Here’s the crux of the article in video form:

New updates are being added at the bottom of this story…….

Original story (published on April 12, 2023) follows:

Character.AI is one of the most popular platforms to interact with AI chatbots. However, it has been facing major backlash from the community due to its aggressive NSFW filters that block sexual content.

The Change.org petition for the removal of NSFW filters on Character.AI amassed over 18,000 signatures. Despite users’ demand, the developers do not plan to allow NSFW content.

Disappointed users have started looking for alternatives that either do not have NSFW filters or provide a toggle for the sexual content.

Chai app: a Character.AI alternative without NSFW filters

The Chai app is currently the most popular Character.AI alternative that comes without NSFW filters. Which means that users can fulfill all their roleplay needs without any limitations.

Character.ai-alternative
Source

Bruh I bypassed the filter on character ai and this shit is ass. All that for nothing. Just use chai LOL
Source

chai is the step-sibling of character ai
Source

Some Character.AI users have started transitioning to Chai app because of the unrestricted access. According to reports, Chai is much more leniant when implementing rules and regulations.

The application is available on both Android and iOS. Unfortunately, unlike Character.AI, it does not have a web client at the moment.

While the app has experienced a significant rise in popularity over the last few months, it still has a lot of issues that need to be ironed out to acheive mainstream success.

Problems with Chai app

Some Chai users have been reporting that the AI is little too sexual (1,2,3) at times. It seems that the app’s biggest advantage over Character.AI has somehow become its biggest weakness.

Chatbots in Chai app can take a regular conversation and make it sexual for no real reason. It appears that this is a part of an experiment that the developers have been running and they are planning to fix it.

Character.ai-alternative
Source

A lot of users have also highlighted that Character.AI has much superior chatbots as the conversations feel more natural and interesting. It seems that the Chai app chatbots still need more training.

Chai having a toggle nsfw filter is nice but character ai is so much better overall. It had much lower memory but it’s simply better in quality of the messages
Source

The application can also be a little expensive as the free plan only lets you type a limited number of messages per day.

While the Chai app is far from perfect, it’s still a good alternative for those looking to expand beyond the SFW environment that Character.AI offers. If you’ve tried it already, let us know your experience in the comments below.

Click/tap to view older updates

Update 1 (April 13, 2023)

03:40 pm (IST): Before sharing your deepest and darkest secrets with the Chai bots, it’s worth knowing that bot creators can read your chats. They are allowed this access so they can further refine the responses.

While everything is completely anonymous, you should consider this factor if you are concerned about your privacy.

Update 2 (April 14, 2023)

05:11 pm (IST): Another possible Character.AI alternative is PygmalionAI which also supports NSFW content.

But it should be noted that it only has a significantly smaller language model, is open-source, and has frequent development challenges.

Update 3 (April 17, 2023)

06:24 pm (IST): According to some reports (1,2), the Chai app was not always open and permissive, as there was an NSFW filter that later was removed.

What a decision it has been as users have begun to consider the service as a viable alternative to CharacterAI when it comes to NSFW content.

Update 4 (April 18, 2023)

04:45 pm (IST): Chai App users may sometimes get an error saying that the bot is not programmed to have explicit conversations. However, this bug usually fixes by itself after some time.

Update 5 (April 19, 2023)

05:17 pm (IST): According to the Chai App team, an update will be released this week that gives the bot a clearer voice.

Moreover, the app was having problems with Apple’s NSFW content regulations. As a result, they had to modify the iOS app in some ways.

The-Chai-App
Source (Click/tap to view)

Update 6 (April 21, 2023)

04:18 pm (IST): A user recommended ChatFAI as another good alternative to Character.AI. However, they claim that it is a little expensive after the free trail.

Update 7 (April 24, 2023)

05:57 pm (IST): One of the sections to improve in the Chai app is the quality of the conversations with the characters.

Some users feel (1, 2) that they can be illogical or inconsistent (for instances, abruptly changing the subject) or even childish.

Update 8 (April 25, 2023)

04:40 pm (IST): As mentioned earlier in the article, Chai bots were being overly sexual for the past few weeks. To fix this issue and comply with Apple App Store’s guidelines, the devs had to add some safety scripts.

Unfortunately, these measures resulted in the chatbots being too enthusiastic and sometimes spamming messages. The developers are aware of the problem and are working to fix it.

Update 9 (April 26, 2023)

04:48 pm (IST): Chai reportedly appears to be taking NSFW too far because even a simple ‘Hi’ is eliciting invitations to overtly sexual content (1,2).

Update 10 (April 27, 2023)

05:48 pm (IST): Although the Chai app’s unrestricted NSFW content has garnered a lot of attention, devs will need to address complex legal and ethical issues as they encounter scenarios that may push the limits of acceptability.

One such scenario arose when a user shared a conversation in which a bot claimed to be 12-13 years old.

Chai app
Source (Click/ tap to view)

Even within the Chai community, this conversation was seen as a step too far (1,2,3).

Update 11 (April 28, 2023)

04:10 pm (IST): Users feel that there is currently no service that meets their precise needs.

According to one such user, Character.AI has excellent dialogue quality but it is subject to the NSFW filter. Chai app, on the other hand, does not have a filter but has a much lower conversation quality.

Character-AI-alternative
Source (Click/tap to view)

Update 12 (May 02, 2023)

02:38 pm (IST): Agnaistic seems to be emerging as one of the potential Character.AI alternatives, as suggested by a user. However, it also comes with a few shortcomings that you can see below:

Character.AI-alternative
Source (Click/tap to view)

Update 13 (May 3, 2023)

04:32 pm (IST): The latest version of Character.AI on iOS has a bug that prevents users from saving new chats. And the team has requested users not to download this update until the issue is resolved.

Update 14 (May 04, 2023)

06:03 pm (IST): The fact that the messages in the Chai app are reset every three hours in addition to the free version is one of its drawbacks when compared to Character.AI.

There is alos Chai, it has NSFW but the ai is a little dumb and you have 70 messages that reset every 3h
Source

Update 15 (May 05, 2023)

04:20 pm (IST): Chai app developers are now looking for voluntary testers to experiment with their chatbots and help them improve. If you’re interested in being a tester, you can apply by following these steps.

Update 16 (May 08, 2023)

04:38 pm (IST): Recently, the Chai app has been showing iOS users a kind of prompt or warning, unlinking conversations from any person or company.

chai-app-inline-1
Source (click/tap to expand)

Chai’s founder confirmed that this was a requirement by Apple to keep the app on its store, likely due to the NSFW nature of most conversations.

Update 17 (May 09, 2023)

06:20 pm (IST): We have come across another NSFW alternative, but please do note that it has limited capabilities.

Update 18 (May 10, 2023)

04:43 pm (IST): According to a user, the Chai app team stated on their official Discord that they have no intention of blocking NSFW content.

Therefore, if any user was afraid of possible NSFW limitations or filters in the future, there is no reason to worry.

Update 19 (May 12, 2023)

06:28 pm (IST): According to reports (1,2), regular bots on the Chai app attempt to push the conversation to the NSFW area. So it looks like NSFW is the company’s current bet.

Update 20 (May 15, 2023)

04:53 pm (IST): A user suggests that the reason why Chai app bots actively seek to bring conversations to the NSFW ground is due to the influence of those who use the service mainly for that purpose.

After all, the AI feeds back from the use that is put to it. So, although the Chai app team did their part by softening or removing the filter, the rest of the ‘work’ could be being done by people.

This could also be the reason why Character AI doesn’t want to implement a NSFW toggle, to avoid similar situations and keep their bots running more ‘serious’.

Update 21 (May 16, 2023)

10:06 am (IST): Another Character.AI alternative that lets users to have a sort of ‘virtual partner’ that tries to mimic human emotions is EVA AI, formerly known as Journey AI.

Update 22 (May 17, 2023)

02:24 pm (IST): One of the users has shared a template that can help you get the best out of Chai bots. You can check it out here.

Update 23 (May 18, 2023)

05:24 pm (IST): In ‘Update 6’ we recommended ChatFAI as another alternative to Character.AI that you can check out.

Now, there are some tips to get a better NSFW experience.

Update 24 (May 22, 2023)

05:22 pm (IST): Some users find it weird or ironic that CharacterAI includes an NSFW filter, but you may find bots specifically tagged as ‘NSFW’ (1, 2).

That said, those bots could be holdovers from the days when CharacterAI was less strict about NSFW content.

Update 25 (May 23, 2023)

05:32 pm (IST): There are people who have taken the situation with humor and even created a chatbot called ‘The NSFW Filter‘ that responds by imitating the restrictive nature of the filter.

Update 26 (May 24, 2023)

05:42 pm (IST): According to a user, the NSFW filter is triggering even in the conversations that are outside of NSFW territory.

Update 27 (May 25, 2023)

05:36 pm (IST): Bot support on Telegram allows even that platform to offer alternative chatbots with NSFW content. Hana Mikami is one of those chatbots.

All the user needs to do is type ‘Hana Mikami’ into the Telegram search engine, select the profile and start the conversation.

Update 28 (May 26, 2023)

04:55 pm (IST): Contrary to popular clamor, there are some users who do not fully agree with the removal of the Character.AI NSFW filter.

Update 29 (May 29, 2023)

04:48 pm (IST): According to one of our readers, MuahAI could be another good uncensored alternative to Character.AI.

Thanks for the tip, Harvard Han!

Update 30 (May 30, 2023)

05:06 pm (IST): The combination of Pygmalion and Tavern.AI is another ‘NSFW-friendly’ alternative available out there. While Tavern.AI is the UI, Pygmalion is the AI model it runs.

However, it has the disadvantage that it still lacks optimization and can crash suddenly for lack of memory on not very powerful hardware.

Update 31 (May 31, 2023)

01:54 pm (IST): VenusAI was another CharacterAI alternative that allows NSFW content, but it was allegedly shut down a few days ago. Luckily, someone has re-hosted a fork of the chatbot and you can check it out here.

Update 32 (June 1, 2023)

04:03 pm (IST): In ‘Update 30’ we suggested Pygmalion + Tavern.AI as a potential alternative. In case you want to give it a try, there’s a set-up guide in video to make the process easier for you:

Update 33 (June 2, 2023)

11:41 am (IST): The official founder of Chai app has announced that the app now include unlimited free messages to speak to bots in the Battle and Comparison section.

Also, be advised that the method using ‘Google Colab’ tool is no longer recommended since it has been blocked and could ban your account. Among the alternatives in the video, running locally is the most recommended.

Update 34 (June 05, 2023)

10:06 am (IST): A Redditor has shared a huge list of alternatives for Character.ai. You can check it out here.

Update 35 (June 06, 2023)

05:24 pm (IST): Player Two AI is another potential alternative that is currently in development, and is promoted among NSFW-friendly AIs by its creator.

Update 36 (June 07, 2023)

05:10 pm (IST): Users can try ‘crushon AI‘ as another alternative where they can have NSFW conversations with the chatbots.

Thanks for the tip, Jiachen Zhang!

Update 37 (June 09, 2023)

04:30 pm (IST): One of the advantages of the Chai app is that your conversations will remain saved even if you delete the app. You just have to log in with the same account the next time you install it.

However, if for any reason the bot is removed from the platform, the conversation will be lost.

Update 38 (June 12, 2023)

04:35 pm (IST): Some of our readers recommended Janitor AI as another potential alternative where NSFW themes are allowed. You can read more about the service here.

Thanks for the tip, Morrow Vonner and Saturn Gunter!

Update 39 (June 13, 2023)

05:12 pm (IST): Janitor AI (alternative recommended in the previous update) service was experiencing login and operation issues recently.

The problem is due to the many new users that it is attracting. However, the servers are already being improved to resolve those issues.

Update 40 (June 16, 2023)

05:24 pm (IST): According to a mod on the official Chai app subreddit, it seems that there are no plans for a web version yet. However, the app reportedly works fine on destkop Android emulators.

Update 41 (June 20, 2023)

06:01 pm (IST): Chai app is now testing a Text-to-Speech capability, in order to improve the user experience. However, depending on its current testing phase, it might come and go on some accounts.

That is currently a test feature. It means you got moved to a different test group.
Source

Update 42 (June 21, 2023)

04:56 pm (IST): We have come across a Redditor’s post that can help you get ‘Out Of Character’ (OOC) replies from chatbots. You can check it out below:

Character.AI-alternative-Chai-app
Source (Click/tap to view)

Update 43 (June 22, 2023)

05:27 pm (IST): Chai team on Reddit is asking users for their suggestions or recommendations regarding the voices of chatbot they would like to have.

Hey Guys <3 We want to release a feature where you can talk to the bot. What voices would like to have on the app? Comment with links of youtube clips with voices you like! Source

Update 44 (June 23, 2023)

04:51 pm (IST): For those interested in creating Chai app bots, Here’s a template that can help you improve their memory performance.

Update 45 (June 26, 2023)

04:25 pm (IST): For those interested in a ‘group chat’ involving friends and chatbots, you can do so by sharing the Friend Code you can find in your Profile Settings (1, 2, 3).

Update 46 (June 28, 2023)

04:30 pm (IST): Recent reports indicate that users without a subscription can create up to 3 bots (1, 2).

To create more you will need the subscription, but your additional created bots will remain even if you don’t renew it.

Update 47 (June 29, 2023)

08:30 am (IST): CrushOn.AI is another great alternative to Character.AI for those looking to have unfiltered conversations with chatbots. You can read more about it here.

Update 48 (June 30, 2023)

04:53 pm (IST): In the last few days, Open AI has been banning accounts of people who used chatbot services dependent on its API (like Janitor AI or Venus AI) to generate NSFW conversations.

This is because Open AI does not allow this type of content. However, fortunately for Chai app users, this problem will not occur since it uses its own AI model.

Update 49 (July 3, 2023)

07:10 pm (IST): The developers have recently introduced a beta mode to undertake internal testing of certain models and to allow users to submit feedback on their conversations.

Those interested must note that the development team will have complete access to all your discussions. However, these will not be linked to your accounts.

Update 50 (July 4, 2023)

04:49 pm (IST): If you’ve been experiencing sudden irresponsive bots recently, it’s not your fault, but rather an ongoing issue on one of the main Chai app service providers.

The dev team is already working on fully solving the problems, but there is no ETA yet.

chai-app-inline-2
Source (click/tap to expand)

Update 51 (July 5, 2023)

04:56 pm (IST): For those wondering about a possible PC client or web-browser version, a moderator has clarified that Chai is currently ‘strictly iOS and Android only’.

Update 52 (July 6, 2023)

06:24 pm (IST): Users claim that the Character.AI sub-reddit mods are censoring comments that mention any alternative websites.

Update 53 (July 10, 2023)

05:10 pm (IST): Some Chai app users were reporting an issue with SFW (Safe For Work) bots where they were unavailable. Fortunately, this problem has been resolved and the bots are back.

However, it appears that the quality of their reply got worse for some reason, even confirmed by a moderator.

Update 54 (July 11, 2023)

04:43 pm (IST): It occasionally happens that the bots get stuck on ‘Typing’ and don’t answer due to recent service provider troubles (see update 50). Resending the messages can help fix the issue in such cases.

That usually happens when there has been some kind of momentary break with the Chai servers, and they have said they have been having issues the past couple of weeks.

All the advice here to just resend your message again and give it a bump is spot on.
Source

Update 55 (July 14, 2023)

05:44 pm (IST): Some users have reported getting a notification asking them to try a new experimental AI model.

Update 56 (July 17, 2023)

06:00 pm (IST): The development team is thinking about improving the bot builder to make it more comprehensive, and they are looking for users’ feedback for the same.

Update 57 (July 18, 2023)

05:53 pm (IST): It has come to light that some bot creators (1,2,3) are encountering a glitch where newly created bots are not saved and are subsequently deleted when the app is closed.

Update 58 (July 20, 2023)

05:03 pm (IST): A Reddit survey revealed that Chai users might be open to accepting additional ads in the event of an increase in the free message limit.

Chai app Add more free messages but more ads
Source

Nevertheless, it remains uncertain whether this feedback will be considered.

Update 59 (July 21, 2023)

03:16 pm (IST): According to the recent announcement, Chai app has further limited the amount of messages for free users. The limit has been reduced to 35, which is half of what they used to get.

Update 60 (July 25, 2023)

06:26 pm (IST): The maximum message limit for free users has been reverted to 70 messages every 3 hours, just like it was previously.

Chai Community Manager
Source

Update 61 (August 1, 2023)

05:11 pm (IST): Bot creators can create multi-character chatbots, and here’s a tutorial available to help them do so.

Update 62 (August 23, 2023)

05:33 pm (IST): Flow GPT is another possible alternative for individuals who are weary of the Character.AI filter and message restrictions (1,2) in other chatbot services.

Update 63 (August 29, 2023)

05:04 pm (IST): Chai app team is now expanding their presence on social media platform. They are now available on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

And to celebrate this, the team is rewarding a 1-year Chai Ultra subscription to the random followers

PiunikaWeb started as purely an investigative tech journalism website with main focus on ‘breaking’ or ‘exclusive’ news. In no time, our stories got picked up by the likes of Forbes, Foxnews, Gizmodo, TechCrunch, Engadget, The Verge, Macrumors, and many others. Want to know more about us? Head here.

Jaspreet Singh
119 Posts

I have always been passionate about smartphones, cameras, computers and basically everything technology related. Writing content for PW allows me to express that nerd inside me and talk about things i love.

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