# Ready-made vs custom AI companion: find the spark, then make it yours

Canonical page: https://theplaydevil.com/guides/ready-made-vs-custom-ai-companion

By [The Play Devil](https://theplaydevil.com/about#editorial-voice). For adults only; non-explicit editorial presentation.

Choose a ready-made or custom AI companion using a fictional character worksheet. Compare documented editing controls, creation costs and sharing limits.

A ready-made AI companion is the quicker starting point if you want to browse a character and begin chatting. A custom AI companion makes more sense when you already know the personality, setting and conversation style you want to shape. I would start ready-made when I am still finding my taste, and build custom when I have a specific idea worth writing down. Kindroid documents both Community and Create routes; Promptchan separates browsing from Pro custom characters. Editing and sharing rules matter as much as the first creation. This guide gives you a fictional adult character worksheet and maps it to documented controls, without promising better replies or asking you to upload personal details.

Editorial update 2026-10-10; source-check dates appear with the citations.

## Should I start with a ready-made or a custom companion?

Choose ready-made when the job is 'let me see what I like'. Choose custom when the job is 'I know the character I want'. Kindroid's Community templates and its separate Create route show these are two starting methods, not two guaranteed levels of quality.

A portrait can start the attraction. I'd read the greeting too: do I want easy banter, long storytelling or someone who gets to the point? Promptchan also separates Chat from Story mode, so the way you want to converse deserves its own decision.

My decision aid, based on your desired starting effort rather than tested response quality.
| What you want | Where I would start | First thing to check |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Browse and start talking | Ready-made character | Greeting and chat format |
| A specific fictional personality | Custom character | Personality and style fields |
| An existing setup with changes | Permitted template or editable copy | What can be edited and what carries over |
| A different role for yourself | User persona where available | Persona entitlement, separate from character creation |

Sources: [Kindroid: Kindroid character creation and personality controls](<https://kindroid.ai/v2/docs/customizing-personality/>); [Kindroid: Kindroid shared templates and what they omit](<https://kindroid.ai/v2/docs/sharing-kindroids-referrals/>); [Promptchan: Promptchan companion chat features](<https://promptchan.com/chat>); [Secrets AI: Secrets personas, user identity and companion identity](<https://wiki.secrets.ai/get-started/personas>)

## What should I write before creating an AI companion?

Write a small character card in your own notes first. Kindroid documents personality, a greeting, an optional directive, key memories and example messages. You do not need a novel to fill those controls. The worksheet below is my own planning aid, not a universal import format or a tested formula for better chemistry.

Give the character a fictional adult identity, a clear voice and one opening situation. Separate facts from style instructions. A contradiction such as 'gives one-line replies' beside 'always writes a long scene' makes the intended result hard even for you to judge.

Play Devil's fictional character card. Save it locally and adapt only the fields your chosen platform supports.
| Field | Your decision | Non-explicit example |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fictional identity | Name and adult age | Alex, a fictional 30-year-old |
| Personality | Two traits that can coexist | Dry humor; interested in other people's stories |
| Shared setting | One place or situation | Two travelers waiting for a night train |
| Conversation style | Length and pace | Brief replies with occasional questions |
| Opening line | How the first chat starts | Which city would you disappear into for a weekend? |
| Continuity facts | Details worth carrying forward | Alex likes old cinemas; the destination is fictional |
| Your role | Fictional name or nickname | Sam, another adult traveler |
| Boundaries | What you want the story to respect | Keep real people and identifying details out |

Sources: [Kindroid: Kindroid character creation and personality controls](<https://kindroid.ai/v2/docs/customizing-personality/>); [Secrets AI: Secrets custom character creation, editing and sharing](<https://wiki.secrets.ai/create/custom-characters>)

## Which platforms let me edit the character after creation?

Kindroid documents editable personality settings, key memories and example messages. Secrets' Character Studio separates appearance from personality: setting up personality initially is available on every tier, but editing an existing personality requires Ultimate. Public Secrets characters use a private draft and approval process for those updates.

Promptchan documents custom characters on Pro; its public chat page alone does not establish every later editing control. Candy's guest builder let us choose some visual options on 8 October, but requesting base models opened registration. That is a useful access observation, not a completed creation or evidence that all custom features are free.

I'd check editing before spending time on a detailed setup. If one field can only be changed after upgrading or rebuilding, that can change which starting route is worth it for you.

Sources: [Kindroid: Kindroid character creation and personality controls](<https://kindroid.ai/v2/docs/customizing-personality/>); [Secrets AI: Secrets custom character creation, editing and sharing](<https://wiki.secrets.ai/create/custom-characters>); [Promptchan: Promptchan companion chat features](<https://promptchan.com/chat>); [Candy AI: Candy AI Character Studio guest-access observation](<https://candy.ai/characters/new2>)

## Does a user persona change the companion itself?

A user persona describes your role; a custom character describes the companion. Secrets documents separate name, backstory and preference fields for Ultimate personas. Changing the active persona does not rewrite earlier messages.

Use the worksheet's 'your role' line for the persona and its character lines for the companion. I would use a fictional nickname rather than put a real address, workplace or private history into either. Personalization can come from a made-up setting and a style preference; it does not require a biography.

Sources: [Secrets AI: Secrets personas, user identity and companion identity](<https://wiki.secrets.ai/get-started/personas>)

## Can I keep the character private or share it later?

Check what 'private' controls before sharing. Secrets says that once someone starts chatting with a privately shared character, its sharing setting cannot be switched off. Kindroid distinguishes template setup from the conversations and memories that are not shared with it.

Visibility is not a complete data-retention or security guarantee. Use fictional adults, respect image and voice rights, and leave real people's identifying material out. Secrets prohibits characters based on real people. I'd keep the first version private and review the share screen carefully before giving it an audience.

Sources: [Secrets AI: Secrets custom character creation, editing and sharing](<https://wiki.secrets.ai/create/custom-characters>); [Kindroid: Kindroid shared templates and what they omit](<https://kindroid.ai/v2/docs/sharing-kindroids-referrals/>)

[Private chat, public settings: what to check before you subscribe](https://theplaydevil.com/guides/ai-companion-privacy-and-cancellation)

## What should I check before paying for custom creation?

Check the creation fee, required tier and whether corrections have their own cost. Secrets documents a free first character and 500 Moments for each additional creation; later appearance generation shows its own cost. OurDream's subscriber-oriented tariff lists 10 Dreamcoins to create a chatbot, including its first two images. The different balances are not a cash-price comparison.

Then try a small ordinary conversation: give the character a fictional preference, ask a follow-up and see whether the style fits. Change one setting at a time and keep your original card. This is a suggested exercise, not a test we have completed. I'd spend on the interaction I want to keep having, rather than buy a long plan because the character portrait looks tempting.

Sources: [Secrets AI: Secrets custom character creation, editing and sharing](<https://wiki.secrets.ai/create/custom-characters>); [OurDream: What costs coins?](<https://help.ourdream.ai/en/articles/10808513>); [Kindroid: Kindroid character creation and personality controls](<https://kindroid.ai/v2/docs/customizing-personality/>)

[AI companion free trials: free tiers, previews and renewal](https://theplaydevil.com/guides/ai-companion-free-trials)

[AI companion subscription costs: plans, tokens and the real bill](https://theplaydevil.com/guides/ai-companion-subscription-costs)

[AI companions with voice calls: choose the conversation, check the meter](https://theplaydevil.com/guides/ai-companions-with-voice-calls)

## Related reviews

- [Kindroid: You want to shape a character and compare text, voice and memory options](https://theplaydevil.com/reviews/kindroid)
- [Secrets AI: You want chat and media, with published costs to plan your spending](https://theplaydevil.com/reviews/secrets-ai)
- [Promptchan: You want to make images, adjust the result and chat with characters](https://theplaydevil.com/reviews/promptchan)
- [Candy AI: You want character chat with images and voice in the same place](https://theplaydevil.com/reviews/candy-ai)
- [OurDream: You want to create a character and switch between chat and media](https://theplaydevil.com/reviews/ourdream)

## What this page is based on

Product claims are attributed to their publishers. Reading a source is not a hands-on test.

- [Kindroid character creation and personality controls](<https://kindroid.ai/v2/docs/customizing-personality/>) — Kindroid; accessed 2026-10-10. Updated October 6, 2026. Community versus Create entry, appearance, personality/greeting, optional directive, key memories and example messages. Guidance supports a reader worksheet, not a measured improvement in consistency or recall. No character created.
- [Kindroid shared templates and what they omit](<https://kindroid.ai/v2/docs/sharing-kindroids-referrals/>) — Kindroid; accessed 2026-10-10. Updated October 9, 2026. Community template workflow; shared setup excludes chat history, journals, long-term memory and custom voice addons. This is sharing inside Kindroid, not a cross-service migration tool. No template imported or shared.
- [Secrets custom character creation, editing and sharing](<https://wiki.secrets.ai/create/custom-characters>) — Secrets AI; accessed 2026-10-10. Fresh full document, not older indexed snippets: first character free; additional creation 500 Moments; Free custom chats 100 messages total. Initial personality setup available on every tier, existing-personality editing Ultimate. Studio appearance edits, public drafts and irreversible shared-access condition documented. Characters must be fictional adults; no creation/edit/share performed.
- [Secrets personas, user identity and companion identity](<https://wiki.secrets.ai/get-started/personas>) — Secrets AI; accessed 2026-10-10. Current document distinguishes the user's role from the custom companion. Personas are Ultimate-only; name, backstory and preferences are editable and switching does not rewrite previous messages. No persona saved and no retention or memory-performance claim.
- [Promptchan companion chat features](<https://promptchan.com/chat>) — Promptchan; accessed 2026-10-08. Rechecked Chat versus Story mode; FAQ says switching clears history. Pro custom characters and voice costs remain documented, with undefined call duration. No conversation, history-reset or voice test performed.
- [Candy AI Character Studio guest-access observation](<https://candy.ai/characters/new2>) — Candy AI; accessed 2026-10-08. Automation-assisted public-interface check by Play Devil using a logged-out browser. Clothing/background selections worked; Generate Base Models (2 FREE) opened registration without returning a character. No account, purchase, completed generation or output-quality test. Limited to the observed guest flow, not all routes or regions.
- [What costs coins?](<https://help.ourdream.ai/en/articles/10808513>) — OurDream; accessed 2026-10-08. Article edited March 2, 2026. Rechecked five-Dreamcoin in-chat images, 50/minute voice, one per Genius/Lively Genius response and non-subscriber message. Ordinary subscriber chat is zero coins. Tariffs support hypothetical budgets, not output-quality or failed-generation tests.

## Related guides

- [Character.AI alternatives: choose the feature you want to change](https://theplaydevil.com/guides/character-ai-alternatives)
- [AI companions with voice calls: choose the conversation, check the meter](https://theplaydevil.com/guides/ai-companions-with-voice-calls)
- [Private chat, public settings: what to check before you subscribe](https://theplaydevil.com/guides/ai-companion-privacy-and-cancellation)

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