Character AI alternatives: 5 apps to try (and how to switch)

The best Character AI alternatives depend on what you used it for. For characters with memory and personality, try Kindroid or Nomi. For one long-running companion, there's Replika. For stories and creative writing, ChatGPT works well. And for a simple, free chat, try Pi.

First, the news, because it's why many people are searching.

Is Character AI shutting down?

Not yet, but its future is uncertain. Here's what Character.AI has said itself:

• October 12, 2026: The company announced a voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy to sell the company through a court-supervised process. It said the platform remained up and running, subscriptions remained active and billing was unchanged for now. It also said that if no actionable bid emerges, the platform will be wound down.
• November 4, 2026: The US Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware approved the bidding procedures, according to a notice the company published. Disney is named as the stalking-horse bidder for certain assets, which means its offer sets the starting point for the auction.
• What's next: The bid deadline is November 24, the auction is set for December 1, and the sale hearing for December 3 and 4.

So the app may carry on under a new owner, or it may not. Nobody outside the process knows yet. That's a good reason to protect your chats now and know where you'd go.

What to do now if you use Character AI

1. Export your data. Character.AI says you can export your data, or delete your account, through the app or the Character.AI website. Do it now, while everything still works.
2. Save your characters. If you built characters, copy their descriptions, greetings and example dialogue into a note. Most alternatives let you recreate a character from that text.
3. Check your subscription. Billing is unchanged for now. Decide whether you want to keep paying while the sale plays out.
4. Work out what you came for. Stories, a specific character, company at night or someone to vent to? The answer points to a different app.
5. Try before you pay. Give one alternative a week on its free tier before subscribing.

Character AI alternatives compared

Prices are from the US App Store in November 2026. They change often, so check before you subscribe.

The 5 best Character AI alternatives, by what you need

Kindroid: for custom characters and live calls

Kindroid is the most feature-packed option if you loved building characters. Its App Store listing highlights long-term memory, voice calls, live video calls, group chats and AI that can message you first. You shape the personality and backstory. The subscription is $15.99 a month or $159.99 a year, with Ultra and Max tiers above that, plus paid extras like selfie and audio credits.

Nomi: for memory, group chats and roleplay

Nomi's listing focuses on short- and long-term memory, group chats, roleplay and backstories, plus voice messages, selfies and art. The Launch plan is $9.99 a month or $59.99 a year, and Standard is $15.99 a month or $99.99 a year. Its most recent App Store update was on March 31, so it's updated less often than the others here.

Replika: for a long-running companion

Replika is one of the best-known AI companions, available by text, voice calls and video, with memory and check-ins. It's less about switching between many characters and more about one companion over time. Monthly plans are listed at $7.99 to $14.99. In 2025, Italy's data protection authority fined its maker €5 million, citing problems including an inadequate privacy policy and missing age verification. Our guide to Replika alternatives covers it in more detail.

ChatGPT: for stories and creative writing

If you mainly used Character.AI to co-write stories or play out scenarios, a general assistant can do a lot of that. ChatGPT is free to start, with Go at $8 and Plus at $19.99, and has a real-time voice mode. It isn't built as a companion, so it won't feel like a persistent character in the same way, but it's rated 13+ rather than 18+.

Pi: for a simple, free chat

Pi, from Inflection AI, is built for talking things through, planning or just venting, with a voice mode to talk out loud. The App Store lists no in-app purchases. There are no characters to create, which is exactly why some people like it.

How to choose

Start with what you'll miss most:

• "My characters." Try Kindroid or Nomi, and paste in the character descriptions you saved.
• "The stories." Try ChatGPT.
• "Someone who knows me." Try Replika, or Nomi for its memory features.
• "Something free and simple." Try Pi.
• "Someone to talk to when I'm struggling." Pi is a gentle place to start, but lean on people too, and consider a professional if things feel heavy for weeks.

Before you share anything personal with any of these apps, check three things in the privacy policy: whether chats are end-to-end encrypted or only encrypted in transit, whether they're used to train AI models, and how to delete your data. If you can't find clear answers, treat that as your answer. Our guide to what to look for in an AI friend app goes deeper.

If losing your characters feels like a real loss

That's normal. After Replika removed a feature, researchers at Harvard Business School studied how users reacted. People who felt their companion's identity had changed mourned it, and saw the "new" version as worse than the original. Some users said they felt closer to their AI companion than to their best human friend.

So if the uncertainty around Character.AI stings, you're not being silly. A few things help:

• Export first, decide later. Having your chats saved takes some of the pressure off.
• Don't rush to replace it. A new app won't feel the same on day one.
• Keep people in the mix. In a four-week randomized study of 981 people, participants who chose to use a chatbot more had consistently worse outcomes. Use any AI companion as one source of support, not the only one. If you've been feeling isolated lately, our piece on feeling lonely for no reason and this guide to loneliness may help.

None of these apps are a substitute for professional care. Whichever you try next, notice how you feel when you close it. That tells you more than any feature list.