The verdict
Agnaistic (the full brand name; agnai.chat) is the open-source successor to PygmalionAI's Galatea-UI, designed for multi-user AI roleplay with a breadth of model support unmatched in this category. Eight-plus backends are confirmed in the GitHub README: Kobold, NovelAI, AI Horde, Goose AI, OpenAI, Claude, Replicate, OpenRouter, and Mancer — plus local endpoints via Oobabooga or LM Studio. Group conversations are a native feature: multiple human users can roleplay with multiple AI bots simultaneously in one session — no paid companion app offers this. Character definitions accept W++, Square Bracket Format (SBF), Boostyle, and plain text persona schemas, so cards from any roleplay ecosystem import cleanly. Optional pipeline features add long-term memory and the ability to embed Wikipedia articles or PDFs as character knowledge sources — a use-case no commercial platform supports. Self-hosting runs via Docker or the NPM package (npm install agnai -g); MongoDB is optional, and without it the app defaults to anonymous guest mode using browser localStorage. The hosted version at agnai.chat is free; you pay only for any API you choose to connect. For solo power-user control with a single backend, SillyTavern is a cleaner fit; for a hosted character card library, Chub AI pairs naturally with it.
The widest model support and the only real multi-user option in this category. For solo power-user control, SillyTavern is a cleaner fit; for a hosted character card library, Chub AI pairs naturally with Agnaistic.
Pros
- 8+ AI backends: Kobold, NovelAI, AI Horde, OpenAI, Claude, Replicate, OpenRouter, Mancer and more
- Multi-user Group Conversations — multiple users + multiple bots in one session
- Persona schemas: W++, SBF, Boostyle, plain text — import from any ecosystem
Cons
- Requires your own API keys or credits for most AI services
- Setup complexity higher than point-and-click paid apps
- No built-in character card library — pair with Chub AI for discovery
Agnai FAQ
What is the full name of Agnai? The full brand name is Agnaistic, live at agnai.chat. "Agnai" is the community shorthand used in the app and docs.
Which AI backends does Agnaistic support? Eight-plus confirmed in the GitHub README: Kobold, NovelAI, AI Horde, Goose AI, OpenAI, Claude (Anthropic), Replicate, OpenRouter, and Mancer — plus local endpoints via Oobabooga or LM Studio.
Can multiple people roleplay together on Agnaistic? Yes — Group Conversations allow multiple human users with multiple AI bots in a single session, a feature not found in any major paid companion app.
Do I need a database to run Agnaistic? No. MongoDB is optional. Without it, Agnaistic runs in anonymous guest mode storing data in browser localStorage. Adding MongoDB enables multi-user account support.
How do I self-host Agnaistic? Two options from the README: Docker (docker run -dt --restart=always -p 3001:3001 ghcr.io/agnaistic/agnaistic:latest) or NPM (npm install agnai -g, then agnai). The hosted version at agnai.chat is free if you prefer not to self-host.
Scored on the public six-point method, assessed against documented features, pricing and real user reports (plus hands-on use where we have account access) · last updated September 2026.