# Chat AI vs Characters.AI

The clearest difference is ads: Characters.AI at none against Chat AI's shown. Characters.AI also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.6). Chat AI's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chat AI sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days and Characters.AI sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Chat AI ships an update weekly, Characters.AI monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chat AI | Characters.AI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chat-ai-ask-ai-assistant/id6447057809/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **20** | — |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 81 MB | 154 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Min Ku](https://appshunter.io/developer/1204192873) | [博 王](https://appshunter.io/developer/1016478367) |

## What reviewers say

### Chat AI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chat-ai-ask-ai-assistant/id6447057809)

Engage in dynamic conversations with AI characters, get instant answers, and generate various forms of content. This app offers tools for writing, translation, grammar correction, and sentiment analysis, all within a user-friendly interface.

**Highlights:** AI character selection, Instant question answering, Content generation (writing, code, stories), Voice input, Grammar correction, Text translation, Sentiment analysis

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Plus Weekly | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Plus Yearly | $39.99 | per year |


### Characters.AI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/charactersai/id6451352622)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month | $9.99 | per month |
| 1 Quarter | $14.99 | per 3 months |
| 1 Year | $29.99 | per year |
| 600 Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1800 Coins | $1.99 | one-time |
| 9800 Coins | $9.99 | one-time |
| 13800 Coins | $14.99 | one-time |
| 18800 Coins | $17.99 | one-time |
| 24800 Coins | $24.99 | one-time |
| Permanent | $44.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chat AI free?

Chat AI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Characters.AI free?

Characters.AI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Chat AI or Characters.AI have ads?

Chat AI shows ads; Characters.AI does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chat AI or Characters.AI?

Chat AI ships an update weekly, and Characters.AI monthly. Most recently, Chat AI was updated on October 9, 2026 and Characters.AI on October 27, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*