Character.AI

Green flags, red flags

Warnings on record

• Insolvency or planned shutdown
  Character.AI filed for Chapter 11 on 2026-10-12 and says the platform could be wound down if no bid is accepted. blog.character.ai
• Child-safety litigation or state action
  Family lawsuits over alleged harm to minors were settled in January 2026, and the Kentucky attorney general sued the company the same month. kentucky.gov

Warnings are shown beside the score and do not change it. How we score

What unhappy reviewers bring up

101 of the 150 App Store (US) reviews we could read, dated Oct 21, 2026 to Oct 25, 2026, gave 1 or 2 stars. Here is what those reviews mention most.

• Ads44 of 101
• Paywall, price or billing30 of 101
• Changes after an update28 of 101
• Reply quality10 of 101
• Memory or repetition9 of 101

Only unhappy reviewers: this counts what 1 and 2 star reviewers wrote among the 150 US App Store reviews we could read, dated 2026-10-21 to 2026-10-25 (Apple serves its review feed in patches, so this is not a random or complete sample). They are a small, self-selected group and say nothing about how most users feel. Themes are matched by keywords and one review can count under several.

In the app

Screenshots: Character.AI App Store listing, Oct 27, 2026. Reviewed by us and limited to safe-for-work screens.

Close

The rating

Character.AI scores 7.9 out of 10 on what it documents and which user protections it documents. Lawsuits and incidents are listed separately below and do not change the score.

The score measures what the vendor documents and which protections it documents. It says nothing about how good the chat is, and commissions never enter it. How we score

The fine print

Every line links the page it came from. All checked Oct 27, 2026 unless a line shows another date.

The app

Maker

Character Technologies, Inc.character.ai · official site

Platforms

iOS, Android, Web support.character.ai

Note

Subscriptions can be managed in 'App Store or Google Play subscription settings'; web purchases go through Stripe.

Where it works

App Store (iOS): listed in all 52 storefronts checked. Android and web availability not stated. itunes.apple.com

Note

From Apple's iTunes Lookup API, one call per storefront (52 storefronts), 2026-10-27. Apple has more storefronts than these; the vendor does not publish a country list.

Latest change

Chapter 11 filing Oct 12 2026; platform and paid subscriptions remain active, sale expected to complete late Nov/early Dec 2026. blog.character.ai

Note

'the platform will be wound down' if no actionable bid; 'Yes, your subscriptions remain active, and billing is unchanged for now.'

Price

Free tier

Free plan includes unlimited messaging; waiting room only under high load; 15 memory pins; ads shown. support.character.ai

Note

'free and unlimited messaging for ALL users' (c.ai+ FAQ, updated Sep 14 2026). Lite FAQ: free has 15 memory pins and shows ads.

Paid plans

• (c.ai) lite: $4.99/moDaily allowance of premium chat-style messages, fewer ads, 30 memory pins, usage view, chat customization. 'Starts at' $4.99; price varies by region.
• c.ai+: $9.99/moUnlimited premium chat-style chats, no ads, full memory suite incl. private Lorebooks, chat customization, early access, bonus Charms with each pack. $9.99/month is the standard rate cited in the c.ai+ Summer Flash Sale terms (promo: $14.99 for first 3 months, then $9.99/month).
• c.ai+ (annual): $94.99/yrApp StoreListed as 'Character.AI+' in-app purchase; the listing does not show the billing period, so the yearly reading follows the price.

2 more plans

• c.ai+ (monthly): $9.99/moApp StoreListed as 'Character.AI+' in-app purchase.
• (c.ai) lite: $4.99/moApp StoreListed as 'Character.AI Lite' in-app purchase.

support.character.ai

Note

'then $9.99/month thereafter'; lite price: '(c.ai) lite starts at $4.99/mo' (lite FAQ, updated Sep 18 2026). Regional pricing applies.

Credits or coins

Charms: virtual currency sold in packs; c.ai+ gets bonus Charms with every pack purchase. support.character.ai

Note

'bonus Charms with every pack purchase' (lite FAQ). Pack prices not stated on the pages checked.

Age and content

Minimum age

Not stated by the vendorMinimum age on the ToS page could not be read character.ai

Age check

age assurance (login/activity/third-party signals); selfie age check via Persona if flagged under 18; ID upload only as last step support.character.ai

Note

'we look at a number of signals, including login info, activity on the platform, and some signals from third parties'; 'all you have to do is snap a selfie' via Persona. Updated Aug 1 2026.

Under-18 policy

Users verified as under 18 get a restricted experience without open-ended chat (reading/Stories-style mode). blog.character.ai

Note

'we will be removing the ability for users under 18 to engage in open-ended chat with AI on our platform'. Rollout began Nov 2025; see also Reading Mode help article.

Content policy

SFW only blog.character.ai

Note

'Our policies do not allow non-consensual sexual content, graphic or specific descriptions of sexual acts, or promotion or depiction of self-harm or suicide.' ToS lists 'obscene or pornographic' content as prohibited (character.ai/tos). Classification 'sfw-only' is our reading of these policies.

Mainstream roleplay platform with content filters; not an adult-content app.

Features

Memory

Pinned memories (15 free / 30 lite), Story Memory, private Lorebooks in c.ai+ support.character.ai

Note

'(c.ai) lite includes 30 memory pins (up from 15 on free)... The full memory suite, including private Lorebooks, is part of (c.ai+).'

Voice

Yes support.character.ai

Note

'Character Voice is a suite of features... adding a Voice to a Character'; Calls stored as text chat.

Images

Not stated by the vendorImage generation in chat character.ai

Group chat

Not stated by the vendorCurrent availability; 2023 announcement of Character Group Chat for c.ai+; current status not confirmed blog.character.ai

Your own characters

Yes support.character.ai

Note

Help Center has creator guides ('Greeting and Voice', Lorebook) for user-made characters.

Privacy

How long chats are kept

Not stated by the vendorChat retention period; policy page text not readable in our fetch; privacy policy says some data is retained for legal compliance and security policies.character.ai

Used to train models

Yes, unless you opt out policies.character.ai

Note

'we retain certain data that you share with us to help train and improve our AI models'; opt-out via Settings > Data & Privacy > 'Improve the Model for Everyone' (page states steps for EEA/UK users; Jul 1 2026 policy update says users can opt out 'at any time').

Deleting your data

In-app/web account deletion (permanent); data export available. support.character.ai

Note

'Account Deletion is permanent and cannot be reversed.' Web: Profile > Profile Settings > Account > Manage Account & Data > Delete Account. Export: see 'How do I download my data' (linked from the Oct 12 2026 blog).

What changed

Changes Character.AI made to its prices, free tier, rules or availability, each from a dated page.

• Oct 12, 2026
  Safety change, publishedCharacter.AI filed for Chapter 11 and says the platform could be wound down if no bid is accepted. blog.character.ai
• Sep 28, 2026
  Price change, took effectCharacter.AI launched (c.ai) lite, a subscription plan from $4.99 a month that sits between the free plan and c.ai+. blog.character.ai
• Oct 29, 2025
  Policy change, publishedCharacter.AI announced it would end open-ended chat for users under 18 no later than November 25, 2025, and add age assurance including Persona. blog.character.ai

Safety history

• Oct 12, 2026
  Character.ai filed voluntary Chapter 11 (D. Del.) for a court-supervised sale; says platform could be wound down if no bid; Disney stalking-horse bid for IP license ($20M per CNBC). blog.character.ai
• Jan 8, 2026
  Kentucky AG Russell Coleman sued Character Technologies and its founders, calling it the first US state suit against an AI chatbot company; unredacted complaint made public Oct 2026. kentucky.gov
• Jan 7, 2026
  Google and Character.AI agreed to settle family lawsuits (FL, CO, TX, NY) over alleged harm to minors; terms undisclosed. cnbc.com
• Oct 29, 2025
  Announced removal of open-ended chat for under-18 users and age assurance rollout. blog.character.ai
• Oct 22, 2024
  Garcia v. Character Technologies filed (M.D. Fla.) after 14-year-old Sewell Setzer III died; Google also named. Alleges negligence, wrongful death, product liability. cnbc.com

Is Character.AI safe? Age, privacy and safety on one page

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