Best Character.AI Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 apps from AI chatbots and assistants ranked against Character.AI on the same published basis.
- 1Character.AI vs ChatGPT
- 2Character.AI vs Perplexity
- 3Character.AI vs Claude
- 4Character.AI vs Microsoft Copilot
- 5Character.AI vs Gemini
- 6Character.AI vs Grok
- 7Character.AI vs Poe
- 8Character.AI vs Amazon Q
- 9Character.AI vs DeepSeek
- 10Character.AI vs Lumo
- 11Character.AI vs Yuanbao
- 12Character.AI vs Merlin
- 13Character.AI vs AnythingLLM
- 14Character.AI vs LobeChat
- 15Character.AI vs Meta AI
- 16Character.AI vs Kimi
- 17Character.AI vs Gemini Notebook
- 18Character.AI vs Vibe
- 19Character.AI vs Doubao
- 20Character.AI vs Venice AI
Character.AI alternatives compared
| # | App | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ChatGPT | 9.7 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 2 | Perplexity | 9.7 | Free plan | $20/mo | Android, API, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 3 | Claude | 9.6 | Free plan | — | Android, API, Browser, iOS, Linux, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 4 | Microsoft Copilot | 9.5 | Free plan | $8.33/mo | Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android |
| 5 | Gemini | 9.4 | Free plan | Free | Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android |
| 6 | Grok | 9.3 | Free plan | Free | Web, iOS, Android |
| 7 | Poe | 9.3 | Free plan | Free | Android, API, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 8 | Amazon Q | 9.1 | Free plan | — | Web, Android |
| 9 | DeepSeek | 8.9 | Free plan | Free | Web, iOS, Android |
| 10 | Lumo | 8.9 | Free plan | Free | Web, iOS, Android |
| 11 | Yuanbao | 8.8 | Free plan | Free | Web, iOS, Android |
| 12 | Merlin | 8.8 | Free plan | Free | Web, Mac, iOS, Android |
| 13 | AnythingLLM | 8.8 | Free plan | — | Android, API, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 14 | LobeChat | 8.7 | Free plan | $9.90/mo | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 15 | Meta AI | 8.6 | No | — | Web, Mac, iOS, Android |
| 16 | Kimi | 8.6 | No | — | Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android |
| 17 | Gemini Notebook | 8.6 | Free plan | $9.99/mo | Web, iOS, Android |
| 18 | Vibe | 8.6 | Free plan | $14.99/mo | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android |
| 19 | Doubao | 8.5 | No | — | Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android |
| 20 | Venice AI | 8.5 | Free plan | $18/mo | Android, API, iOS, Web |
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Questions about Character.AI alternatives
What is the best alternative to Character.AI?
ChatGPT, number 1 in AI chatbots and assistants with a score of 9.7 out of 10. The others here: Perplexity, Claude, Microsoft Copilot and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to Character.AI?
ChatGPT is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 17 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked mobile-first: a phone app alongside the web or desktop product, a free tier and the depth of its documentation.