Hookup culture is a new casual sex phenomenon that’s sweeping the nation. Men and women everywhere are finally admitting that sometimes they just want to find sex, get laid, and carry on with their day. There’s no shame in that!
In fact, 40% of men and 31% of women said they’d had a Tinder hookup or other form of casual sex in the last year. So, what are the best sex apps? Here I take a look at 16 of the best apps for sex, hookups, flings, and dating.
Top Hookup Apps for Casual Sex
1. Hinge – Best Free Sex App
- 90% of users are 23-36 and most are college-educated
- Designed for finding love, but many app users are looking for casual flings too
- You can change your location for added safety
- Flirting is more subtle
- Hinge is a dating app “designed to be deleted”. In other words, they’re trying to help you find love or long-term relationships. However, only 45% of Hinge users are looking for long-term love, with most looking for something a little more casual. The app is unique because it allows you to “like” on “comment” on user photos without sending them direct messages.
Pros
- Don’t need to directly message people you like
- No expiry on messages or matches
- Built-in safety features
- Popular with college-educated people
Cons
- App is generally geared toward dating
- Free users limited to 10 matches a day and basic filter options
- Free users are heavily encouraged to purchase full version
2. Bumble – Best Hookup App for Young Women
- Women initiate contact if both partners “match”
- Described as a “feminist” app which helps women feel more secure
- 60% of matches result in a conversation
- Anti-catfish photo verification features
Bumble was started by Whitney Wolfe, a former Tinder employee who sued Tinder for $1million following a sexual harassment claim. She later invented Bumble, a dating a hookup app where only women can start the conversation (providing that there’s a match). This helps to stop women being flooded with messages by desperate men looking for attention.
Pros
- 55% of app users are men (nearly equal split)
- Women are not pestered by dozens of male users
- 60% of matches lead to conversations
- Used for both hookups and dating
Cons
- Bio limited to 300 characters or less
- Limited filtering options (just age, ethnicity, etc.)
- Women have 24-hour deadline to start conversation after a match
3. Tinder – 2nd Best Sex App Overall
- 57 million worldwide users
- Birthplace of the “swipe right” phenomenon
- Very simple and straight-to-the-point UI
- Great app for hookups
Although the gay community tends to use Tinder for dating, straight people tend to use Tinder for sex. Tinder allows you to “swipe left” and “swipe right” to indicate whether you’re attracted to users or not, giving you their name, age, a few pictures, and a short bio. It uses your location to find potential matches, so it’s great for local hookups. Tinder Halloween costumes are also a thing that exists for some reason.
Pros
- Very popular hookup app
- Register via Facebook for quick signup
- Location-based so you can see how far away potential matches are
- Mobile app and website versions
Cons
- Very superficial
- Both users need to match in order to talk
- Catfishing is a major problem (around 20% of profiles are fake)
4. Adult Friend Finder – Best Sex App for Swingers and Threesomes
- 80 million users and 98 million naughty photos
- Tends to be a slightly older demographic (25-44)
- Perfect for sex hookups, orgies, threesomes, and local swingers
- Flirt and attract interest by posting hot photos and videos
- One of the best sex apps for organizing a hot fuck!
Adult Friend Finder is one of the top hookup apps for swingers and threesomes, as well as singles looking for NSA sex. Many online dating sites see you doing a lot of work and “sussing out” whether someone is looking for sex or love – AFF cuts out all of that bullshit. The people on AFF are looking for quick sex and they aren’t shy about it.
Pros
- Refreshingly to-the-point if you’re after quick sex
- Various ways to find members – cross paths with a sexy stranger
- Very sexual and sex-positive app
- See a user’s naughty photos/videos and find out exactly what they’re into
Cons
- Mostly male members
- Problems with a lot of fake profiles
- You need to be careful posting sensitive pics (they could be posted elsewhere)
5. Ashley Madison – Best App for Having an Affair
- Designed for married people looking for an affair
- Lots of privacy features to help with discretion
- Skewed toward a middle-aged audience
- Site is free for female members
When it comes to sex and dating apps, Ashley Madison is always a controversial one. Designed specifically for married people who want to have a discreet affair, the site comes with multiple features to help protect users’ identities. The site is free for female members, which is probably because the demographic is skewed toward middle-aged men, so bear that in mind.
Pros
- Judgement-free place for having an affair
- Free for female members
- Discretion and privacy are strongly emphasized
- Often used to find sexual encounters and casual hookups
Cons
- Experienced a major data hack in 2015 (security has improved since then)
- Many members don’t fill out their profiles properly
- Most members don’t show their faces in pictures due to privacy concerns
6. Pure – Best Fuck App for No Strings Attached Sex
- App creates a 1-hour temporary profile which self-destructs after 60 mins
- Local hookups app designed for anonymous sex
- Location-based matches
- Above-average data security and privacy features
A cool and unique concept, Pure is one of the best casual sex and dating apps I’ve ever seen. You create a profile with a few pictures and a very basic bio, then you have 1 hour to find other people with temporary profiles who want to hook up. After 1 hour, your profile self-destructs forever, leaving no trace of you. Log in, find sex for 1 hour, then vanish like nothing happened!
Pros
- 100% free app for female users
- Unique concept is perfect for NSA sex
- Many potential matches
- Temporary profile self-destructs after 1 hour
- One of the best sex apps for discretion and privacy
Cons
- 60 minutes is a limited time window to organize hookups
- Profiles are superficial and minimalistic
- You feel the need to rush compared to other dating apps
7. Be Naughty – Best App with Horny Users
- Used for both dating and casual sex
- Organize hookups for singles and couples
- Simple and easy to use
- Upload photos and videos to your profile
Be Naughty sort-of markets itself halfway between a sex app and an online dating site. I guess you could say it’s “flirty”. It’s very popular with female users, particularly in the 25-34 age range. You can send messages, send photos, and also send videos to potential matches. There are even group chat rooms for flirting and talking dirty. It’s all very cheeky!
Pros
- Mostly female users looking for a fuck!
- All search filters are available for free
- Fun, flirty, and sexy – have a cheeky one-night stand
- Photo verification features help to prevent catfishing and fake profiles
Cons
- Most user profiles are limited and missing information
- Lots of bots on the app
- Canceling your subscription is difficult
8. Match.com – Best Sex App If You’re Over 35
- Popular with middle-aged and 50+ singles
- Established as a popular online dating site since 1995
- 8 million premium members across the world
- More geared toward relationships, but flings are possible
48.6% of Match.com users are 30-49, with 74% of the total user base having a college degree or some form of higher education. This popular online dating site is definitely geared toward older, more sophisticated people (without being all up itself like Elite Singles). Established since 1995, the layout of Match.com’s website and app are a little more old-school, but profiles are detailed and it’s easy to keep track of your likes and messages.
Pros
- 55-45 male-female split, so genders are fairly even
- Strong detailed profiles with pictures
- Extensive search filters for finding suitable matches
- Free to view profiles and send likes
Cons
- You can’t send messages with a free profile (what’s the point?)
- UI feels a bit dated
- Even the cheapest paid subscription is pretty expensive
9. eHarmony – Best for Sex With Working Professionals
- Great for finding dates
- 60 million members across the globe
- Strong matchmaking algorithm renowned for getting it right
- Well-designed dating app
If you’re looking for love or you want to go on some flirty dates and see where things go, eHarmony could be just the thing for you. The site is split between 51% women and 49% men, so it’s very even, and the main demographic goes from 26-65. One of the best features is the “Two of You Together” feature which shows you exactly why you and other users were matched based on values like extraversion, religious values, agreeableness and affection.
Pros
- Even gender split
- Great matchmaking algorithm
- Website feels professional
- App is very well-designed and intuitive
Cons
- Can’t see everyone on the platform
- You can’t message people on the free version of the app
- eHarmony founder is homophobic and generally a bit of a dick
How to Stay Safe on Dating Apps
Whether you’re a man, a woman, or anything in between, dating and casual sex can be dangerous. Even if you’re using one of the best sex apps, meeting a stranger from the internet needs to be approached with caution, especially if you’re planning on having sex straight away without going on a date.
Here are some basic safety tips for using sex apps!
1. Tell someone where you’re going
It sounds like common sense, but a surprising amount of people don’t do this. If you plan to meet someone for sex or a date, tell 1 or 2 trusted friends/family members where you’re meeting the person and give them any additional information such as the person’s name, address, contact information etc. Location-sharing apps might be a good idea. There’s also a location-sharing feature in WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and a few other messaging apps too.
2. Have an escape plan
If things aren’t going well or the person you’re hooking up with is NOT the person you were sold on a hookup app, try to have an escape plan in place. If possible, drive to the location and prepare an excuse to leave if necessary. Don’t leave yourself stranded with a stranger and drink too much booze if you might need to drive far, far away.
3. Be wary of sending nude pictures/videos on hookup apps
Once something is on the internet, it stays there forever. If you send out a nude image to ANYONE, you need to assume that the image could be posted online without your approval. Revenge porn is a huge problem is our current technological climate, so consider covering up your face and any identifying marks/scars/tattoos if you share nudes of yourself.
4. Meet in public
Whether you’re meeting for a date or some no strings attached sex, it’s common knowledge that you should always meet in a public place. Meeting in a stranger’s house is just a bad idea on many, many levels.
5. Do some research (don’t just trust their dating app profile)
If your match has links to their social media profiles or they state their full name, get googling them and researching their online presence. Do their social media feeds seem like they’re real? Are the photos and posts consistent with things you’ve talked about on dating apps? Try to get a sense of who you’re dealing with and if they’re genuine!
6. Video chat
Before meeting your date or hookup partner, ask to video call with them. It’s the easiest way to tell whether you’re being catfished, and you can get a sense of what they’re like to speak to IRL. If they refuse to video call with you, it should be a huge red flag.
Many of the people you meet on a hookup app are people you’d never cross paths with in real life, so remember to be sensible, be suspicious, and always have a backup plan in place. Have fun and stay safe!
Young Trepreneurs 