Avatar UI (AUI) is an open source desktop agent built around the idea that an AI avatar and a human share one continuous “field.” It is developed by SIQI Label (Sito Sikino), a creator based in Japan. The same avatar is present not only in the console chat window but also in Roblox, X, and Discord, and it is designed so that memory and the relationship persist across sessions and restarts. Released under the MIT License, it runs on your own PC or your own VPS as long as Node.js 20 or later is available. The language model behind it is xAI’s Grok.
Key Features
- Seven-pane console UI: A single screen combining Avatar, Space, Canvas, X, Stream, Terminal, and Roblox panes. The avatar is pixel art with idle motion, blinking, and lip-sync
- Personality and behavior defined in Markdown: Write the avatar’s personality in
BEING.md, and drop.mdfiles into thepulse/folder — each one becomes a scheduled task. You can define “what kind of personality it has and when it acts on its own” without writing code - Autonomous action and long-term memory: Pulse lets the avatar act without waiting for human input, Resonance mode has it sense changes around it and respond on its own, and long-term memory (RAG) lets it decide what is worth remembering and keep it
- Presence across multiple channels: Beyond the console, it connects to Roblox, X, and Discord. In Roblox it can follow players, in Discord you can chat and approve tool calls, and on X it can post and monitor mentions
- Tool execution requires approval: The AI asks for human approval before running tools. File access is restricted to a dedicated area called Avatar Space, and AI shell execution is off by default (
AVATAR_SHELL=off) - Electron GUI and headless modes: Run it locally as an Electron desktop app, or as a headless server on a VPS and open the same screen from a browser
Pricing
| Item | Cost | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| The software itself (MIT License) | Free | All features. Modification and commercial use are permitted |
| xAI API (required) | Usage-based | An xAI API key is required to call Grok. Costs follow xAI’s own pricing |
| Optional external services | Per service | Roblox Open Cloud, Discord Bot, X API, and so on — only if you use them |
Pricing is current as of August 2026. Please check the official site and the GitHub repository for the latest information.
Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- Free under the MIT License. You can modify it, use it commercially, and read the source to confirm how it behaves
- It runs on your own PC or your own VPS, so conversations and memories stay in your hands
- Personality and autonomous behavior are configured in Markdown files, so no coding is needed to shape its character
- Having one avatar present across the console, Roblox, X, and Discord is an unusual foundation for running a character
- Safety-oriented design is documented: approval prompts, restricted file access, and shell execution off by default
⚠️ Cons
- The language model assumes xAI’s Grok. Switching to another provider is not covered in the official documentation
- Installation is a developer-oriented flow — git clone,
npm install, edit.env— with no GUI installer - It assumes single-user operation, and the Roblox integration assumes a private server with trusted players only
- The software is free but API usage is billed separately, and the more autonomous activity you enable, the harder running costs are to predict
- As an individually developed project, documentation and support are not as extensive as those of large commercial services
- Setting
AVATAR_SHELL=onlets the AI run any command on your machine. It needs to be handled with a clear understanding of the trade-off
Comparison with Similar Services
| Item | Avatar UI | AITuberKit | Amica |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distribution | Open source (MIT) | Open source (check commercial terms) | Open source |
| Main use | A resident autonomous partner | AITuber streaming and character chat | 3D character chat in the browser |
| Runtime | Electron desktop / headless server | Web app | Web browser |
| Supported LLMs | xAI Grok | Multiple providers | Multiple providers |
| Avatar style | Pixel art | VRM / Live2D | 3D (VRM) |
| External channels | Roblox / X / Discord | Mainly streaming platform integrations | Mainly in-browser |
Specifications of the compared projects change as they are updated. Check each official repository for current support before adopting one.
Who Is It For
- People who want to try an AI as a companion that stays present day to day, rather than a one-off question-and-answer tool
- Creators who want to give their own character a personality and place it in venues like Roblox or Discord
- People who prefer to keep conversation logs and memories within their own environment rather than an external service
- Developers who expect to read the source and adapt it to their own purposes
- People already using xAI’s Grok who can put their API key to work
Summary
Avatar UI is an open source project aimed less at “a tool you ask things of” and more at “a setup where the AI stays in the same space as you.” Writing personality in Markdown, giving it autonomous action and long-term memory, and having the same avatar exist across the console, Roblox, X, and Discord is a different premise from an ordinary AI chat. On the other hand, setup is developer-oriented, the language model depends on xAI’s Grok, and API costs are separate. A good starting point is to follow the GitHub instructions, run it locally with a minimal console-only setup to see how the avatar behaves, and then expand into the external channel integrations.