How to create an AI girlfriend character in Nomi, Character.AI and Secrets AI

Write a fictional adult character brief, set up memory, and check USD costs, payment routes and deletion paths for Nomi, Character.AI and Secrets AI.

AArtur PuleevUpdated 2026-10-29How we test

18+ only. This guide covers original fictional adult characters and nothing else.

An AI girlfriend character stays consistent when you start with a short written brief, decide which details should be remembered, and know what the account will cost. This guide goes through that process in three apps that do different things well. Nomi has structured memory tools. Character.AI has a free plan with no published message cap and a Dutch interface. Secrets AI has a custom-character builder aimed at adults. We checked the prices and limits below on 2026-10-28 (Nomi, Character.AI) and 2026-10-29 (Secrets AI).

Readers in the Netherlands should know three things before starting. First, all three providers publish web subscription prices in US dollars, and none of those amounts is confirmed as a euro checkout that includes 21% BTW. Your bank or card issuer sets the euro amount on your statement. Second, the payment routes they document are card-based. Character.AI also lists Apple Pay and Google Pay, and Secrets AI lists crypto. iDEAL and SEPA direct debit did not appear in the methods we checked. Third, only Character.AI lists Dutch as an interface language, and we have not assessed how good its Dutch replies are. Nomi's store listing shows English only.

If you have not picked an app yet, the ranked comparison of AI girlfriend apps scores apps on eight criteria drawn from published facts, using one /5 scale. The overview for the Netherlands gathers payment and availability notes for Dutch users.

Six steps from character brief to a working setup

Step 1: write the brief before you open an app. Limit it to a name, a stated adult age, an invented setting, three personality traits, a speaking style and one instruction about what replies should look like. Short briefs fit input limits and are easier to fix later. A starter brief could read: Noor is a fictional adult, 31, who runs a small bicycle repair shop in an invented canal town called Veldhaven. She is dry-humoured, practical and curious about old films. Reply in short, warm paragraphs, ask one question at a time and keep the story in Veldhaven. That text is about 260 characters, well inside Nomi's free 400-character input limit. Do not use your own address, your employer, the real names of people you know or private messages as character material.

Step 2: separate permanent facts from story events. Permanent facts describe who the character is: her job, her temperament, the town, the way she talks. Story events are things that happened in one conversation, such as a trip to the market, a broken bicycle chain or a film you talked about. Keep a plain text file with one heading for each type. When an app has a memory field, put the permanent facts there and leave passing events in the chat. A memory note for the brief above could say: Noor's shop is closed on Mondays. She prefers the train to the car. She has an older brother who lives abroad. A model follows three or four lines like these more easily than a long paragraph.

Step 3: set up the character in Nomi. Nomi's free plan has no end date and allows 50 messages per day, each up to 400 characters; paid accounts can send 800 characters. You do not need a card for the free plan, but voice features become read-only without a subscription. Nomi offers several places to store information: the backstory, shared notes and Mind Maps. Paste the brief into the backstory, add the short memory note to shared notes, and let story events happen in the conversation. The Standard plan lists up to 10 companions and 10 group chats for US$15.99 per month, US$39.99 per quarter or US$99.99 per year, according to an official comparison article checked 2026-10-28. Nomi Credits pay for extras once daily allowances run out, for example 1 credit per selfie request, 6 for a standard-definition video and 100 for an additional Nomi slot. You can only buy credits with an active subscription. Nomi says all users and all characters must be 18 or older, and its age gate asks for a date of birth.

Step 4: set up the character in Character.AI. The official FAQ promises unlimited free messages, though you may land in a waiting room when the service is busy, and you can switch the interface to Dutch. Memory works through pinning: 15 pins on the free plan, 30 on c.ai lite, and private Lorebooks on c.ai+. Pin the three or four permanent facts from your note rather than single story moments, because the pin count tells you capacity and does not guarantee recall. c.ai+ costs US$9.99 per month or US$94.99 per year, and lite starts at US$4.99 per month according to the official FAQ, with prices varying by region. Character.AI bans pornographic content on every plan, and paying does not lift that rule. Age assurance runs through Persona, which uses estimation, a selfie when needed and ID as a fallback; Character.AI says Persona deletes biometric data within seven days. There is also a continuity issue: on 2026-10-12 the company announced a voluntary Chapter 11 sale process. The service is running and billing continues, but the company says it may wind down if no viable bid arrives. Keep copies of your brief and memory note outside the app.

Step 5: set up the character in Secrets AI. Free accounts get their first custom character from the builder at no charge, and each additional character costs 500 Moments. The free plan allows 20 sent messages per day, resetting 24 hours after the first message, and the custom-character guide adds 100 messages in total for custom characters. That 100 is a total, not a daily figure. Secrets AI saves memories automatically for each companion, so after a few exchanges check whether the saved details match your permanent facts and correct anything that has drifted. Its rules require every character to be an adult and not modelled on a real person. Premium costs US$19.99 per month or US$109.99 per year with 8,000 Moments per month; Ultimate costs US$39.99 per month or US$319.99 per year with 15,000 Moments, checked 2026-10-29. For a sense of cost: one extra custom character (500 Moments), 20 Premium images at 50 Moments each (1,000) and 10 minutes of audio calls at 50 per minute (500) add up to 2,000 of the 8,000 monthly Moments, so that usage fits within the US$19.99 subscription. Text-to-speech costs 10 Moments per 100 characters. Card payments appear under the descriptor S LABS INC, and crypto payments have a US$20 minimum.

Step 6: test, correct and plan how you would leave. Send three or four ordinary messages about the invented setting, such as asking what came into the shop today, and compare the replies with your brief. If a detail is wrong, edit the smallest relevant field instead of rewriting the whole character. Then write down how you would cancel. In Nomi, go to Profile, Subscription, Manage Subscription and Cancel Subscription. Uninstalling the app does not cancel billing, and Nomi states that its conversations are not end-to-end encrypted. In Character.AI, cancel from Profile, or in Apple or Google settings if you paid through a store. In Secrets AI, go to Settings, Manage Subscription, Cancel Subscription, pick a reason and confirm; your chats, memories and characters stay on the free plan afterwards. Our app rankings score these exit routes, so compare them before you pay.

Checklist before your first paid month

Go through these points once the character works on the free plan.

• The brief names a fictional adult and an invented setting, and contains no personal data about you or anyone you know.
• Permanent facts and story events are in separate notes, with a copy saved outside the app.
• For Nomi, the brief fits within 400 characters on the free plan and 50 messages per day is enough for your use.
• For Character.AI, your most important facts fit within 15 free pins, and you accept the open Chapter 11 sale process announced 2026-10-12.
• For Secrets AI, you know about the 20 messages per day and the 100 custom-character messages in total, and how many Moments your planned images and calls will use.
• You accept that the USD prices are not confirmed as euro amounts including 21% BTW, and your card or wallet supports the payment route.
• You know the cancellation path and that deleting an app does not stop a subscription.
• You have read the account deletion path for the app you chose.

Privacy rights, withdrawal and regulatory notes

All three providers process your character briefs and conversations on their servers. Under EU data protection rules you can request access or erasure through the contacts they publish: [email protected] for Nomi and [email protected] for Secrets AI. Character.AI says export and deletion remain available during its sale process.

• Nomi: to delete your account, go to Profile, Account Settings, Delete account, verify by email and type DELETE. The privacy policy dated 2026-04-27 says personal information is removed within about 28 days, except for support communications and data kept for legal reasons. Nomi does not offer routine refunds for unused time or dissatisfaction.
• Character.AI: on the web, go to Profile, Profile Settings, Account, Manage Account and Data, Delete Account; on mobile, go to Profile, Settings, Remove Account, which is permanent. On 2026-07-03 the Italian data protection authority, the Garante, fined the company EUR 158,000 and issued a 120-day corrective order covering transparency, accountability, impact assessment and EU-representative issues; the company may appeal. On 2025-09-11 the US FTC included it in a study of companion chatbots. That study is an information request, not a finding of wrongdoing.
• Secrets AI: you can delete your account under Account settings, Delete Account; the privacy policy is dated 2026-04-10. Its refund policy describes a 14-day EU withdrawal right, with full treatment for unused service and proportional treatment for used service. Crypto payments are generally non-refundable.

If a character conversation starts to feel more distressing than enjoyable, it is reasonable to stop the session and talk to someone you trust. None of these apps presents itself as a mental health service.

Frequently asked questions