Is SillyTavern really free?

Yes — the software itself is completely free and open source, licensed under AGPL, and the project states it will always remain free. However, SillyTavern includes no AI model. You connect your own backend, so your real cost is either cloud API usage (roughly $5–20/month for Claude or GPT-4 at moderate usage) or a local model, which is free but requires a GPU with at least 6GB of VRAM.

What are the hidden costs of SillyTavern?

Three main ones. First, the AI model: cloud APIs bill per token with no free tier on Claude or GPT-4, though Google Gemini offers a rate-limited free tier. Second, hardware: local inference wants a 3000-series NVIDIA GPU or better with 6GB+ VRAM. Third, time: setup takes 30–60 minutes for beginners, including installing Node.js, configuring a backend, and potentially debugging CUDA errors or dependency issues.

How long does SillyTavern take to set up?

Expect 30–60 minutes on a first install: installing Node.js (about 5 minutes), cloning the repo, running the installer, picking and connecting a backend such as Oobabooga or KoboldCPP, downloading a model, and configuring settings. One documented 2026 test with a local Llama model and a TTS extension took 47 minutes of active effort, most of it debugging.

How much does FlirtAlly cost compared to SillyTavern?

FlirtAlly has a free plan (30 messages/day, 1 image/day, 3 call minutes/day, 7-day memory, plus 25 signup bonus credits) and paid plans from $9.99/month (Spark, 250 credits) through $19.99 (Flame), $49.99 (Exclusive), and $99.99/month (VIP). Annual billing drops Spark to $79.99/year. SillyTavern's software is $0, but with a cloud API you'd typically spend $5–20/month — so a FlirtAlly Spark or Flame plan is in the same price range as SillyTavern plus a paid API, with no setup.

Can SillyTavern run on a phone?

Not natively. SillyTavern is browser-only and requires a running server, so mobile access means keeping a server running on a desktop, using server-on-desktop hacks, or an Android Termux installation. There is a mobile-friendly layout, but the underlying infrastructure burden remains. FlirtAlly, by contrast, runs directly in a mobile browser with no server to maintain.

Which is better for privacy?

SillyTavern with a local model is the strongest privacy option: inference happens entirely on your machine, nothing leaves your network, and the project states it provides no hosted services and tracks no user data. FlirtAlly is cloud-based, so conversations are processed on its servers — though it emphasizes honest safety practices, including ID-based age verification for its 18+ Spicy mode and in-app reporting.

Is SillyTavern really free?

Yes — the software itself is completely free and open source, licensed under AGPL, and the project states it will always remain free. However, SillyTavern includes no AI model. You connect your own backend, so your real cost is either cloud API usage (cost varies with chosen backend at moderate usage) or a local model, which is free but requires a GPU with at least 6GB of VRAM.

What are the hidden costs of SillyTavern?

Three main ones. First, the AI model: cloud APIs bill per token with pricing varies by backend, though pricing details not specified. Second, hardware: local inference requires a GPU with 6GB+ VRAM. Third, time: setup involves installing Node.js, configuring a backend, and potentially debugging CUDA errors or dependency issues.

How long does SillyTavern take to set up?

Setup time varies by experience: cloning the repo, running the installer, picking and connecting a backend such as Oobabooga or KoboldCPP, downloading a model, and configuring settings. Reported setup experiences vary; most of the effort typically goes into backend configuration and debugging.

How much does FlirtAlly cost compared to SillyTavern?

FlirtAlly has a free plan (30 messages/day, 1 image/day, 3 call minutes/day, unlimited memory, plus 25 signup bonus credits) and paid plans from $12.99/month (Spark, 200 credits) through $19.99 (Flame), $49.99 (Exclusive), and $99.99/month (VIP). Annual billing drops Spark to $59.94/year. SillyTavern's software is $0, but cloud API costs vary with chosen backend — so a FlirtAlly Spark or Flame plan is in the same price range as SillyTavern plus a paid API, with no setup.

Can SillyTavern run on a phone?

Not natively. SillyTavern is browser-only and requires a running server, so mobile access means keeping a server running on a desktop, using server-on-desktop hacks, or an Android Termux installation. There is a mobile-friendly layout, but the underlying infrastructure burden remains. FlirtAlly, by contrast, runs directly in a mobile browser with no server to maintain.

Which is better for privacy?

SillyTavern with a local model provides privacy through on-device inference, nothing leaves your network, and the project states it provides no hosted services and tracks no user data. FlirtAlly processes conversations on its servers with safety practices in place, including ID-based age verification for its 18+ Spicy mode and in-app reporting.

Pricing

How Much Does SillyTavern Cost in 2026?

SillyTavern costs $0 — it's a free, open-source AI roleplay frontend, but you pay separately for the AI model behind it, with cloud API costs varying by backend, or $0 with a local model on your own GPU. FlirtAlly is a hosted AI-companion platform, free to start at launch with paid plans from $12.99/month.

Fact-checked against vendor sources ✓ 76/100 · October 12, 2026

SillyTavern costs $0 — it's a free, open-source AI roleplay frontend, but you pay separately for the AI model behind it, with cloud API costs varying by backend, or $0 if you run a local model on your own GPU. If you'd rather skip the Node.js setup and API keys entirely, FlirtAlly is a hosted AI-companion platform, free to start at launch (30 messages/day) with paid plans from $12.99/month. The real cost of SillyTavern is time: expect a real technical setup before your first message.Bottom line: SillyTavern is genuinely free software, but its total cost depends on the model you connect — $0 locally or backend-dependent cloud API costs — plus a real technical setup. FlirtAlly costs more per month but requires zero setup and includes chat, voice, images, and memory out of the box.

TL;DR

SillyTavern is free, open-source software — $0 forever for the frontend itself.
Real costs come from the AI model you connect: cloud API costs vary entirely with the chosen backend, while local models via Ollama or KoboldCPP cost nothing but need a GPU with 6GB+ VRAM.
Setup involves Node.js, Git, backend configuration, and API keys — expect a real time investment.
SillyTavern requires users to provide their own AI model or API key
It offers unmatched customization: lorebooks, sampler control, group chats, and any backend (OpenRouter, Claude, KoboldAI, local Llama).
FlirtAlly is free to start at launch (30 messages/day) and its paid plans run $12.99–$99.99/month with chat, voice calls, images, and unlimited memory included — no setup at all.
SillyTavern wins on cost and control; hosted platforms win on time-to-first-message.

Researched everything on SillyTavern — verified pricing, the feature-by-feature grid, and where it genuinely wins.

Full SillyTavern profile →

Dimension	SillyTavern	FlirtAlly
Pricing	$0 software; cloud API costs vary by backend, or $0 local with your own GPUwinner	Free plan; paid from $12.99/mo (Spark) up to $99.99/mo (VIP)
Ease of use	Dense settings panels; intimidating for non-technical users	Browser-based Companion OS; read-only demo available, full access via waitlistwinner
Features	Lorebooks, samplers, group chats, model switching, image-gen and TTS via extensions	Companions who text first, 17 games, voice calls, real phone lines, email, physical mail, feed, wardrobe, diary
Support	Discord community, docs site, GitHub issues — no formal support	In-app reporting and human review of creations
Integrations	OpenAI, Claude, OpenRouter, KoboldAI/CPP, Ollama, Tabby, Mistral, NovelAI, Automatic1111, ComfyUI, TTS providerswinner	Self-contained platform; no external model connections
Setup	Node.js version not specified, Git, backend config, API keys; possible CUDA/dependency debugging — a real time investment	None — open the browser and explore; signups via waitlistwinner
Privacy	Fully local option — nothing leaves your machine; the project tracks no user datawinner	Cloud-based; age verification required for the 18+ Spicy side
Mobile	No native mobile app; browser-only, needs a running server (Termux install possible)	Runs in the browser; mobile-friendlywinner

Free	$0/mo	30 msgs/day · 1 image/day · 1 voice note/day · 3 call min/day · 2 emails/day · 1 companion · unlimited memory · 25 signup bonus credits
Spark	$12.99/mo	200 credits/mo · unlimited chat · 5 images/day · 15 videos/mo · 30 call min/day · 2 companions · unlimited memory
Flame	$19.99/mo	500 credits/mo · 20 images/day · 4 videos/day · 60 call min/day · 30 emails/day · 4 companions · unlimited memory · Spicy-eligible

How Much Does SillyTavern Cost in 2026?

TL;DR

Scores

SillyTavern

FlirtAlly

Pricing compared: what SillyTavern actually costs in 2026

The hidden cost: setup time and hardware

What each platform is actually for

Which should you choose?

Frequently asked questions

Sources