What the Chapter 11 filing means for Character.AI users
Character.AI (often called c.ai) is still running, and here is what the company and the court record say, so you can plan any switch on your own schedule.
- Filed: Character Technologies, Inc., the company behind Character.AI, filed a voluntary Chapter 11 petition on 12 October 2026 to support a court-supervised sale of the company.
- Operating during the sale: The company says the platform remains up and running and all services are available at this time, and it expects to keep operating with minimal disruptions while the sale runs.
- What happens next: The company expects the sale to complete in late November or early December 2026. It says the platform would be wound down only if the sale does not provide for its continuation.
Facts checked: 13 October 2026. Sources: Character.AI's update, the Stretto case page, the company's press release.
What to look for in a Character.AI replacement
A replacement has to do the things you actually used Character.AI for, not just appear on a list. These five checks are the method behind the comparison below, and they work on any of the apps or sites like Character.AI you come across, including ours.
Where it runs
If most of your chats happen on your phone, a web-only service will not replace the app. Self-hosted tools run on your own computer and need more setup.
How to check: the product's own website and its App Store or Google Play listing.
Creating your own characters
Look for an editor where you set a character's name, personality, greeting and example lines, the details that shape how it talks.
How to check: the product's help center or character creation guide.
Characters made by other users
A shared library lets you start chatting before you have built anything. Some tools have no browsable library and rely on character files you import instead.
How to check: a public feed, discover page or community section on the official site.
Memory in long conversations
None of the official sources we checked publish a memory measure you could compare across products, so a marketing claim cannot settle this. Run the same long scenario everywhere and see what each character still remembers.
How to check: your own test (step 4 in the switching guide below).
Your data and the age rule
Check whether you can download your chats, and what minimum age the terms set. Both vary between the products below, from self-serve export to requests by email, and from 13+ to 18+.
How to check: the help center, privacy policy and terms of service.
How these Character AI alternatives compare
This table applies four of the five checks to Character.AI as the baseline and to five alternatives in alphabetical order. Every cell comes from the product's own website, help center, terms or app store listing, accessed on 13 October 2026; "Not documented" means the official source does not say, not that the feature is missing. The order is not a ranking, and memory is left out because there is no comparable official figure to put in a cell.
| Product | Where it runs | Create your own characters | Characters made by other users | Export your chats or data | Minimum age in the terms |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Character.AI (baseline) | Web, iOS, Android | Yes | Yes, Community Feed | Yes, account data export; can take 3–4 weeks | 13+ (16+ in the EEA and UK) |
| Chai | iOS, Android; web listed as coming soon | Yes | Yes | Not documented | 18+ |
| Nomi | Web, iOS, Android | Yes, with a custom backstory | Not documented | Not documented | 18+ |
| Replika | iOS, Android; web app listed as legacy | You customize your own Replika; separate characters not documented | Not documented | On request, depending on where you live; no self-serve export documented | 18+ |
| SillyTavern | Self-hosted on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android (Termux) or Docker; needs a separate AI model | Yes | No browsable library documented; imports character files or links | Yes, per chat (JSONL or TXT) | Not stated (open-source software) |
| Talkie | Web, iOS, Android | Yes | Yes, Discover and Community | Account details only; chat export not documented | 14+ (higher in some countries) |
Sources (accessed 13 October 2026): Character.AI — terms, iOS app, Android app, creating a character, Community Feed, data download. Chai — website, App Store, Google Play, EULA. Nomi — website, web app, App Store, Google Play, privacy policy, terms. Replika — website, web app, privacy policy, terms. SillyTavern — documentation, character design, characters, chat files. Talkie — terms, FAQ, website, community, data export.
On these sources, the clearest differences between good Character.AI alternatives are where they run, whether you can take your chats with you, and the minimum age.
Match an alternative to the reason you are leaving
Most lists of apps like Character.AI start from the apps; this section starts from your reason. If you are exploring the whole category instead, our guide to apps and chatbots like Character.AI sorts them by type.
You chat mostly on your phone
Check: a native iOS or Android app, not only a website.
Options that document it: Character.AI, Chai, Nomi, Replika and Talkie list apps for both iOS and Android. SillyTavern runs on Android only as a self-hosted install through Termux.
You write your own characters
Check: a character editor with name, personality and greeting.
Options that document it: Chai, Nomi, SillyTavern and Talkie document creating your own characters. Replika documents customizing your own Replika.
You want control over your data and setup
Check: self-hosting and a self-serve chat export.
Options that document it: SillyTavern runs on your own hardware and can export each chat as a file you can re-import. Replika's privacy policy describes requesting a copy of your personal information, depending on where you live.
You want to keep the conversations you already have
Check: export from Character.AI first, then import in the new app.
Options that document it: Character.AI documents an account data export. SillyTavern's documentation describes re-importable chat files and mentions a third-party browser extension for bringing over Character.AI chats. The other products do not document an import.
How to switch from Character.AI without losing your work
Moving to a replacement for Character.AI goes faster if you save first and compare second. These four steps work whichever Character.AI alternative you end up choosing.
1. Save what matters first
Copy each character's name, description, greeting and example lines into a document. Then request your account data export in Character.AI's profile settings: its help center says exports can take 3–4 weeks, and the emailed download link is valid for 7 days.
2. Shortlist two or three options
Use the five checks above to narrow the field. Where the official sources are silent on something you need, treat it as a question to test.
3. Rebuild one character and compare its first replies
Recreate your most-used character in each shortlisted app from the notes you saved, then compare how it greets you and answers the same opening message.
4. Run the same long scenario everywhere
Keep one conversation going for a while in each app, then ask about something from early on. This is the practical way to judge memory, the check no product table can answer for you.
Where ZenCreator Lounge fits
ZenCreator Lounge is part of ZenCreator, a brand operated by Dimeris Ltd. We left it out of the table above because every cell there comes from a product's own published pages, and we hold our own product to the same rule: open Lounge and put it through the same five checks.
Clear rules
ZenCreator accounts are for users aged 18 and over, and ZenCreator's Content Policy sets out what is and is not allowed.
About this comparison
- Who made it: ZenCreator, a brand operated by Dimeris Ltd. About ZenCreator
- Independence: ZenCreator is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Character Technologies, Inc. Character.AI and the other product names on this page belong to their owners.
- How facts were checked: every product fact in the comparison comes from that product's own website, help center, terms or app store listing, accessed on the date shown under the table. Facts about the Chapter 11 filing come from the company and the court claims agent, linked above.
- Updates: we re-check this page when the Chapter 11 sale process changes.
Questions before you switch
What happens to my Character.AI chats during the sale?
Character.AI says that "your information continues to be protected under our Privacy Policy" and that you "can delete your account or export your data through the app or the Character.ai website." Its help center adds that a data export can take 3–4 weeks, so requesting one early gives you a copy whatever you decide.
Is ZenCreator affiliated with Character.AI?
No. ZenCreator is operated by Dimeris Ltd and has no affiliation with Character Technologies, Inc. Character.AI is named on this page only to compare products by the same published criteria.
Who can use ZenCreator Lounge?
ZenCreator's Terms require every user to be at least 18 years old. The Content Policy describes what can and cannot be created on ZenCreator.
Try a replacement on your own terms
Open ZenCreator Lounge, put it through the same checks, and compare it with what you use today.