Best Memoji Apps for iPhone: 7 Alternatives Worth Trying

Quick comparison: Best Memoji apps and alternatives at a glance

Pick an avatar app based on whether you want quick sticker packs, 3D models, or a character that functions outside iOS Messages. Apple locks Memoji to its own hardware, forcing mixed-device friend groups to look elsewhere.

Full disclosure: we make Bobble, which is in this guide. We tell you who each app fits, including when it is not us.

1. Apple Memoji: The default iOS standard in Messages

Memoji lives directly inside iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Using the front TrueDepth camera, it mirrors your exact facial movements during FaceTime calls and records voice clips.

Best for: Anyone with an iPhone who wants zero setup and instant sticker reactions inside iMessage.

Apple ties the tracking software directly into its hardware sensors. You can build multiple looks, add accessories like glasses or hats, and paste stickers straight into group chats. If you are starting out, our guide on how to make a Memoji on iPhone covers every customization setting.

Watch out: If you text friends on Android, your animated clips arrive as basic compressed video files rather than interactive stickers, and you cannot customize or create a new character without access to an actual Apple device.

Platforms: iOS, iPadOS. Price: Free built-in. Minimum age: 13. Learn more at the Apple App Store listing.

2. Bitmoji: The go-to for Snapchat stickers and friend poses

Bitmoji turns your face into hundreds of custom 2D illustrations. You can start with a quick selfie or tune sliders manually.

Best for: Group chats split between iPhone and Android, especially if your crew lives inside Snapchat.

Friendmoji makes the app distinct. Connect your account with a friend, and the app automatically generates two-person stickers featuring both of your characters together. It sits inside the default keyboard on iOS and Android, so you can paste images into WhatsApp, iMessage, or Instagram DMs.

Watch out: The art remains flat 2D cartooning. You get no live tracking in video calls.

Platforms: iOS, Android. Price: Free with optional cosmetic tokens. Minimum age: 13. Download on the Bitmoji App Store page.

3. Zepeto: Deep customization for full 3D avatar outfits

Naver Z designed Zepeto as a digital playground where your character is an articulated 3D model. You can style your avatar with streetwear, enter virtual photo booths, and hang out in online rooms.

Best for: Users who want deep fashion customization, custom poses, and anime-styled 3D characters.

The clothing catalog is massive. You can pose alongside friends, export transparent PNG cutouts for your profile picture ideas, and shoot short video clips using premade virtual sets.

Watch out: Monetization is aggressive. Most trending digital garments require paid in-app currency called Zems.

Platforms: iOS, Android. Price: Free with in-app purchases. Minimum age: 13. Download via the Zepeto App Store page.

Where Bobble fits: Interactive 3D heads on your Lock Screen and Dynamic Island

Bobble turns you and your friends into 3D bobbleheads from a single selfie. Your crew sits right at the top of your phone instead of hiding inside a sticker menu. Glance at your screen to see live statuses like sleeping, working out, or listening to music, without broadcasting location pins on a map.

Best for: A close crew that wants passive connection without scrolling a social feed.

Watch out: Dynamic Island features require an iPhone 14 Pro or newer, and access runs through TestFlight while in beta.

Try it: make your Bobble →

4. Ready Player Me: Cross-platform 3D avatars for virtual spaces

A quick selfie in your mobile browser generates an exportable 3D figure. Ready Player Me works as an open identity across thousands of independent games, VR spaces, and web apps.

Best for: Gamers who want one cohesive 3D avatar that transfers between web apps, virtual reality, and mobile worlds.

Instead of locking your digital look into a proprietary chat app, Ready Player Me allows you to download your complete 3D model file so that you can import your likeness into independent game engines and virtual worlds. Check our guide on Ready Player Me alternatives for similar developer tools.

Watch out: This is a developer asset system. It lacks a quick sticker keyboard for everyday texting.

Platforms: Web, iOS, Android. Price: Free. Minimum age: 13. Check details on the in3D App Store listing.

5. Avatoon: Cartoon style avatars and custom sticker packs

Avatoon maps your facial proportions from a selfie into an illustrated sticker set. Once generated, you can refine eyebrows, nose shape, and hair colors by hand.

Best for: Creating colorful, hand-drawn aesthetic stickers for WhatsApp and social media bios.

The app produces hundreds of daily reaction stickers, holiday templates, and text bubbles. You can also drop your avatar into real photos for phone wallpapers or stories.

Watch out: Aggressive subscription paywalls pop up constantly.

Platforms: iOS, Android. Price: Free with subscription options. Minimum age: 13. Download on the Avatoon App Store page.

6. Emoji Me Sticker Maker: Animated face emojis made for iMessage

Emoji Me generates animated GIF stickers for your iPhone keyboard. You build your likeness with detailed hair, accessory, and expression tools, then export animations directly into your messages.

Best for: iPhone users looking for animated reactions similar to Memoji that send across non-Apple devices as standard GIFs.

The movements range from cheerful dances to dramatic facepalms. Because the platform exports standard GIF formats directly through your keyboard, friends who receive your texts on Android can view the full animation without encountering platform bugs, display errors, or ugly compression issues.

Watch out: Visual assets look older and clunkier than modern 3D models.

Platforms: iOS. Price: Free with in-app purchases. Minimum age: 13. Download via the Emoji Me App Store page.

7. Mirror: Instant emoji stickers generated straight from a selfie

Mirror uses facial recognition to turn a single camera snap into an entire sticker library. It automatically generates both an anime face and a classic cartoon profile.

Best for: Anyone who wants custom emoji stickers in seconds without adjusting face sliders.

You get meme templates, romantic stickers, and holiday themes immediately. Two users can also scan their faces to generate shared celebration cards.

Watch out: Computer vision makes mistakes. You often need to fix skin tones or hair textures manually.

Platforms: iOS, Android. Price: Free with VIP subscription tiers. Minimum age: 13. Download on the Mirror App Store page.

How to pick the right avatar app for you and your friends

Base your decision on where your friend group talks and what style matches your group chat.

For native iMessage reactions

If everyone in your circle uses an iPhone, Apple Memoji is the cleanest choice. It requires no extra downloads, mirrors your expressions using hardware sensors, and lives inside your keyboard tray.

For cross-platform friend groups

When half your chat runs Android, Memoji fails. Bitmoji and Avatoon supply third-party keyboards that send identical stickers whether you post on WhatsApp, SMS, or Discord.

For dynamic 3D presence

If you want a modern 3D avatar from a selfie that does more than sit flat in a sticker drawer, full 3D characters provide real depth. Zepeto lets you explore virtual rooms, while Bobble anchors your friends directly on your Dynamic Island and Lock Screen.