**Long-term memory** is the companion's stored context about you that is supposed to survive closing the app: your name, what you already told it, and the relationship frame.
It is not the same as the model's short context window (how much of the current chat it can see). A product can have a long context window and still reset your persona next week if it does not write durable memories.
Why it changes the pick
- If continuity is the job, do not start with the overall girlfriend leaderboard.
- Free plans often disable or shrink memory (AnyConversation's free card says no long-term memory).
- Privacy: stored memory is stored personal data. Read deletion rules before you share a real name or address.