NovelAI review
Updated September 28, 2026 · AdultCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026
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Our verdict
NovelAI suits adult readers who want private, encrypted writing with anime-style characters and image generation included, at monthly fees of $10. Plan for credits on top, and note that access after the trial is paid (Free trial for new users; no free plan), with support limited to email and community.
Key facts
- Best for
- Encrypted anime-style writing with image generation, for adults who prefer paying monthly.
- Monthly price
- $10 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- What is free
- Free trial for new users; no free plan (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Adult content policy
- No stated content restrictions (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Memory
- Lorebooks per story, end-to-end encrypted (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Privacy and data
- Prompts not stored; stories end-to-end encrypted (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Credit system
- Anlas credits, on-demand top-up (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Image generation
- Yes (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Platforms
- Web, Mobile web (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Age verification
- 18+ required in terms (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Personas
- Anime (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Anlatan Inc. (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Support channels
- Email, Community (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
- Official website
- novelai.net
Pros and cons
Pros
- Privacy terms stand out: Prompts not stored; stories end-to-end encrypted.
- Image generation is available, so a story can be illustrated without leaving the service for a separate tool.
- Memory is Lorebooks per story, end-to-end encrypted, so a long series keeps its own encrypted record instead of a shared profile.
- Content is left open: No stated content restrictions.
Cons
- Spending after the trial rests on Anlas credits, on-demand top-up, so a heavy month runs above the $10 subscription, and access details are Free trial for new users; no free plan.
- Support runs on email and community only, with no phone or live chat, where 35.5% of the sites tracked offer phone.
- Access is web and mobile web only, so there is no native app, while 64% of sites have one.
- Character personas are anime, a narrower set than the 95% of sites that include female personas.
Who it suits
- Adults who want their writing kept private, given Prompts not stored; stories end-to-end encrypted.
- Readers who like one clear monthly number and a per-story encrypted record via Lorebooks per story, end-to-end encrypted.
- Anime-style character fans, since personas are anime.
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who wants to sign up and browse at no cost: Xtease offers Free signup and browsing, no card needed, while entry to NovelAI is a paid month of $10.
- Readers after a cheaper entry price than $10 a month: CrushOn.AI bills $3.90 to $14.90 and Dippy AI $4.99 to $12.99, and both start below NovelAI.
What is free and what costs
Monthly fees are $10, and access details are Free trial for new users; no free plan, so a reader can look at the service before paying. Once the trial is over, the monthly figure is the starting cost rather than a small trial charge. Spending inside the service runs on Anlas credits, on-demand top-up: the balance is topped up when it runs low, so a month of heavy image work and long stories costs more than the subscription on its own, while a light month stays close to the monthly fee. Readers who dislike variable top-ups should factor that in before settling.
Using the service
Access runs on web and mobile web, so nothing needs installing and the same account works in a phone browser as on a desktop. Image generation is available, which means a story can carry its own artwork instead of being text alone. Memory is Lorebooks per story, end-to-end encrypted, so each story holds a lorebook of its own and the record stays encrypted rather than sitting in a shared account profile. Together, browser access and per-story lorebooks let a long-running series stay organised without moving the setup elsewhere.
Memory, voice and media
Memory is Lorebooks per story, end-to-end encrypted. Lorebooks are set per story, so a long series can keep its own cast and setting, and that record is end-to-end encrypted. Image generation is available, so a scene can be illustrated as it is written rather than described only in words. Those two parts carry the experience: memory keeps a story consistent from session to session, and image output gives it a visual side. Text and images are the core of what is offered here.
The company behind it
The service runs from Anlatan Inc., headquartered in the United States, so readers have a named company and a home country to check. Support runs on email and community, which covers email and the community rather than a live chat line or a phone desk. That is a thin support setup for a billing question that needs a fast answer, and a workable one for setup questions.
How NovelAI compares
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Frequently asked questions
How much is NovelAI per month?+
The monthly subscription is $10. On top of that, usage draws on a prepaid balance, since the credit model is Anlas credits, on-demand top-up: the balance is topped up on demand when it runs out. A quiet month of writing sits close to the monthly figure, while heavy image work raises the bill through the credit balance.
Is there a free plan, or only a trial?+
Access details are Free trial for new users; no free plan. New users can look at the service before paying, and after that the subscription takes over. There is no standing tier at no cost, so anyone planning regular use should treat the monthly fee as the starting point rather than something to try indefinitely.
What does NovelAI do with prompts and stories?+
The privacy terms state Prompts not stored; stories end-to-end encrypted. That is the part that matters for private writing: the text a reader types is not kept by the service, and the story file is encrypted end to end. Memory is Lorebooks per story, end-to-end encrypted, so the lorebook for each story sits inside the same encrypted setup rather than in a plain account profile.
Can I use NovelAI on a phone?+
Available platforms are web and mobile web, which covers web and mobile web. There is nothing to install, so the same account and the same story work in a phone browser as on a desktop, with no separate app to update. Readers who prefer a native app should weigh that before starting.
Who can use NovelAI, and what content is allowed?+
An age requirement applies, with 18+ required in terms. On content, No stated content restrictions, so adult themes are not filtered out and writers are not held to tame scenarios. That pairing is what separates the service from companion sites that keep mature themes behind a filter.
What character personas can I choose?+
Personas are anime, so the character style is tied to anime rather than a spread of appearances. Readers who want a wider mix of faces and archetypes are better served by a site with a broader persona list, and should weigh that against the encrypted memory and the image generation here.
How do I get help from NovelAI?+
Support runs on email and community, which means email and the community. There is no phone line or live chat in that list, so a billing question that needs a quick answer may take longer to resolve. Setup questions are the easier side of that arrangement, since email and community both cover them.
Who runs NovelAI and where?+
The legal entity is Anlatan Inc., based in the United States. That gives readers a named company and a home country to check rather than an anonymous service. Support is email and community, so the trail is short but it is there to read before you subscribe.
Sources
- novelai.net checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Adult content policy, Credit system, What is free, Image generation, Personas, Platforms, Monthly price, Support channels
“Generate original characters, scenes, and artwork in seconds. No restrictions. No compromises.”
- novelai.net/privacy checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Memory, Privacy and data
“Your stories, including their lorebooks, and your scripts and prompt chunks are encrypted in your browser before they are saved”
- novelai.net/terms checked September 26, 2026
Backs: Age verification, Headquarters, Legal entity
“You must be 18 years or older and be capable of entering a legal contract in the United States of America in order to use the Services.”
Compiled from 3 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.
Not confirmed yet: Voice.
Related by the facts
NovelAI
Encrypted anime-style writing with image generation, for adults who prefer paying monthly.