Candy AI Review: Chat, Generators and Shorts, Checked

What is Candy AI?

An AI companion service for adults. Its menu has Chat, Shorts, a Collection, an image generator, a character creator, “My AI” for the characters you make, and Private Content. Candy AI’s terms describe it as a chat application that uses AI to generate virtual, fictional characters, plus images, videos and voice notes made on demand.

What can you do for free?

The Help Center lists the free tier, and it is short:

• 5 chat messages in total, across all characters;
• one custom character;
• one generated image.

Candy Shorts is more generous: in all 173 series a guest can open, the first episode plays without an account and the second with a free one.

What does Premium add?

Unlimited text chat and 100 tokens a month, plus 18+ image and video generation, your own custom characters and the full Live Action experience, according to the plans page. Tokens pay for the extras: image and video generation, custom characters, voice messages, voice calls (in beta), private content packs and locked Shorts episodes. Regular chatting doesn’t cost tokens once you subscribe.

The plans, as shown on October 26, 2026: $3.99 a month for 12 months (billed $47.88), $8.99 a month for 3 months, or $9.99 for the first month, then $13.99. The prices page has the details.

Candy Shorts: the part to try first

It is the easiest part of Candy AI to judge without paying. The catalogue had 190 series on October 27, 2026, most of them 5 episodes long, and you can watch the first two of almost any series for free. Our episode guide lists every series with what is free and what the rest costs.

Where Candy AI falls short

• The free chat ends fast: 5 messages in total, not per character.
• Tokens are extra: 100 a month go quickly if you generate videos or unlock many episodes.
• The monthly plan renews at $13.99 after a $9.99 first month.
• Refunds are narrow: 24 hours, 20 tokens used at most, card payments only.
• There is no native app, only a web app you add to your home screen.
• The 17 Spicy Shorts series are hidden from guests and need Premium from episode 1: there is no free way to try them.

Who is it for?

Adults who want AI companion chat, and who like the idea of short, bingeable stories alongside it. If you only want to watch, Candy Shorts’ free episodes are a fair test. If you want a free chatbot, the 5-message limit makes the free tier a demo rather than a plan.

Our call

Try Shorts first, because it costs nothing to see two episodes of a series. Treat Premium as a chat subscription that also unlocks Shorts, and pick the plan length knowing that it renews.