Short answer: Character.AI is still running, but its future is uncertain. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on 12 October 2026, and it says the service will be wound down if no buyer keeps it going. Save your chats now. If you want an alternative, Isekai Zero and OOC are closest for anime-style character chat, SillyTavern is the free, self-hosted option, and Questner is the pick if you want your roleplay to happen inside a full story.
What's happening with Character.AI
Status as of 12 November 2026.
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| 12 Oct 2026 | Character Technologies, the company behind Character.AI, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware |
| 12–13 Oct 2026 | Disney named as the "stalking horse" bidder: $20 million for a non-exclusive licence to some of Character.AI's technology and IP |
| 4 Nov 2026 | The court approved the bidding process |
| 24 Nov 2026 | Deadline for competing offers |
| 1 Dec 2026 | Auction |
| 3–4 Dec 2026 | Sale hearing |
What this means for you:
- The app still works. Chats are there, and subscriptions are still billing.
- Disney's bid is for a licence, not the app. It doesn't include running Character.AI for its users.
- It could shut down. Character.AI says that if no buyer agrees to keep the service running, it will be wound down.
- You can save your chats. Character.AI says users can export their chats or delete their accounts. If your chats matter to you, export them now rather than waiting for the sale.
Character.AI alternatives at a glance
| App | Best for | Free option | How you pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Isekai Zero | Anime characters with memory, music and art | Free models + daily free credits | Pay as you go (~$1 per 100 credits) |
| OOC: The Playable Anime | Anime stories and characters | Character mode on the Basic model; daily check-in credits | Credits |
| Questner | Roleplay inside a full story with stakes | 40 messages + 7-day trial | $9.99/mo (2,000 messages) |
| SillyTavern | Total control, self-hosted | Free and open source | Pay for your own AI model |
| AI Dungeon | Open-ended story roleplay | Free tier | Subscription |
| NovelAI | Writing stories with your characters | 50 generations | $10/mo |
Checked 11 November 2026.
The best Character.AI alternatives
1. Isekai Zero: anime characters with memory
Best for: Character.AI users who mostly chat with anime-style characters.
Isekai Zero combines character chat with story scenes, generated art, music and character memory, and it runs on iOS, Android and the web. Creators can publish characters and earn a share of what players spend.
- Price: some AI models are free, and you get daily free credits. Otherwise you pay per use, about $1 per 100 credits (more through app stores).
Where Character.AI is better: a far bigger character library, and a simple subscription instead of credits.
2. OOC: The Playable Anime
Best for: anime fans who want stories as well as characters.
OOC, from New AI Entertainment, has story mode (structured, with stats and multiple endings) and character mode. It runs in the browser and on iOS and Android.
- Price: character mode on the Basic model is free. Story mode and better models use credits, which you can buy or earn through daily check-ins and challenges. New users can get 500 free credits with a referral code.
Where Character.AI is better: pricing is simpler. On OOC, each reply's cost depends on the model and length.
3. Questner: roleplay with a story around it
Best for: people who loved Character.AI roleplay but wanted it to go somewhere.
On Character.AI, a chat is one relationship. On Questner, an AI Game Master runs a whole world: other characters, events, stakes and consequences. Many games are built around characters and relationships:
- Eclipsed Academy: magic, rivalries and romance at a magic school
- Shore House: Summer: 14 housemates, one bathroom, and a summer without getting evicted
- The 100-Day Bet: win the wager or tell the truth (rated 9.0 by players)
You can also build your own story with Custom Adventure, including the characters you used to chat with.
- Price: 40 free messages, a 7-day free trial, then $9.99 a month for 2,000 messages.
- Memory: an editable story timeline that the narrator reads every turn.
Where Character.AI is better: if you just want to talk to one specific character, Character.AI's library is much bigger. Questner is about stories, not one-on-one chat.
4. SillyTavern: free and fully in your control
Best for: technical users who want no company in the middle.
SillyTavern is free, open-source software you install yourself. You connect it to an AI model of your choice, local or paid, and import or create characters. No company can shut it down on you.
Where Character.AI is better: it just works. SillyTavern takes setup, and better models cost money through their own providers.
5. AI Dungeon: open-ended roleplay
Best for: open stories where anything can happen.
AI Dungeon has a free tier and paid plans with more memory.
Where Character.AI is better: for character conversations. AI Dungeon is better at scenarios than personalities.
6. NovelAI: writing with your characters
Best for: writers who want to keep developing their characters in prose.
NovelAI's Lorebook keeps characters and places consistent, and paid plans have unlimited text.
Where Character.AI is better: NovelAI is a writing tool, so it doesn't chat back as a character in the same way.
How to choose
- You want the same experience, anime-style: Isekai Zero or OOC.
- You don't want to depend on any company again: SillyTavern.
- You want roleplay with a world, stakes and an ending: Questner.
- You want to write, not chat: NovelAI.
Whatever you pick, export your Character.AI chats first.
