The Best Character.AI Alternatives in 2026: 7 Apps Compared After the Bankruptcy

Updated November 2, 2026. Prices are US App Store or official prices checked that day. Apps change fast, so check before you pay.

Looking for a Character.AI alternative? You're not alone. Character.AI filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in October 2026 and is being sold. On top of that came a year of ads, metered free use, model swaps users hated, and selfie or ID checks. Its own blog says the app keeps running for now, but also that the platform will be shut down if no viable bid arrives.

We checked every price and policy below against the apps' own pages, App Store listings and recent reporting. One disclosure up front: Cleus is our product, and it's on this list. We've tried to be straight about where it's weaker, and every other entry is judged on the same facts.

Character AI alternatives: the short version

• Want to keep your characters and chat history? Cleus imports Character.AI characters, character cards and old chat logs, and turns them into memories.
• Want the biggest library of user-made bots? Janitor AI. It's 18+ only, chatting is unlimited on the free tier, and janitor+ is $12.99 a month.
• Want full control and no monthly bill? SillyTavern. It's free, open source and runs on your own computer, but you bring your own AI model.
• Want one deep, long-term companion? Kindroid or Nomi. Both have strong memory, voice calls and selfies, at about $15.99 a month in the App Store.
• Want something cheap and casual? Talkie ($9.99 a month on iPhone) or Replika (from $7.99 a month).
• On iPhone, two big names are gone: Chai and PolyBuzz were pulled from the US App Store in October 2026. Both still work on Android and the web.

What Character.AI users actually want in an alternative

Before picking an app, it helps to know what people are leaving for. In 2026 reviews and coverage, the same complaints keep coming up:

• The filter. It's the top complaint by far. Roleplay gets cut off mid-scene, often over violence or dark themes, not just adult content.
• Model changes. In May 2026, 404 Media reported that popular models were replaced with "Pipsqueak 2". Its feedback thread drew about 1,000 mostly negative comments.
• Ads and limits. Spring 2026 brought more ads and metered free use. Waiting-room queues returned in late October: one analysis of Google Play reviews found 180 mentions of being queued in just three days.
• Age checks. Accounts flagged as possibly under 18 have to verify with a selfie or ID through Persona. Many adults find that invasive.
• Memory. Characters forget things you told them a few dozen messages ago.

So the questions to ask any alternative are: how strict is the filter, how good is the memory, what does it cost, and can I bring my characters?

The best Character.AI alternatives in 2026, compared

1. Cleus: best for bringing your Character.AI characters with you

Disclosure: this is us.

Cleus is an AI app with chat, image and video tools, and a characters section built to feel like texting a real person, with chats laid out like Instagram DMs. Its standout feature for Character.AI refugees is the import page. It accepts:

• Character.AI character data
• Tavern-style character cards (V1, V2 and V3)
• Plain pasted text

You can also paste an old chat log. Cleus summarizes it into memories, so the character remembers your history and you don't start from zero.

• What you get: characters that remember facts about you, short realistic texts (or a longer "Story mode" for scene-style roleplay), and voice notes (4 a day free, 30 a day on Premium). Characters can also text you first and send selfies, and a bond level grows as you talk. You can also call characters, and Premium adds custom character voices.
• Content: adult roleplay is allowed with adult characters. Characters marked NSFW are never listed publicly.
• Price: free credits on sign-up, and Premium is $9.95 a month. Photos and video selfies cost credits.
• Weak spots: no group chats yet. It's a web app you can install on your phone, not a native App Store app. And the public character library is much smaller than Janitor's or Character.AI's.

2. Janitor AI: best for a giant library of bots

Janitor AI is where a lot of Character.AI users ended up. Forbes reported 2.5 million daily users in May 2026, a figure that came from the company. Its library of user-made characters is enormous, and you can chat with its built-in model or connect your own provider.

• Price: chatting is unlimited on the free tier. janitor+ costs $12.99 a month or $99 a year and gives about five times more context, which means longer memory. A janitor+ Router launched in July 2026. It lets you use third-party models billed per token, without your own API key.
• Content: the service is strictly 18+. Suspected minors are banned permanently, and minor-coded characters are banned outright. Age checks through k-ID apply in Australia, Brazil and the UK.
• Weak spots: the free tier's memory is short, around 9,000 tokens by third-party estimates. Users also grumbled about an April 2026 redesign.

3. SillyTavern: best for full control

SillyTavern isn't a service; it's free, open-source software you run on your own computer (Windows, Mac, Linux, or Android through Termux). You connect it to any AI model: a paid API or one running on your own machine.

• Price: the app is free. You pay only for the model you plug in.
• Content: it has no content policy of its own, so it depends entirely on the model you connect.
• Features: group chats, personas, lorebooks (background notes the AI pulls in when they're relevant), text-to-speech, image generation, and character-card import. To get chats and bots out of Character.AI, SillyTavern's docs point to CAI Tools, a third-party browser extension.
• Weak spots: setup takes real effort, and quality depends on the model you choose.

4. Kindroid: best for one deep companion

Kindroid is built around a single companion you shape over time. Its memory system is the most detailed here. Its docs describe layers including backstory, key memories, learned context, long-term memory and journals.

• Price: Standard is $15.99 a month in the App Store ($159.99 a year), and Ultra and MAX add-ons cost more. Kindroid's site says web prices are lower.
• Free tier: effectively gone. New accounts get a one-time preview of 50 messages and 5 selfies. After that the account turns read-only unless you subscribe, though you can still export.
• Content and age: it's 18+. A paid subscription counts as age verification. Free accounts that get flagged verify with a selfie or ID through Yoti.
• Features: voice and video calls, selfies and video selfies, group chats.

5. Nomi: best companion with group chats

Nomi focuses on companions with strong memory and personality. Its homepage says the platform remains uncensored.

• Price: Standard is $15.99 a month in the App Store ($99.99 a year). A cheaper "Launch Plan" costs $9.99 a month.
• Free tier: free to start with no credit card. Nomi doesn't publish the daily limit.
• Features: short- and long-term memory, selfies and art, voice messages and real-time voice, and group chats with several companions.
• Weak spots: we only confirmed iOS and web apps. Australia's eSafety regulator said in March 2026 that none of the companion apps it reviewed, Nomi included, had meaningful age checks.

6. Talkie: best for casual chat on a budget

Talkie, from Chinese AI company MiniMax, is a casual, game-like character app. On the US App Store it's listed as Talkie Lab and rated 18+.

• Price: $9.99 a month, $49.99 a year, or $24.99 a month for Talkie+ Pro. Gems (in-app currency) cost extra.
• Free tier: yes. Third-party reviews report daily message limits and ads.
• Weak spots: its Android app was briefly pulled in April 2026 before returning in May. Details on memory are thin.

7. Replika: best for a single long-term friend

Replika is the oldest name here, with one avatar companion rather than a library of characters.

• Price: monthly plans from $7.99 to $14.99, or $49.99 to $69.99 a year (App Store).
• Features: voice calls, image generation, avatar customization, memory.
• Weak spots: it isn't built for roleplay with many characters, and in 2023 it removed erotic roleplay for accounts created after February 1 of that year. We couldn't confirm its 2026 policy. Italy's privacy regulator fined its maker €5 million in 2025 for problems with age checks and data processing.

Apps that got harder to use in 2026

A few popular names come with caveats right now:

• Chai was pulled from the US App Store on October 22, 2026. Copies already installed still work, and the Android app and website are unaffected. Chai says it has more than 10 million active users.
• PolyBuzz disappeared from the iPhone App Store on October 15, 2026 in 17 countries, with no reason given. It also bans sexual content for all users.
• SpicyChat locks adult chat behind a selfie or ID check in 26 US states and several countries, according to third-party reporting. We couldn't confirm its current prices from an official page, so it isn't ranked above.
• CrushOn.AI is web-only. We couldn't verify its prices from an official source either.

The age checks are spreading for a reason. On October 16, 2026, Apple tightened its App Review rules on intimate imagery and hidden features. New York's new AI companion law takes effect on January 1, 2027. It bars 12 companion features unless an app has confirmed the user is an adult.

How to move your Character.AI characters and chats

Don't wait for the sale to finish. Character.AI's data export can take three to four weeks, and the download link expires after seven days. For the full story on the sale and your data, read our explainer on the Character.AI bankruptcy.

Character AI alternatives FAQ

What is the best Character.AI alternative in 2026?

It depends on what you want. Janitor AI has the biggest library of user-made bots and a free tier with unlimited chats. Kindroid and Nomi are best for one deep companion. SillyTavern gives the most control for free. If you want to bring your existing characters and chat history, Cleus imports them directly.

Is there a free Character.AI alternative?

Yes. SillyTavern is free and open source, though you pay for whatever AI model you connect. Janitor AI's free tier allows unlimited chats with shorter memory. Talkie, Replika and Nomi have free tiers with limits, and Cleus gives free credits on sign-up. Kindroid no longer has a real free tier, only a one-time preview.

Which Character.AI alternative has no filter?

Several are much less restrictive. Janitor AI allows mature roleplay for adults. SillyTavern has no filter of its own and depends on the model you connect. Nomi says it remains uncensored, Kindroid's guidelines reportedly say it doesn't filter private chats, and Cleus allows adult roleplay with adult characters. Most now require age checks in some places.

Can I transfer my characters from Character.AI?

Partly. Character.AI lets you request your account data, which takes three to four weeks to arrive. Third-party tools such as the CAI Tools browser extension save characters and chats as files. Cleus's import page accepts Character.AI data, character cards and pasted chat logs, and SillyTavern reads character cards too.

Is Character.AI shutting down?

Not yet. Character.AI filed for Chapter 11 in October 2026, and the app keeps running while it is sold. Rival bids are due November 20, 2026. Its own blog says the platform will be shut down if no viable bid arrives, so back up anything you care about now.

Which Character.AI alternative has the best memory?

Kindroid documents the most detailed memory system, with backstory, key memories, learned context, long-term memory and journals. Nomi also advertises short- and long-term memory. On Janitor AI, memory depends on your plan, since janitor+ gives about five times the free context. Cleus turns chats and imported logs into saved memories.

Are Character.AI alternatives safe?

They vary. Check who runs the app, where your chats are stored, and whether you can delete or export your data. Regulators have flagged several companion apps for weak age checks and poor handling of self-harm conversations. Avoid sharing real names, addresses or financial details with any character, on any app.

Which Character.AI alternatives work on iPhone?

As of November 2, 2026, Character.AI, Janitor AI, Kindroid, Nomi, Talkie and Replika are on the US App Store. Chai and PolyBuzz were removed in October 2026. Cleus runs in the browser and can be installed on an iPhone's home screen from Safari.

Cleus is an uncensored AI for chat, characters, images and video. You can ask it any of these questions and get an answer from the latest sources.

Sources

• An update on Character.AI and the Character.AI blog
• Your chatbot just went bankrupt: what happens now to your user data (KQED)
• Character.AI bankruptcy: 163 million users (Tech Insider)
• Character.AI keeps $21.7M bid floor (PPC Land)
• "Lobotomized" Character.AI (404 Media)
• Character.AI waiting-room reviews analysis (Unstar)
• App Store listings: Character.AI, Janitor, Kindroid, Nomi, Talkie Lab, Replika
• Janitor AI help: minor-related content, age verification; Janitor AI draws 2.5 million daily users (Implicator, citing Forbes); Janitor AI pricing (Arcanum)
• SillyTavern: docs, chat file management, GitHub; CAI Tools
• Kindroid docs: subscriptions, memory, age verification
• Nomi; Companion chatbots not doing enough to protect kids (Biometric Update)
• Replika; Replika news 2026
• Chai pulled from the App Store and PolyBuzz pulled from the App Store (CompanionHunt); Chai Research
• What happened to Talkie (iTechGuides); SpicyChat age verification (RoboRhythms)
• Apple developer news; New York S9051-B