What is Chaturbate?
What’s in a name? Chaturbate combines “chat” and “masturbate”, and it lives up to that promise. Since 2011 it has grown into one of the biggest free sex cam sites around, with women, men, couples and trans performers live 24/7.
Chaturbate is one of the classic token sites. Watching any public show is free. Like what you see? Tip the performer, or chip in with the rest of the room to reach the “token goal”. Once the goal is reached, it’s showtime, for everyone in the room, including you.
Is Chaturbate legit or a scam?
Chaturbate is one of the biggest names in the industry and has been around since 2011. It’s run by Multi Media LLC in the US, and you don’t even need an account or a credit card to start watching. One warning: ignore the ads for “dating” or “see nudes of someone you know”. They’re as fake as it gets, they only want your money, and they don’t come from Chaturbate itself. Stay on the cam site and enjoy the real deal.
Chaturbate features you’ll like
- Free chat: watch every public show for free, and only pay when you want something yourself.
- No signup needed: you don’t need an account or a credit card to start watching.
- Cam to Cam: share your camera with a performer, on desktop or mobile.
- Save private shows: if the broadcaster allows it, your private show is saved to watch again later.
- Mobile site: works great in your phone’s browser, no app needed.
Models and performers
Chaturbate may not be the most revolutionary site feature-wise, but it stays on top for one simple reason: the selection. Whatever you’re into, someone is live right now.
Women
A mind-boggling number of women, from all over the world and of every shape and size. Many come from Eastern Europe and Latin America, and most speak good English.
Men
Plenty of men too: tattooed, ripped, slim, bears, plus gay couples. Some put on a real show; many mostly like being watched. Looking for a more professional show, and happy to pay for it? Flirt4Free is stronger there.
Couples
This is where Chaturbate shines. Straight, gay and lesbian couples going live together, for free. The premium sites have nothing like it.
Trans
A smaller group, but the quality is often just as good or better, partly because many trans performers broadcast with a partner.
Interface, search and filters
Chaturbate keeps up on features, but the design is stuck in the early 2000s. The good: the homepage shows recent snapshots of every show, so you can see where the action is. The bad: the homepage is cluttered, and the chat is a mess of emoticons, flashy icons and colored text.
Filtering is basic. Use the top bar to switch between women, men, couples and trans, and use tags, although performers add their own tags and Chaturbate doesn’t police them. Don’t expect filters for body type or hair color.
Show types on Chaturbate
- Free chat: the heart of Chaturbate. Every public room is free, and you tip for requests.
- Private show: one-on-one with the performer, at a per-minute rate the broadcaster sets.
- Spy show: watch someone else’s private show for a set number of tokens a minute. Some broadcasters want you to hold a minimum number of tokens before you can spy.
- Cam to Cam: share your camera with the performer, video only (no audio). The performer has to accept, and you’ll need to verify your age first, because age verification laws require it.
- Fan club: a subscription to a performer, with exclusive content and a green name in their chat.
Is Chaturbate cheap or expensive?
Tokens cost $6.99 for 50 up to $79.99 for 1,000 by card in the US, so one token costs between 14 and 8 cents: the bigger the package, the cheaper. Crypto is a flat 8 cents a token from 250 tokens, and wire transfers (from $250) are credited at $0.08 per token too, so $1,000 buys 12,500 tokens. The full list, with what each package works out to: Chaturbate token prices.
Payment options and bank statement
Cards (Visa, Mastercard and Discover) are the fastest way to pay. You can also use crypto (Bitcoin, Litecoin, Dogecoin, Ether and more), gift cards through PayGarden, a wire transfer, a money order or certified check (from $160), or more than 37 other methods through Epoch. PayPal isn’t on the list.
Private show prices
Each broadcaster sets their own per-minute price. Billing questions or a refund? Chaturbate’s billing support is at 1-877-338-7068.
Is Chaturbate Supporter worth it?
Supporter is Chaturbate’s paid membership, at $19.95 a month. It removes the ads, lets you start private messages, tip anonymously, preview rooms and pick your own chat font and color. The first time you join, you also get 200 tokens (worth $20.99). If you visit a lot, it’s worth a look. If you mostly watch for free, skip it.
What we like
The free chat really is free, the selection is unbeatable, and even the amateurs know how to put on a show. And if a broadcaster allows it, you can keep a recording of your private show.
What we don’t like
A chat that pulls your attention away from the only thing that matters: the stream. And Cam to Cam is video only, so the performer can’t hear you.
Our verdict
Chaturbate has a huge advantage over most cam sites: you can watch live shows completely free, without even signing up. The design is outdated and some filters are missing, but the selection more than makes up for it. Tips are appreciated, and performers go to great lengths to give you the best bang for your buck. You’ve got nothing to lose, so go have a look.