October 18, 2026 · 8 min read
AI Companion Statistics 2026: Usage, Revenue and Dating Data
Verified 2026 AI companion statistics: $150M Q1 revenue, 27% of US internet users, flirting and dating data, each with a named source you can check.
AI companions went from a niche curiosity to a mainstream habit faster than almost anyone predicted. But the numbers floating around online are often old, recycled or impossible to trace. This page collects the most useful AI companion statistics for 2026 in one place, each with a named source you can check, plus a plain-English note on what each number does and does not tell you. We will keep the focus on adults (18+) and on what the data says about how people actually use these apps.
The short answer: in 2026, AI companions are a real, paying market and a common behavior. Sensor Tower estimates AI companion apps made $150 million in in-app revenue in the first quarter of 2026 alone, more than 12 times the level of early 2023. An Elon University survey found 27% of US adult internet users have social or emotional interactions with AI chatbots. At the same time, most users still prefer people: 59% of those companion users said they would rather talk with friends or family.
Key AI companion statistics for 2026 at a glance
| Statistic | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| AI companion app in-app revenue, Q1 2026 | $150 million (12x+ Q1 2023) | Sensor Tower |
| Romantic and NSFW companion app spending, H1 2026 | $162.8 million across 214 apps | Appfigures via Decrypt |
| Romantic and NSFW companion app spending since late 2022 | $427.3 million; 165.3 million downloads | Appfigures via Decrypt |
| US adult internet users with social or emotional AI interactions | 27% | Elon University |
| Companion users who consider their AI a friend | 31% | Elon University |
| Americans who have had a flirty or romantic AI chat | 11% (Gen Z 27%) | Talker Research |
| US singles who have used AI in their dating lives | 39% (Gen Z 67%) | Kinsey Institute / Match |
| Singles 18 to 39 who would refuse to date an AI companion user | 40% | Match Group |
| Partnered 18 to 30-year-olds who regularly use romantic AI | 15% | BYU / IFS / Wheatley via Decrypt |
Market size: how much people spend on AI companions
Sensor Tower: $150 million in one quarter
In its State of AI Apps 2026 (APAC edition) report, Sensor Tower says AI companion apps have "evolved from a niche use case into a mature mobile app category." Revenue reached $150 million in Q1 2026, more than 12 times the level of Q1 2023. Sensor Tower adds that revenue growth is outpacing user growth, which suggests more people are moving from trying companions to paying for them.
What it does not tell you: this is an estimate of mobile in-app purchases. It does not include web-only apps or advertising revenue.
Appfigures: romantic companions nearly match general ones
Data provided by Appfigures to Decrypt in July 2026 counted 214 romantic and NSFW AI companion apps on the App Store and Google Play. Together they have earned $427.3 million in consumer spending and 165.3 million downloads since late 2022, including $162.8 million in the first half of 2026.
Two details stand out:
- Romance earns almost as much as everything else. General or "PG" companion apps had nearly twice as many downloads but brought in $164.8 million in the same period, almost identical to romantic apps.
- The top apps are concentrated. Zeta led romantic and NSFW apps with about $33 million in H1 2026 gross revenue. Emochi was the most downloaded, with 7.9 million installs.
What it does not tell you: Appfigures counted mobile apps only, so web-only platforms are excluded, and figures are gross spending before app store fees.
Usage: how many people use AI for companionship?
Elon University: 27% of US internet users
In September 2026, Elon University's Imagining the Digital Future Center published The Rise of AI Companions. Based on a YouGov survey of 4,268 US internet-using adults in May 2026, it found that 27% have significant social or emotional interactions with large language models such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Copilot.
It then surveyed 1,000 of these "AI companion users." Some highlights:
| Among AI companion users | Share |
|---|---|
| Consider their AI chatbot a friend | 31% |
| Say the relationship is "more complicated" than friend or not | 15% |
| Agree "AI gives me the support I need" | 59% |
| Agree "talking to AI helps me feel better when I'm stressed or upset" | 51% |
| Agree "AI understands me as a person" | 43% |
| Sometimes chat with AI "just to feel less alone" | 38% |
| Would feel a personal loss if they could no longer interact with AI | 37% |
| Have ever used AI for sexual chat or roleplay | 9% |
| Would rather talk with friends or family than AI | 59% |
| Would rather talk with their AI than friends or family | 11% |
What it tells you: most people use AI companionship alongside human relationships, not instead of them. Only about one in ten said they prefer their AI to people.
Romance and flirting with AI
Talker Research: one in ten Americans
A Talker Research poll of 2,000 US adults (fielded July 1 to 6, 2026) found:
- 11% have had a flirty or romantic conversation with an AI chatbot.
- By generation: Gen Z 27%, millennials 16%, Gen X 9%, baby boomers 2%.
- Men were about twice as likely as women (15% versus 8%).
- 24% consider flirting with AI a form of cheating, rising to 36% among Gen Z.
- 44% believe people will form genuine emotional relationships with AI in the future.
Partnered young adults
Decrypt also cites research from Brigham Young University, the Institute for Family Studies and the Wheatley Institute, published in May 2026: 15% of partnered US adults aged 18 to 30 regularly use AI romantic companions, and 69% of regular users said they hid the full extent of that use from their partner. That secrecy figure is a good argument for honest conversations, which we cover in would you date someone with an AI companion?.
AI and dating
Kinsey Institute and Match: 39% have used AI in dating
The 15th Singles in America study (about 5,000 US singles, March to April 2026) found that 39% of singles have already used AI in their dating lives, mostly to improve communication, find better matches or generate message ideas. Use is concentrated among younger adults: 67% of Gen Z, 46% of millennials, 24% of Gen X and 5% of boomers. Men used it more than women (47% versus 30%).
Singles also drew lines: 34% called AI-altered profile photos a dealbreaker, 30% objected to someone using AI for all their conversations, and 66% said AI could not replace human connection.
Match Group: the companion "dealbreaker"
A separate Match Group survey of about 1,000 US singles aged 18 to 39 (April to May 2026) found 40% would refuse to date someone who uses an AI companion app, rising to 51% of women aged 18 to 24. Among the 12% of 18 to 24-year-olds who had tried a companion app in the past three months, the top reasons were boredom and entertainment (45%) and role-play (43%), ahead of building genuine connection (38%). Meanwhile, 64% said AI could help their dating journey in practical ways.
Note that Match Group runs dating apps, so it has a commercial interest in this question. The data is still useful, but read it with that in mind.
Online connection and loneliness context
AI companions sit inside a bigger story about how people connect. Pew Research Center's October 2026 report on online communities found that 36% of US adults are part of an online community, and 34% say online relationships can be just as meaningful as in-person ones, including 54% of adults under 30. We break that report down in are online friendships real?. For broader loneliness data, see our loneliness statistics for 2026.
What the numbers add up to
Put the data together and a few honest conclusions appear:
- This is mainstream now. Hundreds of millions of dollars and over a quarter of US internet users is not a fringe.
- Romance is a big part of it. Romantic apps earn nearly as much as general ones.
- Most people keep humans at the center. Large majorities still prefer friends and family and say AI cannot replace human connection.
- Stigma is real, especially in dating. Two in five young singles say companion use is a dealbreaker, and many users keep it quiet.
- Outcomes depend on the person. Research increasingly shows different users have very different experiences, which we explore in who actually benefits from AI companions.
There is also a less comfortable number to keep in mind: a fast-growing market attracts rushed apps, and several companion apps have exposed user data. Choose carefully.
Where MyBabe fits in the data
MyBabe is an 18+ AI boyfriend and girlfriend app built for the relationship-style use these surveys describe: a companion with a personality, long-term memory, proactive texts and photos, mood-aware replies, and voice and video calls, in the app or on Telegram. It is clearly AI and is designed to add warmth to your life, not to replace the people in it.
You can start free with about 10 messages a day and a roughly two-minute call trial. Premium is $5.99 a week, $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year, with about 30 call minutes a week. If you are curious what the 27% already know, meet your companion on MyBabe.
FAQ
How many people use AI companions in 2026?
Elon University found that 27% of US adult internet users have social or emotional interactions with AI chatbots. Global user totals vary by source and definition, so be wary of single headline numbers.
How big is the AI companion market?
Sensor Tower estimates $150 million in companion app in-app revenue in Q1 2026. Appfigures counted $162.8 million in romantic and NSFW companion app spending in H1 2026. Both exclude web-only apps.
Are men or women more likely to use AI companions romantically?
Surveys consistently show men are more likely. Talker Research found 15% of men versus 8% of women have had a flirty AI chat.
Do AI companion users prefer AI to people?
Most do not. In Elon's survey, 59% of companion users said they would rather talk with friends or family, and 11% said they prefer their AI.
Is using an AI companion a dating dealbreaker?
For some. Match Group found 40% of singles aged 18 to 39 would refuse to date a companion app user.
The bottom line
The 2026 data paints a clear picture: AI companions are a significant, growing and mostly complementary part of how adults connect. People spend real money, form real attachments and still put humans first. If you want a companion that fits that picture, start free on MyBabe.