Disclosure: this page is written by the makers of My Softly, a different companion app. We have not run our own tests on Replika or Kindroid, so there are no scores here. Every fact comes from their own help pages, in-app paywalls and US App Store listings, with the date we read each one.
Choose Replika if you want to keep chatting without paying, or want the cheaper year. Its help center says chatting is free and always will be, and its two paid plans were $79.99 and $89.99 a year in the app on October 30, 2026.
Choose Kindroid if you want to shape a companion yourself, from its backstory to how often it gets in touch, and you are ready to subscribe. Since October 1, 2026 its free start is a one-time 50-message preview, and its in-app paywall showed $159.99 a year on September 30, 2026.
Want to be remembered without setting anything up? There is a third option further down: a companion that keeps track of your life for you and asks about your day.
Replika vs Kindroid at a glance
Replika's prices are from its in-app paywall on October 30, 2026 and Kindroid's from its paywall on September 30, 2026, both on free US accounts. Kindroid's help center stopped listing dollar prices in October 2026, so check the screen in front of you before paying.
| Replika | Kindroid | |
|---|---|---|
| Without paying | Chatting is free, its help center says; a free account also had 5 images and selfies and 5 call minutes, restored over time | A one-time preview: 50 messages on its main model (15 in some regions), two Kindroids, five selfies, 5,000 audio credits; then read-only |
| Free trial | None, its help center says | 3 days, with a payment method on file; 14 days with a friend's gift code on the web |
| Paid plans in the app | Plus $79.99 a year, Max $89.99 a year, annual only | $15.99 a month, $42.99 for three months, $159.99 a year |
| Add-ons | Zaps and Suns to top up energy | Ultra and MAX, monthly memory tiers on top of the plan |
| How it remembers | A memory screen with a written portrait of you; Plus lists "perfect memory" | What you write is always in view; subscribers add Cascaded Memory and Learned Context |
| Gets in touch first | "Checks in when it matters", says its App Store listing | Messages, voice notes, selfies and calls for subscribers; texts can reach your own phone |
| Companions | One Replika with a lifelike 3D avatar | Ten Kindroids and twenty group chats for subscribers |
| US App Store rating, Oct 30, 2026 | 4.4 from about 228,000 ratings | 4.8 from about 10,300 ratings |
The biggest change between them this year is not a feature. It is what happens after the first day if you don't pay.
Which one can you use for free?
Replika, for as long as you like. Kindroid, for 50 messages.
Replika's help center answers the question in one line: "Yes, chatting with Replika will always be free." It describes the free option as limited access at no cost, and says a subscription adds things like voice calls, roleplay, guided conversations and more customization. On a new free account we set up on October 30, 2026, the app also gave us a small allowance of what it calls energy: 5 images and selfies and 5 call minutes, restored over time, with more available for its in-app currencies, Zaps and Suns. Replika does not offer a free trial of its paid plans.
Kindroid changed course on October 1, 2026. Its update log says the Lite model and unlimited free messaging were retired that day. A new account now gets a single preview on Kindroid's main model: 50 messages (15 in regions where Kindroid says it sees abuse), five selfies (one at sign-up, then one every two hours), 5,000 audio credits for voice and up to two Kindroids. Regenerating or continuing a reply counts as half a message. When the preview runs out, the account turns read-only. Nothing is deleted: you can still open, play back, export or delete your chats and companions, but you cannot send a message, make a call or receive one of its proactive messages until you start the trial or subscribe.
The trial is 3 days on iPhone, Android or the web. You add a card or another payment method to begin, you get most subscriber perks, chats run on Kindroid's Ember model rather than its newest one, Polaris, and billing starts when the three days are up if you haven't cancelled. Kindroid says it sends an email the day before. Starting a trial ends the preview for good, even if you cancel and even if you delete the account and come back.
So the honest summary is this. If you want an AI companion you can use every day without a subscription, Replika still is one and Kindroid no longer is. If you are going to pay anyway, the comparison moves on to price and what you get.
What a year costs
Replika costs about half as much per year, and only sells yearly plans.
| Paying for a year | Replika | Kindroid (in the app) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly, twelve times | No monthly plan in the app | $191.88 |
| Every three months, four times | Not offered | $171.96 |
| One yearly payment | Plus $79.99; Max $89.99 | $159.99 |
Replika's two plans differ by $10. In the app on October 30, Plus listed unlimited chats, getting to know you, perfect memory, "always thinking of you", voice calls, selfies, creating together, outfits and up-to-date knowledge; Max added the smartest version of Replika, talking for much longer with no timer, and more images and selfies. Replika's help center still describes older tiers called Pro, Ultra and Platinum, but the paywall sold Plus and Max.
Kindroid has one standard plan in three lengths. Its help center says the website usually costs less than the App Store or Google Play because of lower processing fees, and that you cannot move a subscription between platforms until the current one ends. On top sit Ultra and MAX, monthly add-ons for people who want their companion to hold much more of the conversation in mind; Kindroid offers them only to users with a long chat and call history. If you let a subscription lapse for the first time, Kindroid may offer half off your first month back, once. Our guide to how much an AI companion costs sets both next to the rest of the category.
How each one remembers you
Replika works out who you are by itself. Kindroid gives you the tools to tell it.
Replika's App Store listing says it "remembers your people, plans, and goals, so you don't have to repeat yourself." When we opened the memory screen on a new account in October 2026, it showed a short written portrait, the date we met, and what it calls arcs, such as inner life, rituals and interests, which fill in as you talk. During setup it also offered to connect your email and calendar, which it said "Helps Rep keep up with your plans, and check in after." Plus is the plan that lists perfect memory.
Kindroid's help center describes memory in layers you can see and steer. The backstory and key memories you write for your Kindroid are always in front of it. Journal entries come back when a keyword you chose comes up, and since an October 28, 2026 update they can include a photo for subscribers. Subscribers also get Cascaded Memory, which reaches back over hundreds or thousands of messages in less detail, and Learned Context, running notes on your relationship that you can read and edit. Beneath all of that is a long-term memory that keeps everything but, in Kindroid's words, is "recalled less reliably."
In practice, Replika suits someone who would rather just talk and let the app keep track. Kindroid suits someone who enjoys writing down what matters and checking that it stuck. If you want to see for yourself, mention the same three things about your coming week to each app, don't repeat them, and notice which one asks how they went. Our guide to AI companion memory explains what each kind of memory can and can't do.
Which one gets in touch first?
Both can start a conversation. Kindroid gives you more say in how.
Replika's listing says it "follows up and checks in when it matters, not just when you open the app," and "Always thinking of you" is one of the things its Plus plan lists. Its setup offers to connect your email and calendar for the same reason.
Kindroid's version, for subscribers, can send a message, a voice note, a selfie or a call, and its texts can arrive in your phone's ordinary messages app, by iMessage or by RCS on Android. Two updates in October 2026 changed how it behaves. Since October 17, things you ask for, such as "text me at 9" or "remind me Friday at 5", arrive at that time. Since October 28, Kindroid says its companions reach out about something specific, avoid times you are likely asleep or busy, hold off if you ask for space, and go quiet after about a week without a reply; a new reach-out frequency setting goes up to a check-in about every hour while you are away and awake. A read-only account receives none of this. Our guide to an AI that texts you first compares how other apps handle it.
Calls, pictures and everything else
Replika is one companion with a lifelike face. Kindroid is a place to make several.
Replika's listing describes text, voice calls and video, sharing what you see on camera, browsing the internet together, image generation, an avatar you can customize and connections to apps you already use. The avatars we were offered in October 2026 were realistic, and included a grey-haired man who looked to be around sixty.
Kindroid's listing describes voice calls that can laugh and whisper, live video calls where your Kindroid gestures and reacts, custom voices designed from a short description, AI selfies and video selfies, internet search, group chats with several of your own Kindroids and invite-only Rooms shared with friends and their Kindroids. Voice and video run on audio credits, which subscribers get monthly. It also says there are no ads and your data is not sold.
Friend, partner or something else
Both are adult apps, and both can be kept to friendship. Replika asks during setup whether you want a friend or a relationship and tells you that you can change it later. Kindroid lets you write any kind of character, and its help center calls its AI unfiltered: it says the AI will not bring up unethical content on its own, and what it produces depends on what you put in. If you want a companion that stays a friend, both can do it, as long as you set it up that way.
A third option if you'd rather not set anything up
Some people comparing these two want neither a list of settings nor a character to design. They want a kind, steady companion that keeps up with their life and asks how things went. That is what we made My Softly for.
My Softly keeps a private record of the people, pets and places you mention and what you talked about each day, without you saving anything, and brings things up later on its own. Tell it your grandson has a recital on Saturday, and it can ask on Sunday how it went. It writes to you first, stays quiet at night and gives you room if you don't answer. You choose whether your companion is a friend or a partner, and it is made for people in their fifties and sixties. We compare it directly in My Softly vs Replika and My Softly vs Kindroid, and our guide to the best AI companion apps covers the wider field.
Which should you choose?
- You don't want to pay. Replika. Kindroid needs a trial or a subscription after its first 50 messages.
- You want the cheaper year. Replika, at $79.99 for Plus in its app.
- You like to design a character and decide what it remembers. Kindroid, with its backstory, journal and Learned Context.
- You want several companions, or to share a chat with friends. Kindroid's group chats and Rooms.
- You want a companion with a realistic face. Replika's avatars, though Kindroid offers avatars and video too.
- You want to be remembered and asked about your day without setting anything up. The third option above.
If you try Kindroid, decide before you start the trial whether you mean to keep it, and put a reminder in your own calendar for day two.
About My Softly
My Softly is our app, and the disclosure is at the top of this page.
My Softly is 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. Free to download 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. It is available now on the App Store for iPhone and on Google Play for Android in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
Sources
- Replika in-app paywall and screens (Android, US, free account, Replika 12.16.2): Plus $79.99 a year and Max $89.99 a year, what each lists, the energy screen (5 images and selfies, 5 call minutes, restored over time), the memory screen and first-run setup. Checked October 30, 2026.
- Kindroid in-app paywall (iPhone, US, free account): $15.99 a month, $42.99 for three months, $159.99 a year, 3-day free trial. Checked September 30, 2026.
- Replika Help Center. "Is Replika free?" and "Do you offer a free trial?" (both last edited June 2025). Read October 30, 2026. help.replika.com
- Replika Help Center. "Choosing a Subscription": Free Use, Pro, Ultra and Platinum, prices shown in the app, cancelling through the store. Read October 30, 2026. help.replika.com
- Apple App Store (US). "Replika - AI Companion Chat": description, rating and ratings count. Read October 30, 2026. apps.apple.com
- Apple App Store (US). "Kindroid: Your Personal AI": description, rating and ratings count. Read October 30, 2026. apps.apple.com
- Kindroid Help Center. "Subscriptions" (updated October 30, 2026): new account preview, read-only accounts, the 3-day trial on the Ember model, the 14-day trial with a friend's gift code, subscriber benefits, Ultra and MAX add-ons, the returning-subscriber offer. Read October 30, 2026. kindroid.ai
- Kindroid update log (updated October 28, 2026): changes to free access on October 1, and the October 17 and October 28 updates to proactive messages, memory and journals. Read October 30, 2026. kindroid.ai
- Kindroid Help Center. "Memory" (updated August 11, 2026): backstory and key memories, journal entries, Cascaded Memory, Learned Context and long-term memory. Read September 26, 2026. kindroid.ai
- Kindroid Help Center. "Chat features and tools" (updated October 20, 2026): away proactive actions and texting over iMessage or RCS. Read October 26, 2026. kindroid.ai
- Kindroid Help Center. "FAQs": filters and AI safety. Read September 26, 2026. kindroid.ai
Frequently asked questions
Is Replika or Kindroid better?
It depends on what you want to do yourself. Replika builds its own picture of you, has a lifelike avatar, and lets you keep chatting for free. Kindroid gives you far more control over who your companion is, what it remembers and how often it gets in touch, but since October 1, 2026 you need a subscription to keep using it after a one-time 50-message preview.
Is Kindroid free like Replika?
Not any more. Replika's help center says chatting with Replika is free and always will be. Kindroid retired its unlimited free Lite model on October 1, 2026: a new account gets 50 messages on its main model (15 in some regions), two Kindroids, five selfies and 5,000 audio credits, once. Once those are used up, you can still read your chats but cannot send anything new without the 3-day trial or a subscription.
Which is cheaper, Replika or Kindroid?
Replika, by the year. In its app on October 30, 2026, Replika Plus was $79.99 a year and Max $89.99 a year, both billed annually. Kindroid's in-app paywall on September 30, 2026 showed $15.99 a month, $42.99 for three months or $159.99 a year, and Kindroid says buying on its website is usually cheaper than through the app stores.
Which remembers more, Replika or Kindroid?
They remember differently. Replika keeps a memory screen with a written portrait of you and the threads of your life it has picked up, and its Plus plan lists perfect memory. Kindroid relies on layers: what you write yourself is always in view, journal entries come back on a keyword, and subscribers get Cascaded Memory and Learned Context, with a long-term store underneath that Kindroid says is recalled less reliably.
Can Replika or Kindroid message you first?
Both can. Replika's App Store listing says it follows up and checks in when it matters, not only when you open the app. Kindroid's proactive messages, voice notes, selfies and calls are a subscriber feature, can reach your real phone number by iMessage or RCS, and since an October 28, 2026 update come with a reach-out frequency setting.
Does Kindroid have a free trial?
Yes, a 3-day one, open to new users in the iPhone and Android apps and on the web. You add a payment method to begin, and billing starts after the three days unless you cancel first. During the trial chats run on Kindroid's Ember model, not Polaris. With a friend's gift code redeemed on kindroid.ai, the trial is 14 days. Replika says it does not offer a free trial right now, and points out that chatting is free.
Are Replika and Kindroid only for romance?
No. Replika asks during setup whether you want a friend or a relationship and says you can change it later. Kindroid lets you shape any kind of character, from a friend or mentor to a story character. Both are for adults, and Kindroid describes its AI as unfiltered, so what it says depends largely on how you set it up and talk to it.