Source-backed analysis11
Review basis
Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.
11 reference sourcesInformation updated Nov 10, 2026
How we review
Character.AI Review
Roleplay chat with community-made AI characters, now in Chapter 11 sale proceedings
By AppDuo Editorial Team · Updated
- Web
- iOS
- Android
On this page
Decide at a glance
Our verdict
Suited to adults who enjoy chat, roleplay and character creation, thanks to a very large character library and a free tier. The main risk now is that the company is in Chapter 11 and will wind the platform down if no viable bid emerges.
Best for: Adults who enjoy roleplay and storytelling with AI characters
Skip it if: People who need a work assistant, coding help or reliable information lookup
Pros
- The homepage cites over 10 million characters to choose from
- Free tier, with iOS, Android and web apps
- Character creation tools covering personality, backstory and voice, per the Google Play listing
Cons
- In Chapter 11 since 12 Oct 2026; the company says the platform will be wound down if no viable bid emerges
- Rated only 2.1/5 on Google Play and 1.2/5 on Trustpilot, versus 4.3/5 on the App Store
All pros and cons · Who is it for?
Pros
- c.ai+ is $9.99 on the US App Store, half the price of many $20 per month AI subscriptions
Cons
- The policy allows chat content to be used to train models
- The company faces multiple child-safety lawsuits and regulatory pressure
Best for
- People who want to create their own characters with distinct personalities and voices
Skip it if
- Under-18s, since the company ended open-ended chat for that group
Problems it solves
Experience & key features
What Character.AI is
Character.AI is an interactive entertainment platform where you chat, call and roleplay with AI characters made by the community or by you. Its homepage cites over 10 million characters. According to Wikipedia, two former Google engineers, Noam Shazeer and Daniel de Freitas, founded the company in November 2021, the beta opened publicly on 16 September 2022 and the mobile apps arrived in May 2023. It runs on web, iOS and Android, and the About page places the company in Silicon Valley.
Features and pricing
Google Play says characters can remember earlier conversations and speak with distinct voices, and users can create their own with a personality and backstory. The free tier has ads. The US App Store lists c.ai+ at $9.99 and $94.99 (periods not labelled), Lite at $4.99 and $2.49, and Charms packs from $0.99. The official pages read do not list per-plan benefits in detail, so this review does not state specific ones.
Safety and current status
On 29 October 2025 the company announced that under-18s would lose open-ended chat with characters no later than 25 November 2025, with age assurance built on an in-house model plus third-party tools such as Persona. The App Store now rates the app 18+. On 12 October 2026 the company filed for Chapter 11 to sell all or substantially all of its assets, citing legal, regulatory and operational headwinds. Press reports say Disney is the stalking-horse bidder at $20 million for a perpetual, non-exclusive licence to certain intellectual property, and higher bids are allowed. The company expects the sale to finish in late November or early December 2026; if no viable bid emerges, the platform will be wound down.
More analysis
When it makes sense
If you are an adult who simply wants to try roleplay chat, the free tier is the lowest-risk way in right now. Think twice before prepaying an annual plan, and avoid sharing sensitive information since the policy allows content to be used for model training. For work tasks, general chatbots such as ChatGPT or Grok, or Poe with its choice of models, are a better fit.
Screenshots
Plans & pricing
Prices last verified Nov 10, 2026
Free
PersonalFree
Free to use, with ads per the Google Play listing. Official pages do not publish detailed message limits.
c.ai+
Personal$9.99/mo
$7.92/mo billed yearly
The US App Store lists Character.AI+ at $9.99 and $94.99; this review reads these as monthly and annual prices (the store does not label the periods), about $7.92 per month on the annual plan. A Lite tier is listed at $4.99 and $2.49 (periods not stated), plus Charms packs from $0.99.
- Free plan limits
- The free tier has ads. The official pages read do not state specific limits.
- Free trial
- No free trial
Cancellation & refunds
The pages read state no refund policy. Plans bought through the App Store or Google Play are handled by the store.
Privacy
The privacy policy (effective 1 July 2026) says Character.AI collects content you submit, including chats, images, videos and voice recordings if you use voice features, and uses information to analyse and improve the services, including training AI models. Data is kept for the time needed for its processing purposes. You can delete your account from your profile page, but the company reserves the right to preserve and keep active Characters you shared with others. On 12 October 2026 the company filed for Chapter 11 to sell its assets; it says its data privacy practices are unchanged during the process and that you can delete your account or export your data.
Character.AI alternatives
7.5/10ChatGPT
OpenAI's flagship AI assistant for writing, research, coding, images and voice
7.1/10Grok
AI chatbot with live X search, image and video generation, and plans bundled with X
Frequently asked questions
Is Character.AI shutting down?
Not yet. The company filed for Chapter 11 on 12 October 2026 to sell its assets and says the platform remains up, with paid subscriptions still active. If no viable bid emerges, the platform will be wound down.
What happens to my data and chats?
The company says its data practices are unchanged and you can delete your account or export your data in the app or on the website. The pages read say nothing about how data would be handled if the assets are sold.
Can under-18s use it?
The company announced that under-18s lose open-ended chat with characters from 25 November 2025 at the latest, though they can still make videos, stories and streams. The App Store now rates the app 18+.
How much is c.ai+?
The US App Store lists Character.AI+ at $9.99 and $94.99. The store does not label the periods, but the amounts suggest monthly and annual plans.
Review evidence & sources11
Scores
- Ease of use
- 7.3
- Features
- 7.0
- Value for money
- 6.2
- Performance
- 5.6
- Support
- 5.0
- Privacy & security
- 4.5
Why this score
Sign up via Google, Apple or email, then pick a character and chat. Points off because the free tier has ads, and Trustpilot reviewers often complain about heavy ads and mandatory age verification.
Why this score
Chat, voice calls, character creation, scenes and stories per the official pages. Narrower than general assistants, and open-ended chat for under-18s was ended.
Why this score
An ad-supported free tier and a $9.99 c.ai+ are reasonable prices, but bankruptcy risk makes prepaying, especially the $94.99 annual plan, less certain.
Why this score
Ratings diverge: 4.3/5 on the App Store but 2.1/5 on Google Play and 1.2/5 on Trustpilot, where reviewers often cite poor character memory and repetitive replies. The company says the platform is running, but its future depends on the asset sale.
Why this score
A Safety Center, support site and email exist, but the pages read give no response times. With the company in bankruptcy proceedings, how long support will last is unclear.
Why this score
The policy permits model training on user information, collects voice data, and shared Characters may be kept after account deletion. The asset sale adds uncertainty even though the company says practices are unchanged.
What users say
- App Store (US)4.3/5 · 561,338
- Google Play2.1/5 · 2,460,000
- Trustpilot1.2/5 · 748
Sources
- Vendor-providedOfficial blog: An update on Character.aiNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial blog: under-18 chat announcementNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial privacy policyNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial About pageNov 10, 2026
- Vendor-providedOfficial homepageNov 10, 2026
- storeApp Store listingNov 10, 2026
- storeGoogle Play listingNov 10, 2026
- review-siteTrustpilot reviewsNov 10, 2026
- Community-reportedWikipedia: Character.aiNov 10, 2026
- pressUnite.AI: Chapter 11 with Disney stalking-horse dealNov 10, 2026
- pressAI Weekly: Chapter 11 as Disney bids $20MNov 10, 2026
Specs & compatibility
- Developer
- Character Technologies
- Headquarters
- United States
- Launched
- 2022
- Category
- AI
Capabilities
- AI features
- Mobile app
- Templates
Platforms
- Web
- iOS
- Android
Interface languages
- English
- Vietnamese
- Japanese
- Chinese
- Spanish
- French
- Korean
- German
- Portuguese
- Russian
- Thai
- Indonesian
Support
- Help center
Change history
- Company.Files for Chapter 11 to pursue a court-supervised asset sale; the platform stays online.
- Update.Current privacy policy takes effect.
- Limits.Announces under-18s lose open-ended chat with characters by 25 November 2025 at the latest, with age assurance.
Full change history (7)
- Company.Google hires Shazeer and signs a non-exclusive technology licensing deal with Character.AI.
- Launch.iOS and Android apps launch; the $9.99 per month c.ai+ subscription is announced.
- Launch.Public beta launches.
- Company.Former Google engineers Noam Shazeer and Daniel de Freitas found the company.
About the author
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