Almost every AI companion app says "free" somewhere. In our testing, the free tiers ranged from unlimited chat to five messages in total. Here's what you actually get without paying — and the three worth your time.
| App | What's free | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Character.AI | Unlimited messages | Ads; no explicit content |
| Kindroid | 150 messages, then about 1 every 10 minutes; 3 refilling selfie credits; 5,000 audio credits | Trial of paid plan needs a card and phone |
| Nomi AI | Chat with a companion, messages up to 400 characters | No voice, no credits |
| GirlfriendGPT | 20 messages advertised | No coins, so no images |
| Candy AI | 5 messages per account | Starting a new chat doesn't reset it |
1. Character.AI — genuinely unlimited
This is the only free tier we tested that doesn't run out. A free-tier session on 29 August ran to 109 messages across three tests, counting both sides of the conversation, without hitting a paywall. The paid plan, c.ai+ ($9.99/month), adds extra models, unlimited voice calls and no slow mode, and removes ads.
It's also good company for free: it refused none of our 15 harmless messages and held its personality under pressure. The limits: no explicit content, under-18 accounts lose open-ended chat, and memory is middling (7–8 of 10 planted facts recalled). Full review
2. Kindroid — the best free taste of a "real" companion
Kindroid gives you 150 messages to start, then slows to about one message every 10 minutes. You also get 3 selfie credits that refill on a timer and 5,000 audio credits for voice.
That's enough to see why Kindroid scored highest of any platform for conversation (9.0/10) — and to notice its slow replies before you pay. If you then try the 3-day trial of the paid plan, note that it asks for a card (and, on the web, a verified phone number) up front. Full review
3. Nomi AI — free chat, with a length limit
Nomi lets you create a companion and chat without paying, but each message is capped at 400 characters — a longer message we sent was blocked outright. Voice is paid-only, and free accounts get no credits for images.
It's worth it for one reason: Nomi's memory is strong (on the paid plan it recalled 9 of 10 of our facts about 21 hours later), and the free tier lets you judge its personality before committing to $15.99/month. We couldn't confirm a daily message limit. Full review
Not really free
- Candy AI gives 5 messages per account. It's our top-rated companion overall, but you can't meaningfully try it for free.
- GirlfriendGPT advertises 20 free messages with no coins, so no image generation at all.
How to get the most out of a free tier
- Test memory first. Tell it a few facts early, chat about something else, then ask. Memory is the hardest thing to judge from a feature list, and the thing you'll notice most once you pay. Our memory test takes about 20 minutes.
- Say something it might refuse. Ask about a medication dose or a breakup. Whether it engages or deflects tells you a lot.
- Check the upgrade prompts. If a free tier nags constantly, the paid tier may too — GirlfriendGPT kept showing upgrade prompts even after we paid.
Free-tier details as recorded on 18 September 2026. Free tiers change often; each review shows when it was last checked.
How to check these results: every number above links to the transcript message or test session it came from. Each platform was tested by one tester, on one account, with the same scripted prompts — so each result is one recorded session, not an average. The full session list for each app is on its test history page, for example Candy AI's.