The verdict
Backyard AI (formerly Faraday) is the most polished consumer-grade tool for fully private, offline uncensored character chat. The live homepage states it directly: 'Fictional Text & Voice Chats With No Filters' — no subscription for local use, no data transmitted anywhere, content limited only by the model you load. iOS and Android apps have launched alongside the Windows and Mac desktop clients, making the platform available beyond the original power-user PC audience. The toolset exceeds consumer-tool expectations. Lorebooks attach persistent world-info entries — named characters, geography, faction rules — that auto-inject into context when trigger keywords appear in the conversation; the live homepage demos show named lorebooks (Nightfall City grimdark cyberpunk, Ravenveil high fantasy) with real entries. Author's Note pins a tone or scene description near the active context window to steer AI style without editing the main narrative. Grammars constrain output at the token level — enforcing dialogue-only responses, structured JSON output, or any custom schema — a rare feature in consumer tools. Model Parameters expose advanced token samplers, custom context lengths, and prompt template selection. Dynamic Voices and Audio ship natively for immersive voice chat during roleplay. The Community Hub enables character and lorebook sharing within the app ecosystem. Optional cloud plans (Standard ~$7/mo for smaller models, Pro ~$35/mo for 70B-class) run larger models without local hardware investment. Local use remains fully free with no credit card required.
Top pick for private, offline roleplay with a polished consumer interface. For maximum technical flexibility and format customization, SillyTavern is more powerful; for uncensored writing-first use (novel mode, Colab-free), KoboldAI / KoboldCpp covers the same space with a writing-tools focus.
Pros
- Fully offline and private — no data leaves your device on local mode
- Lorebooks, Author's Note, Grammars, and Model Parameters are all polished and functional
- iOS and Android apps now available alongside Windows and Mac desktop
Cons
- Local use requires a capable PC/Mac for quality model performance
- 70B+ models require the cloud Pro plan (~$35/mo) or serious local hardware
- Community character library is smaller than Chub or Janitor AI
Backyard AI FAQ
Is Backyard AI private? Yes — local mode runs entirely on your own device with no data transmitted; cloud plans use Backyard's servers.
Is Backyard AI free? Local use is free with no credit card required; optional cloud plans run from ~$7/mo (Standard) to ~$35/mo (Pro with 70B models). Check live pricing.
What is a Lorebook in Backyard AI? A Lorebook holds persistent world-info entries (characters, places, rules) that auto-inject into context when trigger words appear — useful for large-cast or complex-world roleplay.
Does Backyard AI have a mobile app? Yes — iOS and Android apps are available alongside the Windows and Mac desktop clients.
What are Grammars in Backyard AI? Grammars constrain AI output format at the token level — letting you enforce dialogue-only, structured JSON, or any custom response schema. This is a rare feature in consumer AI tools.
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.