Finding the best hookup apps and hookup sites is a bit like walking through a minefield. Everywhere you look there is a hot new app that promises to make your life easier with some new technology, artificial intelligence, or by using some algorithm on your Facebook friends. There are so many new apps out there now that very few of them even have enough people using them to be worthwhile. This is where my wealth of experience comes into play.
A Quick Look At The Top 3
Site | Our Experience | Our Rating | Free Trial Link |
---|---|---|---|
Best Hookup Site For Men | Experience Highlights
| 9 | Try AFF For Free |
Best For Relationships | Experience Highlights
| 9 | Try eHarmony |
2nd Best For Hookups | Experience Highlights
| 8 | Try Passion |
As you can see, these are the best hookup apps for different types of people. Some work great for normal guys and some really deliver if you're pretty good-looking. Now, let's jump into the deeper discussion of each:
I'm a seasoned online dating enthusiast with years of experience in the world of hookup apps and sites. I thrive on the speed, ease, and convenience that high-quality hookup apps offer.
Over the years, I've witnessed an alarming trend where many online reviews are penned by professional writers who might never have set foot in the world of hookup apps. Unlike those reviews, my journey has been hands-on, spanning months of personal exploration across over 100 different hookup apps as part of my work here at Heart Insider. My mission? To unearth the finest among them.
The key is to find an app that allows you to make strong connections quickly. There's nothing worse than investing your precious time on a virtual ghost town or an app full of unattractive women. Thankfully, my vast experience equips me to steer you in the right direction.
In today's world, finding a reliable hookup app holds greater significance than ever. The era of social distancing has made in-person encounters for casual fun a challenge. As a result, a significant portion of what would have been physical connections now takes root in the digital realm, and I'm here to guide you through this shift.
It's more important than ever to find a good hookup app. Thanks to all the social distancing it's way harder right now to meet people for more casual fun. A TON of the hookups that would have started in person are not only starting online.
How We Review Hookup Apps and Sites and Why It Matters
I’m part of a team of online dating experts here at HeartInsider. As a group that enjoys the speed, ease and convenience of high-quality hookup apps and hookup sites we have put in the time and frustration necessary to test, rate, and review HUNDREDS of hookup sites and apps. We jumped on the grenades so you don’t have to and found a few truly top-notch casual sex apps you can use for a NSA hookup that are actually worth your time.
For each site we try we typically follow this process:
- The reviewer spends several weeks using both the free version of the site and any paid version (most reviews only cover the free version)
- The reviewer sent several dozen tailored messages to women across different demographics that have proven effective on many other sites
- The reviewer followed up consistently using tried-and-true techniques that have been tested and proven to get dates on dating apps
- The reviewer set up as many dates as we can and actually meet up (we’re looking for hookups too after all)
- The results are then compared with other reviewers’ experience with the 100+ other dating and hookup apps we have recently reviewed to see where that app or site ranks
This is a very expensive and time-consuming way to find the best hookup app but it's the only way to really understand what's working and who it will work for. You can't take shortcuts on this.
Here is a quick side-by-side comparison of the three options we've seen consistently work the best when you really want to find a hookup (not a long-term relationship). Further on we go much more in-depth into each and give specific recommendations based on your situation.
The Best Hookup Apps & Hookup Sites That You Need To Try
We are going to break this down into a few different recommendations based on what you are interested in for the various casual sex and one night stand apps. We will also provide a few general suggestions if the first few are not what you are into.
AFF is the best hookup app for most people and has been solid for a decade (try it for free)
- Quality of the users - They have a lot of members but all of them are there to hookup
- Quantity of the users - 60,000,000+ active users worldwide
- Ease of hooking up - With so many users and a very clear objective it doesn't get any easier
- Location - Pretty global at this point but most popular in English speaking countries
- Rating - The best for most people (unless you are really interested in longer-term relationships with women 30-50, then you should use Passion)
- Free Trial - Yes, try it out by clicking on the button below
AFF knows what it is about and doesn’t shy away from it. They are all about helping men and women looking to hook up find each other all over the world. If Tinder is the hookup app all the millennials know about AFF is what the slightly older crowd considers as one of the best hookup sites. It has been around since 2006 and as a result, has an absolutely huge member base and they attract an average of 25 million visits per month! To give you an idea of how big they are eHarmony, another huge dating site, only gets are 4 million visits a month.
This site is all about sex and isn’t afraid to show it. Nobody is using AFF because they want to talk about books or the weather. They are using it to find people to hook up with, which is why it's usually at the top of hookup site rankings. It can be a little jarring at first with how open they are about after using other dating apps to be warned.
When it comes down to it, a legit hookup app can’t be this big and this well-known for this long without being solid. According to Pew Research Center, "43% of Americans who online dated in the past five years say they did not receive enough messages." But this is not the case for AFF since there are a TON of long-term users on here and a lot of people who have great things to say about it. It’s a little bit shady when you first log in because there are some advertisements that are a little sketchy but the site itself is solid.
When I used AFF in my hometown, I was blown away by the number of hot women looking for casual sex. It was a breath of fresh air to see so many women being open about their deepest kinks and fetishes, rather than hiding behind the vacade of pretending to be a good girl who needs to be wined and dined.
The search function allowed me to easily find women who had the same sexual interests in me, and I was deep into some intimate conversations within 24 hours of creating my account. By the end of the weekend, three women had agreed to meet so we could explore our deepest fantasies together. This simply doesn’t happen on mainstream dating apps!
I’ve recommended it to friends and they’ve all said the same thing. It’s particularly great if you want to date older women.
If you are looking to find a hookup, especially outside of a major city, AFF is one of the best websites for hookups that you can use.
User testimonials for Adult FriendFinder:
I thought it was probably a scam. I was pretty sure they posted pics of pretty girls and Just collect money.
I was talking to this lady on the site and she acted interested but they don’t pass on contact info, even if you pay the gold.
She passed on to join google chat and bam, there she was. She is kind and gorgeous! The site worked for me.
Posted on January 01, 2023
100 % legit and you will find me there. I do hear a lot of the men complain that a lot of the woman ask for giftcards and are hustling but ive dated both men and women on AFF and have been a member many years and i assure you its a great place to be real and find exactly the friends with the kinks you seek .Have fun !
Posted 3 years ago
Tinder is a solid casual sex app if you're at least an 8/10, under 25, and have good photos
- Quality of the users – Huge variability in the quality of users because there are so many
- Quantity of the users – 50,000,000+ users
- Ease of hooking up – Unless you are pretty attractive guy it will be tough, most women do OK
- Location – Pretty global at this point but most popular in English speaking countries
- Rating – Great for attractive men and women who want an ego boost
- Free Trial – Yes, try it out by clicking on the button below
Everybody knows about Tinder and for good reason. As far as legit hookup apps go, Tinder has a huge number of users and have become the first name people think of when it comes to great places for finding casual hookups in their area. If you are between 18 and 30 you have probably already tried it and the vast majority of you didn’t have a great experience.
One of the lesser known things about Tinder is that the vast majority of attention on the app goes to a very small percentage of the people using it. Data suggests that it’s only the top 20% of attractive men witnessing any success on this app. This is great if you are already an 8/10 or better in the looks department. I’ve had friends who use Tinder exclusively to fuel an abundant dating life, and you’ll do well if you’re a handsome guy. But for those of us who are not part-time models Tinder can be a very frustrating experience.
We had to include it on the list because it can be so great for a small subset of people but it will take some work and ability to attract the opposite sex to be successful.
User testimonials about Tinder:
Id say it's more a hookup app than a relationship app but for your average guy those hookups are once in a blue moon. You'll get them but they'll be once every few months to a year. An attractive guy (like top 10%) would have more frequency.
An attractive girl on the other hand...limitless willy lool. Even a conventionally average girl will have a similar amount of access to hookups as the top 10% of men. The only difference is women tend to be more selective, so despite having a wealth of options, they tend not to really act on it.
This all my anecdotal experience though based on my friend groups. May not be the same for everyone.
Posted on October 27, 2021
I think the scoring here is a bit of an unfair reflection on Tinder. I've tried a lot of dating websites. Most are, if not out and out scams, at least semi-scams, if I can put it like that. Loads of fake profiles.
Tinder seemed ok to me. The app is very good. I got lots of responses to chats, unlike other websites. E.g. avoid meetdevonsingles.
Forgot to say, Tinder are at least part of the Online Dating Association.
Posted on May 23, 2023
One of the best hookup apps for women over 30, Passion is as good as it gets
- Quality of the users – Many of the hottest women 30+ we found and a lot were interested in younger guys
- Quantity of the users – 30,000,000+ users and pretty active
- Ease of hooking up – App is easy to use and is all about making it as easy as possible for the women to meet guys
- Location – Primarily in US, Canada, UK, and Australia
- Rating – Best for men interested in women 30-50 and women interested in men 18-50
- Free Trial – Yes – check it out using button below
For men interested in attractive women over 30 your first stop needs to be Passion (which you can try for free here). This is especially true if you are a younger guy in your 20’s or 30’s (though guys older than that do really well on CL as well). As one of the top hookup sites around, Passion is pretty targeted at attracting the most attractive women 30-50 years old.
Women in this age range have been flocking to hookup apps and sites more and more over the past couple of years. Many of these women have careers and busy lives so they don’t have time to sit around in a bar or go through the motions on a normal dating app. They know what they want and they go after it!
As a fan of dating older women myself, Passion is usually one of my go-to apps when I’m trying to land a hot date or some easy casual sex.
With over 30,000,000 members (primarily in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia) their user base is surprisingly robust which makes actually finding someone to have an NSA hookup significantly easier. If women 30-50 is your sweet spot for hookups give Passion’s free trial a shot now.
User testimonials about Passion:
The top one night stand app for meeting curvy women is BBW Match
- Quality of the users - If you are a BBW or into BBW's this is the best you will find
- Quantity of the users - The only legitimate app for meeting BBW so it's the highest you will find
- Ease of hooking up - For this niche it's great
- Location - Pretty global at this point but most popular in English speaking countries
- Rating - The best if you specifically want to date a BBW or are a BBW yourself
On the larger sexual dating apps out there it can be really tough as a big and beautiful woman or a man who loves them. With such a huge emphasis put on looks a woman who doesn't have the same look as the other girls may face a lot of rejection or criticism by using the same dating apps. According to a study conducted at East Michigan University, "women would need more positive attributes to mitigate overweight status than would men". This often results in BBW completely avoiding the more popular dating apps and looking for other alternatives. Then, the guys who are trying to find them on the normal apps strikeout and disappear as well. It's a vicious cycle!
This problem is solved beautifully by BBW Match Mate, undoubtedly one of the top hookup sites for curvy singles out there. They have done a fantastic job putting together a community that is exclusively single BBW and men that find them beautiful. Without all the fears that come along with a normal dating site it becomes extremely easy for men and women to actually meet!
It isn't overstating it when I say that this is the site that every BBW, or guy who wants to meet them, needs to try first. Stop wasting all your time and money on the general hookup apps if you already know what you want.
User testimonials about BBWMatch:
PunkPrincess4477 - App Store
Great app with potential. I have only been using this app for a few days but have found it very great in matching BBW people with potential mates. I have got many responses to my basic profile and have talked to a few interesting people.
How our hookup site and app reviews work
We take the whole process of evaluating different hookup apps and sites very seriously. In order to give you the best information out there, we spend a lot of time and money to give every option a chance. Our typical review process goes as follows:
- We complete a full site evaluation looking for anything suspicious or unusual
- We sign up for both the free (if available) and paid versions of the sites and apps
- We evaluate what you can do with each version of the site
- We send at least 50 messages to various women of various levels of attractiveness
- We evaluate the responses we get and identify what is a computer-generated response and what comes from real people
- We attempt to set up actual dates with the real women who respond
This process allows us to evaluate what we would consider to be the best hookup apps and the top hookup sites.
Complete hookup app and hookup site reviews we have completed
Adult Hookup review
Adult Hub review
Adultspace review
Affair Alert review
Affair Dating review
Affair Hookups review
Amo Latina review
Asian Beauties review
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Black Crush review
Black Fling review
Black Wink review
Blendr review
BBW Desire review
Book of Sex review
CasualX review
Charm Date review
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Chn Love review
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Easy Flirt review
Easy Sex review
Erotic Affairs review
Feeld review
Fish4Hoes review
Fling review
Flirt review
Flirt Buddies review
Flirt Hookup review
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Free Hookups review
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Hinge review
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Horny Wife
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IWantU review
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Locals Go Wild review
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Loveaholics review
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Lusty Locals review
Mature Hookup review
Meet24 review
Meet Bang review
Meet Me Sexy review
Meet Wives review
Mingle2 review
Mixxxer review
Mocospace review
Mom’s Get Naughty review
No Strings Fun review
One Night Friend review
Passion review
Passion Desire review
Quick Flirt review
QwikMeet review
Saucy Dates review
SDC review
Selfie BBWs review
Senior Sizzle review
Shagaholic review
Shagbook review
Shag City review
Snap Sext review
Social Sex review
Spicy Match review
Together2Night review
Ulust review
Up For It review
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Want Matures review
Well Hello review
Wild Buddies review
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X Dating review
XMatch review
X Meeting review
X Personals review
Xpress review
X Social review
Direct hookup app comparisons
We've also put together a few head-to-head comparisons between some of the largest and most popular apps and websites for hookups. check them out if you're debating between these two:
The Top 3 Hookup Sites
Site | Our Experience | Our Rating | Free Trial Link |
---|---|---|---|
Best Hookup Site For Men | Experience Highlights
| 9 | Try AFF For Free |
Best For Relationships | Experience Highlights
| 9 | Try eHarmony |
2nd Best For Hookups | Experience Highlights
| 8 | Try Passion |
The Best Free Hookup Apps and Free Hookup Sites
One of the things we always get asked is what about the best free hookup apps? Typically, our response to that is "you get what you pay for".
You get what you pay for when it comes to free hookup sites
There is always a bit of risk involved when using a hookup app since you are not spending days or weeks getting to know someone before stripping down to nothing at their place or yours. With that in mind, we usually recommend not going cheap and go with one of the highest quality apps unless you want to spend extra money on doctor bills to get rid of new infections.
However, in the case of what we consider to be the best hookup apps and best hookup sites, almost all of them are free or have a lot of functionality that is free to use. This is fantastic because you really don't have any excuses for not using at least one of the apps on our list. Signup for a couple of them and give them a shot to see which one works best for you.
Free hookup apps have their risks
One thing people don't talk about a lot is how important it is for guys especially to demonstrate as much authenticity and trustworthiness as possible when using hookup sites. If you are a petite woman it can be very scary to invite a guy you don't even know to your place. She doesn't know if you are a psycho or a nice guy. To help overcome that initial fear, the top hookup sites allow you to have a paid and verified account, which can make a huge difference and help you stand out from the crowd. Test it out and see what we mean.
Don't forget to leave your comments below on the apps that worked best for you and we will be sure to include your feedback in any updates we make.
Lots of free hookup apps don't care much about user experience
Plenty of free hookup apps get their revenue from ads as much as it does from users paying for premium services. Because of this, some legit hookup apps and websites are littered with ads that pop up every so often, asking you to pay for premium features. While it's easy to just ignore these and move on, sometimes, this ruins the experience of using the app.
Some free hookup apps let anyone create an account
In the world of online dating, you want to be as safe as possible. Legit hookup apps and sites that charge a premium for their services check each individual user to ensure that they are who they say they are. This verification process is sometimes absent from free hookup apps. While some of these apps may verify their users through their social media accounts (e.g. Facebook, Instagram, etc.), it's also possible for people to fake these credentials. That's why free hookup apps can allow scammers to slip through the cracks and victimize legit users.
If you absolutely must have a free app or site for casual dating Tinder is going to be it
There are plenty of free sex apps and sites out there that claim to help you meet women fast. In reality, the only one that we've found that can actually work for a fair amount of guys is Tinder. There is a paid version of Tinder that can improve your results but the base app is free.
Tinder does have a lot of users but, as we've talked about before, it is extremely competitive for guys. Unless you are pretty good looking it is often really tough to get any matches at all. There are tons of examples out there of guys who send out thousands of messages and get zero response.
What if you only want a one night stand or an NSA hookup?
While a friend with benefits can be a lot of fun there can still be a lot of work that goes into maintaining that relationship. Busy guys, or guys who just aren't looking for anything longer-term, often prefer using an app that makes finding one night stands easy or an app that is great for no strings attached relationships. When it comes to those types of relationships there has been a clear winner:
If you really just want an NSA hookup the best app is AFF by far
We talk about AFF in more detail earlier on in our review but what really makes it the best option for finding NSA hookups and one night stands is the size and focus there. No other option out there focuses so strongly on relationships that are primarily about casual sex. That means one night stands, NSA hookups, and other casual sex relationships are on the table with the women you find here. Something that you just can't say for other sites.
Finding casual sex with an app or site isn't easy unless you use the right options
The vast majority of sites and apps out there are terrible for finding casual sex or even friends with benefits. You either have more general dating apps where women are afraid to look to easy or apps like Tinder where the hottest guys get all the luck. What makes AFF so solid is that it's an app that makes finding NSA hookups possible even for average guys. That isn't something that you can really find anywhere else.
Make Sure to Stay Safe on Hookup Apps
Our recommended hookup apps all have several measures in place to protect users against catfish, bots and scammers. But it’s still on you to remain vigilant and protect yourself in case any swindlers sneak through the net. dating apps listed in this guide all have measures to protect users from bots, scammers and catfishes.
Take these three steps to keep yourself when using hookup sites to find casual partners.
Seek out verified profiles
A lot of hookup websites give users the option to verify the profiles and prove to the world that they are the person in their photos. If you’re using one of these websites and encounter a suspicious person, check to see if their profile is verified. If it’s not, you can politely ask them to verify it. It’s free and typically only takes a couple of minutes. A legitimate woman should see no reason not to do it if she’s genuinely interested in you.
Take note that according to the Federal Trade Commission, "21,000 online dating scams were reported in 2018, with total reported losses of $143 million." So don't be just another statistic and make sure you're talking to a real person!
Move the conversation to social media
If the conversation on a hookup app is going well, your next step should be to move the conversation to a social media app like Facebook or Instagram. These apps give you the same ability to communicate as swapping phone numbers, but you’ll also be able to learn more about your potential beau and vice-versa. Most importantly, you’ll be able to tell if they were representing themselves accurately in their dating profile.
Arrange a video call
Video calls provide the most effective way to tell if your online companion looks like their online dating photos. It’s also the best way to quickly check for real-life chemistry. So, don’t hesitate to ask a woman for a quick video call if you’re considering dating her. You could use the call to decide where and when to take her out.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Best Hookup Apps and Sites
What app is good for just hookups?
Our top choice for the best hookup app is definitely Adult FriendFinder, thanks to its many active users who are all looking for casual, no-strings-attached fun.
Which hookup app has the most users?
Tinder has over 530 million users worldwide. However, keep in mind that some Tinder users are looking for serious relationships instead of hookups. For a legit hookup site where everyone is looking for something casual, AFF is the one with the most users.
Is Bumble a hookup site?
Not really. Most Bumble users are searching for more serious relationships. But we have encountered a few users who are looking to hook up.
Is there truly a free hook up site?
Tinder and Hinge are absolutely free hookup sites. But keep in mind that you get what you pay for, so paid hookup sites are ultimately more effective.
What hookup apps lets you send messages for free?
Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, Plenty of Fish, and OkCupid all let you send messages for free.
Is Tinder or Bumble better for hookups?
Tinder has more users looking for hookups. Bumble's users have a mix of those looking to hook up and those who want a serious relationship.
What dating app has the highest hookup rate?
From our experience, AFF provides the highest success rate among all the legit hookup apps that we've reviewed.
Is Ashley Madison Ok to use?
Yes, Ashley Madison is one of the top hookup apps that's safe and easy to use. You can use it even if you're not looking for an affair since the app also has lots of single users.
How can I find hookups safely?
Use a legit hookup website or app that does thorough checks and has a track record for success. One of the best hookup sites we recommend is AFF since it's safe, efficient, and popular among those looking for hookups.
Are hookups healthy?
Yes. Science says that engaging in consensual, safe, and casual sex can be good for your mental health. Engaging in sex, even if you're not in a romantic relationship, can help prevent stress and anxiety.
This article may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission. This commission comes at no additional cost to you.
References:
- Al-Rousan, S., Abuhussein, A., Alsubaei, F., Kahveci, O., Farra, H., Shiva, S. (2020). Social-Guard: Detecting Scammers in Online Dating. 2020 IEEE International Conference on Electro Information Technology (EIT).
- Anderson, M., Vogels, E. A., Turner, E. (2020). The Virtues and Downsides of Online Dating.
- Federal Trade Commission (2019). Romance scams rank number one on total reported losses.
- Orchard, T. (2019) Dating Apps. ResearchGate.
- Sienko, R. (2017). An examination of attribute trade and weight stigma in online dating. Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations. 740.
- worst-online-dater (2015). Tinder Experiments II: Guys, unless you are really hot you are probably better off not wasting your time on Tinder — a quantitative socio-economic study.
Contributing Author:
Joe Elvin
Joe Elvin is an internationally known confidence and dating coach with nearly a decade of experience. He is the successful author of several dating and confidence books that have helped thousands of men find success. While traveling the world Joe consistently finds new and valuable ways to meet and attract women. He has been featured in many large publications including AskMen, TSB Magazine and The Good Men Project.
As one of the most prolific writers on Heart Insider, Joe has reviewed over a hundred dating apps. He is the site’s foremost authority when it comes to selecting what dating app works for whom. From an app's mechanics to its algorithm to telltale signs that a dating app is a scam, Joe’s is able to expertly discern between dating apps that provide value and those that don't.
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