The pace of life of the modern person is only accelerating every year. Many tasks have been transferred online, people work, have fun, communicate on the Internet, get to know each other here, expand their social circle and find their true love.
In this last regard, in recent years the use of online dating services has greatly increased. The very first such service — Match — appeared more than twenty years ago, and since then their number has been growing rapidly. Today, one of the most high profile dating sites is Tinder, but platforms such as Badoo, eharmony, OkCupid and others are snapping at its heels.
Why are dating sites so popular?
The popularity of these services is easy to explain. The main reason is the simple lack of time for dating in person. By getting acquainted on the Internet, people can immediately reject inappropriate options and get to know only those with whom they have something in common. Meanwhile, when meeting in a club, restaurant or on the street, many conversations turn out to be fruitless when it turns out that there’s no spark or common interests with this date.
Another reason people choose online dating services is to prepare for a real date. Communication on the Internet relieves the traditional awkwardness, so at the first meeting it no longer seems that you’re in front of a complete stranger, because you’ve had the opportunity to get to know them.
The main competitor for online dating services is video chat sites. Many Internet users prefer these, because in their opinion, seeing your interlocutor face to face is much more convenient and enjoyable than just chatting by text, and helps them truly get to know someone.
Communication features in video chat
Video chat makes it possible to communicate live in real time, even from the comfort of your own home. All you need to begin dating and start a conversation is a webcam, microphone and the Internet. After that, the main "spice" of video chats is the element of surprise. The system connects random users, so your chat partner could be the person next door, or a foreigner living on an entirely different continent.
The first site of this kind was Omegle. This video chat site has been operating since 2009, and before its appearance, the concept of "chat roulette" did not exist. For a long time, Omegle was at the peak of popularity — people were attracted by a completely new format of communication, as well as the ease of use of the site. Six months after its launch, more than two million people were using video chat every day.
However, the functionality of Omegle is quite limited: the system connects users with random chat partners — you can’t choose gender, age, or even country for search. Also, this video site chat doesn’t have a mobile application, which is a big disadvantage for many.
Omegle's main weak point was and remains moderation. It’s the site that became the reason why video chat rapidly began to lose popularity. There’s no need to register on the site or confirm personal data, which attracted hordes of bots, fakes, Internet trolls, and problem users to the video chat. Gradually, dubious users outnumbered honest ones, and the latter began to look for alternatives to Omegle.
At that time, other developers, inspired by the success of Omegle, began to create alternatives. It's worth noting that many of them really surpassed the first video chat — both in functionality and in the quality of moderation. Let’s talk about them further.
Alternatives to Omegle
There are a lot of alternatives that allow you to have a good time on the Internet, chatting with a stranger. The following video chat sites are popular among users:
- Chathub — this video chat site does not require registration, but unlike Omegle, the Chathub developers have focused on security, video quality and connection speed with chat partners. This means that Chathub works great not only on computers, but also on mobile devices.
- OmegleTV — this alternative to Omegle is very popular among men, as the system connects users only with partners of the opposite gender. In addition, all girls are registered on OmegleTV and go through the compulsory identity verification. This means there are no fakes and bots on OmegleTV, which has a positive effect on the quality of communication.
- Dirtyroulette — a video chat site popular among those who like to chat about adult topics. There’s a lot of explicit content and there are no restrictions: you can openly meet people of non-traditional sexual orientations, engage in virtual sex, and so on.
- Bazoocam — this clone of Omegle has implemented a function to search for people nearby, which is important for users interested in real life meetings. Other interesting video chat features include video streaming and built-in mini-games.
- Shagle — a popular Omegle alternative that operates in over 70 countries around the world. This video chat site has a modern interface, and geographic and gender filters are available. Shagle has another interesting feature — the ability to give virtual gifts.
- Monkey.cool — a video chat app that is especially popular among young people, which isn’t surprising, as it was created by teenagers. When you first visit, you must indicate your gender, and whenever you want you can start a general broadcast with a friend, just by sharing a link with them. Among the features of Monkey.cool is the ability to personalize your profile with audio and emoticons.
Both dating sites and video chat sites allow you to significantly expand your social circle without even leaving your home. You can look for simply interesting chat partners, companions for going to the movies or for walks, friends and even your soulmate.
So, which analogue of Omegle to choose?
There is no one perfect answer to what’s better — a video chat or dating site. These platforms have their advantages and disadvantages, and the choice is always yours. If you are interested in high-quality communication, we advise you to examine the paid services. Usually, moderation is better and the number of worthwhile users is always higher. For example, omegletv.chat gives you comfortable, safe and pleasant communication, but the service is paid (though there is a handy free trial period). For those who don’t want to overpay, we recommend the OmeTV and Shagle video chats. Their developers have done their best to make communication as comfortable and pleasant as possible. But in terms of functionality, security and convenience, they still lose out to their paid counterparts.
One more thing: do not limit yourself to any one site, because, the more services you use, the higher your chances of a successful friendship.
