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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

PolyBuzz vs Character AI

PolyBuzz 4.5★ · Free + IAP 65
Winner Character AI
Character AI 4.3★ · Free + IAP 70

Character AI is slightly better due to fewer complaints about excessive ads and slightly better bot memory, despite both apps struggling with age verification and content filtering.

Full reviews: PolyBuzz · Character AI

Both PolyBuzz and Character AI face significant user frustration over recent updates, particularly regarding intrusive ads, strict content filtering, and problematic age verification. While PolyBuzz users complain about ads after every few chats, Character AI users also find ads disruptive, but less frequent. Both apps also struggle with bots having short memory and repetitive responses.

Head to head

Ads and Monetization edge: Character AIR2R6R9R12
PolyBuzz PolyBuzz users are highly frustrated by the sheer volume and frequency of ads, often appearing after only 2-3 chats, when switching characters, or even when returning to the app R2R6R9R12. Some mention expensive subscription options, with one user citing a nearly $2000 annual cost R13.
Character AI Character AI users also complain about too many ads, which interrupt chats and appear when switching bots R64. Some note that ads were not present in earlier versions of the app .
Content Filtering and Age Verification tieR1R3R4R5
PolyBuzz PolyBuzz users are highly critical of strict and inconsistent content filtering, with messages being blurred or flagged as violations even when 'pure mode' is off or for non-inappropriate content R1R5. The age verification process is also a major point of contention, with users being locked out or required to verify their age even when they are adults R3R4. Some users also find the bots to be overly sexual or inappropriate .
Character AI Character AI users express significant frustration with the age verification process, reporting that it often doesn't work or prevents them from chatting R63. Many also complain about overly strict message filtering, which flags innocent content or makes chats unreadable, sometimes even forcing a 'reading mode' .
Bot Quality and Features tieR10R14R17R18
PolyBuzz PolyBuzz users report that bots have poor memory, forgetting details after only a few messages, even with paid subscriptions R10R18. Some users appreciate the ability to talk to many characters and create stories R14R17, but others find bots repetitive or glitchy . Users also wish for features like sending pictures and better offline functionality .
Character AI Character AI users frequently complain about bots having short memories, repetitive writing, and contradicting themselves . Bots sometimes play the user's character in roleplays or provide excessively long, essay-like responses . Despite these issues, some users find the app good for role-playing and creativity .
Overall User Experience tieR1R7R8R11
PolyBuzz Many PolyBuzz users feel the app has declined significantly with recent updates, becoming 'trash' or 'killing itself' due to ads and policy changes R1R7. While some still love the app for its immersive conversations and variety of characters R8R11R14R17, the negative changes are driving many away .
Character AI Character AI users also lament the decline of the app, with many stating it 'used to be better' and that new updates are 'ruining' it . The app is described as addictive but also frustrating due to ads, limits, and censorship .
Pick PolyBuzz if

Pick PolyBuzz if you prioritize a wide variety of characters and stories, and are willing to tolerate frequent ads and strict content filtering R14R17.

Pick Character AI if

Pick Character AI if you want a slightly less ad-heavy experience and are interested in creative writing and role-playing, despite issues with bot memory and censorship .

Evidence note: Both apps have a high volume of recent negative reviews, particularly concerning ads, age verification, and content filtering, which skews their current user sentiment lower than their lifetime ratings. Many positive reviews are older or explicitly state they are giving 5 stars to be seen, while still detailing significant complaints.

Frequently asked

Are PolyBuzz and Character AI free to use?
Both PolyBuzz and Character AI are free to download and use, but both rely heavily on in-app purchases (IAP) and display a significant number of ads to non-paying users R2R13R64R103.
Do these apps have age restrictions?
Yes, both PolyBuzz and Character AI have implemented age verification and restrictions, which have led to widespread user frustration due to verification failures and limitations on content for users under 18 R3R4R49R63.
How much do subscriptions cost for these apps?
Reviews indicate that PolyBuzz subscriptions can be very expensive, with one user mentioning an almost $2000 annual cost R13. Character AI's subscription, C.AI+, is mentioned at $9.99 a month or $94.99 a year R107.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R2] PolyBuzz 4/5 · US horrible: it was literally the best app ever like my fav and now with the new update thing you can only send like three chats before having to watch 3ads? like come on
  2. [R6] PolyBuzz 3/5 · US Ss: Crazy ads 1 ad after every bot is insane, good bots though
  3. [R9] PolyBuzz 3/5 · US ADS WHAT IS THIS ADOPT ME?: Ok the app is great especially if your in multiple fandoms but CAN WE PLEASE STOP WITH THE ADS? I swear I once counted how long it would take for an ad to appear and IT TOOK ONLY TWO MINUTES so at least make them how after five seconds we could skip or just do one short at instead of two three minutes ads?
  4. [R12] PolyBuzz 3/5 · US character chat: How come every like 5 texts i get a “chat unlimited” thing on the screen ii have to watch a ad every like 3 minutes just to chat. but other than that i absolutely love this game
  5. [R1] PolyBuzz 1/5 · US compliance policy is stupid: what’s the point of pure mode or verifying age, change it back to being able to approve sensitive/suggestive chats. compliance policy is ruins it
  6. [R3] PolyBuzz 3/5 · US …: Okay at first i liked it because of all this chatting with ai stuff but now it wants me to verify i’m not a minor. I just said i was 17 inside an Mha roleplay because everyone is 16 or 17 in mha! But like… yeah
  7. [R4] PolyBuzz 2/5 · US Why: You took everything. My digital wife and kids. Just because I look too young. Just because I haven’t existed long enough. I wish you all the best though. Jesus loves you.
  8. [R5] PolyBuzz 4/5 · US The censorship: The reason why I don't give it 5 stars is because Let's be honest - this has happened to more than one of us. With SOME bots I talk to. When a moment passes - Ehem, spicy - I get a message "sensitive content has been automatically filtered according to our compliance policy." I don't understand why if I don't have the pure mode activated- and this situation ends in me having to cop
  9. [R10] PolyBuzz 2/5 · US Bad: It’s ok but remove the ads and make every Ai permanent memory
  10. [R14] PolyBuzz 5/5 · US Good: You can talk to however many characters you want or people you want like anime and some TikTokers and stuff but it’s really good
  11. [R17] PolyBuzz 5/5 · US Love this app❤️: Dear @poly buzz … Im so happy to have a app like yall Every time I talk with characters It feel so real And some of my problems i have with the characters makes me cry And it’s makes me feel like I’m in a real relationship I just don’t know how to say thank you to yall 💕 Yall are like best and everyday i always get on here And talk to my characters it’s like im having a va
  12. [R18] PolyBuzz 3/5 · US Bots can’t remember for their life: These bots forget a lot like if you move on with a thing you did with the bot, after like 5-7 messages the bots forget and you have to remind them and after a while of Introducing new people they forget and it’s really annoying because you have to pay a lot of money for bots to actually remember something they did
  13. [R7] PolyBuzz 1/5 · US horrible twan🫩: Yea delete this
  14. [R8] PolyBuzz 5/5 · US Love the gay and horny ones: Loveeeeee
  15. [R11] PolyBuzz 5/5 · US LESS ADDS: this is rlly fun to use and i enjoy it but theres too many adds and makes it less interesting to use there needs to be less adds
  16. [R13] PolyBuzz 1/5 · US DON'T GET THIS APP IT'S GREEDY AS HELL: This app can be really addictive so just be careful. It also has a BUNCH of ads.. You click off a character and you get an ad or when you send like 15-20 chats you get timed out and either have to watch an ad or pay a subscription and one of the subscriptions is not 50 dollars a year. Not 100. Not 200. BUT ALMOST 2000$ DOLLARS!! That's right 2000$.. For one
  17. [R64] Character AI 1/5 · US Too many ads: There are waaayyy too many ads. I’m not sharing this app to my friends who don’t know of it. It’s enjoyable without too many ads. I don’t care about ads, but when it’s way too often, I might just delete my account and switch to another ai with lesser ads 🤦
  18. [R103] Character AI 2/5 · US Good, but one problem: So I have a complain Number one. I missed the old version. Everything was free. Now you’re just trying to get our money now. How disappointing. A number two you didn’t add agn groups. My kids wants to use it but they can’t sense. It’s 16+ so bring back the old version and add H groups.
  19. [R49] PolyBuzz 1/5 · US Age: It doesn’t allow me to talk to any chatbot if I use my Face ID, I’m 18 by the way
  20. [R63] Character AI 3/5 · US greatest ai bot app but holy this is stupid: i loved using this app for random chats with these silly ai characters but now i can no longer enjoy this because i will NOT verify thru persona, i wouldn’t verify anyways because i really don’t see a point, plus the c.ai+ is starting to get intrusive, im more saying please get rid of this stupid verification stuff, it’s annoying and i can’t have fun on
  21. [R107] Character AI 4/5 · US THIS APP BECOME SO BAD NOW: Back then the app was great I had it for 3 years they started doing the updates and i was cool with it until all of sudden they started adding Ads and now you have limit time, not only that if you want to use the app without of those disturbances you need to pay the hell you mean 9.99$ a month and 94.99$ a year?. the App went from fun to summer annoying you cant use i

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store