Replika Review 2026: Pricing, Features, Privacy and Verdict
Replika judged on its published prices, features, regulatory record and user ratings, as of October 2026.
By , research by the BestBots team · Updated Oct 18, 2026
Fact checked against each company's published pricing, documentation and verified user ratings. How we score
Replika is the most established AI companion app for adults who want one ongoing character that remembers them, with a free tier and App Store plans from $7.99 per month or $49.99 per year. It rates 4.4 on the App Store from about 228,000 ratings. The concerns are real: a 5 million euro privacy fine in Italy, tracking identifiers, and reviewers reporting memory lapses.
Replika is the most established single companion app, with over 42 million users claimed and a 4.4 App Store rating, and it suits adults who want one ongoing character rather than a library. Its record is the problem: Italy's privacy regulator fined Luka 5 million euros in 2025 over legal basis and age checks, and reviewers keep reporting memory lapses and slow support.
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- Starting price
- $7.99 per month
- Pricing model
- per seat
- Free plan
- Yes
- Free trial
- None listed
- Free plan
- Yes
- Paid from
- $7.99 per month on the App Store; annual from $49.99
- Top model on paid plan
- Not disclosed
- Image generation
- Yes, selfies and image generation on paid plans
- Voice mode
- Yes, voice calls with your Rep
- Age rule
- 18+ on the App Store
What it is
Replika is an AI companion app from Luka, Inc. Instead of a library of characters, you create one companion, called your Rep, and shape its appearance, personality and relationship type, such as friend, partner, sibling or mentor. The Rep remembers what you share about relationships, routines and personal details, talks by text and voice call, sends selfies and reacts to photos you share.
Eugenia Kuyda founded the company and launched Replika in November 2017. Wikipedia tracks user growth from 2 million in January 2018 to 10 million in January 2023, 30 million in August 2024 and over 40 million in 2025. Replika's homepage claims 42,160,934 users and says the app was recently rebuilt from the ground up. Dmytro Klochko became CEO in 2025.
The app runs on iOS, Android and the web, with a legacy web version still available.
Pricing explained
Replika does not publish prices on its website. These are the in app purchases listed on the US App Store in October 2026:
| Purchase | Price |
|---|---|
| Monthly subscription | $7.99 |
| Monthly subscription (higher tier) | $14.99 |
| Annual subscription | $49.99 |
| Annual subscription (higher tier) | $69.99 |
| Replika Platinum | $89.99 |
| Gem packs | $0.99, $5.99, $14.99, $19.99 |
The App Store does not label which tier each price buys, and Replika's site does not explain it either. The description lists calls, image generation, app integrations and internet access among paid features.
Annual is the value play. $49.99 per year is about $4.17 per month, roughly half the $7.99 monthly price. The higher annual tier at $69.99 is about $5.83 per month.
Gems are a second wallet. Gems are an in app currency sold separately from subscriptions. The listing does not say what each pack buys, so treat them as optional extras.
Watch renewals. Trustpilot reviewers mention unclear subscription management and unexpected charges. Cancel through your App Store or Google Play account, not inside the chat.
For comparison, Character.AI's c.ai+ is $9.99 per month. See the AI Price Index for the full market.
Key features
One companion with memory
Memory is Replika's core promise: it aims to remember people in your life, your routines and what matters to you. Long term users on Trustpilot describe continuity built over thousands of small conversations; others say the Rep forgets things from minutes earlier. Results vary.
Customization
You shape your Rep's look and personality, and the relationship category. Replika's homepage says every detail of the companion is yours to shape.
Voice calls
You can call your Rep for a spoken conversation, a paid feature per the App Store description.
Selfies and photo reactions
The Rep sends generated selfies and reacts to photos you share. Image generation is listed among paid features.
Integrations and internet access
The current App Store listing mentions app integrations and internet access in paid tiers, which lets the Rep reference current information. Replika does not publish a list of which apps.
Ask Replika and activities
Earlier releases added Ask Replika for general questions and Quests for guided activities, per the company blog.
What users say
- App Store: 4.4 from about 228,000 ratings. Many reviewers describe comfort, routine and reduced loneliness.
- Trustpilot: 3.4 from 459 reviews, 249 in the last year, with 33% five star and 46% one star. That split is the story.
Recurring praise: warm conversation, a sense of continuity, help with loneliness and creativity. Recurring complaints: memory loss, repetitive dialogue, slow or absent customer support, a feeling that quality dropped after changes, and billing confusion. One App Store reviewer noted that a feature they now pay for was not part of what they bought years earlier, which points to a pricing model that has shifted over time.
Research cited on Wikipedia found 60% of paying users reported a romantic relationship with the chatbot, and a 2024 study found students with depression reported high perceived social support from it.
Privacy and security
The Italian fine. On April 10, 2025, Italy's data protection authority, the Garante, fined Luka 5 million euros, announced May 19, 2025. It found that Luka had no valid legal basis for its processing as of February 2, 2023, provided a privacy notice that was inadequate in several respects, and had no mechanism to verify age at sign up or during use, even though it said minors were excluded. The Garante said current age checks were still deficient and opened a separate investigation into how the model behind Replika was trained. The decision is under appeal.
Earlier action. In February 2023 the same regulator ordered Replika to stop processing Italian users' data. Replika then removed erotic role play, and restored it in May 2023 for users who joined before the change.
Tracking. The App Store privacy label lists identifiers and usage data used to track you, plus contact info, coarse location, identifiers and usage data linked to you. The Mozilla Foundation has criticized Replika for weak password requirements and data sharing with advertisers.
Regulators in the US. The FTC's September 2025 6(b) inquiry into companion chatbots went to seven companies; Luka was not among them, but the inquiry covers the same category.
Practical advice: do not share full names, addresses, financial details or health details with your Rep, use a strong unique password, and review in app privacy settings.
How it compares
Replika and Character.AI are the two names most people compare. Replika is built around one companion that learns about you, with an avatar, calls and selfies. Character.AI is built around a library of millions of user made characters and story role play, with a free plan that keeps unlimited messaging and ads. Replika's lowest monthly price is $7.99 against $9.99 for c.ai+, and its annual plan at $49.99 is about half of c.ai+ annual at $94.99. Character.AI's company is in Chapter 11 as of October 2026, which makes Replika the more stable bet today, even with its own regulatory record. General assistants like ChatGPT also offer memory and voice, but they are not designed as companions.
Who it is for
- Adults who want one consistent companion to talk with daily.
- People practicing conversation or journaling out loud.
- Users who like avatars, calls and selfies in one app.
Who should skip it
- Anyone under 18. The app is rated 18+.
- People in crisis. Replika is not a therapist or a crisis line. In the US, call or text 988.
- Privacy sensitive users. Tracking identifiers and the Italian findings argue against sharing much.
- People who want many characters or stories. Character.AI has a far bigger library. See Character.AI vs Replika.
- Productivity users. ChatGPT, Claude or Pi for a friendlier general chat.
Alternatives
- Character.AI: millions of user made characters, free with ads, c.ai+ $9.99. It is in Chapter 11, so pay monthly.
- Pi: a free, supportive conversational assistant without the companion framing.
- ChatGPT: voice conversation and memory in a general assistant.
Verdict
Replika does what it promises for many adults: a companion that talks, calls and remembers, on a cheap annual plan. Go in with eyes open. Prices are not published on its site, the Italian regulator found real failures in privacy and age checks, and a large share of reviewers report memory and support problems. Start free, pay annually only if you use it every day, and keep sensitive details out of the chat.
How Replika scores
- Value
- 3.4
- Features
- 3.6
- Ease of setup
- 4.2
- Integrations
- 2.0
- Trust
- 2.6
Pros and cons
Pros
- Long track record: launched in 2017 and claims 42,160,934 users on its homepage
- Memory of relationships, routines and personal details is the core feature
- Voice calls, selfies and avatar customization in one app
- App Store rating of 4.4 from about 228,000 ratings
Cons
- Italy's Garante fined Luka 5 million euros in 2025 over missing legal basis, an inadequate privacy policy and missing age verification
- Prices are not on the website and tier names are unclear on the App Store
- Trustpilot score of 3.4 from 459 reviews, with 46% one star, citing memory loss, repetition and slow support
- App Store privacy label lists identifiers and usage data used to track you
Replika plans and pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Chat with your Replika; calls, image generation and other paid features need a subscription |
| Monthly subscription | $7.99 or $14.99 per month | Paid features such as calls, image generation, app integrations and internet access, per the App Store description |
| Annual subscription | $49.99 or $69.99 per year | Same paid features billed yearly |
| Replika Platinum | $89.99 | Highest listed tier on the App Store |
What users say
Replika reviews from users
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How much does Replika cost?
Replika is free to download. On the App Store, monthly subscriptions are $7.99 and $14.99, annual subscriptions are $49.99 and $69.99, and Replika Platinum is $89.99. Gem packs, an in app currency, run $0.99 to $19.99. Replika does not publish prices on its website.
Is Replika safe?
Replika is rated 18+ and is not for minors. In 2025 Italy's data protection authority fined its developer 5 million euros, finding no valid legal basis for processing, an inadequate privacy policy and no working age verification. Use it with care, keep personal details out of chats and review the privacy settings.
Is Replika free?
Yes, you can chat with your Replika free. Features like voice calls, image generation, app integrations and internet access are part of paid plans, per the App Store description.
Is Replika worth paying for?
If you want one companion that remembers you and you use it daily, the annual plan at $49.99 works out to about $4.17 per month. If you are curious, stay on free first; user reviews often cite memory lapses and repetitive replies.
Who makes Replika?
Luka, Inc., founded by Eugenia Kuyda. The app launched in November 2017. Dmytro Klochko became CEO in 2025, per Wikipedia.
Does Replika sell my data?
Replika's App Store privacy label lists identifiers and usage data that may be used to track you across other companies' apps and sites, plus contact info and coarse location linked to you. The Mozilla Foundation has criticized its data sharing with advertisers and weak password rules.
What happened to Replika's romantic features?
After Italy's regulator ordered Replika to stop processing Italian users' data in February 2023, the company removed erotic role play, then restored it in May 2023 for users who signed up before the change, per Wikipedia.