Chai Alternatives (2026): 10 Apps and Roleplay Clients

Chai, the phone app from Chai Research for chatting with AI characters that other users have made, has plenty of company. What most people don't realise until they go looking is that the alternatives aren't all apps.

Chai itself isn't in this list. The ten below are listed alphabetically, in no particular order, and each description comes from the developer's own website or documentation, read as of Nov 2026.

Chai alternatives side by side

Tool	Type	Good for
Character.AI	Hosted character chat app	A very large hosted character library
ChatFAI	Hosted character site	Characters grouped by category
Dopple	Hosted character app	Themed character collections
Emochi	Hosted roleplay app	A wide choice of story-led characters
HammerAI	Hosted and desktop chat platform	Cloud chat with a local option
Replika	Hosted AI companion	One companion rather than a library
RisuAI	Open source roleplay client	Creating and sharing your own characters
SillyTavern	Locally installed LLM front end	Full control over prompts
TavernAI	Desktop roleplay app	Branching chats on your own computer
Yodayo	Anime creative platform with chat	Anime fans who also make art

Ten hosted apps and installable clients

Character.AI

Best for: Jumping straight into a huge hosted library of characters, from a service built around storytelling, gaming and social connection.

ChatFAI

Best for: Browsing characters by category, from Anime and Manga to History, Religion, and TV Shows and Movies, all in the browser.

Dopple

Best for: Choosing from themed collections of characters, including Anime, Movies, Philosophers and Helpers, without installing anything.

Emochi

Best for: Story-led roleplay with a wide range of user-made characters sorted into genres such as Drama and Comedy, in a hosted app.

HammerAI

Best for: Anyone who wants both: chat with cloud models on its servers, or use the desktop app to run a model locally through Ollama.

Replika

Best for: Someone who'd rather build one ongoing friendship than browse characters, from the company that says it built the first AI companion.

RisuAI

Best for: Tinkerers who want an open source roleplay client, with RisuRealm as a place to share the characters they make.

SillyTavern

Best for: Power users happy with a learning curve, since it's built around character cards and aims to give as much control over prompts as possible.

TavernAI

Best for: Desktop users who'd like branching chats and a Prompt Manager with no account, bringing their own AI provider on Windows or Linux.

Yodayo

Best for: Anime fans who want character chat in its Tavern alongside image, video, music and voice generation tools.

Hosted app or software you install?

Here's the split a Chai user wouldn't guess. Half of these are hosted apps you open and chat in. Character.AI says it offers 'millions of Characters to discover', Dopple.ai sorts characters under headings such as 'Philosophers', ChatFAI's title is 'Discover AI Characters', Replika says 'We built the world's first AI companion', Emochi's page title promises roleplay 'with unlimited AI Characters', and Yodayo calls itself an 'AI-enabled creative platform'.

The other half are software you install and connect to a model of your choice. RisuAI calls itself an 'AI Roleplay Client' and an 'open source project'. SillyTavern's docs describe 'a locally installed user interface that allows you to interact with text generation LLMs'. TavernAI is a 'Desktop AI roleplay app' that says 'No account required' and 'Bring your own provider'. HammerAI sits in both camps, since it says you can 'run the LLM on your local machine for total privacy'.

That difference matters more than any single feature. A hosted app works the moment you sign up, but your chats live on someone else's servers and you get the model they choose. An installed client takes some setting up, and you'll need an AI provider or a local model, but you decide where everything runs.

What you'll need for an installed client

• A computer, not just a phone. The installable clients here are built for a desktop or a server, so they suit people who chat from a laptop or PC.
• A model to connect. You either run a model locally on your own hardware or connect an account with an AI provider. The client is the front end; the model does the talking.
• Some patience. One of these projects openly embraces a steep learning curve. Expect to read the docs before your first chat.
• Character cards. Installed clients often use character cards, files that hold a character's prompts and personality, so you can import characters other people have shared.
• Backups. Because chats live on your machine, back them up the way you would any other files you care about.

Leaving Chai without losing your characters

There's no common export format between these apps, so copy anything you'd miss before you leave. Write down each character's name, personality and opening message. Most hosted apps and every installed client here let you create characters, so you can rebuild the ones that matter.

If you'd like to build your own chatbot rather than chat with someone else's, my guide to where to create an AI chatbot for free walks through the options.

Six questions before you pick a Chai replacement

1. Do I want to start chatting today, or am I happy to set something up?
2. Will I chat mostly on my phone or on a computer?
3. Do I want a big library of characters, or one companion?
4. Where are my chats stored, and who can see them?
5. Can I make and share my own characters?
6. If I install a client, which model will I connect it to?

Do you make a character chat app or roleplay client? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My advice for Chai users weighing the options

If you want something that works in the next five minutes, pick a hosted app and try it for a few evenings. If you've been frustrated by limits on a hosted app, or you care about where your chats are kept, an installed client is worth an afternoon of setup. Start with whichever matches the device you use most, and don't delete Chai until the new app feels like home. More character chat apps are covered in this Janitor AI roundup.

For wider lists, see my guides to Character AI alternatives and AI companion apps.

Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.

Related: the anime page.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best Chai alternatives?

It depends on whether you want a hosted app or software you install. Hosted character apps are the quickest to start, while installable roleplay clients give you control over the model and where your chats are stored.

What's the difference between a hosted app and a roleplay client?

A hosted app runs on the developer's servers, so you sign up and chat. A roleplay client is software you install, then connect to an AI provider or to a model running on your own computer.

Are there free Chai alternatives?

Yes. Some of the installable clients here describe themselves as open source, and some hosted apps name a free way to chat on their own pages, as of Nov 2026. Check each site before you sign up.

Do I need a powerful computer for a local model?

Running a model on your own machine needs more memory and a more capable graphics card than everyday tasks. If your computer isn't up to it, connect the client to an AI provider instead.

Can I use these apps on my phone?

Most hosted apps work on phones through an app or a browser. The installable clients here are built for computers or servers, so check each project's docs before you plan on phone use.

Can I move my characters from Chai?

Not automatically. There's no common export between these apps, so note each character's name, personality and opening line, then recreate it in the new app.