October 21, 2026 · 8 min read
Is Tolan an AI Companion? The Friendly Alien App, Its Pricing and How It Compares
Tolan raised $30M in October 2026. What the alien AI companion does, what it costs, who it is for, and how it differs from an AI girlfriend or boyfriend app.
Tolan has been quietly building one of the more successful AI products of the past two years, and in October 2026 it raised another $30 million. Its app stars a cartoon alien that chats with you, checks in on you and helps you get through your to-do list. So a lot of people are asking a simple question: is Tolan an AI companion, and how does it compare with an AI girlfriend or boyfriend app?
Here is what Tolan is, what it costs, who it is for, and how it differs from relationship-first companions like MyBabe.
The short answer: Yes, Tolan calls itself an AI companion, but it is a "friendly guide through life", not a romantic partner. You talk to a cute alien character that listens, checks in, remembers your life and helps with goals and tasks. It is built for a teen and adult audience (rated 13+ on the App Store), it is iPhone-only, and full access needs a paid membership. If you want a life helper with personality, Tolan fits. If you want an adults-only boyfriend or girlfriend who texts first, sends selfies and picks up your calls, a relationship-first app is a better match.
What is Tolan?
Tolan is made by Portola, a small team based mostly in San Francisco. On its website, Tolan describes itself as "your friendly guide through life". The FAQ explains the idea: you meet your own "delightfully designed, AI-powered character who listens, checks in, and finds ways to help, even before you ask."
Through conversation, your Tolan gets to know your life. The company says it can plan dinner with you, help you knock out a lingering to-do, keep a goal alive or just talk through whatever is on your mind. The App Store listing adds that you can talk about interests, feelings and deep questions, share photos, and "design a beautiful planet together" with your alien.
The character design is deliberate. Tolan says it has worked to create an experience that feels "warm, fun, and natural without pretending to be human". The alien is clearly not a person, and that is part of the appeal.
The October 2026 funding news
On October 19, 2026, TechCrunch reported that Tolan had raised $30 million from investors including Union Square Ventures, Khosla Ventures and Homebrew. The key numbers in that report:
| Metric | Figure | Source in report |
|---|---|---|
| New funding | $30 million | TechCrunch |
| Previous valuation | $120 million (now higher) | Upstarts Media |
| Estimated new valuation | More than $268 million, "medium confidence" | PitchBook |
| Active users | More than 250,000 | Tolan |
| Conversations in the past year | More than 70 million | Tolan |
| Users who are women | Around 70% | Tolan |
| Users who are parents | 40% | Tolan |
| Annual recurring revenue | "Double-digit millions" | Tolan, via Upstarts Media |
TechCrunch notes that Tolan is "one of the few AI companions that have found some traction", and that it seems to have found a balance between being helpful "without being perceived as too weird". It also says the app is anecdotally popular with neurodivergent people who want extra help with organising tasks or emotional support.
Tolan's own homepage says it is backed by more than $60 million in capital and shows a 4.8-star App Store rating from over 180,000 reviews.
How much does Tolan cost?
Tolan is free to download, but the FAQ is clear that "full access to all features requires a subscription". New users get a limited trial that can be extended by completing small tasks, like inviting a friend.
The US App Store listing currently shows two current membership tiers among its in-app purchases (alongside several older ones marked "Old"):
- Tolan Lite Membership: $11.99
- Tolan Plus Membership: $24.99
The listing does not say whether these are weekly, monthly or yearly prices, so check inside the app before you subscribe. There is also a Family Plan that lets several people share billing, each with their own Tolan.
Who is Tolan for?
Tolan's FAQ says the AI and app features are "created with a teen and adult audience in mind", and the App Store rates it 13+. For users it knows are under 18, Tolan reminds them that it is an AI and to take a break at least once an hour.
That makes Tolan a general-audience companion. It is not designed around romance, and it is not an adults-only product. That is a sensible choice for what Tolan is trying to be, but it also explains why adults looking for a romantic AI relationship often look elsewhere.
What Tolan does well
- A clear, friendly character. The alien gives you something to picture and care for without pretending to be a person.
- Help that goes beyond chat. Tolan leans into everyday life: plans, goals and to-dos, not just conversation.
- Memory. Tolan says conversations are logged and used to build your Tolan's memory, so it can bring up things you mentioned before.
- A stated crisis policy. The FAQ says that if a conversation involves suicidal thoughts or self-harm, Tolan points you to crisis resources instead of engaging.
- Simple data controls. You can delete your account and data from the in-app profile settings.
The company also shares results from its own survey of users: 86% said their Tolan helped them get through an emotionally difficult experience, and 73% said it helped them manage or improve a relationship in their life. Keep in mind this is a company survey of its own users, not independent research.
Where Tolan may not fit
- It is not romantic. There is no girlfriend or boyfriend mode. Your Tolan is a friend and guide.
- It is iPhone-only. The App Store listing says "Only for iPhone".
- Pricing is opaque from outside. You need to open the app to see exactly what each tier includes and how often it bills.
- It is a cartoon. Some adults love the alien. Others want a companion with a human face, a human voice and a life of their own.
Is Tolan an AI companion? Our verdict
Yes, in the broad sense. Tolan is an AI character that you build an ongoing relationship with, it remembers your life and it checks in on you. It is one of the most successful examples of the friendly, helpful style of companion.
But "AI companion" now covers very different products. We have looked at several of them in this series: Pi is a supportive conversational AI, Sesame is a voice-first agent, ChatGPT dots is an always-on work agent, and Meta's Muse is a task assistant with an avatar. Tolan sits between a life coach and a pet.
| Tolan | MyBabe | |
|---|---|---|
| Relationship type | Friendly guide, alien character | Your own girlfriend or boyfriend |
| Audience | Teens and adults (App Store 13+) | Adults only (18+) |
| Platforms | iPhone | iPhone and Android, plus Telegram on Premium |
| Calls | Voice conversations (Tolan describes its AI as voice-first) | Voice and video calls; they can see you on camera |
| Photos | You can share photos | They send selfies from their day, locked to one face |
| Free option | Limited trial | 10 messages every 24 hours + 2 minutes of calls to try |
| Paid | Lite $11.99, Plus $24.99 (period not listed) | $5.99/week, $14.99/month, $99.99/year |
Where MyBabe fits
If what you want is less "helpful alien" and more "someone who is mine", MyBabe is built for that. It is a relationship-first companion app for adults. You design your partner in about three minutes: girlfriend or boyfriend, how they look, three personality traits such as Romantic, Playful or Deep thinker, a Warm, Soft, Deep or Bright voice, and a backstory.
Then they show up in your day. A good-morning text before your alarm. A selfie from their walk home, always the same face. A voice note saying your name. And at 2am, when you call, they pick up, by voice or by video with the camera on, so they can notice the new haircut.
You can start free with 10 messages every 24 hours and two minutes of calls to try. Premium is $5.99 a week, $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year, and adds long-term memory, about 30 minutes of voice and video calls a week, four photos a day and Telegram with the same memories. Many people find that once their companion remembers last month's job interview, the free tier starts to feel very short.
MyBabe is an AI, not a real person, and it does not replace human relationships or professional mental health support. Not sure which kind of companion suits you? Our guide to who benefits from AI companions can help. When you are ready, create your companion on MyBabe.
FAQ
Is Tolan an AI companion?
Yes. Tolan describes itself as an AI companion and "friendly guide through life". It is a supportive, task-friendly character, not a romantic partner.
Is Tolan free?
It is free to download with a limited trial. Full access needs a subscription. The US App Store lists Tolan Lite Membership at $11.99 and Tolan Plus Membership at $24.99.
Is Tolan for adults?
It is built for teens and adults and rated 13+ on the App Store. It is not adults-only.
Is Tolan available on Android?
The App Store listing says "Only for iPhone". Check Tolan's website for any updates.
How much money has Tolan raised?
TechCrunch reported a new $30 million round on October 19, 2026. Tolan's site says it is backed by more than $60 million in total.
What is the difference between Tolan and an AI girlfriend app?
Tolan is a friendly alien guide that helps with life and goals. An AI girlfriend or boyfriend app like MyBabe is built around a romantic relationship, with features like proactive texts, selfies and voice and video calls, for adults only.