kitio.aiChai vs HammerAI
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. HammerAI has the lower starting price: about $9 a month, against $14 for Chai.
At a glance
Best for
Category
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Community character catalog
- Bot creator
- Reply ratings
- Premium chat models
- iOS and Android apps
- Character chat
- Group chats up to 10
- Local models via Ollama
- Lorebooks and personas
- Story writing
- Image generation
| Feature | Chai | HammerAI |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Mobile app for chatting with community-made AI characters | Character chat and roleplay app with local and cloud models |
| Category | Chat assistants | Chat assistants |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $13.99/mo | $9/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Chai Research | HammerAI |
| Based in | United States | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
|
Pricing compared
HammerAI has the lower starting price: about $9 a month, against $14 for Chai.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
4 plans
Free
Free
- Cloud and local chat
- Web and desktop apps
Starter
$9/mo
- 26 image models
- Cloud text to speech
Advanced
$18/mo
- All local LLMs
- Proxy to any LLM API
- No ads
Ultimate
$35/mo
- Everything in Advanced
- Highest usage limits
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Chai
- Huge range of story bots
- Looser filters than Character.AI
- Quick to start on mobile
- Free use now metered per message
- Memory is short on lower tiers
- Content quality varies
HammerAI
- Free chat on cloud and local models
- Local mode keeps chats private
- Desktop app for all major systems
- Web version shows ads
- All purchases are non-refundable
- Character library varies in quality
Which one should you choose?
Choose Chai if you want:
- Huge range of story bots
- Looser filters than Character.AI
- Quick to start on mobile
Watch out: free use now metered per message.
Choose HammerAI if you want:
- Free chat on cloud and local models
- Local mode keeps chats private
- Desktop app for all major systems
Watch out: web version shows ads.
Chai vs HammerAI FAQ
What is the difference between Chai and HammerAI?
Chai: Mobile app for chatting with community-made AI characters. HammerAI: Character chat and roleplay app with local and cloud models. Both are chat assistants tools.
Is Chai or HammerAI cheaper?
HammerAI has the lower starting price: about $9 a month, against $14 for Chai.
Do Chai and HammerAI have free plans?
Chai: Yes. HammerAI: Yes.
Who makes Chai?
Chai is made by Chai Research, based in United States.
Who makes HammerAI?
HammerAI is made by HammerAI.
Which should I choose, Chai or HammerAI?
Choose Chai if you value huge range of story bots and looser filters than character.ai. Choose HammerAI if you value free chat on cloud and local models and local mode keeps chats private.