Best hookup apps and dating sites to find casual sex with no strings attached

Who it's for:

If you're passionate about finding a partner who shares your political values, OkCupid is your gateway to the woke dating scene. Whether you're deeply involved in social justice or crave meaningful conversations, OkCupid prioritizes more than just appearances, helping you connect with people who have similar interests (and ethics).

Why we picked this:

This hip LGBTQ-friendly site has won the hearts of liberal millennial singles by dedicating a portion of its profile-building prompts to the current political climate: weed, guns, vaccinations, women's rights, and more topics are covered. This, coupled with badges for voting and open pronoun and orientation options, helps to reel in an informed, respectful, and sex-positive crowd. Dry-humored graphics do a lot to alleviate pressure, too.

While a paid plan offers the most extensive features, you can still use its search filters without ever paying a dime. In other words, you can literally search for the keyword "hookup" — or any other common interests that might be important to you — and see what users have those words in their profile. Even easier is marking down the type of connection you're looking for on profile preferences — both "new friends" and "hookups" are options.

On a website that can lean more relationship-oriented, it's still simple to find people looking for the same casual connection as you.

Read our full OkCupid review.  

Who it's for:

Hinge may market itself as a relationship app, but don't be fooled — it can be just as effective as Tinder for hookups, especially in more populated areas.

Hinge combines modern dating apps' quick, swipe-based experience with the more relationship-oriented vibe found on platforms like eharmony and match. Some call it the "anti-Tinder," and for good reason. Instead of swiping, you scroll like Instagram, creating a smoother (and less judge-y) feel than swiping. It's a chill alternative for singles who are open to hookups but also want to explore the potential for something more meaningful with the right match.

Why we picked this:

With the free version, you can send up to eight likes per day (unlimited with the paid version) and set preferences based on age, ethnicity, and religion. If you're searching for a hookup, this level of compatibility might not be necessary, so you're probably good with the free version.

Though it may attract a relationship-seeking crowd, one of Hinge's latest features is your profile's "Dating Intentions" section. This feature lets you specify right on your profile exactly what kind of connection you're looking for, alongside other key information like location and age. While it may not include explicit hookup-specific language, it sets the tone — and tells you probably not to send a message to the person looking for a "Life Partner." Ever up to date with the times, Hinge has also added a section to indicate whether you're looking for a monogamous or non-monogamous relationship (or if you're figuring it out).

Who it's for:

Grindr is the go-to hookup app for gay men. As one of the leading mainstream dating apps designed exclusively for the LGBTQ+ community, it offers a range of relationship possibilities, but it is a common spot to find a casual hookup.

Why we picked this:

On the surface, Grindr is a hookup-oriented app, so finding another guy looking for a one-night stand or friends with benefits won't be too much work. With its location-based approach, you can quickly message nearby users, making connecting with someone within the hour a real possibility. Grindr advertises this as getting "0 feet away from the queer world around you."

While you can specify your preferences and comfort level with NSFW images, you may still want to brace yourself for the occasional unsolicited explicit photo, which can pop up regardless of your settings.

That's not to say that Grindr isn't also a place to find serious relationships, but that's not what you came here for. Grindr is technically for gay, bi, trans, and queer people, but you'll mostly find cis men on there. 

Who it's for:

Pure is the place to be if you're looking for uncomplicated, no-strings-attached hookups without the pressure to define the relationship. Say goodbye to mixed signals and awkward conversations about "What are we?" Pure is where you can find a booty call who won't try to text you earlier than midnight.

The app's ethos encourages users to maintain a sense of anonymity post-interaction or to "pretend like you're strangers afterward," making no-strings-attached sex the only name of the game.

Why we picked this:

Pure offers a unique and discreet approach to casual hookups, and as of July 2023, you can choose a "goal." The options are Anything but boring, casual, Virtual, or Long-term. Once you've selected your goal, it'll appear above your ad in the feed. And, if you change your mind, you can swap it whenever you want; click "looking for" and choose.

The app's self-destructing feature ensures that your uploaded selfies, personal information, and conversations disappear after 60 minutes, promoting spur-of-the-moment and borderline anonymous hookups. There aren't even any profiles — it's just a feed of personal ads that let you get directly to the point of what you're looking for. People on the app aren't shy, which means you can put exactly what you want out of hookup and expect that you'll get some responses.

After you write your ad, the app uses your geolocation and sends out the sex version of an Uber request, so you won't have to worry about finding out your match lives across the country. Using filters is also free, which makes searching for the right match much easier.

Though you can find someone down for pretty much anything, Pure doesn't have that same sketchy vibe as Adult Friend Finder. If you receive a photo that looks like it might be a nude, for instance, the app will cover it with a filter that says, "Looks like a nude," so you can choose whether or not you want to see it.

Who it's for:

HER is a platform created by and for queer women, providing a safe and inclusive space to connect with women and nonbinary folks without worrying about being sexualized by skeevy men. While HER isn't exclusively designed for hookups, it offers a vibrant community where you can explore casual encounters or even find meaningful relationships. With over four million active users, the app is brimming with opportunity.

Why we picked this:

If you're looking for a simple way to mention you're not springing to jump into anything long-term, the "Looking for" section of the profile provides a "something casual" tag that'll be displayed out in the open on your profile. To streamline your search, you can filter users by this tag (and more) if you're willing to pay for a membership. Adding it to your profile is completely free of charge, though. 

Beyond focusing on romantic and sexual relationships, HER has created an inclusive space for the 2SLGBTQ+ community. This is an excellent breeding ground for friends with benefits. 

HER lets you use your phone number, email, Apple ID, or Facebook/Instagram account to sign up. Like other apps on this list, HER has added a check mark badge to photo-verified profiles. The app even runs like Facebook with a feed filled with events, media, and, more specifically, tailored to the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

We're currently in the process of retesting Plenty of Fish after its rebrand to make sure its still a great app for finding a hookup. Here's what we thought about it last time we tried it out.

Who it's for:

Whether you're in the mood for a leisurely swiping session or ready to chat, this app offers the best of both worlds.

Although the initial sign-up questionnaire might suggest that Plenty of Fish (POF) is inclined toward more serious connections, the app's standout feature is its unrestricted chat capability. You can engage with any user, whether you've matched or not, and you have the option to connect with nearby and online users. This effortless communication makes it easy and quick to find someone to spend the night with.

Why we picked this:

With POF, you can mark in your profile that you're looking for something casual, giving you an easy way to chat with someone a bit before deciding to meet up without giving the wrong impression. And if you feel like doing a bit of screening before saying hello, there's a tab where you can swipe through potential matches. Plus, if you're more into exchanging steamy messages than meeting in person, you can set your search radius to a worldwide radius free of charge.

It can be a little bot-filled and its livestream feature sets up more of a creator-viewer relationship than a two-people-trying-to-sleep-together relationship, but if you ignore that tab, you'll find that with its four million daily users, you really do have quite a few options with Plenty of Fish.

Who it's for:

While Match is known for finding a long-term partner, its large and diverse user base also includes individuals who are open to other relationship dynamics, including casual hookups. If you belong to a slightly more mature demographic and are interested in a short-term, no-strings-attached connection, Match is a solid option.

Why we picked this:

Anything can be a hookup app if you want it to be, right? We know Match isn't the raunchiest place (it's actually known for its relationship success rate), but its massive user base of over seven million people can't be ignored. Even if you're not looking for a long-term relationship like many members, there's a pretty high chance you'll find a ton of users also down for something risqué. 

One main difference between Match and most of the other sites we've listed is that Match sees a way more diverse age range. Sure, there are a ton of young people on match who are probably on Tinder as well, but Match also attracts significantly older, more mature (and probably more experienced in bed) users. If you're at an age where you feel nothing but creepy on Tinder, Match is a nice alternative, especially if you could see a hookup leading to a relationship.

Read our full review of Match.

Who it's for:

If you're in the market for a straightforward approach to online dating and your goal is to get laid, Tinder is the app for you.

While Tinder may not explicitly label itself as a hookup app, it's built up quite a rep for being one. It's true that there's a growing number of successful stories about couples who found love on Tinder, but it's undeniably easier to get a date for the night than to find a long-term partner. Using Tinder for the latter means deciding if you want to interact with someone based on nothing but profile pictures and a quote from The Office, so yeah, you can see how getting laid would be the main goal of most users. 

Why we picked this:

It's fast and easy, and if there's one app that even the shyest, most skeptical people will be on, it's Tinder. Sure, you may get carpal tunnel from swiping so much, but I guess that also means it's nearly impossible not to find like-minded people who are also DTF. Profiles with a blue checkmark indicate that the person has been verified with a video selfie, so you can stay safe even while swiping for nothing serious.

Though it's free for general use, Tinder offers three upgrades: Tinder+, Tinder Gold, and Tinder Platinum. These include extras like the opportunity to undo a left swipe (bless), send "Super Likes" to people you're really into, see who has swiped right on your profile, and, in the case of Tinder Platinum, message users before they've even matched with you. 

Who it's for:

In theory, Zoosk is an option for literally anyone. It's known for having a large user base, which should be great for finding a quick hookup, but in reality, the app is full of dead and fake profiles. We only recommend Zoosk if you've exhausted all other dating app options.

Why we don't recommend this:

Zoosk sports a flirty "pick up and go" philosophy when it comes to online dating, so they won't make you answer a torturous string of questions about yourself. Instead, Zoosk monitors your on-site activity and attempts to give you better matches based on what you already like, so if the idea of minimal effort appeals to you, in theory, Zoosk would be your place. There are, however, a few caveats.

Specifying the age range and gender you're looking for in a partner does little to narrow down your options. That might be fine for a strict hookup, but the app has some bigger problems. Zoosk may boast 40 million members, but it also has plenty of dead or fake profiles, so chances are you'll see some repeat users. It's also not uncommon for the site to show you people living thousands of miles away, so it might require more patience if you're looking for an in-person connection.

The other main drawback is, again, the amount of fake or dead profiles makes this place seem like the dating site version of The Last of Us. Of course, all dating sites have their fair share of duds, but Zoosk is just feeling that plague a bit more intensely (we've heard it's mostly female profiles).

Read our full review of Zoosk.

Read our full review of AdultFriendFinder.

Note: As of Dec. 7, we are temporarily pulling our recommendation for Feeld due to bugs with their recent app update which caused users' exact locations to be shared and deleted the accounts of other users without reason. You can learn more about these issues, along with others that occurred due to the update, from Mashable's Anna Iovine. We take safety very seriously when making our recommendations, and will revaluate Feeld's place on our list if and when they resolve these issues.

Who it's for:

Feeld is a unique and inclusive dating app designed for people interested in exploring their sexuality and embracing ethical non-monogamy.

This app caters to diverse identities, including the LGBTQ+ community, non-binary users, or anyone who doesn't fit into the typical relationship mold. It provides a safe and judgment-free space where users can express their true selves without fear of stigma or judgment.

Why we picked this:

Sometimes, a hookup includes more than one other person, but finding people down for a threesome (or more-some) isn't always the easiest task. Don't be that asshole who goes on a dating app and matches with someone only to later reveal your intentions of finding a third.

Feeld is where everyone on the app is on the same page about what they're seeking. It's an open-minded community that allows you to choose from more than 20 sexual and gender identities, pair your profile with your partner's, list your desires, and create group chats. So yeah, you can narrow down exactly what you're looking for.

The app is sex-positive without looking like a computer virus popup. You can sign up for Feeld as a couple or as a single to practice consensual polyamory, BDSM, and pretty much any other desire you could think of. You can swipe back and forth, so if you accidentally passed someone you miss, you can go back — no harm, no foul.

Feeld is free to use but has a paid Majestic membership with bonus features like seeing people who liked you, filtering by desires, sharing private photos, and incognito browsing.