Why people look for a Nomi alternative
Nomi lets you build a companion with a personality and a backstory, and its App Store listing puts long-term memory front and center. It runs in the cloud, so your messages go to a server, and the listing's privacy section names contact info, user content, identifiers and usage data as data linked to you. The reasons people give for looking elsewhere are usually about that setup: they'd rather keep conversations off a server, they want something that works without a connection, or the paid tiers (a $15.99 Standard Plan, with credit packs for extras) cost more than they want to pay. We haven't used Nomi's current version ourselves, so check its listing for the latest details.
Castmates vs. Nomi
| Castmates | Nomi | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the AI runs | On your iPhone | In the cloud |
| Works offline | Yes, after the model download | No |
| Data linked to you (App Store privacy labels) | None. No account, and chats stay on the phone | Purchases, contact info, user content, identifiers, usage data, diagnostics |
| How free use works | 30 messages a day | Free with in-app purchases: monthly plans at $9.99 and $15.99, plus credit packs |
| Voice | Voice calls that run on your iPhone (English) | Real-time voice messages |
| Images | No image generation | Selfies and art generation |
| Memory | Characters stay in role within a chat | Short and long-term memory across private and group chats |
| Format | A curated cast of 35 characters, plus your own custom characters | Companions you create, including group chats with several |
| Age rating | 18+ | 18+ on the App Store |
| App size | About 36 MB app plus a ~2 GB model download | About 7 MB |
| Languages | English | English on the App Store |
| Phone requirement | iPhone with 6 GB RAM or more | iOS 15 or later, per its listing |
Sources: our own App Store listing for the Castmates column, and Nomi's US App Store listing (app ID 6450270929), including its in-app purchase list and privacy section, both checked on 19 October 2026. Nomi's prices and plan limits change and its listing shows several tiers, so check the current numbers before you subscribe. If anything in Nomi's column is out of date, tell us at [email protected] and we'll fix it.
The honest trade-offs
- You need a recent iPhone. Castmates runs its model on the phone, which takes an iPhone with 6 GB of RAM or more and about 2 GB of free space. On an older phone, a cloud app is the better choice.
- A smaller model. A model that fits on a phone is smaller than the ones cloud services run, so replies can be less detailed and less surprising.
- Less long-term memory. Nomi's listing leads with remembering you over time. Castmates has a limited context window, so characters won't recall everything across weeks of chats.
- No photos, no group chat. Castmates doesn't make images, and you chat with one character at a time. Voice calls are English only. If you want to see your companion or chat in a group, Nomi is the stronger pick.
- A cast, not a companion you design from scratch. You get 35 written characters and can add your own, but Nomi gives you more control over one companion's details.
- English only, iPhone only. No other languages yet, and no Android or web version.
What you get instead
Every reply is generated on your iPhone, so your messages aren't sent to a server, there's no account to make, and it works in airplane mode once the model is installed. The free plan gives you 30 messages a day with the full cast and one custom character. Pro lifts the daily limit and the character cap.