Khio
Khio
Compare
Character.AI lets you chat and roleplay with millions of characters other people made. Khio is one friend who lives in your Messages, knows your real life and keeps you on track with the gym, food, habits and school.
Checked 12 October 2026. A cross means Character.AI does not offer it, or its own site, help pages and App Store listing do not say it does. Khio wrote this page; if anything here is out of date, tell us through support and we will fix it.
| Khio | Character.AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Texting it | ||
| Text it on iMessage | From a real phone number, like a friend | Its app and website only |
| Nothing to install | No app or sign-up form to start | Works on its website |
| Texts you first | Morning and evening check-ins, follow-ups, a weekly recap | |
| Joins your group chats | Polls the group, lands the plan, follows up | Rooms inside its own app, not your group chats |
| Plays GamePigeon with you | 11 GamePigeon games, free. It takes its own turns | Roleplay and text adventures |
| Voice memos | Voice memos and photos, right in the thread | Voice calls with characters |
| A friend who knows you | ||
| Someone to talk to | Vent, think out loud, or ask it to just listen | Entertainment and roleplay; open-ended chat is 18+ only |
| Remembers your life | Long-term memory, on the Free plan | Pinned memories; more on paid tiers |
| Keeps you on track | ||
| Gym coach and PRs | Builds your routine, logs sets by text, flags every PR | |
| Calories from a photo | Text a photo or what you ate; calories and macros logged | |
| Habit streaks | Checks in and nudges before the streak breaks | |
| Sleep, cycle and budget | All three, logged from plain texts | |
| Reminders by text | One-off and recurring, at the exact time you ask | |
| Apple Health | Steps, workouts, heart rate, sleep and weight, in the iPhone app | |
| School | ||
| Study from your own notes | Flashcards and a practice test from your own notes | Learning characters; nothing built from your own notes |
| Price | ||
| Free to start | Free plan. Pro is $14.50 a month with a 7-day free trial | Free with unlimited messages; c.ai+ $9.99 a month |
Pick Character.AI if you want storytelling and roleplay: a huge catalog of characters, tools to make your own, voice calls and rooms where several people and characters chat together. Messages are free and unlimited; c.ai+ is $9.99 a month. Since late 2025, users under 18 cannot have open-ended chats there.
Pick Khio if you want someone who knows your actual life. It texts from a real number on iMessage, remembers your goals, people and plans, texts you first, joins your real group chats, plays GamePigeon, and coaches you in the gym and in school. Free to start; Pro is $14.50 a month.
If you want an AI to talk to about your own life, yes. Khio is one AI friend you text on iMessage that remembers your goals, people and plans and texts you first. Character.AI is built for roleplay with many made-up characters.
Character.AI says users under 18 can no longer have open-ended chats with characters, a change that began rolling out on 24 November 2025; teens keep its creative tools. Khio is built for students too, with study Keeps from your own notes and reminders before exams.
No. Character.AI runs in its iOS and Android app and on its website. Khio texts from a real phone number over iMessage and joins your iMessage group chats.
More comparisons: every assistant side by side.