CHAT AVENUE REVIEW

Here, people can discuss any matters related to music, lifestyle, dating, raising kids, or even playing video games. The chat rooms are as various in functionalities, as they are different in topics — for example, some rooms do have a video chat option, while others do not. Currently, the platform supports multiple languages and has seen quite a lot of users join and go since its establishment in 2000. So, let's take a look at what keeps such a good oldie going almost twenty years later and — most importantly — if it still has anything good to offer.

Chat Avenue Interface Design and Usability

The website is quite easy to navigate. It has very clear instructions and guidelines for using every separate chat room one may want to join, but the design is quite outdated. We honestly doubt that Chat Avenue did not make any changes since its launch in 2000. Still, one thing is pretty certain — they did not make any significant changes. The design is clunky, boxy, and has some pretty weird color choices. On the upside, every separate chat room does have its color theme, which is ok because it helps users to navigate around the platform easier.

Another bonus is the functionality of the service. The menu is very comprehensive, and the whole service is pretty intuitive to use. Anyone, regardless of previous tech experience, will have no difficulty figuring out how to use the site.

So far, there is only one disadvantage, and that is the absence of a proper search system. It's possible to find chat partners and add them to your contact list, but there is no chance to somehow search for people you already know via emails or phone numbers. You're either supposed to stumble upon them by accident (and figure out it's someone you know), or add new connections as you come across a profile you find interesting.

Of course, there is a third option of adding someone you already know. Ask them for nicknames personally, but why not just let people search for other people without all that hassle? Besides, even though individual rooms tend to get friskier than others, Chat Avenue is still a pretty innocent platform (or, it's supposed to be). So, it's unclear why they are so secretive about their user identities.

How Does Chat Avenue Work?

Chat Avenue is a website with twenty different chat rooms, all strictly subdivided by topics. Even though some rooms are marked as 'adult' or 'gay' (obviously, also adult) chats, there is still an explicit no-nudity policy. No revealing pics or anything of the sort is allowed. The website has moderators who are regularly banning offending users.

It wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if it worked not only for the pictures and videos. Ok, we get it — Chat Avenue is no porn site. But still, some topics in the dating chat rooms tend to steer in the wrong direction. We've joined several rooms, including dating chat and adult chat. In theory, the dating part was supposed to be more long-term oriented than adult chat, but in practice, there was little difference at all. No matter what you state about your joining intentions, there always seems to be someone asking you how dirty you like it. On the other hand, some people do not seem to understand the difference between 'adult' and 'dating,' and there is always a way to block them in a few clicks.

As for the technical side of chatting with the platform, each room will be subdivided into two main sections — your private messages and a general, open space chat room. You cannot contact another user privately if they're not on your contact list. However, you can search (in theory, at least) for like-minded users in general chat rooms and add them to contacts later.

No private communication within the general chat window is possible, of course. But, there is an option of sending someone a whisper. In that case, the whisper will leave a trace in the general room, but the contents of the message will remain hidden. It is as close to private as it gets — unless two users add each other as contacts and move to the personal chat space.

How to Signup

To become a community member, one only needs to think of a username and password. An email address is also required, but the site does not even bother to verify it. No wonder — you do not even have to be a member to participate in discussions. For that, anyone who's not even registered with the service can sign in as a guest, choose a random username, and start chatting.

Of course, only registered members can add people to their contact lists, but still, anyone can join and start talking. All in all, this seems to be a very democratic system, but it has one major downside — no one even knows who they are talking to. Since not even an email verification is required when joining the site, admins never ask for any proof of identity either. The upside? Registration, if you go through it, is quick.

Members structure & activity

Given the lax verification procedures described above (the absence of them, to be precise), it's impossible to really draw any conclusions about the user database on Chat Avenue. Besides, since many participants chat away as guests, it's even harder to say how much people are using the service. On the other hand, the company advertises itself as the leader in free online chat rooms and claims that you could meet people from all walks of life via their service. Well, the last part may certainly be true, but the first statement is rather doubtful.

So, the only reasonable way to make any deductions about Chat Avenue members is to take a look at its public traffic stats. According to them, over half of the total users come from the US, with the UK claiming the second spot (slightly over 17% of users). Canada accounts for over 6% of chat participants, and Australia — less than 5%.

The remaining 240+ countries each have less than 3% of visits. Chat Avenue does not ask or store any data about its user, but it does have an explicit no VPN policy. So, traffic data can be taken pretty seriously, even though it may change slightly from one month to another.

Users profile quality

Considering everything mentioned above, we (and not only we) have a strong reason to believe that Chat Avenue has plenty of fake profiles. There may be too many of them. If we assume that every new user is 100% honest about their identity, the site still does not have too much space for personal descriptions. Free users can upload one avatar and fill in a brief 'about' description. That's it — no galleries, no photos, no anything of the kind. There isn't even a graph for a person's name — only nicknames are allowed on this platform.

Chat Avenue Video & Chat Experience

Not every room on Chat Avenue supports video. Still, there is a separate video chat room for anyone willing to try it — registration or no registration. Anyone over 13 years old can join this room. The video quality is ok, but the room is a nightmare. The general chat room is filled with spam, and people you know nothing about keep requesting you for a private chat. Even if you introduce yourself as a 15-year old, no one is worried about turning to explicitly sexual topics.

The same is right for an adult, lesbian, and gay chat rooms on the service. While the admins (as we already mentioned) state that no nude posing on camera is allowed, dirty talk is. Admins indeed do ban guests and users who violate this policy, but an average ban lasts no more than two hours. The admins say than a permanent ban on severe offenses is also possible. Still, we honestly did not have a chance to check this out.

All in all, chat experience — video or no video — on this platform is a bit hectic. Every room is chaotic, and it all seems to deal with 'hey, wanna hook up' questions. Not that hooking up online is such a no-no, but on Chat Avenue, you never know who you're talking to — and that is the most significant disadvantage. On the other hand, it may have a nostalgic touch to it because their chatrooms remind anyone of the days when online communication was 100% anonymous and unmonitored.

One of the Chat Avenue rooms that has the most logical structure and always stays within the limits of its dedicated topics is the Video Games room. Here, people seem to be discussing games, and the overall conversation does make sense and is easy to follow. Dating chat and adult rooms also have a pretty clear line of communication, but following it a little bit more challenging because of the number of users chatting at the same time.

How much are Chat Avenue VIP Membership?

Even though all the essential functionality is free, Chat Avenue does offer a premium, VIP membership to its registered users. Not only chatting is free, but the same functionality is equally available to guest users without a registered account.

Still, here are the prices on VIP memberships for registered users. They are valid for Adult, Gay, Dating, Singles, and Lesbian chat rooms.

• One month: $5
• Three months: $10
• 12 months: $15
• Lifetime: $20

Yes, you got it right. There is a lifetime subscription, which is unusual but kind of makes sense for people who plan to use the service for long. Besides, if Chat Avenue has survived for almost twenty years, the chances are — they will keep it kicking for a couple more years, at least. So, it makes sense to think of getting one if you give this platform a try and decide that you like it.

The prices on the Live Chat section, without any dating or adult themes involved, are even lower:

• One month: $3
• Three months: $5
• 12 months: $10
• Lifetime: $15

The site accepts all major credit and debit cards. Still, given that it offers the most necessary features for free, we do not think they have a lot of paying users — even though the prices are low. But then again, you might want to become a lifetime member.

Special features for premium members

Ok, but what do they offer for this money, given that all necessary site functionality is free? Here we go:

• Change their profile color theme
• Upload pictures and videos to their chats
• Change profile pictures and usernames
• Appear at the top of the list
• A VIP batch.

Perhaps, the only handy feature of the VIP subscription is photo and video upload directly to the chat session. And, of course, you can edit your account anytime you like. Still, otherwise — free membership is almost as active as a paid one.

Conclusion

Objectively speaking, Chat Avenue does not offer too much, but it can be fun now and then. For example, its video games room is tons of fun, and most users do seem to know what they're talking about. On the other hand, if you are looking for a hookup, this is not the best place because you never know who you're chatting to.

If you just came to chat about a variety of topics, from dating to parenting, this is a solid and easy-to-use website. Yes, the design is a bit old-fashioned, but so is the logic behind Chat Avenue. It does, however, offer a safe space to discuss anything people feel like discussing, and the best part is — it's all 100% free of charge.