Companion Guide NL
Character AI review for the Netherlands: free chat, prices and continuity
Character.AI for Dutch adults: unlimited free chat, Dutch App Store prices, Persona age checks, cancelling and the October 2026 sale process.
- Price / monthUS$9.99/mo prices incl. 21% BTW where the app charges it
- NSFWno · images no
- Voicecalls
- Age checkthird party
- PlatformsWeb, iOS, Android
In this article
- Three alternatives with different terms
- Verdict: usable today, depending on how the sale ends
- Scores by criterion
- Key dates
- What it looks like
- Prices: keep each amount next to its stated term
- What the free and paid tiers include
- Adult content: what the rules say
- Privacy, jurisdiction and regulator action
- Age assurance: how the check works
- Stopping renewal during the sale process
- Red flags to weigh
- Who it suits and who should look elsewhere
- What Reddit users say
Three alternatives with different terms
18+ only. This page covers conversation with fictional adult characters and the account decisions that come with it.
We wrote this Character AI review for adults in the Netherlands who already have an account, or who are deciding whether to open one while the operator's announced sale process is unresolved. We have no affiliate relationship with Character.AI. If you are thinking about moving, the three services below publish allowances that work quite differently from Character.AI's unlimited free chat. None of them publishes a confirmed euro checkout price, so compare how each offer is structured before you compare amounts. Our Character.AI alternatives page has a longer comparison.
Nomi: a fixed daily text allowance
- Price / monthUS$15.99/mo
- Free tier50 msg/day
- NSFWyes
- Age checkself declaration
- PlatformsWeb, iOS
Nomi's free plan has no end date and needs no card. Its official wiki gives 50 messages per day, with a 400-character limit per free message (800 on paid plans). Without a subscription, voice features are read-only. The official comparison article lists the Standard plan at US$15.99 per month, US$39.99 per quarter and US$99.99 per year; the official pages do not confirm a euro price. Nomi says conversations are not end-to-end encrypted, and its policy says account deletion removes personal information within about 28 days, with stated exceptions. Checked 2026-10-28.
What we like
- 50 free messages per day, stated as a daily figure
- No card needed for the free plan
- Documented deletion route with an approximate time frame
What could be better
- No voice on the free plan
- No end-to-end encryption
- No confirmed euro price for Dutch buyers
Candy.ai: a small one-off sample
- Price / month$13.99/mo
- NSFWyes
- Age checkself declaration
- PlatformsWeb
Candy.ai's published free allowance is 5 chat messages in total across characters, 1 created character and 1 generated image. The site states no daily renewal, so think of it as a preview, not an ongoing tier. Premium shows 9.99 for the first month with a dollar sign, renewing at 13.99; we did not verify the ISO currency or a Dutch tax-inclusive total. Its terms give EU consumers 14 days to withdraw from the initial purchase, minus the prorated value of anything already used. Renewals are not covered (section 10.4.3, checked 2026-10-29). The operator is EverAI Limited in Malta, and charges appear under the billing descriptor EverAI.
What we like
- Free limits published as exact totals
- EU withdrawal terms for the first purchase are written down
- Known billing descriptor
What could be better
- Only 5 free messages in total
- Introductory price differs from the renewal price
- Policy permits use of chats for AI training
OurDream: a subscription with a coin balance
- Price / monthUS$19.99/mo
- NSFWyes
- Age checkself declaration
- PlatformsWeb
OurDream Standard Monthly costs US$19.99 and includes 1,000 Dreamcoins at purchase and at each renewal; the annual plan is US$119.88. Standard paid text chat costs 0 coins, while images, voice call minutes (50 coins each) and video use up the balance. Free accounts pay 1 coin per chat message, which is a consumption rate and not a free daily allowance. Official help says PayPal is not supported, which matters if that is how you usually pay in the Netherlands. There is no native app; the service runs in the browser and as a PWA. Deleting the account cancels an active subscription automatically. Checked 2026-10-28.
What we like
- Paid standard text has a stated zero-coin rate
- Per-action coin costs are published
- Account deletion also cancels the subscription
What could be better
- Media and voice add metered costs
- No PayPal
- Prices shown in USD only
Verdict: usable today, depending on how the sale ends
For a Dutch user, the first decision is what to do with the conversations and characters already in the account, before any question of which plan to buy. On 12 October 2026 Character Technologies, Inc. announced a voluntary Chapter 11 court-supervised sale process. The announcement says the platform keeps operating and that subscriptions and billing continue. It also says the platform will wind down if no viable bid emerges, and it expects the sale timetable to run into late November or early December 2026. So the risk is conditional; the service has not closed. The same announcement says the existing privacy policy is unchanged and that export and deletion remain available, which means you can still keep, export or remove your fictional chats on your own schedule.
As a chat product, Character.AI's official FAQ promises unlimited free messages, with a possible waiting room when demand is high. Free accounts get 15 memory pins, and the Lite plan raises that to 30. Pins are items you choose to save. They are not a measured guarantee that a character will remember everything from earlier sessions. The service prohibits pornographic content for every user, and a paid plan or an age check does not change that.
Pricing for the Netherlands is the least documented area. The Dutch App Store lists Character.AI+ at €9.99 and €99.99, and Lite at €2.99 and €5.99, with no billing term printed next to any of them. The displayed score reflects published facts; continuity and local checkout terms are still open questions. Facts on this page were checked 2026-10-28.
Scores by criterion
Full data. Scores are computed from each app's published terms, pricing, policies and store listings on the dates shown. We have not yet run paid test accounts; when we do, experience criteria will be added and the cap on the total score removed. Affiliate links never change a score. A score marked Full data rests on all eight criteria. Provisional means five to seven criteria could be scored from published facts. Limited data means only three or four criteria could be scored; such totals are capped at 3.5 and should be read as a floor, not a verdict. Apps with fewer than three scorable criteria get no total. Totals are weighted means of the scored criteria only and move when missing facts get documented. Full methodology
| Criterion | Score /5 | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing transparency | 4.0 | plans with confirmed currency; no token system |
| Free tier | 5.0 | unlimited free messages per published notes |
| Cancellation and refunds | 3.0 | cancellation steps documented |
| Content rules | 4.0 | public content rules; adult content opt-in or stated 18+ gate |
| Privacy | 4.0 | policy URL; deletion path documented |
| Age check | 5.0 | verification: third_party via Persona |
| Platforms and language | 5.0 | web, iOS, Android, site language available |
| Reputation | 3.0 | app_store 4.3; documented incident; regulator action |
Key dates
Page updated 2026-10-29. Prices, policies, store listings and reputation figures checked 2026-10-28. The sale-process announcement is dated 12 October 2026. The Italian data protection authority's decision is dated 3 July 2026, and the US Federal Trade Commission's information-gathering study began on 11 September 2025. The sale timetable points to late November or early December 2026, so the continuity sections on this page are the ones most likely to change first.
What it looks like
Screenshots of the official pages, captured on the dates shown.
Prices: keep each amount next to its stated term
The official plan list is in US dollars. The Dutch App Store shows four euro amounts, none with a duration label. Because the US-dollar plans are monthly and yearly, it is easy to read €9.99 as monthly and €99.99 as yearly, but the listing does not say so. The same goes for the two Lite amounts. Check the period on the purchase sheet before you confirm.
The standard BTW rate in the Netherlands is 21%, but a general rate does not tell you the gross total of a particular subscription. We did not complete a checkout, so it is not confirmed whether the listed euro amounts already include BTW, and the official US-dollar prices carry no tax statement. We have not converted any dollar figure into euros.
For payment, the official FAQ names card, Apple Pay and Google Pay. It does not mention iDEAL, SEPA direct debit or PayPal, so a Dutch buyer who relies on iDEAL should not expect it at the web checkout. App Store and Google Play purchases use whatever payment method your store account holds.
The published plans are flat subscriptions defined by allowances (priority access, pins, fewer ads), with no per-message or per-image coin prices. Optional Charms packs add spending on top of a subscription; the Dutch App Store lists them from €0.99 to €99.99 (checked 2026-10-29). Unlimited free messaging also does not mean every premium model has an unlimited allowance, and Lite's daily premium-style allowance has no published number. To see how other apps price their plans in euros, read our overview of AI companion apps in the Netherlands.
| Plan or store item | Amount | Term as published | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | €0 | Ongoing | Unlimited messages per the official FAQ; waiting room possible at peak load; 15 memory pins |
| c.ai+ (official, USD) | US$9.99 | Per month | Priority access and faster responses |
| c.ai+ (official, USD) | US$94.99 | Per year | Annual total charged once, not a monthly charge |
| (c.ai) lite (official FAQ) | From US$4.99 | Per month; varies by region | Daily premium-style allowance (no number given), fewer ads, 30 memory pins |
| Character.AI+ (Dutch App Store) | €9.99 | No term printed | Do not assume it is the monthly plan |
| Character.AI+ (Dutch App Store) | €99.99 | No term printed | Do not assume it is the yearly plan |
| Character.AI Lite (Dutch App Store) | €2.99 and €5.99 | No term printed | Two price points under one name; offer and period unclear |
What the free and paid tiers include
Character.AI runs on the web, on iOS and on Android. At its centre is a large catalogue of community-made characters, and you can also create your own. Both are documented. The company does not publish the number of preset characters or any import or export format for characters.
- Memory: 15 pins on the free tier and 30 on Lite. Lite adds a detailed usage view, and c.ai+ includes what the company calls a full memory suite with private Lorebooks. These tools store details you pick. No context-window size or recall accuracy is published, so the pin count tells you how much you can save, not how reliably a character will use it weeks later.
- Speed: c.ai+ is sold on priority access and faster responses. Free users may hit a waiting room during peak load.
- Voice: the official iOS listing describes voice messages and live voice conversations. It does not say which tiers include voice or in which languages.
- Languages: the interface comes in 28 languages, including Dutch, German, French and English. A Dutch interface tells you nothing about the quality of Dutch replies, which has not been established.
- Images and media: the documented feature set has no image or video generation.
For roleplay with fictional characters, the strengths on paper are the free message allowance, the size of the community library and the pin system. The documentation gives no measure of dialogue consistency over long sessions, so treat claims about which bots are best for roleplay as opinion, not as a feature.
Adult content: what the rules say
Character.AI's official NSFW help page prohibits pornographic content for all users. Explicit text and explicit images are not allowed on any plan, there is no adult-content toggle, and the company does not promise that a paid tier removes the filter. Checked 2026-10-28.
At least one third-party comparison site describes the ID or third-party age check as being for adult content, which is wrong. The official age-assurance FAQ sets up an 18+ experience, but the separate NSFW FAQ still forbids pornography for everyone. Passing the age check does not unlock explicit material.
If you want romance or companionship in a non-explicit register, the policy fits. If you specifically want explicit roleplay with fictional adult characters, Character.AI is not built for it, and no setting or subscription changes that. Our AI girlfriend app comparison lists the content rules of services that do permit adult themes, along with what they prohibit.
Privacy, jurisdiction and regulator action
Character.AI is operated by Character Technologies, Inc. in the United States. The Italian regulator's decision gives a legal address in Menlo Park, California (700 El Camino Real, Suite 120), while the current App Store contact address is 301 High St, Palo Alto. The sources simply list different addresses; this is not evidence of an undisclosed change of operator.
The privacy policy is at character.ai/privacy. The official sources summarised here do not say whether chats are end-to-end encrypted, whether they are used for model training or how long they are kept, so this page makes no claim on any of those points. The sale announcement of 12 October 2026 says the existing privacy policy is unchanged and that data export and deletion remain available. It says nothing about what a future buyer intends.
Two regulatory items matter for EU users:
- On 3 July 2026 the Italian data protection authority (Garante) fined the company €158,000 and issued a 120-day corrective order covering transparency, accountability, data protection impact assessment and security, and the appointment of an EU representative. An appeal is permitted; it is not confirmed whether one was lodged or the fine paid.
- On 11 September 2025 the US Federal Trade Commission included Character.AI in a 6(b) information-gathering study of companion chatbots. That is an inquiry, not a finding of unlawful conduct.
To delete the account on the web, go to Profile, then Profile Settings, Account, Manage Account and Data, and Delete Account. In the mobile app, go to Profile, then Settings and Remove Account. Deletion is permanent, so export anything you want to keep first. With the sale process under way, now is when a Dutch user should decide whether to keep, export or remove existing conversations.
Age assurance: how the check works
Character.AI uses the third-party provider Persona for age assurance. According to the official FAQ, Persona starts with age estimation, asks for a selfie verification when needed and falls back to an ID document. Character.AI says it does not receive the identity images itself, and that Persona deletes biometric data within seven days. A paid subscription does not let you skip the check. Checked 2026-10-28.
There are two separate retention questions. The seven-day biometric deletion applies to the verification material Persona holds. It says nothing about how long Character.AI keeps your conversations, characters or account data, which the official sources do not quantify.
No procedure specific to the Netherlands is documented, so expect the general flow. The official sources do not say whether signup requires an email address, a phone number or a card. The age check also leaves the content rules as they are: it confirms an adult experience under a policy that still prohibits pornography.
Stopping renewal during the sale process
Subscriptions renew automatically, and the company says billing continues throughout the Chapter 11 proceedings. If you are using the service less while you wait for the outcome, find out which channel you paid through and stop renewal there.
- c.ai+ bought on the web: Profile, then Cancel My Subscription.
- Lite bought through the App Store or Google Play: cancel in the store's subscription settings. The Character.AI app cannot stop a store subscription for you.
- Lite bought on the web through Stripe: open a support ticket under Payments and purchases.
For Lite, the FAQ says paid access lasts until the end of the current period after you cancel. The official sources summarised here publish no refund policy and document no card-statement descriptor, so keep your purchase receipt in case you need to match a charge.
Think carefully before committing to a year right now. The company says the platform remains active, but its long-term future depends on a viable sale. A shorter billing period limits how much you have paid in advance if things change. If you plan to delete the account, cancel any store subscription in the store settings as well.
Red flags to weigh
None of these points means the service has stopped working. They are dated facts that should affect how much you commit.
- Announced on 12 October 2026: a voluntary Chapter 11 court-supervised sale. The company says it will wind down the platform if there is no viable bid.
- Billing continues during the proceedings, so an unwanted renewal can still happen.
- The Dutch App Store shows €9.99, €99.99, €2.99 and €5.99 without billing terms.
- Garante fine of €158,000 and 120-day corrective order dated 3 July 2026; appeal and payment status not confirmed.
- Trustpilot score of 1.2 from 740 reviews, checked 2026-10-28. The Dutch App Store shows 4.1 from about 11K ratings and the US store 4.3 from about 561K. Review platforms and store ratings reflect different audiences, and neither is an editorial score.
- The official FAQ does not name iDEAL, SEPA or PayPal among its payment methods.
Who it suits and who should look elsewhere
Character.AI makes most sense for adults who want free, non-explicit conversation with community or self-made fictional characters and who accept that the platform's future depends on the sale process. It suits people who use the free tier, want a large character library and prefer a Dutch-language interface, though the quality of Dutch replies is not established.
- Suits: free-tier users who want to keep chatting without a numeric daily cap.
- Suits: existing users who want to keep, export or delete their history while export and deletion are still available.
- Suits: people who want structured memory tools such as pins and, on c.ai+, Lorebooks.
It is a poor fit in these cases:
- Not for adults looking for explicit content or a paid way to remove the filter.
- Not for anyone who needs certainty about long-term continuity while the Chapter 11 sale is unresolved.
- Not for buyers who want to pay with iDEAL or confirm a BTW-inclusive monthly total before buying.
If companionship matters more to you than open-ended roleplay, our AI girlfriend app rankings compare memory, privacy and age-check practices across services that are still listed.
What Reddit users say
seriously. i don’t even like using character ai anymore but i stay in this reddit just to chuckle at ppl crashing out or uniting as a community whenever the website shuts down lol
From what I gathered from the documents, in simple words, it’s basically this: Disney wants to buy Character.AI’s technology, but the states think Disney is getting unfair advantages that make it harder for other buyers to compete. They want a fairer deal.
Public comments quoted with a link to the thread. Opinions of their authors, not ours.
Frequently asked questions
Is there any AI better than Character.AI?
That depends on what you are comparing. Nomi publishes a fixed free allowance of 50 messages per day and a documented deletion time frame of about 28 days. Character.AI offers unlimited free messages but has an unresolved sale process. Services that permit adult themes, such as Candy.ai or OurDream, price their plans in very different ways. Our alternatives comparison scores services on eight criteria based on documented facts.
Is Character.AI safe to use now?
The service is running, and the company's 12 October 2026 announcement says the privacy policy is unchanged and that export and deletion remain available. Age assurance goes through Persona, which deletes biometric data within seven days. On the other side, the Italian regulator fined the company €158,000 on 3 July 2026, and continued operation depends on a viable sale. The official sources do not state encryption, training use or chat retention, so avoid sharing information you would not want stored.
Is Janitor AI better than Character.AI?
They differ in ways you can check. On the Dutch App Store, Janitor+ is listed at €14.99 per month and €99 per year; the app is rated 18+ and mentions in-app age assurance without naming the provider. Its Trustpilot score was 2.5 from 35 reviews, checked 2026-10-28. Character.AI has unlimited free messages, Persona age checks and a ban on pornographic content, but its Dutch store prices have no printed term.
Is there another version of Character.AI?
There are several tiers, not separate products: the free tier, Lite (from US$4.99 per month in the official FAQ, varying by region, with 30 memory pins and fewer ads) and c.ai+ (US$9.99 per month or US$94.99 per year). You use the same account on the web, iOS and Android.
Is Character.AI free in the Netherlands?
The official FAQ promises unlimited free messages with no numeric daily cap, though a waiting room can apply when demand is high. Free accounts get 15 memory pins. Paid tiers add priority access, fewer ads or more pins; the Dutch App Store lists them at €2.99, €5.99, €9.99 and €99.99 without billing terms.
Can I pay for Character.AI with iDEAL?
The official FAQ names card, Apple Pay and Google Pay. It does not mention iDEAL, SEPA or PayPal. If you buy through the App Store or Google Play, your store account's payment method is used.
Is Character.AI shutting down?
Not according to the announcement. On 12 October 2026 the company said the platform keeps operating and billing continues during a voluntary Chapter 11 sale process expected to run into late November or early December 2026. It said it would wind down only if no viable bid emerges.
Is there a Character.AI alternative with no sign-up?
Perchance's AI character chat generator says it offers unlimited free messages without signup or daily caps. Conversations are stored in your browser's local storage, so clearing site data can delete them, and there is no backup across devices. The operator's identity, its age assurance and its full privacy terms are not established, which is a real trade-off against the convenience.