Preparing to have a difficult conversation at work
“I wanted to find a good time to talk about something that has been on my mind. Do you have 15 minutes this week?”
tonenA Replika alternative built for real conversations with real people
Replika gives you an AI companion to chat with. tonen gives you the scripts, tone guidance, and practice tools you need to handle the human conversations that are actually hard — at work, with family, in social situations.
7-day free trial. iOS only. No credit card required.
Replika vs tonen
They both involve conversation — but for very different purposes.
| Replika | tonen | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary use | AI companion for emotional support chat | Preparation for real human conversations |
| Built for neurodivergent adults | General audience | Autistic adults, ADHD, social anxiety specifically |
| Real-world conversation scripts | Not the purpose | 188 scripts for specific real-life moments |
| Tone guidance | Not included | Decode messages received, check tone before sending |
| Practice mode | Chat with AI persona | Rehearse a specific upcoming conversation privately |
| Social skills transfer | Practice is with AI, not humans | Preparation transfers directly to real interactions |
| iOS price | Free + Replika Pro subscription | 7-day free trial, then £4.99/month |
When tonen makes more sense than Replika
You want to improve real-world communication
Chatting with an AI companion practices a type of conversation that is quite different from the high-stakes interactions that are actually difficult — requests at work, setting limits, navigating conflict, handling ambiguous tone. tonen prepares you for those specifically.
You are autistic, have ADHD, or social anxiety
tonen is built for the specific communication challenges that come with neurodivergent processing. Replika serves a general audience looking for companionship. If your goal is navigating real social and professional situations, tonen is more directly relevant.
You need to understand the tone of messages you receive
One of the hardest parts of social communication for many neurodivergent adults is decoding whether a message is neutral, passive aggressive, or something else. tonen has tone guidance built in; Replika does not.
You want practice that transfers to real interactions
tonen's private practice mode lets you rehearse a specific conversation — the one happening tomorrow, the message you need to send today. That preparation transfers directly. General AI chat is a different skill set.
Scripts you get with tonen
Setting a boundary with someone who pushes back
“I understand you see it differently. I am still not able to do this — that is where I am.”
Asking for what you need without over-explaining
“I would find it easier to have this in writing. Could you send a quick summary?”
Exiting a social situation that has gone on too long
“I need to head off, but this has been really good. Let us do this again.”
Try tonen free for 7 days
188 scripts for real situations. Tone guidance. Private practice. Calm Kit. No credit card required to start.
iOS only. Android coming soon.