Official pages and store listings we read for this page (last check October 20, 2026).