Maren Cole

Apps & comparisons editor

Maren tests every AI companion app on the internet so you don't have to. She keeps spreadsheets, holds grudges against paywalls, and believes romance should never be locked behind a subscription.

Articles by Maren

• Spicy AI Chat: What It Actually Gets You in 2026What spicy AI chat really means, the apps compared honestly - filters, paywalls, per-message tolls - and how to pick the right kind of trouble.
• Parasocial Relationships With Fictional CharactersWhat a parasocial relationship actually is, why we bond with fictional characters and AI companions, when it's healthy, and when it quietly isn't.
• The Most-Searched Romance Tropes of 2026 (Data)We pulled live search volume for 48 romance tropes. Readers search by subgenre, not by trope - and the gap tells you how to find your next read.
• 7 Best Janitor AI Alternatives in 2026 (Honest Ranking)The best Janitor AI alternatives in 2026 - no API keys, no downtime roulette, no card-quality lottery. Seven options compared honestly by what they're for.
• The 7 Best Character.AI Alternatives for Romance (2026)The best Character.AI alternatives in 2026 for romance - slow burn, morally grey men, and chat that doesn't chicken out, compared honestly.
• The 6 Best AI Boyfriend Apps in 2026 (Tested & Compared)The best AI boyfriend apps of 2026, compared honestly - which do slow-burn romance, which paywall the relationship, and which are actually free.