If you want one app to design an AI character’s personality, backstory and appearance, and then chat with that character, Cherrypop (cherrypop.ai), an AI companion platform for adults 18+, puts all of it in one creator, with chat and image generation on the same web platform. You pick a realistic or anime style, set the look, choose personality traits, and write the scenario and first message before the chat starts. Kindroid and Nomi also pair a written backstory with avatar and selfie settings, Character.AI centers on text fields plus an avatar, and OurDream on a visual wizard. Whichever AI character creator you use, check which fields actually shape the conversation and which only shape the portrait.
AI character creator comparison: personality, backstory and appearance
“AI character creator” can mean an image tool that draws a character, or a companion app where the character talks back. The table covers apps that do the second, and shows how much of the look each one lets you control. Prices are as of September 2026, and sources are listed under the table.
| App | Personality / behavior fields | Backstory / scenario field | Appearance controls | Image generation | Chat | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cherrypop | Personality choices in the creator, plus Additional Personality Details | Scenario, First Message and Public Description (Advanced settings) | Realistic or anime style, appearance steps, Custom Physical Details, Custom Face Details | Yes, images of your character (realistic and anime) | Yes, on the same web platform | AI Assisted (on by default) enhances text fields. Free to start; some features need a subscription and/or Cherries (credits) |
| Character.AI (general-audience app) | Definition (under Advanced creation), free-form text and example dialogue; 0 to 32,000 characters per Character.AI’s help docs (last updated about two years ago) | Description (500 characters); greeting up to 4,096 characters, up to 5 greetings, optional AI greeting; Lorebook | Avatar only in the creator; an avatar is auto-generated on create. Its docs mark Avatar with an asterisk, meaning it does “not currently influence the Character behavior” | Older help docs list Image Generation and Image Style settings; Comics (mobile app, uses Charms) illustrates Characters and Personas | Yes; free default chat style PipSqueak 2; premium styles with c.ai+, or a daily allowance on c.ai lite | Name 20 characters, tagline 50. Visibility defaults to Public. c.ai+ billed $9.99/month before tax |
| Kindroid | Backstory (primary personality source), Response Directive (highest priority in replies), Example Message, chat dynamism (default 0.95) | Backstory, Key Memories, journal entries (up to 8 keyphrases each; up to 3 individual and 3 global entries recalled per message) | Preset or custom avatar with a written avatar description, face detail prompt (photoreal), up to 6 avatar slots | Selfies and video selfies; group selfies are subscriber-only | Yes; approximate reply limits of 500 to 700 characters free, 1,000 to 1,400 paid (subscribers’ Continue extends to 4,000) | Free users get 2 Kindroids, subscribers 10, with extra slots for purchase |
| Nomi | Personality traits set at creation (not editable later; reshape them in Shared Notes) | Backstory in Shared Notes, 2,000 characters for paid users | Realistic or Anime style, preset looks, written Appearance notes, base image, face fidelity | Selfies and art, driven by Appearance notes | Yes | Appearance notes also tell the Nomi what it looks like in conversation |
| OurDream | Personality tags produced by “Design with AI” (for example Sarcastic, Intellectual) | – | Visual step wizard of about 6 steps, starting with Female/Male/Trans and Realistic/Anime; “Design with AI” fills body, skin, eyes and hair from a text description | Yes (needs a subscription, per its help center) | Yes; its Premium plan lists unlimited messages; Genius models cost 1 coin per reply | “Design with AI” costs 5 coins. Premium yearly is $9.99/month billed $119.88 with 1,000 coins/month |
Sources: Character.AI’s character attributes and Definition pages, plus its Comics guide and c.ai lite FAQ; Kindroid’s personality, avatar and selfie, memory and FAQ pages; Nomi’s beginner’s guide, backstory-length update and appearance guide. Character.AI’s name, tagline, description and greeting limits, visibility and price, and OurDream’s creator and plan details, are from the live creators (September 2026); OurDream’s Genius-model and image-subscription details are from its help center (coin costs and image and video subscription pages); Character.AI’s Definition limit and image settings are from its help docs, last updated about two years ago. Kindroid pages were updated between March and September 2026; Character.AI’s Comics and c.ai lite pages in August and September 2026; Nomi’s guides date from 2024 and 2025.
Which fields feed chat, and which only describe the portrait
What matters is where each piece of text goes, not how many options a creator has. In most apps above, fields fall into three groups:
- Behavior fields guide replies: personality, backstory or scenario, directives and example messages. Apps differ in how they include and prioritize them. This is where the character’s voice comes from.
- Opening fields set up the first exchange: a greeting or first message, and the situation you start in.
- Visual fields drive the portrait and later images: style, body, face, hair and outfit. Some apps also pass them to chat so the character knows what it looks like; others do not.
The official docs are explicit about this split. Character.AI marks its avatar, categories and visibility settings with an asterisk and says those fields “do not currently influence the Character behavior.” Its Definition field works the other way: it shapes behavior, and the docs advise, “If you have a long Definition, put the most important parts of your Definition at the beginning,” because the end can be cut off as a chat grows.
Kindroid puts nearly everything in one place: “Backstory is the primary source for your Kindroid’s personality and history.” Its avatar description is shared, since the docs say it guides selfies and that “during text chats your Kindroid will be able to recall these details.” Nomi does the same with Appearance notes, which are “how they understand what they look like both in conversation as well as in selfies and art.”
So a field named Backstory is useful but not required. A Scenario field, a long Definition or a personality details box can all carry background, as long as the text reaches the chat setup.
One character brief to try in any creator
Write the brief first, then paste each part where it belongs. Here is an example for an adult companion character:
- Character: Mara, 32, owner of a small secondhand bookshop that stays open late.
- Backstory: Mara left a publishing job in the city to take over her aunt’s shop. She knows every regular’s reading habits and keeps a shelf of books she refuses to sell.
- Personality as behavior: Dry, teasing humor; asks pointed questions; drops the sarcasm and gets warm when someone shares something real. Remembers small details and brings them up later.
- Appearance: Shoulder-length auburn hair, reading glasses pushed up on her head, rolled-sleeve linen shirt, ink on her fingers.
- Scenario: You are a regular who comes in after work. It is closing time, raining, and she has already put the kettle on.
- First message: “You again. I was about to flip the sign, but the rain says you’re staying. Tea or the usual complaint about my filing system?”
Start an image prompt with the appearance line and the setting; some companion tools also use chat or other character context. “Teasing” might become a half smile, but it will not make a picture talk. For chat, the backstory, behavior and scenario do the heavy lifting, and the first message sets the tone of the opening exchange.
Short text descriptions also work as input for AI-assisted builders. OurDream’s “Design with AI”, for example, turns a one-line description of Mara into structured appearance attributes plus tags such as Bookshop Owner and Sarcastic, for 5 coins. That saves typing, but check the tags: they summarize the brief rather than carry all of it.
How the brief maps to Cherrypop’s creator
Cherrypop’s creator walks you through style (realistic or anime), appearance steps and personality choices, then opens Advanced settings for the details. Here is where each part of Mara goes:
| Brief item | Cherrypop field | What it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Style and look | Realistic or anime style, appearance steps | Portrait and images |
| Auburn hair, glasses, linen shirt | Custom Physical Details | Her look (images); also saved to her profile |
| Face specifics (freckles, expression) | Custom Face Details | Her look (images); also saved to her profile |
| Dry humor, pointed questions, warms up | Personality choices, then Additional Personality Details | How she talks |
| Bookshop history, rainy closing time | Scenario | Background and starting situation |
| “You again. I was about to flip the sign…” | First Message | The opening line of chat |
| Short summary of Mara | Public Description | Her public summary, also part of the character’s profile |
Cherrypop saves these fields into one character profile. There is no separate Backstory tab, and you do not need one: the backstory lives in Scenario, and the behavior lives in Additional Personality Details. AI Assisted, which is on by default, enhances your text fields during creation. To use your own text, turn it off before enhancement runs, then review the fields before saving. If your text was already enhanced, restore your wording by hand.
Once saved, you chat with the character and generate images of it on the same web platform, in a mobile browser or on desktop, with no app install. On costs: the free tier lets you start, and some features need a subscription, Cherries (the platform’s credits), or both, so check the displayed cost before generating. For a longer walkthrough focused on companions, see the guide to making an AI girlfriend.
Three checks after you save
- Ask about the backstory. Ask Mara why she left publishing. If the answer misses your backstory, confirm the saved text and field, then try a fresh chat. The model can still miss details.
- Change one thing at a time. Edit the look and the personality separately, and test personality edits in a fresh chat so old messages do not mask the change.
- Check who can see it. Character.AI sets new characters to Public by default. On any app, confirm the visibility setting before you add personal details.
If you are weighing other chat-first platforms, our list of Character.AI alternatives covers more options.
FAQ
What app lets me design an AI character’s personality, backstory and appearance all in one place?
Cherrypop’s creator covers all three for adults 18+: realistic or anime style and appearance steps with custom physical and face details, personality choices with a free-text personality box, and a Scenario and First Message for the backstory and opening. You then chat with the character and generate its images on the same platform. Kindroid and Nomi also combine written backstory with avatar and image settings; Character.AI focuses on text fields plus an avatar.
Can I create an AI character and then chat with it?
Yes, in companion apps such as Cherrypop, Character.AI, Kindroid, Nomi and OurDream. Image-only generators give you a picture with no conversation. If chat is the goal, pick a creator with behavior fields (personality, backstory or scenario, first message), not just visual ones.
Where do I put a character’s backstory if the app has no Backstory field?
Use whichever field the chat reads. On Cherrypop, put it in Scenario, with behavior in Additional Personality Details. On Character.AI it is the Definition (up to 32,000 characters per Character.AI’s help docs (last updated about two years ago), most important parts first) and the 500-character description. On Kindroid and Nomi it is the Backstory field itself.
Is there a free AI character creator for chatting?
Several have free entry. Cherrypop is free to start, with some features needing a subscription or Cherries. Kindroid’s free plan allows 2 characters, and Character.AI’s free default chat style is PipSqueak 2. Image generation and longer memory usually cost money or credits, so check the current limits before you build.
Which AI character creators also generate images of the character?
Cherrypop, Kindroid (selfies and video selfies), Nomi (selfies and art) and OurDream all generate images of the character you designed. Character.AI auto-generates an avatar, lists image settings in older help docs, and its mobile Comics feature illustrates Characters and Personas; the avatar does not shape the character’s behavior.
Build your character on Cherrypop
Write your brief, pick a realistic or anime style, set the look and personality, then put the backstory in Scenario and the opening line in First Message. Cherrypop is the easiest place to do all of it in one go: one creator for personality, backstory and look, then chat and images of your character on the same platform, in any browser. Create your AI character on Cherrypop and start chatting with it today (18+).