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Character.AI vs Poe

Features, pricing, ratings, and pros and cons, side by side.

Verdict

Character.AI and Poe are both AI Assistants tools. Poe scores higher in FinderAtlas's editorial review (8.0 vs 7.6 out of 10). Both have a free plan or trial. Only Poe is available on Windows and macOS and offers an API.

Best overall

Poe

  • AI enthusiasts
  • Students
  • Content creators
  • Bot builders

Choose Character.AI if

  • You want a tool built for character role-play.
  • Free tier with unlimited messaging and character creation.
  • Large catalog of user-created characters.

Choose Poe if

  • You want a tool built for comparing answers from several models.
  • One account gives access to models from many AI companies, plus image and video models.
  • Side-by-side comparison of model replies in a single conversation.
Best for beginners
Character.AI
Best for business
Poe

Features

16 features compared.

  • Character chat
    Character.AI
    Available
    Poe
    Not available
  • Character creation
    Character.AI
    Available
    Poe
    Not available
  • Voice calls
    Character.AI
    Available
    Poe
    Not available
  • Memory and pins
    Character.AI
    Available
    Poe
    Not available
  • Lorebooks
    Character.AI
    Available
    Poe
    Not available
  • Image attachments
    Character.AI
    Available
    Poe
    Not available
  • Charms
    Character.AI
    Available
    Poe
    Not available
  • Mobile apps
    Character.AI
    Available
    Poe
    Not available
  • Multi-model chat
    Character.AI
    Not available
    Poe
    Available
  • Custom bot library
    Character.AI
    Not available
    Poe
    Available
  • Bot creation
    Character.AI
    Not available
    Poe
    Available
  • Creator monetization
    Character.AI
    Not available
    Poe
    Available
  • Poe API
    Character.AI
    Not available
    Poe
    Available
  • Image and video generation
    Character.AI
    Not available
    Poe
    Available
  • Multiple API keys
    Character.AI
    Not available
    Poe
    Available
  • Apps on several platforms
    Character.AI
    Not available
    Poe
    Available

Pricing

Plans as listed by each vendor. Check their sites for current prices.

  • Pricing model
    Character.AI
    Freemium
    Poe
    Freemium
  • Free plan
    Character.AI
    Yes
    Poe
    Yes
  • Starting price
    Character.AI
    $0
    Poe
    $0
  • Plans
    Character.AI
    3 plans
    Poe
    6 plans

Character.AI plans

  • Free

    $0

    Free chat with ads and slow mode

    • Free messaging
    • Character creation
    • Basic memory
    • 15 pins
    • Basic lorebook

  • (c.ai) lite

    $4.99/month

    Mid-tier plan with fewer ads

    • Fewer ads
    • Better memory
    • 30 pins
    • Detailed memory usage
    • Less slow mode

  • c.ai+

    Most popular

    $9.99/month

    Top tier with no ads

    • No ads
    • Best memory
    • 30 pins
    • Advanced lorebook
    • Highest feature limits
    • No slow mode

Poe plans

  • Free

    $0

    Small daily point allowance for basic models

    • Daily point refresh
    • Access to basic models and bots

  • Starter

    $4.99/month

    10,000 points per day

    • Daily points
    • Access to models and bots

  • Premium

    Most popular

    $19.99/month

    660,000 points per month

    • Monthly points
    • Premium models
    • Image and video models
    • API access

  • Premium Plus

    $49.99/month

    1.65M points per month

    • Monthly points
    • Premium models
    • API access

  • Pro

    $99.99/month

    3.3M points per month

    • Monthly points
    • Premium models
    • API access

  • Pro Max

    $249.99/month

    8.25M points per month

    • Monthly points
    • Premium models
    • API access

Our ratings

Scored out of 10 by the Finder Atlas editorial team. Last reviewed October 2026.

Character.AI
7.6overall
Poe
8.0overall

Character.AI leads in 1 category and Poe in 0.

  • Persona Fidelity & Memory

    Character.AI
    7.8
    Poe
    Not rated

  • Conversational Engagement

    Character.AI
    8.5
    Poe
    Not rated

  • Ease of Use

    Character.AI leads by 0.5
    Character.AI
    8.5
    Poe
    8.0

  • Value for Money

    Character.AI
    7.5
    Poe
    Not rated

  • Platform Stability

    Character.AI
    5.5
    Poe
    Not rated

  • Model Variety

    Character.AI
    Not rated
    Poe
    9.3

  • Bot Ecosystem

    Character.AI
    Not rated
    Poe
    8.6

  • Pricing Transparency

    Character.AI
    Not rated
    Poe
    6.5

  • Developer Tools

    Character.AI
    Not rated
    Poe
    7.8

Scores weigh documented features, plan value, platform coverage, integrations and user feedback. A missing score means we have not rated that area yet.

Pros and cons

Character.AI

Pros

  • Free tier with unlimited messaging and character creation
  • Large catalog of user-created characters
  • Text chat plus live voice calls
  • Apps for web, iOS and Android
  • Lower-priced (c.ai) lite plan at $4.99 per month

Cons

  • Company filed for Chapter 11 on October 12, 2026, so the platform's future depends on a sale
  • Free users see ads and slow mode
  • Best memory, lorebook and limits are reserved for c.ai+ at $9.99 per month
  • No public API and no pricing page on the website

Poe

Pros

  • One account gives access to models from many AI companies, plus image and video models
  • Side-by-side comparison of model replies in a single conversation
  • Large library of user-made bots, and tools to build and monetize your own
  • OpenAI-compatible API that uses the same point balance
  • Entry paid plan costs $4.99 per month, and a free tier is available

Cons

  • Points are used at different rates by each model, so heavy use of top models can drain an allowance quickly
  • Reported cuts to the free daily allowance and Premium monthly points in 2026
  • Bot quality varies widely and bots can be hard to discover
  • No published compliance certifications such as SOC 2 or HIPAA were found
  • Provider-specific features like ChatGPT's GPTs or Claude's Projects are not available

Platforms

  • Web
    Character.AI
    Supported
    Poe
    Supported
  • Windows
    Character.AI
    Not supported
    Poe
    Supported
  • macOS
    Character.AI
    Not supported
    Poe
    Supported
  • iOS
    Character.AI
    Supported
    Poe
    Supported
  • Android
    Character.AI
    Supported
    Poe
    Supported
  • API
    Character.AI
    Not supported
    Poe
    Supported
  • Browser Extension
    Character.AI
    Not supported
    Poe
    Not supported

Company

  • Company
    Character.AI
    Character Technologies, Inc.
    Poe
    Quora
  • Founded
    Character.AI
    2021
    Poe
    2009
  • Headquarters
    Character.AI
    Menlo Park, CA
    Poe
    Mountain View, CA
  • Listing
    Character.AI
    Claimed
    Poe
    Claimed

Frequently asked questions

Is Character.AI better than Poe?

It depends on your workflow. Character.AI is built for character role-play. Poe is built for comparing answers from several models.

What are the key feature differences between Character.AI and Poe?

Character.AI: Chat, call and role-play with millions of user-made AI characters. Poe: Chat with many AI models, image tools and custom bots through one account.

Does Character.AI or Poe have a free plan?

Yes, both do. Character.AI is freemium and Poe is freemium, and each has a free plan or trial.

Which is cheaper, Character.AI or Poe?

Both can be used for free. Paid plans differ in limits and features, so compare the tiers in the pricing table above.