an alternative to Replika: people instead of an AI companion

last updated september 29, 2026

Replika is an AI companion. you talk to a character, your "Rep", which remembers your life and texts back instantly, at any hour. a lot of people use it when they're lonely or low. Replika's own terms are clear about what it isn't: "we are not a healthcare or medical device provider, nor should our Services be considered medical care, mental health services or other professional services." veisund is a different kind of thing. it's free peer support where people, not a model, reply to what you post. it's slower, and this page is honest about that.

Replika and veisund, side by side

Replikaveisund
who repliesan AI companionpeople who read your post
cost"Free Use" (limited) plus paid Pro, Ultra and Platinum tiers. prices are shown in the app and app stores, not on replika.com as of 2026-09-29free. no subscription, no ads
speedinstant, any hourreplies come when people read your post. the community is small, so that can take a while
memoryremembers your people, routines and plansyour posts stay. you mark one resolved when it's done
mental health careno. its terms say it is not medical care or mental health servicesno. peer support, not therapy
if you're suicidalits terms say to stop using the service and call 911988 and Crisis Text Line are one tap away in the app
your messagesprocessed by third-party AI model providers to generate replies. never used for advertising, it saysread by the members you post to
accountrequired. you register and become a "Replika Member"a handle you pick. an email makes the account and is never shown to other members. no real name, no phone number
age18+18+

what Replika is, from its own pages

Replika, made by Luka, Inc., calls itself "the AI friend to do life with" and says it has over 42 million users. under its terms you can stay on "Free Use", which gives "limited access" and which Replika can "deny ... to anyone at any time". you can also pay for Pro (relationship status, selfies, voice messages, calls), Ultra ("smarter conversations", saving messages to memory) or Platinum (real-time video recognition and more). the terms say prices are on the in-app subscription screens and in the app stores, and replika.com doesn't list them, so we don't either. Replika is for adults: its privacy policy says it blocks and deletes accounts of anyone under 18. checked on 2026-09-29 against the company's own pages. prices and terms change, so the links are in the sources for this page.

what Replika's terms say about mental health

the medical disclaimer in Replika's terms says the service is "designed to improve your mood and emotional wellbeing" but that "Replika makes no claims, representations or guarantees that the Services provide a therapeutic benefit." the terms also say it is not for emergencies, and that if you're considering suicide or are a danger to yourself or others, "you must discontinue use of the Services immediately" and call 911. its privacy policy asks you not to share health information, and says any you do share is processed "by third-party AI language model providers, solely to generate conversational responses". it also says Replika never uses your conversations for marketing or advertising. we're quoting these because they are Replika's own words about what the product is for.

when Replika is the better choice

if you want something that answers the moment you type, never tires of you, and remembers what you told it last month, Replika does that and veisund can't. some people find it easier to say things to a character that isn't a person, with nobody on the other end reading it. it's also useful for practicing a hard conversation before having it for real. if you want an always-on companion and you know it's software, that's Replika's use case.

what veisund does differently

on veisund, the replies come from people. you post under a handle, and members who have actually lived through something similar answer when they read it. that means waiting, sometimes a while, because the community is still small. what you get back is someone else's experience rather than generated text. when a reply helps, you mark your post resolved and credit the reply. there's also an evidence library: plain-language summaries of studies, each with its source and an evidence grade, and a lookup of what drug companies have paid your own doctor. it's free, and it's not therapy or a crisis service. 988 and Crisis Text Line are in the app.

common questions

Is Replika free?

Partly. Replika's terms describe a "Free Use" program with limited access, which Replika can deny at its discretion, and paid Pro, Ultra and Platinum subscriptions. Prices appear in the app and app stores. They were not published on replika.com when we checked on 2026-09-29.

Is Replika a therapist?

No. Replika's terms say it is not a healthcare or medical device provider and should not be considered medical care or mental health services, and that it makes no claim of therapeutic benefit.

Are there apps like Replika but with real people?

veisund is free peer support where people, not AI, reply to your posts. It is not instant. Replies come when members read your post, and the community is small. Live options with trained human listeners exist too, and some of them are paid.

Does Replika share my conversations?

Replika's privacy policy says conversation data is processed by third-party AI language model providers to generate responses, and that conversations are never used for marketing or advertising. It asks users not to share health information.

How old do you have to be to use Replika?

18. Replika's privacy policy says the service is not intended for anyone under 18, and it will block and delete accounts of minors it discovers.

you don't have to go through this alone

free. anonymous. post any hour, and people who've been there reply. 🤍

get veisund — it's free

not sure whether what you need is a therapist or people? six questions, two minutes — no diagnosis, no email.