Janitor AI: The Ultimate 2025 Guide to Creating & Using AI Chatbots

In the ever-expanding universe of artificial intelligence, Janitor AI has carved out a unique and compelling space. It’s a platform where creativity meets conversation, allowing users to craft and interact with highly personalized AI characters. Whether you’re a writer seeking a brainstorming partner, a developer exploring API integrations, or simply someone curious about the future of AI-driven role-play, this guide has you covered.

We’ll dive deep into what Janitor AI is, how it works, its pricing, and how to get started. Let’s unlock the world of custom AI chatbots.

What Is Janitor AI?

Janitor AI is a specialized AI chatbot platform focused on creating and interacting with fictional characters. Unlike general-purpose AI assistants, Janitor AI allows users to define a character’s personality, backstory, appearance, and conversational style in granular detail.

Launched in June 2023 by creator Jan Zoltkowski, the platform saw immediate and explosive growth, attracting over a million users in its first week. A fascinating statistic highlighted by HackerNoon notes that 70% of its user base is female, a testament to the platform’s success in fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for creative expression.

Key Features of Janitor.AI

Janitor AI’s popularity stems from a powerful set of features designed for immersive and customizable interactions:

• Deep Character Customization: Users can create characters from scratch, defining everything from their name and physical appearance (via uploaded images) to intricate personality traits and speaking styles.
• Diverse LLM Options: It supports multiple large language models (LLMs), giving users control over the “brain” that powers their character. This includes its free model, as well as industry leaders like OpenAI’s GPT series and community-driven models like Kobold AI.
• NSFW Content Flexibility: A major draw for many users is the platform’s support for Not-Safe-For-Work (NSFW) content, allowing for more mature and unrestricted storytelling and role-playing scenarios.
• Community-Driven Platform: Users can share their custom-created characters with the community, resulting in a vast and ever-growing library of bots to chat with.
• API Integration: It provides the flexibility to connect with different AI model APIs, offering advanced users greater control over performance and cost.

Is Janitor AI Free?

Yes, Janitor AI can be used entirely for free. This is possible through the platform’s native Large Language Model, JanitorLLM (Beta).

To avoid being charged, navigate to your API settings within Janitor AI and select “Janitor LLM” as your chosen model. This is the default and recommended option for new users or those who wish to avoid any costs.

Janitor AI Pricing Explained: API Costs

For users seeking more power or different conversational styles, Janitor AI integrates with paid external LLMs. Itself does not charge the cost; instead, it is determined by the API provider you choose (such as OpenAI). The pricing is based on “tokens,” which are pieces of words used to process your messages (input) and generate replies (output).

Here is a breakdown of the approximate costs for using OpenAI’s popular models via their API.

How to Use Janitor AI: A Step-by-Step Guide

Getting started with Janitor AI is incredibly straightforward. Follow these steps to create your first AI character.

1. Create an Account: Visit the official Janitor AI website and click “Sign Up.” You can register using your email, Google, or Discord account.
2. Set Up Your Profile: Once logged in, you can personalize your profile with a username and a profile picture. This is your identity on the platform.
3. Explore or Create a Character: You can either browse the homepage to find thousands of characters created by other users or create your own. To create one, click your profile icon and select “Create a Character.”
4. Define Your Character: Fill out the character creation form. This is where the magic happens:
   • Character Name: Give your bot a name.
   • Avatar: Upload an image for your character’s portrait.
   • Personality, Scenario, etc.: Be descriptive! Detail their personality, the setting of the chat, their background, and any key information you want the AI to remember.
   • Initial Message: Write the first message the character will say to start the conversation.
5. Start Chatting: Once you save your character, simply click the “Chat with…” button on their profile page to begin your conversation.

API Setup: OpenAI vs. Kobold AI vs. Reverse Proxy

If you want to move beyond the free JanitorLLM, you’ll need to configure an API.

1. OpenAI API (Recommended Paid Option)

Using your own OpenAI key provides the most stable and reliable experience.

• Go to the OpenAI Platform website.
• Sign up and navigate to the “API Keys” section.
• Create a new secret key and copy it.
• In Janitor AI, go to API Settings, select OpenAI, and paste your key into the designated field

2. Kobold AI API (Free, Technical Option)

For a free, self-hosted option, you can use KoboldAI. This requires a bit more technical setup.

1. Install KoboldAI: Download the “United” version from the official KoboldAI GitHub. Run the installer with administrator privileges.
2. Get a Model: Inside KoboldAI, you’ll need to download a compatible model, such as Pygmalion 6B. You must consider your computer’s VRAM (GPU memory) when setting this up.
3. Connect to Janitor AI: Run the remote-play file in your KoboldAI folder. This will generate a URL. Copy this URL and paste it into the KoboldAI API URL box within your Janitor AI settings.

3. OpenAI Reverse Proxy (Free, Use with Caution)

A reverse proxy acts as a middleman, forwarding your requests to OpenAI, often using shared or community-provided keys.

• How to Get It: You can often find links to free reverse proxies in the official Janitor AI Discord community.
• The Risk: These proxies are notoriously unstable, slow, and can be discontinued without notice. More importantly, you are sending your chat data through an untrusted third-party server, which poses a significant privacy and security risk. This method is generally not recommended.

Is Janitor AI Safe?

Janitor AI can be a safe platform if you take proper precautions. The developers have a stated commitment to safety, including an 18+ age restriction and moderation policies.

However, consider these points:

• Privacy: Your chats are private by default unless you choose to make them public.
• Data Security: Using the official JanitorLLM or your own OpenAI API key is the most secure method. Using a reverse proxy is a significant security risk.
• Beta Software: The platform is still in development (beta), which means bugs or unexpected issues can occur.
• NSFW Content: The platform’s allowance of NSFW content means users should be mindful of the types of interactions they engage in.

Always use a strong, unique password and avoid sharing sensitive personal information in your chats.

Why Is Janitor AI Not Working? Common Fixes

If you run into issues, here are a few things to check before panicking:

1. Check Server Status: The service might be down for maintenance or experiencing high traffic. The best place for real-time updates is the official Janitor AI Twitter (X) account or their Discord server.
2. API Key Issues: If using OpenAI or Kobold AI, ensure your API key or URL is entered correctly and is still valid. OpenAI accounts can be suspended for ToS violations, and keys can be regenerated if needed.
3. Clear Browser Cache: Sometimes a simple browser glitch is the culprit. Clear your cache and cookies, or try a different browser.
4. Check Your Configuration: If using KoboldAI, double-check that the program is running correctly and that you have sufficient resources allocated.

If problems persist, you can reach out to their support team via email at [email protected].

Top Janitor AI Alternatives for 2025

If Janitor AI isn’t the right fit, or you want to explore other options, the AI chatbot space is rich with alternatives:

• Character.AI: The most popular alternative, known for its SFW (Safe-For-Work) focus, fast response times, and highly advanced AI. It’s great for creative writing and general character interaction.
• Voiceflow: A professional-grade platform for building AI agents for business use cases like customer service. It offers a no-code, drag-and-drop interface.
• Alltius: Another business-focused, no-code platform that allows you to train an AI on your own data sources (documents, videos, etc.) to create specialized assistants.
• CrushOn.AI: An alternative that, like Janitor AI, is known for its strong support for unrestricted and NSFW conversations.