Character AI alternatives: chat companions and story games

Updated October 2026 · By Reno Labs

If you want another app to chat with AI characters, the closest matches are Replika, Chai, Nomi and Kindroid, or SillyTavern if you want to run the interface yourself. If you want a story with a plot that moves on its own, look at AI story games such as AI Dungeon, FableAI, Hidden Door and Plot Twister. We make Plot Twister, and it is a story game, not a chat companion.

How we chose

We listed apps with a live US App Store listing or an official website we could read in October 2026. We left out two names we looked for. Janitor AI's site refused our request, so we could not check it. The App Store search for Talkie returned only "Talkie Lab - AI Playground", which describes a multi-model AI toolkit, not a character chat app. We state price models only as each listing or site shows them. We say nothing about content rules or safety, because we could not source it.

Compare at a glance

Who Character.AI fits

Character.AI is a chat app built around characters. Its App Store listing describes texting, chatting and calling AI characters, making your own with a personality, backstory and voice, and browsing characters other users made. The listing says it hosts millions of user-made characters; that is the company's own claim. The listing shows an 18+ rating (US App Store, October 2026).

It fits you if you like open conversation with a character, want to build your own, or want a large pool of characters made by other people. We could not load its website (HTTP 403), so we have not read its own plan pages. For plans we rely on the listing's in-app purchase list.

Why people look elsewhere

We did not survey Character.AI users, and we do not repeat complaints we cannot source. These are the different needs we see behind the search:

• You want a different price model: a subscription, credit packs, or software you run yourself.
• You want one long relationship with one character, built around memory. That is the companion apps.
• You want a story with scenes, a plot and an ending, not an open chat. That is the story games.
• You want to pick your own AI model and own the setup.
• You just want a different app to try.

Group 1: chat companion apps

Replika

The App Store listing describes an AI companion that has been around since 2017 and talks by text, voice call and video. It says the companion remembers what matters to you. Replika's site lists iOS and Android. The listing shows subscriptions and gem packs as in-app purchases. It fits you if you want a long-running, friend-style companion for daily talk rather than a cast of characters. replika.com

Chai

Chai's listing says its chatbots reply like real characters, with voices, and that you can pick from a large selection of characters. Its site calls it a platform where users build their own AI characters and stories. The listing shows subscriptions and "Pieces" packs as in-app purchases. It fits you if you want the browse-and-chat model that Character.AI uses, from a different company. chai.ml

Nomi

Nomi is a companion app built around memory. Its listing says each companion keeps short-term and long-term memory about you. Its site says it is free, with no credit card, to start chatting. The listing shows plans and credit packs. It fits you if memory and an ongoing relationship matter most. nomi.ai

Kindroid

Kindroid lets you design a persona, called a Kin, with a name, traits, history, looks and voice. Its site lists iPhone, iPad, Android and web, all on one account, and says it is a subscription service where new accounts can try it before paying. The listing also shows add-on purchases such as extra Kin slots. It fits you if you want to design the character in detail. kindroid.ai

SillyTavern

SillyTavern is open-source software, not an app store product. Its README describes a locally installed interface for talking to AI models, with one interface for many AI services, and says it does not provide hosted services or track user data. You install it on your computer and connect an AI model yourself. It fits you if you want control and do not mind setup. github.com/SillyTavern

Group 2: story games

These apps are about a story, not a single chat. For more, see our AI Dungeon alternatives and best AI story games guides.

AI Dungeon

AI Dungeon, made by Latitude, is an open-ended text adventure. You type what you do and the AI writes the result. Its site says it is free to play online or in the app, and its iOS listing mentions community scenarios, multiplayer and rewinding a decision. Paid memberships and Credits packs exist. It fits you if you want to be the hero of a sandbox story. aidungeon.com

FableAI

FableAI is an AI text RPG where you play the hero, choose DO or SAY and type your move. The listing mentions dice rolls, picture generation and up to 8 players in one story. Its site says there is a forever-free plan, and the listing says each turn uses gems. It fits you if you want a phone-friendly text RPG, alone or with friends. fableai.app

Hidden Door

Hidden Door's site describes a narrator that builds a story around a world and a cast of characters, with Modifier cards to change the mood. Its pricing page lists a free plan with up to five worlds and one character conversation a day, and says it does not use a pay-per-turn model. It fits you if you want to pick a world and let a narrator run it. hiddendoor.co

Plot Twister

Plot Twister is our app. It is not a chat app, and you do not play the hero. You are an unseen hand. You whisper a thought into a character's head, from presets or in your own words up to 500 characters, or you drop an event into the scene. The AI writes what happens next, in GBA-style pixel art. You can rewind and branch, reach one of several endings, and get a Plot Twist Score and a shareable recap card.

It has 10 hand-built episodes, including a haunted lighthouse and a space station gone silent. For what it sells in-app, see its App Store listing. It is rated 16+, episodes carry content warnings, and stories are labeled AI-generated.

It fits you if you want a story where the characters have their own plot and you nudge it, in short episodes. Pick something else if you want open chat with one character or a free-text sandbox where you are the hero. See the Plot Twister page.

Plot Twister: pixel-art AI stories you steer by whispering. Rated 16+.

Frequently asked questions

Is Plot Twister a Character AI alternative?

Only in a loose sense. Plot Twister is an AI story game, not a chat app. You do not talk to one character. You whisper thoughts into characters' heads or drop events into a scene, and the AI writes what happens next. If you want open chat with a character, a companion app fits better.

What is the difference between a chat companion and an AI story game?

A chat companion is one conversation, usually with one character who remembers you. An AI story game has a setting, a cast and a plot that moves forward, and you steer it. Some apps sit between the two.

Are there Character AI alternatives that are not chat apps?

Yes. AI Dungeon, FableAI and Hidden Door are story or text-adventure games, and Plot Twister is a pixel-art story game played in episodes. SillyTavern is a self-hosted chat interface rather than a game.

Can I run a Character AI alternative on my own computer?

SillyTavern can. Its README describes a locally installed interface that connects to AI models you choose, and it says it runs on anything that can run Node.js 20 or higher. You supply the AI model or API yourself.

Is Plot Twister for kids?

No. It is rated 16+ on the App Store, episodes carry content warnings, and stories are labeled AI-generated in the app.