Review
Paltalk is a video-conferencing based chat service meant for both business and personal use. It allows you to video call up to 10 people at once, whilst permitting the integration of other programs like MSN. You can also chat in one of 5’000 active group chat rooms, where you can make new friends in an instant!
The Paltalk Brand
As discussed, if you search for Paltalk reviews online, the results are not always positive. There are frequent complaints, yet the site has almost 60’000 members, so it must be doing something right! We have had no serious problems with the service ourselves, but we have not used it extensively.
The brand is well-followed online too, with over 20k Twitter followers and over 250k likes on Facebook. The ability to have a successful 10-way video conversation will of course largely depend on your internet speed and connection. So this will have a large influence on people’s experience of the service. The only way you will know is by trying it out for yourself.
Registration
To register and use the chat service you must first download some software directly from the website. This is unlike most other chat rooms that are available immediately via Flash. But then again, this chat room also operates in a totally different manner to most others too.
This download is free – to obtain it you must choose a nickname and password and also provide your email address.
Desktop/Mobile Capability
You can access Paltalk on iOS, Android, Windows, Mac and Kindle. That is a pretty comprehensive list so top marks there! Just like the desktop download, the app across all platforms is completely free. This allows you to video call people on the move which is a big plus.
User Experience
The user experience takes two parts with Paltalk – the journey through the site and then the experience of the app or download itself. So let’s begin logically with the site – which is almost impeccable. It really is such a well-designed, well thought-out and properly developed website. The colour choice and imagery work perfectly together, creating a thoroughly enjoyable visual experience from the get-go.
The same style, simplicity and design is not translated to the service itself. For the desktop version, the interface is very much reminiscent of old-school MSN, only a little chunkier. The mobile apps are most definitely a lot smoother and more visually pleasing. Interestingly though, there are numerous complaints from users regarding the operation of the interface – suggesting it may have some issues from time to time.
Safety and Security
There isn’t much offered in the way of safety information, aside from your standard ‘Terms of Service’ type links in the footer. This resembles what you would expect to see on most websites these days, and the privacy policy is fairly extensive.
There is some concern around the safety of the download. It is good to be concerned as it shows you are digitally vigilant. There are some reports of spam content and viruses surrounding the download, but it is difficult to tell if these complaints are genuine. Do your research and always ensure you have antivirus software installed at all times.
Customer Service
The on-site support section is actually really extensive. You can find an answer or some form of guidance for pretty much all queries and we get the impression this is a dynamic page. So more information will be added all the time! You can also contact the site admins via an online contact form. We have had no reason to get in touch as of yet, so we can’t tell you how fast the response time is!
Conclusion
When we first sat down to review Paltalk, we so much wanted it to be a good one! It is such an incredible concept and a bold statement – to allow a 10-person simultaneous call that can integrate the video feeds of other services. This is a brave business model and one that is dressed up spectacularly with a vibrant and engaging website. Everything from the get-go seems wonderful, including the level of customer support available to you.
Then you click, or you think about clicking, the download button. This is where issues seem to begin for many users. Reports of viruses, high levels of spam and interrupted connections suggests that member satisfaction is not as high as it could be. This leaves doubts in the mind as to whether this is an amazing service, or just an amazing concept.
For these reasons, it isn’t the turnout we thought it would be, and Paltalk scores an above average 6.5!
