The internet has provided us with a great opportunity to connect with people and make new friends. While Omegle remains a popular chat site, the fact is, it’s getting overcrowded.
The good news is that Omegle is not your only choice when it comes to video chat sites. There are many other sites apart from Omegle that will give you the same wild ride of meeting and chatting with strangers. You can encounter other people messing around just like you, a magician performing tricks, or the opportunity of a one-on-one chat with a stranger in Egypt. All while maintaining your anonymity.
Here’s our list of the 10 best alternatives to Omegle.
1. Tiny Chat
Tiny Chat is the second most popular video chat site after Omegle. It’s an easy-to-browse, polished site that offers plenty of features for the user. The site is geared to a chatroom format rather than random people chatting.
Signup gives you access to most of the thousands of chat rooms, and it’s pretty straightforward to create your own room. Since all users have to register to use the services, there are fewer trolls, scammers, and catfish to deal with. Tiny Chat allows up to 12 video feeds per room and provides an API that enables users to stream the chat room free of cost.
A large and active users base gives you access to people with a diverse range of interests. So, no matter what your interest, you will always find someone who shares it. The chatrooms range from people looking to connect and make friends, to rooms holding discussions on all imaginable topics (and some you hadn’t thought of).
2. Chatroulette
Chatroulette a webcam-based random video chat site that doesn’t require signup. The site pairs you with random people based on your interests and hence its name. It’s like playing Russian roulette with the person you are paired with. If you say or do anything that your partner doesn’t like, you can exit the room and kill the chat.
The site claims to connect a million people through random chat every month and was started ten years ago by a 17-year-old living with his parents. Ten years on, it’s a hub of activity for the crowd well under 30 and has tons of active users 24×7. The site is good at filtering inappropriate behavior but would earn an R rating. At any given point, there are more males on the board than females.
Advanced features require signup and registration. The site is well moderated, and the users have to agree and abide by the site’s service terms.
3. HIYAK
If you’re looking for a chat site like Omegle that isn’t Omegle, you need to check out HIYAK. It is one of the most well-established chat sites and hosts a vibrant community. The UI is slick, intuitive, and easy to use. HIYAK has a strict policy on not allowing adult content, bullying, and racism.
A large community means that you can always find and connect with someone who shares interests similar to yours. The first time we used HIYAK, we were having a small get-together, and we connected with another similar group. Fun times were had.
The site requires registration, and you need to download the random video chat app. The app is available for both Android and iPhone users. Mobile access eliminates the need for a webcam and microphone. HIYAK works on connecting random users based on shared interests.
4. Chat Random
An eight-million-strong community makes Chat Random a viable alternative to Omegle. The basic features like browsing webcams and basic chat features are free. Access to advanced features requires a paid subscription.
This is another chat platform where you will find a large community with diverse interests. However, the stranger chat service where you connect with random strangers is no longer as popular as it once was. Although long-terms fans of this service may disagree.
The site has gone through periodic upgrades to the UI and the matchmaking algorithm, and both work much better now. We have no reservations in recommending this site as a viable alternative to Omegle.
5. Adult Friend Finder
With a community of over 100 million strong, Adult Friend Finder is one of the largest video chat sites on the internet. What started as an adult dating site has morphed into a full-service chat site. No matter where your interests lie, chances are you will find a suitable match here.
The site is efficient and offers a variety of plans to suit your needs and budget. Registration allows you to browse user profiles and send messages. However, live chats require a paid subscription. While the site makes a conscious effort to maintain your anonymity, it’s a good idea to create a separate email account to register. In fact, that’s our basic advice for all chat sites.
6. PalTalk
PalTalk is a lesser-known video chat site that gets lesser traction than what it deserves. We stumbled our way to this site quite accidentally while making this list, and we were pleasantly surprised. It’s a simple, streamlined, and excellent service available for Windows, Android, and iPhone users.
The community is about 90-thousand strong, small in comparison to some of the other sites on this list. However, the size is offset by a friendlier and cleaner community than most chat sites in this niche.
The chat website provides an opportunity to meet interesting people, make friends, and start relationships. The UI and matchmaking algorithms also work well. The only downside we can think of is that the site requires registration and download, thereby reducing the anonymity levels afforded by some of the other sites on this list.
7. CamSurf
If you are looking for a wild ride, look no further than CamSurf. The site is a great place to connect with a random stranger. The site resembles OmeTV in look and feels and is a straight-to-the-point website.
What separates CamSurf from OmeTV is the whacky community on CamSurf. While on OmeTV, That’s you can find people looking for a serious conversation on a variety of topics, the crowd at CamSurf is more interested in having fun. If you want to have a video chat session during the next party you host, we would strongly recommend visiting CamSurf.
8. FaceBuzz
This site comes with a twist. FaceBuzz bills itself as a game rather than a video chat site. It is a random video chat network that lets the users rate each other based on their chat experience. Most people here are out for fun and to make other people laugh.
Be ready to see people in clever costumes and disguises doing outrageous things, which is a nice twist on speed dating which is what the site is largely about. Once you find someone you like you can add them to your friends’ list and request a friendship, much like on social networks. It’s a friendly site where you can get goofy without raising eyebrows.
9. FaceFlow
FaceFlow is a lesser-known video chat site, but in a way that is, it’s the strongest suit. Overall it’s a good alternative to Omegle. It has a nice laid-back and chilled-out vibe. You can choose between chatrooms and one on one chats.
The site boasts of a medium-sized friendly and safe community and no surprises, it has the highest percentage of female users compared to other chat sites. If you are looking for a serious conversation or just to make genuine friends in a casual and laid-back atmosphere, we strongly recommend FaceFlow.
10. ChatVille
ChatVille is an old timer in the video chat websites niche, and hence, a lot of people find it to be a viable alternative to Omegle. It has a simple and slick user interface and comes across as a polished and original site.
The focus at ChatVille is to make things fast and simple. ChatVille allows you to have webcam cats with up to four users and gives the option of one-to-one chats. It allows you to rate the users you chat with, and see who is viewing your chat. With over 3 million users, you will find an audience with diverse interests.
Some Basic Chat Rules
If you are new to using chat rooms here are some precautions to keep in mind.
- Don’t say or do things you might later regret. Keep in mind that your chat, text, audio, or video can easily be recorded by the person you are chatting with.
- If you face any form of harassment make sure you inform the moderators so that the offender can be blacklisted.
- Do the same if you witness someone being bullied.
- Don’t share your personal information with anyone. That includes your real name, your private email address, and other personal details. These sites have their share of Professional scammers and phishers who will misuse your information.
- Don’t leave anything personal in the frame of your video chat, such as family photos or any other detail an abuser can use to track you down.
- Teach your family especially your kids on how to chat safely on these services. Most of them are heavily moderated, there are still some clever predators out there.
- Have fun… that’s what it is all about.
The Bottom Line
If you’re looking for the rush of a live video chat with strangers, there are plenty of options available beyond Omegle. All the sites listed here are guaranteed to give you a fun ride that matches your need and mood.
I hope you liked this shortlist of the best Omegle Alternatives. For more Launch Space articles, check out this comparison of Patreon Vs Subscribestar, and our guide to the best office backgrounds for Zoom.
