Kismaro vs Chatroulette
Chatroulette is older than Omegle's shutdown by more than a decade and it is still here, which counts for something. It is also video-only, treats age as a click, and puts a good deal of its improvement behind a paid tier. Here is the comparison both ways.
Try Kismaro freeFree · 18+ only · every conversation moderated
What Chatroulette does better
It is bigger and it is older. Fifteen years of people know the name, and that shows in how quickly you are matched.
No sign-in whatsoever. Open the page, allow the camera, go. Kismaro asks you to sign in first, which loses us people.
Automated screening of the video feed. Chatroulette leans on machine screening of what the camera shows, and it does cut the worst of what the site was famous for in 2010.
What Kismaro does that Chatroulette does not
Three modes, not one. Chatroulette is video. If you do not want to be on camera there is nothing there for you. Kismaro has a voice-only queue and a text queue, each with their own people rather than as a toggle that leaves you in the video queue with the camera off.
A real age gate. Chatroulette asks you to confirm you are an adult with a button. Kismaro takes a date of birth on its own screen, once, never editable. This is the design decision that ended Omegle in court.
A face requirement, not just nudity screening. Screening what a camera shows catches explicit content. It does not catch a camera pointed at a ceiling, a photograph or a recording on a loop, which is the other half of the problem. Kismaro checks that a face is actually there, in your browser, every few seconds.
Interest matching. Chatroulette pairs at random. Kismaro lets you type what you want to talk about, which is what most people liked about Omegle in the first place.
No ads and no paid tier. Nothing is held back and nothing interrupts a match.
Side by side
Checked in September 2026.
| Kismaro | Chatroulette | |
|---|---|---|
| Video chat | Yes | Yes |
| Text-only mode | Yes | No |
| Voice-only mode | Yes | No |
| Start without an account | No | Yes |
| Age check beyond a checkbox | Yes | No |
| Face required on video | Yes | No |
| Nudity screening | Yes | Yes |
| Interest matching | Yes | No |
| Country filter | Yes, both ways | Yes |
| Adverts | None | Yes |
| Paid tier | None | Yes |
| People online | Fewer | More |
Which one should you use
Use Chatroulette if you want the original roulette experience, you refuse to sign in to anything, and video is the only mode you care about.
Use Kismaro if you want voice or text as real options, if you would rather the age gate meant something, or if an advert between matches is the thing that makes you close the tab.
Six more options are on the ranked list, including OmeTV, which is larger than either of these.
Frequently asked questions
Is Chatroulette still working in 2026?
Yes. It predates Omegle’s shutdown by more than a decade and is still running, with a large user base.
Does Chatroulette have text chat?
Not as its own mode. It is a video platform. Kismaro has separate text and voice-only queues with their own people in them.
Does Chatroulette verify your age?
No. It asks you to confirm you are an adult with a click. Kismaro takes a date of birth on its own screen and it cannot be edited afterwards.
Is there a Chatroulette alternative without ads?
Kismaro has no adverts and no paid tier, so nothing interrupts a match and nothing is held back from free users.
Which has more people, Chatroulette or Kismaro?
Chatroulette, by a wide margin. It has fifteen years of users and Kismaro is new. That is the real trade-off.