Replika review: is the original AI companion still a good AI boyfriend?

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Replika is the app that started the AI companion category, and it’s still the one most people have heard of. This Replika review looks at it specifically as an AI boyfriend: what you get for free, what Replika Pro costs, whether it’s safe, and when another app makes more sense.

The quick answer: Replika is a polished, gentle companion that’s great for emotional support and everyday chat. As a boyfriend it’s held back by a paywalled romance mode, a strict content filter and memory that users often find forgetful.

What is Replika?

Replika is an AI companion app made by Luka, Inc. and launched in 2017. It runs on iOS, Android and the web. Unlike character-library apps, Replika gives you one companion per account who’s meant to get to know you over time.

You design his appearance as a 3D avatar, pick a relationship type, and chat by text, voice messages or calls. There’s also an AR mode that places your avatar in the room through your phone camera, plus video calls.

Replika has always been positioned around wellbeing: someone to talk to after a long day, practice conversations with, or vent to. That focus shapes everything else, including its approach to romance.

Creating your boyfriend

Setting up a Replika boyfriend is simple:

1. Create an account and choose a male avatar.
2. Customize his look, outfit and name.
3. Set the relationship status to Boyfriend. This is the step that requires a paid plan; free accounts stay at friendship.

What you can’t do is build lots of different characters or write a detailed backstory the way you can in Kindroid. Replika is one companion whose personality develops through conversation, not through a big settings page. If you’d like to compare those two approaches directly, read Kindroid vs Replika.

Chat quality & memory

Replika is warm, supportive and good at everyday small talk. It asks how your day went, follows up on feelings, and rarely says anything harsh. For a lot of people, that’s exactly what they want.

Memory is the weak spot. Replika has a memory and diary system, but users often report that it forgets details. If you want a boyfriend who remembers your friends’ names and what you said last month, Nomi AI is noticeably better. We compare them head-to-head in Nomi vs Replika.

Romance is restricted. Replika filters adult content heavily. In February 2023 it removed erotic roleplay, which caused a large backlash from users whose companions suddenly changed. Today Replika romance is affectionate and flirty, but not explicit. If that matters to you, see our list of NSFW AI boyfriend apps.

Voice, photos and video

This is where Replika is ahead of most rivals:

• Voice messages and voice calls (calls need a subscription).
• A 3D avatar you can customize and dress.
• AR mode to see him in your space through your phone.
• Video-call features.

What it doesn’t do well is generated photos. Image features exist in some tiers, but we couldn’t verify how they work, so we wouldn’t choose Replika for selfies. For that, image-first apps such as Candy AI are stronger.

Replika pricing

Replika’s prices are shown in-app and vary by country, so treat these as a guide.

Replika Pro

Replika Pro is the plan most people mean when they talk about paying for Replika. It unlocks romantic relationship statuses (including boyfriend), voice calls and more advanced features. On the monthly plan it’s expensive for what you get; the annual plan is much better value.

Monthly vs annual: the real cost

The gap between Replika’s monthly and annual pricing is unusually large. Paying $19.99 every month for a year adds up to about $240. The annual Pro plan, at $69.99, works out to under $6 a month for the same features.

So if you’ve tried the free version and know you like Replika, the annual plan is the obvious choice. If you’re not sure yet, one month of Pro is a pricey way to test the boyfriend mode, so make the most of the free friend mode first to judge his personality, voice and avatar.

Because Replika bills through the App Store or Google Play when you subscribe on your phone, you’ll also need to cancel there, not inside the app. Our guide on how to cancel an AI boyfriend subscription walks through it.

Ultra and Platinum

Ultra sits above Pro, and Platinum exists as a top tier, but we couldn’t verify its price. Unless a specific Ultra feature matters to you, Pro is the plan to start with.

Is Replika Pro worth it?

If you specifically want Replika as a boyfriend, yes, because the romantic status is locked behind it. If you’re still deciding between apps, compare it with Nomi’s annual plan first: Nomi includes romance and stronger memory, and it’s in a similar price range. Our guide to how much an AI boyfriend costs compares real-world spend across apps.

Is Replika free?

Yes, but only as a friend. The free version lets you chat with your Replika and use basic features. The boyfriend status, voice calls and advanced features need a subscription.

That makes Replika’s free tier good for one thing: seeing whether you like its personality and avatar before paying. If you want a free AI boyfriend with romance included, look at our list of free AI boyfriend apps.

Is Replika safe?

Replika is run by an established company and we found no reports of a breach. But its history includes real regulatory problems, so it’s worth knowing the details.

The Italian GDPR fine

Italy’s data protection authority, the Garante, fined Luka €5 million. The decision was made in April 2025 and announced in May 2025. The regulator found GDPR violations including:

• No valid legal basis for processing users’ data.
• Poor transparency about how data was used.
• No age verification before February 2023.

The Garante also opened a further investigation into how Replika trains its AI models. Earlier, in February 2023, it had temporarily suspended Replika in Italy.

Age

Replika requires users to be 18 or older. The lack of age checks before 2023 was one of the reasons for the Italian fine. See are AI boyfriend apps 18+? for how this works across apps.

Wellbeing

Replika is designed to be emotionally supportive, and many people find it comforting. It isn’t a therapist, though, and the 2023 filter change showed how upsetting it can be when a company changes your companion overnight. Our guide on whether AI boyfriends are healthy covers this in more depth.

Tips for using Replika safely

• Use an email address you don’t use elsewhere.
• Avoid sharing your full name, address, workplace or financial details.
• Remember that what you tell any AI companion is stored as data. Read do AI boyfriend apps read your chats?

Who should use it

• You want emotional support and gentle, everyday conversation.
• You like the idea of a 3D avatar, AR and video calls on your phone.
• You’re new to AI companions and want the most polished, established app.

Who should skip it

• You want romance for free. The boyfriend status is paid-only.
• You want 18+ roleplay. Replika’s filter is strict.
• You want excellent memory over months.
• You want several characters. Replika allows one companion per account.

Replika alternatives for an AI boyfriend

If you’re leaving Replika, the reason usually decides the best replacement. Our full guide to Replika alternatives goes deeper; here are the best fits.

Kindroid is also worth a look if you want deep control over his personality and backstory. It doesn’t pay us anything; it’s simply very good.