Disclosure: we make Palm Social, one of the games on this page. It is kept out of the list below and described separately at the end, so you can judge the others on their own.
The short answer
IMVU and Second Life are both still running in 2026, and both are free to start. If you want something like them, the closest matches are other 3D avatar worlds: Highrise, Avakin Life, Hotel Hideaway and ZEPETO for avatar fashion and chat; VRChat for voice chat and player-made worlds; and Sansar and There if you want an adults-only world.
Very few of them run in a web browser. IMVU itself is now the exception: its 3D chat rooms open on its website. Everything else in the list needs an app or a download.
IMVU and Second Life in 2026
| Game | Status | Platforms | Price | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IMVU | Running, apps updated October 2026 | Browser (3D chat rooms), Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | Free, optional VIP and credits | 13+, under 18 in a separate community; 18+ areas need age verification (App Store: 16+) |
| Second Life | Running, mobile app updated October 2026 | Windows, macOS, Linux (viewer download); iOS and Android app | Free, optional Premium | 16+ (App Store: 18+); Moderate and Adult areas need age verification |
IMVU
Built around 3D chat rooms, avatar fashion and a huge shop. You can now enter the 3D chat rooms straight from the IMVU website; voice chat still needs the IMVU Desktop app.
Second Life
One big world built by its residents, with land, homes, shops and a player economy. The mobile app is now free for everyone, alongside the desktop viewer.
3D avatar worlds like IMVU and Second Life
All eight were online multiplayer worlds and running when we checked on October 29, 2026. Where an app store rates a game older than its own rules, we show both.
| World | Status | Platforms | Price | Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highrise | Running, weekly updates | iOS, Android, Windows, Mac | Free, optional purchases | 13+, some features 18+ (App Store: 16+) |
| Avakin Life | Running | iOS, Android, Windows (Steam) | Free, optional purchases | 13+ in the US |
| Hotel Hideaway | Running | iOS, Android, Windows, Mac (Steam) | Free, optional purchases | 13+ (App Store: 18+) |
| ZEPETO | Running | iOS, Android | Free, optional purchases | App Store: 13+ |
| VRChat | Running | PC (Steam), Meta Quest, Pico, iOS, Android | Free, optional VRChat+ | 13+ (under 18 with a parent's consent) |
| Club Cooee | Running | Windows, iOS, Android | Free, optional membership | App Store: 16+ |
| Sansar | Running, updated October 2026 | Windows PC, with or without VR (download or Steam) | Free | 18+ |
| There | Running | Windows (Mac version in beta) | Free trial; paid age check to chat; optional Premium | 18+ |
Each one in a sentence or two
Highrise
The closest match to IMVU's mix of fashion and chat: dress up, trade, design your own rooms and talk with voice chat (18+). One account works on phone and desktop.
Avakin Life
A 3D life world with outfits, a home to furnish and parties to join. Its PC version left early access on Steam in May 2026.
Hotel Hideaway
A 3D hotel with rooms to build and decorate, rare items to collect and live events. Part of Pocket Worlds, the company behind Highrise, since September 2026.
ZEPETO
Stylized 3D avatars, thousands of worlds to explore with friends, avatar livestreams, chat and a social feed.
VRChat
Player-made worlds and avatars with lots of voice chat. Closer to Second Life's build-anything spirit than to IMVU. No VR headset needed.
Club Cooee
3D avatar chat built around music clubs and parties, with a large catalog of player-designed outfits.
Sansar
User-made 3D worlds, events and a store of avatar items, playable on a desktop or in VR. Its latest release came out in October 2026.
There
A 3D hangout world from the Second Life era, still running: explore, play cards, build, decorate and go to events. Adults only, and chatting with other members needs a small one-time age check.
Free, no download, for adults: quick answers
- Free. Every world on this page is free to start. The money is in optional extras: VIP or Premium memberships, avatar items and currency. The one exception is There, which charges a small one-time fee before you can chat with other members.
- No download. IMVU's 3D chat rooms run on its website. Second Life has no browser version; its free mobile app is the lightest way in. If 2D is fine, Everskies (avatar dress-up and chat) and Pony Town both run in a browser tab.
- On PC. Highrise, Avakin Life, Hotel Hideaway, VRChat and Sansar are on Steam; Club Cooee and There are Windows downloads; and IMVU and Second Life have their own desktop apps.
- For adults. Sansar and There are 18+. Second Life's Moderate and Adult areas and IMVU's 18+ rooms are open only to verified adults. If you also miss the 2000s, see games like Club Penguin for adults.
Prefer pixels to 3D? Our Habbo alternatives guide covers hotel-style worlds, and our Sims online guide covers life sims you play with other people.
Before you sign up
- Check the age rules. On this page they run from 13 to 18, and some worlds keep teens and adults apart.
- Expect user-made content. In worlds built by players, what you see depends on where you go. Use the block, mute and report tools.
- Keep it in the game. Keep your real name, address and social accounts to yourself, and be careful with anyone who pushes to move the chat elsewhere.
- Know what costs money. Memberships renew automatically, and virtual currency is easy to overspend. Read what is sold before you get attached.
Recently closed
Older lists still recommend this one. It is not playable today.
- Rec Room. Closed on June 1, 2026. A separate Steam page, Rec Room: A New Semester from Thunderstorm Games, lists a planned release on November 24, 2026; it is not out yet.
Our game: Palm Social
Palm Social is a free 3D social world set in a realistic beach town, and it runs in your web browser on a computer or phone, with nothing to download. Like IMVU and Second Life it is about your avatar, your own place and the people you meet: build and furnish a home, make friends, and do things together, from café shifts to surfing.
You can try it without an account by playing as a guest. Guests chat with quick phrases and emotes; friends, messages and a home of your own need a free account. Players must be 13 or older, and players under 18 need a parent or guardian's permission. It opened on October 24, 2026 and is made by Kirouff Games, an independent studio.
How we checked
On October 29, 2026 we checked each world against its official site, help center or terms, and its App Store, Google Play or Steam listing, for whether it is running, where it runs, how it is priced and the minimum age it states. We do not include ratings or scores, we never guess player numbers, and nobody paid to be listed. If something here is out of date, email support@playpalmsocial.com and we will correct it.
Frequently asked questions
Are IMVU and Second Life still active in 2026?
Yes. Both are running and both were updated in October 2026. IMVU's 3D chat rooms now also open on its website, and Second Life's mobile app for iOS and Android is free for everyone.
What is the difference between IMVU and Second Life?
IMVU is built around 3D chat rooms, avatar fashion and a huge shop: you pick a room and start talking. Second Life is one large world built by its residents, with land you can own, homes, shops and a player economy. It is deeper, with a steeper learning curve.
Is there a game like Second Life with no download?
Not a full one. Second Life needs its viewer on Windows, macOS or Linux, or its mobile app. IMVU's 3D chat rooms open on its website, and Everskies and Pony Town are 2D worlds that run in a browser tab.
Is there a free game like IMVU?
Yes. Highrise, Avakin Life, Hotel Hideaway, ZEPETO, VRChat and Club Cooee are free to play, with optional purchases or memberships. IMVU and Second Life are free to start too.
Which IMVU and Second Life alternatives are for adults?
Sansar and There are 18+, and so is Habbo Hotel: Origins if you prefer pixel art. Inside Second Life and IMVU, the adult areas are open only to players who verify they are 18 or older.
More guides
- Games like The Sims you can play in a browser: Which life sims actually run in a browser, which are free, and which have multiplayer.
- Is there a free Sims online game?: What happened to The Sims Online, and the multiplayer life sims you can play with real people today.
- Games like Club Penguin that are still running: Ten virtual worlds that are still online in 2026, from kids’ worlds to hangouts for adults.
- Games like Habbo: Pixel hotels, avatar chat apps and 3D social worlds for Habbo fans, and who each one is for.
- Games like Animal Crossing on PC and in a browser: Cozy alternatives for people without a Switch: which are free, which are online, which run in a browser.
- Free virtual world games to make friends: Virtual worlds for teens 13+ and adults, what each one is like, and how to make friends safely.
- Games like Club Penguin for adults: Online hangouts for teens 13+ and adults: human avatars, nostalgia picks, browser options and the minimum age of each.
See all guides, read about Palm Social or catch up on the latest news.