The market for AI “romantic” and NSFW companions is already a multi-hundred-million-dollar business — and it’s growing fast.
Data shared with Decrypt by analytics firm Appfigures Intelligence shows that since the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, NSFW and romantic AI companion apps on Apple’s App Store and Google Play have accumulated roughly 165.3 million downloads and $427.3 million in consumer spending worldwide. “The rankings are categorized by type and reflect either downloads or gross consumer spending before Apple/Google extract their platform fees, typically 30%,” AppFigures’ Head of Insights, Randy Nelson, told Decrypt.
Key takeaways from Appfigures’ first-half-2026 snapshot:
- Appfigures identified 214 NSFW and romantic AI companion apps, which together generated $162.8 million in consumer spending in H1 2026.
- Top grossing romantic/NSFW apps in H1 2026:
- Zeta — $33 million
- Tipsy Chat: Live Your Story — $15.2 million
- ChatBox: AI Chat Bot Assistant — $13 million
- Crushie AI: Chat & Companion — $8.8 million
- Emochi: Chat With Character — $7.5 million
- Most-downloaded romantic AI companion in H1 2026: Emochi (7.9 million installs). Other high-download apps: Amora (3.6M), Zeta (3M), BIMOBIMO (2.8M), MiraiMind (2.6M).
Interestingly, so-called PG/general AI companions pulled in nearly twice as many downloads as romantic apps, but generated almost the same revenue: PG/general apps brought in $164.8 million in H1 2026 versus the $162.8 million from romantic/NSFW apps.
The surge in spending accompanies a broader social shift toward AI-driven intimacy. A May 2026 study from Brigham Young University, the Institute for Family Studies and the Wheatley Institute found that 15% of partnered U.S. adults aged 18–30 regularly used AI romantic companions — and 69% of those regular users said they hid the extent of their use from their partner.
Separately, AI companion startup Joi AI drew attention this year with a paid trial for an AI-guided masturbation feature: the firm said it would pay 10 testers $2,000 per month to document effects on stress, sleep, mood and confidence. By July 2026, Joi AI reported more than 150,000 applicants worldwide, forcing the company to formalize a selection process.
Appfigures’ classifications relied on store metadata, app descriptions, age ratings and romance/adult-related terms. The numbers, however, only cover the visible mobile app market; web-only platforms such as Joi AI, Candy AI and SpicyChat AI were excluded from this tally — meaning total consumer spending across all AI intimacy services is likely higher.
For readers in crypto and digital-goods markets, the figures underscore that intimate AI services are a significant, monetizable slice of the broader digital economy — a potential frontier for alternative payments, subscriptions, and tokenized experiences as these platforms evolve.
Read more AI-generated news on: undefined/news
