Eight AI companions compared on memory, voice, price and safety, from the free Pi to Kindroid's video calls and ElliQ for older adults.
The best AI companion in 2026 depends on what you want from it. Nomi is built around a layered long-term memory and lets you keep several companions, Kindroid lets you design your own character and meet it on video calls, and Replika is the long-running all-rounder that also points you toward plans offline. Pi is the free choice for talking things through, Sesame is built for natural spoken conversation, and Tolan is a friendly voice companion rated 12+. Animates gives you an animated 3D character, and ElliQ is a tabletop device for older adults who live alone.
We compared eight companions from the AI Tower directory on memory, voice, price and safety to find the best AI companion app for each kind of user.
Tools, features and prices checked on October 29, 2026.
What changed for AI companions in 2026
An AI companion today is a character that stays: one personality, a memory of what you said weeks ago, and answers by text, voice or video. This year the voice moved to the center. Sesame released its app in May with characters built for conversation with very little delay, and Tolan, which runs on GPT-5.1, raised $30 million in October. Animates arrived in August with animated 3D companions, and Nomi now creates videos of your companions.
The rules changed as well. Since January 1, 2026, California’s SB 243 requires companion apps to disclose that you are talking to an AI, to refer users who mention self-harm to crisis services, and to remind users they know are minors to take a break at least every three hours. In October, Character.AI filed for Chapter 11 and announced that the platform would be wound down if no buyer keeps it running. If you spend months with one character, the company behind it and the option to export your chats now count as much as any feature.
How we picked these tools
Every product here is built around an ongoing relationship with one AI character that has a personality and a memory, is listed in the AI Tower AI Companion category and was updated within the last three months. Roleplay platforms, general assistants and apps built around adult content are out. We checked features on each vendor’s site and store listing, and prices in the US App Store or the vendor’s own checkout. These are the qualities that separate the companions.
- Memory: how much the companion keeps from earlier conversations, and whether you can shape it.
- Voice and presence: voice calls, delay, video, an animated body or a device on the table.
- Personality control: whether you design the character yourself or get a ready-made one.
- Tone and age rating: the App Store rating and whether romance is part of the design.
- Price and free tier: what the free version allows and what the plans cost.
- Privacy and data control: what happens to your chats, and whether you can export or delete them.
1. Replika
Replika has been around since 2017, longer than any other app here, and its maker Luka says it rebuilt the app from the ground up. You talk to your Rep by text, voice call or video, and it remembers the people, plans and goals you mention. Where it differs is the direction it pushes you: toward reconnecting with a friend, starting a hobby or taking a walk instead of scrolling.
Key AI features
- Long-term memory: keeps track of your people, plans and goals.
- Voice and video calls: on video the Rep responds to what you share with the camera.
- Real-life nudges: suggestions to reconnect, pick up a hobby or go outside.
Pros
- You do not have to re-explain your life every time you open the app.
- Conversations lead to things you can do offline, which helps if you want less screen time.
- One of the lowest entry prices among the paid apps here.
Cons
- Several overlapping plans plus gem packs make the real price take some reading.
- The web app is labeled legacy, so the full experience is on iOS and Android.
Pricing: $7.99 or $14.99 per month, $49.99 or $69.99 per year; Replika Platinum ($89.99) and gem packs are sold on top (US App Store).
2. Nomi
If you plan to talk to one character for months, memory decides how real it feels, and Nomi splits it into short, medium and long-term layers. You can create several Nomis, each with its own backstory, and bring them together in a group chat. On voice calls the tone follows the Nomi’s mood, and it reads links and photos you send. This year Nomi introduced V5 image and V3 video generation. It calls itself unfiltered and is rated 17+.
Key AI features
- Layered memory: separate short, medium and long-term memory.
- Group chats: several Nomis with their own personalities in one conversation.
- Emotional voice calls: tone and cadence change with the Nomi’s emotions.
- Images and video: V5 images and V3 videos of your Nomis.
Pros
- Details from weeks ago come back, so a long relationship stays consistent.
- One account holds a whole cast of companions that can talk to each other.
- You can share an article or a photo and discuss it together.
- A Nomi can write first after you have been away, if you turn that on.
Cons
- Credit packs from $4.99 to $99.99 are sold on top of the subscription.
Pricing: Launch Plan $9.99 per month; Standard Plan $15.99 per month or $99.99 per year (US App Store).
3. Kindroid
With about 2.9 million visits in September 2026, Kindroid is the most visited app in the AI Tower companion category. Its strength is control. You write the Kin’s personality, backstory and key memories, choose how it looks and sounds, and meet it on a voice or live video call. Subscribers get Cascaded Memory, which keeps hundreds of recent messages in view.
Key AI features
- Character design: personality, backstory, key memories, appearance and voice.
- Live video calls: face-to-face conversations, plus short video selfies.
- Group chats and Rooms: Kins talk to each other, and friends join with their own Kins (Rooms in beta).
Pros
- You get the character you had in mind instead of a preset.
- A video call makes the companion feel more present than a chat window.
- The same Kin is waiting on your phone and in the browser.
Cons
- There is no lasting free tier, only a trial for new accounts.
- Ultra at $28.99, MAX at $68.99 and selfie credit packs raise the cost well above the base plan.
Pricing: $15.99 per month or $159.99 per year (US App Store).
4. Tolan
The only app on this list rated 12+ in the App Store is Tolan, an animated alien that helps with daily life, relationships, feelings and goals. It runs voice-first on GPT-5.1, and according to OpenAI’s case study the switch cut the time before it starts speaking by more than 0.7 seconds. More than 250,000 people use it actively, and it holds 4.8 stars from over 186,000 App Store ratings.
Key AI features
- Voice-first conversation: GPT-5.1 with fast spoken replies.
- Persona and memory: a persona card and retrieved memories go into every turn.
- Video chat and screen sharing: from the Lite plan up.
Pros
- Spoken replies start quickly, so a conversation does not stall.
- Younger users can download it, since the App Store rates it 12+.
- Up to five family members share one plan, each with their own Tolan.
Cons
- Only available on iOS.
- Lite caps you at 250 messages a day.
Pricing: paid tiers Lite, Plus and Unlimited; the US App Store lists Lite at $11.99 and Plus at $24.99 (Tolan help center).
5. Pi
Pi costs nothing. Inflection AI’s companion has no in-app purchases in the US App Store, and it is made for talks you want to think through, such as venting after a bad day, preparing a difficult conversation or weighing a decision; in voice mode you say it out loud. Pi has no avatar and no backstory to write.
Key AI features
- Supportive conversation: venting, hard conversations and decisions.
- Voice mode: live spoken conversation.
- Learning and practice: explains new topics and helps you practice a language.
Pros
- You can rehearse a difficult talk out loud before you have it.
- Nothing is held back for a paid plan, because there is none.
- You start talking right away, with no character to set up first.
Cons
- Without a character or an avatar, it feels less personal than the companion apps.
Pricing: free, with no in-app purchases (US App Store).
6. Sesame
Sesame, whose app arrived in May 2026, treats timing as the heart of a voice companion. Its four characters, Maya, Miles, Simone and Charlie, are built as very low-latency conversation partners, and in August the company published TurnBench, an open benchmark for turn-taking. Since October the characters can also search the web, take notes, set reminders and, with your permission, work with Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Drive. That brings Sesame closer to a personal assistant than the other apps here.
Key AI features
- Low-latency voice: built to respond, listen and stay quiet at the right moments.
- Shared memory: each character keeps one memory across voice and text.
- Agent tasks: web search, notes, reminders and connected Google apps.
Pros
- Little delay between turns, which matters most in long talks.
- You can switch between talking and texting without losing the thread.
- It costs nothing for now, on iOS and Android.
Cons
- You choose one of four characters and cannot design your own.
Pricing: free, with no in-app purchases so far (US App Store).
7. Animates
Launched by Animation Inc. in August 2026, Animates puts the companion on screen as an animated 3D character that talks back in real time, with facial reactions to match. Each conversation picks up where the last one ended, you can text the same companion from your own messenger, and Ani, the character known from Grok, is available here too.
Key AI features
- Real-time 3D animation: expressions react while the companion speaks.
- Persistent memory: the app says your companion keeps thinking about your talks while it is closed.
- Messenger texting: the same companion and conversation outside the app.
Pros
- A face that reacts makes a conversation feel less like a chat log.
- Your companion follows you from the app into your messenger.
Cons
- Longer conversations require a paid plan.
Pricing: free download; the Whisper, Heartbeat and Presence subscriptions are billed monthly or yearly and start at $7.99 (US App Store).
8. ElliQ
For a parent or grandparent who lives alone, a phone app is often the wrong form. ElliQ from Intuition Robotics is a device for the table that arrives set up. It speaks first and adapts to one person over time, reminds the user to take medication and tracks health and pain. Family members call and message through the ElliQ Connect app, and caregivers get alerts about changes such as poor sleep. The company states that ElliQ is not a medical device.
Key AI features
- Proactive conversation: ElliQ speaks first and adapts to the person.
- Wellness check-ins: medication reminders, health and pain tracking, exercise.
- Family connection: video calls, messages and caregiver alerts through ElliQ Connect.
Pros
- The person using it never has to learn an app.
- Daily routines get support from reminders and check-ins.
- Relatives stay in touch and hear when something changes.
Cons
- At $49 a month on the annual plan plus a one-time $249 lease fee, it costs far more than the base plans of the apps.
- The device is leased, not bought.
Pricing: $59 per month, $49 per month billed annually ($588) or $39 per month on a 24-month plan, plus a one-time $249 lease initiation fee; 30-day risk-free trial (ElliQ membership).
Comparison
| Tool | Best for | Standout AI feature | Price from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Replika | A long-term companion with real-life nudges | Memory of your people, plans and goals | $7.99/month |
| Nomi | Memory and several companions | Short, medium and long-term memory | $9.99/month |
| Kindroid | Designing your own character | Live video calls | $15.99/month |
| Tolan | A friendly voice companion, rated 12+ | Voice-first on GPT-5.1 | $11.99 (Lite) |
| Pi | Free conversations to think things through | Voice mode | Free |
| Sesame | Natural spoken conversation | Low-latency voice | Free |
| Animates | An animated 3D companion | Real-time 3D animation | $7.99 |
| ElliQ | Older adults living alone | Proactive conversation | $39/month plus $249 lease fee |
What didn’t make the list
Soul, an AI friend app with a human-like look, is still a preview on iOS; we will look again once it is fully released. Character.AI and similar platforms are libraries of user-made characters for roleplay, a different use. ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Grok can be friendly, but for general assistants companionship is a side feature. Apps built around adult content are out as well.
FAQ
Is there a free AI companion app?
Yes. Pi is free and has no in-app purchases in the US App Store, and Sesame has none so far either. Neither lets you design a character, though. The apps built around a character, such as Replika, Nomi or Kindroid, offer a free start or a trial and put the full experience behind a subscription.
Which AI companion feels the most real?
It depends on whether you talk or type. For voice, Sesame is designed for conversation with very little delay. Kindroid adds live video calls with a character you designed, and Animates shows a 3D character whose face reacts as it speaks. In text, memory matters most, and Nomi’s three memory layers help there.
What happens to my chats if a companion app shuts down?
That depends on the provider, so check for an export before you need one. When Character.AI filed for Chapter 11 in October 2026, it pointed users to data export and account deletion while it looked for a buyer. Before you spend months with one companion, find out how to export your history.
Are AI companion apps safe for teenagers?
Most are not made for them. Replika, Nomi, Kindroid, Pi, Sesame and Animates are rated 17+ in the App Store; Tolan is the exception at 12+. In California, SB 243 requires apps to remind users they know are minors to take a break every three hours and to take steps against sexual content for them.
Verdict
For a relationship that lasts months, Nomi’s memory and Kindroid’s character design lead the field, and Replika remains the long-running all-rounder. If you mainly want to talk, Sesame and Tolan are the voice picks, and Pi costs nothing. Animates is for people who want a face to look at. And for a parent who lives alone, ElliQ is the only option here that needs no phone at all.
