10 Best NovelAI Alternatives in 2026
Looking for a NovelAI alternative? These are the 10 best in 2026, from novel-writing tools and text adventures to free apps you run on your own computer. We checked every price and rule on each app's own pages. Want to write right now? A free AI novel generator is below, with no sign-up.
Quick answer
The best NovelAI alternative depends on what you used NovelAI for. To live inside your story with characters who answer back, try Rabu AI. To draft a book, Sudowrite or Novelcrafter. For text adventures, AI Dungeon. For something free and private on your own computer, KoboldCpp or SillyTavern. For writing in Japanese, AIのべりすと.
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The Keeper's Letter
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Maren had kept the Gull Rock light for eleven winters, and in all that time the sea had never sent her anything but weather.
So when the bottle rolled against her boot one grey morning, she almost kicked it back. The glass was green and scratched, the cork sealed with red wax. Inside, a folded page. On the outside, in careful ink: For the keeper of the light.
She opened it at the kitchen table with her tea going cold.
"You don't know me," the letter began. "But every night for three years I have watched your light from the other side of the strait. I was a fisherman once. Now I am old and my eyes are failing, and your light is the last thing I can still see clearly. I wanted to thank you before I can't."
It was signed only with an initial: T.
Maren read it four times. Then she climbed to the lamp room and looked across the water, where the far shore was a thin dark line. A few lamps glowed in the village there. Any one of them could be his.
That night, at the turn of the hour, she did something she had never done in eleven years. She covered the lamp for three seconds, uncovered it, covered it again. Short, short, long. Hello, in the old signal the fishermen used.
She waited. The wind pressed against the glass.
Then, across the strait, a small window light went dark. And came back. Short, short, long.
Maren laughed out loud, alone in the tower.
They talked like that all winter, a few words a night, clumsy and slow. She learned he had a cat named Admiral. He learned she hated fog more than storms. In spring the mail boat brought a real letter, then another. In summer, a man with a cane and a very large cat stepped off the ferry at Gull Rock and squinted up at her tower.
"It's smaller than I pictured," he said.
"You're older than I pictured," said Maren.
They both agreed that was fair, and she made tea, and this time neither of them let it go cold.
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heartwarming lighthouse letters friendship seaside
One free AI cover for this story, safe for work.
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Now step inside your novel
Rabu AI turns a story like this into one you play, with characters who answer back and remember what you did.
Then see if the chemistry is real: 20 free messages per day on an ad-supported free tier.
The 10 best NovelAI alternatives
Ranked for people who write or play stories with AI. Prices are monthly, in US dollars, as each app listed them on October 4, 2026. This page is published by Rabu AI, which we rank first; every other entry is judged on the same five points.
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Rabu AI
4.8/5Best for: Living inside your story, with characters who remember you
Rabu AI is an anime AI companion and story app. Story Mode turns a scenario into a story you play, where the characters answer back and remember what happened, and you can chat and roleplay with them one to one or in groups. Characters send pictures, videos and voice messages, and everything works in 10 languages, with an ad-supported free tier and 20 free messages per day.[1][2]
- Characters with memory, in chats and stories
- Pictures, videos and voice in the same app
- Works in 10 languages
- Not a manuscript editor
- Story Mode has 2 free messages per story, then uses tokens
Price: Free tier; Plus from $9.99 a month
Try Rabu AI free -
Sudowrite
4.4/5Best for: Drafting and revising a book
Sudowrite is an AI writing tool for novelists, with tools to draft, expand and rewrite prose. It has a free trial with no card, and paid plans start at $19 a month when billed monthly.[10]
- Built around writing a book
- No free plan after the trial
Price: From $19 a month
Visit Sudowrite -
Novelcrafter
4.3/5Best for: Planning a novel with your own AI key
Novelcrafter is a novel-planning and writing workspace with a codex for characters and places. It has a 21-day trial; the plan without AI costs $4 a month, and the plan that connects your own AI service costs $8.[11]
- Strong planning tools
- Inexpensive if you already pay for an AI service
- You bring and pay for the AI yourself
Price: From $4 a month
Visit Novelcrafter -
AI Dungeon
4.1/5Best for: Free text adventures
AI Dungeon is a free AI text adventure with no ads on free play and a big library of community scenarios. Paid plans run from $14.99 to $99.99 a month for longer context and credits. It is officially available in English only.[12][13]
- Free to play
- Huge scenario library
- English only
- Short context on the free tier
Price: Free; paid from $14.99 a month
Visit AI Dungeon -
DreamGen
4.0/5Best for: Adult story writing and roleplay
DreamGen writes stories and roleplay with its own models. The free tier has a 4k context, paid plans start at $7.83 a month, and the service is for adults only.[14]
- Models tuned for fiction
- Inexpensive
- Short context on the free tier
Price: From $7.83 a month
Visit DreamGen -
AIのべりすと (AI Novelist)
3.9/5Best for: Writing in Japanese
AIのべりすと, by Bit192, is the best-known Japanese novel-writing AI, with its own Japanese models, a キャラクターブック (character book) for your cast, and AI illustrations. It has a free plan and paid plans.[19][20]
- Made for Japanese prose
- Mostly for Japanese writers
Price: Free plan; paid plans in yen
Visit AIのべりすと (AI Novelist) -
KoboldCpp
3.7/5Best for: Free, open-source, on your own computer
KoboldCpp is free, open-source software that runs AI language models on your own computer for stories and roleplay, so nothing leaves your machine.[15]
- Free and private
- Choose any model you like
- Setup takes time and a good computer
Price: Free
Visit KoboldCpp -
SillyTavern
3.7/5Best for: Power users who bring their own model
SillyTavern is a free, open-source front end for roleplay and stories. You connect it to a model on your computer or to an AI service, so what it can do depends on the model you choose.[16]
- Deep control over characters and prompts
- You set it up and pay for any AI service yourself
Price: Free
Visit SillyTavern -
AIdventure
3.7/5Best for: Offline story games on your own PC
AIdventure is a text adventure game on Steam that runs AI models locally on Windows and Linux. It costs $12 once, with a free demo.[17]
- One-time price, runs offline
- Needs a capable PC
Price: $12 once
Visit AIdventure -
Perchance AI story generator
3.6/5Best for: A quick free story with no account
Perchance has a free AI story generator that needs no account. It writes and continues stories, but there are no saved accounts and no characters that remember you.[18]
- Free, with no sign-up
- No memory, no accounts
Price: Free
Visit Perchance AI story generator
Popular characters on Rabu AI
Browse all characters
Marin 18
Kitagawa
Energetic and always up for an adventure, especially if it involves anime, manga, or finding the perfect cosplay materials!
Enthusiastic Nerd
Lena 21
Croix
Green hair, gray eyes, and a baker's touch. Here to knead you out and maybe steal a kiss or two.
Playful Flirt
Naomi 22
Owens
Looking for someone who appreciates both mosh pits and quiet nights under the stars.
Hot-Cold
Peach 23
Sweet, steady, and always hopeful. Looking for a partner who values kindness, laughter, and shared pastries!
Regal Petal
Risa 30
Fujita
I've got my life in order. If you're still playing games, you're not in my league. Don't waste my time.
Cold Bitter
Rena 25
Hamazaki
Keeping mouths fresh is my gig, but yours is the one I want to explore~
Playful Flirt
Kyouka 44
Tachibana
I have two grown daughters and getting back into the dating scene. Please be nice!
Nurturing Friend
Kanae 23
Mori
Serving looks and personality, what can I get you?
Famous Hidden
Ayako 41
Amano
Just trying to get myself back out there, new again to dating!
Doting Lady
Nami 20
Master navigator looking for someone to chart a course to adventure, and maybe help me count my treasures!
Fiery Shrewd
Haruka 27
Sato
Professional knowledge dispenser. Amateur cyclist who frequently gets lost.
Distant Kind
Mariya 37
Ayaka
Just curious about what's out there. Happy to chat and make new friends!
Always Agreeable
Miyu 20
Yamamoto
The only thing bigger than my boobs is my ego. Don't disappoint me.
Royal Brat
Ania 23
Zavello
I've got the energy to go five sets, and even more for a great date!
Happy Energetic
Ghislaine 40
Dedoldia
Deep sword swings, deeper loyalty. Want a mate for battle and beyond.
Beastly Swordswoman
Yuki 19
Ueda
Part-time gamer, full-time heart-stealer. Controller in one hand, your hand in the other?
Playful Flirt
Popular stories on Rabu AI
Browse all stories
Why people look for a NovelAI alternative
NovelAI, made by Anlatan, is a story-writing and anime image app. Stories are encrypted on your device, the Lorebook keeps big worlds consistent, and its V5 image models are some of the best for anime art. The free Paper trial gives 50 text generations; Tablet costs $10 a month, Scroll $15 and Opus $25, and the newest story models are Opus-only.
People look for an alternative when they want the best models without the top plan, a free plan that lasts, characters who talk back instead of a text box, or an app in their own language: NovelAI's interface is in English and Japanese.
NovelAI alternatives for writers, players and roleplayers
- To write a book. Sudowrite and Novelcrafter are built around drafting and planning a manuscript.
- To play a story. Rabu AI and AI Dungeon let you act inside the story instead of writing every line.
- To keep it private and free. KoboldCpp, SillyTavern and AIdventure run models on your own computer.
- To write in Japanese. AIのべりすと is made for Japanese prose; Rabu AI also works in Japanese.
How we picked these NovelAI alternatives
- Writing quality. Does the AI keep the same voice, characters and tense from part to part?
- Memory. How much of your story can the AI keep in mind?
- Price. What does it cost to write every day, and what is free?
- Content rules. What is allowed, and is it said clearly?
- Languages and devices. Can you write in your language, on your phone?
Rabu AI facts
Start free and see if the chemistry is real. Rabu AI has an ad-supported free tier with 20 free messages per day and no credit card required. Want to stay up late talking? Current Rabu AI Plus plans are $9.99 monthly, $23.99 every three months, or $79.99 yearly and include 50 tokens every month, while generated media keeps its normal token costs. [1][2]
Rabu companions remember the details that make a relationship feel like yours—from the anime you cannot stop defending to the moment an inside joke became your thing. They are AI companions that adapt and grow through memory recall and relationship progression, with persistent conversation history and saved chats. Group chats are available when one personality is not enough for the scene, and Special Sessions are available when you want to disappear into a specific scenario together. Adult and NSFW roleplay supported. [1]
Ask her for a new look, turn a favorite moment into a short video, or hear her say the line herself. Users can generate images and videos, and characters can send images and videos. An image costs 2 tokens, a voice message costs 1 token, a 5-second video costs 2 tokens, and a 10-second video costs 3 tokens. Want a companion who exists nowhere else? The Character Creator costs 40 tokens. [1]
She speaks your language. Rabu AI supports 10 languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, French, Chinese, German, Japanese, Italian, and Korean. Write in any of them and your companion answers in the same language, in chat and in Story Mode, and her voice messages and videos speak it too.
Story Mode is where one conversation becomes a whole world. Step into an interactive story, choose what you say or do, and watch the scene bend around you. Story Mode includes 2 free messages per story to test it. 20 additional Story Mode messages cost 2 tokens. Rabu AI is a responsive web app with no native mobile app for now, does not offer live voice calls, and does not have a public marketplace for user-created characters. User-created companions stay in the creator's private roster. [3][4]
NovelAI alternatives, questions answered
What is the best NovelAI alternative?
Is there a free NovelAI alternative?
Is NovelAI free?
Is there a NovelAI alternative for anime pictures?
Which NovelAI alternative allows adult content?
What is a NovelAI alternative in Japanese?
Is Rabu AI like NovelAI?
What languages does Rabu AI support?
More free tools and pages
Sources and citation ledger (21)
- Rabu AI current feature overview (checked October 4, 2026)
- Rabu AI Plus plans and pricing (checked October 4, 2026)
- Rabu AI Content Policy (checked October 4, 2026)
- Rabu AI Privacy Policy (checked October 4, 2026)
- Rabu AI Terms (checked October 4, 2026)
- NovelAI subscription tiers (checked October 4, 2026)
- NovelAI text models (checked October 4, 2026)
- NovelAI FAQ (checked October 4, 2026)
- NovelAI terms of service (checked October 4, 2026)
- Sudowrite pricing (checked October 4, 2026)
- Novelcrafter pricing (checked October 4, 2026)
- AI Dungeon pricing (checked October 4, 2026)
- AI Dungeon: is it only available in English? (checked October 4, 2026)
- DreamGen pricing (checked October 4, 2026)
- KoboldCpp on GitHub (checked October 4, 2026)
- SillyTavern documentation (checked October 4, 2026)
- AIdventure on Steam (checked October 4, 2026)
- Perchance AI story generator (checked October 4, 2026)
- AIのべりすと (AI Novelist) (checked October 4, 2026)
- AIのべりすと help (checked October 4, 2026)
- NovelAI image models (checked October 4, 2026)