Chai AI review
Updated September 28, 2026 · CompanionCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
We earn a commission when you sign up through links on this site. Partner status can affect where a brand appears in our rankings. Partners with a live offer in your country come first, then every other brand by score.
Our verdict
Chai AI suits adults who want free chats with optional paid tiers and plenty of personas on iOS. Its monthly fee of $13.99 matches the €13.15 median here, and the ad-supported tier costs nothing. Chats are kept for a long period and used for model training.
Key facts
- Best for
- Adults on iOS who want a free chat with a wide choice of personas and can accept chats being used for model training.
- Monthly price
- $13.99↗
- What is free
- Free ad-supported tier; paid Premium and Ultra tiers↗
- Adult content policy
- 18+ roleplay allowed; explicit images/videos banned↗
- Voice
- Yes↗
- Privacy and data
- Deletion in-app; data kept 5 years; chats train models↗
- Credit system
- Pieces in-app currency bought in packs↗
- Image generation
- Yes↗
- Video generation
- Yes↗
- Platforms
- iOS↗
- App store rating
- App Store (US) 4.3/5 from 282,404 ratings↗
- Age verification
- 18+; accurate age verification required↗
- Yearly price
- $11.25↗
- Personas
- Female, Male↗
- Legal entity
- Chai Research Corp., Delaware (file 6527981)↗
- Headquarters
- United States↗
- Founded
- 2021↗
- Support channels
- Email, Help-centre, Community↗
- Pricing model
- Free, Premium
- Features
- Voice chat, Roleplay
- Official website
- chai-research.com
Facts checked September 26, 2026, 6 sources
Pros and cons
Pros
- A free ad-supported tier needs no payment details, with paid Premium and Ultra tiers available if you want them (Free ad-supported tier; paid Premium and Ultra tiers).
- Both female and male personas are offered (female and male), so the same app serves different preferences.
- Voice, roleplay, image generation and video generation are all available (voice and roleplay).
- Monthly fees of $13.99 are close to the €13.15 median across the brands compared here.
- It is a US company run by Chai Research Corp., Delaware (file 6527981), with a listed App Store rating of App Store (US) 4.3/5 from 282,404 ratings.
Cons
- Chats are kept for a long period and are used to train models (Deletion in-app; data kept 5 years; chats train models), which matters for anything personal you share.
- The adult content policy bans explicit images and videos (18+ roleplay allowed; explicit images/videos banned), so visual roleplay stops short of that.
- Monthly fees of $13.99 cost more than a single monthly charge at yoummee of $4.99.
- Paid messages draw on Pieces bought in packs (Pieces in-app currency bought in packs), so spending depends on how long each reply takes.
Who it suits
- Adults who want to try companion chat without paying anything (Free ad-supported tier; paid Premium and Ultra tiers).
- Readers who want both female and male personas in one app (female and male).
- People who want voice alongside image and video output (voice and roleplay).
Who should look elsewhere
- Readers who want the lowest monthly fee, since yoummee charges $4.99 a month.
- Anyone who needs their chats kept out of model training, as Deletion in-app; data kept 5 years; chats train models covers training use.
- Readers who want a wide choice of monthly packages, since CrushOn.AI runs fees of $3.90 to $14.90.
Pricing and free tier
You can start without paying, because Free ad-supported tier; paid Premium and Ultra tiers covers an ad-supported tier alongside paid Premium and Ultra tiers. The paid entry point is a monthly fee of $13.99, or $11.25 on an annual plan. If you run out of paid messages, Pieces in-app currency bought in packs applies, meaning you buy Pieces in packs and use them as you chat. Compared with the wider field, $13.99 sits near the €13.15 median, while yoummee asks only $4.99 a month and Dippy AI runs $4.99 to $12.99. The name to look for at checkout is the tier and the Pieces packs.
How it works
Chai AI is a character chat app rather than a single companion. You pick or create a character and talk to them in text, and roleplay is part of the offer through voice and roleplay. Voice is available, so replies can be spoken as well as read, which suits readers who would rather listen during a walk or a commute. Images and video can also be generated, which adds a visual layer to a conversation that would otherwise be text only. The app is built for adults, and 18+; accurate age verification required means accurate age verification is required, so the age details you enter need to be right.
Memory, voice and media
Voice is part of the feature set along with roleplay (voice and roleplay), and it is a capability most apps in this category also offer. Media output goes further: image generation and video generation are both available, so a chat can move from text to a still picture or a short clip without leaving the app. What is not described is a stated memory system, so nothing here promises recall of earlier conversations in set terms. Treat voice and media as the draw, and read the privacy section below before typing anything personal.
Apps and devices
The app is listed for iOS only (ios), so an Android phone or a desktop browser is not covered by the listing here. That single-platform approach keeps installation simple, though it also means one device family. Ratings on the US App Store listing stand at App Store (US) 4.3/5 from 282,404 ratings, a large pool of reviews for an app of this kind. Support runs on email, help centre and community, which covers email, a help centre and a community rather than phone or live chat.
Who runs it
Chai AI is run by Chai Research Corp., Delaware (file 6527981), a Delaware company, and US confirms the US as its home market. It was founded in 2021. Support runs on email, help centre and community, so you reach the team by email, through the help centre or via the community. The legal name in the privacy material, Chai Research Corp., Delaware (file 6527981), is the one to quote if you send a data request, and Deletion in-app; data kept 5 years; chats train models is where the retention and training terms are set out.
How Chai AI compares
9.1 vs 9.0
9.1 vs 8.5
9.1 vs 8.5
9.1 vs 8.5
9.1 vs 8.5
9.1 vs 9.1
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free version of Chai AI?+
Yes. Free ad-supported tier; paid Premium and Ultra tiers describes a free ad-supported tier, with paid Premium and Ultra tiers sitting above it. You can read and use the app at no cost and decide later whether the paid tiers suit you. Paid messages then draw on Pieces bought in packs, as Pieces in-app currency bought in packs explains.
What does Chai AI cost a month?+
The listed monthly fee is $13.99, and the annual plan works out at $11.25. That monthly figure sits close to the €13.15 median across the brands compared here. For a lower single monthly charge, yoummee lists $4.99.
What happens to my chats and personal data?+
Deletion in-app; data kept 5 years; chats train models states that deletion is available in the app, that data is kept for a long period, and that chats are used to train models. That last point is the one to weigh, since anything you type can end up informing later training. Read the privacy terms before sharing details you would rather not see reused.
Is Chai AI suitable for adults only?+
Yes, and it is aimed squarely at adults. 18+ roleplay allowed; explicit images/videos banned sets the boundary: roleplay for adults is allowed, while explicit images and videos are banned. 18+; accurate age verification required adds that accurate age verification is required, so the age you enter needs to be correct.
Can I talk to a character with voice on Chai AI?+
Yes. Voice is available, and it also appears in the feature list under voice and roleplay, alongside roleplay. So a chat can be read or listened to, which helps if you prefer audio during a walk or a commute. Image generation and video generation are available as well, so visuals stay inside the app.
Which devices does Chai AI run on?+
The listing covers iOS only, per ios. Installation is therefore straightforward on an iPhone or iPad, and an Android phone or desktop browser is outside what the listing covers. Support runs on email, help centre and community, which means email, a help centre and a community rather than phone or live chat.
How large is the Chai AI community?+
The US App Store listing shows App Store (US) 4.3/5 from 282,404 ratings, drawn from a very large number of ratings, so the app has a substantial audience. Personas come in both female and male forms according to female and male, which widens the choice inside one install. The company behind it is Chai Research Corp., Delaware (file 6527981), based in the US.
Who runs Chai AI and how do I reach support?+
The operator is Chai Research Corp., Delaware (file 6527981), incorporated in Delaware, and US confirms the US as its home market. The company was founded in 2021. For help, support runs on email, help centre and community, so you can write by email, use the help centre or post in the community.
Sources
- apps.apple.com/us/app/chai-social-ai-platform-chat/id1544... checked September 26, 2026
Backs: App store rating, Platforms
“trackName=CHAI: Social AI Platform- Chat; sellerName=Chai Research Corp.; averageUserRating=4.28667; userRatingCount=282404”
- apps.apple.com/us/app/chai-social-ai-platform-chat/id1544... checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Credit system, Features, Personas, Monthly price, Yearly price, Voice
“200 Pieces $2.79 ... 500 Pieces $6.99”
- chai-research.com checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Support channels
“Support, Unsubscribe, Safety, Reddit r/ChaiApp, Contact hello@chai-research.com”
- chai-research.com/app-eula checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Adult content policy, Age verification, Image generation, Video generation
“our artificial intelligence models allow for expansive, user-driven roleplay, you may encounter or generate adult-oriented content”
- chai.ml/privacy checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Headquarters, Legal entity, Privacy and data
“registered office at 555 Hamilton Ave Ste 300, Palo Alto, CA 94301, U.S.A.”
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chai_AI checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Founded, What is free, Pricing model
“Chai was founded in 2021 by William Beauchamp”
Compiled from 6 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Memory.
Related by the facts
Chai AI
Adults on iOS who want a free chat with a wide choice of personas and can accept chats being used for model training.