How we rank - and what affiliate links change (nothing)
The method behind every list on Chat When Bored - what we test, how we order, when we re-check, and exactly what affiliate commissions do and don't affect.
Updated September 14, 2026
Every list on this site is ordered by hand, using the same handful of questions, by people who used the platforms that week. This page is the method, in full, so you can judge the lists against it.
What we check on every platform
- Does it work right now? We open it, use it, and note the date. A site that's down or empty comes off the list the same day.
- How fast do you get a real person (or, for AI, a coherent reply)? Blank screens, bots and queues count against it.
- Can you use it without an account, an app, or a phone number? Fewer hurdles ranks higher, all else equal.
- Is it moderated, and can you tell? We look for a working report button and rules that get enforced.
- What's free and what's paid, exactly? We write it down. 'Free' with a filter you have to buy is described as that.
- Is it for adults? If yes, it goes on an 18+ list with a warning, and never on an all-ages one.
How we order a list
By fit for the search on that page, not by overall quality. The best random video chat site is not the best late-night one, and a text-only site can top an anonymous-chat list while sitting at the bottom of a video one. The reason for each position is written next to the entry. If you disagree with a reason, tell us.
When we re-check
Every platform is re-opened at least monthly, and the date on each page is the date of the last check. Random chat sites die quietly - the crowd leaves and the page stays up - so the date matters more here than on most review sites.
What affiliate links change
Some links pay us a commission if you sign up. Here's exactly what that affects: our hosting bill. Here's what it doesn't affect: the order of any list, whether a platform is included, or what we say about it. A platform with no affiliate programme sits above one with a generous programme on several of our lists, because it's better for that search. If that ever stopped being true, this page would be a lie, and we'd rather have a smaller site than a dishonest one.
What we don't do
We don't take payment for placement. We don't publish lists of 50 sites to catch more searches; if there are seven good ones, the list has seven. We don't put adult platforms in front of people who didn't search for them. We don't use stock photos of laughing people on laptops.