The best free AI girlfriend apps, and what each free plan really gets you

What free AI girlfriend plans really include

A free plan gets you an account, a choice of characters and some text chat. That is enough to judge how an app writes and whether a character suits you. How much chat you get varies more than most people expect.

• Unlimited texting. Selira AI includes unlimited text chat, though it keeps free chat history for only 3 days, and Lovescape says chat and memory stay free. Nomi AI's free plan also covers one-to-one chat, with 400-character messages.
• A daily allowance. Secrets AI gives 20 messages a day, TryNectar AI 15 and HeyGF 30 once you sign in. DreamGF lets you claim 10 messages a day, rising by 1 a day on a streak up to 50.
• A short taster. Candy AI stops at 5 messages in total, Infatuated AI at 10 per chat and Kupid AI at 15.

Media is where free plans get thin. TryNectar AI includes 10 image generations a day and DarLink AI 3, but Secrets AI and Kupid AI include no pictures at all on the free plan. Live calls are paid wherever an app's free limits mention them, and video is paid almost everywhere: My Lovely AI's free Starter plan, which lists video creation access, is the exception.

One app in our ranking has no free plan: OurDream charges non-subscribers 1 dreamcoin per message and gives no free dreamcoins. None of this makes free plans useless. They are the cheapest way to find out whether you enjoy an AI girlfriend at all before a subscription is involved.

Free plan limits, app by app

This table shows what each app's own pricing page, help center or terms say the free plan includes, next to its lowest paid price. Where an app does not state a limit, the table says so.

How to get the most from a free AI girlfriend

Free plans run out fast if you use them like a paid one. These habits stretch them further and tell you more before you spend anything.

1. Shortlist before you sign up. Pick two or three apps from the table and one character on each. Browsing dozens of characters burns your messages on first hellos.
2. Make the first message count. Tell her who you are, how you know each other and the mood you want, all in one detailed message. Our AI girlfriend prompt ideas give you openers to copy.
3. Test memory on day two. Mention three details, such as your job, a pet's name and a weekend plan, then come back the next day and see what she recalls.
4. Spend free images last. If the plan includes pictures, as TryNectar AI and DarLink AI do, use them once you know you like the character.
5. Use a separate email. A free account still stores your chats, so keep it apart from your main inbox.
6. Skip anything that wants a card up front. A plan that needs card details before you can chat is a trial, not a free plan.

Free plans vs free trials

A free plan has no end date: you can keep chatting within its limits for as long as you like. A trial is a paid plan with a delay, and it usually renews automatically when the trial ends.

The apps we track mix the two. FantasyGF offers a free account with a zero-cost trial but does not publish its free message cap. My Lovely AI's paid two-day trial and GoLove AI's paid Pro trials both renew at the full monthly price ($19.99 and $19.99). Swipey AI's terms allow only a handful of messages before a paywall.

Refund rules make this matter. Infatuated AI and Kupid AI say all sales are final, and Candy AI only refunds within 24 hours of payment if you have used 20 tokens or fewer. So check three things before you enter card details: the price it renews at, the billing period and how to cancel. Set a reminder for the day before it renews. If you miss it, our guide on how to cancel an AI girlfriend subscription covers the steps each app publishes.

When paying for an AI girlfriend is worth it

Pay when the free plan stops you doing the thing you came for, not before. The usual signs:

• You hit the message limit most days and want to keep the conversation going.
• You want pictures, video or voice, which are paid on almost every app.
• You want her to remember you across weeks, which some apps keep for paid plans.
• You want live calls. 15 of the 31 apps we track offer them, including Secrets AI, Nomi AI and Infatuated AI.

The median cheapest plan across the apps we track is $7.75 a month, and the median month-to-month price is $14.99. Low headline prices are almost always yearly plans charged in one payment: Infatuated AI's $6.99 a month is billed as $83.88 up front.

Start month to month so you can leave, and switch to yearly once you know you will stay. Before you upgrade, spend a week on the free plans of two apps side by side: the one you open without thinking is usually the one worth paying for. The AI girlfriend cost calculator then shows which paid plan fits the features you want.

Free AI girlfriend sites, Telegram bots and no-sign-up chats

Search for a free AI girlfriend and you will also find no-sign-up chat pages, Telegram bots and free image generators. They cost nothing, but they give up most of what makes an AI girlfriend app worth using.

Without an account there is usually nowhere to store memory, so each visit starts from scratch. Many of these tools do not say who runs them or where your messages go. Telegram bots also tie the chat to your phone number and Telegram account.

Every app in our ranking names the company behind it in its terms, such as EverAI Limited in Malta for Candy AI and Sria Digital B.V. in the Netherlands for Selira AI. A named company does not make an app safe, but it tells you who holds your chats and which country's law applies.

Read our guide to AI girlfriend app safety and privacy before you share anything personal, and see the best NSFW AI girlfriend apps if 18+ chat is what you are after.