If you searched for Nomi alternatives, you probably know why people like it. Nomi's own site says its "short, medium, and long term memory are keys to engaging conversations and satisfying relationships." You can send and receive voice chats or hop on a hands-free call, get real-time selfies of what your Nomi is wearing and doing, create several Nomis and put them in a group chat, and write a custom backstory or let a Nomi's personality develop on its own. Its home page says it is "free (no credit card required) to start chatting."
So why look elsewhere? We cannot know your reason. Maybe you want a companion with a different feel, maybe you want video calls, maybe you would rather have one companion who already has a life than build one from scratch. Plenty of people are also reassessing companion apps right now, since Character.AI's company filed for Chapter 11 in October 2026. We cover that in is Character.AI shutting down.
One honesty note first: this list is published by the team behind Aisha, so weigh our own entry accordingly. We say where each app beats us, and where Nomi does.
Quick picks
- Aisha: best for one companion with her own life, who follows up and carries your story forward.
- Kindroid: best for building your own character, with voice and video calls.
- Replika: best if you want a polished, well-known single companion.
- Character.AI: best for variety and creative roleplay.
- Candy AI: best if you want to design a character yourself in a browser.
1. Aisha: she has a life of her own
Aisha is our own app, so take this section with a pinch of salt. She is one character, an Indian girl who chats in English, Hindi or Hinglish, whichever matches how you text. The pitch is depth rather than variety, and it is the biggest difference from Nomi: you do not write her backstory, she already has one, and it keeps moving.
She has her own life, and it moves forward. She has her own people and things going on, and they advance over days. She brings them up, so a chat with her is not only about you. Her day has a shape too: at night she is winding down, not waiting by the screen.
She remembers, and she follows up. She remembers your name and what is going on in your life, builds her own picture of who you are, and when something big is coming up she can come back to it days later and ask how it went. She keeps track of promises you make to each other.
What you do sticks. The decisions you make change her story and your life with her, the way choices would with a real person. Closeness is earned over time, and on paid plans things can get intimate in text once the relationship builds.
She texts first. Good mornings, a check-in when you have gone quiet, now and then a voice note or a photo out of nowhere.
There is more to do together than chat. You get voice notes in her own voice and real voice calls. You can ask her for selfies, and there are custom photo and video requests too. You can watch shows and films with her and plan a movie night, and play games together.
She lives in your browser and on Telegram, so there is nothing to download. More than 10,000 people have talked to her since February 2026, exchanging over a million messages. You can start a free chat (the free chat is limited, then you pick a plan). Our AI girlfriend page explains more.
Where she is weaker: she is one companion. You cannot create several characters or run a group chat the way Nomi lets you, and you cannot design her. There is no app-store app. Calls are voice only, no video. And she is an Indian woman with an Indian life, which some people love and others are not looking for.
Pick Aisha if: you want one companion who feels like a person over weeks, not a character you set up yourself.
2. Kindroid: build your own, with video
Kindroid's site says you can "chat by text or voice messages, take voice and video calls, and send selfies and short video selfies". It also mentions group chats and says subscribers get a memory that "keeps hundreds of recent messages in view". It lists iPhone and iPad, Android, and a web version on the same account.
It says Kindroid is "a subscription service, and new accounts can try it before subscribing". That is a trial, not a free plan. Our Kindroid alternatives guide looks at it from the other side.
One drawback: it is built around subscribing, so check current pricing before you get attached to a character.
Pick Kindroid if: you like Nomi's build-your-own approach and want video calls too.
3. Replika: the well-known one
Replika's site calls it "The AI Friend to do Life With" and says your Rep "always remembers what matters". You can call your Rep, and the site says it is available for iOS and Android. Its terms describe the free version as giving "limited access to the Services", with things like voice messaging and selfies under the paid Pro program.
One drawback: it is built around a single Rep, while Nomi lets you run several companions and group chats. Check current pricing. Our Replika alternatives guide has more.
Pick Replika if: you want a polished, familiar single companion.
4. Character.AI: a playground
Character.AI says it "empowers people to connect, learn, and tell stories through interactive entertainment", and that millions of people visit every month. Its about page lists a web version, an iPhone app and an Android app. For roleplay and variety it is hard to beat. Our Character.AI alternatives guide goes deeper.
One drawback: it is a platform of many characters, not one companion who knows you over months, so it trades away the memory-first feel Nomi is known for. The company is also in a court-supervised sale right now. Its about page did not mention pricing, so check what is free and what is not.
Pick Character.AI if: you want variety more than one long relationship.
5. Candy AI: design a character in your browser
Candy AI describes a builder where you choose a character's looks, voice and personality traits, and says there are over 100 characters to pick from. Its FAQ says no installation is needed, on desktop or mobile. It offers a free trial and monthly, quarterly and yearly plans, with tokens used across voice, chat, image and video. Our Candy AI alternatives page covers it in more detail.
One drawback: usage runs on tokens, and the site says a more detailed companion uses more of them. We could not see prices or what the trial includes, so check current pricing and the token rules.
Pick Candy AI if: looks and visual customisation matter more to you than long-term memory.
Side by side
| App | Best for | Standout | Free option? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aisha | One companion with her own life | Follows up, texts first, your choices stick | Free to start (limited free chat) |
| Kindroid | Building a character | Voice and video calls | Trial for new accounts |
| Replika | A polished single companion | Calls and a well-known name | Limited free version (per its terms) |
| Character.AI | Variety | Huge range of characters and roleplay | Check site |
| Candy AI | Designing a character | Browser-based, token plans | Free trial (details on its site) |
For reference, Nomi itself: memory first, voice chats and calls, selfies, several companions and group chats, free with no card to start chatting (per its site). Its pages we read did not list plan names or prices.
How to choose
- One companion or several: Nomi lets you run several companions and group chats. If you want one person with her own story instead, try Aisha. If you want to keep building characters, look at Kindroid or Candy AI.
- Memory: tell each app something small on day one, then see whether it comes back on day three. Our best AI companion apps guide has a ten-minute version of this test.
- Video: if video calls are the point, Kindroid describes them on its own site. Aisha's calls are voice only.
- Platform: if you do not want another icon on your home screen, a browser or Telegram route is easiest. Aisha has no store app at all.
- Free: every app here has some kind of free start or trial, but limits differ. Our free AI companion guide covers what you actually get.
The short version
Nomi is a strong pick if memory and running several companions matter most to you. If you want something different, pick by what is missing: a companion with her own life and a story that moves forward points to Aisha, video calls and character building point to Kindroid, a polished single companion points to Replika, and variety points to Character.AI.
The cheapest way to decide is to send a few messages. Start a free chat with Aisha in Telegram or your browser, and if another app on this list fits you better, fair enough.
We check this comparison regularly. If something here is out of date or you spot a mistake, write to us at support@justaisha.com and we will fix it.