# AI Chatbot vs Characters.AI

The clearest difference is ads: Characters.AI at none against AI Chatbot's shown. AI Chatbot's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. AI Chatbot sells 3 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.

AI Chatbot ships an update every 9 days, Characters.AI monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AI Chatbot | Characters.AI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Monthly |
| Size | 56 MB | 154 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Krootl OU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1447231369) | [博 王](https://appshunter.io/developer/1016478367) |

## What reviewers say

### AI Chatbot

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ai-chatbot-open-gpt-bot/id6449159670)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AI Chatbot Premium weekly | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| AI Chatbot Premium monthly | $29.99 | per month |
| Lifetime subscription | $99.99 | one-time |


### 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 AI Chatbot free?

AI Chatbot 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 AI Chatbot or Characters.AI have ads?

AI Chatbot shows ads; Characters.AI does not.

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

AI Chatbot ships an update every 9 days, and Characters.AI monthly. Most recently, AI Chatbot was updated on October 16, 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.*