Darlink AI vs Candy AI: Which One Deserves Your $13?

Verdict first: two different bets

You are comparing a polished media machine with a customization lab. Candy AI is the media machine. Darlink AI is the lab. We rate Candy.ai 9.8 out of 10 and Darlink AI – out of 10. Candy wins for most people.

Candy's strengths are concrete: sharper images, a working voice-call beta, unlimited text on every paid plan and a cancellation button that exists in Settings. Darlink's strengths are narrower: five art styles, about nine ethnicity choices, body sliders and a top-tier memory plan that holds context for 30+ days, per the company.

That last part is the catch. Darlink's best memory is locked behind the $49.99 Ultimate plan. At the $12.99 entry level, recall fades after about a day, according to one reviewer. If you want a companion who remembers your job, your ex and your dog's name, you are not getting that for thirteen dollars.

Head-to-head verdict table

Category	Darlink AI	Candy AI	Edge
Overall score	–	9.8	Candy AI
Character creation	Realistic, anime, fantasy, furry, cartoon	Realistic and anime; girls, guys	Darlink AI
Memory	Basic, Enhanced, Living (best on Ultimate)	20 slots on Premium Plus; resets reported after 48-72 hours	Darlink AI if you pay for Ultimate
Images	2 tokens each; results inconsistent	About 4 tokens each; top-tier realism	Candy AI
Video	20 tokens per short clip	Live Action; image-to-video around 12 tokens	Candy AI
Voice	6 standard voices, 10 on higher tiers	Voice messages, beta voice calls	Candy AI
Entry price	$12.99/month	$13.99/month, or $3.99/month billed yearly	Candy AI
Free tier	One character, few messages	5 messages, 1 character, 1 image	Tie (both thin)
Billing and exit	Repeated cancellation complaints	Cancel in Settings; strict refund policy	Candy AI

Who runs these platforms

Darlink AI is operated by FameLink SA, a Swiss company based in Montsevelier in the Jura region. Swiss incorporation sounds reassuring until you read the privacy policy: Darlink runs Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel on its site. It says it does not sell your data. There is no native iOS or Android app, only the mobile site.

Candy AI is run by EverAI Limited, based in Malta. Malta means GDPR applies, which gives EU and UK users a 14-day prorated refund right that US users do not get. Candy also has no native app, but its web app installs as a PWA, so you can put an icon on your home screen and skip the browser bar.

Neither company is a household name. Neither publishes model sizes or training details. One roundup claims Darlink uses 400B+ parameter models; no company confirms that, so treat it as marketing noise.

Character creation: Darlink runs away with it

Darlink gives you realistic, anime, fantasy, furry and cartoon styles. It offers about nine ethnicity choices and body sliders. Roleplay has three depth tiers: Quick Essential, Deep Advanced and Elite Ultimate. You can build a character who looks and talks like a specific idea, not a template with a wig.

Candy gives you realistic and anime, split into girls and guys. That is it. The output is gorgeous, but the range is narrow. If you want a fantasy elf or a cartoon gremlin, Candy is not the tool.

Custom characters on Candy reportedly cost about 10 tokens. Darlink does not charge separately for creation as far as its pricing page shows, but your plan's message cap and memory tier still shape what you can do with the result.

Darlink's chat and roleplay score – out of 10. Candy's memory score is 7.2. The gap in character range is wider than the gap in conversation quality.

NSFW rules and filters

Both platforms are 18+ only, and both gate NSFW content behind paid, age-verified plans. Neither is a free-for-all.

Candy bans minor-like content explicitly and reports CSAM to NCMEC. That is the floor, not a feature. Darlink requires email verification at sign-up, which slows down throwaway accounts but does not verify age beyond a checkbox and a payment method.

What you will notice in practice: Candy's filters can interrupt a scene mid-sentence. Darlink's filters are looser in the styles it supports, but the platform still polices content. If a specific kink is non-negotiable for you, test it in the first paid month before committing to a year.

Long-term memory: the real dividing line

Darlink sells three memory tiers: Basic, Enhanced and Living. Living keeps 30+ days of context, according to the company. One reviewer found Basic recall fades after about a day. That means the $12.99 Essential plan is effectively a goldfish with a nice character creator.

Candy's memory is weaker on paper and in practice. Users report chat resets after 48-72 hours. Premium Plus adds 20 memory slots and user personas, which helps, but the price is shown only at checkout. If continuity matters more than image quality, Darlink Ultimate is the only plan in this comparison that promises month-long recall.

We cover what memory actually feels like in our Secrets AI review, which is a useful benchmark for how much a companion should remember before it feels like a stranger.

Images, video and voice

Images. Darlink charges 2 tokens per image. Cheap, but results are inconsistent: hands, eyes and backgrounds can wobble. Candy charges about 4 tokens per image and delivers the best realism in this comparison. We rate Candy's images 10 out of 10. If you are here for pictures, Candy is the obvious pick.

Video. Darlink charges 20 tokens per 5-10 second clip. One tester lost about 80 tokens on failed videos, which is four clips' worth of credits gone with nothing to show. Candy's image-to-video costs about 12 tokens and its Live Action mode runs up to 120 seconds. Candy wins on both price and reliability.

Voice. Darlink offers 6 standard voices on Essential and 10 premium voices on higher tiers. Live calls are unconfirmed. Candy has voice messages and a beta voice-call feature at about 3 tokens per minute. A real-time call is a different product from a voice note, and Candy is the only one of the two with a call feature you can actually try.

Pricing and tokens: the fine print

Both platforms use a subscription plus token model. The subscription buys access and a monthly token allowance. Media burns tokens. Text usually does not, within your plan's message cap.

Plan	Price	Tokens/month	Notes
Darlink Essential	$12.99/month	100	6,000 messages, Basic recall
Darlink Advanced	$27.99/month	300	9,000 messages, Enhanced recall
Darlink Ultimate	$49.99/month	500	Unlimited messages, Living recall
Candy Premium monthly	$13.99/month	100	Unlimited text chat
Candy Premium annual	$47.88/year	100	$3.99 a month
Candy Premium Plus	Shown at checkout	330	20 memory slots, personas

Darlink advertises up to 44% annual savings. One review site lists annual prices of $119.88, $227.88 and $395.88, which work out nearer 23-34% savings. The math does not match the claim. Candy's annual plan at $47.88 a year is the cheapest way into either platform by a wide margin. Some sites still quote $12.99 as Candy's monthly price; that figure is out of date.

Tokens are where the real bill lands. Darlink's 100 tokens buy about 50 images or 5 videos. Candy's 100 tokens buy roughly 25 images or 8 video conversions. Top-ups are reported at $9.99 per 100 tokens on both. Heavy Candy media users report monthly totals of $25 to $80. If you generate daily, budget for the top-up, not the subscription.

For a deeper look at how Candy's token math plays out over a month, see our Candy.ai review.

Free tier limits

Darlink's free tier gives you limited messages and one character. It reportedly has no memory and no media generation. That is a demo, not a product.

Candy's free tier gives you 5 messages, 1 character and 1 image. Also a demo, but at least you can see one image at full quality before paying.

Neither free tier is enough to judge a companion app. Budget one paid month on whichever you choose, then decide.

Privacy, safety and billing

Darlink charges appear as DARLINK AI on your statement. Purchases are generally final, and tokens are not refunded. Darlink has a Trustpilot score of 2.6/5 from 11 reviews as of October 9, 2026, with repeated cancellation complaints. Support is reachable at [email protected]. The site runs Google Analytics and Facebook Pixel, and the policy says no data selling.

Candy charges appear as EverAI. Cancel via My Profile, then Settings, then Unsubscribe. Refunds are only within 24 hours, only if you have spent 20 tokens or fewer, and only if you paid by card. EU and UK users get a prorated 14-day refund right. Candy retains account data up to three years past your last activity. There is no end-to-end encryption on chats, and de-identified data may be used to train models.

Practical rules for both: use a unique password, avoid your real name and face photos, and assume anything you type could be read by a human moderator or used in training. Neither platform is a vault.

Who should pick which

Pick Candy AI if: you want the best-looking images, you care about voice calls, you want unlimited text chat on a cheap annual plan, or you value a cancellation path that does not require an email chain.

Pick Darlink AI if: you want fantasy, furry or cartoon characters, you need body sliders and ethnicity options, and you are willing to pay $49.99 a month for the Living memory tier. Do not pick Darlink Essential expecting continuity.

Skip both if: you want free unlimited chat. Janitor AI offers that, with janitor+ at $12.99 a month. Character AI is free with ads and a slow mode, and c.ai+ is $9.99 a month, but it is not an NSFW platform. Nomi.ai is $15.99 a month, though its free image allowance is disputed. Nastia AI claims 500+ free characters, with paid tiers at $11.99 and $15.99. Anima has iOS and Android apps, a free tier and a PRO subscription.

For a broader ranking, see our best AI companion app guide, and for a direct subscription comparison, Candy AI vs OurDream AI.

Final verdict

Candy AI wins on price, image quality, voice and a clearer exit. Darlink AI wins on character variety and long recall, but only on the $49.99 Ultimate plan. For most adults deciding between the two, Candy is the lower-risk first month.

If you try either, start with one month, cap your token top-ups, and keep proof of cancellation. Darlink's 2.6/5 Trustpilot score and its final-purchase policy are warnings, not decoration.