character.ai

character.ai is a conversational platform built around user created characters. Visitors pick a character and hold an open ended conversation with it, and anyone can create their own with a chosen persona, greeting and behavior, then publish it for others to chat with. The public library spans companions, tutors, game masters, practice partners and fictional personalities, and signing up takes a matter of seconds. It serves people who want roleplay, companionship, practice conversations or entertainment rather than a work assistant. Features that shape the experience include memory with pinned items that persist across a conversation, a lorebook holding background facts the character should know, selectable chat styles that trade response length against speed, and an in app currency called Charms. Usage limits, response speed and advertising load all vary by subscription level, and the service runs a safety center covering its controls for younger users. Three tiers are published. Free carries full advertising, basic chat styles, basic memory with 15 pins, a basic lorebook, limited daily feature use and slow mode. A lite tier reduces advertising, raises memory to 30 pins with detailed usage reporting, adds a daily taste of the premium chat styles and some new feature access, and eases slow mode; its amount is not shown on the subscription page. The top tier, c.ai+, removes advertising and slow mode, gives the best memory and an advanced lorebook, the highest daily limits, priority access to new features, a 20 percent Charms bonus, chat customization and premium support. It is listed at $94.99 per year against a standard annual total of $119.88, a stated saving of 21 percent. A monthly option is offered but its amount is not displayed.