Editorial standards

About Companion Compass

Companion Compass is an independent review site for adults comparing AI companion platforms through hands-on testing, pricing checks, and plain-language editorial judgment.

Founded 2025. Last updated April 25, 2026. Intended for adults 18+ only.

Purpose

What We Do

We test AI companion apps the way a buyer would actually use them: chat quality, memory, setup flow, image and video tools, pricing friction, and privacy trade-offs. The goal is to turn a noisy category into clear reviews, ranked guides, and side-by-side comparisons.

We preserve adult 18+ context where it matters, but our copy stays editorial and non-graphic. The practical questions are simple: what works, what costs extra, what feels trustworthy, and where should a reader start?

Methodology

How We Test and Score

Every reviewed platform goes through the same scoring structure so ratings are directly comparable. A strong review needs visible testing notes, pricing context, strengths, weaknesses, and an explanation of who the platform is best for.

  • Conversation: responsiveness, memory recall, emotional nuance, consistency, and refusal behavior.
  • Image and video: prompt adherence, likeness, artifact rate, speed, and feature depth.
  • Customization: character creation controls, editing options, personality settings, and scenario setup.
  • Value: subscription cost, free-tier limits, token systems, refund clarity, and what a paid user actually unlocks.
  • Privacy: data retention, account deletion, payment discretion, and policy transparency.
Review ownership

Meet the Review Team

Reviewer roles are kept visible so readers can see who owns each part of the testing process. We use text-only bios because there are no verified reviewer portrait assets in the site files.

Conversation testing

David

Owns the conversation-quality rubric, prompt set, memory checks, and final editorial review.

[email protected]
Image and video testing

Mike

Runs generative-media checks for prompt adherence, artifact rate, workflow friction, and output consistency.

[email protected]
Privacy and value

Conrad

Reviews pricing, free-tier limits, privacy policies, account-deletion paths, and overall buyer value.

[email protected]
Editorial policy

Editorial Independence

Some links on Companion Compass are affiliate links. Commissions help fund testing and maintenance, but they do not decide scores, rankings, or whether criticism stays on a page.

We mark affiliate links, keep disclosures close to recommendation areas, and update pages when pricing, free tiers, or product capabilities change materially.

Corrections

Corrections and Contact

If you spot an outdated price, unsupported claim, broken link, or missing disclosure, email [email protected]. Material corrections are folded into the affected page and reflected in future update notes.