Character.AI
4.4
Millions of community characters with unlimited free text chat
The default starting point: unmatched variety and the most generous free tier in the category.
$7.92/moVoice callsMemory+3
Alternatives to Poe
8 sites worth considering instead of Poe, pulled from the categories it appears in and ordered by our editorial score. For reference, Poe costs $16.67/mo.
| Site | Price | Free tier | Voice | Memory | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Character.AI Millions of community characters with unlimited free text chat | $7.92/mo | Yes | Voice calls | Yes | vs |
| SillyTavern The self-hosted frontend the power users all run | Free | Yes | Voice calls | Yes | vs |
| SoulChat Six hand-written companions with long-term memory, free to try without an account | $9.99/mo | Yes | Voice notes | Yes | vs |
| Coze ByteDance’s no-code bot builder | $9/mo | Yes | No | Yes | vs |
| Inworld A character engine for intelligent NPCs | Free | Yes | Voice notes | Yes | |
| Kindroid Deep character builders with phone-grade voice calls | $11.67/mo | Yes | Voice calls | Yes | |
| DreamGen Open-ended roleplay and story writing with strong models | $6.26/mo | No | No | Yes | |
| Hakko AI A screen-aware gaming companion that plays along with you | $8.33/mo | Yes | Voice notes | Yes |
Side by side
All 68 alternatives pagesSillyTavern
4.3
The self-hosted frontend the power users all run
If you want total control and zero subscription, this is where the advanced users live.
FreeMatureVoice calls+5
SoulChat
Not rated yet
Six hand-written companions with long-term memory, free to try without an account
A deliberately hand-authored cast of six rather than a community character library — you trade variety for characters that keep one consistent voice.
$9.99/moMatureVoice notes+4
Coze
4.3
ByteDance’s no-code bot builder
Build and ship custom AI chatbots to 8+ channels with plugins and workflows — a create-your-own toolkit, not a fixed companion.
$9/moMemoryImages+1
Inworld
4.2
A character engine for intelligent NPCs
A developer platform for personality, memory, emotion and voice — build your own interactive characters for games and apps.
FreeVoice notesMemory+2
Kindroid
4.2
Deep character builders with phone-grade voice calls
The best pick for people who will actually fill in the backstory — lazy setup buys you a chatbot.
$11.67/moMatureVoice calls+5
Switching from Poe — common questions
What are the best alternatives to Poe?
8 sites from the same categories are listed above, ordered by our editorial score. We match on category rather than on marketing claims, so what you see is what competes with Poe for the same use case.
Is there a free alternative to Poe?
Yes — Character.AI, SillyTavern, SoulChat, Coze, Inworld, Kindroid, Hakko AI have a free tier you can use before paying anything.
How much does Poe cost compared with the alternatives?
Poe is $16.67/mo. The alternatives above range from $0 to $11.67 a month.