Nomi vs Replika: free plan, memory and content rules

Nomi AI's free plan is about as clear as this category gets. It is permanent, it gives 50 messages a day at up to 400 characters each, and it adds 2 images a day with no ads. You know on day one exactly what you have. Replika's free side is fuzzier.

The terms call Free Use a no-cost program with limited access, meant for people who cannot afford a subscription, and Replika reserves the right to deny free use. No message count is on file. I don't mind a small free tier, but I do mind one I can't measure.

The content policies split even further. Nomi AI allows adult content, while Replika keeps it out entirely. For some readers that settles it in Nomi AI's favour, and for others it is exactly why they prefer Replika. I think both are valid, and I'd rather you pick on this point than on price.

Where Replika leans in is the extras. Its top plan, Replika Platinum, lists real-time video recognition, a Training mode and up to 10 realistic selfie videos a week, and gems sell separately from $0.99. Nomi AI keeps things simpler, with one Standard plan in three lengths.

My overall read: Nomi AI is the easier app to start with, and Replika suits you best when you want a companion that stays SFW. The table right after this section, "The two apps side by side", shows the features row by row. For Replika's plans and fine print in more depth, see my Replika review with every plan explained.

My take: Nomi AI for memory you don't have to manage, Replika if you like editing what your companion knows, with the caveat that it may still guess.

It is built around one companion, which I think suits people who want a single steady relationship rather than a cast.

I like that each app is clear about where it stands, since it saves you a lot of guessing about what you are signing up for.

If a quiet statement matters to you, this criterion is a draw, and not a good one. For Nomi AI's full picture, including its refund rule, my in-depth Nomi AI review covers it.

I would rather see a number, even a small one, than a promise of limited access that can change or be denied.

Nomi AI is more generous at the start, yet it has its own gap. Other reviewers report that its pictures come only from a ready-made gallery you can't prompt yourself, that it often refuses adult image requests, and that image-to-video is slow and low in quality. So if pictures are central for you, I don't think either app is the right main pick.

That is where a third name comes in. Candy AI is built around media: its 1-Month Plan at €13.99 covers unlimited text, voice calls, and 18+ pictures and video it generates for you, and the 12-Month Plan works out to €3.99 a month. The trade-off is a tiny free start, 5 messages in total by the research value, and adult content only on paid plans.

I'd call it the right choice for visual people and the wrong one for anyone who wants to try before paying.

My Candy AI vs Nomi AI comparison sets those two side by side if images are what you are weighing. For companionship-first readers, though, the real choice stays between Nomi AI and Replika, and the next sections look at each one on its own.

50 messages a day at 400 characters each is enough for a real conversation every evening. I think that makes Nomi AI one of the fairest ways into this category, especially if you are unsure whether an AI companion is for you at all. Its content policy allows adult content, which is worth knowing whichever way you lean.

The paid side is one Standard plan in three lengths. Monthly is $15.99. Quarterly is $39.99 (roughly $13.33 a month), and a year is $99.99 (roughly $8.33 a month).

Standard lifts the message cap, doubles the character limit to 800, and adds voice calls, up to 10 active Nomis, up to 10 active group chats and 40 image credits a day. If Nomi AI clicks for you, paying for the year makes the most sense.

The part I'd go in with eyes open on is money back. Nomi AI states that all payments are nonrefundable and that it does not refund for lack of usage or dissatisfaction. Renewals are automatic unless you cancel before the period ends, and on the web you cancel under Profile icon > Subscription tab > Manage Subscription > Cancel Subscription. Give the free plan a long run before paying, since it costs nothing to do so.

For more head-to-heads like this one, the full list of app comparisons is a good place to browse.

• Starting free: Free tier, 50 free messages daily
• Lowest price: $8.33 monthly (Standard Plan Yearly)
• Allowed: mature chat permitted
• Runs on: web, ios, android

My main complaint is the pricing, which is hard to read. The App Store shows several subscriptions: one labelled 'MONTHLY' at $7.99, another 'Monthly' at $14.99, a 'YEARLY' at $49.99 and an 'Annual' at $69.99, the last one appearing in two listings at $49.99 and $69.99. On top sits Replika Platinum at $89.99 a month.

Gems are sold separately, from a Pouch at $0.99 to a Suitcase at $14.99. Other reviewers report that no gems come with the Pro tier at $19.99 a month, so avatar clothing and accessories cost extra. If that is right, budget for gems whenever the avatar matters to you.

Billing is strict. Purchases through the App Store are final, subject to Apple's own policy, and website purchases are final as well. The good news is that cancelling is gentle: you can downgrade to Free Use whenever you like, keep your account, and the new plan starts when the current billing period is over. Charges show as REPLIKA on your statement.

My pick would be the $49.99 yearly listing, if it is offered to you and you already like the app. Where these facts come from is explained on the page about how the apps are checked.

• Starting free: Free tier
• Lowest price: $4.17 monthly (Subscription labelled 'YEARLY' on the App Store)
• Allowed: unconfirmed
• Runs on: web, ios, android

For paid plans, the lowest Replika price on file is the 'MONTHLY' App Store listing at $7.99, against $15.99 for Nomi AI's Standard monthly. On a yearly basis, Replika's 'YEARLY' listing at $49.99 comes to $4.17 a month, while a year of Nomi AI costs $99.99, which is $8.33 a month. On sticker price alone, Replika is cheaper.

Here is why I don't stop there. Replika sells gems on top, from $0.99 to $14.99 a pack, and the avatar extras mentioned above run through them. Nomi AI's Standard plan has no add-on currency on file: one price covers unlimited messaging, voice calls and 40 image credits a day. For a predictable bill, I prefer Nomi AI's approach, even though it costs more upfront.

The top end is not close. At $89.99 a month, Replika Platinum adds video recognition, Training mode and selfie videos. Nomi AI has nothing at that price, and I doubt most people would ever miss it.

Both apps are strict on refunds, so whichever you choose, start monthly or stay free until you are sure. For a look at how pricing with coins stacks up, my Candy AI vs OurDream AI price breakdown walks through tokens and Dreamcoins.

Cancelling is where Replika is kinder. Stepping down to Free Use keeps your account intact, and the switch happens once the billing period runs out. Nomi AI's web path runs through the Subscription tab, and Android users can cancel in the app or through Google Play.

On legitimacy, both are named companies: Luka, Inc. behind Replika, and Glimpse.ai, Inc. in Baltimore behind Nomi AI. That answers the basic "is it legit" question for me, and both publish their cancel steps.

My practical advice: note the store or processor you paid through on the day you subscribe, because that is where you will cancel later.

A few quick questions sort most people:

• Want to try for weeks without paying? Nomi AI and its permanent free plan.
• Want a companion with no adult content at all? Replika.
• Want several companions or group chats? Nomi AI, on Standard.
• Want the cheapest yearly price? Replika's $49.99 yearly listing, if the App Store offers it to you.

Neither app refunds in normal cases, so I'd tell that friend to use the free side properly before paying anyone. For Nomi AI that is easy. For Replika it depends on what Free Use gives you on the day, since no size is published.

If it feels too thin to judge, the $7.99 'MONTHLY' listing is the smallest paid step on file.

One more thing I'd say out loud: whichever you choose, it is fine to switch. Your first companion app does not have to be your last, and trying the other one later costs nothing on Nomi AI's side.