Neku is a character creator app designed to help you make custom anime-style avatars. I've been using Neku for a few months now to design profile pictures for my social media. It's a free app you can download on google play and the app store. From what I've seen on google play, it has over a million installs, which is pretty popular for this kind of app. You don't need to register to start using it, which I really like because you can jump right in. The core download and install are free, and you get a good set of tools to begin with. There are in app purchases if you want more hairstyles, outfits, or accessories, and I've noticed some occasional ads, but they aren't too intrusive.

Using the app is straightforward. After you install Neku, you start with a base character and then customize everything. You can change the face shape, eyes, hair, and clothes by just tapping on different options. My tip is to play with the color sliders for hair and eyes; you can get some really unique shades that way. I spend most of my time mixing and matching the huge wardrobe. It feels like playing dress-up but for a digital OC. I usually save my creations directly to my phone's gallery to use as icons. The interface is simple, so even if you're not an artist, you can make something cool pretty fast.

Compared to other avatar apps like Picrew or Gacha Club, I keep coming back to Neku. Picrew has tons of styles but they're made by different artists, so it's not one unified tool. Gacha Club is more for game-style characters and storytelling. Neku sits nicely in the middle for me. It's specifically for creating a single, detailed anime OC character without the extra game mechanics. The art style in Neku is consistent and really clean, which I prefer. For just making a cool picture to represent yourself online, I find Neku on google play to be the quickest and most satisfying option.

• 🎨 Massive customization for anime OCs: From dozens of eye types to layered clothing, the depth here beats more basic avatar makers. A similar app might offer 10 hairstyles; Neku feels like it has 50.
• 🖌️ Intuitive layer-based editing: You can adjust items like glasses or necklaces independently, similar to pro apps but simplified. Other character creators often lock accessories to specific layers.
• 📱 One-touch export and sharing: Once your OC is done, saving and sharing is instant. Compared to some apps that watermark free exports, Neku keeps your image clean.
• 🔄 Regular content updates: The app frequently adds new themed items (like seasonal outfits), which keeps the creative options fresh long after you install it.

• 👍 The art style is super polished and cohesive, making professional-looking OCs easy. Other apps can have clashing art assets.
• 👍 It's incredibly user-friendly for a detailed creator. Apps with similar depth often have a confusing interface.
• 👍 A fantastic free starting point. You can do a lot before needing in app purchases, unlike some apps that lock basic features.

• 👎 The free version has ads that can interrupt your flow. Some competing apps offer a one-time payment to remove them.
• 👎 Certain popular clothing styles or colors are locked behind purchases. A similar app might offer more free palette choices.