Each figure below is listed with its source and date. App store data (Appfigures) does not include web-only apps, and many adult AI girlfriend apps are sold on the web, so the real market is larger than these numbers.
Market size and spending
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Consumer spending on AI companion apps, H1 2025 | $82 million | Appfigures, via TechCrunch (Aug 2025) |
| Projected spending, full year 2025 | > $120 million | Appfigures, via TechCrunch (Aug 2025) |
| Lifetime consumer spending, as of July 2025 | $221 million | Appfigures, via TechCrunch (Aug 2025) |
| Growth in lifetime spending vs a year earlier | +64% | Appfigures, via TechCrunch (Aug 2025) |
| Share of revenue taken by the top 10% of apps | 89% | Appfigures, via TechCrunch (Aug 2025) |
| Apps with more than $1M lifetime spending | About 33 | Appfigures, via TechCrunch (Aug 2025) |
Downloads and users
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Lifetime downloads of AI companion apps, July 2025 | ≈ 220 million | Appfigures, via TechCrunch (Aug 2025) |
| Downloads in H1 2025 | ≈ 60 million (+88% year on year) | Appfigures, via TechCrunch (Aug 2025) |
| Character.AI monthly active users | ≈ 20 million | Character.AI (2025) |
| Replika registered users | Tens of millions (company claim) | Replika / Luka Inc. |
User counts from companies are self-reported and measure different things (registered users vs monthly actives), so they are not directly comparable.
Prices (October 2026)
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Typical monthly plan | $13–$20 | Our price checks |
| Typical yearly plan, per month | $4–$10 | Our price checks |
| Credits included, Candy AI | 100 tokens/month | Candy AI checkout |
| Credits included, OurDream AI | 1,000 DreamCoins/month | OurDream AI checkout |
Full table: AI girlfriend app prices compared.
Privacy and safety
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Romantic AI chatbots that received a privacy warning | 11 out of 11 reviewed | Mozilla Privacy Not Included (Feb 2024) |
| Of those, failing minimum security standards | 10 out of 11 | Mozilla Privacy Not Included (Feb 2024) |
| US states with an AI companion law in force | 2 (New York, California) | NY GBL Art. 47 (Nov 2025); CA SB 243 (Jan 2026) |
| Max civil penalty in New York | $15,000 per day | NY GBL Art. 47 |
| Minimum damages per violation in California | $1,000 | CA SB 243 |
More on the laws: the New York and California companion laws explained.
Minors
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Character.AI ends open-ended chats for under-18s | Announced Oct 2025, effective late Nov 2025 | Character.AI, via Bloomberg (Oct 2025) |
| US teens who have used AI companions | About 7 in 10 | Common Sense Media (2025) |
These figures are why we only rank apps with an age check and never target searches used by teenagers.
How we keep this page up to date
We update this page when Appfigures, a company or a regulator publishes new figures, and re-check our own price figures every month. The date at the top shows the latest change. Spotted a newer figure? Tell us.
Sources
- TechCrunch, “AI companion apps on track to pull in $120M in 2025” (August 12, 2025), reporting Appfigures data: techcrunch.com
- Bloomberg, “Character.AI to Ban Children Under 18 From Talking to Its Chatbots” (October 29, 2025): bloomberg.com
- Mozilla Foundation, Privacy Not Included, romantic AI chatbots (February 2024)
- Morrison Foerster, summary of the New York and California AI companion laws (November 2025): mofo.com
- Common Sense Media, research on teens and AI companions (2025)
Questions people ask
How big is the AI girlfriend market?
Appfigures counted $82 million in consumer spending on AI companion apps in the first half of 2025, $221 million in total since launch as of July 2025, and projected more than $120 million for the full year 2025. Web-only apps, which include many adult AI girlfriend apps, are not counted in these app store figures.
How many people use AI girlfriend apps?
There is no single count. AI companion apps had about 220 million downloads by July 2025. Character.AI reported 20 million monthly active users in 2025; Replika has claimed tens of millions of registered users.
How much do people spend on AI girlfriend apps?
Subscriptions cost $13 to $20 a month, or $4 to $10 a month on yearly plans, before extra credits. See our price comparison.
Can I use these statistics?
Yes, please cite the original source listed with each figure, and link to this page if it helped.
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