Character AI Review — strict filter, no explicit content

Pros and cons

What is Character AI?

Character AI is a mainstream character chat with a strict content policy, run by Character Technologies, Inc. of Menlo Park, California. The official 2025 announcements describe removing open-ended chat for under-18 users from late November 2025 and introducing age assurance. Those notices describe a staged rollout, not a single global switch. On October 12, 2026 the company also announced a court-supervised sale process while stating that services remained available. Long commitments deserve particular scrutiny. This review is ours, not Character Technologies’, and SpicyAI hosts no characters of its own. The buttons to the service are affiliate links, so we may earn a commission on a subscription.

See also: spicy ai chat

Regional prices and the age rollout

Prices can vary by region, so the lite and c.ai+ figures here are USD prices converted at RM4.10, not necessarily what the app shows you. We did not buy a plan from Malaysia. Age assurance arrived alongside the removal of open-ended chat for under-18 users from late November 2025 and has been rolled out in stages rather than worldwide at once, so the checks you meet on sign-up may differ by country. The service is in English; this review is for adults 18+, and the pictured character is fictional.

Is Character AI free?

Yes, and it stays free: Character AI chat costs nothing, with ads and a daily swipe limit as the trade-off. That makes it an ongoing allowance rather than a trial. What free never gets you is adult content, because explicit sexual content is not allowed on any plan.

See also: free AI girlfriend apps

Character AI pricing in RM

The lite and c.ai+ prices are converted from USD at RM4.10 (Bank Negara Malaysia reference, October 2026); lite is the newer tier, announced on 28 September 2026.

The yearly c.ai+ price of approx. RM389.46 equals about nine and a half months of monthly billing, paid upfront while the company goes through a court-supervised sale. Monthly billing keeps the commitment short.

Memory and voice

The full memory suite is a c.ai+ feature, alongside unlimited premium chats and no ads. Free accounts have basic memory and up to five pinned messages per chat, and voice calls work on the free plan too. We did not test how well either memory level holds up over a long chat.

See also: AI companion apps

Filters and NSFW content

Searching for Character AI NSFW won’t change the rules: explicit sexual content is not allowed on any plan, and the filters are strict. The written rules also ban content involving minors, non-consent, real people without consent and illegal material, and the characters are fictional. If adult roleplay is what you want, a Character AI alternative such as Janitor AI works under its own written rules.

See also: NSFW AI chat apps · responsible use

Is there an app?

The sources for this review cover Character AI’s web service and help centre, where data export and account deletion sit in the account settings. If you install a store app, the developer should read Character Technologies, Inc.; any other name is a warning sign.

Refunds and the company behind it

Character AI is run by Character Technologies, Inc. of Menlo Park, California, which announced a court-supervised sale process on 12 October 2026 while stating that services remained available. Refunds depend on where you paid and the terms there, and cancelling ends renewal rather than refunding past charges. We did not complete a checkout or find a current independent rating.

See also: is Character AI safe

Who should use Character AI?

Character AI suits you if you want free character chat and do not need adult content: explicit sexual content is not allowed and the filters are strict. The new lite tier costs approx. RM20.46 a month and c.ai+ approx. RM40.96. A court-supervised sale process was announced on 12 October 2026, so avoid long prepaid plans for now.

Our score: 3.5 / 5 (provisional). Strong free access is offset by a filter that rules out adult content, which keeps it out of our main ranking, and by the uncertainty of the sale process.

Sources

• Character.AI announcements: 29 October 2025, 21 November 2025, 28 September 2026 (lite tier), 12 October 2026 (sale process)
• Character.AI help centre: account deletion and data export
• Character.AI plan listing: lite and c.ai+
• USD converted at RM4.10 (Bank Negara Malaysia reference, October 2026). Checked October 2026.

See also: spicy ai apps

Alternatives

Adult roleplay allowedJanitor AIUnlimited standard-model chat (as of 20 Oct 2026). One personal companionReplikaFree 24/7 chat; advanced features paid. Basic voice on freePolyBuzzFree access advertised; exact reset not disclosed.