Comparison

Character AI Chat & RPG vs Self

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Character AI Chat & RPG

Create and experience interactive stories powered by AI. Explore hundreds of pre-made adventures or build your own worlds and characters. Every choice shapes your unique narrative.

Highlights
  • Interactive AI-driven stories
  • Create custom characters and worlds
  • Hundreds of original story genres
  • Choice-based narrative progression
  • Resume stories from any point
  • AI-powered storytelling
Features
Read full description

Lyra is where your imagination comes to life. Step into immersive, interactive stories that unfold one choice at a time — every reply is written just for you, so no two adventures are ever the same. Pick a story and start playing instantly, or create your own — design a character, set the scene, and bring a whole world to life. From epic fantasy to sci-fi mysteries, your next story is one tap away. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Explore hundreds of original interactive stories across fantasy, adventure, sci-fi, anime, mystery, and more • Step into rich, story-driven worlds with their own settings and openings • Create your own characters and stories in minutes — no writing experience needed • Shape the story your way: every choice steers what happens next • Pick up any story right where you left off BUILT FOR STORYTELLERS Lyra blends interactive fiction with AI-powered storytelling into one creative playground. Whether you want a quick escape, a long-running saga, or a sandbox to build in, your next story is one tap away. Membership unlocks longer story memory, more daily messages, and bonus credits for image generation. You can browse and play for free. Start your story today. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.lyra-ai.io/legal/terms Privacy Policy: https://www.lyra-ai.io/legal/privacy

About

Self

This AI-powered app lets you rewrite existing novels and webtoons by altering characters, plot points, and endings. Create your own 'IF stories' and immerse yourself in new narratives based on your favorite works.

Highlights
  • Rewrite existing novels and webtoons
  • Customize character roles and genders
  • Alter plot points and endings
  • Immersive self-insert experience
  • AI-generated text stories
  • Interactive real-time story unfolding
Read full description

Create Your Own 'IF Story' to Fulfill Your Fan Regrets Have you ever read your favorite novel or webtoon and wondered, "What if the protagonist was a different gender?" or "What if they made a different choice here?" 《Self-Insert Simulation》 is an AI fanfiction novel app that loads the universe of an existing work and lets you twist the canon to write a completely new story tailored to your taste. Key Features Endless Possibilities Based on Existing Works Simply enter the title or basic setting of your favorite work. The AI grasps the universe and generates a brand-new text story exclusively for you. Fully Customizable Character Settings Swap the roles of main and supporting characters, or gender-swap the original cast. Freely customize the settings to spark entirely new dynamics and relationships. Break the Canon & Craft Your Own Ending There is no need to follow the established plot. Twist the narrative flow by picking from the choices presented at every turn, and craft the perfect ending you've always wanted—whether it's a happy ending or a tragic one. Immersive Self-Insert Experience Experience the thrill of completely changing the story's trajectory by transmigrating into a background extra within the original universe, or by stepping in as a brand-new original character. Highly Recommended If You: Want to write your own 'IF story' or fanfic because you were unsatisfied with an original ending. Want to play around with freely changing the genders or roles of characters in your favorite web novels or webtoons. Are looking for an AI interactive novel where the story unfolds in real-time based on your choices. Download now and dive into a new universe completed by your very own choices! Support: support@isekai-rp.com

Screenshots

Character AI Chat & RPG4 screens
Self3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Self at none against Character AI Chat & RPG's shown. Self also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Character AI Chat & RPG's advantage is ratings volume (23 vs 1). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Character AI Chat & RPG sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days and Self sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Self holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Character AI Chat & RPG has 23 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Character AI Chat & RPG ships an update every 3 days, Self every 2 days. Both last shipped on November 13, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Character AI Chat & RPG versus Self: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCharacter AI Chat & RPGSelf
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (23 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings23 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size107 MB56 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperLyraVega Tech, Inc.Make Your Wish LLC

Customer experience

Character AI Chat & RPG

All ratings23 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Self

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Character AI Chat & RPG

Subscriptions7
  • Nova7 Days trial$9.997 Days
  • Lyra+7 Days trial$9.997 Days
  • Lyra Pro7 Days trial$19.997 Days
Show 4 more
  • Lyra+1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • Supernova7 Days trial$19.997 Days
  • Nova1 Month trial$19.991 Month
  • Supernova1 Month trial$39.991 Month
One-time3
  • 200 Stars$2.79
  • 500 Stars$6.99
  • 1,000 Stars$13.99
4 purchases

Self

One-time4
  • 500 Volts$4.99
  • 1000 Volts$9.99
  • 3000 Volts$29.99
Show 1 more
  • 10,000 Volts$99.99

Questions

Is Character AI Chat & RPG free?
Character AI Chat & RPG is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Self free?
Self is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Character AI Chat & RPG or Self?
Self is rated higher. Character AI Chat & RPG averages 4.7 out of 5 from 23 ratings, while Self averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Character AI Chat & RPG or Self have ads?
Character AI Chat & RPG shows ads; Self does not.
Which is updated more often, Character AI Chat & RPG or Self?
Character AI Chat & RPG ships an update every 3 days, and Self every 2 days. Most recently, Character AI Chat & RPG was updated on November 13, 2026 and Self on November 13, 2026.

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