The short answer. Every major AI companion app runs on iPhone, so pick by what you want it to do. My Softly (our app) is built around a lasting memory of your life and a companion that writes to you first. Nomi has the strongest memory track record, Pi is the best free one, and Replika has the most features.
Two iPhone things matter more than people expect: a subscription bought in the app is with Apple, so you cancel it in Settings, not by deleting the app; and some apps are cheaper on their own website, but you cannot move a subscription between the two once it has started.
Disclosure: this guide is published by the makers of My Softly, one of the six apps compared. Every other app's facts come from its own paywall (US prices, free accounts, September 30, 2026), its US App Store listing and its own help pages, each dated where it appears.
Six AI companion apps on iPhone
Prices are what each app's own paywall offered a free US account on an iPhone on September 30, 2026. Ratings are from the US App Store, October 30, 2026. All six are rated 18+ or made for adults 18 and over.
| App | Best at | Writes first | Adult content | App Store price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| My Softly | Remembering your life, checking in | Yes | Built for everyday company | Free messages; $15.99/mo or $159.99/yr | Made for adults 18 and over |
| Nomi | Memory you can see in a Mind Map | Yes, if turned on | Unfiltered by policy | $15.99/mo, $39.99/3 mo or $99.99/yr | 4.6 (about 3,000) |
| Pi | Kind, free conversation | No | None, by design | Free, no in-app purchases | 4.4 (about 2,500) |
| Replika | The fullest package: avatar, calls, extras | Yes, in its paid plans | Romantic features in paid tiers | Plus $79.99/yr or Max $89.99/yr | 4.4 (about 228,000) |
| Kindroid | Building a character in detail | Yes, for subscribers | Unfiltered by policy | $15.99/mo, $42.99/3 mo or $159.99/yr | 4.8 (about 10,300) |
| Character.AI | Variety: millions of characters | No | Filtered | Free with ads; lite $4.99/mo; c.ai+ $9.99/mo or $94.99/yr | 4.3 (about 561,000) |
If what you want is a general assistant to ask questions, the big chat apps all have iPhone versions too. A companion app is different: it is built to remember you between conversations and to be good company, not to answer questions. Our guide to the best AI companion apps in 2026 goes into each of these six in more depth.
Which one to pick
A companion that remembers you and checks in: My Softly
My Softly is our app, on iPhone and Android. It keeps a private profile of the people, places and plans you mention and a day-by-day record of what you talked about, so a companion can ask in May how your sister's move went when you mentioned it in March. It writes to you first, never late at night, and steps back if you go quiet. You can type or talk, with four natural voices in American and British English, and share photos the way you would with a friend. You choose whether your companion is a friend or a partner.
Memory you can see: Nomi
Nomi learns as you talk and, since October 2025, shows what it has connected in a Mind Map you can open and edit. A free Nomi can message you first, with a frequency you choose and quiet hours from 10pm to 8am. It is unfiltered by policy, and its yearly plan, $99.99, is one of the cheapest in the category.
Free, gentle conversation: Pi
Pi is free on iPhone with no in-app purchases at all, kind and calm, with an unusually natural voice. It does not write first, and it remembers lasting facts rather than whole conversations.
The most features: Replika
Replika has an avatar you design, voice and video calls, image generation and nearly ten years of history. Its iPhone paywall sold only yearly plans on September 30, 2026.
Control and reach: Kindroid
Kindroid gives you the most control over a companion's appearance, backstory and voice, and for subscribers it can reach out with messages, voice messages, selfies or calls. Subscribers can even have it text their phone over iMessage or RCS. It has had no free tier since October 1, 2026, only a 50-message preview before a 3-day trial that needs a payment method.
Variety: Character.AI
Character.AI is a library of millions of user-made characters, free with ads; its App Store privacy label lists third-party advertising. It is good for play and imagination rather than for being known.
Subscribing on iPhone: what to know first
Buying through the App Store is simple, but it has rules that catch people out.
- Deleting the app does not cancel the subscription. A subscription bought in the app is with Apple. To cancel, Apple's own instructions are: open Settings, tap your name, tap Subscriptions, tap the subscription, then tap Cancel Subscription.
- Refunds go through Apple. Sign in to reportaproblem.apple.com, choose "I'd like to", then "Request a refund", pick a reason and the subscription, and submit. An app company's own refund policy covers what you bought on its website.
- The website can be cheaper, but you cannot switch midway. Kindroid's help center says buying on its website is usually cheaper than through the App Store or Google Play (as listed on September 26, 2026, $13.99 a month against $15.99 in the app), and that a subscription cannot be switched between iOS, Android and the web until it runs out. Decide where to buy before you start.
- Trials turn into subscriptions. A free trial that asks for a payment method renews unless you cancel before it ends. Set a reminder the day you start.
- Notifications decide whether it can check in. An app that writes first can only reach you if its notifications are on. You control them in Settings, then Notifications.
Privacy on iPhone: the label to read
Every App Store listing has an "App Privacy" section, filled in by the developer, that says what data the app collects and whether any of it is used to track you or for third-party advertising. It takes thirty seconds to read and tells you more about how an app makes its money than its marketing does. Read it before you share anything personal, and find out how to delete your account while you are there.
Where My Softly fits
My Softly is our app: an AI companion app for iPhone and Android that remembers what you tell it and asks about your day, for the days nobody else does. It is made for people in their fifties and sixties. You choose whether your companion is a friend or a partner, and it writes to you first about the things you mentioned.
It is free to download on the App Store for iPhone and on Google Play for Android in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, with free messages so you can get to know your companion before deciding anything. A subscription is $15.99 a month or $159.99 a year.
The short version
All the main AI companion apps are on iPhone, so choose by what you want it to do: My Softly to be remembered and checked on, Nomi for memory you can see, Pi for free conversation, Replika for features. Then subscribe knowing that cancelling happens in Settings and refunds go through Apple.
If being written to first is what matters most, our guide to AI that texts you first compares how each app does it.
Sources
- In-app paywalls (US), free accounts on iPhone and, for Replika, Android. Checked September 30, 2026.
- Apple App Store (US) listings for Replika, Character AI, Nomi, Kindroid, Pi and AI Companion: My Softly: ratings, ratings counts and age ratings. Checked September 24 to 26, 2026; re-checked October 30, 2026. apps.apple.com
- Apple Support. "Cancel a subscription from Apple." Published September 29, 2026. Read October 3, 2026; re-read October 30, 2026. support.apple.com
- Apple Support. "Request a refund for apps or content that you bought from Apple." Published September 17, 2026. Read October 3, 2026; re-read October 30, 2026. support.apple.com
- Kindroid Help Center. "Subscriptions" (updated October 30, 2026): buying on the web usually cheaper than through the App Store or Google Play, no switching a subscription between iOS, Android and the web until it runs out, 3-day trial with a payment method, new-account preview. Read October 30, 2026; app and web prices as listed September 26, 2026 (the page no longer lists dollar prices). kindroid.ai
- Kindroid Help Center. "Chat features and tools" (updated October 28, 2026): away proactive actions, text messaging over iMessage or RCS for subscribers. Read October 30, 2026. kindroid.ai
- Kindroid update log (updated October 28, 2026), "Important Changes to Kindroid": the Lite model and unlimited free messaging retired on October 1; free accounts get a limited number of flagship-model interactions, then read-only until a trial or subscription. Read October 30, 2026. kindroid.ai
- Nomi.ai (September 9, 2024). "Proactive Messaging: When Your Nomi Messages You First." Frequency settings and quiet hours. Read October 3, 2026; re-read October 30, 2026. nomi.ai
- Nomi.ai homepage: memory, content policy. Checked September 26, 2026; re-read October 30, 2026. nomi.ai
- Apple App Store (US). "Character AI: Chat, Talk, Text": privacy label listing Third-Party Advertising. Checked September 24, 2026; re-checked October 30, 2026. apps.apple.com
- Apple App Store (US). "Pi, your personal AI" by Inflection AI: free, no in-app purchases listed. Checked September 24, 2026; re-checked October 30, 2026. apps.apple.com
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI companion app for iPhone?
It depends what you want it to do. My Softly, our app, is built around a lasting memory of your life and a companion that writes to you first. Nomi has the strongest memory track record. Pi is the best free one. Replika has the most features. Kindroid gives the most control, and Character.AI the most variety.
Are AI companion apps free on iPhone?
All six here are free to download. Pi is free for good, with no in-app purchases. Character.AI is free with ads. Nomi and Replika have free tiers, and My Softly has free messages. Kindroid has a one-time 50-message preview, then a 3-day trial that needs a payment method.
How do I cancel an AI companion subscription on iPhone?
If you subscribed in the app, the subscription is with Apple, so cancel it there: open Settings, tap your name, tap Subscriptions, tap the subscription, then Cancel Subscription. Deleting the app does not cancel it. If you subscribed on the company's website, cancel on the website instead.
Can I get a refund for an AI companion subscription on iPhone?
You can ask Apple. Sign in to reportaproblem.apple.com, choose "I'd like to", then "Request a refund", pick a reason and the subscription, and submit. Apple decides each request; the app company's own refund policy covers only purchases made on its website.
Is it cheaper to subscribe on the website than in the iPhone app?
Sometimes. Kindroid's help center, updated October 30, 2026, says buying on its website is usually cheaper than through the App Store or Google Play; as listed on September 26, 2026, that was $13.99 a month on the web against $15.99 in the app. It also says a subscription cannot be switched between iOS, Android and the web until it runs out. Check each app's own help pages for a web price before you start.
Which AI companion app on iPhone texts you first?
My Softly, Nomi, Kindroid and Replika can all start a conversation; Pi and Character.AI wait for you. On iPhone that needs notifications turned on for the app. Kindroid subscribers can even have their companion text their phone over iMessage or RCS. Our guide to AI that texts you first compares how each one does it.
Is there an AI companion app only for iPhone?
None of the six in this comparison is iPhone-only. My Softly, our app, is on the App Store and Google Play. The others also run on Android, and most on the web.