Candy AI Review (2026): Features, Pricing, Safety & Best Alternative
Candy AI is one of the biggest names in the AI girlfriend space — a platform where you can create customizable AI companions for chat, roleplay, image generation, and voice calls. With over 90,000 monthly searches for "candy ai" alone, it's clearly popular. But is it actually good?
In this Candy AI review, we break down everything after hands-on testing: the features that work, the real cost once you factor in the token system, privacy and safety concerns, and how Candy AI compares to alternatives like SpicyGF for users who want a genuine AI girlfriend experience in 2026.
Table of Contents
What Is Candy AI?
Candy AI (candy.ai) is a web-based AI companion platform developed by EverAI Limited, a UK-registered company. It lets users create and chat with AI-powered characters — customizing everything from appearance and personality to voice and relationship style.
The platform is explicitly NSFW-friendly, offering uncensored roleplay, AI-generated images of your character, voice messages, and as of 2026, a Story Mode with branching narratives and AI-generated video clips. It positions itself as a premium, all-in-one AI girlfriend experience.
On paper, Candy AI checks all the right boxes. In practice, the experience comes with notable caveats — a dual-cost pricing structure that makes the real price much higher than advertised, limited AI memory, no native mobile app, and privacy concerns that users should be aware of before signing up.
Looking for a Candy AI alternative?
SpicyGF offers a native iOS app, transparent pricing without hidden token costs, AI that remembers your conversation, and custom image generation. Try it free.
Candy AI Key Features
Character Customization
Character customization is where Candy AI genuinely shines. You can build an AI companion from scratch with control over ethnicity, age (18-55), body type, hairstyle, outfit, and more. There are 12 distinct personality types — from Temptress and Nympho to Caregiver and Sage — plus options for occupation, hobbies, and relationship dynamics.
The pre-made character library offers around 146 companions spanning realistic and anime styles, so you can start chatting immediately without creating a character from scratch. This is one of Candy AI's strongest selling points and matches or exceeds what most competitors offer in terms of customization depth.
Chat & Roleplay
The Candy AI chat experience uses context-aware NLP that handles both casual conversation and explicit roleplay without filters or content warnings. The AI generally responds in a natural, emotionally aware tone — and most users rate chat engagement 4+ stars.
The critical weakness is memory. Candy AI's context window is limited to approximately 10-15 messages. Beyond that, the AI starts losing track of what you discussed, breaking the immersion that makes an AI companion experience work. For users who want longer, multi-session conversations where the AI remembers who you are and what you've talked about, this is a significant limitation.
Image Generation (V2 Engine)
Candy AI's image generation uses a V2 engine that produces realistic, high-quality character images — including fully NSFW content. Image quality is one of the most praised features across user reviews, with some describing it as "A++ quality regardless of prompt."
However, there's a disconnect between visual quality and prompt accuracy. The images look great, but they often don't match what you actually asked for. Request a specific outfit, pose, or setting and the AI may produce something visually polished but not what you described.
Worth noting: image generation is entirely paywalled. Free users cannot test it at all — you need a Premium subscription plus tokens. Even generating a single image costs tokens, and batch generation (4, 16, 32, or 64 images) requires premium gems on top of that. There's no way to evaluate whether the image quality justifies the cost without paying first.
Character Creation
Candy AI lets you create your own character from scratch with a visual step-by-step builder. You pick hair style (straight, bangs, curly, bun, short, ponytail), hair color, eye color, body type, ethnicity, and more — each option shown with preview images so you can see what you're selecting.
It's a solid creation flow with enough visual options to feel personalized. The personality layer adds occupation, hobbies, and relationship type on top of the 12 personality archetypes, giving you reasonable control over who your AI companion is.
Voice Chat & Calls
Premium users get access to voice messages and real-time voice calls with 9 different voice options. The audio quality is clear and the system handles background noise well. However, voice features are Premium-only AND require tokens for each call, making it one of the more expensive features to use regularly.
Story Mode & Video (2026 Updates)
In 2026, Candy AI introduced Story Mode — a branching narrative system where the AI tracks your choices and their consequences across scenes, generating matching images along the way. It feels closer to an interactive visual novel than a standard chatbot, and it's one of the most innovative features in the AI companion space right now.
Video generation also launched, producing AI-generated clips up to 120 seconds from a single prompt. The catch: video generation is extremely expensive, costing up to 400 tokens per clip (~$40). For most users, this is a novelty feature rather than something you'd use regularly.
Candy AI Pricing: Subscription + Token Costs
How much does Candy AI cost? This is where things get complicated. Candy AI pricing operates on a dual-cost structure that many users don't fully understand until they're already subscribed.
| Plan | Price | Billing |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | ~50 messages, 2 blurred images, limited memory |
| Monthly | $12.99 / month | Monthly billing |
| Quarterly | $9.99 / month | ~$29.97 billed quarterly |
| Annual | $5.99 / month | ~$71.88 billed annually |
The Token System: The Cost Nobody Talks About
The subscription prices look reasonable — especially the annual plan at $5.99/month. But here's what the Candy AI pricing page doesn't make obvious: most of the features that make the platform interesting require tokens on top of your subscription.
- Image generation — costs tokens per image
- Voice calls — costs tokens per minute
- Video generation — up to 400 tokens per clip (~$40)
- Premium NSFW unlocks — token-gated
Token pricing starts at $9.99 for 100 tokens, scaling up to $299.99 for 3,750 tokens.
What Does a Month Actually Cost?
Let's do the math for a typical active user on the monthly plan:
- Monthly subscription: $12.99
- 5 AI images per week (20/month): ~200 tokens = $19.98
- 2 voice calls per week (8/month): ~160 tokens = $15.98
- Real monthly cost: ~$49-50 for moderate use
Heavy users who generate daily images and use video features report spending $100-200+ per month. This is the most common complaint about Candy AI across Reddit and Trustpilot — the advertised price and the real price are very different.
Billing appears as "EVER AI" on bank statements for discretion.
Is Candy AI Safe? Privacy & Security
Is Candy AI safe? It's a legitimate service, but there are privacy concerns worth understanding before you sign up.
Data & Encryption
Candy AI claims AES-256 encryption, but this hasn't been independently verified. The platform does not offer end-to-end encryption, which means the company could technically access your conversation logs for moderation or AI training. The privacy policy is notably short and vague — it doesn't clearly address chat encryption standards, how long conversations are stored, whether third parties can access data, or how to permanently delete your data.
Billing & Cancellation
Several users report billing issues with Candy AI. The most common complaint: when you cancel your subscription, you may lose access immediately rather than retaining it through the end of your billing period. This is unusual and frustrating, especially for users on monthly plans. Charges appear as "EVER AI" on statements.
Our Safety Recommendations
- Never share real personal information in conversations
- Set a spending limit before engaging — the token system can add up fast
- Understand the full pricing structure (subscription + tokens) before subscribing
- Use a virtual card or payment method with spending alerts
- Read the cancellation terms before committing to a plan
Candy AI Pros and Cons
✓What Candy AI Does Well
- ✓Strong character customization — ethnicity, body type, personality, voice, outfits, and more
- ✓Image generation quality (V2 engine) produces realistic, character-consistent images
- ✓Uncensored NSFW roleplay without content warnings or filters
- ✓Story Mode (2026) adds branching narratives with consequence tracking and image generation
- ✓Affordable annual subscription at ~$5.99/month if you commit to a full year
- ✓Active community on Discord with responsive development team
- ✓Frequent updates — new characters and features added regularly
✗Where Candy AI Falls Short
- ✗Token system on top of subscription — images, voice calls, and videos cost extra tokens ($9.99 for 100)
- ✗Short memory — AI only remembers 10-15 messages, breaking conversation flow and immersion
- ✗Real monthly cost for active users is $50-100+ when you add tokens for images and calls
- ✗No native iOS or Android app — web-only experience with PWA workaround
- ✗Image generation often doesn't match prompts accurately despite high visual quality
- ✗Conversations can become repetitive and shallow over longer sessions
- ✗Vague privacy policy — unclear data storage, retention, and third-party access
- ✗Difficult subscription cancellation — can't cancel next billing cycle without losing access immediately
- ✗Customer support is slow to respond
What Users Say: Reddit & Trustpilot
Trustpilot: 3.7/5 Stars (173 Reviews)
Candy AI reviews on Trustpilot paint a polarized picture. 44% of users give 5 stars, praising the customization and chat quality. But 23% give 1 star — nearly a quarter of all reviewers are deeply unhappy.
- 44% 5-star — "Chat AI works great, customization is fantastic"
- 18% 4-star — generally positive with minor complaints
- 6% 3-star — mixed experience
- 9% 2-star — frustration with pricing or features
- 23% 1-star — token system complaints, billing issues, shallow conversations
Candy AI Reddit Opinions
The Candy AI Reddit community and related subreddits highlight similar themes. Users appreciate the character customization depth and image quality, but consistently call out three issues:
- The token system feels predatory — Users report being drawn in by the low subscription price, then discovering that everything fun costs extra tokens
- Memory is too short — Starting from scratch after 10-15 messages makes it impossible to build a meaningful connection
- Images don't match requests — High quality visuals but poor prompt adherence
The Candy AI Discord community is more positive, with responsive developers who actively take feedback. New characters and features are added frequently, which keeps engaged users coming back.
Does Candy AI Have a Mobile App?
No. Candy AI does not have an official native iOS or Android app for the AI companion experience. The platform is web-only, though it supports PWA (Progressive Web App) installation — meaning you can add candy.ai to your home screen for an app-like experience, but it's not a true native app.
There is a separate app called "Candy AI: Create Anything" available on Google Play (~17,000 monthly downloads), but this is a general AI creation tool by Candy Studio Apps — not the AI girlfriend chat experience that candy.ai is known for.
In 2026, the lack of a native mobile app is a significant gap. Most users interact with AI companions on their phones, and a PWA doesn't offer the same performance, notification support, or App Store trust that a native app provides. This is one of the biggest reasons users look for Candy AI alternatives — and one of the key advantages of platforms like SpicyGF, which offers a full native iOS app with App Store support.
Best Candy AI Alternative: How SpicyGF Compares
If you like the idea of Candy AI — customizable AI companions with chat, images, and voice — but want to avoid the hidden token costs, memory limitations, and web-only experience, SpicyGF addresses the most common pain points.
A Real iOS App — Not Just a Website
The most obvious difference: SpicyGF is a native iOS app available on the App Store. Real push notifications, native performance, and the trust of Apple's App Store review process. No PWA workarounds, no browser tabs — a real app experience.
Transparent Pricing — No Hidden Token System
Where Candy AI charges a subscription plus tokens for every image, call, and video, SpicyGF uses a straightforward subscription model. You know what you're paying upfront — no surprise token costs that quietly turn a $13/month subscription into $50-100+.
AI That Actually Remembers Your Conversation
Candy AI's 10-15 message memory window is one of its most criticized limitations. SpicyGF maintains context across your conversation, so your AI girlfriend remembers what you talked about, stays in character, and delivers emotionally consistent responses. When your AI companion references something from earlier in the conversation, the experience feels like a real connection — not a chatbot improvising from scratch every few messages.
Custom Image Generation Tied to Your Character
SpicyGF's image generation is directly connected to your character. Request specific poses, outfits, and scenes — and get images that actually match. Characters also send selfies directly in chat that you can unblur with hearts earned from daily logins, giving you visual content without constantly paying extra.
Voice Messages & Character Creation
SpicyGF includes AI voice messages that respond to your actual conversation — delivered with realistic tone and emotion. Free users can listen before subscribing. The Create GF feature lets you build your AI girlfriend with detailed appearance and personality customization, producing a high-quality generated image that matches your design.
Candy AI vs SpicyGF: Side-by-Side
| Feature | Candy AI | SpicyGF |
|---|---|---|
| Native mobile app | No app (web-only PWA) | Native iOS app |
| Pricing transparency | Subscription + hidden token costs | Straightforward subscription |
| AI memory | 10-15 messages only | Maintains context across conversation |
| Image generation | High quality but often inaccurate to prompt | Character-specific custom image generation |
| Voice messages | Premium only + token cost | Free voice message previews |
| Character creation | Detailed but output quality varies | High-quality image gen + personality customization |
| Chat responsiveness | Generally fast | Fast, fluid conversation |
| Free tier | ~50 messages, 2 blurred images | Daily free messages + voice + photo previews |
| NSFW support | Full NSFW (Premium) | Full NSFW with premium |
| Trustpilot rating | 3.7/5 (173 reviews) | New — growing community |
Final Verdict: Is Candy AI Worth It in 2026?
Candy AI does some things well. The character customization is genuinely deep, the image generation quality is strong, Story Mode is innovative, and the uncensored roleplay works without awkward filters. If you stick to text-only chat on the annual plan, the $5.99/month price point is reasonable.
But the moment you want images, voice calls, or videos — the features that make an AI girlfriend experience feel real — the token system kicks in and the cost jumps to $50-100+ per month. Combined with a 10-15 message memory limit that breaks conversation continuity, no native mobile app, and a privacy policy that leaves important questions unanswered, Candy AI falls short of the premium experience it markets.
Candy AI is worth trying if you want to explore AI companionship and are happy with text-focused chat. Candy AI is NOT worth it if you want a full-featured experience with images, voice, and mobile access without hidden costs.
For users in the second category, SpicyGF delivers the AI girlfriend experience that Candy AI promises but charges extra for — with a native iOS app, transparent pricing, better AI memory, and custom image generation included. Looking for an AI boyfriend instead? Try SpicyBF on iOS. You can also check our full list of Candy AI alternatives see how Candy AI compares in our best AI sexting apps guide, or browse our best AI girlfriend apps ranking for more options.