Houseparty was a social app that allowed users to create virtual rooms, find online friends, and join to have some amazing audio and video calls together.
Unfortunately, Houseparty was quickly discontinued, but luckily, there are plenty of alternatives that will allow you to quickly gather with your friends or family and have long conversations and fun.
The best apps like Houseparty below will make it easy for all users to connect and yet won’t make it feel like you’re organizing an official meeting.
Best Apps Like Houseparty
1. Bunch
Bunch is a similar app to what Houseparty was, but it comes with a twist. Instead of only being able to have video group rooms and calls with your friends and family, Bunch also includes games that you can play while you’re on the call.
Therefore, Bunch is a metaverse where you can move your character and join games while talking and video chatting with your group of friends or family.
What’s great about Bunch is that it incorporates video chatting with games well so that with any average-sized phone you will get to play the game but still see a person or group of people you’re in the video chat with.
If you don’t feel like playing games, you can explore the metaverse, see what’s out there, and get topics to talk about, even if you don’t have any ideas.
2. Discord
Discord is an easy Houseparty substitute that can be downloaded and used directly in the browser. Depending on the number of users you invite, you get to create a group that can easily turn into a community.
The group you create can be set as an invite-only type of group so you can keep it private between your real friends and family members. On the other hand, you can join public channels to chat with gaming friends or strangers.
What’s also great about Discord is that you can use it for audio calls and group video calls. Since it’s based on reliable tech, audio and video quality will be outstanding.
With low-latency calls, you will feel like you were in an actual room together instead of a virtual one. Discord is also a lot more convenient since you can use it from your desktop or smartphone devices, and it is easy to set up.
Find out the best alternatives to Discord here.
3. Google Duo
Everyone uses Google for at least one of its services, so it’s very likely you have at least a Gmail address, and that’s all you’d need to use Google Duo.
Google Duo is a free video call app with a high-quality standard that works in a browser, desktop, smartphone device, and even smart display.
You can make one-to-one calls with friends and family members who already have Duo. If your friends and family don’t have Duo yet, you can invite them, and their joining process will be quick, so wait time is eliminated.
If you want to have group video chats, you can easily name a group and add 32 participants. This is more than enough for an entire family to have a fun time together.
4. Facebook Messenger
While Facebook Messenger is mostly used for chatting, it also has audio and video call features which shouldn’t be overlooked.
Almost everyone is on Facebook nowadays, so anyone who has the Messenger app installed on their smartphone or computer can quickly find and add a friend and start an audio or video call.
Messenger is highly convenient, and its quality is relatively decent, so only a good internet connection is required to get the most out of Messenger calls.
You can add up to 50 people in a group call which is more than enough for a large group of friends or family.
Since Messenger is highly compatible with almost any smart device, it’s convenient to use since almost everyone has it installed, at least on their smartphone. But keep in mind that everyone should have Messenger installed and set up before they can join the video call.
5. WhatsApp
WhatsApp is a secure messaging app built for smartphones to establish an easier way to communicate efficiently.
However, it has advanced into a convenient app that you can install on a Mac or Windows PC, or Android and iOS smart device. It includes audio and video calls, and you only need someone’s phone number to set up the call.
When it comes down to group calls, WhatsApp only allows you to add up to eight participants to the call. However, this is often enough for the average user.
But when it comes down to a standard WhatsApp group, you can add as many people as you wish, yet only eight of them will be able to be on one group call.
WhatsApp also allows you to share documents and even capture photos in real-time, which is just another convenient feature that’s good to have.
6. Rave
Why only talk and look at each other during your video calls when you can watch something together or listen to music in the background?
Rave is a similar app to Houseparty, yet it allows users to gather and connect to watch movies and shows together on almost any device. It is compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iPhone devices.
While you might not get to video call each other, you can be online together in audio while watching the same movie or show that runs simultaneously on two screens remotely.
Of course, everyone who wants to participate needs to download Rave onto their device, and everyone needs a subscription to the platform you’re watching the movie on, such as Netflix, so that’s something to keep in mind.
7. Airtime
Airtime is an app like Houseparty with a bit more versatile features. You get to connect with your friends and family in a group audio or video call, but you also get to explore public groups to find people to talk to.
Groups are categorized by interest, so you’ll always be able to find something you’re into, and the best thing is that groups are always live, so you can join any time of day or night and have some fun.
You can even create your own live room to share ideas and tips, gather with people to lead a discussion, or spend time with your friends.
Of course, you can have a private room with your friends and family members only, but you can also gather together and join other live rooms, which is also an option.
Also Read: Best Apps Like Snapchat For Kids
8. Tribe Calls
Tribe Calls is similar to what Houseparty was, yet with a different approach to getting together virtually.
With Tribe Calls, you can add contacts and create groups, but it also notifies you when there are friends nearby, online, have been away for a bit, etc.
Instead of staying on top of your messages and calls, you and your friends or family can start using Tribe Calls. In Tribe Calls, you won’t have missed calls, no schedules, and a chance to catch up with anyone online anytime you see them.
Therefore, Tribe Calls replicates coming across a friend on the street in real life to the online world where we often get too busy.
With quality technology backing the app, you can have superb audio and video calls in only a few screen taps.
9. Fam
If you are looking for an app like Houseparty that you’d like to use mostly with your family members to stay up to date, Fam is a great app for iOS and Mac users.
Fam is designed for families to create one group where you can create and keep events, so everyone is informed, but also to stay in touch with each family member without having to write long messages or talk about the same thing one on one with everyone.
There is also a section of the app where you can send photos, voice notes, and more, but you also get to jump on quick video or audio calls with everyone who’s a part of your family group.
This app’s great because it allows you to schedule an event so everyone can know when you want to have an audio or video call with your family.
The app is very easy to use, so even older family members will be able to find their way around the app easily.
10. Hago
Hanging out with your friends or family virtually is always better if you have something to do together.
While Houseparty didn’t feature any add-ons to make this happen, with Hago, you can enjoy hundreds of available games of all genres, where most of the games can accommodate up to 10 players.
So while you play games, you can talk to your friends via text or audio chat, and when you’re not in the game, you can use the video chat feature.
This way, you’ll always be able to explore things, have things to talk about, and spend hours together, even if it’s remotely, without feeling all of it is happening virtually.
You can also create live video streams and feature your friends so other people can join and hang out with you.
11. TIYA
TIYA is one of the easiest apps to set up and is ready for you and your friends or family to hang out in only minutes.
Everyone who downloads the TIYA app can create a private channel for your group of people where you get to share the link for others to join. But besides hanging out, talking, and video chatting, you can also play one-on-one games and even find new friends you can hang out with.
Therefore, even if none of your friends are online, you can find new friends for either just a chat or to play games together.
There are also different public groups based on different interests, so you can join discussions, find friends, or ask questions and start your discussions.
12. Hello Yo
Hello Yo focuses mostly on voice chat to deliver an engaging experience to anyone who wants a virtual place to hang out with friends and family.
With Hello Yo, you can create your virtual room where you can hang out and talk via voice, or you can also do activities that come included within the app.
These activities include video games, karaoke, and even the ability to host a virtual online auction. Even though this app doesn’t feature video calls, you can create videos and send them to your group of friends or family. You can also send photos, text messages, and voice messages.
Besides hanging out with your group of friends, you can find other people on the app and start hanging out with them to connect and share virtual moments.
What’s also great about Hello Yo is that it’s compatible with Android and iOS smartphones, but it is also specifically available for Huawei smartphones.
13. Yalla
Yalla is an app just like Houseparty was, yet with advanced features that allow you to talk to people via voice and have fun whenever you gather with your friends or family.
With Yalla, you can party with people as if there was no distance between you since the app includes music rooms, karaoke, a range of games, and more.
Even if none of your friends are online, you can still use Yalla and join public rooms to find friends worldwide. Of course, after the public rooms, you can have private conversations in private rooms and even have chat games.
Yalla introduced something none of the other apps has. It has a virtual gift option within the app that will help the developers of the app and will put a smile on someone’s face.
Of course, Yalla is free to use, but keep in mind that there’s also a possibility to upgrade to a premium account for even more fun. However, a standard free account is enough to have a great time.
14. JusTalk
JusTalk is one of the most convenient Houseparty substitutes as it provides the most important features in the easiest way possible.
With JusTalk, you get to have free audio and video calls, either one-on-one or group calls, with up to 50 people at a time.
Besides its great interface and convenience, JusTalk also introduces small features that can make a huge difference in the video quality, such as the night vision light so users can lead better video calls at night.
Another useful feature is the memory recording which allows you to record the best moments or calls and then, later on, revisit them within the JusTalk app.
While video calls are a primary way of communication in the JusTalk app, there’s also an advanced chat system that you can use simultaneously.
15. Amino
Amino is more of a metaverse virtual world where you can meet and hang out with people virtually, where all communities available in the app are based on your interests.
Therefore, you and your friends can find these communities and join them to start having fun, but you can also join them by yourself and find virtual friends who are into the same things you are into.
These communities include chat, blogs, polls, and more, yet they’re a perfect way to stay entertained while sharing your thoughts and discussing with others.
Even better yet, you get to create your community within the Amino app, so you can meet people who are very similar to you or share the same interests.
Conclusion
One of the best apps like Houseparty is Bunch. Bunch not only introduces a video chatting feature, but it also has its own metaverse where you get to use a character to move around.
The metaverse introduces games and things you can explore and do, and you can do all that while talking and video chatting to your friends or family, which adds more interest to your virtual gatherings.
This is a 2-in-1 app where the conversation won’t ever run dry and you’ll always have something to talk about.
However, all of the other picks have a little twist, so it’s up to you to find out which app like Houseparty would fit your liking the most.
Cassie Riley has a passion for all things marketing and social media. She is a wife, mother, and entrepreneur. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, language, music, writing, and unicorns. Cassie is a lifetime learner, and loves to spend time attending classes, webinars, and summits.