Why Are People Looking for Chub AI Alternatives?
Chub deserves credit first. You can bring your own API key from OpenRouter, OpenAI or Anthropic and run top-tier models on a free account, paying the provider directly. Lorebooks let you inject world details into a story, there are over 60,000 community characters, you can export your chats, and subscribers get OpenAI-compatible proxy URLs. Mercury is $5 a month and Mars is $20.
Here's what sends people elsewhere.
The free tier is small. Reviews put it at about 59 messages on the native models, and one directory lists about 50 a day. Without your own key, that disappears quickly.
It takes setup. Keys, models and prompts suit tinkerers more than casual chatters.
No app. It runs on mobile web only.
Quality and moderation vary. Everything is user-made, so characters range from excellent to unusable. One safety-rating site, CompanionWise, gave Chub a D in April 2026, citing no dedicated safety staff.
Payments and plans. One review, tested in July 2026, said Chub moved to crypto-only payments and removed its cheapest subscription, while other sites still list Mercury at $5. Check the current options before you subscribe.
2026 Rankings , Best Chub AI Alternatives
| Rank | App | Best for | Score | No API key needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Soulkyn AI | Uncensored model, no setup | 8.7 | Yes |
| 2 | Selira AI | Free unlimited chat | 9.5 | Yes |
| 3 | Darlink AI | Memory | 9.0 | Yes |
| 4 | Nectar AI | Free images, builder | 8.4 | Yes |
| 5 | Secret Desires AI | Voice calls | 8.7 | Yes |
| 6 | SpicyChat AI | Biggest free library | 7.8 | Yes |
| 7 | AI Peeps | Creation and video | 8.5 | Yes |
| 8 | Sparkles AI | Calls, discreet billing | 7.8 | Yes |
| 9 | Rolechar AI | Ad-free roleplay | 8.0 | Yes |
| 10 | Candy AI | Polish, native apps | 8.5 | Yes |
How Do the Prices Compare?
| App | Free | Entry paid | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chub AI | ~59 messages | $5 Mercury, $20 Mars | Or bring your own API key |
| Selira AI | Unlimited chat | $5.99 | No card needed on free |
| SpicyChat AI | 100 messages a day | ~$4.95 | Ads on free |
| Rolechar AI | Basic chat | ~$5.99 | Ad-free |
| Nectar AI | 10 images + 15 messages a day | ~$9.99 | Credits extra |
| Sparkles AI | Daily credits | $9.99 annual | Calls included |
| Soulkyn AI | Smaller model | ~€11.99 | 70B on paid |
| Darlink AI | Limited trial | $12.99 ($9.99 annual) | Coins on every tier |
| AI Peeps | Two Peeps | $12.49 annual | Coins never expire |
The 10 Best Chub AI Alternatives in 2026
Chub users often want strong uncensored roleplay. Soulkyn hosts a 70B model itself and says it removes restrictions at the model level instead of filtering output afterwards, so there's nothing to configure. The free tier uses a smaller model, so judge it on a paid plan. No images. See the Soulkyn AI review.
Free tier: Smaller 8B model
Unlimited chat with no message cap or card, over 1,000 companions and face-consistent images, all in the browser. Memory is basic on free and there's no voice. It's the opposite of Chub's 59-message wall. See the Selira AI review.
Free tier: Unlimited chat, daily image credit
Chub relies on Lorebooks and context windows. Darlink builds memory into the product, with Living Memory on its Ultimate tier. It's uncensored, web-only and has about 18 pre-made characters. See Darlink AI pricing for the tiers.
Free tier: Limited trial
Ten free image generations and 15 free messages a day, plus a character builder deeper than most. Credits meter the extras, so see Nectar AI pricing before committing. See the Nectar AI review.
Free tier: 10 images + 15 messages daily
Real phone-style calls and AI-initiated calling, free to start, with a lot of customisation. Chub offers voice only on Mars. Pricing has moved this year, so confirm at checkout. See the Secret Desires AI review.
Free tier: Free to start, voice included
Hundreds of thousands of community characters and 100 free messages a day, which counts both your message and the reply. Free users see ads and base models. See SpicyChat alternatives.
Free tier: 100 messages daily
Describe a character in plain English, then generate images across four engines and video that makes its own audio, with group chat of up to three characters on Pro. Browser-only. See the AI Peeps review.
Free tier: Two Peeps, small coin allocation
Voice calls and a media allowance on a $9.99 annual plan, with discreet billing stated on the pricing page. It's new, with no independent reviews yet. See the Sparkles AI review.
Free tier: Daily credits, first photo free
Ad-free on every plan including free, with unrestricted roleplay and no images. A clean option if ads and clutter bother you. See the Rolechar AI review.
Free tier: Basic chat, ad-free
Native iOS and Android apps, polished images and 120-second video, which Chub can't match. Tokens add to the cost. See Is Candy AI safe?.
Free tier: Blurred images, 7-day trial
Also Worth Exploring
Quick image generation, reported at 4 to 8 seconds, with daily free coins
Lip-sync video calls across six AI models from about $4 a month annual
1 credit per image and 30-second video with audio, on 30-day passes with no auto-renew
Digital twin from one photo and real-time digital human video, early-stage with limited public validation
Three-layer emotional memory with proactive messaging, free to start, SFW only
15+ separately trained NSFW art styles with free daily gems
Which Chub AI Alternative Is Right for You?
### If the free tier ran out too fast Selira AI for unlimited chat, Nectar AI for daily images, SpicyChat AI for a big library.
### If you want uncensored roleplay without API keys Soulkyn AI is the closest. Rolechar AI is the cleanest.
### If you want better memory Darlink AI on its top tier, or Nomi AI if you don't need NSFW.
### If you want an app on your phone Candy AI and NextPart AI have native apps. Most others run in the browser.
### If you want voice Secret Desires AI first, then Sparkles AI.
FAQs
What are the best Chub AI alternatives?
Soulkyn AI for an uncensored model without setup, Selira AI for free unlimited chat, Darlink AI for memory, Nectar AI for free images and Secret Desires AI for voice.
Is Chub AI free?
Partly. The free tier gives about 59 messages on native models plus character creation and chat export. Paid plans are Mercury at $5 and Mars at $20, and you can bring your own API key on any plan.
Is there a free alternative to Chub AI?
Selira AI offers unlimited free chat with no card, and SpicyChat AI gives 100 free messages a day. Nectar AI gives 15 messages and 10 images daily.
Does Chub AI need an API key?
Not strictly, but the free tier is small without one. Paying for a plan or bringing your own key from OpenRouter, OpenAI or Anthropic gets you further.
Is Chub AI uncensored?
Yes, it allows unfiltered mature content and is strictly 18+. For a hosted uncensored model with no setup, see Soulkyn AI.
Does Chub AI have a mobile app?
No. It runs in the browser. Candy AI has native apps.
Final Verdict
Chub AI is excellent if you enjoy tuning your own setup. If you want something that works out of the box, start with Selira AI for free, move to Soulkyn AI for an uncensored model, and add Darlink AI if memory matters. Use Nectar AI for images and Secret Desires AI for voice.
➜ Try Selira AI free · ➜ Try Soulkyn AI · ➜ Try Darlink AI · ➜ Try Nectar AI free
How we put this together
Chub AI details come from several 2026 reviews and Chub's own tier descriptions, checked in October 2026. Sources disagree on the free message limit and, in one case, on whether Chub still takes cards, so confirm on its site. Alternative pricing is checked against each platform's pages. Chub AI isn't a Companaya partner. This page contains affiliate links for the alternatives and we earn commission at no cost to you; commission doesn't change scores.