The Best Omegle Alternatives: Your New Go-To Chat Havens
Since Omegle’s unexpected closure November 8th 2023, the online chat community has been buzzing with the need for equally thrilling alternatives. If you’re missing those spontaneous connections and the joy of stumbling upon someone new, you’re in luck. We’ve not just scoured the web but also tested out platforms to bring you the best Omegle alternatives: ChatHub, Emerald Chat, TinyChat, Chatrandom, and Meetzur. Each platform carves its unique niche in the world of online chats.
Whether you’re after in-depth conversations, light-hearted fun, or an opportunity to connect globally, these platforms promise to fill the Omegle-shaped hole in your digital life. And for those who crave a touch of the original random chat magic, we’ve included Chatroulette as a bonus. Dive into our exploration of these exciting platforms, each with its distinct flavor and community.
Editor's Pick December 2024
1. CamSurf
This website is like Omegle in that you don’t need an account to get started. You’ll be matched with a random person, but you can choose a specific country or gender if you have preferences. Beyond video chat, you can send text messages to the other person and even start an unmoderated (and encrypted) private chat.
Features:
- Visit as a couple or pick a gender
- Works from computers, phones, and tablets
- Supports encrypted and unmoderated private chats
- Add interests for people to see
- Automatic translations
- Send GIFs, stickers, and emojis
- Prohibits adult behavior
Pros:
- Suitable for couples
- Huge user base
Cons:
- Can’t filter by gender
- Users can hide their real location
- Must pay for CamSurf Plus for some features (filtering, private chat, and more)
Available on: Web, Android, iOS
Cost: Free, $20 /month
2. Chatrandom
This chat site is super similar to CamSurf and is probably owned by the same company. The only difference is that you can jump into chat rooms, too, if you don’t want to meet random individuals or couples. Most of the rooms are free to join, and you can see before you enter how many people are in there. This lets you chat with lots of people at once, but you can always switch over to the private, one-on-one chats if you wish.
Features:
- Join as an individual or a couple
- Remove ads
- Get a verified badge
- Set an introductory message
- Use face filters
Pros:
- Filter by gender or county
- Chat privately with anyone
- Pay by the week, or every 6 months for a discount
Cons:
- Several features require payment
- Mostly adult chat rooms
- Must pay for some features
Available on: Web, Android, iOS
Cost: Free, $20 /month
3. Emerald
Self-described as “the new Omegle,” the Emerald chat site lets you pick from three options before you even meet anyone: 1 on 1 text chat, 1 on 1 video chat, or group text chat. If you add interests, the website will try its best to match you with someone else who has the same interests.
Features:
- Keeps a history of your partners
- Simple signup with a Google account
- Mute specific users
- Community-driven karma-style moderation
- Get notified of new messages
Pros:
- Really clean website design
- Log in, or don’t
- Relatively inexpensive for premium features
- Easy skip with the keyboard
Cons:
- Must pay for the gender filter
- Must pay to send images
- No mobile app
- No ‘couple’ designation
Available on: Web
Cost: Free, $5.90 /month
4. Tinychat
Tinychat is a video chat community. It reminds me of TikTok live streams, but with several people in each room and an easy way to chat with the group simultaneously. You can also follow users and send private messages. It’s free, but you can pay for some extra features.
Features:
- Jump into existing chat rooms
- Show off a profile photo
- Present as male or female
- Give virtual gifts
Pros:
- Join without video
- Cheap paid plans
Cons:
- No mobile app
- Plans don’t offer many features
- Pointless room previews
Available on: Web
Cost: Free to $38 /month
5. Monkey
Monkey is another random video chat website with an incredibly simple user interface (making it easy to use), an Android app, and a web app. The way it works is simple: You’re paired with a random person somewhere in the world, where you can talk over the video call and send each other text messages. Compared to similar sites, I had more conversations with strangers here and chatting felt comfortable because of the uncluttered UI.
Features:
- Send a thumbs up to the stranger
- Send messages to past callers
- Pick to chat with men only, women only, both, or LGBTQ users
- Easily report unruly users
Pros:
- Tens of thousands of users
- Lets you filter by gender
Cons:
- No iOS app
- The different modes are confusing to understand
- Finding the next random person is slower than most sites
- No country/location filter
- Sent texts are overlaid on your own video
Cost: Free to $30 /month
6. Camgo
Camgo isn’t all that different from most of these websites, but it’s a good choice if you’re looking for some new faces. There were over 10,000 users online when I tested the website. Video thumbnails are positioned off to the left so you can chat at the same time if you want to.
Features:
- Chat over text only or include video
- Access an uncensored video chat section
- Includes interests to better match you with strangers
- The gender filter lets you find men/women, women only, men only, or couples
Pros:
- Pick the gender you want to chat with
- Send GIFs, stickers, and emojis
- Expand the person’s video box for better viewing
Cons:
- Missing a country/language filter
- Doesn’t offer any unique features
- Gender filter is relatively expensive
Available on: Web
Cost: Free to $8 /week
7. Joingy
Despite the weird name, Joingy is a decent website that lets you chat with strangers. Plus, it’s totally free. There are two options, so you can text with random people without needing a webcam, or you can text and chat over the camera. The chat function is quite basic, but with thousands of users online, I had no problem finding some fun people to talk to. It’s totally and completely free to use, I just wish there were more features.
Features:
- Chat one-on-one over text or video
- Mute their video at any time
Pros:
- Choose video or text only
- Super easy to use
Cons:
- Zero texting features (no images, emoji, etc.)
- No gender or location filtering options
- Repeatedly advertises its ‘girls roulette’ service
Available on: Web
Cost: Free
8. Chat Avenue
If you’re looking for like-minded people, this is the place to be. There are several chat rooms you can enter to talk to people about everything from college or dating to video games and music.
Features:
- Built-in radio
- Several chat rooms to pick from
- See a list of everyone else in the chat room
- Includes text-only and video chat rooms
Pros:
- Interest-based chat rooms
- One of the better time-wasters
Cons:
- Overloaded with adult-only content
Available on: Web
Cost: Free
9. Chatroulette
This one feels a bit like a dating website, except live, so it’s really great for meeting strangers. Chatroulette is incredibly simple: Pick a country if you want to, then press the start button to cycle through potential strangers you might be interested in chatting with. If you accept one, or they accept you, then you’ll jump into a video call immediately.
Features:
- Free country filtering
- Earn coins when people pick you
- More coins make you more popular
- Text while video chatting
Pros:
- Millions of monthly users
- Fun live filters
- No user account necessary
Cons:
- Choppy video connection
Available on: Web, Android, iOS
Cost: Free with coin-based payment options
10. HOLLA
HOLLA is another primarily video-based chat service available from the web and a mobile app. You can’t use this service for free, but there is a week-by-week plan if you don’t want to commit to a whole month.
Features:
- Stores recent matches and messages for you to review
- Edit your profile’s ‘About Me’ section
Pros:
- Often has lots of online users (over 15,000 last I checked)
Cons:
- Gender and location filters aren’t free
- Limited daily free matches
- Can’t switch the mobile app to the rear camera unless you pay
Available on: Web, Android, iOS
Cost: $7 /week or $15 /month
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to Omegle?
Omegle shut down in late 2023. In the founders final letter, available on Omegle.com, it says that “some people misused it, including to commit unspeakably heinous crimes.” It went on to read that it no longer made sense to keep the website around due to psychological and financial tolls.
Will something replace Omegle?
Omegle hasn’t formally recommended another service in its place. Instead, the above list of Omegle alternatives provide a great way to get back into meeting random people online. Omegle might have been the most popular random chat site, but the options we’ve outlined in this article provide chat rooms and other unique features that weren’t available on Omegle.