AI Companion Free-Tier Claim Verification Checklist
The word free can describe several different arrangements: access without payment, a limited allowance, a time-limited trial, or a feature that still requires account creation. This page does not state which arrangement any provider currently uses. It gives you a clean test that avoids payment, sensitive conversations, and uploads while you compare the claim with the live interface.
Fast evidence screen
| Area | Useful current evidence | Reason to pause |
|---|---|---|
| Entry requirement | The current page states whether sign-up or payment details are required | Free is displayed while checkout is unavoidable |
| Usable allowance | A balance, cap, or feature list is explained | The limit appears only after time is invested |
| Refresh rule | The interface says whether and when access returns | A countdown has no timezone or condition |
| Upgrade boundary | Paid actions are labeled before confirmation | A free action unexpectedly opens a charge flow |
Capture the exact claim
Question: What sentence uses the word free, and what nearby conditions qualify it?
Action: Record the full section and link on the date checked, not the headline alone. This action reduces guesswork; it does not prove anything beyond the current source and account state you actually observed.
Evidence: A dated excerpt that includes footnotes, buttons, and adjacent conditions. Keep the access date and enough context to understand the wording later.
Worked example: Free conversation may sit beside a note that media requires credits; preserve both parts.
Pause when: The condition is hidden behind an unrelated step or conflicts with checkout. A pause is a useful result when proceeding would require an assumption.
Test without sensitive content
Question: What can a new account actually do before payment?
Action: Use a generic prompt and no personal upload, then record visible limits and feature gates. This action reduces guesswork; it does not prove anything beyond the current source and account state you actually observed.
Evidence: A small action log with timestamps and no private content. Keep the access date and enough context to understand the wording later.
Worked example: A neutral greeting can reveal whether conversation starts without testing personal boundaries.
Pause when: The service requests payment details despite an unqualified no-payment claim. A pause is a useful result when proceeding would require an assumption.
Identify caps and reset rules
Question: Is the limit based on messages, actions, time, credits, or a one-time allowance?
Action: Copy the unit label, remaining balance, and any stated refresh time or condition. This action reduces guesswork; it does not prove anything beyond the current source and account state you actually observed.
Evidence: The current account meter and help explanation. Keep the access date and enough context to understand the wording later.
Worked example: Five actions per day differs from five starter credits that never refresh; do not combine them.
Pause when: The meter changes unpredictably or the provider will not define the unit. A pause is a useful result when proceeding would require an assumption.
Watch the upgrade boundary
Question: Does the interface label paid actions before you confirm them?
Action: Stop at every upgrade prompt and note what triggered it, what is included, and whether payment details are requested. This action reduces guesswork; it does not prove anything beyond the current source and account state you actually observed.
Evidence: A dated upgrade-screen record with personal fields hidden. Keep the access date and enough context to understand the wording later.
Worked example: Opening a media tool may be free while producing an item uses credits; record the boundary.
Pause when: The action consumes a balance or starts a trial without a clear confirmation. A pause is a useful result when proceeding would require an assumption.
Recheck the claim later
Question: Could your result depend on date, region, account age, or an experiment?
Action: Describe only what your current screen showed and repeat the check before relying on it again. This action reduces guesswork; it does not prove anything beyond the current source and account state you actually observed.
Evidence: Date, general region if relevant, account state, and exact page URL without personal identifiers. Keep the access date and enough context to understand the wording later.
Worked example: A returning account may show a different allowance than a new account; do not generalize either result.
Pause when: A provider encourages you to create multiple accounts or bypass stated limits. A pause is a useful result when proceeding would require an assumption.
Copyable checklist
Complete each line from the provider's current interface or published documents. A blank or unclear answer should remain visible in your notes.
- Save the full free claim with its nearby conditions.
- Note whether account creation or payment details are required.
- Use only generic text and no personal uploads for testing.
- Record the unit, cap, and any stated refresh rule.
- Distinguish a recurring allowance from one-time starter access.
- Stop before every payment or trial confirmation.
- Describe only the account and date you actually observed.
- Recheck because offers and interfaces can change.
Worked situations
Free until a feature opens
The main conversation may start while media, memory, or another action opens an upgrade prompt. That does not make the entire claim true or false by itself. Record exactly which action works, which does not, and what the current page promised.
Record what the current source shows, keep personal details out of the worksheet, and mark unresolved questions rather than filling them with an assumption.
Trial asks for payment details
A trial can have a zero amount today and still create a later renewal condition. Move to the payment checklist before entering details. If the trial end or next charge is unclear, do not continue.
Record what the current source shows, keep personal details out of the worksheet, and mark unresolved questions rather than filling them with an assumption.
How to record a reliable answer
Use a dated worksheet with four columns: the question, the current source, the exact answer, and what remains unknown. Prefer a live detailed policy or account control over a promotional summary. Preserve enough surrounding wording to avoid changing the meaning, but cover names, addresses, payment values, conversation text, and other personal details. A screenshot records one interface at one moment; it is not proof that the same rule applies later, in another region, or to another account.
When two sources disagree, do not choose the answer you prefer. Record the conflict and ask the provider through a contact route reached from its current account, terms, or privacy page. Keep the case number and exact response. If the answer affects payment, an upload, account access, or sensitive disclosure, wait until the conflict is resolved or choose not to proceed. Unknown is a valid worksheet result.
A calm stop rule
Pause when a required term is missing, the final confirmation differs from the earlier page, a request moves outside the documented account route, or support asks for secrets that normal support should not need. Do not send passwords, one-time codes, full payment credentials, recovery secrets, or unrelated private conversation content. Do not install unknown software or grant remote control. Return through a known official address and verify the account state independently.
Related safety checklists
Frequently asked questions
Which services are free right now?
This site does not maintain a provider list because free access changes. Use the live claim and account screen, then document exactly what works without payment today.
Does free mean unlimited?
No such assumption is safe. Look for message, time, feature, credit, or account limits and any refresh rule.
Should I enter a card for a free trial?
Only after you understand the final checkout, trial end, next charge, renewal control, and cancellation path. A zero amount today is not the full billing story.
Can I use multiple accounts to extend access?
Follow the provider's current terms. This guide does not recommend bypassing limits, and repeated accounts can create more privacy and account-control problems.