Character.AI rolls out new Lite tier, bridging Free and c.ai+ plans
What happened
Between the Sep 21, 2026 and Sep 28, 2026 captures of Character.AI's pricing page, Pulse recorded one change: Character.AI added a new 'Lite' tier between Free and c.ai+, giving it intermediate values for Memory, Pins, Lorebook, Feature limits, Slow mode, and limited daily access to Premium chat styles. Pulse files it as a packaging change (new plan) with an upward direction. Pulse's latest capture (Oct 5, 2026) lists c.ai+ at $7.92.
It lands 14 days after Character.AI's previous change, "Character.AI: paid tier renamed Plus → c.ai+" (Sep 14, 2026). Character.AI has been tracked since 2026-05-15.
In the same window Microsoft, Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and Metabase also changed their AI & Machine Learning pricing pages. Those moves are listed further down, and the Pulse Agent can compare them side by side.
- lite, c.ai+ · PlanAdded
BeforeNot listed
After'Lite' tier between Free and c
| Plan | Field | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| lite, c.ai+ | Plan | Not listed | 'Lite' tier between Free and c | Added |
Values as written on Character.AI's public pricing page in the two captures Pulse compared; where the page states no number, the cells give the wording before and after.
Evidence
The two captures Pulse comparedFull-page captures of Character.AI's pricing page (character.ai) from Sep 21, 2026 and Sep 28, 2026; the change is marked near the top of the page, where 'Lite' tier between Free and c now appears.
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The two full-page captures with this change marked up are free with an account.
Character.AI, the last 90 days
Full history- Oct 5, 2026improvedCharacter.AI swaps PipSqueak 2 for PipSqueak 3 and ShortSqueak chat styles
- Sep 28, 2026packagingCharacter.AI rolls out new Lite tier, bridging Free and c.ai+ plans · this change
- Sep 14, 2026packagingCharacter.AI: paid tier renamed Plus → c.ai+
Across AI & Machine Learning in the same window
All AI & Machine Learning changes- MicrosoftSep 28Microsoft Speech: batch enhanced-feature no-extra-charge note removed
- AnthropicSep 28Anthropic API: Opus 5.5 launches, replaces Opus 5 as flagship
- OpenAISep 25OpenAI refreshes plan taglines with benefit-led copy, prices unchanged
- GoogleSep 7Google Workspace: promo discount cut from 50% to 30%/20% off
- MetabaseAug 24Metabase quietly reveals Enterprise-only paid air-gapped deployment option
Questions about this change
Did Character.AI raise prices in September 2026?
No list-price increase was recorded between Sep 21, 2026 and Sep 28, 2026. The change Pulse detected was a packaging change: new plan.
What changed on Character.AI's pricing page between Sep 21, 2026 and Sep 28, 2026?
Lite, c.ai+ plan: Not listed → 'Lite' tier between Free and c, added. Pulse compared the captures it took on Sep 21, 2026 and Sep 28, 2026; the before/after table above lists each item as written on the page.
How often does Character.AI change its pricing?
Pulse recorded 1 other pricing-page change for Character.AI in the 90 days before this one; the previous change was "Character.AI: paid tier renamed Plus → c.ai+" on Sep 14, 2026; Character.AI has been tracked since 2026-05-15.