Demand for AI “companion” purposes outdoors of larger names, like ChatGPT and Grok, is rising. Of the 337 lively and revenue-generating AI companion apps obtainable worldwide, 128 had been launched in 2025 up to now, in line with new information offered to TechCrunch by app intelligence agency Appfigures. This subsection of the AI market on cell has now generated $82 million in the course of the first half of the yr and is on monitor to tug in over $120 million by year-end, the agency’s evaluation signifies.
Not like general-purpose chatbots, AI companion apps anthropomorphize AI interactions by permitting customers to converse with customized characters, together with associates, lovers, girlfriends or boyfriends, fantasy characters, and extra. Appfigures outlined the market phase in the identical manner, describing companion apps as these by which the consumer can work together with both premade or user-generated artificial characters meant to embody an precise character.
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 had 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 client spending worldwide. To date 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 info exhibits. As well as, round 10% (or 33) of the apps have exceeded $1 million in lifetime client spending.
Income per obtain can be up $0.66 from $0.52 in 2024 to $1.18 for the class up to now in 2025.
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Whereas devoted AI companion apps are pretty fashionable, greater firms like xAI are additionally transferring 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 dropped at mild the truth that a lot of its customers felt a kinship with the older mannequin, as they mourned the lack of their AI companion, whom that they had come to rely upon.
To deal with these and different issues about GPT-5’s efficiency, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman introduced again the 4o mannequin in the intervening time.
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 tens of millions of month-to-month lively customers.
In line with Appfigures’ information, the most well-liked AI companion apps are these utilized by folks on the lookout for an AI girlfriend. Of the lively apps in the marketplace right this moment, 17% have an app title 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 continuously talked about.
AppfiguresImage Credit:Appfigures
The agency notes there have been probably quite a few different AI companion apps that launched on the app shops since 2022, however had been later eliminated after failing to realize traction when it comes to income or downloads. These weren’t factored into its evaluation, nevertheless.
