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Best free AI companion apps

Companion apps with a genuinely usable free tier, ranked and dated — so you can see what you get before paying anything.

10 apps rankedEditorial score, not paid placement

How we pick these. Free tier means you can use the product without entering payment details. Freemium apps that gate every reply behind coins are still listed, but the cost of a normal month is shown next to them so the “free” label does not do work it has not earned. The list is generated from the same catalogue the category pages use, so the numbers here and the numbers there always agree.

Character.AI
4.4
$7.92/mo
The default starting point: unmatched variety and the most generous free tier in the category. Best for: Roleplay and chatting with fictional or public-figure characters.
No adult modeLong-term memoryLive voice callsPricing unverifiedRead the review
SillyTavern
4.3
Free
If you want total control and zero subscription, this is where the advanced users live. Best for: Running your own companion UI with your own model.
Optional mature modeLong-term memoryLive voice callsPricing unverifiedRead the review
Nomi AI
4.2
$8.33/mo
The memory benchmark. If continuity is your main requirement, this is the one to beat. Best for: Users who want a companion that remembers and evolves.
Optional mature modeLong-term memoryLive voice callsPricing unverifiedRead the review
Replika
4.1
$5.83/mo
Still the strongest product for people who want one companion and a real feeling of continuity. Best for: A long-term, emotionally attentive single companion.
No adult modeLong-term memoryLive voice callsPricing unverifiedRead the review
Pi
4.0
Free
Completely free, genuinely warm, and no upsell wall. Not a roleplay product, but an excellent listener. Best for: Free, supportive conversation and a listening ear.
No adult modeLong-term memoryLive voice callsPricing unverifiedRead the review
Wysa
3.9
$9.99/mo
A companion that is honest about being a tool rather than a relationship. Best for: Emotional support with clinical grounding.
No adult modeLong-term memoryPricing unverifiedRead the review
ChatGPT
4.2
$20/mo
Not built as a companion, but its memory and voice mode make it a legitimate daily chat partner. Best for: Freeform conversation with the most capable model.
No adult modeLong-term memoryLive voice callsPricing unverifiedRead the review
Kindroid
4.2
$9.99/mo
The best pick for people who will actually fill in the backstory — lazy setup buys you a chatbot. Best for: One consistent companion with a detailed backstory.
Optional mature modeLong-term memoryLive voice callsPricing unverifiedRead the review
Claude
4.0
$20/mo
Best for nuanced, long-form conversation; it will decline romantic roleplay firmly. Best for: Thoughtful, careful conversation.
No adult modeLong-term memoryPricing unverifiedRead the review
Text generation web UI
4.0
Free
Not a companion app, but the plumbing most local companion setups are built on. Best for: Running local models with a browser UI.
Optional mature modeLong-term memoryPricing unverifiedRead the review

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Free & budget (24)Free tier Unlimited free chat

Common questions about this list

How many apps are on this list?

10 apps meet the criteria for “Best free AI companion apps”. We would rather publish a short, honest list than pad it with apps that only half fit.

Which one should I pick first?

Character.AI tops this list with an editorial score of 4.4 out of 5 and costs $7.92/mo. That is a starting point, not a verdict — the card under each entry says who it actually suits.

What is the cheapest option here?

SillyTavern, at Free — and 10 of the 10 listed apps have a free tier you can try first.

Can I sort these by something else?

Yes. The category pages carry the full five-way filter — medium, orientation, price, platform and sort — and the numbers on this list match the numbers there, because both are computed from the same catalogue.

What this list is not. Nothing here is a paid slot. If a site ever pays us, it is a labelled sponsored placement that sits outside the ranking — never inside it. Prices come from public pricing pages and are labelled as unverified until one of us has actually checked them. How our editorial decisions work.