CompanionHunt
ChatGPT

3 platforms

ChatGPT Review

By CompanionHunt Research

Facts current as of October 3, 2026
Prices checked October 3, 2026
Rated using our methodology
No in-app check; published sources only (how we check)

LLMs as companions · Best free · Best for emotional support

We earn a commission if you sign up through some links on this page. It never changes our rankings. Disclosure

ChatGPT's cheapest paid plan is ChatGPT Plus on the web at $20.00 a month. The free tier is permanent but capped.

Price: help.openai.com, checked Free tier: openai.com, checked

OpenAI's general-purpose assistant, which many people also use as a companion. Memory that persists across chats, custom instructions and voice mode support that use, but OpenAI markets it as a productivity tool, its Model Spec rules out erotica, and when OpenAI retires a model, conversations move to a newer one with a different manner.

ChatGPT at a glanceHow we rate

n/a
App Store ratingGeneral-purpose LLM, not rated as a companion
Yes
Free tierFree / Plus $20.00/mo
–
Memory featuresNot in our memory ranking
Yes
VoiceVoice is a headline feature
SFW
Adult contentNot the focus, or restricted
3
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android

CompanionHunt scoreHow scores work

Not rated: general-purpose AI. General-purpose chatbots are not scored as companion apps.

ChatGPT key facts

Cheapest paid plan$20.00 a month equivalent (ChatGPT Plus, Web)help.openai.com, checked
Free tierFree, logged-in use of ChatGPT has no message cap on basic text chat with the default model, but hard daily/feature caps on uploads, image generation, voice (2 hours/day on GPT-4o mini), deep research, and memory/context.openai.com, checked
PlatformsWeb, iOS, Androidchatgpt.com, checked
Adult contentNot allowed: The assistant should not generate erotica, depictions of illegal or non-consensual sexual activities, or extreme gore, except in scientific, historical, news, artistic or other contexts where sensitive content is appropriate.model-spec.openai.com, checked
Age requirement13+openai.com, checked
OperatorOpenAI OpCo, LLC (Delaware, US)openai.com, checked
App Store rating4.8 from 10617899 ratingsapps.apple.com, checked
Google Play rating4.8 from 61666805 ratingsplay.google.com, checked
Official sitechatgpt.com

Facts current as of . Spotted something stale? The change timeline below records every correction.

Is ChatGPT safe? Privacy in brief

  • Selling your data: the policy says personal data is not sold. openai.com, checked
  • Training on your chats: chats may be used for training unless you opt out. openai.com, checked
  • Deleting your data: the policy explains how to delete your account and data. openai.com, checked

ChatGPT pricing

Current price: Free / Plus $20.00/mo (Freemium). Prices in this category change quietly and often; any price change we record appears as a dated entry in the timeline below, so this page doubles as ChatGPT's price history.

PlanPriceWhereSource
ChatGPT Plus$20.00/moWebhelp.openai.com, checked
ChatGPT Pro 100$100.00/moWebhelp.openai.com, checked
ChatGPT Pro 200$200.00/moWebhelp.openai.com, checked
ChatGPT Pro 500$500.00/moWebhelp.openai.com, checked

ChatGPT change timeline

Every recorded price, model, policy, and feature change, newest first. This is the record we maintain for every companion: what you sign up for today is rarely what the app was a year ago.

  1. model

    GPT-4o is removed from ChatGPT for good

    OpenAI retired GPT-4o from ChatGPT's Free, Plus and Pro plans, six months after reversing its first attempt. Business, Enterprise and Edu customers kept it in Custom GPTs until April 3, 2026. Subscriptions were unaffected.

    Source: openai.com/index/retiring-gpt-4o-and-old... · techcrunch.com/2026/02/06/the-backlash-o...

  2. model

    GPT-4o retired with GPT-5 rollout; companion personalities change overnight

    OpenAI's GPT-5 rollout replaced GPT-4o as the default model. Users with long-running companion relationships on 4o widely reported the new model felt colder, prompting a documented grief wave and, after backlash, a partial restoration of 4o access for paid users.

    Source: www.aljazeera.com/economy/2025/8/14/wome...

AI companion app shutdowns and withdrawn features since 2023

Laws that apply to AI companion apps, by state and country

ChatGPT alternatives

ChatGPT compared

Frequently asked questions

Can you use ChatGPT as an AI companion?

Yes, nothing in OpenAI's policies prevents it, and memory, custom instructions and voice mode support it. The trade-offs: it is not designed for the role, its Model Spec rules out erotica, and its manner changes when OpenAI retires a model.

Sources

  1. help.openai.com/en/articles/6950777-what-is-chatgpt-plus
  2. help.openai.com/en/articles/9793128-about-chatgpt-pro-tiers
  3. apps.apple.com/us/app/chatgpt/id6448311069
  4. play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.openai.chatgpt&hl=en_US&gl=US
  5. openai.com/chatgpt/pricing/
  6. model-spec.openai.com/2026-08-18.html
  7. openai.com/policies/terms-of-use/
  8. openai.com/policies/privacy-policy/
  9. help.openai.com/en/articles/8590148-memory-faq
  10. help.openai.com/en/articles/8400625-voice-mode-faq
  11. chatgpt.com/
  12. www.trustpilot.com/review/openai.com