What Is CamScore? And How Is It Calculated For Models?

Camsites have a dilemma, and it comes down to one question: How to rank the homepage?

With hundreds (if not thousands) of models online at any one time, camsites have a responsibility to give everyone a fair bite of the cherry, while putting the most popular models up top where members can find them quickly.

This isn't as easy as it sounds, and the methods used by the different webcamming sites are endlessly debated by models and members alike.

On MyFreeCams, this ranking algorithm is known as CamScore (or ScamScore, among models), but every website has its own version - so how do they decide who ranks first on the homepage?

How MFC CamScore Works

MyFreeCams is unusual in that they give quite a detailed description of their CamScore formula on the MFC Support Wiki.

In particular, they say: "CamScore is calculated based on the model's token earnings on the site over some period of time. The same algorithm is used for all models."

They also state that it's easier to increase your CamScore when it's low, and that all tokens - including tips, private shows and MFC Share purchases - count equally towards CamScore.

MFC say that the (median) average CamScore is 600-700 (depending on which page of their Wiki you read) and new models start at 1,000. That means on day one, new models should appear in the top half of the homepage list.

It's significant that CamScore is calculated "over some period of time". Eventually, any big tips will fall off the end of that calculation - so models need to earn consistently to avoid any sudden drops in their CamScore.

What About Miss MyFreeCams and Share Rank?

Not content with one ranking method, MFC uses several in different parts of the site. The most obvious is Miss MyFreeCams, a contest that rewards the highest earners each month with a cash bonus.

There's also Share Rank, which gives models a completely separate ranking based on their MFC Share sales - so what's the difference between these and the standard homepage ranking via CamScore?

Miss MyFreeCams

CamScore and the Miss MyFreeCams contest are not directly linked. As noted above, CamScore is tokens earned, divided by time spent online. In contrast, Miss MFC rankings are based only on the total number of tokens earned in the current month.

That means it's very possible for a model with a relatively low CamScore to rank highly in the Miss MyFreeCams contest - although it's not common for this to happen.

It's also unlikely to be a situation that lasts for very long, because all those tokens earned in the current month would quickly drive the model's CamScore higher.

But because of the different time scales involved in the calculations, and the different ways of counting tokens (overall total vs. tokens per time) it's not always the case that the Miss MFC winner in any given month is the model with the highest CamScore.

Share Rank

Share Rank is based on the number of tokens earned via MFC Share, and includes everything from content sales, to club memberships, to tips made via a model's Share page.

MFC sometimes use this as a way to reward top models with free tickets to social events, which is why you'll sometimes see models' room topics asking members to make ALL tips via Share, instead of just tipping in the room.

Share Rank is also sometimes used to give models access to new features. In 2019 when MFC added the 'Recordings' page to Share, only the top 1,000 models got their public shows archived to resell, whereas other models only had club and group shows archived.

What Systems Do Other Camsites Use?

MFC CamScore is based on tokens earned, divided by time spent streaming. The actual algorithm is a secret and is probably more complicated than that, but it's not a bad rule of thumb when working out where a model will rank on the default MFC homepage.

We've reviewed dozens of sites on CamsRank and we pay a lot of attention to the 'discoverability' of a platform's top models.

Rival sites all have a default ranking for their homepage listings too - so what is their equivalent to MFC CamScore?

Chaturbate

Chaturbate is the big freemium rival to MyFreeCams, and its homepage rankings are sometimes quite random.

At any given time, you're likely to see the busiest rooms (i.e. the models with the most viewers) listed first, but it's not just a case of ranking rooms in order of popularity.

Scroll down the page at all and you'll start to see rooms with 100 viewers or less in amongst those with 1,000 viewers and more.

It's based partly on the rooms you've visited in the past (or seems to be) but even in an incognito tab, viewing as an anon, I saw models ranked in a much more complicated way than just putting the busiest rooms up top.

StripChat

Like MFC, StripScore is based on earnings per hour, but it also includes a whole list of other factors. According to StripChat, 50-80% of a model's score is based on revenue, while the remaining 20-50% comes mostly from having a completed profile page.

StripChat also states: "There are no penalties for taking days off, so feel free to have your holidays whenever you want. Your StripScore will not go down."

This kind of transparency is one of the reasons why we rate StripChat so highly (#1 in our overall rankings as of August 2024). It removes so much of the confusion from models and encourages them to just do their best, instead of trying to game an algorithm they don't fully understand.

LiveJasmin

LiveJasmin offers models a chance to boost their homepage position via LiveJasmin Selection, a special status found in the Model Center menu, under 'Earn More'.

('Willingness' is LiveJasmin's term for the list of acts a model is willing to perform in private shows - models can be penalised and credits refunded if they do not perform a listed act when requested by a member in private.)

Completing these assignments will, according to LiveJasmin's Wiki, reward models with a better homepage position. This is automatic as soon as the list is complete, so it's really a case of completing your profile just to get the same opportunity as almost everyone else.

How to Game the CamScore System

Appearing higher on any camsite's homepage can have a direct impact on how much a model earns, by making her more visible to new members - so it's sensible for many camgirls to try to game the system and artificially boost their CamScore.

This can range from straight-up asking people to tip (teamwork makes the dream work, guys...) to logging off at particularly quiet times. Remember, there are two elements to CamScore: tokens earned vs. time spent online.

Topics and Goals

Room topics, goals and countdowns are just part and parcel of camming, but they can help to keep tips trickling in, which in turn helps to maintain a steady CamScore.

Members who only have a handful of tokens left are often more willing to chip in towards a topic goal, rather than to tip their last tokens for no reason. If they can't afford anything from the model's Tip Menu, a countdown goal can be a useful alternative.

Special Offers

Again, a special offer (e.g. "buy all my vids" or "Snapchat for life" at a today-only price) can encourage members to tip for something that would normally be more expensive.

It's a way to drum up some tips on a slow day, but every little helps when trying to keep a healthy CamScore, and especially when trying to build from a below-par CamScore following a string of no-token days.

Logging Off

If nobody tips for a while, CamScore-focused models will often simply get offline. CamScore is based on tokens earned per time spent online, so spending less time online means your tokens are divided by a smaller number.

This is probably the most direct 'gaming' of the calculation and it's surprisingly popular among many models, despite the slightly problematic fact that it removes their ability to earn any tokens from tips in their room.

(Generally speaking, experienced models do NOT recommend logging off to protect CamScore. In fact, they usually say it's more important to keep consistent camming hours, so you can build a regular audience of members - and tippers - who know when you'll be online.)

Offline Tips

Encouraging offline tips is a good way to increase CamScore, if you can pull it off. Again, this is about the ratio of tokens earned and time spent online. Offline tips are tokens earned with ZERO time online, so in theory they should have a big effect on raising CamScore.

Models can generate some offline tips by maintaining a chatty relationship with regs, usually via Snapchat, WhatsApp or similar, and offering to sell them content or items on offline days. Posting offline deals and special offers on social networks when not on cam can generate some sales too.

New Accounts

A model whose CamScore has dropped well below 1,000 might choose to set up a completely new account, giving her a second chance at New Model status and to keep her score above that 600-700 median.

MFC Model Support generally aren't too open to the idea of just giving an existing model a whole new account for the sake of resetting her CamScore (although I have seen it happen) so this really is a last-gasp solution only for CamScores that stubbornly will not rise from a very low level.

Is Homepage Rank Worth It?

Homepage rank is definitely important, so when there's something simple you can do - such as completing your profile page or posting a few free photos - then it's probably worth doing it, especially if most other models have already done so too.

At the same time, try to keep things in perspective. I've seen models crash and burn by becoming overly obsessed with their CamScore, setting on-screen timers and logging off if nobody tips before the clock reaches zero.

Yes you can raise your CamScore using offline tips, but you're not likely to get a lot of those unless you already have regular viewers - and you can't get those without spending time on cam. It's a catch-22 but the best way to resolve it is to ignore your CamScore and let it improve naturally.

When CamScore Doesn't Matter

MyFreeCams in particular has a LOT of different ways to rank and filter the homepage models list.

MFC's own Wiki says: "CamScore is not particularly important when it comes to members discovering models that they like because we provide so many options to members."

The truth is, a cute avatar, an attractive thumbnail room preview, an enticing topic and a decently filled-out profile page will all help models to naturally find their audience, regardless of CamScore - some members will even go out of their way to look for less popular models, where they're more likely to get some attention in the public chat.

When CamScore Does Matter

Chaturbate's ranking algorithm isn't strictly 'CamScore' but with far fewer filters on the homepage, default position can have a bigger impact on earnings.

In February 2024, CB updated their homepage filters. Compared with the mammoth list of options provided by MyFreeCams, CB users can choose from the following:

My personal experience is that Chaturbate relies much more heavily on how the website ranks models, rather than on how members want them to be sorted and filtered - so the default algorithm plays a much bigger part in determining a model's number of viewers, number of tips and ultimately, overall earnings.

How to Improve CamScore

So regardless of which website you stream on, how can you crack CamScore (or your camsite's equivalent) and make sure you get noticed by as many members as possible?

First and foremost, accept that it's not all about CamScore. Even on websites where default ranking is dominant, you probably won't get far by trying to game the system, compared with just trying to be the best camgirl (or boy) you can be.

With that in mind, here are some top tips to rank higher, attract viewers and succeed in your camming career:

1. Ignore Your CamScore

It's worth saying it one more time: Obsessing over your CamScore is not healthy and is usually not productive. Your CamScore will improve as you get more tips and tokens, not the other way around. CamScore is the effect - not the cause.

2. Be Consistent

Try to stick to a consistent camming schedule. I know this can be hard if you have other commitments. If you can't always cam on the same days, try to stick to the same general time of day, so you attract viewers from the same time zones.

('Stream History' on models' MFC Share pages is a good way to see what times of day other models broadcast and to get an idea of how consistent the top models are with their schedules.)

3. Be Flexible

You probably shouldn't get offline for the rest of the day if nobody tips you in the first ten minutes, but there's nothing wrong with taking a break, allowing the vibe in your room to reset and coming back an hour later to see if people are in more of a tipping mood.

4. Sell Yourself

Make good use of all the different ways to sell shows, content and items. Obviously you're not obligated to sell worn panties or accept private show requests, but decide what you are willing to do and make sure you advertise it all.

Offer a wide range of tip menu options at different prices, and remember MFC token packages come in certain sizes (200, 550, 900, 1,875, 3,775 and 7,575) so putting your prices for big items just below those levels could keep them within reach of more members (and big whales).

5. Update Your Pages

Finally, take a look at all of your profile pages, whiteboard, tip menus etc and keep them updated on a regular basis. Inconsistencies in prices between your room topic, whiteboard and MFC Share tip menu can be confusing for members - and might be enough reason not to tip.

Remove expired special offers, update any coupon codes you offer on MFC Share, and occasionally add new photos to your profile page if you've been camming for a long time, to keep it looking fresh.

Good Luck!

Whatever you do, success in camming depends on a healthy dose of luck, along with a positive attitude and a decent technical setup.

If you've got a stable stream, reasonable image and audio quality, a solid tip menu, an engaging room topic, good content for sale and all the rest, you will find your audience and they will tip you - all of which should help you to rank higher on the homepage.

This might feel like it's taking a long time to happen, but try to stick with it if you can. Once the tokens start to come in, your CamScore will follow, and from there it's up, up and away.

Have Your Say

kate iowa

At this point, I feel like I’m spending more time trying to game my CamScore than actually streaming and connecting with my audience. 🙄

It’d be nice if MFC put more effort into creating a balanced system that actually rewarded consistency instead of constant grinding 24/7. Just let me focus on camming without stressing about a stupid number that is too obscure to control

fetlife_gal_89

Feels like Chaturbate’s ranking system is more random than MFC's, though. I’ve seen rooms with 50 viewers ranked higher than ones with 300+. Not sure what’s up with that. Anyone else notice this?

CamsRankfetlife_gal_89

Yeah, Chaturbate's ranking system can seem pretty random. As far as I'm aware, it’s not solely based on viewer count but also other factors like recent engagement, tips, and the types of shows being performed. Their algorithm probably also weighs viewing history, which is why you see smaller rooms mixed with big ones.

New models can get a boost too.

I don't think we'll ever see an 'exact' formula. If anything, the algorithms are going to get even more sophisticated with AI doing its thing.