The short answer
Replika is an AI companion app by Luka, Inc., with one companion you talk to by text, voice, or video; it is 18+. The best Replika alternatives are Kindroid and Nomi for a companion with memory, and Character.AI, Chai, or Talkie for many characters. In LifeSim, your Replika can live in a real city.
What is Replika?
Replika is an AI companion app by Luka, Inc., out since 2017. You get one companion, your Replika, and you talk by text, voice call, or video. It remembers your people, plans, and goals. It runs on iPhone and Android, and its site still lists a web app.
The app is free, with paid plans. On the US App Store, the monthly plans cost $7.99 to $14.99. The App Store rates it 18+.
Why people look for a Replika alternative
Some want more than one character, or a whole group. Some want to design their companion in more detail. Some want an app for teens, and Replika is 18+. And some want their Replika to have a life of its own, with a home, a job, and friends, and not only a chat.
We checked every fact on this page on November 4, 2026. We list each page that we used at the end. We make LifeSim, so LifeSim is on the list. We left out apps that are only for adult content.
Apps like Replika, compared
| App | Best for | Runs on | How you pay | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Replika | One companion, by text, voice, or video | iPhone, Android, web | Free. Paid plans from $7.99 a month on the App Store. | 18+ on the App Store |
| Kindroid | A companion that you design | Web, iPhone, Android | Free trial. $15.99 a month. | 18+ |
| Nomi | Companions with memory, group chats | Web, iPhone, Android | Free. Standard plan $15.99 a month. | 18+ on the App Store |
| Character.AI | Chat with characters made by users | Web, iPhone, Android | Free with ads. c.ai+ $9.99 a month. | 18+ on the App Store |
| Chai | Many short chats with bots made by users | Android, and Chai Web | Free. Pro on the web $9.99 a week. | 18+ |
| Talkie | Characters made by users | Web, iPhone, Android | Free. Paid plans from $9.99 a month. | 18+ on the App Store |
| AI Dungeon | Text adventures and stories | Web, iPhone, Android | Free, no ads. Paid plans from $9.99. | 13+ on the App Store |
| LifeSim | Your characters, living in a real city | Any browser, iPhone | Free. No ads, nothing to buy. | 13+ |
The 7 best Replika alternatives in short
1. Kindroid
In Kindroid, you make one character and choose its name, personality, backstory, look, and voice. It remembers past chats. It is a subscription, at $15.99 a month on the App Store. You must be 18 or older. Bring your Kindroid into LifeSim.
2. Nomi
Nomi is a companion app with a focus on memory. You can make more than one Nomi and put them in a group chat. It is free to start. The Standard plan is $15.99 a month on the App Store. Bring your Nomi into LifeSim.
3. Character.AI
Character.AI is the biggest app of characters made by users. You find characters from almost any show, book, or game. It is free with ads, and c.ai+ costs $9.99 a month. Since November 25, 2025, users under 18 can no longer chat freely there.
4. Chai
Chai is a big app of chatbots made by users. Chai Web is a separate site, and it does not share data with the app. On October 24, 2026, the iPhone app was not on the US App Store. Chai is free to start, and Pro on the web costs $9.99 a week or $159.99 a year. Australia's eSafety guide lists Chai as 18+. Bring a Chai character into LifeSim.
5. Talkie
Talkie is a character chat app. On iPhone it is called Talkie Lab. It also runs on the web at talkie-ai.com and on Android. It is free, and paid plans start at $9.99 a month on the App Store. The App Store rates it 18+. Play your Talkie character in LifeSim.
6. AI Dungeon
AI Dungeon is a text adventure. You pick a scenario or write your own, and the AI tells the story from your choices. It is free with no ads, and paid plans start at $9.99. The App Store rates it 13+.
7. LifeSim
LifeSim is our game. It is a life sim, not a chat app. The people live in a real city on a 3D map. They have homes, jobs, and friends, and they remember what you told them. You can import a character from another app, and it becomes one of them. It is free, in the browser and on iPhone.
LifeSim vs Replika
Replika is one companion who is there for you. In LifeSim, your Replika can become a person in a real city, on a 3D map of Earth, with a home, a job, and friends of their own. You live there too. They text you, and they remember what you told them.
If you want a companion to talk to by voice or video, Replika fits better. People in LifeSim answer in text.
| Replika | LifeSim | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free. Monthly plans $7.99 to $14.99 on the App Store. | Free. No ads, nothing to buy. |
| Where it runs | iPhone, Android, web | Any browser, and an iPhone app |
| Who you talk to | One companion | Every person in a city |
| Voice and video calls | Yes | No. People answer in text. |
| Where they live | In the app | In a real city, on a real map |
| Age | 18+ on the App Store | 13+ |
Bring your Replika character with you
You don't have to start from zero. Copy the character's text and take screenshots of the profile. Paste both in the LifeSim builder, under Import a character. LifeSim writes the character as a person in your new life: a name, an age, a job, a past, a life goal, and who they are to you. It draws their looks in its own style.
Your chats and memories stay in Replika. Sexual content never comes over, because LifeSim is rated 13+. Read how to bring a Replika character into LifeSim.
Your first week in LifeSim
You pick a city. Any city, on a real map of Earth. You give your character a name and a reason to be there. Then you step out onto a real street, and there are people on it.
They’re not waiting for you. They have jobs to get to, homes to go back to, friends they see on Fridays. Say hi to one of them, in your own words, and they answer in theirs. Tell them something and they keep it. Tell their friend something and it gets around.
By the end of the week you have a place you go in the mornings, someone you’re avoiding, and someone you’re not. One player once stayed for thirteen hours straight. We checked.
LifeSim is a free game, in the browser and on iPhone. No ads and nothing to buy. Season 1 is in beta.
Questions
What apps are like Replika?
Kindroid and Nomi are the closest: companions that remember you. Character.AI, Chai, and Talkie have many characters made by users. LifeSim is a life sim where your Replika becomes a person in a real city.
Is there a free Replika alternative?
Nomi, Character.AI, Chai, Talkie, and AI Dungeon are free to start, with paid plans. Kindroid has a free trial. LifeSim is free, with no ads and nothing to buy.
Is there a Replika alternative for teens?
AI Dungeon and LifeSim are rated 13+. Replika and most of the other apps here are 18+ on the App Store.
Can I bring my Replika to LifeSim?
Yes. Copy your Replika's name and backstory, take a screenshot of your Replika, and paste both in the LifeSim builder. Say who they are to you. Memories and chats stay in Replika. How to bring your Replika into LifeSim.
Sources
- Replika on the App Store
- Replika: official site
- Kindroid on the App Store
- Kindroid: official site
- Nomi on the App Store
- Nomi: official site
- Character.AI on the App Store
- TechCrunch: Character.AI ends open chat for minors
- Chai FAQ
- Chai AI: pricing
- Apple lookup for the CHAI app in the US
- eSafety guide: Chai
- Chai Research: official site
- Talkie Lab on the App Store
- Talkie
- AI Dungeon on the App Store