Updated on: April 24, 2024
Short on time? Here’s the best Omegle alternative in 2024:
- Emerald Chat. It’s free, doesn’t require you to create an account, and provides a ton of customization options. You get 1-on-1 text chats, group text chats, and video chats, and you can filter by intimacy level, interest, and even gender (premium feature). I recommend using it with ExpressVPN, which has lightning-fast speeds for lag-free video chats and strong privacy and security features to keep you safe and anonymous.
There are a lot of online chatrooms fighting for the title of best Omegle alternative now that Omegle has been shut down. It can be really hard to differentiate between them at a glance or figure out which is the best to use.
So, I spent a week researching and testing the most popular Omegle alternatives, and I compiled a list of the 10 best Omegle alternatives. I evaluated each one by several criteria, including its chat and filtering options and content and privacy policies.
I also reviewed the 3 best VPNs for keeping you safe in these online chatrooms (ExpressVPN is my #1 pick), explained the risks associated with using Omegle alternatives, and discussed how using a VPN can help protect your personal information when chatting with strangers online.
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10 Best Omegle Alternatives in 2024
1. Emerald Chat
Emerald Chat is my favorite Omegle alternative. It lets you choose between different chatrooms, including 1-on-1 text chats, 1-on-1 video chats, and group text chats, and you can filter by interest, intimacy level, and gender. All of these options ensure that you get the experience you want on the platform.
Most of Emerald Chat’s features are free, and you don’t have to sign in to use it. However, some features, like the ability to filter by gender and send pictures in 1-on-1 chats, are limited to premium users.
Its privacy policy states it automatically collects information, like where you visit the website, which may include your device’s IP address, as well as when you accessed the page and how long you stayed there. The service also stores any details you provide to use it, including your password, contact information (like your email address and phone number), and payment details if you sign up for a premium account, which is pretty standard. The platform says it only collects or shares information with third parties to run the service.
That said, it will disclose personal information if required by law — for example, in response to a government request. Its privacy policy also states that it takes the security of user data very seriously, but it doesn’t go into any specifics about how it protects your personal information.
2. Chatroulette
Chatroulette is a free platform that connects random people via online video chats, and it’s great for meeting new people online. Note that, unlike a lot of Omegle alternatives, Chatroulette explicitly forbids sexually suggestive content.
The platform has a sleek and intuitive interface and convenient features. These include the ability to vet potential partners before connecting by looking at their photo, a country filter (so you can practice a language or learn more about a specific culture), and a karma system that rewards good chatters.
It isn’t great for privacy and security. I don’t like how it only lets you sign up through your Apple, Google, or Facebook account, it logs your IP address and activities on the platform, and it may even collect sample images or videos of your use of the service. That being said, you don’t need an account to use the service unless you want to get a premium account.
Chatroulette says it might share all of this data with others, including ad networks and business partners. It’s also frustratingly vague about how it protects your data, stating only that it has “implemented appropriate and reasonable technical and organizational security measures.”
3. Chatspin
Chatspin is a feature-rich online chatroom. It allows you to filter by gender and location and has some cool extra features — you get the ability to mask your identity through the use of AR Face Filters, which lets you hide part of all of your face during video chats.
Chatspin allows you to do text-only chats and there’s even a Singles chat. Chatspin’s basic features, like adding your interests, are free to use, but to use its gender and location filters, you’ll have to pay for Chatspin Plus.
According to its Terms of Service, users are prohibited from “promoting sexually explicit or pornographic material”.
Chatspin requires you to log in to use its features (except for video chatting) with your phone number, Google, Facebook, or Apple account, or by creating a new account using a valid email address. This means Chatspin will acquire some personal data, such as your account information and email address, in addition to your IP address and usage data. That said, its privacy policy states that it won’t share any of this information with third parties for marketing purposes unless you opt for it.
4. Shagle
Shagle offers a quick and easy way to have video chats with random strangers, and it’s geared toward adults looking for more intimate conversation. The site is super easy to use — you don’t need to sign up if you don’t want to, and it’s completely free. All you have to do is select whether you’re male, female, or a couple, add your interests, and then click the Start Chatting to jump straight into a chatroom.
Its basic features are 100% free, but to filter by gender or location, you have to pay for a premium account. A unique feature that it has over other online chatrooms is the ability to send virtual gifts to your chat partner. My favorite is the private chat option, which encrypts all of your texts and video chats.
Shagle collects your account and payment information (if you are a premium user) and also logs your IP address and usage data. This personal information is used primarily to deliver its services to you but may also be provided to law enforcement if requested and for marketing purposes.
5. Bazoocam
Bazoocam is a free online chatroom where you can have video chats with random strangers and play multiplayer games like Tetris or Tic Tac Toe with your conversation partner. The website design has an old-school internet charm to it that may elicit some nostalgia from older users. On the flip side, others may find its interface outdated.
This online chatroom doesn’t offer any filtering options for gender, location, or interests, so who you connect to is truly random. However, you can ask the system to look for people who are geographically closer to you.
Bazoocam’s terms of use directly state that its chatrooms aren’t for “soliciting or prostitution,” and that users who don’t keep their clothes on will be banned.
I couldn’t find a privacy policy on Bazoocam’s website, which is mildly concerning, and the service is equally vague about how it protects user data. On the other hand, Bazoocam claims that its chatrooms are moderated constantly by a team of more than 40 people.
6. Chatrandom
Chatrandom provides chatrooms based on specific preferences. If the images on the main page didn’t make it clear enough, most of the top interest tags are sexually suggestive or explicit.
The service is free, and you don’t have to sign in to use it. This means that you can jump right into a chatroom within seconds of landing on the website to video chat with a random stranger. But all of its chat filters, including its gender and location filters, require you to create a Chatrandom account or to log in with your Google account.
According to its privacy policy, Chatrandom collects some personal information, including your IP address and usage data. This data is mostly used for administrative and communication purposes, such as registering you as a new member and to process and deliver your orders.
Chatrandom may also provide your data to authorities if necessary to comply with legal obligations. This is all pretty standard, and Chatrandom states that it won’t share your data with third parties for marketing purposes without your consent.
7. Camsurf
Camsurf is a simple video chat website that’s pretty similar to Omegle. This chatroom is free to use, but there aren’t many extra options. Camsurf does offer some features, such as filtering by gender and country or indicating your interests, but you’ll have to log in with your Google account or create a new account by providing a valid email address.
Its Terms of Use prohibits “indecent” behavior, including nudity and sexually suggestive behavior, so this isn’t the platform to look for more intimate conversations.
Camsurf collects the same types of data that most other Omegle alternatives do, including your IP address, account details, and usage data. It won’t share your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes without your consent. On the security front, Camsurf claims to have strict procedures and security features to protect your data but provides no details.
8. OmeTV
OmeTV is a free site that’s great if you like chatting with people from other countries and need some help with the language. It offers a built-in text chat translator to help, and it connects you to other users for video chats.
I like that it’s got a very user-friendly interface, but it doesn’t have some of the usual features available on similar online chatting platforms, such as a gender or location filter. Note that OmeTV prohibits sexually suggestive and sexually explicit behavior, so if that’s what you’re looking for, you may want to check out a different platform.
The main problem I have with OmeTV is that it requires you to log in with your Facebook or VK account. However, any user data that’s collected by OmeTV, such as your IP address and activities on the site/app, is encrypted and stored in a secure data center.
9. TinyChat
TinyChat is an Omegle alternative that works a little differently. Rather than connecting you to a random stranger, it lets you create or join an existing chatroom to voice and video chat with people.
To get the most out of the platform, you have to become a member — you need an account to create your own room and many chatrooms don’t allow guests (non-registered users) to join. While TinyChat has a free option, paying members get additional perks and features, such as the removal of ads.
Besides the information you provide TinyChat when signing up for an account, it also logs your IP address and actions taken while using TinyChat’s client or website. TinyChat also admits that its advertising partners deploy trackers and cookies on its site to learn more about its users. Information that you provide to TinyChat is kept safe through the use of private networking, firewalling, role based access controls, and other such security measures.
10. MeetMe
MeetMe is available on mobile only, making it an ideal choice for those seeking an Omegle-like experience on the go. A unique feature of MeetMe is that it allows you to browse its Meet section to find someone you want to chat with rather than connecting you to a random person.
The app offers some extra features, like joining live streams or starting your own (like on Twitch or YouTube), and there’s a Swipe option that works similar to Tinder.
This platform is free to use, but you can purchase MeetMe Credits to get extra features, like priority listing of your profile. You also have to create an account to use the app and verify your profile by taking a video selfie of your face, which I didn’t particularly like.
MeetMe isn’t the best for privacy — it logs a lot of information like your IP address, location, phone number, and your activities on the site/app. Additionally, its privacy policy clearly states that it shares some of the personal information it collects with third-party advertisers.
Why You Need a VPN for Online Chatrooms Like Omegle
A VPN protects and hides a lot of the data that chatrooms like Omegle see and collect.
The main reason why I recommend using a VPN for online chatrooms like Omegle is that it encrypts all of your traffic, which makes the data you send over the internet (including your online activities and chats) indecipherable to third parties.
This means your Internet Service Provider (ISP) won’t be able to monitor what you do in online chatrooms. Plus, encryption makes it harder for hackers to get their hands on personal information and may try to exploit vulnerabilities in the chatroom’s security.
A VPN also hides your real IP address by the IP address of the VPN server you’re connected to. This means that when you visit an online chatroom, it’ll see and log the VPN IP address and not the real one, which can be traced back to you and used to determine your general geographic location.
Last but not least, the best VPNs out there offer a lot of extras that can further protect your privacy and security in online chatrooms. The ones I recommend below include tracker and malware blockers, which prevent you from accidentally visiting any malware-infected or phishing sites that someone may try to send you. Some even monitor your email address and other personal information for data leaks.
Quick summary of the best VPNs for online chatrooms like Omegle:
- 1. 🥇ExpressVPN — Best overall VPN in 2024 for online chatrooms like Omegle (fast speeds + strong security).
- 2. 🥈Private Internet Access — Most customizable VPN for online chatrooms like Omegle + high-end security features.
- 3. 🥉CyberGhost VPN — Beginner-friendly VPN for keeping you safe when chatting online with strangers.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is everyone using now that Omegle is gone?
Some of the more popular Omegle alternatives include: Emerald Chat, Chatroulette, Chatspin, Shagle, Bazoocam, Chatrandom, Camsurf, OmeTV, TinyChat, and YouNow. The best fit for you depends on your preferences — some offer better customization options, like filtering chat partners by interests and gender, while others come with games or livestreams.
Is Emerald Chat safe?
Using any online chatroom comes with certain risks, so while Emerald Chat (and other Omegle alternatives), may have various safety features or an active moderation team to stop bots, spammers, hackers, and online predators, they can’t guarantee your safety.
A VPN can help protect you when using an online chatroom like Emerald Chat is by encrypting your internet traffic, hiding your IP address, and blocking malicious links. But you should also follow basic internet safety rules, such as not sharing personal information and not clicking any links sent to you by your conversation partner.
Are online chatrooms tracked?
Pretty much every online chatroom tracks you to some extent, recording information such as your IP address, chat data, and possibly your account and payment details. What these platforms do with your personal information varies — you can find out more by reading the platform’s privacy policy. Most of them only use the data they collect to run their service but others may share this data with third party advertisers.
Additionally, it’s always possible for third parties to obtain the data your online chatroom has on you through illegal means, as online chatrooms don’t always have the best security for their servers. This is why I always recommend using a good VPN when chatting online.
Is it safe for kids to use online chatrooms?
No, most online chatrooms are restricted to adults for a good reason — even online chatrooms that prohibit or allow you to filter out sexual content can be dangerous places for kids. This is because these chatrooms are often the hunting grounds for online predators and hackers, who take advantage of the weak privacy and security features of these platforms to find victims and obtain sensitive personal information. This is why I always recommend using a secure VPN that offers great online privacy.
