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Field diary · 10 min · 2026.09

37 paid accounts later

The notes we did not have at the start: memory beats personality, sibling brands share a checkout, intro prices have a calendar, and apps die.

Lab journal · 2026-09-15 · Updated September 2026 · 10 min

37 paid accounts later — original Decody lab still

After 37 paid accounts and $428 this cycle, the notes we wish we had on day one: memory beats personality sliders, sibling brands share a checkout, intro prices have a calendar, and a 12-second video demo is how a $4 year becomes a $50 month.

1. Memory beats personality sliders

Every landing page sells a vibe: shy, dominant, anime, girl-next-door. After three days the only question that mattered was whether she mentioned Marlowe without being asked. Candy did. Swipey did not. That is most of the ranking. Protocol: here.

2. Apps die. Sibling brands do not tell you they are siblings.

DreamGF, DreamBF, and eHentai share a Romanian checkout. Buying all three is not diversification. It is one company with costumes. Who owns what.

3. The sticker is a costume

$3.99 Candy. $4 JOI. $5.99 DreamGF year one. Moderate media users do not live there. Tokens, Neurons, Chips, renewal cliffs. True-cost sheet.

4. Video is a trap with a demo

Dream Clips and Live Action look like the future in a 12-second demo. They are. They are also how a cheap annual plan becomes a $50 month. We made our own stills reel so we could talk about identity lock without stealing a platform’s clip: image and video lab.

5. Free is a test drive

Free tiers exist so you can feel the writer. Unblurred images, voice, and video are the product they sell after you are hooked. Start free. Do not plan a relationship on it. Free list.

6. Do not put a real person in the generator

The category’s original sin. We will not rank you a workaround. Privacy and the line.

7. Keep the receipt

EverAI on the statement is discretion. DreamAI’s year-two invoice is a calendar event. If a review site will not print the billing name, it is not a review site.

Primer if you are new: what an AI girlfriend actually is. Comparison if you are choosing: Candy vs Ourdream vs JOI.

FAQ

What is the biggest mistake people make buying AI girlfriends?
Believing the annual sticker is the price, and buying two sibling brands thinking they are independent companies.

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