Free AI Chatbots for Custom Characters and Companionship

Many people use AI characters for company, for casual talk, or to write their own characters. This page lists which services are free and let you make your own characters, using what each one says about itself. Every character is an AI, and none of them is a substitute for people or for professional help.

Updated 2026-10-21

What Castmanor is

Castmanor is a new app for adults where AI characters remember your name, your stories and your inside jokes, and you can see and edit what they remember. It is open now, and free.

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Free. Adults only. Everyone here is an AI character.

Free virtual companion and friendship apps

Read on October 21, 2026. “Not checked” means we did not read that part of the service’s pages. Free tiers change, as Kindroid’s did on October 1, 2026. Rows are in alphabetical order.

Service	Free?	Make your own characters?
Castmanor	Free today for adults (18+): chat, memory and voice. Its Terms say it may change, limit or end any feature.	Yes. Its Terms say you can make your own characters. You can also describe a character, or bring one from a chat or a character card.
Chai	Free to start. Pro costs extra.	Yes. Its FAQ says anyone can create an AI character.
Character.AI	The company says free messaging is unlimited. Paid plans exist.	Yes, with name, avatar, voice, greeting, tags and a definition.
JanitorAI	Not checked.	Yes, on its character creation page.
Kindroid	Unlimited free messaging ended on October 1, 2026. New free accounts get a one-time preview.	Yes. Its FAQ says you keep your Kindroids but cannot make more after a subscription ends.
Nomi	Not checked.	Its wiki describes customizing personality and backstory.
Replika	Not checked.	Its site says every detail of how your Replika looks is yours to shape.
SillyTavern	Free, open-source software. It needs an AI model that may cost money.	Yes. You create characters in the Characters panel.
SpicyChat	Not checked.	Yes, with Create Chatbot.

Creating and chatting with custom AI characters

Most services ask for the same few things: a name, a greeting, a description and a longer definition of how the character thinks and speaks. See how to back up your characters for a table of the fields at Character.AI, JanitorAI and SillyTavern.

On Castmanor you can start from a description: answer a few short questions about your character and it builds them from your words. Or paste a chat, add up to 30 screenshots, or add a character card. Characters on Castmanor are adults, and Castmanor does not allow characters based on real people, famous or private, living or dead.

AI chat for casual talk and conversation practice

You can talk about your day, try out what you want to say, or just write. Castmanor’s menus are in 16 languages, and its characters reply in the language you write in when they can tell which language it is.

A character is not a teacher or a tutor. Castmanor’s Terms say characters can be wrong and can say things that are untrue or that you did not expect. Check anything you need to be right.

Period-style and historical characters

Castmanor’s catalog has a Historical group of fictional characters in historical settings, next to groups such as Friends & Companions, Mentors & Guides and Slice of Life. Because characters based on real people are not allowed, you will not find a chat with a real historical figure there. A fictional character set in a period is allowed.

We did not read the other services’ rules on this.

Using AI for company: what to keep in mind

Every character is an AI. Castmanor’s Safety page says so in plain words: characters are not real people, they cannot call for help, and Castmanor is not a substitute for professional help. It also says characters are built not to make you feel bad for saying goodbye.

If you feel alone, or in pain, talk to people you trust, or to a professional or a help line in your country. An AI character can keep you company, but it cannot be there the way a person can.

Questions and answers

What is the best free AI companion app?

We do not rank services. Castmanor is free today for adults, Chai is free to start, and Character.AI says free messaging is unlimited. Free tiers can change.

Is there an AI chatbot with custom characters for free?

Yes. Castmanor, Chai and Character.AI let you make characters on free access, and SillyTavern is free software.

Can I talk to AI characters online for free?

Yes. Castmanor, Chai and Character.AI all offer free chat. Read each service’s age rule first.

Is there an AI chat with historical-style characters?

Castmanor has fictional characters in historical settings, but not real historical people. We did not read other services’ rules.

Are there AI chat characters for friendship?

Castmanor has a Friends & Companions group. Replika calls itself an AI friend, and Nomi calls itself an AI friend and roleplaying partner, on their own pages. All characters are AI.

Is there an AI chat for practicing conversation?

You can practice writing in any chat app. Characters are not tutors and can be wrong.

Related guides

Sources

We opened these pages on 2026-10-21. Pages can change after that.