SimulatorsGPT Blog

randomizer Sep 18, 2025 3 min read

Wheel vs. Coin vs. Dice: Which Randomizer Should You Use?

A quick guide to pick the right randomizer—weights, no-repeat mode, binary vs multi-outcome, and group size.

Choosing a randomizer is really about how many outcomes you need and how much control you want.

TL;DR

  • Wheel: Many options; supports weights and no-repeat. Great for groups and streaming.
  • Coin: Binary decisions; optional bias with natural toss, bounce, and roll.
  • Dice: 1–10 dice; natural collisions; live stats (min/max/avg/sum).
  • Top: A yes/no with flair—spin, precession, and a final tilt to one side.

Quick comparison

Feature Wheel Coin Dice Top
Outcomes 3–64+ 2 6 per die 2
Bias controls Weights per item Heads/Tails bias N/A (fair per die) Yes/No bias
No-repeat Yes N/A N/A N/A
Showmanship High (ticks, sector highlight) Medium (toss + chime) Medium (collisions) High (precession + tilt)
Best for Group picks Quick decisions Games, classroom stats Visual yes/no

When to use Wheel

  • You have many candidates and want to weight them (e.g., "A×3, B×1").
  • You must avoid repeats in a session (raffles, prize draws).
  • You want on-stream showmanship: ticks, easing, final highlight.

Try it: Wheel

When to use Coin

  • You just need Yes/No (or Heads/Tails), but still want natural motion: toss → bounce → roll.
  • You want to demonstrate bias (e.g., 60% heads) and collect quick stats.

Try it: Coin

When to use Dice

  • You need multiple outcomes, or probability mass (sum of dice).
  • Classroom demos: distributions, streaks, and convergence.

Try it: Dice

When to use Top

  • You want a decisive but performative yes/no.
  • Audiences love the moment it tilts into one side.

Try it: Top

Reproducibility matters

All four tools are seeded. Press Share, send the link, and others will replay the same process and result. For details, see:
Reproducible Randomness in the Browser