Best APIs for AI Roleplay in 2026: Janitor AI, SillyTavern and RisuAI Compared

Roleplay apps like Janitor AI, SillyTavern and RisuAI are front ends. The model that writes your character's replies comes from an API you connect, and that choice decides reply quality, cost and who can see your chats. The best APIs for AI roleplay in 2026 are:

Quick answer

1. NanoGPT: 648 text models on one key, built-in support in SillyTavern and RisuAI, a Janitor AI proxy URL, and no account or email needed.
   
2. Featherless: unlimited tokens on open models for a flat $10 or $25 a month, with a no-logging policy.
   
3. DeepSeek (direct API): the lowest price per token for one popular roleplay model family.
   
4. OpenRouter: the most common free start, capped at 50 free requests a day.
   
5. Chutes: open models the roleplay community likes, at higher prices than in 2025.
   
6. Google AI Studio (Gemini): a free tier with long context, but stricter filters.
   
7. Local models (KoboldCpp or Ollama): free and fully private, for SillyTavern and RisuAI users with a capable GPU.
   

Which API works with which roleplay app

Janitor AI runs in the browser on Janitor's own servers, so it needs an API reachable over the internet. A model running on your own PC only works with apps you run yourself, like SillyTavern or RisuAI. Free tiers, prices and model IDs change often, so check each provider's page before adding credit.

How we ranked these APIs

Each API was scored on six things: model choice, whether it works in all three major roleplay apps, price and markup, free options and their caps, what you hand over to sign up, and privacy. Privacy was weighted heavily, because roleplay chats are among the most personal things people send to an AI: providers that require you to opt in to training to use their free tier, or that store data under weaker policies, rank lower even when they are popular. Model counts come from each provider's public models page, filtered to text models, on October 21, 2026.

The 7 best APIs for AI roleplay in 2026

1. NanoGPT

Best for: one key that works in every roleplay app, without an account.

NanoGPT is a pay-per-use AI provider with an OpenAI-compatible API, and it publishes its own setup guides for all three apps. SillyTavern lists it as a Chat Completion source, RisuAI has a NanoGPT provider in its Chat Bot settings, and Janitor AI connects through a proxy URL. Its models page listed 648 text models from more than 118 labs on October 21, 2026, against 468 text-output models on OpenRouter on the same date. That covers Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, GLM, Kimi and Qwen, plus less-filtered variants of several open models, so you can use a cheap DeepSeek model for long sessions and switch to Claude for a big scene without changing keys or apps.

You can generate an API key, add funds and start chatting without an account or email address. Models are billed at the provider's list price with no markup, crypto top-ups get a 3% bonus, and an optional subscription covers a set of included models. NanoGPT also runs TEE models inside verifiable private hardware for people who want proof their chats are not readable.

Setup:

• Janitor AI: API Settings → Proxy → add a configuration with Proxy URL https://nano-gpt.com/api/v1/chat/completions, your NanoGPT key and a model ID. Full steps in NanoGPT's Janitor AI guide.
  
• SillyTavern: API Connections → Chat Completion → source NanoGPT → paste your key and pick a model.
  
• RisuAI: Settings → Chat Bot → set Model and Auxiliary Model to NanoGPT → paste your key and choose a model. Full steps in NanoGPT's RisuAI guide.
  

Pros

• 648 text models, the largest catalog on this list.
  
• Documented setup for Janitor AI, SillyTavern and RisuAI.
  
• No account or email needed: key, funds, done.
  
• List-price billing with no markup, plus a 3% bonus on crypto top-ups.
  

Cons

• No free daily allowance; you need a small deposit first.
  
• With no account, your API key is your access, so store it safely.
  
• The subscription covers included models only; others are billed per token.
  

2. Featherless

Best for: heavy roleplayers who want a fixed monthly bill.

Featherless charges a flat subscription instead of per token. The Basic plan is $10 a month for models up to 15B parameters, with 2 concurrent connections and up to 16K context. Premium is $25 a month for any model in its catalog, including DeepSeek, Kimi and GLM, with 4 concurrent connections and up to 32K context. It says it does not log prompts or completions. If you roleplay for hours every day, a flat bill can beat paying per token, but you only get open-weight models.

Setup: Janitor AI proxy URL https://api.featherless.ai/v1/chat/completions; in SillyTavern select Featherless in API Connections; in RisuAI use an OpenAI-compatible custom endpoint at https://api.featherless.ai/v1.

Pros

• Unlimited tokens for a fixed price.
  
• Large catalog of open and roleplay-tuned models.
  
• No-logging policy.
  

Cons

• No Claude, GPT or Gemini.
  
• Context capped at 16K on Basic and 32K on Premium, short for long stories.
  
• Costs more than pay-per-use if you only chat occasionally.
  

3. DeepSeek (direct API)

Best for: the lowest cost if you only want DeepSeek models.

DeepSeek models are among the most-used for roleplay on every major app because they write long, in-character replies at a very low token price. Going direct is usually the cheapest way to run them, with a $2 minimum top-up and no moderation on the API itself, although the models can still refuse some prompts. The trade-off is one model family, model names that change as new versions ship, and data handled under DeepSeek's own policies, including storage in China.

Setup: Janitor AI proxy URL https://api.deepseek.com/chat/completions; SillyTavern has a built-in DeepSeek source; in RisuAI use an OpenAI-compatible custom endpoint.

Pros

• Very low price per token.
  
• Strong at long, consistent roleplay.
  
• Simple OpenAI-compatible setup.
  

Cons

• One model family only.
  
• No free tier.
  
• Data stored in China under DeepSeek's policies.
  

4. OpenRouter

Best for: testing roleplay with free models before paying.

OpenRouter is the most common first API in the Janitor AI and SillyTavern communities, and it has built-in support in SillyTavern and RisuAI. One key covers models from dozens of labs. Its free models are the main draw, but accounts without purchased credit are capped at 50 free requests a day, and free models often return 429 errors at busy times. Privacy is why it ranks lower here: some free models require you to allow your prompts to be used for training, and each request is handled by a third-party provider with its own data policy. Its privacy settings let you exclude providers that train on prompts, but that also shrinks the free model list.

Setup: Janitor AI proxy URL https://openrouter.ai/api/v1/chat/completions; built-in OpenRouter source in SillyTavern and RisuAI.

Pros

• Free models to test with.
  
• Large catalog (468 text-output models on October 21, 2026).
  
• Huge community, so presets and guides are easy to find.
  

Cons

• Requires an account.
  
• Free use capped at 50 requests a day and often rate-limited.
  
• Some free models require opting in to training on your prompts.
  
• 5.5% fee when you buy credits.
  

5. Chutes

Best for: open models the roleplay community likes.

Chutes hosts open-weight models such as GLM, Kimi and DeepSeek variants, and it became popular with Janitor AI users for prose-heavy roleplay. It also powered many of the free DeepSeek routes on OpenRouter until it moved its API behind paid plans in 2025, and its prices rose again during 2026, which sent many users looking for alternatives. It remains a reasonable choice if your favorite models run best there.

Setup: Janitor AI proxy URL https://llm.chutes.ai/v1/chat/completions; in SillyTavern and RisuAI use an OpenAI-compatible custom endpoint at https://llm.chutes.ai/v1.

Pros

• Good selection of roleplay-friendly open models.
  
• OpenAI-compatible endpoint.
  
• Popular in the community, so model tips are easy to find.
  

Cons

• Higher prices than in 2025.
  
• Smaller catalog than the aggregators above.
  

6. Google AI Studio (Gemini)

Best for: a free tier with long context.

Google AI Studio gives free API access to Gemini Flash models with rate limits, and its long context windows suit stories with big lorebooks. Two things hold it back for roleplay: Gemini filters content more strictly than open models, and on the free tier Google can use what you send to improve its products.

Setup: Janitor AI proxy URL https://generativelanguage.googleapis.com/v1beta/openai/chat/completions; built-in Google AI Studio source in SillyTavern and a Gemini provider in RisuAI.

Pros

• Free daily usage.
  
• Long context windows.
  
• No deposit needed.
  

Cons

• Stricter content filters.
  
• Free-tier prompts can be used by Google.
  
• Requires a Google account.
  

7. Local models (KoboldCpp or Ollama)

Best for: complete privacy and no per-message cost.

KoboldCpp and Ollama run open models on your own computer. Chats never leave your machine and there is no content filter, but you download model files yourself (often 5 to 50 GB each), and models that fit on a home GPU are usually less capable than large cloud models. Local models work with SillyTavern and RisuAI. They are not a practical fit for Janitor AI, which runs on Janitor's servers and needs an API reachable over the internet.

Setup: start KoboldCpp or Ollama with a model, then point SillyTavern or RisuAI at the local address it shows.

Pros

• Free after setup.
  
• Fully private.
  
• No content filter.
  

Cons

• Needs a capable GPU.
  
• Does not work with Janitor AI.
  
• Smaller models lose track of long stories sooner.
  

How to choose a roleplay API

• You use more than one app: pick a provider with setup for all of them, so one key and one balance cover Janitor AI, SillyTavern and RisuAI. NanoGPT and OpenRouter both do this.
  
• You care about privacy: avoid free tiers that require training opt-ins, prefer providers that let you use them without an account, or run models locally.
  
• You roleplay for hours every day: compare a flat plan like Featherless against your real monthly token spend.
  
• You want the best writing on big scenes: use an aggregator so you can switch to a premium model like Claude only when it matters, and stay on a cheap model the rest of the time.
  

Janitor AI also launched its own janitor+ Router in July 2026, which offers around 70 third-party models inside Janitor for $12.99 a month plus token costs. It removes proxy setup, but it only works inside Janitor AI.

Fixing common roleplay API errors

Error 429 (too many requests)

The model is overloaded or you hit a rate limit, which is common on free models at peak times. Wait, switch models, or use a paid model.

Error 401 (invalid API key)

The key is wrong, revoked, or has an extra space. Most providers show a key only once, so create a new one if you lost it.

Error 402 or no response

Your balance is empty for a paid model. Add funds or switch to a free or subscription-included model.

Error 404 or "model not found"

Model IDs change as new versions ship. Copy the current ID from the provider's models page instead of an old tutorial.

Wrong URL format

Janitor AI needs the full endpoint ending in /chat/completions. SillyTavern and RisuAI custom endpoints usually want the base URL ending in /v1, and add the rest themselves.

FAQ

What is the best API for AI roleplay?

For most people, NanoGPT: it has the largest model catalog on one key (648 text models on October 21, 2026), documented setup for Janitor AI, SillyTavern and RisuAI, list-price billing and no account requirement. Featherless suits heavy users who want a flat monthly bill, and DeepSeek is the cheapest single model family.

What is the best free API for AI roleplay?

OpenRouter's free models are the most common free start, capped at 50 requests a day without purchased credit, though some require you to let your prompts be used for training. Google AI Studio has a free Gemini tier with stricter filters, and local models are free if you use SillyTavern or RisuAI with your own GPU.

Can I use the same API key in Janitor AI, SillyTavern and RisuAI?

Yes, with any OpenAI-compatible provider. NanoGPT and OpenRouter have built-in support in SillyTavern and RisuAI and work as a Janitor AI proxy, so one key and one balance cover all three apps.

Which roleplay API is the most private?

Running a model locally is the most private, because nothing leaves your machine. Among cloud APIs, look for providers that need no account, do not require training opt-ins and publish a no-logging policy. NanoGPT works without an account or email and offers TEE models, and Featherless states it does not log prompts.

Can I use Claude for roleplay through an API?

Yes. You can connect Anthropic directly in SillyTavern, or use an aggregator like NanoGPT or OpenRouter to reach Claude alongside open models with one key, which also works in Janitor AI and RisuAI.

Why is my free roleplay proxy not working anymore?

Free routes change constantly. Free model IDs get retired, daily caps get lower, and upstream providers move to paid plans, as Chutes did in 2025. Check the provider's current models page, or move to a paid model to stop the 429 errors.

Is it safe to use a free reverse proxy for roleplay?

Use a provider with a published privacy policy and your own API key. Avoid shared "free" proxy URLs from strangers, because whoever runs them can read every message you send.