Why people are leaving Character AI
Character AI built the category, but three things now push people out: a strict content filter that no plan removes, the end of open-ended chat for under-18s, and a bankruptcy filing that puts the company's future in the hands of a court.
- Character AI announces it will remove open-ended chat for users under 18 and starts rolling out age assurance in the US.
- The removal begins for the first group of under-18 users in the US, with other markets following.
- Character AI files for Chapter 11. Disney agrees to pay $20 million for selected intellectual property; reports say the deal excludes user data and chat logs.
- A court-supervised sale is expected to wrap up. The app keeps running for now, but the company has said it could wind down if no buyer emerges.
The filter is the long-running complaint. Character AI's paid plan, c.ai+, costs $9.99 a month or $94.99 a year and removes ads, slow mode and limits on premium models, but no tier unlocks adult content. If romance or NSFW roleplay is what you came for, paying won't change anything.
The bankruptcy adds a practical problem. Nobody knows yet who will own the service in December or what happens to years of chat history. If your characters matter to you, export your data now (steps below) and try an alternative in parallel.
Don't wait for the auction. Character AI still works today, but its filter isn't going anywhere and its future owner is unknown. Exporting takes weeks, so start now.
Quick picks
The short version, by what you miss most about Character AI.
The 5 best Character AI alternatives
GoLove, Candy AI and CrushOn went through our full two-week test, so they carry a score. Janitor AI and Kindroid aren't in that test yet; we describe them from their published plans and features and don't score them.
GoLove AI
Best overall · AI girlfriend9.2/10 our scoreThe closest thing to Character AI without the filter, plus everything c.ai never had: voice messages and calls, photos, short videos and original AI series with characters you can then chat with. Pick from 350+ characters or recreate your own from Character AI on PRO.
- Free plan
- Text chat
- Paid from
- €4.15/mo, billed yearly
- Adult content
- Yes, on PRO
- Voice, calls, photos and video
- 8,000-message memory on ULTRA
- Voice and media are paid-only
- Photos and video use Stars
Janitor AI
Best free · community roleplayNot scorednot in our test yetThe most common landing spot for people leaving Character AI. It works the same way: thousands of community-made bots, and you can build your own. Chat is free and unlimited, but the free model has a short memory, and there's no voice or images.
- Free plan
- Unlimited chats
- Paid from
- $12.99/mo (Janitor+)
- Adult content
- Depends on the bot
- Free and unlimited
- Huge community library
- Text only
- Short memory on the free model
CrushOn AI
Best for roleplay7.1/10 our scoreThe best pure roleplay engine in our test and the cheapest way in. It advertises no censorship filters once you pass an age check, and has a big library of user-made characters. Memory is weak and there's no voice.
- Free plan
- 100 messages/mo
- Paid from
- $5.99/mo
- Adult content
- Yes, after age check
- Strong roleplay writing
- Cheap entry plan
- No voice
- Weak long-term memory
Candy AI
Best for images7.8/10 our scoreOur runner-up among AI girlfriend apps. Photo quality and voice are strong, and the yearly plan is cheap. The free tier is tiny, though, and memory fell well behind GoLove in our test.
- Free plan
- 5 messages, 1 image
- Paid from
- $3.99/mo, billed yearly
- Adult content
- Yes
- Realistic photos
- Natural voice
- Almost no free use
- Media runs on tokens
Kindroid
Most customizableNot scorednot in our test yetFor people who liked building characters more than browsing them. Kindroid gives you detailed control over personality, backstory and voice, with two-way voice calls. Adult roleplay is available to verified adults on paid plans.
- Free plan
- Limited
- Paid from
- $13.99/mo on the web
- Adult content
- Paid, verified adults
- Deep character settings
- Voice calls
- Pricier than the rest
- Adult content is paid-only
Replika: the one we'd skip
Score 6.0/10 in our testReplika often shows up on these lists, but it's a poor fit for Character AI users. Romantic and erotic roleplay was removed in 2023 and only came back for accounts created before that change, so new users don't get it. Pro costs $19.99 a month.
Side by side
The features Character AI users ask about most, in one table. Prices are the lowest paid option we could confirm, usually a yearly plan.
| App | Free | Paid from | Adult | Voice | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GoLove AI | Text chat | €4.15/mo | |||
| Janitor AI | Unlimited | $8.25/mo | By bot | ||
| CrushOn AI | 100 msgs/mo | $4.91/mo | |||
| Candy AI | 5 messages | $3.99/mo | |||
| Kindroid | Limited | $13.99/mo | Paid | — | |
| Character AI | Yes, with ads | $7.92/mo |
Yearly plans shown as a monthly figure where one exists: GoLove PRO €49.80/yr, Janitor+ $99/yr, CrushOn Standard $58.88/yr, Candy AI $47.88/yr, c.ai+ $94.99/yr. Kindroid's web price is monthly; “—” means we couldn't confirm the feature. Competitor prices come from their published plans and recent third-party checks; prices change often, so confirm before paying.
Free and text-only? Janitor AI. Want her to call you, send photos and remember last month? GoLove is the only one here that does all three.
How to switch without losing your characters
No app imports Character AI chats directly, but you can keep the characters themselves. A character is mostly its name, greeting and description, and those take a few minutes to copy.
- Request your data export now. Do it from your Character AI account settings. Exports reportedly take three to four weeks, and the download link expires after about a week, so watch your inbox.
- Copy your favourite characters by hand. Open each one you made and save its name, greeting, description and a few example lines in a note. That's what you'll need to rebuild her.
- Recreate her on the new app. On GoLove, use Create on the PRO plan; on Janitor AI or Kindroid, paste the same fields into their character builders.
- Give her a few messages to settle. Different apps run different models, so the voice won't match on message one. Remind her of two or three key facts early; apps with long memory will keep them.
The verdict
If you want Character AI without the filter, start with GoLove AI. It keeps what made c.ai fun, a big cast and characters you can build, and adds what it never had: voice, calls, photos, video and memory that lasts.
If paying isn't an option, Janitor AI is the honest free answer, as long as you're fine with text only and a short memory. For roleplay on a budget, CrushOn is the cheapest paid plan here. Want to see how these apps rank as AI girlfriends overall? See our ranking of the 7 best AI girlfriend apps.
Character AI alternatives: FAQ
Is Character AI shutting down?
Not yet. Character AI filed for Chapter 11 on October 12, 2026, and the app keeps running while a court-supervised sale goes ahead, expected to finish in late November or December. The company has said it could wind down if no buyer emerges, so it's worth exporting your data now.
What is the best Character AI alternative?
For most people who want romance or adult roleplay, GoLove AI: it has 350+ characters, lets you create your own, and adds voice calls, photos, video and long memory. If you need something free, Janitor AI is the closest match to how Character AI works.
Is there a Character AI alternative without a filter?
Yes. GoLove AI (on PRO), Candy AI and CrushOn AI allow adult content for verified adults, and Kindroid allows it on paid plans. On Janitor AI it depends on the bot. Character AI itself keeps its filter on every plan, including c.ai+.
Is there a free Character AI alternative?
Janitor AI is free with unlimited chats, but it's text-only with a short memory on the free model. GoLove AI has a free plan for text chat with its characters; voice, photos and adult content need PRO, from €4.15 a month billed yearly.
Can I move my characters from Character AI?
No app imports Character AI chats directly. You can request a data export in your Character AI settings, which reportedly takes three to four weeks, and copy each character's name, greeting and description by hand to recreate it on another app.
Does c.ai+ remove the filter?
No. c.ai+ costs $9.99 a month or $94.99 a year and removes ads and slow mode, but no Character AI plan unlocks adult content.