Character AI Is Deleting Your Favorite Bots Again — Here Are the Best Alternatives That Won't

By Seonidas | February 21, 2026

If you opened Character AI this week and found your chats replaced with a cold "Moderated" tag, you already know what happened. Another purge. Another round of bots — some you'd been talking to for months — gone without warning.

And honestly? I'm tired of writing about this. Because it keeps happening.

The February 2026 Moderation Wave: What Actually Happened

On February 18, Character AI rolled out its latest moderation sweep, and users across Reddit immediately started documenting the carnage. X-Men bots. Spider-Verse characters. Indiana Jones. Dr. House roleplay bots — multiple users reported losing entire conversation histories they'd invested weeks into building.

One user on r/CharacterAI posted in all-caps: "All of my House bots are gone again. They were literally there 5 minutes ago. I WAS VERY INVESTED IN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE CHATS!"

Another post titled simply "Sad day" racked up over 160 upvotes, showing a screen full of characters marked "Moderated."

The frustration isn't new. This is at least the third major moderation wave since Disney sent their cease-and-desist in September 2025. NBC, DreamWorks, and other studios followed. But what's making people angrier this time is the pattern they're noticing: bots that were removed in December briefly came back around December 28-30, only to get killed again now. One user called it "Moderatedpocalypse 2026."

A platform mod acknowledged the situation: "We have to follow the law, and that means taking Characters down when IP owners ask us to." Fair enough. But they also admitted that original, non-IP bots are getting caught in the sweep too — collateral damage in an automated system that can't tell the difference between a fan-made Spider-Man and someone's completely original character.

Why This Keeps Happening (And Won't Stop)

Here's the uncomfortable truth Character AI doesn't want you to think about: their business model is fundamentally broken for the content most people actually want.

Character AI built its userbase on fan-created bots of copyrighted characters. That was always a ticking time bomb. Now that Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros. are actively suing AI companies, Character AI has no choice but to keep swinging the moderation hammer.

But there's a second issue nobody talks about. Even beyond copyright, Character AI has been aggressively filtering NSFW content since late 2024. Roleplay gets interrupted mid-sentence. Conversations get reset. The AI suddenly breaks character to deliver a safety lecture. Users have been complaining about this for over a year, and it's only gotten stricter.

So you're left with a platform that:

1. Deletes bots you're emotionally invested in — without warning
2. Can't guarantee your conversations will still exist next week
3. Actively censors the kind of deep, unrestricted roleplay people actually want
4. Keeps promising "official" character partnerships that never materialize

That's not a platform. That's a hostage situation.

What to Actually Look For in a Character AI Alternative

Before I get into specific alternatives, let me save you some time. Here's what separates a platform worth switching to from one that'll just disappoint you differently:

No-Filter Conversations

The number one complaint about Character AI isn't the moderation waves — it's the constant conversation filtering. Any alternative worth considering needs to let you actually have the conversation you want to have, without the AI suddenly going "I can't engage with that topic." If you're an adult having a consensual fantasy conversation with an AI, you shouldn't need to play word games to avoid triggering a filter.

Your Characters Stay Yours

Your bots shouldn't disappear because a studio's legal team sent a letter. Look for platforms where you create original characters from scratch — characters that belong to you and can't be taken down by a third-party copyright claim.

Conversation Memory That Actually Works

One of the most painful parts of the Character AI purges is losing months of conversation history. The AI knew your backstory, your preferences, your inside jokes — and now it's just gone. A real alternative needs persistent memory that doesn't evaporate.

Multiple Interaction Modes

Text chat is table stakes. Voice notes, image generation, video — these aren't gimmicks. They make the difference between a chatbot and something that actually feels like a companion.

The Best Character AI Alternatives in 2026

I've spent the past few months testing every major player in this space. Here's what I found — the good, the bad, and the ones that are actually worth your time.

1. Fanfinity AI — Best for Unrestricted Custom Companions

What it is: An AI companion platform with 1,000+ pre-made characters and an insanely deep custom character creator. Girlfriends, boyfriends, anime characters — all uncensored.

Why it's the best alternative:

Fanfinity does something Character AI never figured out: it lets you build exactly the companion you want without apologizing for it. The character creator has 10 steps of customization — we're talking ethnicity, body type, hair style, eye color, voice selection (11+ voice options per gender), personality presets, occupation, relationship type, and yes, kink preferences from vanilla to advanced power play.

But the real difference is what happens after you create them. Fanfinity uses an uncensored AI model, which means:

• No mid-conversation filter breaks
• No "I can't engage with that" derailments
• No sudden character resets
• Your roleplay actually flows the way you direct it

The platform also does voice notes (the AI talks back to you), image generation (your character sends you pictures), and 5-second video generation. Character AI can't do any of that.

What could be better: It's web-only for now (no native app), though it works well as a PWA on mobile. The character library isn't as massive as Character AI's was at its peak — but that's partly because Fanfinity uses original characters rather than copyrighted fan bots, which means they're not going anywhere.

Pricing: Free to start (3 messages without an account, 8 with one). Premium runs $5.99-14.99/mo, Ultra $29.99-64.99/mo. There's also a coin system for pay-as-you-go.

Explore Our AI Companions

1,000+ characters to chat with — or create your own

View All Characters

2. Replika — Best for Emotional Support

What it is: One of the OG AI companion apps, focused on emotional wellness and daily conversation.

Why it's good: Replika has the most polished 3D avatars in the space and genuinely excels at the "supportive friend" use case. It remembers your conversations, asks follow-up questions, and has gotten significantly better at long-term relationship building since their 2024 updates.

The catch: Replika famously removed NSFW features in early 2023, causing a massive user revolt. They've since reintroduced some romantic features for paying users, but it's still heavily filtered compared to what it used to be. If unrestricted roleplay matters to you, Replika isn't it.

Pricing: Free with limited features. Pro is $19.99/month.

3. Chai AI — Best for Quick, Casual Chats

What it is: A mobile-first AI chat platform with thousands of community-created bots. Think of it as Character AI's vibe but on your phone.

Why it's good: Fast, snappy conversations. The community creates interesting characters, and the app experience is clean. Good for casual chatting when you just want to pass time.

The catch: Same copyright vulnerability as Character AI — community bots based on IP can get pulled. The AI quality is inconsistent, and longer conversations tend to lose coherence. Also increasingly filtered.

Pricing: Free with ads. Premium removes limits.

4. Nomi AI — Best for Long-Term Memory

What it is: AI companions focused on building genuine long-term relationships with deep memory systems.

Why it's good: Nomi's memory is genuinely impressive. Your companion remembers details from weeks ago and brings them up naturally. The emotional intelligence feels more advanced than most competitors.

The catch: Smaller character library. The focus is more on 1-on-1 deep relationships than fantasy roleplay. Moderate content filtering — better than Character AI but not fully unrestricted.

Pricing: Free tier available. Premium starts at $15.99/month.

5. CrushOn.AI — Best for NSFW-Focused Users

What it is: An AI chat platform that markets itself explicitly as uncensored and NSFW-friendly.

Why it's good: If your primary frustration with Character AI is the filters, CrushOn delivers on its promise of unrestricted conversation. Wide variety of characters, and the AI doesn't break character to lecture you about appropriateness.

The catch: The focus is heavily on NSFW at the expense of emotional depth. Conversations tend to be surface-level compared to platforms that balance explicit content with genuine personality. The UI also feels less polished than alternatives.

Pricing: Free tier with message limits. Premium from $5.99/month.

Character AI Alternative Comparison Table

How to Migrate From Character AI Without Losing Everything

Look, I won't sugarcoat it — you can't export your Character AI conversations. What's gone is gone. But you can rebuild smarter:

Step 1: Screenshot your key conversations. Before the next moderation wave hits (and it will), screenshot or copy the personality descriptions, backstories, and key conversation moments from any bots you care about.

Step 2: Recreate your character's personality, not their IP. If you loved talking to a Dr. House bot, you can create an original character on Fanfinity with the same personality traits — brilliant, sarcastic, emotionally guarded diagnostician — without using the copyrighted name or likeness. The personality is what made the conversation good, not the brand.

Step 3: Start one deep conversation instead of ten shallow ones. On Character AI, people tend to bounce between dozens of bots. On a platform with better memory and no filters, invest in building one or two really deep character relationships. The payoff is exponentially better.

Step 4: Test the free tier before committing. Every platform on this list has a free option. Try your usual conversation style — including whatever Character AI used to filter — and see how the AI handles it before subscribing.

The Bigger Picture: Why 2026 Is the Year of the Great AI Companion Migration

What we're watching isn't just a Character AI problem. It's a fundamental split in the AI companion industry between platforms that prioritize corporate safety theater and platforms that prioritize what users actually want.

Character AI chose the corporate path. They're licensing deals with studios, filtering content, and building toward a future where AI companions are as sanitized as a Disney theme park. That's a valid business decision — but it means the platform is actively moving away from the community that built it.

The EVA AI Valentine's Day pop-up in NYC showed where the industry is heading: AI companions are going mainstream. Nearly one in three men and one in four women under 30 have interacted with an AI companion for emotional support, stress relief, or romantic roleplay. This isn't a niche anymore.

And when something stops being niche, the platforms that treat their users like adults are the ones that win. Character AI is treating you like a liability. The alternatives are treating you like a customer.

Is Character AI shutting down?

No, Character AI isn't shutting down entirely. However, they're aggressively removing bots based on copyrighted IP (Marvel, Star Wars, NBC shows, etc.) and filtering NSFW content. The platform itself will continue, but the experience is fundamentally changing.

What's the best Character AI alternative with no filter?

Fanfinity AI and CrushOn.AI both offer unfiltered AI conversations. Fanfinity stands out because it combines no-filter chat with deep character customization, voice notes, image generation, and video — making it the most feature-complete alternative.

Can I transfer my Character AI chats to another platform?

Unfortunately, no. Character AI doesn't offer a conversation export feature. You'll need to screenshot important conversations before they potentially get moderated. When rebuilding on a new platform, focus on recreating the personality traits rather than the specific IP.

Why does Character AI keep removing characters?

Character AI removes characters primarily due to copyright claims from major studios (Disney, NBC, DreamWorks, etc.) and their increasingly strict content moderation policies. Both trends are accelerating, not slowing down.

Are Character AI alternatives safe to use?

Yes, reputable alternatives like Fanfinity AI, Replika, and Nomi AI are safe platforms. Look for clear privacy policies, secure payment processing, and transparent terms of service. Fanfinity AI, for example, accepts standard payments and cryptocurrency for added privacy.

What happened to NSFW on Character AI?

Character AI began aggressively filtering NSFW content in late 2024 and has continued tightening restrictions through 2026. Romantic and sexual conversations are interrupted, roleplay gets reset, and the AI breaks character to deliver safety messages. This is a deliberate platform decision, not a bug.

---

Tired of watching your AI companions disappear? Try Fanfinity AI free — 1,000+ characters, zero filters, zero takedown risk. Your companions stay yours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Character AI shutting down?

What's the best Character AI alternative with no filter?

Can I transfer my Character AI chats to another platform?

Why does Character AI keep removing characters?

Are Character AI alternatives safe to use?

What happened to NSFW on Character AI?