Reader tools
Field guide
A practical local worksheet for interpreting companion-product claims. It records evidence state; it does not assign a safety score.
Evidence checklist
Documented, tested, or unknown
Editable in your browser only. Nothing is submitted or retained.
Editable unit economics
Model the relationship costs you assume.
Illustrative only. It excludes payroll, tax, marketing, refunds, image/video generation, and vendor-specific terms.
Monthly revenue
Text + voice cost
Contribution before other costs
How to read the category
Continuity is not one feature.
A companion can retain setup details, retrieve selected history, expose editable memory, or simply preserve a transcript. Those are different mechanisms with different trade-offs. Record what is persistent, what is retrieved, what a person can see, and what they can correct or remove.
Build layers worth naming
Character layer: identity, instructions, and boundaries. Memory layer: short context, retrievable records, and correction controls. Interaction layer: text, voice, timing, and embodiment. Operations layer: moderation, incident response, consent, and change logs. A polished avatar does not establish the quality of the other layers.
Retention without pressure
Memory, rituals, notifications, roleplay, voice, and community can all be useful. The question is whether they preserve agency: can a person say not today, turn off a notification, inspect a recall, or pause without penalty? Do not treat a relationship mechanic as evidence of healthy outcomes without direct support.
Responsible defaults
Look for clear AI disclosure, proportionate age boundaries, real crisis routing, meaningful data controls, and an easy exit. This is a review frame, not legal, clinical, or safety advice, and it deliberately does not produce a score.
Calculator formula
What the worksheet includes
Revenue = active users × paid conversion × subscription price. Text cost = users × messages × tokens ÷ 1,000,000 × text rate. Voice cost = users × voice share × voice minutes × voice rate. Fees = revenue × store fee. Reserve = users × monthly reserve. Contribution subtracts all four costs before payroll, tax, marketing, refunds, or media generation.