What is Character.AI?
Character.AI is a chat and creation platform where people talk with AI characters and can make their own characters, scenes, videos and voices. It runs on web, iOS and Android.
Who it's for
Adults who want character-based chat and role-play, and people who build and share their own characters. Accounts for under-18s have a different feature set, described below.
Pros & cons
Strengths
- A free plan with unlimited messaging, supported by ads
- Two paid tiers, (c.ai) lite and (c.ai+), both with chat customization such as wallpapers and bubble colors
- The subscribe page lists 30 memory pins on lite and c.ai+ against 15 on Free
- c.ai+ is listed with no ads, an advanced Lorebook and 20% bonus on Charm pack purchases
- Subscriptions can be bought in the app stores or on the web
Limitations
- (c.ai) lite has a daily allowance of premium chat styles with no number stated; ads are reduced, not removed
- Zero ads, advanced Lorebook and priority access are listed for c.ai+ only
- Prices vary by country, and web subscriptions are cancelled and refunded through a support ticket
- In late 2025 Character.AI said open-ended chat would be removed for under-18 users, starting in the US on 24 November, with other markets to follow. We found no newer vendor page, so check the current rules
- The vendor said it was rolling out age assurance, including third-party tools, in the US and then globally
Plans and pricing
- Free: $0. Unlimited messaging with ads, basic memory (15 pins), slower access at busy times.
- (c.ai) lite: $4.99/month or $2.49/week (US). Daily allowance of premium chat styles, fewer ads, 30 memory pins, chat customization.
- (c.ai+) annual: $94.99/year. Listed as reduced from $119.88. No ads, unlimited premium models, advanced Lorebook, priority access.
- (c.ai+) monthly: Not shown on the pages we read. The subscribe page mentions a monthly option without a price.
Prices are US prices and vary by country. We could not load the main pricing page, so figures come from the subscribe page and help center articles; confirm in the app before buying.
Details checked October 2026 against the vendor's own pages. Prices and limits change, so confirm before you buy. Official pricing page ↗
Sources
This profile was compiled from these public pages. We have not run hands-on tests.
Character.AI — at a glance
Character.AI is a chat and creation platform where people talk with AI characters and can make their own characters, scenes, videos and voices. It runs on web, iOS and Android.
Try Character.AI →