Companion MapProduct comparison
Compare Friends and Tolan across shared-companion design, AI-pet roles, continuity, customization, free access, platforms and privacy.
What changes the choice
Friends includes Pengu, Mellow and Bao, each with a different social, focus or self-care role.
Tolan centers one personalized AI guide on one member, with separate Tolans for people on a family plan.
Why it matters: Friends is a small AI-pet ecosystem; Tolan is one ongoing personal guide.
Pengu is explicitly raised by two people, such as partners, friends or siblings, who shape the companion together.
Tolan can include invited people in a Cottage and offers a family plan, but each family member has an individual Tolan.
Why it matters: Friends is the clearer fit for two people who want to co-raise one companion.
The stores say companions learn from interactions, adapt to routines and unlock new behaviors. Users can change outfits, accessories, rooms and widgets.
Conversation logs generate Tolan memory, while the visual experience includes photo sharing and planet customization. Detailed memory controls are not published.
Why it matters: Friends emphasizes visible pet growth and routines; Tolan emphasizes conversational memory and one illustrated world.
Core use is free on iOS and Android, with optional Friends Plus and Pengu Pass subscriptions whose full benefits are disclosed in-product.
Tolan is iOS-only. New users receive a limited trial, while full feature access requires a subscription.
Why it matters: Friends offers the broader and more usable documented free starting point.
Official terms require age 13+, and the app includes user interaction and shared spaces. Current privacy documents still use the former Pengu branding.
The US App Store lists 12+, and Tolan documents minor-specific safeguards. Conversation logs are stored to generate memory.
Why it matters: Friends carries more social-user exposure; Tolan is more one-to-one but explicitly stores conversation history for memory.
Choose Friends if
Couples, siblings or close friends who want a shared AI pet, plus users who want focus or self-care companions.
Read the Friends profile →Choose Tolan if
One iPhone user who wants an illustrated personal guide for everyday conversation, planning, goals and reflection.
Read the Tolan profile →This comparison uses documented product information and editorial synthesis; it does not claim hands-on testing.
Apple App Store and Google Play ratings are separate, dated snapshots. They reflect storefront users, not a Companion Map score or a direct test of memory and relationship quality. Store pages and displayed figures can vary by country, and a listing may be unavailable in your current region.
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| Store | Friends | Tolan |
|---|---|---|
| Apple App Store | 4.8 out of 5238,008 ratingsUS · Checked 2026-10-01View source | 4.8 out of 5182,644 ratingsUS · Checked 2026-10-01View source |
| Google Play | 4.6 out of 5Project-owner storefront · Checked 2026-10-02View source | Not yet verifiedChecked 2026-10-01 |
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| What differs | Friends | Tolan |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | iOS, Android | iOS |
| Account required | Required | Required |
Each product profile lists its sources and verification date. Store ratings remain separate and are not used as a combined Companion Map score.