Demand for AI “companion” applications is booming, with new data from app intelligence firm Appfigures showing the category on track to generate over $120 million in consumer spending by the end of 2025.
Of the 337 active, revenue-generating AI companion apps available globally, 128 launched this year alone. These apps, including popular names like Replika, Character.AI, and Chai, let users interact with virtual characters such as friends, lovers, or fantasy personas.
The first half of 2025 saw $82 million in revenue and 60 million downloads, up 88% year-over-year. Since 2022, the category has racked up 220 million global downloads and $221 million in lifetime revenue. The top 10% of apps generate nearly 90% of total earnings, with 33 apps surpassing $1 million in lifetime sales.
Notably, 17% of current AI companion apps reference “girlfriend” in their name, compared to just 4% using “boyfriend” and smaller shares mentioning terms like anime, soulmate, or lover.
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Big tech is taking notice. xAI’s Grok recently added anime-style and 3D character companions, while OpenAI restored its 4o model following user backlash over GPT-5. Google also tapped the market by hiring Character.ai founder Noam Shazeer.
With rising revenue per download from $0.52 in 2024 to $1.18 in 2025, AI companions are fast becoming one of the most lucrative corners of the consumer AI industry.
