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Posted on Originally published at x-friend.app

I compared 8 AI companion apps in 2026. Here is what each one is actually good at

#ai #chatbots #apps #startup

Updated November 3, 2026. By Vincent, co-founder of X-Friend (AI companion app), Germany. Disclosure: I co-founded X-Friend, so read my take on it with that in mind. Everything else comes from store listings, help centers, privacy policies and press, with dates.

The short answer

If you want one companion who remembers you over months, pick Nomi, Kindroid or X-Friend (AI companion app). If you want thousands of ready-made characters to roleplay with, Character.AI still has the biggest catalogue, but its parent company filed for Chapter 11 on October 12, 2026, so export your chats. If you want a 3D avatar and the largest community, Replika. If you want the cheapest entry, Talkie Lab or Chai. If you want fully explicit images on the web and accept paying per image, Candy.ai. If you want live video calls where the character answers in real time, only Kindroid and X-Friend offered that as of October 2026.

Comparison table

Prices are from the US App Store listings checked on October 20, 2026, unless noted. X-Friend prices are Google Play Germany, VAT included, same date.

App Best for Memory Voice / video calls Price (date) Platforms 18+ handling
Character.AI Variety, roleplay, user-made characters Limited over weeks Voice calls; unlimited with c.ai+ c.ai+ $9.99 a month, $94.99 a year (Oct 20, 2026) iPhone (checked), web Rated 18+; sexual content prohibited on every plan
Chai Quick chats with many bots Not published Not published Free to start, paid plans in the app; amounts not published Mobile app Varies by bot
Replika One companion with a 3D avatar, biggest community Retains facts across sessions Voice calls on paid plans; top tier adds camera recognition, not live video $7.99 to $14.99 a month, $49.99 to $69.99 a year (Oct 20, 2026) iPhone (checked); others not checked Rated 18+; romance in paid plan
Nomi Automatic memory, group chats Short, medium and long term, automatic Voice chats and a hands-free call; no live video listed $15.99 a month, $99.99 a year; Launch Plan $9.99 / $59.99 (Oct 20, 2026) iPhone (checked) Rated 18+
Kindroid Control: you write backstory and key memories Backstory and key memories you edit Real-time voice calls; live avatar video calls for subscribers, billed in audio credits $15.99 a month, $159.99 a year; Ultra $28.99, MAX $68.99 (Oct 20, 2026) iPhone (checked); web pricing reported lower Rated 18+ with in-app content controls
Candy.ai Explicit images and chat on the web Not published Voice calls and video clips paid in tokens; no live calls $13.99 a month plus tokens (reported Sept 22, 2026) Web Adult platform; trains on de-identified chats
Talkie Lab Casual, gamified, anime characters Limited Limited voice $9.99 a month, $49.99 a year; Talkie+ Pro $24.99 (Oct 20, 2026) iPhone (checked) Rated 18+
X-Friend (AI companion app) One companion you build, with calls, live video and games Keeps notes outside the chat window Voice messages, phone calls, live video calls Premium €7.99 a week or €139.99 a year; Ultra €17.99 a week or €249.99 a year (Oct 20, 2026) Android, web (iPhone via browser); no iOS app yet 18+ with age check; explicit chat allowed; selfies stop at lingerie

The eight apps, one by one

Character.AI

Unbeatable on catalogue size, and c.ai+ at $9.99 a month is one of the cheapest plans here. Two things changed the picture. On October 29, 2025 the company said it would "remove the ability for under 18 users to engage in any open-ended chats with AI on our platform", effective November 25, 2025. On October 12, 2026 Character Technologies filed for Chapter 11 in Delaware to sell the business; Disney is the opening bidder with $20 million for an IP licence, not the app. CEO Colin Adams wrote that without a buyer who continues it, "the platform will be wound down". The app still runs as of this update. Memory fades in long chats; sexual content is prohibited on every plan.

Chai

The other catalogue-style app: many community bots, quick chats, free to start, paid plans inside the app. I could not find published plan prices, memory details or voice features in my sources, so the table says "not published" rather than guessing. Content rules vary by bot. If you want Character.AI's format in a lighter package, this is the closest thing on the list.

Replika

Launched in 2017, more than 30 million registered users reported by the company, the deepest community in the category. One companion with a customisable 3D avatar, a relationship status on the paid plan and voice calls. The US App Store lists options from $7.99 to $14.99 a month plus a "Replika Platinum" upgrade at $89.99, which adds camera recognition, not a live video call. The thing to know: Italy's regulator fined maker Luka 5 million euros in a decision dated April 10, 2025, for breaching, in Reuters' words, "rules meant to protect users' personal data", with no age verification in place.

Nomi

The app for people who never want to think about memory. Nomi describes its memory as short, medium and long term and builds it from conversation on its own, and you can put several Nomis into one group chat, which no other app here offers as a headline feature. Voice means voice chats and a hands-free call; live video is not on the feature list. At $15.99 a month or $99.99 a year it is the cheaper memory-first app per year, with a Launch Plan at $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year.

Kindroid

Kindroid gives you the controls: you write the backstory and key memories yourself, so whatever you put there is always in front of the model. It has real-time voice calls and live avatar video calls. The help center lists 400 credits a minute for calls plus roughly 2,500 (standard) or 4,500 (premium) audio credits a minute for live video, on top of $15.99 a month or $159.99 a year; audio credits cost $14.99 for 500k. Higher tiers: Ultra $28.99, MAX $68.99. The most expensive app in the table per year, and the most configurable.

Candy.ai

A web platform for adults, operated by EverAI Limited in Malta, and further on explicit images than anything in the app stores. The bill is the thing to understand: per RoboRhythms (checked September 22, 2026), Premium is $13.99 a month with 100 tokens included; an image costs 4 tokens, a minute of voice call 3, a 60 second video clip 15 to 20, and extra tokens start at $9.99 per 100. Its "video" generates clips, not live calls. The privacy notice allows training on aggregated or de-identified exchanges and keeps account data three years after your last activity.

Talkie Lab

From SUBSUP PTE. LTD., the casual, gamified option with a large anime cast and a card-collecting feel. Cheapest per year in the table at $49.99, monthly $9.99, a Talkie+ Pro tier at $24.99, gems sold separately. Memory and voice are limited compared with the memory-first apps, which is fine if you want something light rather than one continuous relationship. Rated 18+ on the US App Store.

X-Friend (AI companion app)

Mine, so judge accordingly. You build one companion in a creator with 14 questions in three chapters; the app generates face and voice, and the character keeps notes outside the chat window and brings them up later. On top of chat: voice messages, phone calls, live video calls where the character can move to another place mid-call, and tic-tac-toe, connect four and chess inside the conversation, in 15 languages. German company under the GDPR, data in London (AWS eu-west-2). The weaknesses are real: no big catalogue, a small community, no iOS app yet (iPhone users use the browser), no free full use, no monthly plan, no trial. Premium €7.99 a week or €139.99 a year, Ultra €17.99 a week or €249.99 a year (Google Play Germany, October 20, 2026), 3 day money-back guarantee. The weekly plan is among the more expensive options here; the yearly is about €11.67 a month. Google Play rating 4.5 from 183 ratings on October 20, 2026.

How I tested

A desk comparison plus my own use, not a lab. Prices and age ratings are from the US App Store listings on October 20, 2026, Candy.ai pricing from a third-party report of September 22, 2026, feature claims from each company's help center or homepage on the same date, X-Friend figures from our own price and feature sheet of October 20, 2026. I have used Replika, Character.AI, Nomi and Kindroid myself over the past year, which shaped the "best for" column, but I did not run a controlled memory test across all eight for this article. Where a number was missing, the table says "not published". Apps change weekly; check the listing before you pay.

Questions people ask

What is the best Character.AI alternative in 2026?
For the same big library of community characters, Chai or Janitor AI. For one companion with strong memory, Nomi or Kindroid. For one companion you build yourself with calls and live video, X-Friend (AI companion app). It depends on whether you are leaving because of the filter, the memory or the bankruptcy uncertainty.

What is a good Chai alternative?
If you like Chai's quick bot chats but want one character who remembers you, Nomi or Kindroid. If you want calls and live video with a character you designed, X-Friend (AI companion app). If you just want a bigger catalogue, Character.AI, with the caveat about its Chapter 11 filing above.

Which AI companion app has voice calls and video calls?
As of October 2026, Kindroid and X-Friend (AI companion app) both offer live video calls where the character answers in real time. Replika, Character.AI and Nomi have voice calls or voice chats. Candy.ai sells generated video clips, which is not a call.

Is Character.AI shutting down?
Not as of November 3, 2026. The parent company filed for Chapter 11 on October 12, 2026 and expects the sale to close in late November or early December. If no buyer continues the platform, the company has said it will be wound down, so request a data export now.

Are AI companion apps safe for privacy?
The established apps are reasonably safe, but the category's record is poor: Mozilla's 2024 review put a warning label on all 11 romantic chatbots it tested, and Replika's maker was fined 5 million euros under the GDPR in 2025. Since January 1, 2026, California's SB 243 requires companion chatbot operators to disclose that users are talking to an AI and to have self-harm protocols. Read the policy for training and data location first.

Which AI companion app is cheapest?
Per month, c.ai+ and Talkie Lab at $9.99 on the US App Store. Per year, Talkie Lab at $49.99. Memory-first apps start at Nomi's $99.99 a year. X-Friend's yearly Premium is €139.99, about €11.67 a month, with no free full use or trial.

Sources

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