The best hookup apps for casual encounters of every kind (2024)

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 (including among the Mashable team), but it's undeniably easier to swipe your way to a date for the night than to find a long-term partner.

Why we picked this:

Love it or hate it, Tinder remains one of the most popular dating apps for a reason. It's fast, easy, and reliable, and it was an easy choice for our top pick. With Tinder, you can often find a match in an hour or less — it's like DoorDash for sex.

"Tinder, hands down, is the best app for hookups," Michelle Herzog, LMFT and AASECT-certified sex therapist, tells Mashable. "Over the past decade or so, it’s morphed from being the early 20s hookup central to a place for adults of all ages to go for a quick one-nighter."

Profiles with a blue checkmark indicate that the person has been verified with a video selfie, so you can stay safe while swiping for something not-so-serious. The app also recently rolled out a community guidelines update to help combat users who take the casual nature of the app as an excuse to send inappropriate messages.

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.

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Read our full review of AdultFriendFinder.

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Who it's for:

Bumble is great for female and non-binary people who are interested in making a quick connection, whether casual or more serious. The app offers an opportunity for every version of yourself to live their best life. (Yes, even your most adventurous self.)

Expand your friend circle with Bumble BFF and make boss moves with Bumble Bizz for professional networking.

Why we picked this:

Even though Bumble has done some restructuring lately (the new Opening Moves feature gives women, non-binary individuals, and same-sex couples the option to choose from a list of prompts to get a conversation started), it’s still a good option for female users who are horny and on the go.

“Bumble is a helpful app for women who want to avoid being creeped on and only hear from men they're interested in,” Suzannah Weiss, an author and resident sexologist for Fleshy, tells Mashable. “When women are looking for men, they send the first message. I recommend that women using Bumble take their time to craft an original first message because some women do complain about a lack of responses, which is more of an issue if your opening message is a basic ‘hey, how are you?”

Weiss added, “Thankfully, Bumble now lets people add ‘Opening Moves,’ which are questions you can respond to in your first message. This makes it easier to craft an initial message that’s original. Be as honest, forthcoming, and uniquely yourself in these responses as possible.”

With Bumble, you can chat via text, voice, or video without spending a dime. Of course, premium features are available for purchase (via Bumble Boost or premium membership), but with so many ways to communicate and connect with potential partners, you can probably get by (and get off) without dishing out any extra cash.

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Who it's for:

Grindr is a popular hookup app for gay men. Correction: It's the 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 fast and casual hookup.

Why we picked this:

On the surface, Grindr is all about quick, casual connections. With its location-based matching, you can easily message nearby users and potentially meet up within the hour. It lives up to its tagline of getting "0 feet away from the queer world around you."

But Grindr is also evolving. It's been in the news lately for its plans to integrate AI to create a virtual wingman that helps users navigate the dating scene and potentially even acts as an AI boyfriend for those who prefer virtual connections. But, they're doing it by training the AI with real user data and conversations, raising questions about privacy and consent.

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.

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Who it’s for:

FetLife is one of the original online platforms for people in the kink and BDSM community. It offers a welcoming space for anyone to jump in and explore their deepest desires and connect with open-minded folks who have similar interests (think: bondage, DDLG relationships, and role play).

Keep in mind that FetLife isn't a traditional hookup app, and users may get frustrated if you try to use it that way. This is a social networking app for kinky folks interested in building community and meeting people.

Why we picked this:

As a kinkster, finding a hookup who’s interested in the same stuff can be a challenge on mainstream dating apps like Bumble and even Tinder. It takes a special kind of someone to be OK with you asking if “Mistress is proud of their little sub.” (This is particularly true for cis men who aren’t used to engaging in anything but jackrabbit sex.)

“FetLife is specifically for people within the kink community, so it's a non-judgmental space for people to post their kinks, fetishes, and desires,” Weiss tells Mashable. “It's also an online forum for people to talk about sex and discuss common sexual interests, similar to Reddit. It also lets you find sex-positive and kink-themed events near you.”

So, if you’re looking for someone who’ll play dress-up or be open to hearing about (and maybe even acting out) your fantasies, FetLife is a solid option. You can find it in the App Store or use the desktop version.

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Read our full OkCupid review.

Who it's for:

OkCupid isn't just for serious relationships. It's also a surprisingly solid option for finding casual hookups. Its unique matching algorithm goes beyond just looks, focusing on your interests, values, and even your stance on social issues. This means you can connect with people who vibe with your personality and lifestyle, leading to more meaningful (and potentially hotter) encounters.

Why we picked this:

This LGBTQ-friendly site has won the hearts of liberal 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 a progressive attitude toward profile building, from open pronoun and orientation options, helps to reel in an informed, respectful, and sex-positive crowd. Plus, they were doing this before every other app decided to start including prompts and profile options about kink and ethical non-monogamy (OkCupid beat Hinge by about six years when it came to including options for polyamorous users).

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. And thanks to the app's brief questionnaire, which, according to Michael Kaye, Director of Brand Marketing and Communications at OkCupid, was updated at the beginning of last year by ChatGPT, you can hook up with someone you may actually connect with on a deeper level beyond just physical attraction.

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Who it's for:

Don't let Hinge's "designed to be deleted" slogan fool you. While it might be geared toward relationships, the app's actually super hookup friendly, especially if you're in a bigger city.

Hinge combines the best of both worlds: the quick swiping of dating apps with a slightly more relationship-focused vibe. With Hinge, you get the ease of swiping without the superficiality, making it perfect for singles who are open to hooking up, but also wouldn't mind finding something more meaningful if the right person comes along.

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 newer 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."

In addition to its "Dating Intentions" section, Hinge released a "Hidden Words" feature on April 24 that allows users to filter words, phrases, and emojis in their incoming Likes with Comments. The company says this new feature will help users "reduce unwanted interactions while increasing safety and confidence on their dating journey."

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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, as is adding interests like "kink" or questions like "Top, bottom, or switch?" Basically, it's easy to send out and see indicators that someone is on the app for sex.

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.

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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. Write your ad, and the app does the rest. It 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.

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.

Though you can find someone down for pretty much anything, Pure doesn't have that same sketchy vibe as AdultFriendFinder. 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.

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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 the 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, POF does have an active user base that isn't a carbon copy of the Tinder crowd.

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Read our full review of Match.

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. We won't sugarcoat it — it will certainly be more difficult to find something no-strings-attached on here than if you were looking for a serious relationship.

But, if you belong to a slightly more mature demographic, have some patience, and maybe most importantly, the budget, Match could be a good fit for you.

Why we picked this:

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 decent chance you'll find a ton of users also down for something risqué and casual.

One main difference between Match and most other sites we've listed is that Match sees a more diverse age range. Sure, there are large numbers 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.

The downside is that it tends to attract these users because it costs a pretty penny, and there's no functional free version of the site. Still, 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.

We've also seen the Match Group in the news lately for reportedly using misleading tactics to get users to subscribe to its apps' premium services. In addition to Match, the Match Group now owns popular dating apps, including Tinder, Hinge, OKCupid, and Plenty of Fish. In February, Inc. reported that a group of people were suing the company for "employing psychologically manipulative features to ensure they remain on the app perpetually as paying subscribers." The lawsuit described the apps as addictive, like gambling.

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Note: We are in the process of reevaluating Feeld's place among our recommendations after the app's recent update arrived with bugs and location-related safety concerns. You can learn more about these issues, along with others caused by the update, from Mashable's Anna Iovine. We take safety very seriously when making our recommendations, and will reconsider Feeld's place on our list as we update this piece.

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.

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Read our full review of Zoosk.

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 seems 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).

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How we tested