What it is
Exile Companion is a mobile iOS and Android app developed by AES Tech AB (independent Swedish studio, no GGG affiliation) bundling several tools: camera-based OCR for item price checks, currency tracker with charts, interactive campaign guide with progress tracking, and waystone scanner to flag dangerous mods.
Freemium model: the app is free with ads, and offers in-app purchases to remove ads — $0.99/month, $9.99/year, or $24.99 lifetime. The latest published version at verification time (5.2.1) is from April 2025, with 4.5 stars across 121 ratings.
Supports PoE 1 and PoE 2. Available in eight languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Korean, Russian, and Japanese.
What problem it solves
For console players (PS5, Xbox), there are no overlays. For PC players with a single monitor, alt-tabbing constantly breaks the flow. Exile Companion attacks both cases from the phone: point the camera at the item on screen, OCR detects the mods, you see an estimated price.
It also serves as a secondary reference while you play: the campaign guide on your phone avoids breaking your main screen flow when you need to check what quest comes next, and the waystone scanner heads off mapping deaths by evaluating dangerous mods.
For Spanish-speaking audiences the real differentiator is native Spanish — few PoE tools are translated.
Differentiation
Versus PC overlays (POE Overlay, Sidekick): overlays are faster because they don't require switching devices. Exile Companion is slower per scan, but it's the only option for console players and PC players without a second monitor.
Versus poe.ninja in mobile browser: Exile Companion has OCR (point the camera, automatic). The poe.ninja browser requires typing the item name — much higher friction.
Versus an official GGG app (a PoE Companion for PoE 2, if it existed): there's no official PoE 2 app at the moment. Exile Companion fills that gap.
What people use it for
Console players: the strongest use case. Overlays don't work on PS5/Xbox, so the phone is the only path for fast price-check.
PC players with a single monitor: instead of alt-tabbing, you scan with the phone. Keeps the game window in focus.
Currency tracking while planning builds offline: on the bus, at lunch, you open the app and check prices to decide what shopping list to set up when you return.
Waystone verification before hardcore runs: even with a PC overlay, a second opinion from the mobile scanner reduces judgment errors.
Spanish-language reading of the campaign guide: Spanish-speaking players who prefer to read the campaign in their native language without opening a separate browser tab.
Who it's not for
If you play on PC with two monitors and already use an overlay, Exile Companion is redundant.
If freemium with paywalls bothers you, know that the free version has ads and some features may be gated. Three pricing tiers are offered.
If you play SSF, there's no trade — the strongest feature (OCR price check) doesn't apply.
If you have an old phone or low-quality camera, OCR may consistently fail. Reviewers mentioned camera issues in earlier versions that the dev addressed, but old hardware still suffers.
How to use it in practice
- Download Exile Companion from the App Store (iOS) or Google Play (Android).
- Pick a language at setup (Spanish available).
- For price check: open the camera inside the app, aim at the on-screen item, wait for OCR to process, see the result.
- For currency: open the Currency tab, see the price and trend table.
- For the campaign: Campaign tab, mark progress, read next steps.
- For waystones: similar to items — aim the camera, OCR identifies mods, flags dangerous ones.
- If you want it without ads: in-app purchase of $0.99/month, $9.99/year, or $24.99 lifetime.
Honest limitations
OCR isn't perfect. It works well with good lighting and a glare-free monitor. Results can be inaccurate if the image is blurry or the item has rare mods the OCR doesn't parse well.
Device-switching friction. As fast as the app is, picking up the phone for every item adds seconds compared to a PC overlay with a hotkey. For PC players with an ideal setup, the classic overlay wins.
Closed source. AES Tech AB doesn't publish the code. If that bothers you, open-source alternatives (Sidekick, exiled-exchange-2) are preferable on PC.
Ads in the free version. The free experience includes ads. Expect interruptions unless you pay.
Updates depend on the studio. AES Tech AB is independent and updates roll out at a small-studio cadence. PoE 2 patch changes can lag days or weeks until the app catches up.
Doesn't replace overlays for intense mapping. For map clearing at speed, scanning every rare with a phone is impractical. It's for one-off drops, not volume farming.
How to start
Download Exile Companion from the App Store or Google Play. Configure the language to Spanish if you want. First time, explore the four tabs (items, currency, campaign, waystones) to get a feel for what each does.
Test OCR on a simple item (a magic with two mods) to validate that your camera and lighting are sufficient. If the first scan works well, the setup is fine; if it fails, adjust the phone position relative to the monitor or use the app in better lighting.
If you want it ad-free, evaluate how often you play PoE. The $24.99 lifetime amortizes if you play several leagues; the monthly only makes sense if you play occasionally.