Is Character AI shutting down? 7 alternatives compared
Character.AI hasn't shut down. It still works today. The company behind it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware on October 12, 2026 and is selling its assets through the court. It says the service keeps running during the sale. If no buyer keeps it going after that, it could close. The sale is expected to finish between late November and early December. As of November 6, there's no result yet.
What's happening
The first bid came from Disney: US$20 million for a non-exclusive, perpetual license to some of its intellectual property. That doesn't buy the app. Other buyers can bid higher.
Chapter 11 is a court process, not a shutdown notice. The site keeps taking messages while buyers and a judge work out who gets what.
There's one more change to know about. Since late November 2025 it has blocked under-18s from open-ended chat.
What to do now
Don't delete anything yet. Nothing is switched off.
Save what you'd hate to lose. Copy out the character setups you wrote yourself, and the chats you keep going back to. Screenshots work for the chats, a text file works for the setups.
Hold off on renewing a subscription until the sale result is out.
Line up a backup now, while everything still works.
7 alternatives
| Alternative | Adult content | Where characters come from | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet Love | Yes | Stories already open, or make your own | Free 30 messages a day; US$6.66/month (US$19.99 for 3 months) |
| CrushOn | Yes | Made by users | US$4.9/month, billed yearly |
| Janitor AI | Yes | Community cards | US$12.99/month |
| SpicyChat | Yes | Community characters | US$5.95/month |
| Nomi | Yes | Build your own | US$9.99/month |
| Kindroid | 18+ rating | Build your own | US$15.99/month |
| Replika | 18+ rating | Your own companion | US$7.99/month |
Which one fits
Want the same feel of browsing a big community and picking a character: Janitor AI, SpicyChat or CrushOn. You choose from what other people made and start talking. All three carry adult content, so the filter won't get in your way.
Tired of the filter and you want adult content: Sweet Love and CrushOn. CrushOn's characters are made by users. Sweet Love's are stories already open. The full comparison is in NSFW AI chat.
Want one companion who stays with you instead of a library to browse: Nomi, Kindroid or Replika. Each is built around a single character you keep and come back to.
How Sweet Love differs from Character.AI
On Character.AI you find a character and start chatting. Here every girl has adult stories with the opening already written. You reply, the story moves, and how far it goes is up to you. There's no scrolling a list of bots hunting for one that fits. The story is in front of you, and your first reply is the next line of it.
Promotions go out tomorrow, and tonight Claire, the youngest candidate, comes to see you. In a rainy forest you find Eve, a wounded succubus, and only your warmth can heal her.
Each girl comes in anime and realistic looks, and the realistic photos are so beautiful they look like they came out of a real camera.
There's nothing to download. It opens in your browser on a computer. You get 30 free messages a day and 2 free voice notes, and membership is about US$6.66 a month.
The Promotion
Claire · A high-flying city professionalPromotions go out tomorrow. Tonight Claire, the youngest candidate, comes to see you…
See this story
The Wounded Witch
Eve · A languid, clingy succubus witchIn a rainy forest you find Eve, a wounded succubus. Only your warmth can heal her.
See this storyCustom characters and custom stories: build the girl you want
Your Character.AI girl doesn't have to stay behind. Take the character setup you saved and make her again on Sweet Love, realistic or anime. Pick her face, hair, body, makeup and outfit from hundreds of options, describe anything you can't find in your own words, or start from a reference picture. Her name, background, personality and voice are all set up for you. A custom character is 99 diamonds.
Write a few lines about the scene you want and AI turns them into a full story, with its own scene art and an opening that pulls you straight in. Then she plays it out with you. A custom story is 29 diamonds.
She has long-term memory: she keeps your secret words, the nickname you gave her and everything you told her, and picks up right where you left off no matter how long you've been gone. She sends voice notes and videos with sound, and every girl has her own voice that sounds like a real person talking to you.
With Sweet Love you don't always have to be the one who starts. Stay away for a day and she sends you a message and a selfie, and a few days later she comes looking for you again. When you come back she knows how long you were gone, three days in your life is three days in the story, and she picks up what's between you. See which other apps do this in AI that texts you first.