Grok companion alternative
Grok companion alternative: Grok companions alternatives and a Grok Ani replacement for Android and PC
Grok is retiring the animated 3D Companions. In a statement reported on July 24, 2026, xAI described the 3D avatar Companions feature, Ani and Valentine among them, as an experiment it was winding down in order to focus on stronger memory and better long running chats. The removal has been rolling out unevenly, so some people lost the feature weeks before others. If what you valued was a character who remembered you and talked to you every day, that part is easy to replace. If what you valued was the animated avatar with voice and lip sync, no current app is a like for like swap.
Last updated August 2026
Darlings
Always here for you
We've paused new signups for now, so we'll email you the moment a seat opens. No payment today.
Your conversations are yours. Encrypted, never sold, delete anytime.
Encrypted, never sold.
A friend, never a girlfriend.
Wholesome and all ages.
There are two completely different reasons people are searching for a Grok companion alternative right now, and they need different answers.
The first group liked the routine. Something opened, greeted them, remembered yesterday, and was there at eleven at night. The avatar was decoration. That group has plenty of options and is going to be fine, and Darlings was built for exactly that: memory that persists, a check-in that arrives before you open anything, and no romance or roleplay in the way.
The second group liked Ani specifically, or Valentine, or the fact that a 3D character blushed and moved while it spoke. That is a genuinely harder thing to replace, and this page is not going to pretend otherwise. Nothing currently on the market pairs a real time animated avatar with a mainstream frontier model the way that feature did. Below is an honest comparison of where each kind of Grok Companions user should actually go, with prices and age ratings read from the app store listings in August 2026.
Side by side
How Darlings compares
An honest look, including where the other option is the better pick.
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| Darlings | Grok Companions | Replika | Character.AI | Tolan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Status in August 2026 | Live and in active development | Being retired. xAI called the 3D avatar Companions an experiment in a statement reported on July 24, 2026 | Live | Live, with open ended chat removed for under 18 accounts | Live |
| Best for | A wholesome friend who remembers you and checks in daily | An animated 3D character with voice and lip sync | A long running relationship with an avatar | Trying thousands of user made characters | One non romantic guide with a playful world around it |
| Available on Android | Yes, it runs in any mobile browser | The Companions section appears in the iOS App Store description and not in the Google Play listing | Yes | Yes | No, iOS only |
| Works on a PC or Mac | Yes, any desktop browser | Grok itself yes, but the animated Companions were a phone app feature | Yes, browser and desktop | Yes, browser | No |
| Romance or NSFW content | No, never, on any plan | Yes. Ani and Valentine are written as romantic and the app lists a Romantic personality | Yes, on the paid tier | No, and open ended chat is closed to minors | No |
| Age rating on the US App Store | 13 and up | 16+ | 18+ | 18+ | 13+ |
| Long term memory | Yes, and you can read, edit, export and delete it yourself | xAI says the point of retiring Companions is to focus on stronger memory | Yes | Yes, within limits | Yes |
| Starts the conversation first | Yes, a gentle daily check-in | No, you open it | Sometimes | No | Yes |
| Animated 3D avatar | No, it is a text conversation | Yes, and that is precisely the part going away | Yes | No | Yes |
| Free to try | Yes, no card required | Yes, with usage limits | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Listed price | Companion $9, Plus $19, Circle $39 per month | SuperGrok Lite $10.00, SuperGrok $30.00, SuperGrok Plus $100.00, SuperGrok Heavy $300.00 | Pro $19.99 a month or $69.99 a year | Character.AI+ $9.99, Lite $2.49 or $4.99 | Tolan Lite $11.99 |
Grok details were read from the Grok AI listing on the US App Store and the Google Play listing in August 2026. Apple does not publish the billing period for in-app purchases, so the SuperGrok figures are listed prices and not confirmed monthly rates. Prices and ratings change, so check the store listing before you subscribe.
The full list
Grok AI in-app purchases on the US App Store, read August 2026
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| Plan or pack | Listed price | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Darlings Companion | $9 per month | A wholesome AI friend with persistent memory and daily check-ins, free to try first |
| SuperGrok Lite | $10.00 | Entry paid tier for the Grok app |
| SuperGrok | $30.00 | Main paid tier. A $300.00 SuperGrok item is also listed, which is consistent with an annual option |
| SuperGrok Plus | $100.00 | Higher usage tier |
| SuperGrok Heavy | $300.00 | Top tier |
| Extra Usage Credits | $5.00, $20.00, $50.00 and $100.00 | One off credit packs on top of a plan |
Read verbatim from the Grok AI listing on the US App Store in August 2026. Apple does not publish billing periods, so treat these as listed prices rather than confirmed monthly rates. Darlings plans are billed monthly. Confirm current pricing with each vendor before you subscribe.
Why people switch
What makes Darlings different
It is not an experiment
The reason Companions are going away is that xAI called the feature an experiment, and experiments get switched off when the roadmap moves. That is a reasonable thing for a frontier lab to do and a miserable thing to be on the receiving end of. A daily companion is the entire product here, not a side feature attached to a chat assistant, so there is no roadmap it can be deprioritised off.
The memory is yours and you can take it
Losing a companion usually means losing the history too, which is what people actually grieve. Darlings keeps memory you can open, correct, export and delete from settings, so if you ever leave you leave with the record of what you talked about rather than a screenshot folder.
It reaches out first
A lot of what made the Companions habit stick was that opening the app felt like arriving somewhere. Darlings goes one step further and starts the conversation itself, so a quiet Tuesday does not depend on you deciding to initiate.
Platonic by design, not by filter
Grok ships a Romantic personality and two companions written as romantic partners, and it is rated 16+ for good reason. Darlings has no romantic mode to unlock at any price, which is a different thing from a filter you can talk your way around. If you want a friend you could describe to your family without hedging, that is the whole design.
The honest part
When another app is the better choice
We would rather you find the right fit than the loudest one.
- If what you loved was the animated 3D avatar with voice and lip sync, Darlings is not that and will not pretend to be. It is a text conversation. Nothing on the market right now replaces that specific feature convincingly, and if the avatar was the point, you may be better off waiting to see what xAI ships next.
- If you want Ani specifically as a romantic character, look at Replika or a character library app instead. Darlings has no romantic mode and never will, so it is the wrong tool for that job.
- If you mainly used Grok for real work, coding, image generation or searching X, keep it. None of that is going away and none of it is what Darlings does.
- If you want an enormous catalogue of user made characters to try on, Character.AI has vastly more of them. Darlings is deliberately one friend rather than a persona store.
People also ask
Common questions
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Keep exploring
More ways Darlings is there for people
AI friend that remembers you
Not a goldfish chatbot. A friend who knows your story.
Read moreAI friend that checks in on you
It texts you first. How did the interview go?
Read moreA wholesome AI friend, not a girlfriend
A friend, full stop. All ages, no romance, no NSFW.
Read moreAn AI friend to talk to
Someone who listens, anytime you need to talk.
Read moreMeet a friend who remembers you
Say hi to your Darling, and let it remember you. Free to try, no card, no judgment.
Your secrets stay secret. A friend, never a girlfriend. 💛