Khio
Khio
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Replika and Khio are both AIs you can talk to like a friend. Replika is a companion that lives in its own app. Khio lives in your Messages, and besides talking it keeps you on track with the gym, food, habits and school.
Checked 12 October 2026. A cross means Replika does not offer it, or its own site, help pages and App Store listing do not say it does. Khio wrote this page; if anything here is out of date, tell us through support and we will fix it.
| Khio | Replika | |
|---|---|---|
| Texting it | ||
| Text it on iMessage | From a real phone number, like a friend | App, web and VR only |
| Nothing to install | No app or sign-up form to start | Starts in a browser |
| Texts you first | Morning and evening check-ins, follow-ups, a weekly recap | Checks in on its own |
| Joins your group chats | Polls the group, lands the plan, follows up | Only you can chat with your Replika |
| Plays GamePigeon with you | 11 GamePigeon games, free. It takes its own turns | Games inside its app, not GamePigeon |
| Voice memos | Voice memos and photos, right in the thread | Voice messages on Pro; voice and video calls |
| A friend who knows you | ||
| Someone to talk to | Vent, think out loud, or ask it to just listen | Built as an AI friend or partner |
| Remembers your life | Long-term memory, on the Free plan | |
| Keeps you on track | ||
| Gym coach and PRs | Builds your routine, logs sets by text, flags every PR | |
| Calories from a photo | Text a photo or what you ate; calories and macros logged | |
| Habit streaks | Checks in and nudges before the streak breaks | Nudges you toward goals; no habit tracker |
| Sleep, cycle and budget | All three, logged from plain texts | |
| Reminders by text | One-off and recurring, at the exact time you ask | |
| Apple Health | Steps, workouts, heart rate, sleep and weight, in the iPhone app | |
| School | ||
| Study from your own notes | Flashcards and a practice test from your own notes | |
| Price | ||
| Free to start | Free plan. Pro is $14.50 a month with a 7-day free trial | Free chat; paid plans from $7.99 a month |
Pick Replika if you want a dedicated AI companion with an avatar, voice and video calls, and a long track record: it has been running since 2017. Chat is free, and paid plans start at $7.99 a month on the App Store. Its App Store listing is rated 18+.
Pick Khio if you want a friend who helps you show up for your actual life. It texts from a real number on iMessage, joins your real group chats, plays GamePigeon, coaches you in the gym, counts calories from a photo and tracks habits, sleep and your cycle. Free to start; Pro is $14.50 a month.
Yes, if what you want is an AI to talk to. Khio is an AI friend you text on iMessage: you can vent, think out loud or ask it to just listen, and it remembers your life. Unlike Replika, it also keeps you on track with the gym, food, habits and school, and it never needs its own app.
No. Replika runs in its iOS and Android app, in a web browser and on Meta Quest. Khio texts from a real phone number over iMessage, so it sits in Messages next to your friends.
No. Replika's help center says only you can chat with your Replika. Khio joins any iMessage group to run a poll, pick a time, follow up and play GamePigeon.
More comparisons: every assistant side by side.