Free vs paid AI girlfriend apps: what the free plan leaves out

What each free plan includes

Free plans vary more than prices. This is what the top-scored apps with a free plan offer, from each app's own pricing page:

OurDream has no free plan in our data. The full list, with every free plan compared, is on our free AI girlfriend page.

What paying adds

• More or unlimited messages. Most paid plans remove the daily cap on text.
• Better memory. Secrets AI moves from basic to premium memory, and Kupid AI from the last 30 messages to 100 or unlimited.
• Media. Pictures, voice messages and video usually need a plan, plus a token allowance. DarLink AI's free plan includes a few images a day, but its 18+ content and video need a subscription.
• Calls. Live voice calls are almost always paid, and usually charged per minute in tokens.
• 18+ content. Several apps reserve explicit chat and pictures for subscribers. HeyGF, for example, says photos, videos and 18+ chat need a plan.
• Speed and models. Paid users often get faster replies and stronger chat models.

The hidden costs of paid plans

The advertised monthly price is usually a yearly plan billed up front. Candy AI costs $3.99 a month on its yearly plan, billed $47.88 at once, against $13.99 month to month. Then come tokens: 21 of the 31 apps sell pictures, video or calls with an in-app currency, and top-ups can cost more than the plan.

Refunds are strict too. Candy AI accepts requests only within 24 hours with 20 tokens or fewer used, and Infatuated AI says all sales are final. Our explainer on AI girlfriend tokens shows what each action costs.

Free or paid: which should you pick?

Stay free if

• You chat a few times a week and text is all you want.
• You are still comparing apps.
• You do not need her to remember much between sessions.

Pay if

• You hit the message cap most days.
• Memory matters and the free plan forgets.
• You want pictures, voice calls or 18+ content.
• You have tested the app for a week and still like it.

Our guide on how to choose an AI girlfriend app covers the checks worth doing before you pay.

How to get the most from free plans

• Use several. Two or three free plans give you more daily messages than one, and a better comparison.
• Know when limits reset. Daily caps, such as Secrets AI's 20 messages a day or HeyGF's 30, reset each day.
• Collect bonuses. DreamGF gives a daily claim of 10 messages that rises by 1 a day on a streak, up to 50. Roger lifts its daily limits once you confirm your email.
• Save the good stuff for paid features. On free plans with one image or one custom character, use it on the character you actually want.

The cheapest way to go paid

Start month to month, even though it costs more per month, because most refund policies are strict. Switch to a yearly plan only once you know you will keep using the app. Then choose an app where chat is not metered, so the plan price is close to the real price.

Our lists of the cheapest AI girlfriend apps and the AI girlfriend cost calculator compare prices app by app, and our Candy AI review shows a typical plan lineup in detail.