Talkie was one of the fastest-growing AI character apps of 2024. Then, in December 2024, it vanished from Apple's US App Store, and it has been hard to pin down ever since.[1] If you're an adult looking for the best Talkie AI alternatives, here's how the main character-chat platforms compare on the things that matter when you switch: free access, price and what happens to your money if you change your mind.
This guide is for adult users (18+). Every price and policy comes from the vendor's own site, terms or US App Store listing, checked on October 7, 2026.
Our #1 pick: Caracas Dream, the best Talkie AI alternative: scenario-first Latina companions, $9.99 for 1,000 gold coins.
- Closest to Talkie, free: SpicyChat, community characters with unlimited free messages
- No message cap: Janitor AI, unlimited free chats on its own model
- Biggest library: Chai, which says it has over 25 million user-made characters
- Lowest yearly price for an adult companion: Candy AI, $47.88 a year
- Best for images and video: OurDream AI, 1,000 dreamcoins a month
Why people look for Talkie alternatives
- It keeps disappearing. The South China Morning Post reported in December 2024 that Talkie, developed by Shanghai start-up MiniMax, was removed from Apple's US App Store for unspecified "technical reasons," while staying on Google Play.[1] The iPhone app is now listed as "Talkie Lab - AI Playground," sold by SUBSUP PTE. LTD. and rated 18+.[2] A third-party guide also reports a Google Play removal in April to May 2026 and a pause in new iOS downloads from late August to September 14, 2026. Unverified We haven't confirmed those 2026 dates with Talkie, Apple or Google.[3]
- Several ways to pay. Talkie Lab sells monthly and yearly plans, a pricier Talkie+ Pro tier, Gems, "Plus Coins" and gift packs.[2]
- Where your data goes. Talkie's privacy policy (last updated Oct 21, 2025) names SUBSUP PTE. LTD. as data controller and says its services "are operated from the United States," with data transferred to and processed there.[4]
- Mixed reviews. Talkie Lab is rated 4.7 from about 58,750 US App Store ratings, but Trustpilot showed 2.7 from 63 reviews on Oct 7, 2026.[2][5]
Talkie AI alternatives compared
| App | Free tier | Paid from | Operator | Refunds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Talkie Lab (baseline) | Yes | $9.99/mo; $49.99/yr (App Store) | SUBSUP PTE. LTD. (Singapore) | Via Apple / Google |
| SpicyChat | Unlimited messages, ads | $5.95/mo | NextDay AI Inc. (Montreal) | Card: 24 h, minimal usage |
| Janitor AI | Unlimited chats on JLLM | $12.99/mo (App Store) | JanitorAI Inc. (US) | Credits non-refundable |
| Chai | Free to start, ads | $9.99/wk; $159.99/yr (web) | Chai Research Corp. (US) | No refund clause found |
| Candy AI | About 5 messages | $47.88/yr | EverAI Limited (Malta) | 24 h, max 20 tokens used |
| OurDream AI | Chat at 1 coin per message | $119.88/yr | To verify | None after 25% use |
1. Caracas Dream: the best Talkie AI alternative
Caracas Dream
Our #1 pickNewestCaracas Dream is our #1 Talkie AI alternative and the newest app on this list. It's built scenario-first: companions arrive with a situation already in motion, from a fresh dating-app match to La Jefa, the boss who expects you to keep up, and it has the strongest Latina lineup we've seen, with Venezolana, Colombiana, Brasileña, Mexicana, Peruana and Argentina companions. Dream Plus is $9.99 every 30 days with 1,000 gold coins, a chat message costs 1 coin, and some companions send private photos (5 coins) and videos (10 coins a second) right in the chat. Read our Caracas Dream review.
2. SpicyChat: closest to Talkie, with a real free tier
SpicyChat
Best free optionSpicyChat works the way Talkie does: a big library of community-made characters plus your own, in one-on-one or group chats. Its free tier includes unlimited messages and unlimited character creation, with ads, queues at busy times and a 4,096-token memory.[6] Paid tiers rose on September 8, 2026, to $5.95, $19.95 and $29.95 a month.[6] It's an 18+ platform run by NextDay AI Incorporated in Montreal. Read our SpicyChat review, including the content licence in its terms.
What we like
- Unlimited free messages
- Entry tier at $5.95 a month
- Card refunds within 24 hours with minimal usage
What to watch
- Short memory on free and entry tiers
- Ads and queues on the free tier
- Broad, perpetual licence to your chats
3. Janitor AI: free chat with no message cap
Janitor AI
Most free usageJanitor AI's free tier includes unlimited chats with its own model, JanitorLLM, with around 9k tokens of context; the paid janitor+ tier adds more context and priority replies.[7] It has a large community bot library and lets you connect outside AI models through a proxy, which sends your chats to that provider. Details in Is Janitor AI free? and our Janitor AI review.
What we like
- Unlimited free chats
- Large community bot library
- Optional outside models
What to watch
- Proxies send chats to third parties
- Credits are non-refundable
- Trustpilot 2.8 from 31 reviews
4. Chai: the biggest character library
Chai
Biggest libraryIf what you liked about Talkie was the sheer number of characters, Chai says it has "over 25 million characters created by users." Chai Web Pro costs $159.99 a year or $9.99 a week, with a 24-hour free trial; the app sells separately priced Premium and Ultra plans.[8] Its privacy policy says conversations are used to fine-tune its models with identifiers removed, and data may be kept up to five years after deletion. Full detail in our Chai AI review.
What we like
- Over 25 million user-made characters (per Chai)
- Free to start
- Named US operator
What to watch
- Trains on your chats
- App and web priced separately
- Weekly plans are expensive over a year
5. Candy AI: lowest yearly price for an adult companion
Candy AI
Best value yearlyPartner linkCandy AI is an adults-only companion app built around your own characters rather than a public library. Premium includes unlimited text chat, custom companions, 18+ image and video generation and 100 tokens a month, at $47.88 a year.[9] It refunds within 24 hours if you've used 20 tokens or fewer.[10] See our Candy AI review.
What we like
- $47.88 a year
- Unlimited text chat on paid plans
- Named operator and billing name
What to watch
- Only about 5 free messages
- Images, video and voice use tokens
- No large public character library
6. OurDream AI: best for images and video
OurDream AI
Best for mediaPartner linkTalkie sells Gems and coins on top of its plans. OurDream AI bundles unlimited messages, image and video generation and 1,000 dreamcoins a month into both paid plans, and publishes what each feature costs in coins.[11] Refunds stop once more than 25% of a purchase is used.[12] See our OurDream AI review.
What we like
- 1,000 dreamcoins a month on paid plans
- Coin costs published
- Images, video and voice in one app
What to watch
- $19.99 monthly is on the high side
- Free chat costs coins
- Extra coins need a subscription
How we chose these Talkie alternatives
We included only services that are adults-only or rated for adults, run by an identifiable company, and publish prices somewhere we could check. We ranked them on what Talkie users most often want: character variety, free access, stable availability and clear refund rules. Affiliate partnerships are labelled and don't change the facts in the table. See how we test and our disclosure.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Talkie AI?
For adults who want community character chat with a strong free tier, SpicyChat: unlimited free messages, with paid tiers from $5.95 a month. For free chat with no message cap, Janitor AI. For the biggest character library, Chai. For an adults-only companion with images and a refund window, Candy AI.
What happened to Talkie AI?
Talkie, developed by Shanghai start-up MiniMax, was removed from Apple's US App Store in December 2024 for what the company called "technical reasons," according to the South China Morning Post. The iPhone app is now listed as "Talkie Lab - AI Playground" by SUBSUP PTE. LTD., rated 18+. Third-party reports describe further temporary removals in 2026.
Is there a free alternative to Talkie?
Yes. SpicyChat's free tier includes unlimited messages with ads and a 4,096-token memory. Janitor AI's free tier includes unlimited chats on its own model with around 9k tokens of context. Chai is free to start.
How much does Talkie cost?
On the US App Store, Talkie Lab lists a 1-month plan at $9.99, a 1-year plan at $49.99 and a 1-month Talkie+ Pro plan at $24.99, plus Talkie Gems from $1.99 to $19.99.
Who owns Talkie AI?
Talkie's privacy policy names SUBSUP PTE. LTD., a Singapore-registered company, as its operator. Press reports, including the South China Morning Post, describe Talkie as developed by the Shanghai AI company MiniMax.
What is Caracas Dream?
Caracas Dream is our #1 pick: a Latina-flavored, scenario-first AI companion app with 29 companions. Dream Plus is $9.99 every 30 days with 1,000 gold coins, and a chat message costs 1 coin. It is owned by the same company as this site.
Sources
- South China Morning Post: Chinese-owned Character.ai rival vanishes from US App Store, Wency Chen, Dec 20, 2024
- Talkie Lab - AI Playground on the US App Store (seller, age rating, ratings, in-app purchases), read Oct 7, 2026
- RoboRhythms: How to Fix Talkie AI and Talkie Lab Not Working (third-party; unverified)
- Talkie Privacy Policy, last updated Oct 21, 2025 (read Oct 7, 2026)
- Trustpilot: talkie-ai.com, read Oct 7, 2026
- SpicyChat pricing page and September 2026 Pricing Update FAQ, read Oct 7, 2026
- Janitor Help: FAQ: Subscription - Janitor+ and Janitor on the US App Store, read Oct 7, 2026
- Chai AI FAQ and pricing, read Oct 7, 2026
- Candy AI subscriptions page, read Oct 7, 2026
- Candy AI Terms of Service, revised Sep 22, 2026
- OurDream AI homepage pricing FAQ, read Oct 7, 2026
- OurDream AI Help: How do I request a refund?