How DarLink AI is reviewed

A working document that describes how the main DarLink AI page is researched, sourced and kept current. Every material claim traces back to one of the source categories below. If a claim on this site does not, that is a bug and it goes on the correction log at the editorial policy page.

Source hierarchy

Sources are ranked. Higher-ranked ones override lower ones when they conflict. Ranked from heaviest to lightest:

1. Primary platform materials. The darlink.ai homepage, pricing page, terms of service, privacy policy and account settings pane. Read directly, dated to the reading day, and re-checked at each revision cycle. Anything DarLink itself publishes about DarLink is the anchor for coverage on this site.
2. DarLink public communications. Support address published on the TAAFT directory, changelog posts on the DarLink Discord bot listing, and product updates announced by the team on TAAFT. Used for feature-release dates and support turnaround claims.
3. Independent user reports. Public Trustpilot reviews at trustpilot.com/review/darlink.ai read across the last six months (both sides, unfiltered by rating), r/Chatbot comparison threads, and other user forums. Used for real behaviour reports on Living Memory by plan, video quality on V5, and coin economy pain points.
4. Third-party category coverage. Dated reviews on CompanionGuide, aigirlfriendguide, callyourgirlfriend, MariaVibe, WeavAI and AI Insights News. Used for cross-checking pricing and feature dates. Never the sole source for a claim.
5. Independent research. Peer-reviewed studies and non-profit assessments covering AI companion apps generally: MIT Media Lab, Common Sense Media, Stanford Medicine's Brainstorm Lab. Cited where relevant to safety, adolescent risk or usage patterns. Framed as the finding of that research, not as this site's own conclusion.

What gets verified in the live product

Anything that moves fast is verified against the current build before publication rather than lifted from older coverage. That covers plan pricing (Essential, Advanced, Ultimate monthly and yearly figures), the free-tier quota, NSFW toggle behaviour, coin cost per image and video, response speed by plan, voice options in the ElevenLabs list, and the character customisation flow. Direct URLs and page references sit inline in the main DarLink AI page where the claim first appears.

What gets cited to research

Anything that requires longitudinal data does not get generated on this site. That includes: population-level effects on loneliness, adolescent risk framing, addictive-use patterns, and comparative wellbeing outcomes. These are cited to research with the publication venue and sample size named inline. If a study cannot be linked to a primary source, it does not go in.

Cross-checks for pricing and feature claims

Pricing on the main page is verified against darlink.ai/pricing at the publication moment. DarLink has re-scoped its tiers and free-tier allowance more than once since launch, so every price on the site carries an implied "as of the publication date" caveat. If a reader spots a change on darlink.ai after publication, that is a valid correction: send it via the process on the editorial policy page.

Comparison methodology

The alternatives table on the main page (Candy AI, FantasyGF, CrushOn AI, Character.AI, Replika, Janitor AI) uses five comparison axes: category best fit, NSFW policy, starting price, biggest trade-off, and the platform's own advertised category. Each platform is first described in the terms it markets itself in, then re-checked against user reports of the current experience on r/Chatbot and each platform's own subreddit. Prices carry a date stamp because this category reprices often enough that an undated comparison becomes unreliable within a few months.

Freshness and revision cadence

The main DarLink AI page is re-reviewed at minimum every 90 days. Out-of-cycle updates trigger on: material pricing changes, free-tier quota changes, a new model or V-series video generator release, a fresh safety announcement from DarLink, or a plan-structure change. When a page is updated, its dateModified schema value bumps. datePublished stays immutable so the record of first publication survives across revisions.

Corrections process

Confirmed factual corrections are handled openly. Route: LinkedIn message to linkedin.com/in/melissablake1 with the claim, the correction, and a source. Verified corrections trigger three actions: edit to the affected page, entry on the correction log at the editorial policy page, and a schema dateModified bump. Turnaround target is seven working days.

What does not get done here

To pre-empt some standard misreadings of what this site does:

• No sponsored coverage. DarLink AI has not paid for placement. No competitor mentioned has either. Ad-shaped placement is disclosed on the editorial policy page if it ever becomes relevant.
• No AI-drafted final copy. Language models are used at the research stage for summarising long primary sources. The published prose is written by a human editor.
• No image manipulation beyond cropping. Screenshots reflect the app as captured.
• No clinical claims. Mental-health and behavioural framing is drawn from the cited research and reproduced with attribution, not offered as this site's medical view.
• No hidden affiliate stacking. Affiliate destinations are declared on the editorial policy page, and outbound CTAs match the platform being written about.

Conflict-of-interest scan

The editor holds no equity in DarLink AI, no equity in any competitor platform mentioned, and no equity in the affiliate networks that serve outbound links. If any of that changes, the change gets logged on the editorial policy page the same day and affected coverage is re-reviewed independently.

Where to read further

The people and structure sit on the about page. The byline is on the Melissa Blake profile. Reader terms are on the terms of service. Data handling for the site itself is on the privacy policy. Adult access rules for reading the site are on the age verification page. Federal record-keeping position is on the 2257 statement.

Last reviewed: October 6, 2026 · by Melissa Blake