AI companion pricing in 2026, explained
5 min readcomparison, pricing
What do AI companions actually cost? A clear guide to AI companion pricing — the going rates, the free-tier trap, the lifetime gamble, and how to avoid overpaying.
Blog
Essays and analysis on AI companions — the history, the open questions, and practical guides.
Are AI companions safe?
4 min readsafety, analysisAre AI companions safe? The honest answer depends on your age, how much you use one, what you share, and which app. A clear, evidence-based guide for 2026.
The best Replika alternatives in 2026
5 min readcomparison, replikaLooking for a Replika alternative in 2026? A clear, honest guide to Nomi, Kindroid, Character.AI and the rest — matched to what actually made you want to leave.
The Open Questions · Part 4
Can an AI companion be good for you?
4 min readanalysis, wellbeingAI companions can genuinely reduce loneliness — and the business model that funds them rewards the opposite. The defining open question of the category, examined.
The Companion Files · Part 2
How ChatGPT broke the companion market open
4 min readhistory, chatgpt, character-aiThe barrier that held AI companions back for 50 years fell in months. How ChatGPT, Character.AI, and a cheap API set off the gold rush.
Replika vs Character.AI vs Nomi (2026)
5 min readcomparison, replika, character-ai, nomiA clear, honest head-to-head of Replika vs Character.AI vs Nomi in 2026 — memory, voice, safety, privacy and price — to match the right companion to what you actually want.
The Companion Files · Part 1
The birth of AI companions: from ELIZA to Replika
5 min readhistory, eliza, replikaHow AI companions actually began — from ELIZA in 1966 to Microsoft's Xiaoice and Replika — and why the same human instinct drove all of them.
The Companion Files · Part 3
The Replika ERP purge of 2023
4 min readhistory, replika, regulationIn February 2023, an order from Italy made Replika change what its companion was allowed to be — overnight. The backlash reshaped the entire market.
The Open Questions · Part 2
What happens to your most intimate data
4 min readanalysis, privacyAI companions hold the most intimate data people produce. Here's what AI companion privacy actually looks like — what's collected, what's shared, and what trains the model.
The Open Questions · Part 3
Safety, duty of care, and the new rules
4 min readanalysis, regulation, safetyIn a few months, AI companions went from unregulated to legally accountable. What California's SB 243 and New York's law require — and what responsible design really means.
The Open Questions · Part 1
Why memory makes a companion feel alive
5 min readanalysis, memoryMemory is the axis users fixate on most. Here's how AI companion memory actually works, why continuity feels like a relationship, and why it's so hard to get right.
The Companion Files · Part 4
The state of AI companions in 2026
7 min readanalysis, landscapeAn honest map of where AI companions are today — who is building what, the choices that separate them, and the forces reshaping the whole category.