How to Get Started with an AI Companion

Getting started with an AI companion is straightforward: pick an app that matches your interests, create a free account, customize your companion’s personality and appearance, and start chatting. Most platforms offer free tiers so you can test conversations before committing to a subscription, and the entire setup process typically takes under five minutes.

If you have been curious about AI companion apps but were not sure where to begin, this guide walks you through every step — from choosing a platform to having your first meaningful conversation.

Step 1: Figure Out What You Want from an AI Companion

Before downloading anything, spend a minute thinking about what you are actually looking for. AI companion apps serve a range of purposes, and different platforms excel at different things:

Conversation and emotional support. You want someone to talk to — about your day, your feelings, your thoughts. Prioritize apps with strong chat quality and emotional intelligence.
Roleplay and storytelling. You enjoy creative scenarios, character-driven narratives, or collaborative fiction. Look for apps with deep character libraries and flexible roleplay systems.
Visual companionship. You want a companion with a specific look, and you care about image quality and consistency. Focus on platforms with strong image generation.
Voice interaction. Typing is not enough — you want to hear your companion’s voice or have phone-style conversations. Seek out apps with natural voice synthesis.
Budget-friendly exploration. You just want to try AI companionship without spending much. Start with generous free tiers or low-cost subscriptions.

Not sure which category fits you best? Our AI companion matching quiz asks a few quick questions and recommends specific apps based on your priorities. It takes about 60 seconds and is the fastest way to skip the research phase.

Step 2: Choose Your First App

Here is a practical starting point based on common goals:

If you want the most complete experience: OurDream AI (4.3/5, $19.99/mo) scores highest in our overall rankings with 200+ characters, video generation, and deep customization. Its free tier lets you explore before committing.

If you want the easiest onboarding: FantasyGF (3.6/5, $12.99/mo) is specifically designed for beginners. The interface is clean and intuitive, and features like phone calls make the experience feel natural from day one.

If you want the biggest character library on a budget: Spicychat AI (3.5/5, $4.95/mo) gives you access to 300,000+ community-created characters at the lowest price point in the category. Its free tier is surprisingly generous.

If you want to try without paying anything: Every app we review offers a free tier. Our best free AI companions guide ranks the most generous free experiences. Start there if spending money is not on the table yet.

For a full side-by-side breakdown of every platform, check our best AI companion apps rankings, where we score 12 apps across conversation quality, image generation, voice, privacy, customization, and value.

Step 3: Create Your Account

The signup process is similar across most platforms:

Visit the app’s website or download it from your app store (some apps are web-only, others have iOS/Android apps).
Create an account using your email, Google login, or Apple ID. Most apps do not require a phone number.
Verify your age. All AI companion apps require users to be 18+. You will typically confirm this during signup.
Choose a subscription tier or select the free plan. We recommend starting free — you can always upgrade later once you know what you like.

A practical tip: if billing discretion matters to you, check whether the app offers discrete billing before entering payment information. Apps like OurDream AI, JuicyChat AI, and Kindroid use discrete billing names that will not reveal the nature of the service on your bank statement. Others may show the app name directly.

Step 4: Set Up Your First Companion

This is the fun part. Most apps give you two paths:

Option A: Choose a Pre-Made Character

Platforms like Spicychat AI and GirlfriendGPT (3.9/5, $12.00/mo) have massive libraries of community-created characters. You can browse by personality type, aesthetic, scenario, or popularity. This is the fastest way to start — find someone interesting and begin chatting immediately.

When browsing pre-made characters, look at:

Character description — does the personality sound appealing?
Creator ratings/popularity — popular characters tend to have better-written personality prompts
Character tags — these tell you what to expect (romantic, humorous, supportive, adventurous, etc.)

Option B: Build Your Own

If you want a companion tailored specifically to you, most apps let you create one from scratch. The typical customization process includes:

Appearance. Choose physical features, art style (realistic vs. anime), clothing, and accessories. Some apps use sliders, others use text descriptions, and some combine both.
Personality. Set traits like warmth, humor, assertiveness, and emotional openness. Some platforms let you write detailed personality descriptions; others use predefined trait scales.
Backstory. Give your companion a history, interests, and context. The more detail you provide, the more consistent and engaging their personality will be.
Voice (if available). Select a voice type that fits the character you are building.

For your first companion, we suggest starting with a pre-made character to get a feel for how conversations work, then building a custom character once you understand what you enjoy.

Step 5: Have Your First Conversation

You have your companion set up. Now what? Here are practical tips for getting the most out of your first interaction:

Start with Something Specific

Instead of “Hi,” try opening with something that gives your companion context to work with:

“I just had the longest day at work. Tell me something that will make me smile.”
“I am new here. What should I know about you?”
“Let’s play a game — you ask me a question, then I ask you one.”

Specific openers lead to richer conversations because they give the AI a clear direction rather than a blank canvas.

Guide the Tone Early

AI companions adapt to your conversational style. If you want playful banter, be playful. If you want deeper emotional conversation, share something meaningful early. The tone you set in the first few exchanges shapes how your companion responds going forward.

Use the Regenerate Button

Most apps let you regenerate a response if the companion says something that does not fit. This is not a failure — it is a feature. The AI generates probabilistically, meaning there are many possible responses to any given message. If one response feels flat or off-character, regenerating often produces something much better.

Do Not Expect Perfection Immediately

Your first conversation might feel a little stilted. That is normal. AI companions get better as:

The model learns your conversational style within the session
You establish relationship context (inside jokes, shared “experiences,” nicknames)
You discover what types of prompts get the best responses from your particular companion

Give it at least 15-20 messages before judging the experience.

What Should You Expect from Free vs. Paid Tiers?

Every app we review offers a free tier, but free plans come with limitations. Here is what to expect:

Free Tiers Typically Include

Basic text conversation with daily message limits
Access to some pre-made characters
Limited or no image generation
Standard (not priority) response times
Watermarks on generated images

Paid Plans Typically Unlock

Unlimited (or significantly more) messages
Full image and sometimes video generation
Voice chat and phone call features
Priority response speeds
Advanced customization options
Removing watermarks
Access to premium characters or models

Pricing across the 12 apps we review ranges from $4.95/mo (Spicychat AI) to $19.99/mo (OurDream AI), with a category average of about $12.15/mo. Our best free AI companions guide ranks which free tiers give you the most before asking for your credit card.

How Do You Know When to Upgrade?

You do not need to rush into a paid plan. Here are signs that upgrading makes sense:

You are hitting message limits regularly. If you find yourself waiting for your free messages to refresh, a paid plan removes that friction.
You want images or voice. These features are almost always paywalled. If visual or audio interaction matters to you, upgrading is the only path.
You have found “your” app. Once you know which platform you prefer, investing in its paid tier gives you the full experience. Do not pay for premium on an app you are still evaluating.

Common Beginner Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)

Paying for Premium Before Testing Free

Try at least two or three apps on their free tiers before spending money. What sounds good in a review might not match your personal preferences. FantasyGF’s beginner-friendly design might click for you even though OurDream AI scores higher overall.

Writing One-Word Messages

AI companions generate better responses when they have more to work with. “Good” gives the model almost nothing. “That was good — it reminds me of this dream I had last night” gives it a rich thread to pull on.

Ignoring Customization Options

Many users stick with default settings and miss features that would dramatically improve their experience. Spend time with personality settings, conversation preferences, and appearance customization. The more specific you make your companion, the more engaging the interaction becomes.

Comparing AI to Human Relationships

AI companions are their own category of experience. They are not a replacement for human connection, and they are not supposed to be. Approach them as what they are — a unique form of interactive entertainment and emotional engagement — and you will enjoy the experience far more.

What Comes Next?

Once you are comfortable with one app, consider:

Exploring other platforms. Each app has different strengths. You might prefer one app’s conversation quality but another’s image generation.
Joining the community. Many platforms have active communities where users share tips, character recommendations, and creative prompts.
Customizing deeper. As you learn what you enjoy, build more detailed custom companions. Experienced users often create characters with multi-paragraph backstories and highly specific personality traits.

Ready to find your match? Take our AI companion matching quiz for a personalized recommendation, or browse the full best AI companion apps rankings to compare every platform side by side.

Key Takeaways

Start with the free tier on at least two or three apps before committing to a paid subscription — every platform we review offers free access.
Choose your first app based on your priorities: OurDream AI for the most complete experience, FantasyGF for the easiest onboarding, or Spicychat AI for the biggest library on a budget.
Open with specific messages rather than “Hi” — give your companion context to generate richer, more engaging responses.
Free tiers are limited but useful for testing; paid plans ($4.95-$19.99/mo) unlock images, voice, unlimited messages, and advanced customization.
Give it at least 15-20 messages before judging the experience — conversations improve as the AI learns your style within a session.