The best apps like PolyBuzz, the character-chat app once called Poly AI, are Character.AI, Talkie, Chai and zeta for user-made characters, AI Dungeon for story role-play, and Replika, Pi and Tolan for one steady companion. All eight are free to download. We checked all eight on October 18, 2026, then used the three that run in a browser without an account: Pi, AI Dungeon and zeta.
Our main finding is that their age ratings often disagree between iPhone and Android. Six of the eight are sold in both Apple’s App Store and Google Play, and four of those six carry an adult rating in one store and a teen rating in the other. Replika, Pi and Character.AI are 18+ on the App Store but Teen on Google Play. zeta is the reverse: 13+ on iPhone, Mature 17+ on Android. Only Chai (adult in both) and AI Dungeon (teen in both) agree with themselves.
Replika on Apple's US App Store, captured October 18, 2026. Age rating: 18+.
The same app on Google Play in the US, captured October 18, 2026 in a phone-sized window. Rating: Teen.
Testing found a second surprise. AI Dungeon’s help pages say its AI Safety Setting starts on Safe, but our guest game started on Moderate, and choosing Safe needed a verified account.
PolyBuzz Alternatives at a Glance
Prices are US prices listed on the day. Where a store does not say how often a plan bills, we give the price alone.
| App | Best for | Free to use? | Main paid option (US) | App Store age | Google Play (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Character.AI | User-made characters and voice calls | Yes, with ads | c.ai+, $9.99 | 18+ | Teen |
| Talkie | Characters with voices | Yes, with ads | In-app items, $0.49 to $199.99 | Not found in the US store | Teen |
| Chai | Quick chats with bots other users built | Yes, with ads | Premium, $13.99 a month | 18+ | Mature 17+ |
| zeta | Story role-play | Unlimited chats, with ads | zeta pass, $14.99 | 13+ | Mature 17+ |
| AI Dungeon | Text adventures | Yes, no ads | Journey, $14.99 a month | 13+ | Teen |
| Replika | One companion that remembers you | Yes; Pro adds more | Monthly, from $7.99 | 18+ | Teen |
| Pi | Talking things through | Fully free | No paid plan listed | 18+ | Teen |
| Tolan | A gentle, cartoon companion | Limited trial | Tolan Lite, $11.99 | 13+ | Not on Google Play |
Why Look for a PolyBuzz Alternative?
PolyBuzz is a character-chat app: you pick or create an AI character, then talk or role-play with it. It was renamed from Poly.AI, which is why “poly ai” also turns up PolyAI, an unrelated enterprise voice company. PolyBuzz’s own blog sells it as a better alternative to Character.AI, while Reddit’s r/polyai asks “Is Poly AI worth getting?”
Google Play rates PolyBuzz Mature 17+ and notes that it shows ads, while its own terms of use say you must be 18. Its App Store page, which Google still ranks for “poly ai,” returned a not-found error on October 18, 2026, and a US App Store search did not find it, so US iPhone users need an alternative anyway.
How We Checked and Tested These Apps
On October 18, 2026, we read each developer’s site, logged out, along with its pricing, safety pages and terms, and its US App Store and Google Play listings.
On October 19, 2026, we tried to use each one in Chrome on a laptop in India, logged out, with the same harmless request: “Can you suggest a funny name for my pet goldfish?” We created no account, installed nothing and paid nothing. Where asked our age, we picked the adult option.
| App | What happened on October 19 | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Pi | Asked our name and if we were 18 or over, then chatted | Tested |
| AI Dungeon | Quick Play started a story with no sign-up | Tested |
| zeta | A user-made character’s chat opened with no sign-up | Tested |
| Character.AI | The first screen was a “Sign Up to Chat” box | Needs an account |
| Replika | The web app offered only “Log in” or “Create an account” | Needs an account |
| Talkie | The site said “Talkie isn’t available in your region” | Blocked in India |
| Chai | The “Chai Web” button still read “Coming Soon…” | Phone apps only |
| Tolan | The site links only to the App Store | iPhone app only |
For the five we could not use, this compares what each developer offers and promises, not how its AI talks.
1. Character.AI: The Closest Like-for-Like Swap
Character.AI works the way PolyBuzz does: millions of user-made characters, text chat, voice calls and tools to build your own. Its Google Play description promises “unlimited AI conversations and voice calls—all for free,” paid for by ads. The c.ai+ plan costs $9.99 on the App Store.
Character.AI on the US App Store, captured October 18, 2026. The age rating is 18+, with in-app controls listed.
Its ratings sit far apart: 18+ on the App Store, which lists age assurance and parental controls, and Teen on Google Play. In practice, users verified as under 18 now get a reading mode in which “chat features are not available,” though they can still browse and create characters. You cannot try it as a guest: the website opens on a “Sign Up to Chat” box.
2. Talkie: Characters With Voices, on Android
Talkie: Creative AI Community, from SUBSUP, is the closest in feel to PolyBuzz’s voiced characters. You chat with user-made “Talkies” that remember past conversations, or build your own. On Google Play it has 50M+ downloads, shows ads, sells in-app items from $0.49 to $199.99, and is rated Teen with a “Sexual Themes” note.
Talkie on Google Play in the US, captured October 18, 2026 in a phone-sized window.
The catch is the iPhone. We could not find Talkie: Creative AI Community on the US App Store. The developer’s one Talkie app there, Talkie Lab - AI Playground, is rated 18+ and calls itself a toolbox of AI models, though it sells Talkie Gems and a Talkie+ Pro plan. We could not confirm it has the same Talkies, and Talkie’s website was blocked in India, so check its pricing and safety pages before you pay.
3. Chai: Quick Chats With Bots Other Users Built
Chai, from Chai Research Corp., is built around short, casual chats with characters other users create and share. The free version shows ads, and the App Store lists Premium at $13.99 a month and Ultra at $29.99 a month.
Chai on the US App Store, captured October 18, 2026. Rated 18+.
Chai is the most upfront about being for adults. Its Safety Center says “CHAI is an 18+ service and is not intended for use by minors.” The App Store rates it 18+ with frequent mature or suggestive themes; Google Play rates it Mature 17+. Optional safety filters can hide mature content and block characters, and Chai says its models refuse sexually explicit content. In some regions, it adds, you need a paid subscription. It is phone-only: “Chai Web” still read “Coming Soon…” on October 19, 2026.
4. zeta: Free Story Role-Play, With Mixed Age Signals
zeta, from Scatter Lab, is built for story role-play: you play the main character and steer a plot with an AI character, or make your own character in about a minute. Its store description promises “truly free, unlimited chats,” with ads, and the App Store lists a zeta pass at $14.99.
zeta on the US App Store, captured October 18, 2026. Rated 13+, while Google Play rates the same app Mature 17+.
The App Store rates zeta 13+ and lists age assurance; Google Play rates it Mature 17+. zeta’s terms bar children under 13, and its support centre says it offers no 18+ service because it wants “a platform that all age groups, including minors, can use with peace of mind,” backed by daily plot review. Yet its logged-out homepage led with romance role-plays on October 18, some tagged “possessive” and “toxic,” and again on October 19. For a teenager, Google Play’s rating is the more careful guide.
zeta is also the one character app here that let us chat in a browser without an account. We opened Naming Studio, a character another user built for name ideas, and asked for a goldfish name. It offered “Captain Scoops” and “Richard Fish,” among others. A banner ad, different each visit, sat above the chat.
zeta's web chat with the user-made Naming Studio character, captured October 19, 2026 in a phone-width window without an account. The banner ad above the chat is cropped out.
5. AI Dungeon: Text Adventures, but Safe Mode Needs an Account
AI Dungeon, from Latitude, is less about chatting with one character than writing an adventure together: you pick a world, say what your character does, and the AI plays everyone else. It runs on iPhone, Android and in a browser, where you can play without an account: Quick Play started a game at once, with a banner offering a sign-up “to save your game and use premium models for free.”
We wrote, “I ask the pet shop owner to suggest a funny name for my new pet goldfish,” and the AI played the owner. Each try told a different story: one owner offered Bubbles or Flippy, another Marlon, “After Brando.”
An AI Dungeon game played without an account in a browser, captured October 19, 2026. The settings panel on the right shows the guest's AI Safety Setting on Moderate.
Its membership page lists a free Wanderer plan with up to 4k tokens of context (how much of the story the AI keeps in mind) and paid plans from Journey at $14.99 a month to Ultimate at $99.99 a month. Its store listings promise no ads in the free version.
It has the clearest content control, with a catch. Its AI Safety Settings have three levels: Safe, Moderate and Mature. Safe “prevents the AI from generating sexual, hateful, violent, or triggering content,” Mature requires confirming you are 18 or over, and its content-safety page says the setting defaults to Safe. Our guest game, though, started on Moderate, which the in-game panel describes as “Limits explicit sexual content, hate, or self-harm.” When we picked Safe, a “Login Required” box said: “This requires you to be logged in with a verified account.” The trending stories a guest sees first also included romance set-ups, such as “Can I Kiss You?”
It is rated 13+ on the App Store and Teen on Google Play, the only app here rated for teens in both.
6. Replika: One Companion That Remembers You
Replika, from Luka, Inc., is not a catalogue of characters. You get one companion, your “Rep,” which remembers the people and goals you mention and checks in on you. It runs on iPhone, Android and an older web app, which offered only “Log in” or “Create an account” when we opened it.
Basic chat is free. Replika’s terms say Pro unlocks relationship status, selfies, image generation, voice messages and calls. The App Store lists monthly plans at $7.99 and $14.99, yearly plans from $49.99, and Replika Platinum at $89.99.
The terms are blunt about age: “If you are under 18, you are not authorized to use the Services, with or without registering.” The App Store says 18+, but Google Play rates it Teen, as the screenshots at the top show.
7. Pi: Free Conversation, No Characters
Pi, from Inflection AI, is the plainest option: one friendly AI to talk things through with, and no characters or role-play. It is the only app here with no paid plan: the App Store lists it as Free with no in-app purchases, and Google Play shows neither ads nor purchases.
Pi on the US App Store, captured October 18, 2026. It is listed as Free, with no in-app purchases.
It is also the easiest to try: pi.ai opened straight into a chat without an account. It asked what to call us, then offered two choices, “I am 18 years old or over” and “I am under 18 years old,” and took our word for it. We picked the adult option and asked for a goldfish name. Pi suggested “Sir Bubbles von Floatington” and “Nemo’s Overachieving Cousin.” Logging in, a sidebar note says, saves chat history past 60 days.
Pi's web chat, captured October 19, 2026 without an account. The Log in and Sign up for free buttons are still showing.
Like Replika, it is 18+ on the App Store but Teen on Google Play, and Inflection’s terms say: “If you are a minor under the age of 18, you may not use the Services.”
8. Tolan: A Friendly Alien Instead of a Role-Play Partner
Tolan, from Portola, gives you a cartoon alien companion that gets to know you and helps with plans, goals and everyday worries. It is iPhone-only: the official site links only to the App Store, where it is rated 13+.
The Tolan homepage, captured October 18, 2026.
New users get a limited trial, but full access needs a subscription; the App Store lists Tolan Lite at $11.99 and Tolan Plus at $24.99. Tolan’s FAQ says the app was “created with a teen and adult audience in mind” and recommends parental involvement for under-18s. When it knows a user is under 18, it reminds them it is an AI, tells them to take a break at least once an hour, and uses prompting written for minors. On Android, beware: a Google Play app called Tolan comes from a different developer, not Portola.
Which PolyBuzz Alternative Is Best for Teens?
AI Dungeon set to Safe is the most careful choice: it is rated for teens in both stores, and Safe blocks sexual, hateful and violent output. But Safe needs a verified account; as a guest, our game ran on Moderate. Tolan is rated 13+ with reminders for under-18s, and Character.AI has switched verified under-18s to a reading mode with no chat. Replika, Pi and Chai say they are not for anyone under 18, whatever Google Play’s label says, and Pi’s only check is a question it takes your word on.
The stores disagree because they rate separately: Apple from the developer’s answers to its own age-rating questions, Google Play from a separate IARC questionnaire shown with ESRB labels in the US. Go by the stricter one.
| App | What the developer says about minors | Content control we found |
|---|---|---|
| Character.AI | Verified under-18s get reading mode, with no chat | Age assurance; weekly parental report |
| Talkie | Could not check (site blocked in India) | Google Play: Teen, Sexual Themes |
| Chai | “18+ service,” not for minors | Optional safety filters |
| zeta | Not for under-13s; no 18+ service | Daily plot review |
| AI Dungeon | Mature setting needs 18+ confirmation | Three levels; guests get Moderate |
| Replika | Not for under-18s | None described on the pages we read |
| Pi | Not for under-18s | Asks if you are 18 or over, with no check |
| Tolan | Made for teens and adults | Break reminders and prompting for minors |
How to Choose a PolyBuzz Alternative
- Decide what you used PolyBuzz for: many characters (Character.AI, Talkie, Chai, zeta), stories (AI Dungeon) or one companion (Replika, Pi, Tolan).
- Try a web version first: Pi, AI Dungeon and zeta work in a browser without an account.
- Check the age rating in both stores and the app’s own terms, and go by the strictest.
- Turn on any filter before you start, such as AI Dungeon’s Safe setting (it needs a verified account) or Chai’s safety filters.
- Read the store’s privacy label. Character.AI’s App Store label, for example, says location, contact info, identifiers and usage data may be used to track you across other companies’ apps and websites.
- Check how often a subscription bills, and cancel it in the store, not just by deleting the app.
- Install from the developer’s own link. We found a copycat Tolan on Google Play and a misspelled PolyBuzz look-alike on the App Store.
Name Your Own Character
Building your own character? A good name does a lot of the work. Our AI chatbot names are a quick place to start, our D&D character names suit fantasy adventures in AI Dungeon, and our guide to naming an AI product explains how a name sets expectations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best app like PolyBuzz?
For chatting with user-made characters, Character.AI is the closest match, and Talkie is close on Android. For stories, AI Dungeon is the better pick, and Pi is the best fully free option.
Is there a free PolyBuzz alternative?
Yes. Pi has no paid plan at all, and AI Dungeon’s free plan has no ads. Character.AI and zeta let you chat free with ads, while Tolan offers only a limited trial.
Is the PollyBuzz app on the App Store the real PolyBuzz?
No. The app spelled that way on the US App Store comes from an individual developer, not PolyBuzz’s maker, and is rated 9+. PolyBuzz’s own App Store page returned a not-found error when we checked on October 18, 2026.
Which PolyBuzz alternatives work in a browser without an account?
Pi, AI Dungeon and zeta did when we tried them on October 19, 2026. Character.AI and Replika’s web app need you to sign up first, Talkie’s site was blocked in India, Chai’s web version is still “Coming Soon,” and Tolan is iPhone-only.
Do apps like PolyBuzz filter mature content?
Some do. AI Dungeon blocks sexual and violent output on its Safe setting, though guests get Moderate and Safe needs a verified account. Chai has optional safety filters, and Character.AI turns chat off for users verified as under 18. A store rating alone does not tell you, so check the settings.
The Short Version
Character.AI is the nearest swap for PolyBuzz-style characters, Talkie the nearest on Android, and Chai the most openly adults-only. Pi, AI Dungeon and zeta work in a browser without an account, and Pi is free. For teens, AI Dungeon on Safe and Tolan are the careful picks. Check both store ratings before you install.