Apps like Character.AI, with a 3D character who talks back.
Character.AI, Talkie and PolyBuzz let you chat with huge libraries of user-made characters, and all three have character voices. Toonabi is smaller and built differently: nine original anime characters, every reply spoken in the character's own voice, and a 3D character on screen who changes expression as they talk. No account and nothing to install: pick a character below and it starts in the browser.
Pick a character and say hi
chat with Yuki
Toonabi, Character.AI, Talkie and PolyBuzz side by side
| Toonabi | Character.AI | Talkie | PolyBuzz | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characters | Nine originals | User-made (millions) | User-made | User-made, plus celebrity and film characters (20M+) |
| Voice | Every reply is a voice note, with subtitles | Character Voice, turned on per chat, plus two-way voice calls | Text and voice | Every character has a voice (free listening is limited) |
| Looks | 3D character who changes expression as they talk | Images; AvatarFX turns an image into a talking video | Images, plus AI image, video and music tools | Images; animated characters on the web version |
| Where it runs | Browser (add it to your home screen) | iPhone, Android, web | Android, web | iPhone, Android, web |
| Ages | 13+ (14+ in Korea and Canada); never explicit | 13+ (16+ in the EEA and UK); open-ended chat ended for under-18s in the US in November 2025 | 16+ (16 and 17 with a parent's permission) | 18+ in its terms of use |
Checked on October 3, 2026 against each app's official site, help center, terms of use, and US App Store and Google Play listings. We could not find Talkie's character chat app on the US App Store. Details can change. Character.AI, Talkie and PolyBuzz are trademarks of their owners and are not affiliated with Toonabi.
Voice alone isn't the difference, since the other apps have it too. The difference is what you see and hear in the chat itself: every reply arrives as a voice note with subtitles, and the 3D character speaks it on screen, with expressions and gestures that follow the conversation.
Instead of a feed of user-made bots, there are nine original characters, each with a job, a neighborhood and a voice of their own: Saki sings in Shimokitazawa, Koharu runs a cafe in Kiyosumi-Shirakawa, Keiko grows lavender in Hokkaido. You get to know them over time. On the same browser they remember earlier conversations, and their own days move along in between. Tell one a relationship or a scene in a sentence and they play it as themselves.
Conversations stay warm and never explicit, with no minors or family framings. There's no account and nothing to install. Toonabi is an independent service, not affiliated with Character.AI, Talkie or PolyBuzz.
Start from a scene
- Yuki Literary editor · Soft alto
- Keiko Lavender farmer · Soft and calm
- Hikari Kimono dresser and yukata designer · Lively soprano
Frequently asked questions
- Is Toonabi a Character.AI alternative?
- If what you want is to talk with an anime character who answers out loud, yes. If you want to create your own characters or browse millions of them, no: Toonabi has nine original characters and you can't add new ones.
- Does Character.AI have voice?
- Yes. Character.AI has Character Voice, which you turn on per chat, and two-way voice calls. On Toonabi, voice is on from the first reply: every message comes back as a voice note, spoken by a 3D character on screen.
- Can I create my own character?
- No, but you can set your own scenario. Say "talk like we're childhood friends" or "we're on a trip to Kyoto together" and any of the nine steps into it as themselves, in their own voice.
- Do I need an app?
- No. It runs in the browser on iPhone, Android and computers, with nothing to install and no account.
- Which languages does it speak?
- English, Japanese and Korean. Characters reply in the language you write in, and their voice speaks it too.
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