Ash vs Replika
A side-by-side comparison of Ash and Replika, drawn from Ignaite's continuously-verified listings.
Compared from listings verified as of
Replika
CompanionAn AI companion that learns your personality through ongoing conversation.
View ReplikaAt a glance
| Attribute | Ash | Replika |
|---|---|---|
| Category (differs) | Healthcare | Companion |
| Pricing (differs) | FREE | FREEMIUM |
| License | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| Deployment | Cloud | Cloud |
| Platforms (differs) | iOS, Android | Web, iOS, Android |
| Model support (differs) | Single model (proprietary) | — |
| Vendor (differs) | Slingshot AI | Luka, Inc. |
The honest brief
Ash
Unlike general chatbots tuned to agree with you, Ash is trained only for therapy on a psychology-specific model and is built to push back, not just validate.
- Draws on CBT, DBT, ACT methods
- Free on iOS and Android
- Built by a dedicated mental-health research lab
- Not a replacement for a licensed therapist
- No crisis or emergency care
- Long-term efficacy still unproven
- Free now; a paid tier is expected later
Replika
Years of head start on long-term persona and memory, where most companion apps are far newer and shallower.
- Long-running, mature companion app
- Persistent avatar and memory
- Free unlimited text chat
- Voice/video calls on Pro
- Italy fined maker Luka €5M (2025)
- Abruptly cut then restored romantic content (2023)
- Privacy/age-verification scrutiny
- Roleplay shallower than SillyTavern setups