Sites Like Omegle: 8 Chat Sites and Apps Compared

Omegle closed in November 2023, and a long list of sites and apps now offer the same idea: meet a random stranger over text or video. This page compares eight of them on what they cost, whether you need an account or an app, what filters they sell and what they say about moderation. It is written by FlashChat, which is one of the eight and is listed first, so read the criteria and the caveats before trusting the order. If you are in India, our Omegle alternative in India guide goes deeper on Indian networks and languages.

How we ranked them

Four things, in this order: free (can you use the whole product without paying), no sign-up (can you start without an account, phone number or app), moderation (what the service publishes about how it handles abuse and minors), and latency from India, where FlashChat is based. These criteria suit what FlashChat was built to do, so it is no surprise it comes first. Ranked by audience size, it would come last: every other service here has far more people online. If filters, a store app or a big pool matter more to you, the order changes.

Bias disclosure: this page is published by FlashChat. Facts about the other services come from their websites, terms, Google Play and App Store listings and the parent-safety site Internet Matters. Azar, Monkey, Thundr and OmeTV were checked on 21 October 2026; Chatroulette, Emerald Chat and Umingle come from our own comparison pages, checked on 11 October 2026, with the Chatroulette homepage rechecked on 21 October. If anything here is wrong or out of date, contact our grievance officer with evidence and we will correct it.

At a glance

Checked on 21 October 2026.

The eight, one by one

1. FlashChat

A free text and video chat that runs in the browser on Android, iPhone and computers, with a random username on your first visit and nothing to pay for with money. You start in text, and voice or video happens only when both people agree; a call tries a direct connection first, so the other person can see your IP address. It also has public and private rooms, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Marathi rooms, and group video for up to 15 in private rooms.

Requires: nothing; email and password are optional, only to keep buddies across phones. Best for: people in India who want a free chat without an account or an app. Caveat: a much smaller pool than anything else here, no country or language filter (gender, age and city filters need a match pass bought with free FlashCoins), no store app, 18+ by self-declaration with no ID check, and possibly an AI companion when nobody is free (FlashBot is labelled; not every AI companion is).

2. Chatroulette

Running since 2009, Chatroulette shows you photos of potential partners and starts a video chat when both of you agree. It publishes the most detailed moderation of the group: AI and human moderation, automated screening of video samples, and automatic bans with human review.

Requires: no account on the website; the iOS app asks you to log in. Best for: a large global pool with clearly described moderation. Caveat: searches and premium features such as filters cost Quids, its in-app currency. See Chatroulette alternative.

3. OmeTV

OmeTV's website says it is free, lets you choose a country, set your gender or use a "Couple" mode, and translates messages. Its Android app, from Video Chat Alternative, shows 10 crore+ downloads and an 18+ rating.

Requires: the Play listing says no registration; Internet Matters reports that the website asks you to join with Facebook, Google or VK. Best for: a big pool with a country choice. Caveat: Internet Matters reports no reliable age checks. See FlashChat vs OmeTV.

4. Umingle (formerly Uhmegle)

Uhmegle.com now sends visitors to Umingle, a browser chat with free interest matching. Country and language filters and instant skips come with one-time passes of $5.99 for an hour, $12.99 for a day or $29.99 for a week.

Requires: no account. Best for: an Omegle-style browser chat. Caveat: free users wait between skips, passes are non-refundable, and it has no gender filter. See Uhmegle alternative.

5. Emerald Chat

Emerald Chat has a free tier with interest matching, text, video and group channels, and a karma system. Gender, country and language filters are on paid plans that renew automatically.

Requires: an email and password, or a Google or Facebook login. Best for: people who want group channels and paid filters. Caveat: its terms say no refunds, and a 2023 Our Safer Schools review reported its age check was a self-declaration. See Emerald Chat alternative.

6. Azar

Azar, from Hyperconnect, which Match Group bought in 2021, is a polished phone app with live voice-to-subtitle translation and profiles you can follow. Its Android app shows 10 crore+ downloads.

Requires: the app and a profile. Best for: a very large audience and translation. Caveat: gender and region filters need a subscription, gems are sold from ₹69 to ₹2,149 on the Indian App Store, and both store listings say it contains ads. See Azar alternative.

7. Thundr

Thundr, from Lightningware Inc., offers random video, voice and text chat on its website and an Android app rated 18+. Its Play listing says it uses AI-powered moderation and human review, and its terms say it works with the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Requires: a profile in the app; we did not confirm whether the website needs one. Best for: trying a newer, web-first service. Caveat: paid "Coins" and "Boost" features plus daily crates with random coin rewards, and its Android app is new, with 1 lakh+ downloads.

8. Monkey

Monkey mixes random video chat with swipeable profile cards and DUO group video with friends. Its Safety Center says it is 18+ only and that AI looks for underage users.

Requires: a profile. Best for: Android users who want profile cards and group video. Caveat: it is not in Apple's App Store; its removal was reported in early 2020, over safety concerns according to Internet Matters, and Google Play in India rates it 12+. See Monkey app alternative.

The short version

If the size of the crowd matters most, Chatroulette, OmeTV and Azar have the biggest. If you want filters, almost everyone sells them. If you want to start in a browser with no account and pay no money, and can accept fewer people online, try FlashChat. Whichever you pick, read the safety page first: do not share your number, address or face with someone you have just met.

FAQ

What happened to Omegle?

Omegle shut down in November 2023 after 14 years. Its founder, Leif K-Brooks, said running it was no longer sustainable, financially or psychologically, given the scale of misuse. Every site on this page is a separate service; none is Omegle.

Which sites like Omegle need no sign-up?

FlashChat, Umingle and the Chatroulette website let you start without an account. OmeTV's Play Store listing says no registration, though Internet Matters reports that its website asks you to join with Facebook, Google or VK. Emerald Chat needs an account, and Azar, Monkey and Thundr are built around app profiles.

Which sites like Omegle have a gender filter?

Of the eight, Emerald Chat and Azar sell gender filters. OmeTV's website mentions setting your gender, but we did not confirm how its matching uses it. Umingle has no gender filter. FlashChat has a gender filter only on a 30-minute match pass bought with FlashCoins, which are earned free and never sold, and it has no country or language filter.

Is there a free Omegle alternative with no paid features?

FlashChat sells nothing and has no in-chat ads. Its optional extras, such as a match pass with filters, use FlashCoins, which you earn free and cannot buy. Every other option here sells something: passes, a subscription, coins, gems or Quids.

Is there a separate guide for India?

Yes. Our Omegle alternative in India guide covers Indian networks, data use and Indian-language rooms. This page is the global list.

Are all FlashChat matches real people?

Not always. If nobody is available within the wait window, you may be connected with an AI chat companion. FlashBot is labelled; not every AI companion is. Messages between two people are never sent to any AI service.