What people actually leave for
Most people looking for a Chub AI alternative are not unhappy with the cards. The card library is the reason they found Chub in the first place. They want a different model behind those cards, a different way to pay, or more control over settings than a hosted chat gives. That points to one setup: your own frontend, and an API you choose.
This page covers how to take your cards with you, which frontends can read them, where the model can come from, and what pay per token costs next to a subscription. It does not rank Chub's own plans or quote its prices, because those change and are best checked on Chub itself.
Your cards come with you
Chub cards use the open character card format, as PNG files with the character data embedded in the image, or as JSON. Every serious frontend reads them, so nothing about your collection is locked in.
- In SillyTavern, open the character panel and import the PNG or JSON. You can also paste a Chub link into the import box and SillyTavern fetches the card for you.
- Lorebooks export separately and import into SillyTavern's World Info.
- Your chat logs on Chub's own service are a separate matter. Copy out anything you want to keep before you go.
The frontends
| Frontend | Runs where | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| SillyTavern | Your computer, or a phone through Termux | The most settings, extensions, group chats, lorebooks. The default choice. |
| Agnai | Hosted, or self-hosted | A simpler interface with multi-user rooms. |
| RisuAI | Desktop app or browser | A polished interface with strong card and asset support. |
All three accept an OpenAI-compatible API, which is what Wild West API is. One caution: a frontend running purely in your browser tab calls the API from the page, and Wild West API does not answer cross-origin requests today. Use the desktop or self-hosted version of these apps, or SillyTavern, which calls the API from your machine.
Where the model comes from
This is where the real choice is. Roughly, you have three options:
- A pay-per-token uncensored API, like this one. One key, a short list of uncensored and abliterated models, and you pay only for what you send and receive. No hardware, no message caps.
- A big multi-model router. Hundreds of models in one place, which is great for variety. How each model handles explicit or dark content depends on the provider serving it, so a story can hit refusals partway through.
- Running a model yourself with KoboldCpp or a similar tool. Free per message and entirely on your machine, but you need a strong GPU, and the models that fit on home hardware are smaller than what an API can serve.
If you are not sure, start with an API. You can always add a local model later, and SillyTavern lets you switch connections in a click.
Subscription or pay per message
A subscription is simple if you chat every day and it covers the model you want. Pay per token wins when your use is uneven, when you take breaks, or when you want a model the subscription does not include. Here is what a single message costs on a pay-per-token API:
Say a scene has grown to 6,000 tokens of character card and history, and the model writes a 300 token reply, on a model priced at $0.40 per million input tokens and $1.60 per million output tokens. Input costs $0.0024, output costs $0.00048, so the message costs about $0.003, or roughly 350 messages for a dollar.
Two things push the number up: very long histories and very long cards, since both are resent with every message. Two things bring it down: a sensible context size and a summary of older events. Check the live numbers on the uncensored model list and the fee on the pricing page.
Setting it up
- Install SillyTavern and import your Chub cards.
- Get a Wild West API key and top up.
- Connect with Chat Completion, Custom (OpenAI-compatible), base URL
https://wildwestapi.com/v1. - Open a card and pick up where you left off.
The SillyTavern uncensored API setup guide has every box spelled out, plus settings for long chats. The API docs cover the same connection for scripts and other apps.
Questions
Can I keep my Chub character cards?
Yes. Cards are PNG or JSON files in the open character card format, and SillyTavern, Agnai and RisuAI all import them.
Do I have to run anything on my computer?
For SillyTavern, yes: it is a small app you run yourself, on a computer or on Android through Termux. That is also why it can connect to any API you choose.
Is pay per token cheaper than a subscription?
It depends on how much you chat. Light or uneven use is usually cheaper per token. Heavy daily use with very long histories can cost more. The worked example on this page lets you estimate it.