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Roleplay

The best Janitor AI alternatives, ranked

Seven apps for roleplayers leaving Janitor AI, ranked by writing, memory, content rules and price at this review.

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Short answer

Frontier is the top Janitor AI alternative for readers leaving over reply quality. People write every story and character, and characters remember the story events their authors marked. SillyTavern is the free pick for full control, with the model billed separately. Chub AI is the best uncensored hosted card library. Character.AI leads free unlimited messaging, though it is in a Chapter 11 sale at this review.

7 apps

The ranking

  1. 1

    Frontier

    Human-written visual novels whose characters keep talking after the ending

    16Home-cookedFun 8/10

    Best for: Story-first romance with characters who remember what you did

    Frontier fixes reply quality with writers. A person writes every story and signs it off before release. Characters remember the events the author marked as important and carry them into chat, letters and sequels, and if you go quiet for a few days, a character writes to you. No other app here has authored memory. The rest leave recall to recent messages, pins, lorebooks or summaries you maintain. The trade-off is the thing most Janitor AI users came for: the catalogue is small on purpose and you cannot make your own characters. Frontier is 18+ and free to start, and it runs on iOS, Android and the web. Chat, story unlocks and photos cost Quills. Monthly Refill plans run $12.99 to $39.99 on iOS at this review, and the app shows the price before you spend.

    Strengths
    • A person writes every story and signs off before release, so a character's voice holds from chapter to chat.
    • Characters remember events the author marked as important, instead of a summary of your chat log.
    • Characters send letters in their own voice when you go quiet for a few days.
    • The app shows the Quill cost before you spend anything.
    Watch out for
    • The catalogue is small on purpose. If you want thousands of bots, this is the wrong app.
    • 18+ only.
    • Chat, story unlocks and character photos cost Quills.
    • You cannot make your own characters.

    Pricing: Free to download and start. Story unlocks, chat and character photos use Quills; Quill Monthly Refill plans cost $12.99 to $39.99 a month on iOS at this review.

    Full reviewOfficial site
  2. 2

    SillyTavern

    Free, open-source roleplay frontend: you bring the model, it runs the characters

    35Home-cookedFun 6/10

    Best for: Tinkerers who want full control over model, memory and filters

    SillyTavern is free, open-source and takes no donations, and it hands you every control. You pick the model, local or cloud. SillyTavern adds no filter of its own, so the model you connect sets the content rules. It started in 2023 as a fork of TavernAI and ships with character cards, World Info lorebooks, group chats, user personas and document RAG. Reviewers report tens of thousands of community cards that drop into a local install. The bill is the model: per reviewers, a few dollars a month of API tokens for moderate use, or a capable graphics card for a local one. Setup is the real cost. One Reddit beginner spent a month configuring it without a single session, while others say an OpenRouter API key gets you chatting within a few hours. It runs on Windows, Mac and Linux, not on iPhone or iPad.

    Strengths
    • Free and open-source. The project says it will stay that way and does not take donations.
    • Connects to local and cloud backends. The docs FAQ says a self-hosted model keeps everything on your PC.
    • Character cards, World Info lorebooks, group chats, user personas and built-in document RAG come included.
    • SillyTavern adds no filter of its own, so the content rules are set by the model you pick.
    • Reviewers report tens of thousands of community character cards that drop straight into a local install.
    Watch out for
    • Setup is the price of entry. Reviewers call it one of the least beginner-friendly AI tools, and one Reddit beginner spent a month configuring it without running a single session.
    • Long-term memory is your job. The docs warn that summaries can lose details or hallucinate, and very long chats overload the context window.
    • The model costs extra. Cloud APIs bill per token, and a local model needs a capable graphics card.
    • There is no way to run it on iPhone or iPad. On Android it runs only through a route the project does not officially support.
    • Paid web-service models log everything on the provider's server, and the docs warn the SillyTavern server is not secure enough to put on the public internet.

    Pricing: SillyTavern is free and open-source at this review, and the project takes no donations. The model you connect costs extra: API tokens for a cloud service, or your own hardware for a local model.

    Full reviewOfficial site
  3. 3

    Chub AI

    Uncensored community character cards on any model you connect, billed only in crypto

    48MicrowavedFun 6/10

    Best for: Experienced roleplayers who want uncensored cards and their choice of model

    Chub AI is the hosted version of the same idea: an uncensored library of community character cards. You can run them on Chub's own models, such as Soji 1.6T 60K, on third-party APIs like OpenAI and Anthropic, or free on a model hosted on your own machine. At this review, one $20 monthly subscription covers unlimited use of all Chub's models plus voice and multimedia generation for a single user. You pay in crypto only, and refunds come only if the company grants one. Keyword-triggered lorebooks keep world detail out of the permanent character definition until it comes up. Expect a learning curve: a reviewer spent a whole Saturday on terms like jailbreak prompt before getting a decent reply, and reviewers rate the content settings weak. Chub AI is web only and blocked in Australia. One reviewer advises keeping your favourite cards downloaded as traffic reportedly falls.

    Strengths
    • Run Chub's own models, including Soji 1.6T 60K, connect many third-party model APIs, or point it at a model on your own machine for free.
    • The $20 subscription is unlimited for one user across all of Chub's models, voice and multimedia generation, at this review.
    • Lorebooks insert backstory or setting into the prompt only when a keyword comes up, so world detail doesn't use up permanent space in the character definition.
    • Chat trees, image generation and chat import and export from other services are built in.
    • Chub says its Mars models are not trained on public or private Chub chats.
    Watch out for
    • Payment is crypto only. A reviewer reports the terms rule out refunds unless the company grants one, and name the operator as "Chub (AKA CharHub)" with no legal entity or jurisdiction.
    • Reviewers describe a steep learning curve, with a full day spent learning terms like "jailbreak prompt" and "context template" before getting a decent reply.
    • Memory is your job: lorebooks have a token budget, and once it is reached, further matching keywords are ignored.
    • Reviewers report the content settings are weak. Blocked tags work, but unwanted themes still show. A Reddit user reported a bot using a transphobic slur toward them mid-roleplay.
    • Chub is blocked for Australian users. Reviewers found no age verification behind the 18+ terms, and no Chub iOS app was published when a reviewer checked Apple's listings on 22 September 2026.

    Pricing: One subscription at $20 a month, paid in crypto only, covering unlimited use of all Chub's models plus voice and multimedia generation for a single user at this review. New users get one-time trial credits worth a few dozen messages, and connecting a model hosted on your own machine is free.

    Full reviewOfficial site
  4. 4

    Character.AI

    Millions of community-made characters, free unlimited chat, and ads until you pay

    51MicrowavedFun 5/10

    Best for: Free, unlimited chat with community characters, by text or voice

    Character.AI keeps unlimited messaging on every tier, free included, across millions of community-made characters you can text or call by voice. The catches are current ones. It filed for Chapter 11 on October 12, 2026, and it says the platform will be wound down if no buyer keeps it running, with the sale expected to close by late November or early December, so export your chats first. Users also report heavy ads, a time limit of about an hour and reading mode for unverified accounts. Memory runs mainly on recent messages plus pins you set yourself. At this review, lite costs $4.99 a month and c.ai+ costs $9.99 a month in USD.

    Strengths
    • The App Store listing says Character.AI hosts millions of user-generated characters, and you can create and publish your own.
    • You can talk to characters by text or by live voice call.
    • Every tier keeps unlimited messaging, and the PipSqueak 3 and ShortSqueak chat styles are free for everyone.
    • At this review, the lite plan costs $4.99 a month and adds extra memory pins, a Memory Usage bar and no banner ads.
    • Memory pins and Lorebook let you decide what the bot keeps in view.
    Watch out for
    • Character.AI filed for Chapter 11 on October 12, 2026 to sell the company. It is still running and subscriptions still bill, but it says the platform will be wound down if no buyer keeps it going, with the sale expected to close by late November or early December 2026.
    • Users report lots of recent ads, a new time limit of about an hour of chatting, and reading mode instead of chat for unverified accounts.
    • Users say the bot works mainly from recent messages, pinned memories use up the context window, and the paid DeepSqueak model now gives short replies that ignore pins.
    • An account flagged as under 18 has to verify with a Persona selfie, and possibly an ID, to leave the under-18 experience.
    • Cancelling a paid plan takes effect at the end of the billing period, with no partial refunds for unused time.

    Pricing: Free with unlimited messaging and ads. At this review, lite costs $4.99 a month or $2.49 a week (varies by region), and c.ai+ costs $9.99 a month or $94.99 a year in USD.

    Full reviewOfficial site
  5. 5

    CrushOn AI

    Adult character chat built on a library of community-made bots

    53MicrowavedFun 4/10

    Best for: Adults who want a big community adult library and accept weak privacy

    CrushOn AI is the adult-first option, on web, iOS and Android. The App Store listing puts its 18+ library at 500+ personalities, with explicit chat behind a content setting, and some creators go past cards to build their own submodels. Privacy is why it sits this low. Reviewers report the privacy policy uses chat content to train its models and sets no fixed retention period, and one user says bots set to private keep gaining views. Memory is sold by tier, starting at 8K on free, and free chat history is deleted after 7 days of inactivity. Users say the website charges a $0.99 card transaction to unlock unfiltered content. At this review, reviewers list paid plans from $5.99 to $199.99 a month. On iOS the app is called Crushmash.

    Strengths
    • A large community library. The App Store listing claims 500+ AI personalities, with new ones added weekly.
    • Adult chat is available behind an 18+ rating and an in-app content setting.
    • Creators go further than character cards. Users say some build their own submodels and model customizations.
    • A user who paid for about six months praised the model choice and the creator community.
    Watch out for
    • Privacy is weak. Reviewers report the privacy policy uses chat content to train its models and sets no fixed retention period, and a user says bots set to private keep gaining views.
    • Age checks are thin. Reviewers report Android sign-up asked only for two tick boxes, and users say the website charges a US$0.99 card transaction, billed as age verification, to unlock unfiltered content.
    • Memory costs money. Reviewers report longer memory is sold by tier, an upsell banner appeared about three messages into the first chat, and free chat history is deleted after 7 days of inactivity.
    • Billing complaints are common. Users report a renewal that charged them and then dropped them to free, with a half-month extension offered instead of a refund. The unclaimed review profile scores 1.8 from 22 reviews, and 91% of those reviews are 1-star.
    • The apps carry other names. On iOS the app is Crushmash, published by Branden Allan Blankenship, and reviewers report the Android app is JollyChatter.

    Pricing: Free to start. At this review, the Crushmash App Store listing says free with in-app purchases and lists no plan prices.

    Full reviewOfficial site
  6. 6

    PolyBuzz

    A vast user-built character library, free to start, with ad breaks and short memory

    55MicrowavedFun 5/10

    Best for: Free roleplay with community characters you can also build yourself

    PolyBuzz is free to start, and the company claims a library of over 20 million characters, most of them user-built. You can make your own characters and keep them private or share them. Ads pay for the free chat. App Store reviewers report a break every 10 to 50 messages, and one counts 6 to 8 unskippable ads roughly every 30. Reviewers say free-tier characters forget what you said twenty messages ago. Users say the paid permanent memory holds 200 characters per box and works in English only. PolyBuzz's cookie consent says device data may be shared with 210 advertising partners. At this review, reviewers report subscriptions from $9.90 to $29.90 a month.

    Strengths
    • Anyone can create a character and keep it private or share it publicly, according to the App Store listing.
    • Logging in unlocks multiple chat rounds, an advanced chat model, unlimited searches, free image generation and character creation.
    • Reviewers report the company claims over 20 million characters, most of them user-built.
    • Creators can add a Greeting Visual that shows a character's personality, setting and story before the chat starts, according to users.
    Watch out for
    • App Store reviewers say free chat stops every 10 to 50 messages for ads and a prompt to pay for ad-free chat. One reviewer reports 6 to 8 unskippable ads roughly every 30 messages.
    • Reviewers report free-tier characters forget what you said twenty messages ago. Users say paid permanent memory is capped at 200 characters per box, works in English only, and has had saved memories deleted or overwritten.
    • PolyBuzz's cookie consent says device data may be shared with 210 partners for personalised advertising, and those partners may use precise geolocation data.
    • Reviewers report self-reported age checks on iOS and Android, no birthdate prompt on the web, and violent content appearing even with Pure Mode on.
    • Users say event currency expires. Leftover keys from the September 2026 "Time Box" event were gone when it ended.

    Pricing: Free to download with in-app purchases on iOS and Google Play at this review. PolyBuzz publishes no subscription prices in the official sources checked for this review.

    Full reviewOfficial site
  7. 7

    Chai

    User-made AI characters, daily message caps and a pricing model that keeps moving

    60MicrowavedFun 5/10

    Best for: Short, casual scenes with user-made characters on a phone

    Chai's users praise how its user-made characters hold a scene. They say the characters stay in character and don't hit filters mid-roleplay. It ranks last because of the terms around that. Chai says it trains its models to make chat sessions less likely to end, with a stated goal of raising revenue and screentime. Free messages are capped daily, and users report the caps and tiers changing repeatedly through 2026. They also report memory slipping around 50 messages in and extra memory costing pieces. Chai publishes no prices, and some regions need a subscription to use it at all. An App Store reviewer says bot creators can see users' conversations with their bots. Chai runs on iOS and Android only.

    Strengths
    • The Google Play listing says anyone can create a character and keep it private or share it publicly.
    • Users say Chai's characters feel distinct, stay in character and don't hit filters mid-scene.
    • Optional safety filters hide mature content and block characters, and characters or messages can be reported anonymously.
    • Chai says it scans every message for self-harm content and refers users who express intent to crisis services.
    Watch out for
    • Chai says it trains its models to make chat sessions less likely to end. It also says the stated goal of its November 2025 training was to raise user revenue and screentime.
    • Free messages are capped daily, and users report the caps and the subscription tiers changing repeatedly through 2026.
    • Users report memory slipping around 50 messages in, and say extra memory now costs pieces.
    • An App Store reviewer says bot creators can see users' conversations with their bots, and that this was not disclosed.
    • Users report that the October 2026 Ruby and Diamond paywall drops the Manage Subscription button that earlier subscribers had.

    Pricing: Free to download with in-app purchases at this review, and Chai publishes no subscription prices. Free messages are capped daily, and Chai says some regions require a paid subscription to use the app at all.

    Full reviewOfficial site
Side by side

Scorecard

How scores are made

Slop scores run 0 to 100, lower is better. Fun runs 0 to 10, higher is better. A dash means we have not scored it yet.
#AppOverall slopProseMemoryCharactersStoryPricingArtFun
1Frontier16Home-cooked201010535188/10
2SillyTavern35Home-cooked-5045-10-6/10
3Chub AI48Microwaved-56445040-6/10
4Character.AI51Microwaved505545-48555/10
5CrushOn AI53Microwaved505845-58554/10
6PolyBuzz55Microwaved-7050-68325/10
7Chai60Microwaved-6842-72585/10
Category winners

Who wins what

Best for authored characters and memory

Frontier

People write every Frontier story, and characters remember the events their authors marked, carrying them into chat, letters and sequels.

Best for full control

SillyTavern

SillyTavern is free and open-source, runs whatever local or cloud model you connect, and adds no filter of its own.

Best uncensored hosted card library

Chub AI

Chub AI's docs say it does not meaningfully restrict characters or interactions, and $20 a month covers unlimited use of all its models for one user at this review.

Best free unlimited messaging

Character.AI

Character.AI keeps unlimited messaging on its free tier, though it carries ads and is in a Chapter 11 sale at this review.

If you're leaving Janitor AI over reply quality, this list offers two fixes: better writing, or a model you choose yourself. Frontier takes the first. People write its visual novels and characters, and the characters remember the story events their authors marked, so a voice holds from chapter to chat. SillyTavern and Chub AI take the second. Both run community character cards on whichever model you connect with no house filter, and both cost you setup time.

The hosted card libraries below them are quicker to start, and each has a catch. Character.AI gives free unlimited messaging but is in a Chapter 11 sale at this review. CrushOn AI is adult-first with weak privacy. PolyBuzz pays for free chat with ad breaks, and Chai caps free messages daily and says it trains its models to keep sessions going.

How we ranked

The ranking weighed what each app does for someone leaving Janitor AI:

  • who writes the characters and how well they hold a voice
  • what the characters remember, and who has to maintain that memory
  • what content each app allows
  • what it costs at this review
  • how long it takes to get a first good reply

Each app's slop grades for prose, memory, characters, story and pricing fed in, and lower means less generic sameness. Risks that can end a long roleplay counted against an app: Character.AI's pending sale, Chai's shifting caps and tiers, and memory that users report slipping a few dozen messages in. Prices and policies are as of each app's last review and change often.

FAQ

Questions people ask

What is the best free Janitor AI alternative?

SillyTavern, if you will do the setup. The software is free and open-source, and the only bill is the model you connect. Reviewers put that at a few dollars a month of API tokens for moderate use, or nothing beyond your own hardware for a local model. For a free site with no setup, Character.AI keeps unlimited messaging on its free tier, with ads and a Chapter 11 sale under way at this review. PolyBuzz and Chai are free to start, but PolyBuzz breaks up chats with ads and Chai caps free messages daily.

Is Tavern AI the same as SillyTavern?

No. SillyTavern started in February 2023 as a fork of TavernAI 1.2.8 and has had three years of independent development since, with over 300 contributors. It is a frontend, not a chatbot website. You connect a local or cloud model, and SillyTavern runs the character cards on it.

Which Janitor AI alternative is uncensored?

Chub AI and SillyTavern. Chub AI's docs say it does not meaningfully restrict which characters can be posted or what users do with them, beyond banning illegal content and sexualised minors. SillyTavern adds no filter of its own, so the model you connect sets the rules, and its docs say paid cloud models often refuse certain subjects. CrushOn AI offers explicit chat behind a content setting, which users say the website unlocks with a $0.99 card charge.

Which alternative remembers the story best?

Frontier, because its memory is written in. Authors mark which story moments count, and characters carry those events into chat, letters and sequels. On every other app here, recall rests on recent messages, pins, lorebooks or summaries you maintain. Users report Chai's memory slipping around 50 messages in, and reviewers say PolyBuzz's free tier forgets what you said twenty messages back.

Is Character.AI shutting down?

Not yet. Character.AI filed for Chapter 11 on October 12, 2026 for a court-supervised sale, and it is still running with subscriptions still billing. It says the platform will be wound down if no bid keeps it operating, and it expects the sale to close by the end of November or early December 2026. Export any chats you want to keep.

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Slop check: passedThis page went through our slop counter before publishing. How we check our own copy