decal vs Chatroulette: how the two compare
In short
Chatroulette has run since 2009 to 2010, founded by Andrey Ternovskiy, and is one of the earliest random video chat sites. decal is a newer, free random video chat with a free country filter, a paid gender filter, in browser nudity detection before broadcast, and an appeal for every suspension.
What Chatroulette is
Chatroulette dates from 2009 to 2010, founded by Andrey Ternovskiy. It is one of the earliest sites to popularise the idea of pairing strangers by video at random, and the name has become close to a generic term for the format.
Beyond that history, we did not find current, first party information on pricing, account requirements or moderation that we could confidently publish here. Where we do not know, the table below says so, rather than guessing.
decal compared to Chatroulette
| decal | Chatroulette | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free. Gender filter only: €9.99/month, one day free trial, cancel anytime. | Not published. |
| Account required | Yes, currently via Google. Apple sign in announced. | Not published. |
| Nudity detection | In the browser, before a stream is broadcast. | Not published. |
| Report and appeal | Every report reviewed. Every suspension can be appealed, reporter identity never shared. | Not published. |
| Country filter | Free. | Not published. |
| Gender filter | Paid. | Not published. |
| Mobile app | None. Runs in the browser. | Not published. |
| Video path | Peer to peer (WebRTC). Server relays only signalling and text. | Not published. |
What Chatroulette does better
Longevity is the honest edge here. Chatroulette has been running since 2009 to 2010, well over a decade longer than decal has existed. A site running that long has had far more time to build an audience and become a name people recognise.
decal is new by comparison, and at the time of writing you will generally wait longer for a match here than on a long established site with a large audience already online. We would rather say that plainly than let you find out mid conversation.
How decal handles moderation and filters
- Nudity is detected before it is broadcast, in the browser, not after someone has reported it.
- Every suspension can be appealed by writing to hello@decal.ink. A person reads it and answers within 72 hours. An account suspended in error is restored in full. See the community rules.
- The country filter is free. Only the gender filter is paid, and its price is shown before any charge.
- Video never passes through our servers. It goes peer to peer, and the server only relays connection setup and text messages.
What we will not pretend
decal is new and small. At the time of writing, you will wait longer here than on an established site with a large audience already online, and at some hours you may find very few people at all.
We would rather say that plainly than show a counter picked to look bigger than it is. What you find when you sign in is what is actually there.
Looking at other alternatives
We also compare decal to OmeTV and to Emerald Chat. If you are looking more broadly, see our page on Omegle alternatives.
How to start
Open decal, sign in, allow the camera, and press Start. You are matched with someone within seconds when people are online. Press the decal button to move on, at any time, without explaining yourself.
Common questions
When was Chatroulette founded?
Chatroulette dates from 2009 to 2010, founded by Andrey Ternovskiy. It is one of the earliest sites to popularise random video chat with strangers.
Is Chatroulette free?
We have not been able to confirm current pricing directly from Chatroulette, so we do not state it here. Check its own site for current terms.
Is decal free?
Yes. Video chat and the country filter cost nothing on decal. Only the gender filter is paid, and the price is shown before any charge.
Which one should I use, decal or Chatroulette?
Chatroulette has been running far longer, which usually means more people online at any given time. decal is newer and requires an account, with moderation before broadcast and an appeal for every suspension.
Does decal require an account?
Yes, currently through Google, with Apple sign in announced but not yet active. We could not confirm Chatroulette’s current account policy from a source we trust enough to state here.
Free, nothing to install. Adults only.
Reviewed on September 16, 2026