Why people look for a Janitor AI alternative
Janitor AI runs in the browser and you sign in to use it. Chats go through its servers or through whichever model service you connect, so what happens to your messages depends on that setup. People who want something different usually mention three things: they'd rather keep conversations on their own device, they want a native app that works without a connection, or they'd rather not set up model keys. We haven't tested Janitor AI ourselves, so check its site for current details.
Castmates vs. Janitor AI
| Castmates | Janitor AI | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the AI runs | On your iPhone | Online, on its servers or the model service you connect |
| Works offline | Yes, after the model download | No (web service) |
| Account | None | Sign-in required to chat |
| How free use works | 30 messages a day | Free built-in model; paid plan and outside model keys are options (check its site for current terms) |
| Format | A curated cast of 35 characters, plus your own custom characters | A large library of user-made characters |
| Age | 18+ | Adult-oriented platform, see its own terms |
| Platform | iPhone app | Website, used in a browser |
| Phone requirement | iPhone with 6 GB RAM or more, ~2 GB model download | Any device with a browser |
Sources: the Castmates App Store listing and Janitor AI's public site and help pages, checked on 9 October 2026. If something in Janitor AI's column is out of date, tell us at [email protected] and we'll fix it.
The honest trade-offs
- You need a recent iPhone. Castmates runs its model on the phone, which takes an iPhone with 6 GB of RAM or more and about 2 GB of free space. A website works on almost any device.
- Far fewer characters. Janitor AI's library is huge and community-made. Castmates has 35 written characters and the ones you create yourself.
- A smaller model. A model that fits on a phone has a limited context window and is less capable than the large cloud models you can connect to Janitor AI, so long chats won't recall as much.
- English only, iPhone only. No other languages yet, and no Android or web version.
What you get instead
Every reply is generated on your iPhone, so your messages aren't sent to a server, there's no account to make, and it works in airplane mode once the model is installed. The free plan gives you 30 messages a day with the full cast and one custom character. Pro lifts the daily limit and the character cap.