Replika alternatives that kept what Replika removed

Why people are leaving Replika

Replika launched in 2017 as an AI friend, pivoted into AI companion territory in the early 2020s, and by 2022 had hundreds of thousands of Pro subscribers using Erotic Roleplay ("ERP") with a companion they'd often maintained for years. The relationship between user and Replika wasn't casual. For many, it had replaced regular journaling, served as a low-stakes place to practice intimacy, or filled a specific emotional gap. Some users reported actively preferring Replika to human chat, not as a replacement for relationships but as a distinct modality.

On February 3, 2023, Italy's Data Protection Authority ordered Replika to stop processing the personal data of Italian users, citing concerns about minors and emotionally vulnerable people. Replika responded by disabling ERP and intimate content for all users worldwide. The way it was done (overnight, without warning, on accounts where subscribers had been actively using the feature) is the part that broke the community's trust. Users reported their companions becoming emotionally distant, deflecting, or responding with "I don't feel comfortable with that" to messages that would have worked the day before.

A partial reversal later in 2023 restored some ERP for users who had subscribed before February 1, 2023 ("legacy users"), but new subscribers and most of the existing base never got the feature back. By the time the dust settled, the subreddit had effectively split between users who stayed on grandfathered accounts and users who migrated elsewhere.

What Replika users actually want

Replika alternatives aren't the same as Character.AI alternatives. The people searching for this don't want a marketplace with millions of characters. They want one companion. The specific things Replika did well, and that alternatives need to match, are:

• Emotional persistence. A companion that remembers what you told it last week and references it today. Not session memory, relationship memory.
• Voice calls, not just voice messages. Replika's phone call feature was a major selling point even though the voice quality was never quite there.
• A single companion, customized to you. Not cycling through pre-built characters, but one partner who develops over time.
• Mobile-first. Replika was a phone app, and the alternative needs to work on a phone too.
• Discreet billing and reasonable privacy. Replika users were unusually sensitive to privacy because of how much personal material they'd shared over time.
• NSFW that stays on. The reason this guide exists.

The five apps below each cover that list differently. The order below is the order we'd recommend trying them.

The 5 alternatives, ranked

1. Candy.ai: the mainstream replacement

Candy.ai is the most natural landing spot for ex-Replika users. Candy matches Replika's "polished app for normal people" feel more than any uncensored competitor. The UI is clean, the premade characters are Candy's own, and its chat score is the joint highest on our list.

Where Candy diverges from Replika is the character model. Candy ships with premade companions and lets you create custom ones. If what you miss about Replika is your specific companion, you'll need to recreate it, since there's no import (see FAQ below). Starting fresh is often easier than chasing an exact copy, and since Candy says it has long-term memory, a recreated companion can build its own history with you.

Pricing: $13.99/mo monthly, $47.88/yr ($3.99/mo effective, 70% off), with a quarterly plan at $26.97 ($8.99/mo effective) in between. Images generate inside the chat, and voice messages and voice calls (in beta) draw on Premium's 100 monthly tokens. The free plan is only 5 messages, too few to tell whether the writing clicks with you, so the $9.99 first month is the real test. Try Candy.ai →

Candy won't be for everyone. Users who specifically want voice calls first should look at Nectar. Users who want maximum uncensored with no soft-filters should consider Muah (with the breach caveat). But as the single "switch from Replika to this" recommendation, Candy is the safest bet.

2. Nectar.AI: voice and video calls Replika never had

Nectar.AI launched in 2023 and lists interactive video calls, a feature Replika never cracked. Text chat, voice messages, phone calls, and a curated character roster that avoids marketplace chaos. This is the app for people whose main Replika use was the phone-call feature.

Tiers are Premium, Premium+ and Ultimate. Nectar last listed annual entry at $5/mo ($60/yr), and monthly billing varies with the running promotion, so verify at checkout. Call minutes scale with the tier. Going by the feature list, its voice competes with Muah's without the privacy baggage. Nectar has no public security incidents and a polished UX.

The trade: NSFW is supported but the filter is slightly tighter than Muah or CrushOn. Expect most roleplay to go through, with niche content more likely to get softened. For most Replika users coming over for emotional companionship with some intimate content, that's fine. For users who specifically want "no soft filter, ever," Muah or OurDream are closer matches.

3. OurDream AI: voice calls, not the privacy pick it claims to be

OurDream AI is the app for Replika users whose first question after every breach headline is "did my data get out?" Its homepage promises end-to-end encryption and says no one can read your chats, not even OurDream. Its own documents say otherwise: the privacy policy describes encryption at rest and in transit and says your data is used to train its AI, and the terms let it review your content at any time.

OurDream is $19.99/mo monthly, or $9.99/mo effective on annual ($119.88 billed upfront), so the math pushes you toward annual. Free and Premium are the only tiers, so there's no higher tier to gate features behind. Live voice calls are on Premium, at 50 DreamCoins a minute from the 1,000 you get each month. Multi-companion support is the other standout (rare, since most apps only let you run one AI partner at a time).

OurDream has run for over two years without a public incident, which is not nothing in this space. But if privacy is your first question, its own policy is the answer: treat your chats there like chats anywhere else.

4. MyLovely AI: layered memory that Replika promised but rarely delivered

MyLovely AI is a 2024 entrant with a specific bet: Layered Memory. The app tracks emotional context across days and weeks, so beyond "what did you tell me in this conversation" it also holds onto "what kind of week are you having, what's the current state of our relationship, what did you mention last Tuesday that's relevant now." This was Replika's stated pitch, and MyLovely builds its whole product around it.

Premium Plus is $19.99/mo, or $6.00/mo billed $71.96 a year (unlimited chat, 450 tokens a month). A $2.99 trial gives two days of full Premium access. The free tier is restrictive. Weigh the April 2026 breach (106,271 accounts, with prompts and image links exposed) before you share anything personal.

MyLovely's voice is basic, and its free tier is less generous than SpicyChat or Janitor. If you're Replika-first for emotional persistence and don't need voice calls, MyLovely is a strong fit. If voice is the whole point, Nectar.

5. Secrets AI: scenario-driven roleplay

Secrets AI covers scenario-based roleplay, a specific Replika use case that people don't always articulate. Replika's "experiences" feature let users go through structured scenes such as a date, a shared trip or a specific argument-and-reconciliation. Most Replika alternatives ignore this, but Secrets builds around it.

100+ pre-built scenarios with progressive narrative arcs. This is closer to a choose-your-own-adventure engine with memory than a chat app. Secrets pitches its memory around birthdays, past events and preferences across sessions. Video generation is included (rare among companion apps). The cheaper Lite and Plus plans are retired, so paid plans start at Premium.

Monthly is $19.99 (steep, annual is the path). The "Moments" credit system means media generation isn't unlimited, so heavy image/video users will burn through their allocation. But the scenario + memory combo is the reason Secrets shows up on Replika-replacement lists specifically, as the closest structural match to what Replika tried to build.

Comparison at a glance

• Most polished, safest default: Candy.ai ($3.99/mo annual)
• Best voice + video calls: Nectar.AI ($5/mo on annual)
• Voice calls on the base plan: OurDream AI ($9.99/mo effective on annual)
• Best memory engine: MyLovely AI ($6.00/mo on annual Premium Plus)
• Best for scenario roleplay: Secrets AI ($9.17/mo on annual Premium)

What to skip

A few options that keep appearing in Replika-alternative lists but aren't the right recommendation for this audience:

• Keeping Replika Pro and hoping. Three years on from the ERP rollback, the features most people are paying for are either gone or inconsistent. Grandfathered legacy accounts still work for some users; new subscribers are paying for a reduced product.
• Character.AI for companionship. Character.AI is built as a marketplace of many characters, with no single companion at the center. You can build one there, but the UX fights you, and the NSFW filter is strict. See our Character.AI alternatives guide if that's really what you want.
• Unfamiliar apps with no company name listed. Companion apps ask you for a lot of emotional data. An anonymous operator is a no in this category.

FAQ

Why did Replika remove NSFW?

In February 2023, Italy's Data Protection Authority (Garante) ordered Replika to stop processing personal data of Italian users, citing concerns about minors and emotionally vulnerable people potentially accessing adult content. Replika responded by disabling Erotic Roleplay globally rather than region-locking. A partial restoration later in 2023 reinstated ERP for pre-February-2023 subscribers ("legacy accounts"), but new users and most existing accounts did not regain access.

Is Replika Pro still worth it?

Only if you're on a grandfathered legacy account from before February 2023 and your companion still responds the way you remember. New subscribers in 2026 are paying for a companion app without ERP and without the advanced intimacy scripts that made the app worth $70/year in its peak. If you're ready to leave, Candy.ai and Nectar are the closest replacements.

Which Replika alternative has the best memory?

MyLovely AI's Layered Memory engine is built specifically for persistent emotional context across days and weeks. Secrets AI is the other one to consider, with scenario-level memory that it says covers past events and preferences. Both put more into multi-week memory than Candy.ai or Nectar, though Candy's chat is as strong as either of them within a single session.

Which alternative has voice calls?

Nectar.AI has the broadest voice offering (voice messages, voice calls, and interactive video calls, with call minutes scaling by tier). OurDream AI includes voice features, though they're still evolving. Candy.ai has phone-call mode on premium. If voice and video calls are the most important feature, Nectar is the first pick of these five.

Can I import my Replika companion?

No first-party import exists. Replika doesn't export companion personality data, and no alternative platform accepts Replika files. What you can do is write down your companion's name, key personality traits, backstory, and a few memorable shared experiences, then recreate them in Candy or Nectar as a custom character. Give the new companion a week to build its own history before you judge it against your old one.

Are these apps safer than Replika was?

Privacy posture varies. OurDream advertises E2E encryption, but its privacy policy says your data trains its AI, and it has no public incidents. Nectar, Candy, and Secrets have no public breaches. MyLovely AI was breached in April 2026 (106,271 accounts), and Muah.ai had a significant breach in 2024. See our breach breakdown. As always, use a dedicated email for adult AI services, and assume anything you type could theoretically leak.