# Characters.AI vs Pico Buddy

The clearest difference is update cadence: Characters.AI at monthly against Pico Buddy's every 24 months. Characters.AI also leads on device support. On price, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Characters.AI sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Pico Buddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Characters.AI ships an update monthly, Pico Buddy every 24 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Characters.AI | Pico Buddy |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pico-buddy/id6502399055/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | — |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 24 months |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Size | 154 MB | 767 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | — |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [博 王](https://appshunter.io/developer/1016478367) | [Private Intelligence Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1745322684) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### Pico Buddy

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pico-buddy/id6502399055)

This AI chat application operates entirely on your device, ensuring all conversations and data remain private. It offers features like summarization, translation, grammar correction, and email rewriting without requiring an internet connection or account creation.

**Highlights:** On-device AI chat, Offline summarization, Offline translation (20 languages), Grammar correction, Email rewriting, Custom AI modes

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pico Buddy Pro | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Characters.AI free?

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

### Is Pico Buddy free?

Pico Buddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

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

Characters.AI ships an update monthly, and Pico Buddy every 24 months. Most recently, Characters.AI was updated on October 16, 2026 and Pico Buddy on October 12, 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.*