The Verdict: Janitor AI is the better choice if you want a free entry point, a massive community-built character library, and unlimited chats on its own model. Chub AI wins if you want a polished interface with images and one paid plan with a large model ready to go, as long as you can pay in crypto. I spent a month on both, and the right pick depends on whether you value price or convenience more.
I spent a month in spring 2026 running Chub AI and Janitor AI side by side, using them for the same creative roleplay scenarios with the same characters where possible.
Both platforms are considered the two biggest names in community-built character chat, and they come up in the same Reddit threads over and over.
A Chub AI vs Janitor AI comparison is not a tie. The tradeoffs are real and they push each platform toward a different kind of user.
Here is the short version. Janitor AI wins for free use, since its own model costs nothing and needs no setup. Pick Chub AI if you want images and a bigger model in one paid plan and can pay in crypto.
If you would rather skip API keys and crypto checkouts altogether, Candy AI is the companion app I would try instead, since it needs neither. Its Premium plan costs $13.99 a month with no message meter.
What Is the Main Difference Between Chub AI and Janitor AI?
Chub AI is a hosted platform with its own models, built-in image generation and character creation tools, sold as one $20-a-month plan on top of a free daily allowance. Janitor AI is a free front-end running its own JanitorLLM model, and stronger models come through Janitor+ or a separate API key.
The headline difference is what you are paying for. Chub AI bundles the entire experience into a subscription. Janitor AI is effectively a character library plus a chat interface that runs its free JanitorLLM model unless you connect a stronger backend.
Past the free model, Janitor AI’s chat quality depends on which API or Router model you pick, while Chub AI runs its own Soji and Mobile Flash models by default.
Chub AI vs Janitor AI Pricing and Plans
Chub AI now sells one plan, $20 a month paid in cryptocurrency only, after removing its $5 Mercury tier on June 28, 2026, and free accounts get 20 messages a day. Janitor AI is free on its JanitorLLM model, Janitor+ costs $12.99 a month, and an external API for stronger models typically runs $10 to $20 a month for serious use.
Chub announced the change in a June 28, 2026 post on r/Chub_AI: “Mercury tier has been removed”, “Website is now crypto-only forever” and “Free users now only get 20 messages per day”. Its subscription page now lists a single $20 plan with unlimited use of every Chub model, including Soji 1.6T with a 60K context, plus voice and multimedia generation.
Janitor’s subscription FAQ lists the free tier as “Unlimited chats with millions of bots” with a context limit of around 9k tokens. Janitor+ launched on June 24, 2026 as its first paid tier, and the same FAQ promises “5x more context for better memory”.
Since July 30 Janitor+ has also included a Router that runs third-party models inside Janitor, billed per token, as our Janitor+ breakdown explains. Here is the full cost picture.
| Plan | Chub AI price | Janitor AI equivalent cost |
|---|---|---|
| Free / Entry | 20 messages a day on the Mobile Flash model, plus one-time trial credits for new accounts | Free on the JanitorLLM model |
| Subscription | $20/month (Mars), crypto only | Janitor+ at $12.99/month |
| Bring your own model | Optional, through API connections | ~$10-$20 a month in API credits |
| Images | Included on the $20 plan | Not supported natively |
The hidden cost of Janitor AI is the API credit burn. If you chat for 2+ hours a day with Claude or another premium model on the backend, your monthly spend on tokens can easily pass $20. That is more than Chub’s $20 plan for a less polished experience.
Janitor AI does have its free JanitorLLM model, and for casual users that is enough. On Chub, the free 20 messages run out fast, and our guide to using Chub for free covers how to stretch them.
Character Libraries Compared
Janitor AI has the larger character library with over 500,000 community-created characters, while Chub AI has closer to 200,000 but includes more curated and higher-quality entries. Both support character creation and import.
This is where Janitor AI’s free model shines. The open community has built a massive character database because the barrier to contribute is zero.
Chub AI’s library is smaller but leans more heavily into curated and featured characters, which helps if you do not want to sort through thousands of low-effort cards.
Here is how I would place them on the criteria that matter for a real user.
| Criterion | Chub AI | Janitor AI |
|---|---|---|
| Total characters | ~200,000 | 500,000+ |
| Curation quality | Higher, featured tab works well | Variable, lots of low-effort cards |
| Setup time | 5 minutes free, crypto to upgrade | 5 minutes free, 30 or more with an API proxy |
| Image generation | Built in, included | Not supported |
| Roleplay filter level | Unrestricted chat, search filtered in some regions | Depends on backend API |
| Memory depth | 60K context on Soji ($20 plan) | About 9k free, 5x on Janitor+, more via your API |
| Mobile experience | Responsive web, polished | Functional, less refined |
Setup Experience
Chub AI setup takes about 5 minutes on a free account because the model backend is included, though paying now means a crypto checkout. Janitor AI starts just as fast on JanitorLLM, but connecting an external API proxy, picking a model and testing the connection takes 30 minutes to an hour.
Neither free start needs more than a sign-up. The friction arrives when you upgrade: Chub only takes cryptocurrency, and connecting an API key to Janitor AI will feel confusing if you have never configured one.
- Chub AI setup: Sign up, pick a character and start chatting on the free Mobile Flash model in about 5 minutes. Upgrading to the $20 plan means paying in cryptocurrency, since Chub dropped card payments.
- Janitor AI setup (API route): Sign up and outgrow the free JanitorLLM model. Then create an OpenRouter or Mistral account, fund it with $10, generate an API key, paste it into Janitor settings and test the connection. 30 minutes on a good day.
- Janitor AI setup (premium route): Above, plus picking which model you want to use and understanding the token cost of each one.
For a first-time user, both free tiers start in minutes. The gap opens when you want a stronger model, since Chub’s comes with the $20 plan and Janitor’s means Janitor+ or an API key of your own.
Memory and Context Window
Chub AI’s memory depends on the model it hosts, and the $20 plan’s Soji model lists a 60K context. Janitor AI’s free model holds around 9k tokens and Janitor+ promises 5x more, while a long-context backend you connect can go well past Soji’s 60K.
Memory is the thing people most often complain about on AI companion apps with long-term memory, and Janitor AI has a structural advantage here.
If you pay for a high-context backend model, your chats can span a long horizon without the character forgetting.
Chub AI’s memory is fixed by its models. Soji’s 60K context on the $20 plan is plenty for extended scenes, though a multi-week storyline can still outgrow it.
In my own testing, the Claude Opus backend on Janitor AI handled memory recall across a 3-week roleplay scenario better than Chub AI’s top tier at the time. But it cost me about $35 in Claude API credits that month, so the price premium was real.
Which Platform Has Better Creative Writing?
Chub AI has more consistent creative quality because the model is controlled by the platform and tuned for the use case. Janitor AI has a higher ceiling with a premium backend like Claude Opus, but the quality is inconsistent without careful model selection.
Writing quality came down to which backend Janitor AI was pointed at. When I used Claude Opus, the prose was sharper than anything Chub AI offered at the time. When I used a free community proxy, it was worse than Chub.
Chub AI’s writing quality is more predictable. I know what I am getting from Chub’s models, and the output does not shift based on which backend I had picked that week.
For people who want a creative writing tool they can rely on, that predictability matters. Neither platform helps much on a day when Chub AI stops loading entirely, which is its own separate problem.
If predictable writing is the priority, a paid platform like Chai Premium takes the same approach at a lower price point, though the character library is smaller.
Who Should Choose Chub AI
Choose Chub AI if you want image generation, a polished mobile experience, no API proxy setup, and a predictable monthly bill that does not vary based on how much you chat.
The ideal Chub AI user is someone who does not want to think about backend model choice, API keys, or token economics. You pay a monthly fee, you use the platform, the bill never surprises you.
For a wider field of options beyond this one comparison, our Chub AI alternatives roundup covers where else that model shows up.
Reasons Chub AI is the right pick:
- You want image generation bundled with chat
- You chat on mobile primarily and want a responsive interface
- You have no interest in configuring API proxies or hunting for the cheapest backend
- You want a predictable monthly cost and can pay it in crypto
Who Should Choose Janitor AI
Choose Janitor AI if you want the largest character library, a free built-in model, and the flexibility to switch between Claude, DeepSeek, Mistral or a community proxy depending on the scene.
Janitor AI is for users who treat the platform as a front-end for whichever model they want to run on. If you already have an OpenRouter or Claude API key, Janitor AI is essentially free to add to your rotation.
The free model needs no setup at all, and the character library alone is worth the sign-up.
Reasons Janitor AI is the right pick:
- You want the biggest community-built character library
- You already have an API key from other work and want to put it to use
- You want the option to switch backend models for different scenarios
- You prefer paying per-token over a fixed monthly fee
If connecting an API key to Janitor AI sounds like too much and you want a companion platform that runs out of the box, Nectar AI is the alternative I would point to. There is no API proxy to configure, the free plan allows 15 messages a day, and the $9.99 Premium plan raises that to 6,000 messages a month with 8K of memory. It sits between Chub AI and Janitor AI in terms of features.
If image generation is the part of Chub AI you would miss, Candy AI is the other out-of-the-box option worth a look. It is built around one companion at a time instead of a character library. Its images run ahead of what Chub AI bundles, though each one spends tokens and the $13.99 Premium plan includes 100 a month.
For a companion review outside the Chub vs Janitor debate, my Dusk AI vs Candy AI comparison covers two platforms with a different approach to the same problem.
If the paid-subscription path appeals but you want a persona-first option, Nomi AI is the review I would read next.
Is Chub AI Better Than Janitor AI?
Neither wins outright. Janitor AI is the better free pick, with unlimited chats against Chub’s 20 messages a day. Chub AI earns its $20 if you want images, voice and its large Soji model without touching an API key, and you can pay in crypto.
Here is the final verdict table across the criteria that most affect the decision.
| Criterion | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Setup speed | Tie | Both free tiers start in minutes |
| Cost on a free account | Janitor AI | Unlimited free chats against Chub’s 20 a day |
| Heavy use on a big model | Chub AI | $20 flat for Soji beats per-token API bills |
| Creative writing ceiling | Janitor AI | Claude Opus beat every Chub model in my spring test |
| Creative writing floor | Chub AI | Quality stays steady from scene to scene |
| Character library | Janitor AI | 500k+ cards vs 200k |
| Image generation | Chub AI | Built in, Janitor does not support it |
When I first tested them, I would have started a newcomer on Chub AI. Since Chub’s June changes I would start them on Janitor AI’s free model, which has no daily cap. Chub’s $20 plan is where I would send them later, if they want images and can pay in crypto.
Summary
- Chub AI sells one $20 crypto plan on top of 20 free messages a day, while Janitor AI is free on JanitorLLM and charges $12.99 for Janitor+
- Character libraries differ: Chub has 200k curated, Janitor has 500k community-built
- Chub AI includes image generation, Janitor AI does not
- Memory depth on Janitor AI can exceed Chub AI when paired with a premium API
- Start free on Janitor AI, and move to Chub AI’s $20 crypto plan only if you want images and a large model
