SillyTavern
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
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Editor’s Pick
Character.AI
4.4
Millions of community characters with unlimited free text chat
Pay annually and save $25/yr (21% off) — see all deals.
0Character.AICompareVisit Character.AI ↗
Our verdict. The default starting point: unmatched variety and the most generous free tier in the category. Best for: Roleplay and chatting with fictional or public-figure characters.
Capability profile
What it actually shipsA quick read of the features this product ships today, scored from real catalogue fields — not an opinion. Voice is three tiers (live calls, voice notes, or none); everything else is shipped or not. The full breakdown is in the table below and on the comparison pages.
Editor score: 4.4 / 5. Best for Roleplay and chatting with fictional or public-figure characters.
At a glance
Hand-verified dataPrice
$9.99/mo
Cheapest plan works out at $7.92/mo.
- Free tier: usable without paying
- Price band: Under $10/mo
- Regional pricing varies by country — confirm the amount at checkout
- Checked by hand on 14 Sept 2026
Prices come from public pricing pages and change often. What you pay depends on your region and the plan you pick.
- Price details
- c.ai+ $9.99/mo or $94.99/yr (~$7.92/mo). Free chat is unlimited but carries ads, a daily swipe cap and a Charms currency. A cheaper (c.ai) lite tier exists but its price varies by region.
- Companion types
- Any character
- Voice
- Live voice calls
- Images & video
- Image generation
- Memory
- Retains context across sessions
- Custom characters
- Yes · group chats supported
- Runs locally
- No — cloud only
- Adult content
- No adult mode
- Visual style
- Mixed
- Platforms
- Web · iOS · Android
- Traffic
- 169M monthly visits — Third-party estimate, checked 14 Sept 2026
- Privacy & safety notes
- Age-gated. No adult mode and the company states it will not add one.
Price history
Our own price-tracking dataset — updated every time we re-check the catalogueTracking since 27 Sept. As we collect more snapshots, the trend line fills in here. See the full price-tracking dataset →
What it does well
- 20M+ community characters
- Unlimited free text chat
- Best-in-class prose quality
Where it falls short
- Strictest content filter of the major sites
- Free users sit through mid-chat ads
Tags
Categories
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Character.AI — common questions
Is Character.AI free?
Yes — Character.AI has a free tier you can use without paying. c.ai+ $9.99/mo or $94.99/yr (~$7.92/mo). Free chat is unlimited but carries ads, a daily swipe cap and a Charms currency. A cheaper (c.ai) lite tier exists but its price varies by region. We last checked it by hand on 14 Sept 2026.
How much does Character.AI cost?
$7.92/mo (Under $10/mo). c.ai+ $9.99/mo or $94.99/yr (~$7.92/mo). Free chat is unlimited but carries ads, a daily swipe cap and a Charms currency. A cheaper (c.ai) lite tier exists but its price varies by region. Companion pricing changes often and varies by region, so confirm the amount at checkout. We last checked it by hand on 14 Sept 2026.
Does Character.AI remember previous conversations?
Yes — Character.AI keeps context across separate chat sessions rather than resetting every time you open it.
Does Character.AI have voice?
Yes — Character.AI supports live voice calls, so you can hold a spoken conversation rather than only reading replies.
Does Character.AI have an adult mode?
Character.AI is SFW — it does not offer an adult mode.
Which platforms does Character.AI run on?
Character.AI is available on web, ios, android.
How current is the information on this page?
The price and feature details for Character.AI were last checked by hand on 14 Sept 2026. Everything else on the page comes from the product's own public documentation.
Reader reviews
Loading…Before you buy. We publish prices from public pricing pages and label anything we have not personally checked. Prices on companion sites change often and regional pricing varies, so confirm the final amount at checkout. Affiliate disclosure. Spotted a wrong price? Tell us.