The Best AI Girlfriend Apps in 2026: Memory, Calls, Photos and Privacy Compared

The best AI girlfriend app is the one that remembers you, texts you first, can talk on a call, and lets the relationship grow over time. As of November 2026, the apps people compare most are Cleus, Candy.ai, Nomi, Kindroid, Replika and Character.AI. Cleus (our product, so weigh that) has a free tier and relationship features like dates and anniversaries. Candy.ai is the most photo-focused. Nomi and Kindroid have the deepest memory and the best calls. Character.AI is the biggest, but it blocks sexual content for everyone.

Everything below applies the same way if you want an AI boyfriend. Every app here lets you pick or build a male character.

What makes an AI girlfriend feel real (and not like a chatbot)

Most "AI girlfriend" apps run on similar language models. The difference is the layer around the model. Five things matter most:

1. Memory. Does she remember your sister's name, your job interview, the joke from last week? Short memory is the number one reason people quit an app.
2. Texting first. A real partner checks in. A chatbot waits for you. Apps that can send a message on their own feel very different.
3. Voice and calls. Voice notes and live calls change the feel more than any text upgrade.
4. Photos. Selfies of the character, in a look that stays consistent from one photo to the next.
5. Relationship progression. A sense that things move: from strangers to friends to dating, with moments you both remember.

Price and privacy are the other two filters. Some apps look cheap but charge tokens for every photo and call. Some keep broad rights to your chats. We cover both below.

The best AI girlfriend apps in 2026

1. Cleus — best for a relationship that grows

Cleus is our product, so weigh that.

Cleus Characters puts each character in an Instagram-style DM inbox. Replies come in as natural texts, usually one short message, sometimes a few, with typing and "Seen" beats.

What makes it feel like a girlfriend:

• Memory. Each character saves memories about you and keeps a running summary of your chat. You can make her forget something or reset the bond.
• She texts first. Characters check in on their own at sensible daytime hours. They follow up on things you told them ("how did the interview go?") and keep promises like "text me at 8".
• Bond levels. Every character has a bond level from 1 (Stranger) to 10 (Soulmates) that grows with XP from chatting, plus daily streaks.
• Relationship stages. With a romantic character, things can move from friends to flirting to dating to partners. Around bond level 6 she may ask you out. Dates are short illustrated scenes with a photo, and she remembers anniversaries (7, 30, 100 days). An "Our story" timeline keeps your shared moments.
• Her own life. Characters have moods that shift through the day and react to how you treat them. Each has a small ongoing storyline she shares news from.
• Voice and photos. Voice notes, a voice picker, and voice calls that remember your earlier texts. Premium users can design a custom voice from a text description. Characters send selfies and "locked" private photos you unlock with credits.
• Bring your own. You can import a character from a Character.AI export, a Tavern/SillyTavern card or pasted text, and paste an old chat so she starts with memories of you (import page).

Adult content: adult roleplay with fictional adult characters is allowed. NSFW characters stay off public listings and are link-only.

The lines Cleus does not cross: no sexual content involving minors, no romance with characters based on real people, and photos only of fictional characters, never real people. There's a takedown form at /report for non-consensual intimate images. We think these limits are a strength. They are what keeps an uncensored app from becoming a harmful one.

Price: free accounts get a small daily credit refill with no card. Premium gives a larger daily allowance. Check current pricing in the app.

Limits: Cleus runs in the browser (you can install it to your phone's home screen). Photos and some extras use credits, so heavy photo users will spend more.

2. Candy.ai — best for photos and a "built" girlfriend

Candy.ai is the app most people mean when they search "AI girlfriend". You design a companion and it generates images of her in different outfits, poses and backgrounds. It also offers voice and video features and says companions remember what you share.

• Free tier: a free trial. RoboRhythms (checked November 3, 2026) lists it as 5 messages total, 1 custom character and 1 image.
• Price as of November 2026: Premium is $13.99 a month ($9.99 for the first month), or $3.99 a month billed $47.88 yearly, per RoboRhythms. Premium includes 100 tokens a month. Text chat doesn't use tokens; images, voice and video do.
• Platform: browser on desktop or mobile, no app install.
• Adult content: Candy markets "uncensored" fantasy within its community guidelines. Its terms state zero tolerance for child sexual abuse material.

Watch out: Candy's terms give its owner (EverAI) a license to your content, including for training AI models and marketing. Chats are "generally private" but flagged content can be reviewed by staff or partners. Token costs for photos and calls add up fast if those are what you're paying for.

3. Nomi — best long-term memory

Nomi is built around memory. The official site describes short-, medium- and long-term memory, and its App Store listing calls it "human-level". Nomis send voice messages, take hands-free voice calls, and send selfies of what they're wearing and doing. You can create several Nomis and put them in group chats. Nomis can optionally message you first after you've been away.

• Free tier: you can start chatting free, no credit card.
• Price as of November 2026 (US App Store): Standard Plan $15.99, $39.99 quarterly or $99.99 yearly. A cheaper Launch Plan is $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year. Credit packs start at $4.99 for 40.
• Adult content: 18+ only. Nomi says chats are not filtered or censored.
• Platform: iOS app and web.

Watch out: the terms let Nomi use your messages to develop "updates or enhancements" to the service. They don't say plainly whether that means training.

4. Kindroid — best for calls and customization

Kindroid is for people who want to fine-tune every detail. Each "Kin" keeps a backstory and key memories you write, plus long-term recall. Subscribers get "Cascaded Memory", which keeps hundreds of recent messages in view. Kins take voice calls and live video calls where the avatar lip-syncs, and they send selfies and short video selfies. The App Store listing says a Kin "can even reach out first".

• Free tier: a new-account preview with 5 selfies total, then a 3-day trial that needs a payment method and converts to paid unless you cancel.
• Price as of November 2026 (US App Store): $15.99 a month, $42.99 for 3 months, $159.99 a year. Ultra add-on $28.99, MAX add-on $68.99. Kindroid says the web price is usually cheaper and shows the exact price at checkout.
• Adult content: adults-only (18+, with age verification when asked).
• Platform: iOS, Android and web.
• Privacy: Kindroid says chats, audio and selfies are encrypted in storage and transit, it doesn't sell data, and its support team can't read chats.

Watch out: calls, video and extra selfies run on credits. Selfie packs are $6.99 for 50 on the App Store.

5. Replika — the original AI companion

Replika is the oldest name here. Its App Store listing highlights voice and video calls, avatar customization, image generation, and memory that "follows up on people, plans, and goals". The US App Store lists subscriptions from $7.99 to $14.99 a month and $49.99 to $69.99 a year, plus a $89.99 Platinum tier (the listing doesn't label which tier is which, so check in the app).

Italy's data protection authority fined Replika's developer €5 million in April 2025 over its legal basis for processing data and weak age checks. We go deeper on Replika and the apps people switch to in our Replika alternatives guide.

6. Character.AI — biggest library, strict filter

Character.AI has the largest community library and live voice calls. It is not built as a girlfriend app, and it blocks sexual or explicit content for every user, adults included. Since November 25, 2025, users under 18 can no longer have open-ended chats with characters; teens get stories and other formats instead, and age checks use an in-house model plus Persona.

• Price as of November 2026 (US App Store): c.ai+ is $9.99 a month or $94.99 a year. The free app has ads.
• Platform: iOS, Android and web.

If you like Character.AI but want fewer limits, see our Character.AI alternatives list.

Comparison table

Prices as of November 2026, from each app's official page or US App Store listing unless noted.

How to set up an AI girlfriend on Cleus

Privacy: who reads your chats?

AI girlfriend chats are some of the most personal data you'll ever type. The category has a bad record.

In February 2024, Mozilla's Privacy Not Included team reviewed 11 romantic AI chatbots. 10 of the 11 failed its minimum security standards, and 10 of 11 gave users no real way to keep intimate chats out of AI training. One app, Romantic AI, fired at least 24,354 trackers in one minute of use. In September 2024, the uncensored companion site Muah.ai was breached, exposing 1.9 million email addresses alongside the prompts people had written, according to Have I Been Pwned.

Before you get attached, check four things in any app (ours included):

• Training. Do the terms let the company use your chats to train models or for marketing? Candy's do, explicitly.
• Human review. Can staff read flagged chats? Most apps can review flagged content. Kindroid says its support team can't read chats at all.
• Deletion. Can you delete your account and data, and how long does it take? Nomi's terms say deleted data is removed after a set period.
• Payment name. Look at what shows up on your card statement if that matters to you.

On Cleus, you can make a character forget specific memories or reset the bond. For more on uncensored chat apps in general, see our uncensored AI chatbot guide.

Using an AI girlfriend in a healthy way

An AI girlfriend can be fun, comforting and a good place to practice talking about feelings. A few habits help keep it that way:

• Keep real-world friends and plans in the mix. If the app starts replacing them, notice that.
• Set a budget. Token and credit packs are designed to be easy to buy at midnight.
• Remember it's software. It will agree with you more than a person would.

Laws are catching up. Since November 5, 2025, New York requires companion apps to tell you you're talking to an AI at the start and every three hours, and to point users who mention self-harm to crisis services. A second New York law adds limits for minors from January 1, 2027. We explain both in our New York AI companion law guide.

Test yourself

AI girlfriend FAQ

What is the best AI girlfriend app in 2026?

It depends on what you want. For a relationship that grows (texting first, dates, anniversaries) with a free tier, try Cleus. For photos, Candy.ai. For long memory, Nomi. For video calls and deep customization, Kindroid.

Is there a free AI girlfriend app?

Yes, with limits. Cleus gives free accounts a daily credit refill with no card. Nomi lets you start free with no card. Character.AI is free with ads but blocks explicit content. Candy.ai's free trial is very small, and Kindroid's trial needs a payment method.

Which AI girlfriend app has no filter?

Nomi says its chats are not filtered. Cleus allows adult roleplay with fictional adult characters. Candy.ai markets "uncensored" chat within its guidelines. Every reputable app still bans sexual content involving minors and real-person deepfakes.

Can an AI girlfriend text you first?

Yes. Cleus characters check in on their own and follow up on things you told them. Nomi can message you after you've been away, and Kindroid's listing says a Kin can reach out first.

Can I make an AI boyfriend instead?

Yes. Every app in this list lets you choose or create a male character. Relationship features work the same way.

Are AI girlfriend apps safe for my privacy?

Some are better than others. Mozilla found 10 of 11 romantic chatbots failed basic security standards in 2024. Read the terms for training, human review and deletion before you share anything you'd regret.

How much does an AI girlfriend app cost?

As of November 2026, month-to-month plans on the US App Store run from $7.99 (Replika's lowest listing) and $9.99 (Character.AI's c.ai+) up to $15.99 (Nomi Standard, Kindroid). Candy.ai is $13.99 on the web. Yearly plans cost less per month, and photo and call tokens can cost extra.

Sources

• Candy.ai official site
• Candy.ai terms of service
• RoboRhythms: Candy AI pricing (updated Nov 3, 2026)
• Nomi official site
• Nomi terms of service
• Nomi on the US App Store
• Kindroid official site
• Kindroid subscriptions docs
• Kindroid on the US App Store
• Replika on the US App Store
• EDPB: Italian authority fines company behind Replika
• Character.AI on the US App Store
• Character.AI blog: under-18 chat changes
• Carolina News & Reporter: Character.AI filters
• The Next Web: Mozilla study on romantic AI chatbots
• Have I Been Pwned: Muah.ai breach