Rabb.it used to provide a way to watch online video with your friends and family without sitting in the same room. You could watch TV and movies while chatting in real time. Read below to see what happened to Rabb.it and which are the best alternatives.
EDIT: In July 2019, Rabb.it was acquired by Kast (kast.gg) which got the rights of the software stack, several patents and intellectual property of the app. The service actually stopped working few month before that (in May 2019). There were no legal issues or anything similar that forced Rabb.it to shut down. What happened was that investors just withdrew from the business.
The original app was essentially a web-based group chat with a video stream. The stream is a virtual instance of Chrome or Opera, allowing you to share a video feed from anything that can play in your web browser, such as Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube videos.
Rabb.it was just one of many apps and web-based services that allow simultaneous group video and text chat with video streaming. Here are 17 alternatives to Rabbit for watching video and movies in groups.
1) Invited.tv
Invited.tv is the Rabb.it alternative you’ve been looking for.
Invited lets you host watch parties using virtual browsers just like Rabbit did! Browse the web with your friends by sharing the remote control. Watch Youtube, Netflix, Crunchyroll, Disney+ and more in just three easy steps:
- Create a room.
- Browse for what to watch.
- Share the invite link!
Features of Invited include:
- Private rooms with free virtual machines
- Integrated text and voice chat
- Remote-control sharing
Invited is free to use, with optional subscription plans of $5/month and $50/year. The subscriptions simply allow you to skip the line when waiting for a room during peak hours.
Follow Invited on the various platforms to stay up to date!
2) Watch2gether
Watch2gether allows you to watch videos and other content in sync with your friends. You can create your own chat room for free without signing up. After creating the chat room, you invite other users to join the chat.
The videos that you can watch are restricted to supported platforms including YouTube, Amazon, Facebook, Vimeo, and Dailymotion. You can even listen to music together via SoundCloud or watch live Twitch streams.
Unlike Rabbit, all users in the chat room can search for videos and start playing them. You do not log into third-party accounts, which also means that you cannot access Netflix or Hulu. However, you still have access to a large library of free videos on the supported platforms.
3) Kosmi
Kosmi allows for creating virtual hangouts with your friends.
Without installation or signup you can easily create a room where you can chat, communicate over webcam and microphone and various other activities that include:
- Sharing your screen or browser tab for watching together Netflix/Amazon Prime/Twitch or whatever happens on your screen/browser tab
- Watching synced local video files
- Watching synced YouTube videos
- Start a NES or SNES Emulator which can be played in multiplayer by all room members
- Play a game of Quake 3!
- Start a Texas Holdem Poker table for having a Poker night with your friends
- Start a Virtual Cardtable for playing any cardgame that can be played with a standard deck of cards
The rooms can be joined instantly using a URL or published in its public lobby where strangers can request to join your room. In the lobby there is also a public chat that is integrated with a Discord server ran by Kosmi.
Kosmi is also a software platform with an upcoming SDK where developers will be able to develop their own experiences to run inside the rooms.
The platform leverages web technologies such as WebRTC and WebSockets and aims to push them the limits to provide the ultimate real-time app experience in the browser.
4) Simulchat
With Simulchat, users can create private chat rooms and watch movies, share files, and play games. You can even make video calls together. It is an easy-to-use web-based service that also supports text chat.
You can watch videos found on YouTube and Simulchat ensures that the videos remain synced. It is similar to watching TV in the same room. While you cannot access other sites such as Amazon or Netflix, you can share your own videos and watch them with friends or family.
The service is free to use but you need to create an account first. Registration only takes seconds, allowing you to set up your Simulchat room in just minutes.
5) TogetherTube
TogetherTube works with a handful of supported platforms including YouTube, Dailymotion, Vimeo, and SoundCloud. You can watch videos and listen to music from these sites in real time.
With TogetherTube, you can either create public or private chat rooms. All users in the chat room can add videos from the supported platforms to a playlist. Users then vote on the videos. The videos with the most votes get played next.
The site includes a variety of other features to help it stand out, including the ability to configure the settings in your chat room. You can change the name of the room or even restrict other users from voting on videos.
6) andchill
With AndChill, you can instantly create your own private or public chat room and start watching videos simultaneously with anyone around the world. It provides a simple user interface, including the ability to share videos and audio files with one click.
When you first visit the site, you can browse a list of currently open public chat rooms. You can see what people are watching and how many people are in the room before joining. It is a great way to meet new people or share content with your friends and family.
7) Hyperbeam (Tutturu)
Hyperbeam (previously known as Tutturu.tv) is a shared browsing service, just like Rabb.it!
Invite your friends to a room and take turns controlling a shared virtual browser! Visit any site you want! YouTube? Yep. Reddit? Mhm. Your favourite anime site? You got it!
Tutturu offers everything an ex-Rabb.it user would care about! Including:
- Private rooms and free virtual browsers!
- Remote passing; browse interactively with your friends!
- Audio chat and text chat, with formatted message support
Future plans? Tutturu aspires to build great things:
- Mobile app (iOS + Android!)
- Public rooms!
- Video chat
Tutturu is free! Free users may need to wait, but subscribers can skip the line! A subscription costs $5 a month. Viewers never need a subscription to participate!
For updates and announcements, follow Tutturu on Twitter https://twitter.com/tutturutv
8) Rave
Rave is essentially a web-based media center but it also aims to be a social media platform. You can share the videos and music that you are watching or listening to with your friends and family. The site also allows you to share from mobile devices.
The supported platforms include YouTube, Vimeo, Dropbox, Viki, Google Drive, and Reddit. You can share streaming content or content from your Dropbox or Google Drive accounts.
Rave works with almost every device and even has mobile apps available for iOS and Android smartphones and tablets.
9) myCircle.tv
You do not need to create an account to start watching movies and listening to music through MyCircle.TV. The web-based platform is easy to navigate and lets you set up your own private chat room.
While you can stream content from YouTube and other popular free video sites, you can also create playlists or upload your own videos. However, the video uploads require you to upload files to myCloud instead of accessing Dropbox or Google Drive.
Using the Social Share feature, you can invite your friends or family via social media, sending a link through Twitter or Facebook.
10) Netflix Party
Netflix Party is a browser extension for Google Chrome. It requires you and your friends to install the extension before you can start sharing.
After adding the extension, you simply log in to your Netflix account and select a video. You can then use the extension to create your Netflix Party and start inviting friends. Users can chat in real time as the synced video plays.
This extension does not work with other streaming platforms or local content. It is intended only for Netflix. However, it is one of limited options that allow you to watch synced Netflix shows.
11) ShareTube
With ShareTube, you can quickly create your own chat room and start inviting friends or family. You can also watch synced YouTube videos or create playlists.
ShareTube provides one of the simplest interfaces for creating or joining chat rooms. It also only works with YouTube.
You do not need to create an account. You simply create or join a room. You can then enter the URL of a YouTube video to begin syncing.
12) Synaptop
Synaptop is another web-based chat service that lets you watch a synced video with friends or family through a remote connection. As with the other options, it is also free to use but you need to create an account.
After creating your account, you add apps. These apps allow you to watch movies, listen to music, play games, read books, and even collaborate on work projects. It is a complete remote desktop for sharing all types of content.
The apps are all entirely web-based, which means that you do not need to download anything. The only drawback is that you can only select movies from a list of available titles on the website.
13) Airtime
Airtime is a mobile app that is available for iOS and Android devices. It is designed to let you share everything on your mobile device with your friends, no matter where they are located.
You can watch videos together, listen to music, set up group video chats, or send messages. As with other apps, it only works with supported platforms. You can watch synced video from YouTube or listen to music from Spotify. You can also share GIFs and play games.
14) Togethr TV
Togethr TV offers synchronized playback of video files via a web-based interface. It is one of the few Rabbit alternatives that also allows you to stream content from Netflix, Hulu, and other paid streaming services.
You do not share your login information. The web-based interface shares a remote desktop screen from your web browser. Another option is to allow the site to play a random video. You also have the option of streaming video or music files directly from your computer.
If you have a microphone, you can use audio chat with your friends and family. The service is completely free to use.
15) Syncplay
Syncplay is a downloadable program for your desktop or laptop computer. Your friends and family must also install the software on their own computers.
After installation, the software launches a media center that is synced between connected users. This allows you to play music or video files from your computer while remaining in sync with your friends and family accessing the same files.
The program is available for Windows, MacOS, and Linux computers. There is no mobile version. However, it is free to use and supports almost all video formats.
16) Kast
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, Kast is the new successor of Rabbit app. Its mainly a desktop computer based software running on Windows and Mac machines and also from a Web Browser. An iOS mobile app is coming soon as well.
Kast is a comprehensive chat and sharing app supporting video, voice, text etc but also can be used to host movie and TV parties with more than 100 friends. You can even play games and share the video gaming experience in real-time with friends.
17) Explorii App
This is a relatively new mobile app with a main purpose to connect and explore the world if you want to learn about the culture, food, fashion, habits etc of a specific country.
However, it is not only that. Explorii is an all-in-one social networking app that includes also chatting capabilities, group video calls, private rooms for watching movies, instant messaging (free) with friends and family, free phone calls over the internet etc.
None of these stupid services in browsers can think to include a web browser like rabb.it instead of locking you into the same web pages. Bunch of garbage.
None of the website can do work like rabb.it was doing. In fact I am facing bad issue over here where m doing work.When I need to do any personal work in spare time i am like dead. Huh. Kindly bring the rabb.it back.
Falak, I hope the previous owners of rabbit listen to you and bring it back !!
These ‘alternatives’ !!! Give us back rabbit!!!!! Why tf would we want to ‘screen-share’ directly from our computer!!!! That is the whole point we use rabbit !!!! I don’t want anyone to see whats on my tabs!!!
Thanks for ruining my life rabbit by being dead!!! Now, I have nothing to use to watch with my friends!!!
Why do most of these ‘alternatives’ make us download it!!! The only reason I like using rabbit is because we didnt have to download it and screen share from our computer!!!
Falak and Blog Admin these all are business men. When they see that, they have gathered a large number of people on their app and collect all their information about them, then they sell their app. Just like Reb.it.
I really missed
rabb.it
software because in our organization all video streaming is blocked.Man,
Rabb.it
, the almighty siteR.I.P.
Long live
Rabb.it
within our mindsHopefully they rethink to bring it back
You forgot about Explorii app. It is like the most similar alternative. And the most cool thing about it is i can create private rooms and watch with people i only wanna watch with :)) But overall, good list though
Hey Guys,
So Explorii app has done a major update recently. It is now allowing streaming from any website including web browsers and different media players capabilities.
It’s the first app where I am not stuck to some website, I can actually openly explore anything and stream with my friends and family.
Currently, it looks like the update they did is on iPhone, but I emailed them and they said they will be releasing same update on android in the coming days.
P.S. The screenshots and stuff you have up here for Explorii app are not what it is today, please see appstore to see new screenshots. These were the old screen shots. The app has really become one of the best now. It is rated #1 in most countries including United States of America on appstore now.
rabb.it i miss u .you were best…
The best one I found is
caracal.club
. it’s the only one I’ve found with a virtual browser like rabb.it had. Should probably be included here. RIP rabb.itGuys, honestly try Explorii – Watch Together, if you seeking alternative to Rabbit. It is honestly most similar to Rabbit. I also came across Airtime and kast, but i found Explorii much superior and people stream newer stuff on there as there is no restriction and it’s fully open.
Great information. Some of these alternatives don’t provide the same experience as Rabbit but still, it is amazing list. Some services are perfect Rabbit Alternative because of some services are amazing.
im waiting popcorn
Use Surge .Live, it’s just like Rabb.it
Wow! I just finished Enola Holmes. It’s a new movie on Netflix. I can never get enough of Millie Bobby Brown! I loved her in Stranger things and she’s even better in this.
I used the Watch2gether Website to watch youtube videos with my friends together. I liked it because the website has no advertisement and no bugs. Maybe you can implement this page as another tip on your website.
Kind regards Nils
Why not try Bearcat?
It’s a free VM-Based sharing app
You get a virtual browser to share with friend, just like rabbit!
You should also consider StreamParty. They offer free public StreamPartys. Meeting others is addtional fun!
You should add Hearo.Live. It supports 32 Streaming services and is fully cross platform, iOS, Android, Windows and Mac. It’s the nicest cowatching app by far.