LingChat

LingChat is a free, open-source AI companion chat application that blends large language model conversation with galgame-style presentation. Released under the AGPL-3.0 license with more than 2,300 GitHub stars and active development in 2026, it aims at immersion: your AI partner has expressions, a desktop-pet form, a schedule and a memory of your shared story.

Overview

Instead of a plain chat window, LingChat stages conversations like a visual novel. The character’s emotional expressions change with the dialogue, driven by a self-developed emotion recognition model, and each save file keeps its own permanent memory so different storylines stay separate. The companion can also perceive your desktop state — working, gaming, idle — and proactively check in on you. Interactive story modules, scheduling features and a desktop pet mode round out the companion experience, and the app runs on Windows, Linux and macOS with your choice of LLM backend.

Key Features

• Galgame-style chat presentation with live emotional expressions
• Permanent per-save memory for separate, persistent storylines
• Built-in emotion recognition model that drives character reactions
• Desktop awareness: the companion notices work, games and idle time
• Desktop pet mode and interactive story modules
• Cross-platform, with pluggable LLM API backends

💳 Pricing

LingChat is free and open source under the AGPL-3.0 license; you supply your own model API key and pay only your provider’s usage.

Who Is It For

LingChat is for anime and visual-novel fans who want a long-term AI companion with character, memory and presence on their desktop, rather than a generic chatbot window.