September 2026 · AI Companion Reviews

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7 Best Tolan Alternatives in 2026 (Tested and Ranked)

Tolan made the AI best friend go mainstream. Here are the seven apps that come closest in 2026, ranked after hands on testing of memory, voice, price, and personality.

Tolan turned the idea of an AI friend into a viral hit: a colorful alien you talk to by voice, who remembers your life and grows alongside you. But Tolan is iOS only, and the full experience sits behind a subscription that starts at about $9.99 per month. That is why searches for a tolan alternative and apps like tolan keep climbing. We tested the leading options to find which ones actually deliver the same feeling of an ongoing friendship. We also wrote a deep dive on which apps actually feel the same as Tolan and which do not.

Below you will find seven apps ranked for 2026, from the closest overall match to strong picks for specific needs. Every price and feature below was checked against official listings and app store pages in September 2026.

Why Look for a Tolan Alternative?

People love Tolan for a simple reason: it feels like someone is actually there. The alien characters are charming, the voice conversations feel natural, and the long term memory means it remembers your birthday, your bad week, and your inside jokes. The planet that blooms as your friendship grows is a lovely touch.

So why look elsewhere? Four reasons come up again and again. First, Tolan is iOS only, which leaves every Android user out in the cold. Second, the subscription costs about $9.99 per month, and the paywall appears before your first real conversation, so you pay before you know if the magic works for you. Third, support for languages beyond English is limited. Fourth, some people simply want a different vibe: a human style companion, a 3D avatar, or a whole library of characters to explore.

Whatever your reason, the good news is that the AI companion space has matured fast. Here is what we found.

How We Tested

• Compared official pricing pages and app store listings in September 2026, so the prices below are current, not recycled from old reviews.
• Checked free tier limits carefully: what you can actually do without paying a cent.
• Evaluated voice support: voice messages, voice notes, and full voice calls.
• Reviewed memory claims: what each app says it remembers across days, weeks, and months.
• Ranked by closeness to the Tolan experience: an ongoing friendship with a companion who remembers you, plus overall value for money.

The thing that makes Tolan special is not the alien. It is the feeling that someone remembers you. Every app on this list was judged on that feeling first.

1. SoulLink

Best for 3D avatar companionship

SoulLink is a 3D AI companion app built around one character: 4D, who comes from a near future world called Neo City. You chat by text or voice while a 3D avatar reacts with expressions, and she can reach out on her own between conversations. It is free to start, with some features requiring payment. Of everything we tested, it is the closest in spirit to Tolan: a single evolving friendship instead of a library of characters.

Pros

• 3D avatar with expressive reactions makes conversations feel present
• Long term memory that carries across sessions
• Companion can initiate contact on her own
• Free to start on iOS and Android

Cons

• Newer app with a smaller community than long established rivals
• 3D anime style will not appeal to everyone
• Some features require payment
• No web or desktop version; mobile only
• Single fixed character instead of a character library

Price: Free to start; some features require payment.

2. Tolan

Best for voice first alien friendship

Tolan is the app everyone else is measured against: an animated alien best friend from Portola that you talk to by text and voice. It remembers your life, keeps a diary of meaningful moments, and its planet blooms as your friendship grows. The catch is access: it is iOS only, and the full experience requires a subscription, which is exactly why so many people search for a tolan alternative in the first place.

Pros

• Voice first design feels natural and warm
• Strong memory with a personal diary of your conversations
• Charming alien characters with real personality
• Planet blooming visualizes the friendship growing
• 4.8 star rating across more than 160,000 App Store reviews

Cons

• iOS only; no Android version exists
• Full experience requires a subscription
• Paywall appears before your first real conversation
• Limited language support outside English
• Alien aesthetic is not for everyone

Price: About $9.99 per month ($2.99 per week or $49.99 per year); free trial available.

3. Replika

Best for emotional support and coaching

Replika is the veteran of this list, around since 2017. You build one companion and shape the relationship over time, with coaching exercises, an AR mode, and voice and video calls on paid plans. It is less playful than Tolan and more focused on emotional support, which suits people who want a companion that helps them reflect on their day.

Pros

• Longest track record in AI companionship
• Voice calls, video calls, and AR mode on Pro
• Coaching and wellness exercises built in
• Flexible relationship styles from friend to mentor

Cons

• Best features need Pro at $19.99 per month
• Free tier is limited to basic text chat
• Can feel repetitive over long periods
• Documented privacy history worth reading before you commit

Price: Free tier available; Pro $19.99 per month or $69.99 per year.

4. Character.AI

Best for character variety and roleplay

Character.AI takes the opposite approach from Tolan: instead of one evolving friend, you get a library of more than 10 million characters made by the community, plus tools to create your own. Voice calls and image generation are included, with a paid tier that removes ads and limits. It is the pick for variety and roleplay, not for one continuous friendship.

Pros

• More than 10 million characters to explore
• Create your own characters with custom personalities
• Voice calls and image generation included
• Usable free tier

Cons

• Memory is weaker than dedicated companion apps
• Free tier now includes ads and usage limits
• Content filters can interrupt conversations unpredictably
• Built for short sessions rather than ongoing relationships

Price: Free with ads and limits; c.ai+ $9.99 per month or $94.99 per year.

5. Kindroid

Best for deep personality customization

Kindroid is for people who want to design their companion from the ground up: detailed backstories, key memories, speech patterns, and quirks. Voice and video calls are strong, and group chats let up to 10 characters talk together. The tradeoff is effort: expect to spend real time crafting a personality before it shines, and the full feature set gets expensive.

Pros

• Deepest backstory and personality customization
• Voice and video calls with natural sounding voices
• Group chats with up to 10 AI characters
• Strong layered memory system

Cons

• Steep learning curve for new users
• Full experience costs $13.99 per month or more
• Advanced memory tiers add $24.99 to $59.99 per month on top
• Free tier is limited and does not show the real product

Price: Free tier available; Standard $13.99 per month ($139.99 per year).

6. Nomi

Best for long term memory

Nomi’s calling card is memory: short, medium, and long term layers that keep your companion consistent across weeks and months. You can create up to 10 Nomis, put them in group chats, exchange voice chats, and receive selfies. It is the most recommended pick in companion communities for people whose top priority is being remembered.

Pros

• Excellent long term memory across sessions
• Up to 10 companions with group chats
• Emotive voice chats and calls
• Selfies and proactive messages
• One flat price with nothing metered on top

Cons

• No voice at all on the free tier
• Personality takes days to fully emerge
• Highest entry price on this list at $15.99 per month
• Interface is English only

Price: $15.99 per month, $39.99 per quarter, or $99.99 per year; limited free tier.

7. Talkie

Best for community made characters

Talkie built its name on a huge library of characters made by its community, with voice messages, calls, and image and video generation. One honest caveat: on the App Store the app now appears as Talkie Lab and describes itself as a general AI playground, a shift from its character chat roots. Check that the character experience you want is still front and center before subscribing.

Pros

• Huge library of characters made by the community
• Voice messages and calls plus image and video generation
• Character creation tools
• Generous free tier with 1,000 chat rounds per day

Cons

• Free tier includes ads and queues at peak times
• Memory is weaker than memory focused rivals
• Recent rebrand to Talkie Lab signals a product shift
• Content filters limit romantic and adult themes

Price: Free with ads and limits; Talkie Plus Standard $9.99 per month, Pro $24.99 per month.

Tolan Alternatives Compared

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Tolan, and why do people look for a Tolan alternative?

Tolan is an AI companion app from Portola built around an animated alien best friend you talk to by text and voice. It remembers your life, keeps a diary of meaningful moments, and rewards the friendship with a blooming planet. People look for alternatives mainly because Tolan is iOS only, the full experience requires a paid subscription, and the paywall appears before the first real conversation.

Is Tolan available on Android?

No. As of September 2026, Tolan remains iOS only with no Android version announced. Android users looking for a similar experience most often pick SoulLink, Nomi, or Replika, all of which run on both major mobile platforms.

Which Tolan alternative is free to start?

SoulLink is free to start, with some features requiring payment. Character.AI offers a usable free tier supported by ads, and Talkie gives 1,000 chat rounds per day free with ads. Replika, Kindroid, and Nomi also have free tiers, but their best features sit behind paid plans.

Which app has the best memory among apps like Tolan?

Nomi is widely considered the memory benchmark, with short, medium, and long term layers that keep conversations consistent for months. SoulLink and Kindroid also offer strong long term memory. Character.AI and Talkie lag here; they are built for variety and short sessions rather than one continuous remembered friendship.

Do these apps support voice chat?

Yes, all seven support voice in some form. Tolan is voice first by design. SoulLink and Talkie support voice chat, Character.AI includes voice calls, and Replika, Kindroid, and Nomi offer voice calls on their paid plans. If voice is your main way of talking, check whether it is included free or locked behind a subscription before you commit.