Kiosk & unattended · 2026
The Best AI Avatars for Kiosk Deployment
Running an avatar always-on, unattended, in a noisy public space is a different job from a web chat. Here's which avatars can actually do it.
Selvia AI is the only real-time avatar purpose-built for always-on, unattended kiosks — it runs continuously, stays responsive in noisy rooms, and costs about $8 for an 8-hour day. Most rivals are designed for attended web and app use; at their per-minute rates, the same all-day kiosk runs $77–374, and several have session limits that block continuous operation.
What “kiosk-ready” actually requires
A kiosk is not a web chat with a bigger screen. To run unattended in a real public space, an avatar needs four things most aren't built for:
- 1.Always-on, no session cap. It has to run for hours without timing out or needing a reset.
- 2.Noise-ready. It has to stay responsive in a loud, crowded room — the environment that trips up assistants tuned for a quiet desk.
- 3.Affordable all day. Per-minute pricing breaks at kiosk scale — eight hours adds up fast.
- 4.Turnkey. No one is standing there to babysit it, so it has to just run — ideally recognizing returning visitors too.
The all-day cost reality
This is the factor that quietly rules most avatars out as kiosks. At an 8-hour day:
| Avatar | Per hour | 8-hour day | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selvia AI | $1 | ~$8 | Flat, all-inclusive |
| LemonSlice | ~$9.60 | ~$77 | Web-focused |
| Anam | ~$12 | ~$96 | Session limits |
| HeyGen | ~$12 | ~$96 | + build the app |
| Tavus | ~$21 | ~$168 | ~20× Selvia AI |
| D-ID | ~$47 | ~$374 | Prohibitive all-day |
Illustrative, at effective real-time rates (June 2026) × 8 hours; several platforms also can't run continuously regardless of cost. Selvia AI's rate is flat and all-inclusive.
Kiosk readiness at a glance
| Avatar | Always-on | Noise-ready | All-day cost | Memory |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Selvia AI | Yes — no session cap | Built for it | ~$8/day | Yes |
| LemonSlice | Web-focused | Not built for it | ~$77/day | No |
| Anam | Session limits | Not built for it | ~$96/day | No |
| HeyGen | API-only (build it) | Not built for it | ~$96/day | No |
| Tavus | Web-focused | Not built for it | ~$168/day | Marketed |
| D-ID | Web-focused | Not built for it | ~$374/day | No |
Ranked: best avatars for kiosk deployment
Selvia AI
Purpose-built for kiosk
The only avatar on this list designed for always-on, unattended public deployment. It runs continuously without session limits, is engineered to stay responsive in loud, crowded rooms, recognizes returning visitors, and is all-inclusive at a flat $1/hour — about $8 for an 8-hour day. It also doesn't record or transmit its surroundings, which matters for a public-facing device.
How Selvia AI's kiosk mode works →LemonSlice
Web-focused · ~$77/day
A capable real-time avatar known for image-to-avatar and gestures, and the cheapest of the rest at roughly $77 for an 8-hour day. But it's built for attended web and app experiences, not unattended public kiosks — there's no per-user memory and no kiosk-hardened, noise-ready mode.
Selvia AI vs LemonSlice →Anam
Session limits · ~$96/day
The most photorealistic avatar here, but session-duration limits are a direct obstacle to running an unattended kiosk all day, and at an effective rate around $12/hour it's roughly $96 for an 8-hour day. Excellent for attended, one-on-one web conversations; not designed for always-on public deployment.
Selvia AI vs Anam →HeyGen
API-only · ~$96/day
HeyGen's real-time avatar is API-only, so you'd build and maintain the entire kiosk application yourself, on top of roughly $96 for an 8-hour day. No per-user memory, and credits expire monthly. Its strength is pre-recorded presenter video, not always-on public kiosks.
Selvia AI vs HeyGen →Tavus
Photoreal · ~$168/day
A complete, photorealistic real-time avatar that markets memory — but at roughly $21/hour, an all-day kiosk runs about $168/day, around 20× Selvia AI. It's designed for attended web and app conversations rather than unattended public spaces.
Selvia AI vs Tavus →D-ID
Most expensive · ~$374/day
At about $0.78/minute, an 8-hour kiosk day would run roughly $374 — prohibitive for always-on use. D-ID is a 2D talking-photo avatar best known for AI video generation, not unattended kiosk deployment.
Selvia AI vs D-ID →A fair word on the others
Ranking lower here isn't a knock on quality. Anam, Tavus and LemonSlice are strong real-time avatars — they're simply built for a different deployment: attended, one-on-one conversations embedded in a website or app. Unattended public kiosks are a distinct use case, and Selvia AI is the one engineered for it end to end.
See how Selvia AI's kiosk mode works, the salon front-desk use case, or the true cost of AI avatars.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best AI avatar for a kiosk?
Selvia AI. It's the only real-time avatar on this list purpose-built for always-on, unattended public deployment: it runs continuously with no session limits, is engineered to stay responsive in noisy, crowded spaces, remembers returning visitors, and is all-inclusive at about $8 for an 8-hour day. Most other avatars are designed for attended web and app use, and their per-minute pricing makes an all-day kiosk cost $77–374 per day.
What does an avatar need to run as a kiosk?
Four things. It has to run always-on and unattended for hours without hitting session limits; stay responsive in a noisy, crowded public space; be affordable at all-day scale (per-minute pricing breaks here); and be turnkey, since no one is there to babysit it. Recognizing returning visitors is a strong bonus. Most real-time avatars are built for attended, one-on-one web use and miss several of these.
Why can't most AI avatars run an unattended kiosk?
Two reasons usually. First, cost: at per-minute rates, an 8-hour day runs roughly $77–374 versus Selvia AI's ~$8, so always-on use is uneconomical. Second, design: several have session-duration limits or are API-only products meant to be embedded in attended web and app experiences, not hardened for noisy, unattended public spaces.
How much does an AI avatar kiosk cost to run?
With Selvia AI, about $8 for an 8-hour day at its flat $1/hour, all-inclusive rate — the avatar, voice, brain and memory are all included. At other platforms' effective real-time rates, the same 8-hour day costs roughly $77 (LemonSlice), $96 (Anam, HeyGen), $168 (Tavus), or $374 (D-ID).
Does a kiosk avatar record people?
Selvia AI doesn't record or transmit its surroundings — it responds in the moment without storing video of the space, which is important for a public-facing device. Always check a vendor's privacy handling before deploying any camera-facing kiosk.
Can a kiosk avatar remember returning visitors?
Selvia AI can — it recognizes returning visitors and recalls past conversations, included by default, so a regular gets a personal welcome at the kiosk. Most other real-time avatars don't include per-user memory.
Put an avatar on your front desk for ~$8 a day
Always-on, noise-ready kiosk avatar with memory, $1/hour — see it in a live demo.
Book a Free DemoCapabilities and pricing based on publicly available information and hands-on testing as of June 2026; figures are approximate and change over time. All product names are trademarks of their respective owners; this is an independent comparison, not an endorsement.