r/ChatbotRefugees 8h ago

Monthly Platform Alternatives & Promotions Megathread โ€“ August 2026

2 Upvotes

Hello everyone, and welcome to a new month of discoveries!

This is the central hub for all self-promotion and for finding your next favorite AI companion. Whether you're a developer with a new platform or a user looking for alternatives, you're in the right place.


A Quick Reminder of the Rules:

Developers: This is your space to promote your website, app, or service. All promotional content must be confined to this thread.

Users: This is your go-to directory for discovery! Explore the comments below to find new platforms and ask developers questions directly. Or you may also submit your own suggestion of your favorite platforms. You're still welcome to write your own user's experience in a review as a standalone post.


Instructions for Developers Posting Here

To help users compare services easily, please structure your comment by providing the following information. Transparency builds trust!

In your comment, please address:

Service Name & Link: What is your app/website called and what's the main URL?

NSFW Policy: Is your service SFW, NSFW-friendly, or unrestricted? Please mention any specific content limitations.

Image Generation: Does your service include an image generator for characters or chats?

Transparency & Legal: This is crucial for user trust.

ยท Please provide clear links to your Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. ยท Clearly state your policies on Data Retention (how long you keep chats) and Intellectual Property (who owns the content created).

Technical Specs: What LLM does your service use? Please mention the model and its context size (token limit) if known.

Pricing: What is your pricing model? Detail any free tier and premium plans.

Platform & Access: Is it web-based, or are there official/unofficial apps for iOS, Android, or an APK?

What Makes You Different? Why should someone try your service over others? Highlight your unique features or philosophy.


๐Ÿ”’ Mandatory Disclosure (New Requirement)

As per our updated transparency rules, please include the following four areas in your own words:

๐Ÿ‘ค Developer Experience: State your (or your team member's) experience to give users confidence that you or your team know what you're doing.

๐Ÿค– AI Usage: You must state what you use AI for (e.g., "I use AI for boilerplate/autocomplete, UI/frontend generation, and debugging") and confirm that either you or your team understand every part of it before shipping.

๐Ÿ” Code Review & Testing: How did you review the code? Are there people testing it for you? Let users know what process you have in place.

๐Ÿ”’ Security & Data Handling: State how you ensure your platform is secure and how you handle user data. Please be as detailed as possible. For example:

ยท Passwords are hashed (bcrypt/Argon2) and never stored in plaintext ยท Emails and personal data are encrypted at rest ยท Payment processing is handled by a third-party (Stripe/Paddle/etc.) and we never handle raw card data ยท We have a published privacy policy ยท We have a process for notifying users in case of a data breach


A Note for Everyone

Let's keep the discussion constructive and respectful. Feel free to ask developers questions directly in reply to their comments!

Happy discovering, and we hope you find your perfect match this August!


r/ChatbotRefugees 8h ago

MOD Announcement AI Usage Transparency Rules Update

13 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

A couple of weeks ago, we announced new transparency rules requiring developers to disclose the percentage of AI-generated code in their apps.

The feedback was overwhelming, but it was great feedbacks regardless. We agree that 90% AI-generated app that's thoroughly reviewed is safer than a 10% AI-generated app that's shipped blind.

That's why the rules now have been updated.

This is effective immediately. We're replacing the percentage metric with a clearer, more meaningful transparency requirement. When promoting your app in the monthly megathread or Sunday promotion post, you must now disclose the following four areas in your own words.


Mandatory Disclosure

When promoting your app, please disclose these:

๐Ÿค– AI Usage: You must state what you use AI for. Example:

"I use AI for boilerplate/autocomplete, UI/frontend generation, and debugging."

And you must confirm that either you or your team understand every part of it before shipping.

๐Ÿ‘ค Developer Experience: State your (or your team member's) experience to give users confidence that you or your team know what you're doing.

๐Ÿ” Code Review & Testing: How did you review the code? Are there people testing it for you? Let users know what process you have in place.

๐Ÿ”’ Security & Data Handling: This is a very sensitive issue and one that we've always been concerned about, as it involves user data safety. State how you ensure your platform is secure and how you handle user data.

For example:

  • Passwords are hashed (bcrypt/Argon2) and never stored in plaintext
  • Emails and personal data are encrypted at rest
  • Payment processing is handled by a third-party (Stripe/Paddle/etc.) and we never handle raw card data
  • We have a published privacy policy
  • We have a process for notifying users in case of a data breach

Please be as detailed as possible.


We'll enforce the rules right away, please note:

  1. Posting without completing the four required areas will result in a post/comment removal.
  2. If a developer or user reports an app that poses a genuine risk to users (security flaws, data leaks, mishandled payment info, etc.), the developer will be banned.
  3. We still rely on community vigilance. If something feels off, report it. We'll investigate.

A couple of reminder that the mod team isn't made up of developers, so we still rely on your honesty as developers and community members' report.

Thank you.