The best random video chat sites, compared honestly
In short
We compare random video chat sites on four fixed criteria: moderation before broadcast, a way to appeal a ban, what is free versus paid, and privacy. decal is smaller and newer than established competitors like Chatroulette. Facts we cannot verify are marked not published.
Our criteria, fixed before any ranking
We picked four criteria before looking at how any site, including our own, would score. If decal loses on one, that is stated below, not hidden.
- Real moderation before broadcast. Does video get checked before it reaches the other person, or only after someone reports it?
- A way to appeal a ban. Can a suspension be contested, and by a person rather than an automated rule with no review?
- What is free versus paid. Which features cost nothing, and which sit behind a subscription?
- Privacy. Does video travel peer to peer, or through the site’s own servers?
The comparison
Where we could not verify a fact from a public source, the cell says not published rather than a guess. We have not found public documentation of the other sites’ internal moderation process, appeal handling, or exact pricing, so those cells reflect that, not an assumption that nothing exists behind the scenes.
| decal | Chatroulette | OmeTV | Emerald Chat | CamSurf | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moderation before broadcast | Nudity detected in the browser before broadcast | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Ban appeal | Email reviewed by a person, reply within 72 hours | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Free vs paid | Chat and country filter free; gender filter paid | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Privacy | Peer to peer (WebRTC); server relays connection setup and text only | Not published | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Community size | Small and new; longer waits, especially at quiet hours | Established since 2009-2010, long-running audience | Established, widely used | Established, widely used | Established, widely used |
What the others do well
A comparison where the author wins on every line convinces no one, and it should not.
- Chatroulette built the format the whole category still uses, and has run since 2009-2010. Its longevity means far more name recognition, and likely a larger active audience, than any newer site can claim, decal included.
- Emerald Chat matches people by shared interests instead of pure random pairing, which is a genuinely different approach and a real advantage if you want more than a coin flip on who you talk to.
- OmeTV and CamSurf are both established, widely-used random video chat services that have kept the original one-button format simple, which is exactly what a lot of people are looking for.
Where decal loses, plainly
decal is the smallest and newest site in this comparison. Community size is the one criterion where established competitors have a real, structural advantage: more years online means more people who already know the site. We are not going to dress that up.
We would rather say that plainly than show a number picked to look bigger than it is. If we have missed something in this comparison, and you can point us to it, we will correct this page.
Also worth knowing
Omegle, once the largest name in this category, closed in November 2023. Its founder cited the cost of fighting misuse of the site and a lawsuit over the abuse of a minor. It is not in the table above because it no longer operates, but it explains why so many of today’s sites exist: they inherited its traffic without inheriting its problems, or at least that is the promise most of them make.
For more on that specific history, see our page on Omegle alternatives. For the general case of talking to strangers on video, see talking to strangers on video, and for a closer look at Chatroulette specifically, see our Chatroulette alternative page.
How to start
If you want to try decal after reading this, open the site, sign in, allow the camera, and press Start. The full rules are on the community rules page.
Common questions
What criteria does this comparison use?
Four, fixed before any site was scored: moderation before broadcast rather than after a report, whether a ban can be appealed, what is free versus paid, and how it handles video privacy.
Is decal the biggest random video chat site?
No. decal is new and small. Established sites like Chatroulette have a much larger, longer-running audience. We say this directly rather than hide it.
What does decal do better than the others?
It moderates nudity before broadcast, in the browser, rather than after a report, and lets you appeal any suspension by writing to a person who answers within 72 hours.
Why do some cells say "not published"?
Because we could not verify the number or policy from a public source. We would rather say we do not know than guess, and we do not publish invented figures about any site, including our own.
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Reviewed on September 16, 2026