The best AI companions for emotional support (2026)

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Some people want a character to roleplay with; some people want something steadier: a daily check-in, a patient listener, a companion that tracks how you're actually doing. This page ranks the apps built for that second job. None of these are therapy or a substitute for it.

Last updated 2026-09-24 · Rankings from named sources, never from affiliate payouts. Methodology

1
Nomi.ai 18+

★★★★½ 4.6 App Store · Free / $15.99/mo · Web, iOS, Android

A memory-first companion from Glimpse.ai. Nomi documents short, medium and long-term memory as its core feature, and paid accounts can run up to ten Nomis and ten group chats at once. Its guidelines allow unfiltered text roleplay for adults, while nude or explicit images are banned across the platform. Available on the web, iOS and Android; the Android app is back on Google Play after two removals in autumn 2026.
Read the Nomi.ai review · Visit Nomi.ai
2
Replika

★★★★½ 4.4 App Store · Free / $79.99/yr · Web, iOS, Android, Meta Quest VR

The companion app that started the category: Luka, Inc. says it built the first AI companion ten years ago. Replika remembers your people, plans and goals, offers text, voice calls and video chat, and frames itself around wellbeing and daily check-ins. Its terms prohibit pornographic content. Available on the web, iOS, Android and Meta Quest.
Read the Replika review · Visit Replika
3
Anima 18+

★★★★ 3.99 App Store · Free / $9.99/mo · Web, Android

An AI friend app from LABANE Corp, a Cyprus company, on Android and in the browser at myanima.ai. Its iPhone app is no longer on the US App Store. Chat is free to start, with Premium sold inside the app. The myanima.ai site now opens with a prompt pointing visitors to GetHoney, a different adult app.
Read the Anima review · Visit Anima
ChatGPT

ChatGPT

Unranked (general-purpose LLM) · Free / Plus $20.00/mo · Web, iOS, Android

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.
Read the ChatGPT review · Visit ChatGPT
Claude

Claude

Unranked (general-purpose LLM) · Free / $20.00/mo · Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows

Anthropic's assistant. Claude has memory across chats on personal plans and a voice mode, but no persona system or avatar, and Anthropic's usage policy prohibits sexually explicit content. As with every general-purpose model, its manner can change when a model is updated or retired.
Read the Claude review · Visit Claude
Pi

Pi

Unranked (general-purpose LLM) · Free · Web, iOS, Android

Inflection AI's personal assistant, the general-purpose model built most like a companion: a conversational style, a voice mode and memory across chats. Pi is entirely free, with no paid tier, and its terms prohibit sexually explicit content.
Read the Pi review · Visit Pi

Side by side

The best AI companions for emotional support compared
App	Cheapest plan	Free tier	Platforms	18+	Score
Nomi.ai	$8.33/mo	Limited	Web, iOS, Android	Yes	8.7/10
Replika	$6.67/mo	Limited	Web, iOS, Android, Meta Quest VR	No	7.5/10
Anima	$3.33/mo	Limited	Web, Android	Yes	6.2/10
ChatGPT	$20.00/mo	Limited	Web, iOS, Android	No	Not rated: general‑purpose AI
Claude	$16.67/mo	Limited	Web, iOS, Android, Mac, Windows	No	Not rated: general‑purpose AI
Pi	n/a	Full	Web, iOS, Android	No	Not rated: general‑purpose AI

Every price is dated on the app's review. Scores follow our published rubric.

Related guides

Explore other use cases

Frequently asked questions

Do AI companions help with loneliness?

Some people use them that way, and the apps on this page are the ones that frame themselves around support and check-ins rather than roleplay. None of them is therapy, and none claims to be a substitute for it.