Charisma.ai alternative
AI characters built for games
Charisma.ai's homepage now leads with online training and campaigns. Neocortex is focused on characters players talk to, fight beside and trade with.
- Free plan
- No credit card
- Unity, Unreal, Godot, Web SDK and Web API
5
ways to integrate
Unity, Unreal, Godot, Web SDK, Web API
20+
languages
set per character
10 s
to clone a voice
or design one from text
€0
to start
free plan and editor testing
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Overview
What is Charisma.ai?
Charisma.ai is a story platform for AI-driven interactive narratives, founded in 2017, with Unity, Unreal and web SDKs. In 2026 it focuses on online training and brand campaigns.
The short answer
Charisma.ai or Neocortex: which fits your game?
Side by side
Charisma.ai vs Neocortex: feature comparison
The facts that matter when you put AI characters in a game.
| Compared on | Charisma.ai |  Neocortex |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Training, campaigns and interactive stories | AI characters for games |
| Authoring | Story graph | Character graph plus Conversation Flows |
| Engines | Unity, Unreal, JS and React SDKs | Unity SDK, Unreal plugin, Godot (beta), Web SDK, Web API |
| Gameplay hooks | Emotions, move-to and look-at | Actions, interactable objects, per-line emotions |
| Voice | Voice library and custom voices | Streaming TTS and STT, voice cloning from a 10-second sample, voice design |
| Pricing | Credits per experience minute; enterprise build fees | Free plan; paid plans from €9/month with monthly credits |
| Local AI | Not documented | Local LLMs in Unity via Ollama; self-hosted platform for studios |
Main focus
Charisma.ai
Training, campaigns and interactive stories
Neocortex
AI characters for games
Authoring
Charisma.ai
Story graph
Neocortex
Character graph plus Conversation Flows
Engines
Charisma.ai
Unity, Unreal, JS and React SDKs
Neocortex
Unity SDK, Unreal plugin, Godot (beta), Web SDK, Web API
Gameplay hooks
Charisma.ai
Emotions, move-to and look-at
Neocortex
Actions, interactable objects, per-line emotions
Voice
Charisma.ai
Voice library and custom voices
Neocortex
Streaming TTS and STT, voice cloning from a 10-second sample, voice design
Pricing
Charisma.ai
Credits per experience minute; enterprise build fees
Neocortex
Free plan; paid plans from €9/month with monthly credits
Local AI
Charisma.ai
Not documented
Neocortex
Local LLMs in Unity via Ollama; self-hosted platform for studios
Competitor details checked against their own docs, pricing pages or public reporting in October 2026.
Why teams switch
Why game teams choose Neocortex over Charisma.ai
Characters first
Design who the character is; add story structure only where you need it.
Conversation Flows
Guide characters through beats and get checkpoint events in your game.
Game loops
Actions and interactables connect dialogue to gameplay.
Multi-character scenes
Several NPCs can talk to the player and to each other.
Self-serve
Sign up and build today, no sales call or development fee.
Free testing
Test in the browser editor without spending credits.
How it works
Characters you design, not prompts you babysit
- Personality, emotion, knowledge and world are nodes you connect, not prompts you rewrite.
- Intents and actions turn what a player says into something your game does.
- Test every character in the browser for free before it reaches your engine.
What Our Customers Say
Discover what creators are saying about building with Neocortex.
FAQ
Charisma.ai alternative: common questions
Want the long version? Read the in-depth Charisma.ai comparison.
How much does Charisma.ai cost?
Charisma.ai charges credits per experience minute, plus fees for enterprise builds. Neocortex has a free plan and monthly plans from €9.
Is Charisma.ai still made for games?
Charisma.ai now focuses on online training and brand campaigns. Neocortex is built for games, with actions, interactable objects and SDKs for Unity, Unreal and Godot.
Can Charisma.ai do free-form conversations?
It is built around authored story graphs. Neocortex characters talk freely, and Conversation Flows steer them through story beats when you need structure.
What is the best Charisma.ai alternative for games?
Neocortex. Design characters for gameplay in a visual editor, give them a voice, and ship them in your engine.
Characters built for gameplay
Free plan, no credit card. Build a character in the browser and talk to it in minutes.
More comparisons
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Convai alternative
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NVIDIA ACE alternative
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Player2 alternative
With Player2, every player signs in to Player2 and spends their own credits, and NPCs stop answering when those run out. Neocortex keeps your players inside your game.
ElevenLabs Agents alternative
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Hume EVI alternative
Hume's documentation says its EVI and TTS APIs are being sunset on November 13, 2026, with account data deleted afterwards. Neocortex gives your characters a new home with voice in and out.
Replica Studios alternative
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EGO AI alternative
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