AI Companion Apps, Tested: Prices, Age Rules and What Happens to Your Chats

Most lists of AI companion apps rank them on how the conversation feels. This one checks what the chat window does not show you: who runs each app, what it charges, who it lets in, and what its own policies say happens to your conversations. On 24 September 2026 we checked 16 apps, including the ones this page used to recommend, and looked up what became of two more. The differences are large, and several names from our old list have moved on.

The short version

• Most say they learn from your chats. Character.AI, Chai, Anima, Pi, Candy AI and CrushOn AI say they use your conversations or other data to train or improve their AI. Replika uses small anonymised portions for its own models, and Nomi keeps a training archive after you delete your account. Pi was the only one whose policy told us how to opt out.
• Some use your data for advertising. Character.AI’s privacy policy lists tailored advertising, Snapchat says what you share with My AI may be used to personalize ads, and SimSimi serves interest-based ads. Replika and Talkie say they never use the content of your conversations for advertising, and Pi, Kindroid and Nomi say they do not sell personal data.
• Apple rates almost all of them 18+. Ten of the 12 apps we found in Apple’s US App Store carry an 18+ rating, SimSimi is 16+ and Snapchat 13+. Four set a lower age in their own terms or privacy policies: Character.AI, Talkie, SimSimi and Kajiwoto.
• Nobody promised end-to-end encryption. None of the policies we read offered it. Kindroid came closest: it says chats are encrypted so that it cannot view them in normal operation.
• Pi costs nothing. It lists no in-app purchases. Most of the others are free to download, with entry subscriptions of $7.99 to $15.99 a month in Apple’s US store and pricier tiers and credit packs on top.
• Old names have moved on. Elysai’s address now leads to a business software login, Kuki markets itself to brands as a virtual influencer, Anima’s iPhone app has left Apple’s store, and Talkie’s website says it is not available in India, where we tested.

How we checked

On 24 September 2026, without creating accounts or paying, we recorded the same facts for every app: the company named in its terms or privacy policy; its age rating and in-app prices in Apple’s US App Store; the privacy label its developer filed with Apple, which Apple publishes but does not verify; what its current privacy policy and terms say about training AI on your chats, advertising, age and deleting data; and which outside companies its website loaded on a first visit, in a separate browser with no account signed in. We tested from India. We did not chat with the apps, so this is not a review of how good the conversations are. Prices are Apple’s US prices unless we say otherwise, and they change. Our editorial policy explains how we test and correct pages like this one.

The apps, one by one

Replika

The long-running AI friend app, launched in 2017, with about 228,000 ratings in Apple’s US store.

• Who runs it: Luka, Inc., a Delaware company based in San Francisco.
• What it costs: free to download. Apple’s US store lists subscriptions at $7.99 and $14.99 a month and $49.99 to $69.99 a year, Replika Platinum at $89.99, and gem packs from $0.99.
• Age: adults only, under its privacy policy, and rated 18+ by Apple.
• Your chats: its privacy policy (27 May 2026) says it anonymises “small portions” of messages to train its own safety and chat systems, never third-party AI models, and that it will never use the content of your conversations for advertising. Its terms say deleting your account removes your data permanently.
• Tracking: its website loaded no trackers on our visit, but its App Store label says identifiers and usage data may be used to track you across other companies’ apps and websites.
• More: our Replika listing.

Character.AI

A huge library of user-made characters, with about 558,000 ratings in Apple’s US store.

• Who runs it: Character Technologies, Inc., of Menlo Park, California.
• What it costs: free to download. In-app purchases in Apple’s US store include its c.ai+ subscription at $9.99 and $94.99, a cheaper Character.AI Lite, and Charms packs from $0.99 to $49.99.
• Age: its terms (August 2025) allow users from 13, or 16 in the EEA and UK, and its teen safety page says under-18s get a more restricted model and a narrower set of characters. Apple rates the app 18+.
• Your chats: its privacy policy (1 July 2026) lists personal communications among the data it collects and says it uses information “to train our artificial intelligence/machine learning models” and to provide tailored advertising.
• Tracking: the heaviest we saw. Its home page loaded advertising and data trackers from more than a dozen companies, including Google, Meta, Reddit, Criteo, PubMatic and Yahoo, without showing us a cookie banner. Its App Store label lists contact details, location, identifiers and usage data as used to track you.
• More: our Character.AI listing.

Nomi

A companion app built around long-term memory. Its iPhone app was last updated in March 2026.

• Who runs it: Glimpse.ai, Inc., a Maryland corporation.
• What it costs: free to download. The Standard plan is $15.99 a month, $39.99 a quarter or $99.99 a year, a Launch plan is $9.99 a month, and credit packs start at $4.99.
• Age: adults only. Its terms say anyone under 18 cannot use it “under any circumstances”.
• Your chats: its privacy policy (27 April 2026) says it does not sell or rent personal information, and that deleting your account erases your personal data within about 28 days, except what sits in its training or communications archives, which it says is then no longer attributable to you.
• Tracking: its App Store label lists nothing used to track you. Its website loaded Google Analytics, Amplitude and Rewardful, an affiliate-referral tracker.
• More: our Nomi listing.

Kindroid

Rated 4.8 from about 8,800 ratings in Apple’s US store.

• Who runs it: Beautifully Incorporated, of Los Angeles.
• What it costs: free to download. Subscriptions are $15.99 a month, $42.99 for three months or $159.99 a year, with Ultra at $28.99 and MAX at $68.99, and extra character slots, selfie credits and audio credits sold separately.
• Age: adults only, and rated 18+ by Apple.
• Your chats: its privacy policy (June 2024) says chats are encrypted at rest and in transit, “so we will not be able to view” them in normal operation, although it can decrypt them to meet legal requirements. It says it has not sold or shared personal data, and it does not mention training AI on your chats.
• Tracking: its App Store label says identifiers and usage data may be used to track you. Its website loaded Google Analytics and ad measurement, Mixpanel and an IP-location service.

Pi

Inflection AI’s “personal AI”, a supportive chatbot rather than a character app. You can chat on its website without an account.

• Who runs it: Inflection AI, Inc.
• What it costs: nothing. Apple’s US store lists no in-app purchases.
• Age: adults only, under its terms.
• Your chats: Inflection’s privacy policy says it uses your content to train its models and that you can opt out of model training in your account settings, and its terms say it uses “automated technologies and human review” to keep the service safe. It says it does not sell or share personal information or use it for targeted advertising. Without an account, the site asks you to log in “to save your chat history past 60 days”.
• Tracking: the lightest we saw. Its website contacted only one outside company, an error-reporting service (it runs its analytics through its own domain), and its App Store label lists nothing used to track you.
• More: our Pi listing.

Chai

A large library of user-made chatbots, with about 282,000 ratings in Apple’s US store.

• Who runs it: Chai Research Corp., a Delaware company based in Palo Alto.
• What it costs: free to download. Premium is $13.99 a month or $134.99 a year, and Ultra is $29.99 a month or $19.99 a week.
• Age: its safety page calls it “an 18+ service”, and Apple rates it 18+.
• Your chats: its privacy policy (2 July 2026) says your messages may be used to “improve the chatbot for all users”, and that if you installed the app from an advert, usage data may be shared with advertising partners to measure it. You delete your account under Profile, then Settings.
• Tracking: its App Store label says usage data may be used to track you.
• More: our Chai listing.

Talkie

Character chat that now appears in Apple’s US store as Talkie Lab.

• Who runs it: SUBSUP PTE. LTD., a Singapore company.
• What it costs: free to download. Apple’s US store lists $9.99 a month or $49.99 a year, a Talkie+ Pro plan at $24.99 a month, and gem packs.
• Age: its privacy policy sets a minimum age of 14, while Apple rates the app 18+.
• Your chats: its privacy policy (dated 12/09/2025, which we read from an archived copy because the site is blocked where we tested) says it will never use the content of your conversations for marketing or advertising. It does not mention training AI on them.
• Tracking: its App Store label says identifiers may be used to track you. Its website told us “Talkie isn’t available in your region”, and a search of India’s App Store found no Talkie app from the company.
• More: our Talkie listing.

SimSimi

A chatbot whose website dates from 2002, with web chat and an app.

• Who runs it: SimSimi Inc.
• What it costs: free to download. A membership and ad removal cost $2.99 each, with small top-ups from $0.29.
• Age: 13 and over under its terms, and rated 16+ by Apple.
• Your chats: its privacy policy says advertising networks may show you interest-based ads, including after you leave the service, and that it keeps data while your account is active.
• Tracking: its App Store label is the only one we saw that lists user content among the data that may be used to track you, along with location and usage data.

Snapchat My AI

A chatbot built into Snapchat and powered by OpenAI’s GPT and Google’s Gemini models.

• Who runs it: Snap Inc., of Santa Monica, California.
• What it costs: free. Snapchat+ adds extras for $4.99 a month.
• Age: 13 and over, under Snapchat’s terms.
• Your chats: Snapchat’s My AI help page says everything you share with My AI “is stored until you delete it”, and that your data may be used to improve Snap’s products and personalize your experience, including ads. To clear it, go to Settings, then Privacy Controls, then Clear Data, then Clear My AI Data.
• Tracking: its App Store label lists contact details and identifiers as used to track you.

Anima

Still online, but steering visitors toward a newer app.

• Who runs it: Labane Corp. Ltd., a company registered in Cyprus.
• What happened: the iPhone app its website links to is no longer in Apple’s App Store (we checked the US, UK, Indian and German stores), while the Android app is still on Google Play. A pop-up on its website promotes GetHoney, a newer companion site registered in June 2025, saying “Anima is still here”.
• Age: its privacy policy contradicts itself: one line requires users to be over 16, another says it does not knowingly process data from anyone under 18.
• Your chats: the same policy says it uses data “to train and improve our AI models” and uses third-party tools to serve ads.
• Tracking: its website loaded Google’s ad and analytics services, a Meta pixel, Amplitude and AppsFlyer, and Google Play’s data safety section says app activity and device identifiers are shared with other companies for analytics.

HiWaifu

Anime character chat, listed as “Waifu” on our old list. Its website now also calls itself an AI creation studio for character cards, slides and short films.

• Who runs it: LANGUAGE POWER MEDIA LIMITED, of Hong Kong.
• What it costs: free to download, with plans at $12.99 a month, $17.99 for Premium+ and $29.99 a season, plus energy and crystal packs.
• Age: rated 18+ by Apple.
• Your chats: its privacy policy never mentions AI, characters or chats, so it does not say what happens to your conversations.
• Tracking: its App Store label lists contact details, search history, identifiers, purchases and usage data as used to track you, the longest list we saw.

Kajiwoto

A companion builder whose website still works, although its iPhone app was last updated in October 2024.

• Who runs it: Kajiwoto Inc.
• What it costs: Plus at $10.49, or $116.99, and Pro at $34.99, or $349.99 a year, in Apple’s US store.
• Age: its privacy policy says 13 and over, while Apple rates the app 18+.
• Your chats: its privacy policy is short, about 450 words, and says it keeps your information for up to 120 days after you delete your account.
• Tracking: its App Store label lists nothing used to track you.

Adult companion apps (18+)

These four are built for explicit chat and image generation. We checked each one the same way, and the first three have full write-ups on their listings.

• Candy AI: run by EverAI Limited of Malta. A free account gets 5 messages in total, and from India the monthly plan cost ₹1,180, with no US dollar price shown. Its privacy notice says chats train its AI and that de-identified conversations may be reviewed by people. Its home page loaded trackers from Google, TikTok, Snap, Meta, Hotjar, Mixpanel and Cloudflare, and it has no app-store app.
• CrushOn AI: run by Techiepie Ltd of Cyprus. A free plan gives 100 message credits a month, and paid tiers run from $5.99 to $89.99 a month. Its privacy policy says chat content is used “in a general way for training our models”, and its apps are published under other names.
• FunFun AI: run by Chaindesk SAS of Paris. It has no pricing page, and its own site code sets €12.99 a month or €72 a year. Its privacy policy says nothing about chats or AI training, and age is self-declared.
• Intimate: run by Growing Pains LLC. Apple’s US store lists Intimate Pro at $19.99, a $49.99 annual plan and Intimate Max at $39.99 a month, and its App Store label declares no tracking. The privacy link on that App Store listing opens a March 2023 policy written for another app, Planatrip, and the newer policy on its own website (September 2025) covers Intimate but says nothing about how chats are handled.

What happened to the rest of our old list

• Elysai: elysai.com now redirects to the login page of PromethistAI, which sells conversational AI to companies. The consumer app is gone.
• Kuki: its chat still works at chat.kuki.ai, but kuki.ai now presents Kuki as “an award-winning AI model & influencer” for brand campaigns. An App Store app called “Kuki – Best AI Companion” comes from a different company, SwimEx, Inc.

How to choose

• If privacy matters most, compare the “Your chats” lines above before anything else. Pi lets you opt out of training and runs no targeted ads, Kindroid says it cannot read your chats in normal operation, and Replika and Talkie rule out using conversations for advertising.
• If you are under 18, most of these apps are not for you: Apple rates all but Snapchat and SimSimi 18+. Snapchat’s My AI keeps what you share until you delete it.
• Before you pay, try the free version first and check how renewals and cancellations work. Pi has nothing to buy, and Kuki’s web chat is free.
• Whichever you choose, share nothing you would not want a company to keep, because none of the policies we read promised end-to-end encryption.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best AI companion app?

There is no single best one, and we did not rate how good the conversations are. On the checks we ran, Pi made the strongest privacy commitments (no targeted advertising, a model-training opt-out and nothing to buy), Kindroid says it cannot read your chats in normal operation, and among the dedicated companion apps, Character.AI and Replika have the most ratings in Apple’s US App Store.

Is there a free AI companion app?

Pi lists no in-app purchases in Apple’s US store, and Kuki’s web chat is free. Replika, Character.AI, Nomi, Kindroid, Chai and Talkie are free to download, with entry subscriptions of $7.99 to $15.99 a month.

Are AI companion apps safe to use?

Every app we checked names the company behind it, but treat your chats as something that company keeps and may learn from. Most of these apps say they use conversations to improve or train their AI, and none of the policies we read promised end-to-end encryption, so do not share your full name, address, passwords or financial details.

Do AI companion apps read your chats?

Some say people may. Pi’s terms mention human review, and Candy AI’s privacy notice says de-identified conversations may be reviewed by people when training data is prepared. Kindroid says its chats are encrypted so that it cannot view them in normal operation.

Which AI companion apps allow under-18s?

Snapchat’s My AI is for users 13 and over. By their own terms, Character.AI (13, or 16 in the EEA and UK, with a restricted teen version), SimSimi (13), Kajiwoto (13) and Talkie (14) also allow teens, although Apple rates their apps 16+ or 18+. Replika, Nomi, Kindroid, Pi and Chai are for adults only.

We will re-check these apps as they change. If you see something different, tell us through the contact form. For general-purpose assistants rather than companions, see our guide to AI chatbots.