“Backyard AI (formerly Faraday.dev) is a powerful desktop and web platform that lets users run advanced AI companions locally on their own hardware or via secure cloud models.”
[DRAFT REVIEW – EDITORIAL USE ONLY]
Welcome to our comprehensive editorial overview of Backyard AI. Backyard AI (formerly Faraday.dev) is a powerful desktop and web platform that lets users run advanced AI companions locally on their own hardware or via secure cloud models.
Backyard AI, formerly known as Faraday.dev, was launched in 2023 to bridge the gap between local open-source AI and consumer companionship. The platform consists of a desktop application (for Windows and Mac) and a web service. It enables users to browse a library of thousands of custom characters and chat with them using open-source Large Language Models.
For users who want to run AI companions locally without technical terminal setups, Backyard AI provides a polished, one-click solution.
We tested Backyard AI on a Mac with Apple Silicon. The installation is simple, and the software automatically detects your hardware capabilities to recommend a model size (e.g., 7B or 8B parameter models). The character creator is highly detailed, featuring Lorebooks (which store backstory facts triggered by keywords) and customizable system instructions. Conversations are fast, and running locally ensures total privacy.
Running Backyard AI locally is entirely free. The company offers a Cloud Premium subscription starting at $14.99/mo, which allows users to chat with large models hosted in the cloud and sync chats to mobile web browsers.
Backyard AI is a completely uncensored platform. Because local models run on your own machine, there are no serverside filters. Cloud-based model variants also support mature romance, fantasy roleplay, and explicit scenarios.
Privacy is the core feature of Backyard AI. When using local mode, all chat logs and models reside on your hard drive. No data is sent to cloud servers, making it the most secure option for personal companion chat.
Each rating is mapped based on strict, hands-on tests measuring performance in dialogue persistence, image rendering stability, and server latency.
A quick breakdown of how Backyard AI manages chat modes, privacy access, and dynamic assets:
| Privacy & Registration | Standard email validation |
|---|---|
| NSFW & Adult Filter | No censorship or word filters enabled |
| Pricing Band | Freemium (Daily free messages / ads) |
| Platforms Summary | Desktop, Web |
| Supported Modalities |
✓ Voice Messages
✕ Photo Requests
✕ Video Chat
✕ Group Chats
✕ Custom Personalities
✕ Long-Term Memory
|
Download and run popular models like Llama or Mistral offline with automatically configured hardware settings.
Control the AI's memory and character context using dynamic keyword triggers and formatting blocks.
Our direct, objective view of the strengths and weaknesses of Backyard AI:
Verify options, monthly cost benchmarks, and annual discount plans for Backyard AI:
If Backyard AI doesn't check all your boxes, evaluate how it stacks up against these direct competitors:
| Alternative App | Rating | NSFW Filters | Price Band | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backyard AI (Current) | 0.0/10 | Uncensored | From $14.99/mo | Active Review |
| SillyTavern | 0.0/10 | Uncensored | From Free | Visit Site → |
| Janitor AI | 0.0/10 | Uncensored | From Free | Visit Site → |
| SpicyChat | 0.0/10 | Uncensored | From $5.00/mo | Visit Site → |
Yes. The Backyard AI desktop application is free to download and use for running local models on your computer. Bypassing hardware limits requires a paid Cloud Premium subscription.
Yes. Backyard AI is fully uncensored. When running models locally or using their unrestricted cloud options, there are no filters or restrictions on mature content.
It supports popular open-source LLMs in GGUF format, including Mistral, Llama, Fimbulvetr, and custom fine-tunes designed for storytelling.
For users who possess a modern computer and value data privacy, Backyard AI is the absolute gold standard. The cloud subscription is a great upgrade for mobile sync.
Access the official platform anonymously, set up your custom companions, and test the capabilities today.
