Debatable / Compare / Policon

Debatable vs Policon

Both sites do the same rare thing: put you in a live voice argument with a stranger who disagrees with you, then have an AI judge score the argument instead of the side. They differ on video, on how the match is made, on what happens after the round, and on who is running the thing.

Every Policon claim below comes from policon.net/about as read on September 2, 2026. If something there changes, tell us and we will fix it.

Debate a stranger now How disagreement matching works

The short version

Pick Policon if

You want to be matched on politics.

Policon builds a profile from 24 policy statements across eight areas and pairs you with someone far from you on the issues you both care about. Voice only, no camera, free right now, run by one person in Sweden.

Pick Debatable if

You want a real round, on video, with a record.

Strike motions before you meet, argue on camera or behind an avatar, get a written decision with both sides scored out of 100, keep a rated record, enter cash tournaments, and publish the replay if everyone agrees.

Side by side

Feature
Debatable
Policon
Live 1v1 with a stranger
YesVideo room, camera optional.
YesVoice only. Audio is transcribed, then deleted.
Matched on disagreement
PartlyViewpoint clash pairs you with someone who also asked to be challenged. The motion draft then puts you on opposite sides.
Yes24-statement survey, matched by ideological distance and skill.
How the topic is chosen
Motion draftFive motions land, each side secretly strikes two, a coin flip splits the motion call from the side call.
Shared voteBoth vote on a shortlist drawn from where you disagree most.
Video and avatars
YesCamera, an animated avatar that moves with you, or camera off.
NoVoice only.
AI judge
YesWritten decision, both sides scored out of 100, a full ballot, and a human appeal path published at /judge-integrity.
YesGrades the strength of the reasoning per speaker; the transcript becomes the match report.
Rating
Glicko-2Starts at 1500, public leaderboard.
Chess-stylePublic rankings page.
Team rounds
NoOne person a side, by design.
YesUp to seven a side.
Spectating
YesLive rounds, replays, and clips. Audience can comment and suggest motions.
YesPolicon TV: tune into a round at random or by code.
Tournaments and prizes
YesPublic one-on-one rounds with a written decision.
Not listedNothing on the About page.
Practice against AI
YesTyped and voice rounds against an AI opponent, six model providers.
NoPeople only.
Languages
English firstRounds can be held in another language; the site is in English.
SixEnglish, German, Spanish, French, Japanese, Swedish.
Schools
Yes$200 a season for a whole roster. Details.
Not listed
Price
Free to startFree AI round, free live rounds after sign-in. Plans from $10 a year. Pricing.
FreeFair-use allowance per 30 days. "Paid subscriptions are planned."
Who runs it
Small teamBuilt from inside competitive debate. Ships daily.
One person"Designed, built, and run by one person, not a company," in Sweden.
Fair warning about our own column: the viewpoint clash rule on Debatable is a matching preference, not a 24-question political profile. If your only goal is to be paired with your political opposite, Policon does that job more thoroughly today. What Debatable adds is everything around the round: video, the motion draft, a scored written decision, a rated record, replays, and prizes.

What a round looks like on each

Policon

You answer 24 policy statements once. The matcher pairs you with someone far from you on the issues you both flagged as important, weighted by skill. You both vote on a shortlist of questions drawn from where you disagree most; if you agree on everything offered there is no match. Each question gets a timed opening from each side and then an open floor, two or three questions per match, at five, ten, or fifteen minutes. Speech is transcribed per speaker and graded. The transcript becomes the match report and the audio is deleted.

Debatable

You sign in with Google or your phone, answer a few quick questions about how you want to be matched, and enter the queue. When two people are seated the motion draft runs: five motions land, each side secretly strikes two, and a coin flip decides who calls the motion and who calls the side. Then a simple clock runs the round on video. When it ends the AI judge writes a decision naming who won and why, scores both sides out of 100, and the result goes on your rated record. If everyone in the room said yes to recording, the replay lands on Watch.

Where each one is weaker

Policon

Voice only, so no face and no avatar. No AI opponent for the hours when nobody is waiting. No tournaments, no prizes, no school plan. One person runs it, which is impressive and also a single point of failure.

Debatable

Matching on politics is shallower than a 24-statement survey. One person a side only. Live video needs a Google or phone sign-in, which Policon also requires an account for, but ours asks at the door.

Questions people ask

What is Policon?

An online debate site that matches you by voice with someone whose politics differ from yours. 24 policy statements build your profile, the matcher pairs you on distance, you vote together on the questions, and an AI judge scores the argument rather than the side. Its About page says it is built and run by one person and is free to use, with paid subscriptions planned.

What is Debatable?

A live debate arena: a casual 1v1 on video against a real person, a motion draft before the round, a clock, and a written decision from an AI judge with both sides scored out of 100. Plus cash tournaments, a rated ladder, replays and clips, and an AI opponent when nobody is waiting.

Which one matches you with someone who actually disagrees?

Both can. Policon does it more thoroughly through its political survey. Debatable's viewpoint clash rule pairs you with someone who also asked to be challenged, then the motion draft puts you on opposite sides of a question you both accepted.

Is either one free?

Policon is free right now with a fair-use allowance and says subscriptions are planned. Debatable gives you a free AI round and free live rounds after sign-in; paid plans start at $10 a year for typed practice and $12 a month for unlimited voice.

Does either one use video?

Policon is voice only. Debatable rounds run on video, and the camera is your call: Avatar mode sends an animated mask instead of your face, or you can turn the camera off.

Try the round, then decide.

One sign-in, a motion draft, a real person on the other side, and a judge who explains the result.

Debate a stranger now