RisuAI (2026): What It Is, Whether It Is Free, and How to Set It Up on PC, Android and iPhone

RisuAI is a free, open-source app for roleplaying with AI characters: it gives you the chat screen, the characters, the lorebooks and the memory, and you connect it to an AI model with your own key. People usually call it Risu. It is the closest thing to SillyTavern that needs no installation, because one version of it runs entirely in a web browser.

That is also why most questions about it are practical ones. Is it free? Is there an Android app? Where are my chats? What do I type in the API key box? This guide answers those from the project’s own code and websites.

We read RisuAI’s source code on GitHub (the commit of 10 October 2026, version 2026.8.250), its release list, its old wiki, its website and its privacy policy on 12 October 2026. We did not run a campaign in it for this page, so there is no score here and no opinion on how well it writes. The writing comes from the model you connect in any case.

Related: RisuAI vs SillyTavern, RisuAI lorebooks and memory, and the wider list of SillyTavern alternatives.

The Short Answer

It is free. GPL-3.0 licence, no subscription. You pay only the model provider you choose, and some options are free.
The fastest start is the web version at risuai.xyz. Nothing to install, and it works on a phone.
There is no current Android APK or iPhone app in the project’s releases. On a phone, use the web version.
To use a model running on your own PC (Ollama, KoboldCpp), you need the desktop app or a self-hosted copy. The public web version blocks it.
Your chats live on your device unless you turn on account sync. Back them up.
Raise Max Context Size first. A new install starts at 4,000 tokens, which is small for today’s models.

What RisuAI Is

RisuAI is a front end. It does not contain an AI model. It builds a prompt from your character, your lorebook, your chat history and your settings, sends it to a model, and shows the reply.

The project describes itself in its README as “a cross platform AI chatting software / web application with powerful features such as multiple API support, assets in the chat, regex functions and much more.” It has been developed in public since April 2023, has at least 600 releases on GitHub, and its code was last updated two days before we read it.

What you get, from the README and the code:

Connections to many model providers, described below.
Character cards you can import, write and export.
Lorebooks, which the README calls “also known as world infos or memory book”.
Long-term memory systems that summarise old chat (SupaMemory and HypaMemory).
Group chats with several characters.
Emotion images, which change the character’s picture to match the reply.
Regex scripts, trigger scripts and plugins for people who build complex characters.
Translators that translate what you type and what the model answers.
TTS, image generation, and custom themes.
RisuRealm, a sharing site for characters at realm.risuai.net.

The interface is available in English, Korean, Chinese (simplified and traditional), German, Spanish and Vietnamese.

Is RisuAI Free?

Yes. The app is free in all three forms, and the source code is published under GPL-3.0.

The cost is the model. This is the same arrangement as SillyTavern:

What you connect	What it costs
OpenAI, Anthropic (Claude), Google (Gemini), DeepSeek, Mistral	Pay the provider per use, with your own key
OpenRouter	Pay per use; some models there are free
NanoGPT	Pay per use, or its monthly subscription
A local model through Ollama or KoboldCpp	Free, but needs a capable PC
AI Horde	Free, run by volunteers

RisuAI’s own setup text is honest about the free option. It says: “Horde is a free provider, but the response time is long and the quality is low.”

If you want the cheapest good route, see our guide to the best free model for roleplay, and the comparison of OpenRouter, NanoGPT and Chutes.

Three Ways to Run It

	Web	Desktop app	Self-hosted server
Where	`risuai.xyz` in a browser	Windows, macOS, Linux	Docker or Node.js on your own machine
Install	None	Installer from GitHub	One Docker command
Works on a phone	Yes	No	Yes, through the browser
Can reach a model on your PC or home network	No	Yes	Yes
Where data is stored	In the browser	On your computer	In the server’s `save` folder

The web version

Open risuai.xyz. The project’s site, risuai.net, sends you there when you press Get Started. There is also stable.risuai.xyz.

This is the version to start with. It has one real limit. Browsers do not let a public website call addresses on your own computer or home network, so the web version cannot talk to Ollama or KoboldCpp running on your PC. RisuAI’s code says this in its own words: local and private addresses are “blocked for local/private direct calls by design” in public web mode. The same browser rule is behind a second error message in the app: “This can be a CORS error. this only happens when using web version due to limitations of the browser. try using desktop local version, or other version of Risuai.”

The desktop app

The current release is v2026.8.250, published on 25 August 2026. It has these files:

Windows: RisuAI_2026.8.250_x64-setup.exe
macOS: a .dmg for Intel (x64) and one for Apple Silicon (aarch64)
Linux: .AppImage, .deb and .rpm

Get them from the Releases page of the kwaroran/Risuai repository on GitHub.

One thing to know about the Windows button on risuai.net. The site’s code looks through the recent releases for a file that ends in .msi. The current release has a setup.exe and no .msi. On the day we checked, the newest release that still had an .msi file was v166.3.1 from 27 October 2025. We did not click the button, so we cannot tell you what it does on your machine. If it gives you nothing, or an old version, take the setup.exe from GitHub.

Your own server

If you want one copy of RisuAI that you reach from every device at home, run the server. The README gives a single Docker command, and after it starts you open http://localhost:6001.

The first time you open a self-hosted copy, it asks you to set a password. If you forget it, the app’s own message tells you what to do: remove the __password file in the server’s save folder and restart.

A self-hosted copy can reach local models. The app has a Local Network Mode for this, which routes requests to addresses such as localhost and 192.168.x.x through the server and not through the browser.

Android and iPhone: What Is True Today

This is the most searched question about RisuAI, and the answers online are out of date.

Android. The project’s website says: “RisuAI is available on Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android, and Web.” Here is what we found on 12 October 2026:

The download buttons on the site are for Windows, Debian, AppImage and macOS. There is no Android button.
The current GitHub release has no APK file.
The last release that included an APK is v1.105.1, from 24 May 2024. More than 250 releases have been published since.
The code contains a mobile app configuration with the ID co.aiclient.risu. Google Play returns “not found” for that ID.

So if a site offers you a “RisuAI APK download”, it is either that 2024 file or something the project did not publish. We would not install either. Use the web version in Chrome on your phone. It is the same app, and the code has a setting called Beta Mobile GUI for screens narrower than 800 pixels.

iPhone and iPad. There is no iOS app in the releases. Use risuai.xyz in Safari. It works because nothing has to run on the phone except the browser.

Two phone habits will save you trouble:

Turn on Persistent Storage in the settings if your browser offers it. The app says it is “recommended for better performance and user experience”. It asks the browser not to clear the site’s data by itself.
Make a backup before you clear browser data or change phones. The backup options are below.

First Setup, Step by Step

Open the app. A guide character called Airisu greets you and asks what to call you.
Choose a provider. The welcome screen offers OpenAI with an API key, an OpenAI reverse proxy, or “Others / I will setup myself”. Choose the last one if you use anything else. You set it in the settings afterwards.
Pick a theme. There are three: Classic (“Suitable for All devices”), WaifuLike (“Not suitable for mobile”) and WaifuCut (“Suitable for mobile”).
Open the settings and choose your model. The model list has entries for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, DeepSeek, Mistral, Cohere, NovelAI, DeepInfra, NanoGPT, OpenRouter, Ollama (Local and Cloud), Ooba, Kobold, Mancer, Horde and a Custom API entry for any OpenAI-compatible address.
Paste your key for that provider.
Raise Max Context Size (see the next section).
Add a character. Press the add button in the character list. You can import a card, take one from RisuRealm, or write one.
Send a message.

For OpenRouter, the app’s own steps are: go to openrouter.ai/keys, press Create Key, name it, copy it, and paste it in RisuAI. Our OpenRouter guide covers which models to pick. For NanoGPT, see NanoGPT for roleplay; RisuAI has NanoGPT as a built-in provider.

There is also an Auxiliary Model setting. The app uses that second model for side jobs such as reading the emotion of a reply and suggesting answers. A cheap, fast model is the right choice there.

The Defaults a New Install Starts With

These come from the code that fills in a new database. They explain a lot of first-day problems.

Setting	Starting value	What it means for you
Model	Gemini 3 Flash (preview)	Nothing works until you add a Google key or choose another model
Max Context Size	4,000 tokens	Small. Most current models accept far more
Max Response Size	500 tokens	Replies stop at about 350 to 400 words
Temperature	0.8	A normal value for roleplay
Top P	1	No cut
Lorebook scan depth	5 messages	See the lorebook guide
Lorebook token budget	800 tokens	Low for a large world
Request retries	2	A failed request is tried again twice
Long-term memory	Off	You have to choose a memory system

The one to change first is Max Context Size. At 4,000 tokens, the app has room for the system prompts, the character, and only a short piece of the chat. A long character card can use all of it. When that happens you get this message:

“Error: The minimum required token is greater than the Max Context Size.”

The fix is in the message. Raise Max Context Size to something your model supports, or shorten the character. If you do not know your model’s limit, 16,000 to 32,000 tokens is a safe value for most current cloud models and keeps the cost per message reasonable.

Characters, Cards and RisuRealm

RisuAI reads the card formats the rest of the hobby uses. From the import code:

PNG cards, with the character’s text stored inside the image.
JSON cards.
CharX files (.charx), a newer format that packs the card and its images together. RisuAI also reads CharX data stored inside a JPEG.

So a card you downloaded for SillyTavern or from Chub can be imported directly. You can export a character as PNG, JSON or CharX.

Two other file types are RisuAI’s own: presets (.risup or .risupreset), which hold prompt and model settings, and modules (.risum), which bundle lorebooks, regex scripts and trigger scripts so they can be shared and switched on for any character.

RisuRealm is the project’s sharing site. The app describes it this way: “RisuRealm is a content sharing platform for Risuai. You can share your character to other users.” You can browse it inside the app and add a character with a click.

When you write your own character, the main fields are the description, the first message and the author’s note. The app’s help text advises against two older fields. For both Personality and Scenario it says: “It is not recommended to use this option. Describe it in character description instead.”

Where Your Chats Are Stored, and How to Back Them Up

Web version: in your browser’s storage on that device. The code uses the browser’s database, or the browser’s private file system where that is switched on.
Desktop app: on your computer.
Self-hosted: in the server’s save folder.

Nothing is uploaded to RisuAI by default. There is an optional Risu Account. If you sign in and turn on sync, your data is stored on the project’s servers so that you can load it on another device. The privacy policy says the account collects an ID and a password. When you first turn sync on, the app asks whether to “Load Data from Account” or “Save Current Data to Account”. Read that screen carefully, because the second choice replaces what is in the account.

The backup options in the settings are:

Save Backup to google, which stores a backup in your own Google Drive.
A local backup file that you download and keep.

A web install is only as safe as your browser data. If you clear site data, use a private window, or reinstall the browser, it is gone. Make a local backup after any session you would be sorry to lose.

Errors New Users Meet

“Error: The minimum required token is greater than the Max Context Size.” Covered above. Raise Max Context Size or shorten the character.

A network error in the web version when you use a local model. The web version cannot reach a model on your computer. Use the desktop app, or self-host and switch on Local Network Mode.

“This can be a plain fetch error. try disabling force plain fetch option in settings.” The app’s own advice: turn off Force Plain Fetch.

“User not found” or “Provider returned error” with OpenRouter. These two messages are not in RisuAI’s code. They are sent by OpenRouter and shown by RisuAI. The first usually means the key is wrong or was deleted; make a new key and paste it again. The second means the company serving that model failed the request; try again or choose another model.

“Error: Unknown model selected.” The saved model is not in the current list. This can happen after an update removes an old model. Choose a model again in the settings.

The reply stops in the middle of a sentence. Max Response Size is 500 tokens on a new install. Raise it.

Is RisuAI Good?

We have not scored it, and we do not rate front ends the way we rate games, because the model you connect does most of the work.

What we can say from the code and the release history is narrower, and still useful:

It is actively maintained. The code changed two days before we read it, and there were 50 releases between January and August 2026.
It asks less of you at the start than SillyTavern does. There is a web version, a setup guide and a simpler first screen.
It goes deep if you want it to. Lorebook decorators, trigger scripts with Lua, modules, regex scripts with custom flags and four long-term memory options are all there.
Its documentation is the weak part. The wiki opens with the line “The wiki is outdated, currently working on new docs”. Much of what this page says had to come from the code.
The phone story is the web version, whatever older posts say.

If you are choosing between the two front ends, the next page is RisuAI vs SillyTavern.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is RisuAI free?

Yes. RisuAI is free and open source under the GPL-3.0 licence, and the web version, the desktop apps and the self-hosted server cost nothing. What can cost money is the AI model, because RisuAI does not include one. You connect a provider such as OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, OpenRouter or NanoGPT with your own key and pay that provider, or you use a free option such as a local model or a provider’s free models.

Is there a RisuAI app for Android?

Not a current one that we could find. The project’s site says RisuAI is available on Android, but its download buttons are for Windows, macOS and Linux only, the last release on GitHub that included an APK file is version 1.105.1 from 24 May 2024, and there is no Google Play listing under the app’s ID. On Android today, the working route is the web version in your phone’s browser.

Does RisuAI work on iPhone?

Yes, through the web version in Safari. There is no iPhone app in the project’s releases. Because the web version runs in the browser and needs no server, it works on an iPhone or iPad without a PC.

Do I need an API key for RisuAI?

For most models, yes. RisuAI is a front end, so the writing comes from a model you connect. Cloud providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, OpenRouter and NanoGPT need a key from that provider. A model running on your own computer through Ollama or KoboldCpp needs no key, but the public web version cannot reach it, so you need the desktop app or a self-hosted copy for that.

Where does RisuAI store my chats?

In the web version, your characters and chats are stored in your browser on that device, not on RisuAI’s servers, unless you sign in to a Risu Account and turn on sync. The desktop app stores them on your computer, and a self-hosted server stores them in its save folder. Clearing your browser data deletes a web install, so make a backup first.

Can RisuAI use SillyTavern character cards?

Yes. RisuAI imports character cards as PNG, JSON, JPEG and CharX files, which covers the card files that SillyTavern and Chub use. It exports as PNG, JSON or CharX.

What does ‘The minimum required token is greater than the Max Context Size’ mean in RisuAI?

It means the fixed parts of your prompt, such as the character description and the system prompts, are larger than the Max Context Size setting. A new RisuAI install starts with a Max Context Size of 4,000 tokens, which a long character card can fill by itself. Raise Max Context Size to a value your model supports, or shorten the character.

The default settings, the model and provider list, the import and export formats, the storage code, the setup texts, the error messages and the help texts quoted here are from RisuAI’s source code in the kwaroran/Risuai repository on GitHub (commit of 10 October 2026, version 2026.8.250). Release dates and files are from the repository’s release list. The platform statement and the download buttons are from risuai.net, and the account details from its privacy policy. All were read on 12 October 2026. We did not install the 2024 Android file, press the site’s download buttons, or test any provider with a paid key. We have no commercial relationship with the RisuAI project.

RisuAI, RisuRealm, SillyTavern, Chub, OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, OpenRouter, NanoGPT, Ollama and KoboldCpp are the property of their respective owners. Arcanum is not affiliated with any of them.