Zeta AI review: free story chat, zeta pass, Pieces and the filter

What is Zeta AI?

Zeta is a story roleplay app where you play the lead in user-made scenarios and the AI voices everyone else. It is run by Scatter Lab, Inc. of Seoul, launched in Korea in April 2024 and began a US closed beta in January 2026, according to The Korea Herald. It is now listed on the US App Store and Google Play and also runs on the web at zeta-ai.io.

Since March 12, 2026, Zeta calls each listing a “plot” rather than a character, because most now include a world, several characters and detailed settings. Almost all plots are made by users, across romance, fantasy, drama and comedy.

Zeta is large for a new US arrival. Scatter Lab reported about 1.5 million monthly users in January 2026, over 90% of them in their teens and 20s. Appfigures data published by Decrypt put Zeta first among romantic and NSFW companion apps for consumer spending in the first half of 2026, at $33 million before store fees. The app is rated 4.7 out of 5 from 37,441 ratings on the US App Store and 4.5 from 214,000 reviews on Google Play (October 19, 2026).

Its name also matches Zeta Global, an unrelated marketing-technology company, so check you have the right Zeta.

Is Zeta AI free?

Yes, Zeta’s basic text chat is free and unlimited, with ads paying for it. The store description says there is no per-message charge, and the help center says watching ads is the price of the free tier. Free users can keep only one private plot; anything else you create must be public, and a public plot can’t be made private again.

Reviewers say the ads are the cost you notice. PocketAnimus and Isekai Zero describe ads every few minutes, some with unskippable openings, and occasional wait timers in their place.

How much does Zeta AI cost?

The zeta pass costs $14.99 a month, and Pieces packs run from $1.99 to $139.99. Zeta has no public price page, so these are the US App Store in-app purchases, read October 19, 2026:

Pieces pay for the premium models koji and luca, which are charged per turn, plus snapshot images and smaller extras. Zeta says the paid models cost more because they keep longer context and write more precisely; it doesn’t publish the per-turn rates. The help center notes that the pass removes ads and adds features but doesn’t make the AI itself smarter. An older one-time “zeta pro” purchase ended on March 11, 2026. Web purchases go through Coda Payments, and Zeta’s Korean help center says web and app prices can differ.

What can you do on Zeta?

Zeta is a text-first story app built around browsing and creating plots. The main features, from the store listings and help center:

• Plots: pick from a large library of user-made stories, many with several characters.
• Creation: build a plot in about a minute from a name, personality and description, and add lorebooks, keyword-triggered notes the AI refers to.
• Smart Reply: suggested next lines when you’re stuck.
• Snapshots: turn a chat moment into an AI image in about 15 seconds, paid with Pieces.
• Paid models: koji and luca add roleplay style settings and plugins.

Couldn’t confirm voice calls on any official page, and there is no group chat with other people; multi-character plots fill that role.

How good is Zeta’s memory?

Zeta’s memory is limited to the chat you’re in. Its help center says each reply draws on only three things: the character profile, your chat profile and that chat room’s history. Nothing carries between chat rooms, so starting a fresh chat with the same plot starts from scratch. Reviewers say short chats hold up well, but long stories drift, with characters misremembering events or changing the plot (Isekai Zero, PocketAnimus). Lorebooks and the paid models’ longer context are the official fixes.

Does Zeta AI have a filter?

Yes. Zeta runs in Safe Mode by default, every chat passes through mandatory AI filtering, and plots with excessively sexual or violent content, sexual content involving minors or images of real people are deleted. Since January 2026 users may only create original characters, not real people or characters from anime, games or idol groups.

The adult picture is muddled. Zeta’s terms allow sexually explicit content only inside an adults-only “Unlimited Mode,” and the app’s interface lists that mode for users 18 and over. Its English help center, though, says Zeta has declined requests for an 18+ service and aims to suit all ages, and its Korean help center says adult verification currently needs a Korean phone number. Couldn’t confirm that US users can turn Unlimited Mode on.

What do published reviews say about Zeta?

Reviewers like the price and the stories, and criticize the ads, the Pieces and the moderation. AI Miracle praises the free access, big library and quick creation but flags ads, a young audience with intense romance themes and the company’s history. PocketAnimus calls Zeta a fair trade: generous free chat paid for with ads, uneven quality and moderation that is hard to appeal. Isekai Zero, which makes a competing app, praises long in-character replies and lorebooks.

The recurring complaints:

• Frequent ads on the free tier (PocketAnimus, Isekai Zero, Google Play reviews).
• Paid models and images cost Pieces even for pass holders (Isekai Zero).
• Memory drifts in long stories (Isekai Zero, App Store reviews).
• Plots removed or accounts suspended without a clear reason (PocketAnimus, RoboRhythms).

On the stores, App Store reviewers praise long replies and the lack of message limits and ask for better memory. Several Google Play reviews from September and October 2026 complain about ads, paid models and a stricter content line, while others praise lorebooks and natural dialogue.

Is Zeta AI safe?

Zeta is a registered company with clear policies, but it carries real teen-safety and privacy trade-offs. The terms allow users from age 13, with a parent’s agreement for under-18s, and Apple rates the app 13+ while Google Play rates it Mature 17+. At a Korean National Assembly audit on October 12, 2026, lawmakers said accounts without adult verification could still get self-harm and sexual content, and Scatter Lab reportedly plans teen time limits. Its CEO skipped that audit and a second one before the Education Committee on October 23, citing overseas business trips. Conversations train Zeta’s AI unless you email an opt-out, and identifiers go to ad partners. Scatter Lab’s earlier chatbot, Lee Luda, led Korea’s privacy regulator to fine it 103.3 million won in April 2021 for misusing users’ chat data. Our full guide, Is Zeta AI safe?, covers each point.

How do you cancel zeta pass?

You cancel through Apple, Google or the app itself, and the pass runs to the end of the paid month. The steps from Zeta’s help center:

1. Open My Page in the Zeta app.
2. Tap Manage next to “zeta pass active.”
3. Choose Unsubscribe under the payment method.
4. Do it at least 24 hours before renewal, because a charge can go through in the last day.

You can also cancel in your Apple ID or Google Play subscriptions; deleting the app doesn’t cancel. Zeta’s support can’t issue refunds for in-app purchases, so request them from Apple or Google, and used Pieces aren’t refundable. When the pass ends, only your most recently edited private plot stays private.

For a head-to-head, read Zeta vs Character.AI, or compare the best AI roleplay apps and Character.AI alternatives.