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SillyTavern vs Character.AI: catalog facts
SillyTavern	Character.AI
Free Free and open source under the AGPL. You pay only for whatever model backend you connect…	Freemium Free to start; check the site for current plan details.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted	Web
Deep prompt control: character cards, lorebooks, world info, author's notes and templates Connects to local runners as well as commercial APIs	Large catalogue of user-made characters Supports custom personas
A front end only; you must supply a model backend Setup involves Node or Docker rather than an installer	Built for entertainment rather than factual answers Plan details were not confirmed
Self-hosted	Web application
Open source	Closed source
License: AGPL-3.0	License not stated
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Works offline	Needs internet
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.