Comparison

Paltalk vs cauldy

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Paltalk

Connect with people worldwide in live, topic-based chat rooms. Engage in group video, voice, or text conversations on shared interests. Create your own rooms and participate in a safe, moderated community.

Highlights
  • Live topic-based chat rooms
  • Group video, voice, and text chat
  • Thousands of active rooms
  • Real-time moderation and safety tools
  • Create your own chat room
  • Virtual gifts and recognition
  • Cross-platform access (desktop/mobile)
Features
Read full description

Paltalk is a global community platform built around live, topic-based chat rooms. Join thousands of active rooms organized around shared interests such as music, culture, sports, current events, and more. Each room centers on a specific topic, creating space for group discussions to grow naturally within a community setting. Take part in live group conversations using video, voice, or text, or simply listen and follow along. You choose how you participate. Paltalk focuses on interest-based rooms and structured community spaces designed for group interaction. Community experience is supported with safety in mind. Chat rooms include active moderators, room management tools, reporting options, and community guidelines to help maintain respectful and welcoming discussions. With over 20 years of experience in social technology, Paltalk provides a stable and reliable environment for live group communication across desktop and mobile devices. Download the app and join live community rooms built around your interests. LIVE COMMUNITY CHAT ROOMS • International Community vs. Local Flavor. Whether you’re looking to learn a new language, rock out to your favorite song, or examine the social issues in your city elections, Paltalk has a room for you. Explore thousands of active rooms organized around shared interests and ongoing group discussions. GROUP VIDEO, VOICE, AND TEXT • Participate in live conversations within structured rooms and choose how you engage in each community space. Upgrade to join more rooms simultaneously. Plus, no extra fees for international messaging or calling. REAL-TIME MODERATION AND SAFETY TOOLS FOR LIVE CHAT ROOMS • Live human room moderators • Room management controls • One-tap reporting • Community guidelines • AI Safety filters CREATE YOUR OWN ROOM • Can’t find a specific topic? Create a group and host your own room. Start a topic-based room and guide discussions using built-in management tools. VIRTUAL GIFTS AND RECOGNITION • Send virtual gifts within rooms and earn recognition within the Paltalk community, with special appearances from pop culture characters and brands you love; try sending gifts to say hello in a room. Each gift sent or received earns points toward special status as a Paltalk Crown member. ACCESS ANYWHERE • Join from desktop or mobile and stay part of your favorite community rooms wherever you are. Paltalk will even run in the background of your device if you want to listen to your favorite room or talk to a friend while you read emails. Never miss a great moment again. If you enjoy the Paltalk community, we appreciate your review. For support, contact ptmobile@paltalk.com. We read and respond to every message.

About

cauldy

Engage in open and safe discussions on debatable topics with like-minded individuals. Offers private shadowing, instant blocking, and reporting for a controlled social experience. Discover trending content and join chat rooms for meaningful conversations.

Highlights
  • Private shadowing and user blocking
  • Customizable notifications
  • Personalized content feed
  • Real-time trending posts
  • Join chat rooms for discussions
  • Report suspicious activity
Features
Read full description

cauldy: a social operating system what if social media didn't control us? most apps are built around a feed. cauldy is built around conversation. every post opens into chat rooms, each day brings one question everyone answers together, and no personalized algorithm decides what you see. that's what we mean by a social OS: posts aren't content to scroll past, they're places to gather and talk. we believe genuine dialogue happens when the focus is on conversation rather than self-promotion. safety and respect come first here. say what you really think, and stay open to people who see things differently. posts become rooms every post comes with six chat rooms, so one image can hold six different conversations. swipe a message to reply, long-press for more options, and set the mood with chat themes. your chat name is randomized each session, so you can speak freely without performing. the town square one new question every day, answered by everyone in a single live chat inside a cozy pixel-art tavern. pick your character (witch, wizard, werewolf or vampire), keep your streak alive, and invite friends in. drafts for poems, short stories and thoughts too long for one bubble. drafts show up as cards that anyone in the room can open and read in full. shadowing you don't follow people here, you shadow them. their posts land in your home feed. no algorithm, three ways in home: posts from the people you shadow newest 100: the latest posts as they arrive trending: the 30 posts with the liveliest chat rooms over the past two days captions count too like the picture, the words, or both. notifications likes on your posts and captions, new shadowers, mentions, active conversations, and each day's new question. your pinboard others can leave notes on your profile. kept human, kept safe block someone and you vanish from each other's view. restrict someone and they can still like your posts but can't comment or chat on them, and they won't be told. report anything in a couple of taps, and automatic moderation runs around the clock. chat names are randomized, but every account stays accountable. hidden extras a few mini games are tucked away. go looking. cauldy premium • every chat theme • the werewolf and vampire characters • unlimited drafts (free accounts get 3 a day) • see who liked your posts and captions • see who other people shadow • know when someone unshadows you • a premium badge beside your name in every chat subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. terms: https://cauldy.com/terms privacy: https://cauldy.com/privacy-policy the future of the internet doesn't have to be extractive. it can be human. cauldy.com

Screenshots

Paltalk4 screens
cauldy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: cauldy at 5.0 against Paltalk's 4.3. cauldy also leads on review sentiment (71% vs 39%). Paltalk's advantage is ratings volume (15K vs 11) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Paltalk sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month and cauldy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

cauldy holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Paltalk has 15K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of Paltalk's written reviews are positive against 71% of cauldy's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Paltalk ships an update fortnightly, cauldy every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Paltalk versus cauldy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPaltalkcauldy
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (15K ratings)5.0 (11 ratings) — better
Positive reviews39.3% of reviews71.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings15K — better11
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPod, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size286 MB171 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperPaltalk US LLCbtw LLC

Customer experience

Paltalk

All ratings15,008 ratings
Positive79.4%
Neutral7.0%
Negative13.6%
Written reviews405 reviews
Positive39.3%
Neutral9.4%
Negative51.4%

cauldy

All ratings11 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%

Bugs and requests

Paltalk

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Camera issues after iOS updates
  • Audio cutting out frequently
  • Conversation history disappearing
  • Inability to delete messages or conversations
  • Rooms freezing and crashing the app
Show 1 more
  • Profile pictures and names not loading properly

Requested features

6 requests
  • Allow admins to manage rooms from mobile
  • Add iPad-optimized layout
  • Improve audio/video quality and stability
  • Implement better user blocking/muting tools
  • Provide more customization options
Show 1 more
  • Improve room search and organization

cauldy

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

13 purchases

Paltalk

Subscriptions4
  • Extreme Monthly$11.991 Month
  • Extreme Monthly3 Days trial$11.991 Month
  • VIP Monthly$21.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • Prime Monthly$54.991 Month
One-time9
  • Level 1 Virtual Gift$0.99
  • Pack of 15 Credits$0.99
  • Pack of 50 Credits$2.99
Show 6 more
  • Pack of 100 Credits$4.99
  • month of Extreme$9.99
  • Pack of 500 Credits$19.99
  • Pack of 1500 Credits$49.99
  • Pack of 7000 Credits$99.99
  • Pack of 3500 Credits$99.99
2 purchases

cauldy

Subscriptions1
  • SpyCauldy$3.991 Month
One-time1
  • SpyCauldy$3.99

Questions

Is Paltalk free?
Paltalk is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is cauldy free?
cauldy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Paltalk or cauldy?
cauldy is rated higher. Paltalk averages 4.3 out of 5 from 15K ratings, while cauldy averages 5.0 from 11 ratings.
Do Paltalk or cauldy have ads?
Both Paltalk and cauldy show ads.
Which is updated more often, Paltalk or cauldy?
Paltalk ships an update fortnightly, and cauldy every 6 weeks. Most recently, Paltalk was updated on October 30, 2026 and cauldy on October 24, 2026.

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