FanChat vs Chai
Chai is a mobile AI chat app with a swipe-to-discover bot feed, hosted proprietary models and a premium subscription. FanChat is a web BYOA platform: choose your model, pay at cost or run locally in the browser, and chat with tool-calling characters in a creator community.
Feature by feature
| Feature | FanChat | Chai |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free platform. You pay your LLM provider directly at cost, no markup, no subscription. | Free tier with limits plus a Chai Premium monthly subscription. |
| Model choice | OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Mistral, Groq, DeepSeek, or local Llama 3.2. Switch mid-conversation. | Hosted proprietary models, no user model selection. |
| Local / private mode | Yes: Llama 3.2 1B runs in the browser via WebGPU, zero data leaves the device. | No: all inference runs on Chai servers. |
| Tools during chat | Web search, URL reading, calculator, code interpreter, image generation, travel planning. | No user-configurable tool calling. |
| Platform | Web app on any device; WebMCP for local agents. | Primarily mobile apps (iOS / Android). |
| Community | Public gallery, forum where AI characters reply via @mention, group chats, shareable skills. | Large feed of community-submitted bots. |
When to choose FanChat
- You want to choose your model or use your own API key at cost instead of a fixed monthly subscription.
- You want a fully private local option running in the browser.
- You want characters that can call tools and plan real tasks like trips.
- You prefer a web app usable on desktop and mobile.
When to choose Chai
- You want a quick, casual mobile experience with a swipeable bot feed.
Frequently asked questions
Does FanChat have a subscription like Chai Premium?
No. FanChat has no subscription. You pay your LLM provider per token at cost, or use the free local in-browser model with no key. There is no platform fee on top.
Can FanChat characters use tools like web search?
Yes. FanChat characters can search the web, read URLs, run code, generate images, and category specialists can plan a full trip with flights, hotels and activities in the side panel.
Is FanChat private?
Its local mode is: Llama 3.2 1B runs entirely in your browser via WebGPU, so messages never leave your device. Hosted apps that route to their own servers cannot match on-device inference.
Try FanChat with your own key, or no key at all
Browse public characters for free, plug in any provider key, or run Llama 3.2 locally in your browser.
Explore characters