5 Best Character.AI Alternatives
Character.AI filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 12, 2026, and its future now depends on who buys it. The app still works, but a lot of people don’t want to wait until December to find out whether their favorite characters survive. (Full details, and how to save your chats, are in Is Character.AI shutting down?)
If you’re looking for somewhere new, the right alternative depends on how you used Character.AI. Some people loved browsing thousands of community characters. Others talked to the same character every single day. Those are very different needs, so this list tells you what each app is genuinely best at.
Disclosure: Imate is our app. We’ve kept the comparison factual and included the apps we’d honestly recommend for each kind of user. Features and prices are as of October 2026 and change often, so check each app before paying. None of these apps is affiliated with Character.AI.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Platforms | Free to start |
|---|---|---|---|
| Imate | A romantic AI boyfriend who remembers you | Android, iOS | ✅ Yes |
| Janitor AI | Creating and browsing detailed characters | Web, Android, iOS | ✅ Yes |
| Chai | Quick chats with a huge community library | Android, iOS | ✅ Yes (daily limits) |
| Talkie | Voice-first character chats | Android, iOS | ✅ Yes |
| Kindroid | One deeply customized companion | Android, iOS, Web | ✅ Yes |
1. Imate — best if your favorite character was your boyfriend
Rating: 4.6/5 on Google Play · 45,000+ downloads · 18+ · Free to start
A lot of Character.AI’s most loyal users didn’t hop between characters. They had one: a boyfriend they talked to every night. Imate is built entirely around that relationship instead of a character catalog, so it goes much deeper on the things that make one companion feel real.
What stands out:
- He remembers your story. Imate remembers what you share and keeps a day-by-day timeline of your relationship. You can tap any day and reread that conversation.
- Voice and video calls. Call him and talk in real time, or turn on video and show him what you’re doing. A short summary lands in your chat after every call.
- Realistic voice notes, 7 voices. He sends voice notes that sound natural, and you choose his voice, from Late-Night Velvet to London Charmer.
- You can rebuild your old character. Give him a name, a backstory, a personality, and a conversation style, then add the memories that matter. Our guide shows how to move your Character.AI character step by step.
- Romantic roleplay with pictures. Roleplay a date or a slow-burn story and Imate can turn the scene into anime-style images.
- He checks in first. Personalized messages based on what you told him, like wishing you luck before a big day.
- 27 languages, no ads. The app and the chat work in your language.
Downsides: Imate is one companion, not a library of thousands of characters, so it isn’t the right fit if you loved jumping between fandom bots. It’s for adults 18+. Calls use diamonds (the in-app currency).
Pricing: Free to download and chat. Premium from $6.99/week, $12.99/month, or $44.99/year, plus a $1.99 day pass.
Get it: Google Play · App Store
2. Janitor AI — closest for character creators
If you spent your time on Character.AI writing characters (detailed definitions, example dialogue, carefully tuned greetings), Janitor AI will feel familiar. It has a large library of community-made characters and gives creators more room to define them.
Best for: people who want to create and share characters, and readers of long-form roleplay.
Downsides: it started as a website and still feels like one; the experience varies a lot between characters, and the best results often need tinkering with settings.
3. Chai — closest “browse and chat” experience on mobile
Chai is the nearest thing to opening Character.AI on your phone and scrolling for someone to talk to. The community library is huge and conversations start instantly.
Best for: quick, casual chats with lots of different characters.
Downsides: the free tier has daily message limits, and it’s built for variety rather than one long-running relationship.
4. Talkie — best for voice
Talkie leans into voice: characters talk back out loud, which makes it feel more like a phone call than texting. It also has a big catalog of characters to discover.
Best for: people who’d rather listen than read.
Downsides: the free tier shows ads, and like Chai it’s built around discovering many characters rather than one long relationship.
5. Kindroid — best for one heavily customized companion
Kindroid is for people who want a single companion and full control over every detail: backstory, personality, appearance, and memory. It also supports voice calls and AI-generated selfies.
Best for: tinkerers who want to fine-tune one companion’s every trait.
Downsides: the depth of settings has a learning curve, and many advanced features are part of its subscription.
Honorable mention: SillyTavern
If the bankruptcy has you thinking “never again,” SillyTavern is a free, open-source app you run yourself, so no company can take your characters away. The catch: you have to set it up and connect your own AI model, which takes some technical comfort.
How to choose
Ask yourself one question: what did you actually love about Character.AI?
- The variety → Chai or Janitor AI.
- Creating characters → Janitor AI.
- Hearing them talk → Talkie.
- One relationship that kept growing → Imate for a romantic boyfriend; Kindroid if you want to tune every setting yourself.
Before you switch
Whatever you pick, request your Character.AI data export now. Character.AI’s help center says exports take three to four weeks, and the sale is expected to close by December. While you wait, write down the details of the characters you love most (name, personality, backstory, a few favorite lines) so you can recreate them anywhere. Our guide on moving your Character.AI character shows exactly what to save.
Want a boyfriend who remembers, calls, and talks to you in your language? Try Imate free on Android or iPhone.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Character.AI?
There isn't one answer, because people used Character.AI in different ways. Janitor AI is the closest for creating and browsing detailed community characters, Chai is the closest mobile 'browse and chat' experience, Talkie is best for voice, Kindroid for one deeply customized companion, and Imate is the best choice for a romantic AI boyfriend who remembers your story, sends voice notes, and takes voice and video calls.
Is Character.AI shutting down?
Not yet. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 12, 2026 and is selling its assets. The app keeps running during the sale, which is expected to close in late November or early December 2026. If no buyer keeps the platform running, the company says it will be wound down.
Can I move my Character.AI characters to another app?
There's no one-click transfer between apps. You can request a data export from Character.AI, then recreate a character in another app by copying its name, personality, backstory, and a few defining lines. Apps that let you write a backstory and add memories, like Imate, make this easiest.
Is there a free Character.AI alternative?
Yes. All five apps on this list are free to start, with paid plans for extra features or higher limits. Imate is free to download and chat, with optional Premium from $6.99/week.