Demand for AI “companion” functions outdoors of larger names, like ChatGPT and Grok, is rising. Of the 337 energetic and revenue-generating AI companion apps obtainable worldwide, 128 have been launched in 2025 to date, in keeping with new information offered to TechCrunch by app intelligence agency Appfigures. This subsection of the AI market on cellular has now generated $82 million in the course of the first half of the yr and is on observe to tug in over $120 million by year-end, the agency’s evaluation signifies.
In contrast to general-purpose chatbots, AI companion apps anthropomorphize AI interactions by permitting customers to converse with customized characters, together with buddies, lovers, girlfriends or boyfriends, fantasy characters, and extra. Appfigures outlined the market phase in the identical method, describing companion apps as these wherein the consumer can work together with both premade or user-generated artificial characters meant to embody an precise persona.
In style apps on this area embrace Replika, Character.AI, PolyBuzz, Chai, and others.
As of July 2025, AI companion apps throughout the Apple App Retailer and Google Play have been downloaded 220 million occasions globally. In the course of the first half of 2025, downloads have been up 88% year-over-year, reaching 60 million.
Appfigures crunched the numbers and located that, as of July 2025, AI companion apps have pushed $221 million in shopper spending worldwide. Thus far this yr, these apps have generated 64% extra income than throughout the identical interval in 2024.
The highest 10% of all AI companion apps generate 89% of the income within the class, the information exhibits. As well as, round 10% (or 33) of the apps have exceeded $1 million in lifetime shopper spending.
Income per obtain can be up $0.66 from $0.52 in 2024 to $1.18 for the class to date in 2025.
Techcrunch occasion
San Francisco
|
October 27-29, 2025
Whereas devoted AI companion apps are pretty standard, greater corporations like xAI are additionally shifting into the market. In July, xAI’s Grok launched AI companions, together with an anime woman and man, in addition to a snarky 3D fox.
In the meantime, ChatGPT’s current improve to GPT-5 delivered to mild the truth that lots of its customers felt a kinship with the older mannequin, as they mourned the lack of their AI companion, whom they’d come to depend on.
To deal with these and different issues about GPT-5’s efficiency, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman introduced again the 4o mannequin in the meanwhile.
Google final yr tapped into the market, too, when it employed away Character.ai’s founder, Noam Shazeer. The Character.ai app lives on and nonetheless has tens of hundreds of thousands of month-to-month energetic customers.
In response to Appfigures’ information, the most well-liked AI companion apps are these utilized by folks on the lookout for an AI girlfriend. Of the energetic apps in the marketplace at this time, 17% have an app identify that features the phrase “girlfriend,” in contrast with 4% that say “boyfriend” or “fantasy.” Phrases like anime, soulmate, and lover, amongst others, are much less regularly talked about.
The agency notes there have been possible plenty of different AI companion apps that launched on the app shops since 2022, however have been later eliminated after failing to achieve traction when it comes to income or downloads. These weren’t factored into its evaluation, nonetheless.
