What is an AI girlfriend app, and how do you choose one?

What an AI girlfriend app is

An AI girlfriend or AI companion app lets you chat with a character played by an AI language model. The character can be romantic, a friend or a roleplay partner. Many apps also send pictures, voice messages or take voice calls.

You are always talking to software. The character has no feelings, and the company behind the app can read, store and use what you write, depending on its privacy policy.

How they work

You pick a ready-made character or build your own: looks, personality and backstory. The app sends your messages to an AI model with a description of the character and a summary of earlier chats, which is how it "remembers" you.

Memory is the weak spot of most apps: some recall details for weeks, others forget after a few dozen messages. Apps with long-term memory are listed separately.

What they cost

66 of the 77 apps we review have a free plan, usually with a daily message limit and no pictures or calls. The median cheapest paid plan costs $7.99 a month, with yearly plans counted per month.

Paying yearly saves 45% on average where a discount exists, but you pay up front and refunds are often limited. Many apps also sell credits or tokens for pictures and calls, and 13 apps only show prices after you sign up. Compare all prices.

Privacy: the part most people skip

69% of the apps score 4.5 or less out of 10 for privacy and safety, usually because the company is not named or the privacy policy is vague. Assume that anything you write could be stored, read by staff or leaked.

Do not share your real name, address, workplace, face photos or anything you would not want made public. Read our privacy and safety guide.

How to choose

Decide what you want first. Conversation, roleplay, pictures and voice calls are different strengths, and our best lists sort the apps by each one.

Start with a free plan. Try two or three apps for a few days before paying, and check how well each one remembers you.

Check the privacy score. Prefer apps with a named company and a clear policy; every review lists its sources.

Pay monthly at first. Switch to a yearly plan only once you know you will keep using the app.

A starting shortlist

Apps with a free plan, a conversation score of 6 or more and a privacy score of 5 or more, in our ranking order.

1. SweetDream AICalls, images and memory on a cheap yearly plan8.8
2. 01NomiLong-term memory and natural conversation7.5
3. 02AI PeepsRoleplayers who want deep character creation, imports and video6.8
4. 03SoulkynCharacter builders who want images, video, voice and group scenes6.4
5. 04ErogenCheap unlimited text roleplay with community-made characters6.4
6. 05Xeve AIVideo-chat fans who want realistic AI girlfriends on a budget6.2