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Self-Hosted AI LLM Chat Entertainment Writing Roleplay Characters

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Last Updated: 07-14-2026 04:22 AM (UTC)

TavernAI

Character-based chat and storywriting with large language models: TavernAI is the open-source frontend that leaves model choice to you. It generates no text itself; it connects to the backend of your choice - OpenAI (including GPT-4), Anthropic Claude, KoboldAI and KoboldCpp, Oobabooga's Text Generation Web UI, NovelAI, Ollama, and the crowdsourced Horde - so cost, model quality, and content policy are decided by your backend, not the interface. Characters are defined by portable card files in PNG or JSON format with personality, scenario, and example dialogue, and tens of thousands of community-made cards from sites like Chub.ai import directly. Conversations support group chats with multiple characters, a story mode for long-form writing, message swiping to branch between alternative responses, and full editing of any message. World Info injects lore into context when keywords trigger, keeping long roleplays consistent. Themes, custom backgrounds, and configurable generation settings round out the interface. It runs on Node.js, and the SillyTavern project began as a fork of it.

TavernAI
TavernAI
TavernAI

Benefits

  • Your Backend Sets the Rules
  • Platform services like Character.AI impose their own filters and limits. TavernAI is only an interface, so model choice, spending, and content policy stay entirely with the backend you connect.
  • Conversations Stay Private
  • Chats live on your own server, and with a local backend such as KoboldAI or Ollama, roleplay text never reaches a third-party service at all.
  • A Huge Character Ecosystem
  • The V1/V2 character card format is a community standard; tens of thousands of ready-made characters import as simple PNG or JSON files, and your own creations export the same way.
  • Free of Subscription Tiers
  • Every feature ships in the open-source build. Cost is just your hosting plus whatever API or local model you choose to run.

Features

  • Broad Backend Support
  • OpenAI (GPT-4 and ChatGPT), Anthropic Claude, KoboldAI/KoboldCpp, Oobabooga Text Generation Web UI, NovelAI, Ollama, and the Kobold Horde.
  • Character Cards
  • Create characters with personality, scenario, and example dialogue; import and export as PNG or JSON, compatible with community card libraries.
  • Group Chat and Story Mode
  • Chat with multiple characters in one conversation, or switch to story mode for long-form collaborative fiction.
  • Message Swiping and Editing
  • Generate alternative responses and swipe between them, plus edit, delete, or reorder any message in the history.
  • World Info
  • Keyword-triggered lore entries inject world background, relationships, and terminology into the model's context for consistent long sessions.
  • Themes and Image Recognition
  • Configurable interface themes (including a CharacterAI-style layout), custom backgrounds, and GPT/Claude image recognition in chat.