AI companion apps, compared by someone building one

Most comparisons in this category are spec sheets: a table of features, a winner at the bottom, and an affiliate link. They're useless, because these products don't differ mainly on features. They differ on what they think you want, and that difference decides whether you're still opening the app in a month.

So this is organised by what each one is for.

Replika — the one that wants to be a presence

Replika is the oldest name here and the most ambitious about being *around* rather than being chatted with. Its own page leads with calls ("Call your Rep whenever you need to talk, or just to hang out. They pick up every time"), a customisable avatar, selfies, and reacting to photos you send. Memory is stated as remembering "what matters" — relationships, routines, details.

It's the most complete answer to "I want something in my life," and the avatar work is well past what the rest of the field ships.

The thing to know going in is that Replika has changed what it allows more than once, and each change landed hard on people who'd built a routine around it. That's not a dig at the company — this is a category where policy, app-store rules and public pressure all collide — but if you're the kind of person for whom stability *is* the product, it's the risk worth pricing in.

Nomi — the one for people who want a world

Nomi is built for depth and for roleplay that goes somewhere. Its page advertises "short, medium, and long term memory," voice chats and hands-free calls, sending images your Nomi can see, selfies back, and — the differentiator — group chats where several companions interact with each other and with you.

That group mechanic is genuinely the most interesting feature in the category and nobody else really has it. If what you want is an ongoing story with a cast, this is the one.

It also asks the most of you. You're building and steering; the app doesn't decide much on your behalf. If you'd rather be met than direct, that's work you didn't want.

Character.AI — the one with everything in it

Character.AI is the biggest library — a vast catalogue of user-created characters, which means the range is unmatched and the quality is a lottery. It's the right starting point if you want to try fifty things for free and find out what you even like.

It's the wrong one if you want a single relationship that deepens. Breadth and depth pull against each other, and a platform optimised for a million characters is not optimised for the second month with one of them.

Tendera — the closest thing to a direct competitor

Tendera is the newest of these and the most similar to us in shape: a small set of hand-written characters rather than an infinite library, with memory as the headline ("She remembers what you said"). Its about page describes a custom memory system that extracts facts, emotional states and relationship milestones into structured records — the same architecture we use, and the correct one.

Stated terms, as of the date on this post: 5 preview messages with no signup, 25 messages a day free, Premium at $9.99/month for unlimited messages and up to 20 custom characters. It's an 18+ platform.

The features and prices above reflect the original August 6 check. Our own product has since changed; the Akina section below was updated on September 9. Check the linked official product pages before comparing current plans.

Akina — adult romantic chat in a shared setting

Akina opens into romantic Paris and Venice scenes. Choose from 12 fictional adult AI companions, explore the surroundings in a navigable 3D view and begin a private conversation. The personality quiz is optional. A separate members area supports opt-in profiles and private invitations between real people.

AI conversations use recent messages, rolling summaries and selected saved facts. Visitors can try five messages without an account and carry the conversation over at signup. Plus costs USD 9.99 monthly or USD 79.99 yearly. Our memory guide explains what continuity can and cannot do.

Limits to consider. Akina runs in the browser, without a native app-store listing. Browser speech depends on the device. AI memory is imperfect; real members may not be online or reply. We do not have verified long-term retention results to publish.

Audience and content boundaries

Akina is for adults aged 18 and over. It supports romantic conversation with content boundaries; it is not an unrestricted explicit-content service. AI characters are fictional and are labelled separately from real member profiles.

Choose a service whose current content rules, privacy controls and interaction style suit you. An age label alone does not describe what a product allows, and no label guarantees acceptance by payment providers or advertising platforms.

How to actually choose

All of them have a free tier. The comparison that actually settles it is the one you run yourself: pick two, spend a week in each, and see which one you open without deciding to. That's the whole test.