Free
$0
Free chat with ads and slow mode
- Free messaging
- Character creation
- Basic memory
- 15 pins
- Basic lorebook
Character.AI
Editor reviewedChat, call and role-play with millions of user-made AI characters
Freemiumcharacter.aiUpdated
About Character.AI
Character.AI is a consumer chat platform where people talk to AI characters, and create their own. Characters are defined by a name, personality, backstory and optional voice, and can be shared with other users. Users can text a character, switch to a live voice call, and continue conversations across the web app and the iOS and Android apps. The catalog is built mostly from user-created characters, from fictional heroes to original personas.
Best for
- Character role-play
- Interactive storytelling
- Creating and sharing custom characters
- Casual voice chats with characters
- Interactive role-play: Act out scenes and stories with fictional or original characters.
- Creative storytelling: Use characters, lorebooks and memory to keep a long-running story consistent.
- Character creation: Design and share characters for others to chat with.
- Casual voice chat: Talk to a character by voice for entertainment.
Not ideal for
- Professional or enterprise work
- Factual research
- Users under 18 who want open-ended chat
Popular with
- Fans of interactive fiction
- Role-play and storytelling users
- Character creators
- Casual users seeking conversation
Key features
- Character chat
- Character creation
- Voice calls
- Memory and pins
- Lorebooks
- Image attachments
- Charms
- Mobile apps
Pros and cons
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
Pricing
Plans as listed by the vendor on . Check their site for current prices.
(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
Our ratings
Scored out of 10 by the Finder Atlas editorial team.
7.6overall
- Persona Fidelity & Memory
- 7.8
- Conversational Engagement
- 8.5
- Ease of Use
- 8.5
- Value for Money
- 7.5
- Platform Stability
- 5.5
Platforms
- Web
- iOS
- Android
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Release history
Added the (c.ai) lite plan and two new chat styles, PipSqueak 3 and ShortSqueak
Added the (c.ai) lite plan and two new chat styles, PipSqueak 3 and ShortSqueak.
Company announced that CEO Karandeep Anand is joining Disney as chief technology officer
Company announced that CEO Karandeep Anand is joining Disney as chief technology officer.
Company started a voluntary Chapter 11 process to pursue a court-supervised sale
Company started a voluntary Chapter 11 process to pursue a court-supervised sale.
Reviews
No reviews yet
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Frequently asked questions
Is Character.AI free?
Yes. Chatting and creating characters are free, with ads and a queue (slow mode) at busy times. Paid plans are (c.ai) lite at $4.99 per month and c.ai+ at $9.99 per month.
What does c.ai+ include?
c.ai+ removes ads and slow mode, and adds the full memory features, advanced lorebooks, the highest feature limits and bonus Charms on pack purchases. It costs $9.99 per month or $94.99 per year.
Is Character.AI shutting down?
Not at the time of writing. On October 12, 2026 the company started a Chapter 11 process to seek a court-supervised sale. It says the platform remains online and subscriptions remain active, but the platform will be wound down if no suitable bid is received.
Does Character.AI have a mobile app?
Yes. There are iOS and Android apps, and the iOS listing offers text and live voice chat.
Does Character.AI have a public API?
No public API was found on the official site.
Can anyone create a character?
Yes. Users can design characters with a personality, backstory and voice, and share them with the community.
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