Last updated October 2026

Best Character.AI alternatives in 2026

Character.AI scores 6.2 out of 10 in our review. Here are 8 apps like it, 7 with a free plan, with what each does better and what you give up.

Why people look for alternatives to Character.AI

  • Filed for bankruptcy in October 2026, and the app may be shut down
  • Sexual content is banned, and filters interrupt romantic roleplay
  • The free plan has ads and slow mode at busy times

Read the Character.AI review →

Character.AI and its alternatives by overall score
  1. Character.AI6.2
  2. SweetDream AI10.0
  3. Talkie6.1
  4. Kindroid7.6
  5. AI Peeps6.8
  6. SpicyChat AI6.8
  7. CamSoda AI5.7
  8. Nomi7.5
  9. PolyBuzz5.8

Apps like Character.AI compared

FeatureScorePrice fromCheapest per monthFree planAdult contentMemoryVoice callsImage generationMobile app
Character.AI6.2$4.99/mo$4.99YesNot allowed6.0YesYesYes
Talkie6.1$9.99/mo$4.17YesNot allowed4.0NoYesYes
Kindroid7.6$13.99/mo* Price from a third-party source, not confirmed on the official site.$11.67NoAllowed (18+)8.5YesYesYes
AI Peeps6.8$8.99/mo$7.49YesAllowed (18+)6.0YesYesNo
SpicyChat AI6.8$5.95/mo$5.00YesAllowed (18+)7.0NoYesNo
CamSoda AI5.7$9.99/mo* Price from a third-party source, not confirmed on the official site.$2.49YesAllowed (18+)5.0LimitedYesNo
Nomi7.5$15.99/mo$8.33YesAllowed (18+)8.5YesYesYes
PolyBuzz5.8$9.90/mo* Price from a third-party source, not confirmed on the official site.$8.25YesNot allowed5.0YesYesYes

Apps to consider instead

SweetDream AI is our BEST and comes first by editorial choice; it scores 10.0/10 on the same criteria as every other app. The others are picked for how closely they match Character.AI and what they do better.

  1. Talkie

    Character roleplay · A vast free catalog of safe-for-work characters

    6.1/10

    Closest match

    Talkie scores 6.1 to Character.AI's 6.2. Stronger on customization, images & voice, value for money, and privacy & safety. Weaker on conversation and memory.

    Better than Character.AI

    • Better images & voice: 7.0 vs 6.0
    • Better customization: 8.0 vs 7.5
    • Costs less: about $4.17 vs $4.99 a month

    Trade-offs vs Character.AI

    • Weaker memory: 4.0 vs 6.0
    • Weaker conversation: 6.5 vs 7.0
    • Voice calls: no

    Talkie vs Character.AI →

  2. Kindroid

    AI companion · Power users who want full control and video calls

    7.6/10

    Higher score

    Kindroid scores 7.6 to Character.AI's 6.2. Stronger on conversation, memory, customization, images & voice, and privacy & safety. Weaker on value for money.

    Better than Character.AI

    • Better memory: 8.5 vs 6.0
    • Better images & voice: 8.5 vs 6.0
    • Allows adult content
    • Video

    Trade-offs vs Character.AI

    • Weaker value for money: 5.0 vs 6.0
    • Costs more: about $11.67 vs $4.99 a month
    • No free plan

    Kindroid vs Character.AI →

  3. AI Peeps

    AI girlfriend app · Roleplayers who want deep character creation, imports and video

    6.8/10

    Better privacy & safety

    AI Peeps scores 6.8 to Character.AI's 6.2. Stronger on customization, images & voice, value for money, and privacy & safety. Weaker on conversation.

    Better than Character.AI

    • Better images & voice: 8.0 vs 6.0
    • Better privacy & safety: 6.0 vs 4.0
    • Allows adult content
    • Video

    Trade-offs vs Character.AI

    • Weaker conversation: 6.0 vs 7.0
    • Costs more: about $7.49 vs $4.99 a month
    • No mobile app
  4. SpicyChat AI

    Character roleplay · Adult roleplay with rich tools and flat pricing

    6.8/10

    Free plan

    SpicyChat AI scores 6.8 to Character.AI's 6.2. Stronger on memory, customization, value for money, and privacy & safety.

    Better than Character.AI

    • Better customization: 9.0 vs 7.5
    • Better memory: 7.0 vs 6.0
    • Allows adult content
    • Long-term memory

    Trade-offs vs Character.AI

    • Voice calls: no
    • No mobile app
  5. CamSoda AI

    AI girlfriend app · Cam-site fans who want a visual, token-based AI girlfriend

    5.7/10

    Lower price

    CamSoda AI scores 5.7 to Character.AI's 6.2. Stronger on images & voice. Weaker on conversation, memory, and customization.

    Better than Character.AI

    • Better images & voice: 6.5 vs 6.0
    • Costs less: about $2.49 vs $4.99 a month
    • Allows adult content
    • Video

    Trade-offs vs Character.AI

    • Weaker conversation: 5.5 vs 7.0
    • Weaker memory: 5.0 vs 6.0
    • No mobile app
  6. Nomi

    AI companion · Long-term memory and natural conversation

    7.5/10

    Allows 18+ content

    Nomi scores 7.5 to Character.AI's 6.2. Stronger on conversation, memory, images & voice, value for money, and privacy & safety.

    Better than Character.AI

    • Better memory: 8.5 vs 6.0
    • Better value for money: 8.0 vs 6.0
    • Allows adult content
    • Video

    Trade-offs vs Character.AI

    • Costs more: about $8.33 vs $4.99 a month
    • Community characters: no
  7. PolyBuzz

    Character roleplay · Casual, mostly family-friendly character chat with voice and images

    5.8/10

    Similar app

    PolyBuzz scores 5.8 to Character.AI's 6.2. Stronger on images & voice. Weaker on conversation, memory, and value for money.

    Better than Character.AI

    • Better images & voice: 7.0 vs 6.0

    Trade-offs vs Character.AI

    • Weaker conversation: 6.0 vs 7.0
    • Weaker memory: 5.0 vs 6.0
    • Costs more: about $8.25 vs $4.99 a month

    PolyBuzz vs Character.AI →

Character.AI alternatives: questions and answers

What is the best Character.AI alternative?

By our scores, SweetDream AI is the highest-rated alternative at 10.0/10.

Is there a free Character.AI alternative?

Yes, these alternatives have a free plan: SweetDream AI, Talkie, AI Peeps, SpicyChat AI, CamSoda AI, Nomi, and PolyBuzz. Free limits vary a lot between apps.

Which Character.AI alternative is cheapest?

CamSoda AI costs the least, about $2.49 a month on its cheapest plan, compared with about $4.99 a month for Character.AI.

Which Character.AI alternative has better memory?

SweetDream AI scores 10.0/10 for memory, compared with 6.0/10 for Character.AI.

Is there a Character.AI alternative that allows adult content?

Yes, these alternatives allow adult content for users who are 18 or older: SweetDream AI, Kindroid, AI Peeps, SpicyChat AI, CamSoda AI, and Nomi.

Which Character.AI alternative is best for privacy?

SweetDream AI has the best privacy score of these apps, 10.0/10, compared with 4.0/10 for Character.AI.