Not every AI companion is a girlfriend app. We ranked the 8 best companion apps of 2026 for conversation, memory and feeling heard, with honest pricing for each.

The citable numbers on AI companionship: revenue, downloads, search growth, forecasts, and the loneliness research. Every stat sourced.

We built a boyfriend on every major companion app and lived with him for weeks. Voice, memory, pricing honesty, all scored. Seven made the cut. Here is who each one is actually for.

An AI girlfriend is a chatbot companion that role-plays a romantic partner. Here is how they actually work, what they cost, and what to watch for.

Your AI companion app is now a regulated product in two US states, with more bills coming. Here is what SB 243 and New York's law require, and what actually changes when you open the app.

One is a single companion that remembers your week. The other is a free stage with millions of characters. We tested both so you can pick the one that fits you.

Breaches, fines, lawsuits, new laws, and a real loneliness upside. What the evidence says about AI companion safety, plus the checklist we would give a friend.

Real accounts, paid subscriptions, multi-day testing, and a published rubric. How our reviews get made, and what sponsors can and cannot buy.