How to Choose an AI Companion App

1. Write your must-haves: adult content or not, voice calls or messages, memory you can edit, iPhone, Android or browser, free or paid.
2. Filter with the feature table on our AI companion app features page, then use the matching section below.
3. Price the real cost: renewal price, add-ons, credits and the store or web difference.
4. Read the data rules: retention, training use, deletion and export.
5. Try the free option first, and find the cancel and delete routes before you pay.

No single app suits everyone, and we publish no scores. Each section below says what to check, names the apps whose documentation fits and links to the list that goes deeper. This guide belongs to our AI companion app guides; facts come from official pages, and we did not test the apps.

If You Want Free Use

Several apps stay free for text: Replika's help center says chatting "will always be free", Nomi's free plan gives 50 messages a day, Character.AI offers free unlimited messaging with ads and queues, Janitor AI gives unlimited chats on its free model with about 9K tokens of context, CrushOn.AI includes 100 monthly credits plus unlimited Free Models, and SpicyChat keeps core features free with a 4,096-token context. Others are thin: Candy AI's free account allows 5 messages, and Kindroid now gives only a one-time preview.

Read free-plan wording carefully. Store reviewers report hitting a paywall mid-chat on Replika (user reports), and CrushOn.AI deletes free chat history after 7 days of inactivity. Our best free AI girlfriend apps page lists limits, and free vs paid apps explains what paying adds.

If You Want Adult Content

This is the sharpest divide. Character.AI prohibits pornographic content for all users, Talkie bans explicit and suggestive sexual content, Chai says its models refuse sexually explicit material, and EVA AI's Terms forbid it. Adult content for 18+ users is documented by Nomi (text, but no nude images), Kindroid (in private chats), Janitor AI, SpicyChat, CrushOn.AI, Candy AI, DreamGF, Muah AI, Nastia AI, Kupid AI and GirlfriendGPT. Replika, Anima, Romantic AI and Paradot give no clear official statement.

Expect age checks. SpicyChat requires a selfie or ID check for NSFW in France, the UK, Italy, Australia and 26 US states, Janitor AI requires k-ID checks in Australia, Brazil and the UK, and DreamGF is blocked in the UK until age verification exists. See best NSFW AI girlfriend apps, free NSFW AI chat and unfiltered AI chat.

If You Want Voice

Decide between calls and voice messages. Character.AI's Character Calls are free. Replika, Nomi and Kindroid put calls behind a subscription (Kindroid also has a 3-day trial and bills calls in audio credits), Muah AI's top tier adds live calling, DreamGF charges 7 tokens a minute, and Candy AI's voice calls are in beta and paid in tokens. SpicyChat offers text-to-speech playback only, on its top tier. Compare in AI girlfriends with voice and free AI girlfriends with voice.

If You Want Memory

Look for memory you can see and edit, and for a published size. Nomi's Mind Map 2.0 and Kindroid's layered memory are the best documented, Replika has a simple Memory tab, and SpicyChat and CrushOn.AI sell larger context windows by tier. Remember that no app promises perfect recall. Start with how AI companion memory works, then the ranking of AI companions with memory or free options.

If You Care About Privacy

Check five things: how long chats are kept, whether you can delete the account in the app, whether chats train models, whether staff review them, and whether data is sold. Nomi's privacy policy says it will not sell or rent personal information, and Kindroid says chats are encrypted at rest and in transit and that it will not sell or share personal data. Replika's help center says no humans join conversations. Character.AI, Candy AI, CrushOn.AI and Chai say chats can be used for training, and Muah AI had a 2024 breach. No app we checked offers end-to-end encryption. See private AI chat apps, the AI companion privacy pillar and local vs cloud companions.

If You Care About Platforms

Store apps exist for Replika, Nomi, Kindroid, Character.AI, Romantic AI, EVA AI, Janitor AI (beta) and Talkie, whose iOS listing is named Talkie Lab. Nomi's wiki names an Android app, but we could not load its Play listing. Chai is mobile only. Candy AI, DreamGF, Kupid AI, Nastia AI and GirlfriendGPT are web or installable web apps, SpicyChat and Muah AI add an Android APK, and Paradot offers Windows and macOS installers. Kindroid, Nomi and Janitor AI each run stricter content rules in their mobile apps. Browse iPhone, Android, web and desktop lists, or the devices hub.

If You Have a Budget

The lowest listed monthly prices are Character.AI's lite at $4.99 (US), SpicyChat's Get A Taste at $5.95, CrushOn.AI's Standard at $5.99 and the cheapest Replika entry at $7.99 on the US App Store. Nomi and Kindroid list $15.99 a month on the App Store, and Kindroid's Ultra and MAX add-ons cost $28.99 and $68.99 more. Intro prices mislead: DreamGF's $12.99 first month becomes $25.98, and Candy AI's €9.99 becomes €13.99. Some apps publish no prices at all, including Muah AI and Paradot. Compare in AI girlfriend app pricing or read Nomi pricing and SpicyChat pricing.

Red Flags Before You Commit

• Company risk: Character.AI filed for Chapter 11 on October 12, 2026 and says it will wind down the platform if no buyer continues it.
• Look-alikes: two unrelated iOS apps use the DreamGF name, and nastia.app is not Nastia AI's official domain.
• Contradictory pages: DreamGF and Nastia AI list conflicting prices, and Anima's policies disagree on adult content.
• No exit route: Chai publishes no cancellation steps. Read our cancellation guide and export guide first.

Quick Decision Table