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
Home / Free & budget / LobeChat
LobeChat
4.1
Open-source chat UI with a community agent marketplace
0LobeChatCompareVisit LobeChat ↗
Our verdict. A serious open-source option: self-host it, plug in any model, and browse community personas — more assistant than romantic partner. Best for: Private, self-hosted chat with community personas.
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: 4.1 / 5. Best for Private, self-hosted chat with community personas.
At a glance
Hand-verified dataPrice
Free
Free and open-source (AGPL-3.0); bring your own API keys or local models. A hosted cloud version is in beta without published pricing.
- Free tier: usable without paying
- Price band: Free
- Regional pricing varies by country — confirm the amount at checkout
- Checked by hand on 29 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
- Free and open-source (AGPL-3.0); bring your own API keys or local models. A hosted cloud version is in beta without published pricing.
- Companion types
- Any character
- Voice
- Voice notes / TTS
- Images & video
- Image generation
- Memory
- Retains context across sessions
- Custom characters
- Yes
- Runs locally
- Yes — can run offline on your own machine
- Adult content
- No adult mode
- Visual style
- Mixed
- Platforms
- Web · Desktop
- Privacy & safety notes
- Self-hostable; connect local models for zero data egress.
Price history
Our own price-tracking dataset — updated every time we re-check the catalogueTracking since 29 Sept. As we collect more snapshots, the trend line fills in here. See the full price-tracking dataset →
What it does well
- Fully open-source and self-hostable
- Any model: local or cloud
- Community plugin/persona marketplace
Where it falls short
- General chat UI, not a romance product
- Setup takes technical effort
Tags
Categories
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LobeChat — common questions
Is LobeChat free?
Yes — LobeChat has a free tier you can use without paying. Free and open-source (AGPL-3.0); bring your own API keys or local models. A hosted cloud version is in beta without published pricing. We last checked it by hand on 29 Sept 2026.
How much does LobeChat cost?
Free (Free). Free and open-source (AGPL-3.0); bring your own API keys or local models. A hosted cloud version is in beta without published pricing. Companion pricing changes often and varies by region, so confirm the amount at checkout. We last checked it by hand on 29 Sept 2026.
Does LobeChat remember previous conversations?
Yes — LobeChat keeps context across separate chat sessions rather than resetting every time you open it.
Does LobeChat have voice?
Partly — LobeChat offers voice notes or text-to-speech playback, but not live two-way voice calls.
Does LobeChat have an adult mode?
LobeChat is SFW — it does not offer an adult mode.
Which platforms does LobeChat run on?
LobeChat is available on web, desktop.
Can I run LobeChat locally?
Yes — LobeChat can run on your own machine or against your own model, so conversations do not have to leave your hardware.
How current is the information on this page?
The price and feature details for LobeChat were last checked by hand on 29 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.