The best anime AI chat apps for building your own cast

Of the thirteen, only SpicyChat's image tool names an anime style in the facts I have. So I ranked on what an anime fan actually uses: a character library, roleplay that stays in role, making your own characters, and group chat.

All thirteen let you create a character of your own, and each one offers a free start of some sort. What differs is how honest that free start is, what the first paid plan costs, and how far the content can go. If a relaxed content policy is your main filter, my guide to uncensored AI apps ranks on that instead.

Next comes the free start. I rate a published allowance above a vague promise, because you should see the terms of the deal before an email address changes hands. Then the price of the first plan I'd actually pay for, including the credits or coins that images and video draw on.

After that, the content level, from SFW only to adult content allowed. Last come the less exciting parts: refund rules, cancel paths and who runs the app.

What I did not score is art style. The official pages behind this list don't describe how "anime" the images look, and I won't pretend otherwise. If you want the long version, the method behind every ranking on this site spells it out.

HammerAI, Privee AI, Backyard AI, WyvernChat and CrushChat appear in the tables rather than in full entries. I like HammerAI's published free allowance of 600 messages a day, and Backyard AI's free tier of 300 messages a week with no card needed. Both are worth a look if text chat is all you want.

Still, I think the eight below are the better first step for most anime fans. Pick the entry that sounds like you and start there.

The character side is where it shines. The community library is so large that most anime archetypes are probably already there, and you can also build a character from nothing, setting appearance, personality and backstory. Chatting is free with no message cap on the Default model, with ads, possible queues and replies up to 180 tokens. The interface comes in 9 languages, too.

Now the limits. Pictures start at True Supporter, $19.95 a month, and outside reviews say one character can look different in every image, with adult image mode giving distorted anime-style results. Group chat has a creation route on the site, but its limits aren't confirmed.

Get a Taste at $5.95 a month is the plan I'd start with, since it drops ads and queues and adds a memory manager.

Skip it if polished, consistent art is why you're here. The settings and plans are in my SpicyChat review.

• Starting free: Free tier
• Lowest price: $5.00 monthly (Get a Taste)
• Allowed: mature chat permitted
• Runs on: web

The free plan is permanent, with 50 messages a day of up to 400 characters, no ads and 2 images a day, and creating a Nomi costs nothing. Standard runs $15.99 a month, $39.99 a quarter or $99.99 a year ($8.33 monthly), with unlimited messages, voice calls and 40 image credits a day. Art requests use those credits, and a picture can be turned into a clip of about 5 seconds for 6 or 10 credits.

For anime fans the gaps are clear. Nothing on file names an anime art style, images are clothed only on every tier, and one review says pictures are picked from a ready-made gallery rather than your prompts. Voice replies are reported to lag 15 to 20 seconds. Payments are not refunded for dissatisfaction, so test on free first.

Skip it if drawn-style pictures are the main goal. How the memory and group chats hold up is in my Nomi AI review.

• Starting free: Free tier, 50 free messages daily
• Lowest price: $8.33 monthly (Standard Plan Yearly)
• Allowed: mature chat permitted
• Runs on: web, ios, android

Be clear about what it isn't. Nothing in its official facts mentions an anime art style, and the product is framed around creating an AI girlfriend, so expect a companion app first and a cast builder second. Group chat isn't confirmed, which rules out party scenes for now.

The free start is up to 5 messages in total, enough to judge the tone and no more.

The plans share the same perks: €13.99 for a month, €26.97 for three months, or €47.88 for a year, which is €3.99 a month. I'd pay monthly first, because outside the EU and UK a refund must be asked for within 24 hours, and memory is reported to hold for only 10 to 20 messages. Adult content is paid-only.

Skip it if you want a cast of anime characters in one scene. The token costs are laid out in my Candy AI review.

• Starting free: Free tier
• Lowest price: €3.99 monthly (12-Month Plan)
• Allowed: mature chat, paid plans
• Runs on: web

I'd keep expectations low for the free side. Free accounts exist, but the official FAQ says its ability to offer them is limited, and no exact free limit is published. Treat free as a look around, not a trial. The plan confirmed on the official pricing page is Deluxe, which bundles uncapped 70B-model chat, images without a cap, and voice.

Cheaper plans, Just Chatting at €11.99 and Premium at €24.99, come from third-party reviews and are not confirmed officially, so check the official prices yourself before you plan around them.

The catch: other reviewers report that memory keeps a single scene intact yet forgets the story between weeks, and that generating lots of images burns through credits quicker than the plan price implies. Video is pay-per-use in Souls, even on Deluxe.

Who should skip it: anyone who wants a long-running story that remembers last month, or a free tier with a clear number. If you'd like a contrast with a more guided companion app, my Candy AI review is a good place to compare.

• Starting free: Free tier
• Lowest price: €11.99 monthly (Just Chatting)
• Allowed: mature chat permitted
• Runs on: web

The free start is one of the clearest here. New users get 100 Mochi, plus 50 daily free Mochi that expire 24 hours after you claim them, so there's no point hoarding them. The plan I'd pay for is Pro at $14.99 a month, because it adds unlimited chat on basic models.

Plus at $9.99 drops the ads and comes with monthly Mochi, but sources disagree on the Mochi amount, so I wouldn't buy it for the numbers.

The catch is credits. Other reviewers report that credits run out fast when you generate images, rerolls and video, and that the platform feels busy for new users. Its content policy is soft, a notch below the apps that allow adult content outright. I think that suits a fan who wants flirty scenes more than anything fully open.

Who should skip it: anyone who needs voice calls, since voice calls aren't confirmed in the facts I have, or anyone who wants an open content level. Those readers should head to my NSFW AI chat rankings instead.

• Starting free: Free tier
• Lowest price: $9.99 monthly (Plus)
• Allowed: unconfirmed
• Runs on: web, ios, android

Every user gets messaging with no charge and no limit, per the c.ai+ FAQ. The trade-off is ads and a slow mode at busy times. If you pay, the cheapest step is (c.ai) lite, $4.99 monthly, which trims ads and gives 30 memory pins. c.ai+ runs $9.99 monthly or $94.99 yearly ($7.92 a month). My advice: stay free until slow mode annoys you, then take c.ai+ yearly.

Where it falls short is the content level. Character AI does not allow adult content. For a wholesome anime cast that's fine, and for spicy roleplay it's a wall. Reviews elsewhere also describe long chats getting messy and the AI inventing small details with full confidence. You can't get money back unless the law requires it, so the free tier is your trial.

Who should skip it: anyone who wants romance past the SFW line. If an AI anime girlfriend with a more relaxed policy is what you're after, my AI girlfriend rankings lean that way.

• Starting free: Free tier
• Lowest price: $4.99 monthly ((c.ai) lite)
• Allowed: unconfirmed
• Runs on: web, ios, android

Here's what bothers me: there is no standing free plan. The subscription page says one-time free trial credits worth a few dozen messages are sent to new users regularly. Free self-hosting via Kobold/Ooba also exists, but that's for the technical crowd.

The paid route is Mars at $20 a month, with unlimited access to all Chub language models, unlimited voice and unlimited multimedia generation. One clear plan is honest, but $20 is a real commitment for a first month.

The catch in the writing itself: reviews describe dialogue confusion and repetition, including the AI writing both sides of a conversation, and images with inconsistent character likeness. Refunds are reported as available only in exceptional cases.

Who should skip it: anyone who wants to start free and stay free, or who needs a stable look for their character. To see how Chub AI sits against other categories, my full rankings by topic are the quickest route.

• Starting free: Free tier
• Lowest price: $20.00 monthly (Mars)
• Allowed: mature chat permitted
• Runs on: web

For a fan who just wants to meet an AI anime character tonight without giving an email, nothing else on this list comes close.

It's here on merit, not only price. Perchance is a character hub offering roleplay, companion chat and picture generation, and it supports your own characters and group chat. That's the full anime checklist from my ranking, at zero cost. Memory is editable too, which I like for long stories where you want to keep the facts straight.

There's no paid plan to pick, so the real question is what you give up. Voice calls are not offered. The base interface is described as dated, though community forks improve it. Long chats drift: one review says memory held for 30-40 exchanges but lost an established plot point about 60 messages back. My advice is to keep a short summary of your story handy for when the character slips.

The catch for anime fans in particular is image style. Reviews call the pictures serviceable: realistic styles come out better than anime ones, and hands are a weak spot. If drawn-style pictures are your main goal, that's a real limit, and I'd rather you know it now.

Privacy-minded readers should also know it names no company. All its Terms offer is "We are Perchance.org", and the privacy policy refers to a "Website Operator". No account means less to link back to you, but also less to hold anyone to.

Who should skip it: anyone who wants voice, polished visuals or a company they can hold accountable. If you want a free, text-first app with a paid upgrade for later, my SpicyChat review is worth a read.

• Starting free: Free tier, unlimited
• Lowest price: unconfirmed
• Allowed: unconfirmed
• Runs on: web

If you want lots of pictures of your character, budget above the sticker price. If you mostly want text, the cheap end is very cheap. Character AI and Perchance have free plans, and Privee AI's yearly Plus at $49.99 works out to $4.17 a month. That's the smartest small spend here, in my view.

Allowed doesn't mean free, though. On Soulkyn, free limits aren't published and the confirmed plan is Deluxe. Chub AI has no standing free plan, just one-time trial credits, then Mars at $20. CrushChat's free tier gives up to 34 messages a day and up to 2 of your own characters, while Silver at $10 unlocks unlimited messages, images and audio.

HammerAI gives 600 messages a day free on cloud models, and Backyard AI gives 300 a week with no card needed. WyvernChat's Free Queue is free to use and needs no key for an API.

My take: for text roleplay at an open content level, HammerAI's free tier is the most generous published allowance on this page. Backyard AI is the one I'd pick if you also want voice calls, since its free tier includes them. If images matter, you'll pay on most of these apps, and the credit systems decide the real price. Keep HammerAI's refund rule in mind, too: all purchases are final.

If you only want chat, CrushOn AI is another app worth comparing, and my CrushOn AI review covers its plans.

The apps side by side below show which of the thirteen have memory, voice calls, images and custom characters.

Moescape AI is the one I'd pick if you chat on your phone or want a clear free allowance: 100 Mochi at sign-up and 50 a day after that. Pro at $14.99 is the plan I'd buy. Its content policy is softer, and voice calls aren't confirmed.

If you'd rather not pay at all yet, my free AI chat rankings is the right next stop.

• Who runs the app: most name a company, like Cube Digital Media Ltd. for Soulkyn or Character Technologies, Inc. for Character AI. CrushChat is run by an individual developer, and Perchance names no legal entity.
• The refund rule: Character AI keeps your payment unless the law says otherwise, HammerAI says all purchases are final, and Backyard AI states no refund policy.
• The cancel path: Character AI web subscribers go to Settings > Account > Manage, HammerAI sends you to Gank, and Moescape AI points to account or subscription settings, or the app store you paid through.
• What you type: keep real names and identifying details out of your chats, on any app.

For most of these thirteen, the compact facts I have don't cover training and data retention rules, so I won't guess at them. What I can say is that an app with no named company, or one run by a single person, gives you fewer ways to raise a problem. That's not a reason to avoid it, just a reason to share less.

For a deeper look at how one privacy policy reads, my OurDream AI review walks through what it says about your chats.

My simple rule: start on the free tier, pay by a method you'd be comfortable seeing on a statement, and cancel through the app's own path before a renewal.