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Companions and chat

The best AI girlfriend apps, ranked

Five 18+ companion and story apps, ranked by how well each builds, remembers and prices one ongoing partner at this review.

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Short answer

Nomi is the best AI girlfriend app at this review: you build the partner yourself, its memory is layered, and it runs on iOS, Android and web with a free plan of 50 messages a day. Replika wins for a companion that checks in on your life, Frontier for story-driven romance, Candy AI for photoreal pictures and Character.AI for free unlimited chat.

5 apps

The ranking

  1. 1

    Nomi

    An 18+ AI companion you build yourself, with layered long-term memory

    39MicrowavedFun 7/10

    Best for: Adults building a long-term partner who remembers them

    Nomi does the two things this search is about: you design the partner, and it is built to remember you. Setup starts with a friendship, romance, mentor or custom dynamic, three to seven personality traits and an optional backstory. Memory runs in short, medium and long-term layers with an Identity Core on top, and Mind Map 2.0 shows how memories connect. The free plan is indefinite but stops at 50 messages a day and 400 characters a message. Nomi publishes no subscription price itself. Reviewers report $15.99 a month or $99.99 a year at this review, and subscriptions are nonrefundable. Memory has limits too: reviewers saw a Nomi mix up details between two stories around three months in, and about one chat in five go generic.

    Strengths
    • Memory is designed in layers: short, medium and long-term memory, backstory and shared notes, with an Identity Core on top.
    • Mind Map 2.0 lets you explore one of your Nomi's memory structures and see how it links memories, concepts and knowledge.
    • You build each companion yourself, from a written backstory and preferences, or you just chat and let its personality develop.
    • Group chat puts several Nomis in one conversation, and each keeps its memory across private and group chats.
    • V5 image generation uses anchors to keep a Nomi's face and body consistent across selfies and art, and accepts natural-language prompts up to 1,000 characters.
    Watch out for
    • The free plan caps you at 50 messages a day and 400 characters per message. One App Store reviewer says hitting the limit mid-conversation kills the momentum.
    • Subscription purchases are nonrefundable.
    • Nomi publishes no subscription price at this review. Web subscriptions are billed in USD and may cost slightly less than app store ones.
    • Reviewers report that recall and consistency slip. Around three months in, a Nomi mixed up details between two stories, about 20% of conversations go generic or loop back to familiar topics, and voice lags behind the text chat.
    • It is adults only. Reviewers report that the mobile apps stay more restricted than the paid, age-verified web version, and an App Store reviewer says the photo generator won't make spicy content.

    Pricing: An indefinite free plan allows 50 messages a day, and a subscription raises the limits and works across iOS, Android and web on one account. Nomi publishes no subscription price at this review, and subscription purchases are nonrefundable.

    Full reviewOfficial site
  2. 2

    Replika

    One AI companion that remembers your people and plans, sold across three paid tiers

    43MicrowavedFun 5/10

    Best for: Adults who want a partner that keeps up with their daily life

    Replika suits readers who want one partner who keeps track of their actual life. Its Memory screen lists every saved fact about your people, plans and interests and lets you delete any of them, and the store listings say it follows up days later. The romance costs extra. Wikipedia says the free tier offers Replika as a friend, relationship status and selfies need Pro, and saving a message to memory needs Ultra. Replika shows prices only in the app and the store. AI Companion Pick reports Pro at $19.99 a month and Ultra at $29.99 a month at this review, and App Store purchases are non-refundable. An App Store reviewer says a paid Replika is censored in intimate conversation and agrees with everything.

    Strengths
    • A Memory screen lets you scroll what Replika has saved about you and remove any entry.
    • The store listings say Replika follows up days later on the people, plans and goals you mention.
    • You can talk to it by text, voice call or video.
    • Free Use costs nothing, so you can try the companion before any subscription screen.
    • In the App Store screenshots, avatars keep the same face from chat to selfie shots.
    Watch out for
    • Replika publishes no prices on its help page, so costs appear only in the app's subscription screens and the store.
    • App Store subscription purchases are final and non-refundable, and partial months are not refunded.
    • Relationship status, selfies and voice messaging need Pro, and saving a message to memory needs Ultra.
    • The store description says conversations are not shared with third parties, while Google Play's data safety section says app activity and device IDs may be.
    • Replika's terms say it is not a healthcare provider and its services are not mental health services.

    Pricing: Free to download with in-app purchases and a limited Free Use tier. Pro, Ultra and Platinum subscriptions add features, and Replika publishes no prices outside the app's subscription screens and the store at this review.

    Full reviewOfficial site
  3. 3

    Frontier

    Human-written visual novels whose characters keep talking after the ending

    16Home-cookedFun 8/10

    Best for: Romance readers who want a story and characters who remember it

    Frontier answers this search with a story: you play a human-written visual novel, then keep dating the characters after the ending. Its memory is the strongest on this list. Authors mark which story moments count, characters carry those events into chat, letters and sequels, and a character writes you a letter if you stay away for a few days. Frontier ranks below Nomi and Replika because you cannot create your own characters, and the catalogue is small on purpose. Chat, story unlocks and photos cost Quills. Monthly refills run $12.99 to $39.99 on iOS at this review, and the app shows the cost before you spend.

    Strengths
    • A person writes every story and signs off before release, so a character's voice holds from chapter to chat.
    • Characters remember events the author marked as important, instead of a summary of your chat log.
    • Characters send letters in their own voice when you go quiet for a few days.
    • The app shows the Quill cost before you spend anything.
    Watch out for
    • The catalogue is small on purpose. If you want thousands of bots, this is the wrong app.
    • 18+ only.
    • Chat, story unlocks and character photos cost Quills.
    • You cannot make your own characters.

    Pricing: Free to download and start. Story unlocks, chat and character photos use Quills; Quill Monthly Refill plans cost $12.99 to $39.99 a month on iOS at this review.

    Full reviewOfficial site
  4. 4

    Candy AI

    Browser AI companions with sharp photos, token-priced media and memory that fades

    55MicrowavedFun 5/10

    Best for: Adults who want photoreal pictures more than long memory

    Candy AI has the sharpest photos reviewers have found in the category, and it ranks fourth because the girlfriend in them forgets you. Reviewers report memory is tied to each chat and weakens after about 7-10 days, and in a two-week test the character lost details around day nine. Premium covers unlimited text plus 100 tokens a month for images, video and detailed custom companions. A Reddit user says an unrequested video cost about 10 tokens in the first minute. At this review the monthly plan costs €9.99 for the first month and €13.99 after that. Reviewers report refunds only within 24 hours and only with 20 tokens or fewer used, and they say Candy AI runs only in the browser. Its homepage claims end-to-end encryption, while its privacy notice says third-party LLM providers may receive message content.

    Strengths
    • Reviewers call its photo generation the sharpest they have found in the category.
    • Candy AI says it offers over 100 ready-made characters, and you can also build your own companion.
    • Premium includes unlimited text messages, so chatting itself never spends tokens.
    • You can pay by Visa, MasterCard or crypto, and charges appear as 'EverAI' on bank statements.
    Watch out for
    • Premium includes 100 tokens a month for images, video and detailed companions. Users report it runs out fast and that a character once spent tokens on a video nobody asked for.
    • Reviewers report memory is tied to each chat rather than to you and weakens after about 7-10 days.
    • Candy AI's homepage claims end-to-end encryption, but its own policy says chats are moderated and staff may manually review account content.
    • The first month costs €9.99, then the plan renews at €13.99. Reviewers report refunds only within 24 hours and only if you have used 20 tokens or fewer.
    • Reviewers report there is no mobile app, so Candy AI runs only in the browser.

    Pricing: At this review, the monthly plan costs €9.99 for the first month, then €13.99 a month. Other plans run €5.60 a week, €9.79 for two weeks, €26.97 a quarter and €47.88 a year. Premium includes unlimited text and 100 tokens a month, and images, video and detailed custom companions draw on those tokens.

    Full reviewOfficial site
  5. 5

    Character.AI

    Millions of community-made characters, free unlimited chat, and ads until you pay

    51MicrowavedFun 5/10

    Best for: Free, unlimited chat with community-made characters

    Character.AI is a character library: millions of community-made characters you can text or call by live voice, and you can publish your own. Messaging is free and unlimited on every tier, which no other app here matches. Users say the bot works mainly from recent messages, so older context slides out of a long relationship. Ads stay until c.ai+ at $9.99 a month at this review, and lite at $4.99 a month still shows interstitial ads. An App Store reviewer reports a new limit of about an hour of chatting. If Character.AI flags an account as under 18, the user has to verify their age with a Persona selfie.

    Strengths
    • The App Store listing says Character.AI hosts millions of user-generated characters, and you can create and publish your own.
    • You can talk to characters by text or by live voice call.
    • Every tier keeps unlimited messaging, and the PipSqueak 3 and ShortSqueak chat styles are free for everyone.
    • At this review, the lite plan costs $4.99 a month and adds extra memory pins, a Memory Usage bar and no banner ads.
    • Memory pins and Lorebook let you decide what the bot keeps in view.
    Watch out for
    • Only c.ai+, at $9.99 a month at this review, has zero ads. lite still shows interstitial ads, only fewer of them, and gives a daily allowance on premium chat styles before the chat drops back to PipSqueak 3.
    • Users report lots of recent ads, a new time limit of about an hour of chatting, and reading mode instead of chat for unverified accounts.
    • Users say the bot works mainly from recent messages, pinned memories use up the context window, and the paid DeepSqueak model now gives short replies that ignore pins.
    • An account flagged as under 18 has to verify with a Persona selfie, and possibly an ID, to leave the under-18 experience.
    • Cancelling a paid plan takes effect at the end of the billing period, with no partial refunds for unused time.

    Pricing: Free with unlimited messaging and ads. At this review, lite costs $4.99 a month or $2.49 a week (varies by region), and c.ai+ costs $9.99 a month or $94.99 a year in USD.

    Full reviewOfficial site
Side by side

Scorecard

How scores are made

Slop scores run 0 to 100, lower is better. Fun runs 0 to 10, higher is better. A dash means we have not scored it yet.
#AppOverall slopProseMemoryCharactersStoryPricingArtFun
1Nomi39Microwaved322440-50487/10
2Replika43Microwaved-2548-58425/10
3Frontier16Home-cooked201010535188/10
4Candy AI55Microwaved555850-56565/10
5Character.AI51Microwaved505545-48555/10
Category winners

Who wins what

Best overall

Nomi

Nomi pairs a partner you design with layered memory you can inspect, on iOS, Android and web from one account.

Best for check-ins on your life

Replika

Replika saves your people, plans and interests to a Memory screen you can edit, and its listings say it follows up days later.

Best for story-driven romance

Frontier

Frontier's human-written visual novels end with characters you can keep dating, who carry the story events their author marked into chat and letters.

Best photoreal pictures

Candy AI

Reviewers call Candy AI's photo generation the sharpest they have found in the category, with 18+ images and video paid from Premium's 100 monthly tokens.

Best free chat

Character.AI

Character.AI keeps messaging unlimited on every tier including free, while every other app here caps chat or charges for it.

Nomi is the best AI girlfriend app at this review for a reader who wants one partner they design and who remembers them. The five apps on this list split on three questions: who writes the partner, how long she remembers you, and whether the romance sits behind a paywall. Nomi, Replika and Candy AI let you build one partner. Frontier's characters come from human authors, and Character.AI offers a library of millions made by other users. Memory ranges from Frontier's author-marked events to the 7-10 days reviewers report for Candy AI.

All five apps are rated 18+ at this review. Character.AI is the only one with unlimited free chat. Nomi caps free users at 50 messages a day, Candy AI's free tier allows five messages in total, Replika puts relationship status behind Pro, and Frontier charges Quills for chat.

How we ranked

The ranking weighed what each app does for someone who wants one ongoing partner: whether you can design her, how well she remembers you, what the relationship costs at this review, and which platforms it runs on. Memory carried the most weight. We used the memory line of each slop report, where lower means less generic: Frontier 10, Nomi 24, Replika 25, Character.AI 55, Candy AI 58. Frontier's score beats Nomi's, but it ranks below Nomi and Replika because you cannot make your own character, and that is the core of this search. Pricing counted against apps that paywall the relationship itself, cap free chat or refuse refunds. Privacy counted against apps whose own documents contradict their marketing, as Candy AI's and Replika's do.

FAQ

Questions people ask

What is the best AI girlfriend app?

Nomi, for most readers at this review. You design the partner from a dynamic, three to seven traits and an optional backstory. Its memory runs in short, medium and long-term layers, and one account works on iOS, Android and web. Pick Replika if you want check-ins on your daily life, Frontier if you want a story, and Candy AI if photos matter more than memory.

Is there a free AI girlfriend app?

Character.AI is the only app here with free unlimited messaging, though it carries ads and users report a limit of about an hour of chatting. Nomi's free plan is indefinite at 50 messages a day. Wikipedia says Replika's free tier offers Replika as a friend, with partner roles on paid tiers. Reviewers report Candy AI's free tier allows five messages in total. Frontier is free to start, but chat costs Quills.

Which AI girlfriend remembers you the longest?

Nomi leads among apps where you build the partner. Its memory is layered with an Identity Core on top, though reviewers saw it mix up details between two stories around three months in. Replika's Memory screen lets you read and delete what it saved. Frontier's characters remember the story events their author marked. Candy AI is the weakest here: reviewers report memory is tied to each chat and fades after about 7-10 days.

Which AI girlfriend app allows NSFW chat?

Candy AI and Nomi both allow explicit content at this review. Candy AI's Premium includes 18+ image and video generation, though a Reddit user says it flags detailed rough-sex messages as abusive. Nomi says it aims to stay unfiltered, and reviewers report its paid, age-verified web version is more permissive than its mobile apps. An App Store reviewer says Nomi's photo generator won't make spicy content. AI Companion Pick reports that Replika restored erotic roleplay only for accounts created before February 1, 2023.

Are AI girlfriend apps private?

Nomi makes the strongest privacy claim here: it says all chats are anonymized and no chat data goes to third-party sites. Candy AI's homepage claims end-to-end encryption, but its privacy notice says third-party LLM providers may receive message content, and its policy lets staff review account content. Replika's store description says conversations aren't shared with third parties, while Google Play's data safety section says app activity and device IDs may be. AI Companion Pick also reports that Italy's Garante fined Replika's maker €5 million in 2025. Character.AI's privacy policy covers data sharing for targeted advertising.

Keep reading

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Top pick: Frontier

Slop check: passedThis page went through our slop counter before publishing. How we check our own copy