Match Hookup Dating Site

When you’re feeling frisky, you don’t need to pay a matchmaker to get you in a relationship — all you need is the best hookup sites in town to introduce you to sexually active dates.

May 11, 2012 Best Dating Sites of 2021. Below are the best dating sites and apps of 2021, as tested and reviewed by our experts. Try any of these top online dating websites 100% free, and gain access to millions of singles looking for a potential match, hookup, or serious relationship.

1. Alternative sites like Match.com. Eharmony: This site is made for serious-minded singles that are seeking partners and soulmates. Although registration on the site tends to take longer, it ensures authenticity and more extensive profiles. Also, it has a 29-dimension matching system that proves to be very effective.
2. Which dating site is right for you? AmateurMatch gives users scam option dating amateurmatch or block profiles. If you suspect that a profile is fake, you can report it to the moderation team by selecting the relevant option on the profile page. You amateurmatch also block the profile the same way. Affiliate Disclosure.

A hookup site can cut through the nonsense and casual daters to flirt with one another without holding anything back. Such an anything-goes, free-for-all atmosphere can stimulate one-night stands, threesomes, and other no-strings-attached sexual encounters.

Our dating experts have picked out some of our favorite sex-positive casual dating sites to help you get out there and make something happen. Most of these sites allow free communication, so active users can chat up a new sex partner any time they please.

Best Overall Adult Hookup Sites

Let’s get right down to the good stuff, shall we? We know you’re busy and have a lot to do, so, without further ado, here are the best hookup sites for adults on the prowl for a one-night stand or casual relationship.

Ashley Madison is a breath of fresh air for single or attached folks experiencing a sex slump. This exciting dating site and app offer tons of opportunities to mingle, match, flirt, and hook up discreetly. Over 54 million profiles await you on Ashley Madison, and it's free to create an anonymous account.

• Discreetly arranges one-night stands and extramarital affairs
• More than 54 million profiles worldwide
• Travel-friendly features for seeking matches in other cities
• Browse Ashley Madison profiles 100% free»

Ashley Madison is infamous for taking an anything-goes approach to the casual dating scene. The free hookup site supports married folks who want a casual fling on the down low. Active users can explore their sexual fantasies and meet a hookup partner in a private chat room.

Whether you’re single or not-so-single, you can use Ashley Madison as your personal hookup service, and no one will be the wiser. The online dating site has boasts millions of members and has created valuable features to help keep members out of the public eye. Its features include discreet payment options and cloaked app icons, and users can also choose to blur or mask their faces in photos on their Ashley Madison profiles.

When it comes to arranging hookups, BeNaughty is fast, easy, fun, and safe. This dating site has built a global network of sexy men and women who want to skip the small talk and cut right to the chase. If you're interested in short-term romance, BeNaughty is the place to go and get your flirt on.

• A global network of naughty singles over 18
• Ability to blur nude and explicit content, if desired
• Advanced search filters and one-on-one messaging
• Browse BeNaughty profiles 100% free»

BeNaughty is another popular choice in terms of casual sex sites. Not only is it free to join and adult hookup site and search for date prospects, but some free chat rooms will be available as well. The hookup website also offers free instant messaging to all female members.

In addition to its search features, BeNaughty has a Like Gallery where singles answer the question “Cute or Not?” and generate mutual matches on the spot. Only profiles with photos appear in the Like Gallery and search results, so you can upload a selfie to put yourself out there and attract attention. Naughty pictures are encouraged, but not required.

Instead of sending individual messages to tons of singles, BeNaughty members can choose to send a mass message to all active users who fit their dating criteria. This can be a good way to get the ball rolling with a tried-and-true pick-up line.

Registering for an account on Adult Friend Finder (AFF) is like speeding into the fast lane of the online dating world. This hookup site puts you in the center of action and encourages sexy singles and swingers to satisfy their secret fantasies. Anyone over 18 can join AFF and browse millions of profiles for free, but only full-fledged members have access to the revealing content in the community forums and chat rooms.

• One of the largest adults-only sex communities
• Free and fast registration process
• Dating forums and live chats foster live flirtation
• Browse Adult Friend Finder profiles 100% free»

Adult Friend Finder is one of the largest sex sites in the world with over 105 million dating profiles available. Every day, tens of thousands of sexually active folks hit up this site hoping to find romance. And they’re rarely disappointed.

AFF members can have a fantastic time navigating the hookup dating site’s dating forums, erotic blogs, private messages, and video chat. Whether you’re single or in a couple, you can create a kinky profile and declare yourself open for a one-night stand or casual encounter in the local sex scene.

Adult Friend Finder is an adults-only community, and the site’s X-rated content can appeal to adults of all sexual orientations and backgrounds.

FriendFinder-X offers sexy singles the gratifying experience of meeting hot dates within a few clicks. This hookup site is designed to excite people's imaginations and fill them with sexual energy. Whether you're chatting privately or in a group forum, singles and swingers can be upfront about their sexual desires, fetishes, and fantasies.

• A casual personals site for singles, couples, and groups
• Profiles have suggestive photos and strip tease videos
• Chat live via a two-way webcam or private messaging
• Browse FriendFinder-X profiles 100% free»

The tagline at FriendFinder-X is “where good girls do bad things,” and that pretty much sums up what goes on here. The dating site facilitates naughty conversations between men, women, couples, groups, and basically anyone seeking casual sex.

There is no need to play it coy on this hookup platform. Like-minded people head to FriendFinder-X in search of casual encounters, not relationships, and they won’t be offended if you invite them to bed within the first few messages.

As the hookup website says, “FriendFinder-X isn’t just a site; it’s a community of people looking to add a little more passion into their lives.”

If casual sex is your goal, then Flirt.com can be your wingman. This sex site offers anonymous browsing, advanced searches, and private communication, all for free, to help single men and women find a potential partner and arrange sexual encounters that satisfy their secret fantasies.

• A massive user base of over 70 million dating profiles
• Send a free private message or Flirtcast to get something going
• Exchange nude pics or adult videos with a Flirt member you trust
• Browse Flirt.com profiles 100% free»

Back in the 1990s, [Flirt.com launched and gave the online dating scene a flirtatious upgrade. This sex-positive dating site gets right down to business and allows single men and women to explore different romantic possibilities in a private and anonymous space.

Over 70 million people have joined Flirt.com in search of a casual fling, a sexual encounter, or even a long-term love interest. This hookup site is open to everyone, and it encourages users to have a flirty conversation with like-minded people online. Free members can send up to five greetings per day, and they can also blast out a FlirtCast — a pre-written flirty message — to all profiles that fit their dating requirements.

First impressions matter on Tinder. The dating app gives its users the chance to find romance by liking the photos and bylines of local singles. The app's casual atmosphere encourages flirty conversations that quickly lead to exchanging numbers or arranging in-person dates. Every week, Tinder facilitates over 1.5 million dates and hookups in 190+ countries.

• The dating app of choice for millions of sexually active singles
• Accelerating the dating process through swiping
• Has led to over 60 billion mutual matches
• Browse Tinder profiles 100% free»

Tinder is a no-brainer for this list of casual hookup sites. The dating app invented swiping, for crying out loud. Even though it’s technically not a dating website, Tinder is responsible for powering hookup culture as we know it today.

In 2012, Tinder became famous for facilitating hookups with its fast-paced matching system that emphasizes photos over demographic information or bios. It’s free to create a profile, make swipes, and send messages to mutual matches on Tinder, but you can also upgrade to Tinder Plus, Tinder Gold, or Tinder Platinum to get even more perks — such as five Super Likes per day and a Tinder Passport to swipe on dating profiles outside your city.

The Tinder app gives singles the opportunity to quickly sort through the dating scene and identify like-minded people they want to get to know better, if you know what I mean.

Match.com is an open-ended dating site where singles can make their own rules. Some are seeking heartfelt relationships that lead to marriage, while others just want to hook up. Sexy singles can hunt for a date by using Match's advanced search tools and live chat and video features. Unlike some other sites, Match doesn't restrict messaging to mutual matches, so you can woo anyone who strikes your fancy.

• Free profile browsing and liking
• Private chat rooms and video dates for Match members only
• Fast-working, time-tested AI match algorithm
• Browse Match.com profiles 100% free»

While Match is traditionally seen as a relationship-centric dating site, it actually doesn’t restrict singles from arranging casual dates and hookups. You can state your intentions in your profile and see if it attracts a sexual partner.

We like Match because it uses a time-tested match algorithm to pair up singles. The adult dating site looks at your demographics, profile information, and liking history to identity which profiles match up with you the best. If you want a fun dating experience, try mingling on Match.com as a free or premium member.

Note that only premium members can send unlimited messages on the site. However, free members have limited communication options that may be just enough to land a hot date or local hookup.

Zoosk is a fun-loving dating site where singles can let go of their inhibitions and attract dates one private message at a time. The site's varied search options and communication features facilitate fast connections in a unique social environment. Zoosk members are a chatty bunch, sending over 3 million messages a day, so you won't have to search far to find hookups here.

• Fast-paced dating scene available in 80 countries
• Full members can send unlimited messages
• Advanced search filters help you zero in on the hottest dates
• Browse Zoosk profiles 100% free»

As a socially savvy dating site, Zoosk excels at getting people talking in a fun online environment. From the moment you create a free profile, you will be surrounded by options to chat, like, and send virtual gifts to sexy singles.

When recommending date prospects, Zoosk uses a trademarked Behavioral Matchmaking system that relies on the user’s previous profile views and likes. That means that the more you like Zoosk profiles, the more accurate your matches will be.

Zoosk has over 40 million singles in its database, so you should find no shortage of people to chat up on this local hookup platform.People of every age, race, and sexual preference can hunt for a sexual partner in this space. A Zoosk profile could lead to a romantic encounter with an attractive sex partner in your neighborhood or city.

Plenty of Fish lowers the cost of romance by allowing casual daters to send private chats for free. It's easy to make a fast connection thanks to Plenty of Fish's free messaging system. On average, POF members send over 1 billion messages a month, and these chats often lead to romantic encounters in the real world.

• Free instant messages for all singles
• Over 150 million members in 20 countries
• The MeetMe section highlights local hotties
• Browse Plenty of Fish profiles 100% free»

Plenty of Fish touts itself as the best dating site for conversations, and, with over 1 billion messages sent each month on the site, we can’t disagree with that.

It’s 100% free to read and send messages on Plenty of Fish, and your conversations will never expire (unless you or your partner choose to delete it, of course). The free communication policy is the bedrock of Plenty of Fish’s success in the online dating scene, and many casual daters enjoy coming and going at will on the sex app and site.

By removing the barriers between people, Plenty of Fish has led to many romantic encounters and made over 57 million new connections every week. So feel free to join, chat, and hook up!

Best LGBT Hookup Sites

The LGBTQ+ community has taken to online dating like a rainbow fish to water, and it can be empowering for closeted or questioning individuals to take a turn around legit hookup sites and dating apps.

Gay and lesbian singles actually use dating sites more frequently than straight singles and only 63% say they’re interested in marriage. Everyone else is basically there to party.

The following gay and lesbian hookup sites can help queer and questioning singles seek the romantic trysts they most desire without outing themselves to the dating scene at large.

MenNation has tons of X-rated content to arouse the senses and stimulate conversation. The hookup site attracts single men and gay couples all over the world and has grown its network to include over 93 million people. Free members can browse these profiles for as long as they want and send flirts to anyone who catches their eye.

• A massive men-only sex and swinger community
• Browse profiles and send private messages to your favorites
• Profiles feature erotic videos and sexually explicit blogs
• Browse MenNation profiles 100% free»

Looking for hot dudes? MenNation has millions of options for you. This gay hookup site caters to gay singles and couples who want to meet local men and enjoy a sexual encounter.

MenNation isn’t the type of place where you find a committed partnership. It’s the type of place where you exchange dick pics as a conversation starter with a sugar daddy. Hookup culture is alive and well here.

Men don’t have to pretend they’re on MenNation for anything other than no strings attached sex and hookups, and that’s liberating for anyone with sex on the brain.

As part of Friend Finder Networks, LesbianPersonals is a fast-paced hookup site built to satisfy. The dating platform caters to women, straight couples, lesbian couples, and groups who are looking to enjoy lesbian sex. LesbianPersonals members can find romance in live video chats or instant message conversations and take things to the next level by exchanging contact information.

• Create a free profile in less than a minute
• Search filters can identify attractive singles and couples in the area
• Strip tease videos, revealing photos, and other adult content
• Browse LesbianPersonals profiles 100% free»

Now it’s time for the ladies. LesbianPersonals is our favorite hookup site for women because it doesn’t allow men to create a dating profile — unless they’re in a straight relationship and want a threesome. Still, the vast majority of profiles on LesbianPersonals were created by women seeking women, and that’s a beautiful thing.

Whether you’re lesbian, bisexual, queer, or questioning, you can set up a dating profile on LesbianPersonals.com without paying anything and peruse the local dating scene at your leisure.

On LesbianPersonals, a mature woman can gain confidence by using the adult hookup site’s instant messaging. Women can then take advantage of photo-sharing and two-way webcam features to establish a genuine connection with a hottie online. The video chat feature is a particularly fun way to encourage a quick hookup.

Grindr facilitates hookups by telling local singles where the hottest guys in town are and giving them a direct line of communication. It's easy to jump into this active dating pool and start flirting with gay and bisexual men near you.

• Sexually active men can create free profiles
• Matching system uses GPS information to find local dates
• Millions of prospects available in 192 countries
• Browse Grindr profiles 100% free»

As one of the top adult hookup sites for gay men, Grindr promises to connect men with dates who are just around the corner. “Zero feet away” is the sex app’s motto. Its location-based matching can facilitate a casual encounter and chat between men at the same bar, club, festival, or another social venue.

If you’re actively scoping out dates, Grindr can be an excellent wingman and give you the ability to break the ice with the hottie on the other side of the bar. Since its launch in 2009, Grindr has become one of the most successful all-men dating apps, and we encourage sexually active men to give its hookup service a try.

The Grindr app can work faster than the typical online hookup site because it uses a phone’s GPS data to identify which gay singles are on the prowl right now. As a result, Grindr matches often inspire instant communication and same-day dates with a potential hookup partner.

What is Considered Hooking Up?

Hooking up is going to mean different things to different people. Everyone draws the line at different places. Some people may say hooking up can mean spending the night with someone but not having straight-up sex, while others would say it only counts if you do the dirty.

Urban Dictionary defines hooking up as “casual sexual activity” and “any form of getting some type of action.” That can include making out, giving a handjob, going down on a person, or having casual sex. Basically, if it’s at all related to sex, it can count a casual hookup.

“Hooking up” can mean kissing, fooling around, or having sex.

When a person says they enjoyed an adult hookup, that can mean any number of things. It could be a sexual encounter, or it could be late-night snuggling. The ambiguity of the term can give some cover for singles or couples who don’t want to get too specific about what they were doing in the privacy of the bedroom.

As a HuffPost article says, “‘Hookup serves as a catch-all for everything from intercourse to passing out while spooning.”

What is the Best Alternative to Craigslist Personals?

Craigslist shut down its personals section in 2018 in response to growing pressure from lawmakers in the U.S. As a way of preventing online sex trafficking, Congress passed a bill that would allow law enforcement officials to hold a sex hookup website responsible for the actions of its users, and that wasn’t a risk Craigslist was willing to take.

However, many other adults dating sites and casual hookup apps have arisen to fill that gap. Pernals, for instance, uses a similar setup as Craigslist personals (and it has a similar name, too) and offers singles the chance to post ads for dates, hookups, and other casual encounters in their area. CasualX is another one of the top adult hookup sites designed to be a free hookup alternative for former Craigslist personals members.

Reddit r4r is a personals site where singles can meet new friends, find dates, and even arrange a casual fling if they play their cards right. This community is for general networking, but dating tends to be a major part of the conversation.

Finally, while Craigslist isn’t in the quick hookup and dating game officially anymore, the site does have sections where singles mingle with one another. Most notably, in the Missed Connections section. You can meet new friends or enjoy casual encounters in this free forum.

Is Tinder Just a Hookup App?

Tinder has become more than just a free hookup app in the last few years. It is a singles chat room where anything can happen. Tinder’s swiping features have led to a rise in hookup culture now fueled by online dating sites and apps everywhere. But the dating app has also helped singles get in real relationships and make new friends.

This casual dating app has created over 60 billion matches since 2012, and, sure, some of those were dead-ends, but others led to sexual awakenings, romantic experiences, and fulfilling relationships. Reddit users have shared these real-life Tinder love stories as proof that the dating app can lead to meaningful connections that go way beyond a casual relationship.

Tinder is one of the most effective dating sites for casual and serious daters.

Tinder has over 50 million users who log in for all sorts of reasons, not just an online hookup. According to one survey, 44% of college-aged users said they were on Tinder looking for confidence-boosting procrastination and only 22% wanted a quick local hookup. That just goes to show that there’s more to Tinder than meets the eye.

Yes, many singles see Tinder as a free hookup app, but its dating tools can help iOS and Android users with more serious intentions as well.

How Do You Initiate a Hookup?

If you’re dating someone and you want to turn up the heat, you can make subtle suggestions to see how your sexual partner feels. You could suggest watching a movie and ask if it’s O.K. to turn out the lights or watch in bed. If your date is snuggling close to you or starts trying to make out during the movie, that’s a good signal that a quick hookup could be in your future.

Initiating an online hookup can be a little trickier on mainstream dating sites. You won’t really know if a new person is going to be open to your advances until you’ve made your play. Their dating profile may say they’re “up for anything,” but they may not find your compliment flattering or your online dating profile attractive. You may just not be their type. Don’t worry, though — because legit hookup sites and sex apps offer plenty of opportunities to try again and get better at turning sexual fantasies into realities.

You can try using a flirty pick-up line on free hookup websites to see where your match’s head is at, or you can straight-up say what kind of casual encounter you’re looking for and see if he or she is down.

What Are the Best Adult Dating Sites

As part of the Friend Finder network, Adult Friend Finder is one of the most popular free hookup websites in the market. Hookup dating is a way of life for the singles and swingers in these adults-only chat rooms.

Other adult hookup dating websites can’t compare to this fast-working and sex-positive environment, which has over 100 million users worldwide.

Adult Friend Finder is among the longest-running and the largest sex communities in existence with tens of millions of profiles to its name. The hookup site has over 93 million members, many of whom are actively searching for flings, threesomes, and other sexual experiences. AFF members can feel free to discuss their desires, fetishes, and sexual preferences in the live chat rooms and dating forums.

• A global community of single women and swinger couples
• More than 25 million monthly users
• Free unlimited browsing of hot profiles
• Browse Adult Friend Finder profiles 100% free»

AFF’s sexy friend finder tools encourage hookup dating, and you can get into the mix of things in the chat rooms with video chat features at your fingertips. You don’t even have to pay anything to create an AFF account and take a look around using the search filters and blog section.

Are Free Hookup Websites Legit?

Yes, many dating websites have legitimately supported hookup culture and kept scammers and fake profiles out of the mix. Casual dating has become more common thanks to swiping sex apps, and people can go online to explore their sexual fantasies in a safe, anonymous space.

Online dating sites can facilitate hookup dating by offering an endless dating pool of potential matches and chat options. Plus, if you’re on an adult hookup app like DOWN or Tinder, you can get things moving even more quickly by soliciting sex upfront.

DOWN is one of the most popular sex apps for local adults because it fosters real-time matching and chatting without any superfluous features. Singles can get down to business quickly on this free hookup app, and they can protect their privacy as they pick up dates. Read our full review of DOWN to learn more about its features and success rates.

Is OkCupid a Good Free Hookup App?

OkCupid has been forever free since it launched as a dating site in 2004. Anyone over 18 can create an OkCupid dating profile, answer personal questions about themselves, and start browsing for matches online. Chatting is 100% free, but only mutual matches can respond to messages on OkCupid. That means someone has to like your profile for you to engage in a conversation.

OkCupid is a decent hookup app — it definitely won’t cost you a fortune, but you may run into a fair share of relationship seekers along the way.

OkCupid inspires dates and relationships by identifying specific areas of compatibility. The dating site and app has an endless questionnaire that allows single men to express who they are and what matters to them. OkCupid uses this treasure trove of information to generate highly accurate match recommendations and compatibility ratings.

• Men can leave a message to anyone they fancy
• A sophisticated match algorithm developed by Harvard math majors
• The site and app facilitate over 50,000 dates every week
• Browse OkCupid profiles 100% free»

One of the things we like about OkCupid is that it straight-up asks online daters what they’re looking for online. If you’re mostly interested in short-term dating and casual hookups, you can put that on your profile and let potential matches know what they’re in for.

As a free hookup site and app, OkCupid is definitely one of the most cost-effective options for casual daters on a budget. Its personality-driven service can lead to hookups as well as deep relationships. In fact, OkCupid leads to over 50,000 dates per week and over 91 million online matches per year.

Can I Find Adult Hookups on eharmony?

Signs point to no. While eharmony is one of the most popular overall dating sites and apps around, its members are more likely interested in long-term relationships and marriage than meaningless sex with strangers.

The founding mission of eharmony is to strengthen marriages by helping compatible partners meet online, and its personality test prioritizes innate compatibility over physical chemistry. Free eharmony users can’t even see photos unless they pay for a monthly subscription.

Since its launch in 2000, eharmony has endeavored to find the formula for love. Its 32-dimension personality test uses psychological truths to identify areas of compatibility between two individuals. The dating site's mission is to foster relationships that last, and every potential match has a reason behind it.

• Over 2 million people have found love here
• Users can filter their match recommendations by age or city
• Compatibility Quiz identifies common interests, lifestyles, and goals
• Browse eharmony profiles 100% free»

Over 2 million couples in the U.S. have fallen in love thanks to eharmony, and the dating site creates a new love match every 14 minutes.

While it’s possible to get dates and have casual sex thanks to eharmony, the majority of people you meet here will likely want more substantial commitment and conversation than you’re willing to give. Plus, it’ll cost more to find dates on eharmony than the average free hookup site or app, so only join eharmony if you’re truly invested in meeting quality singles near you.

How Does Casual Dating on Facebook Work?

Facebook recently unveiled Facebook Dating as a way to turn the social media global network into a flirtatious frenzy. Just beware of being friend zoned!

You can only access Facebook Dating an your iOS or Android device, and you’ll sign up directly from the Facebook app. You don’t need to download any additional app. The service is built-in and fully functional as a chatting and matching space. You can use information from your Facebook account, including photos, to complete your Facebook Dating profile.

Facebook Dating activity does not show up in newsfeeds or on Facebook profiles, so no one except you and your matches will know you’re using this dating app. You can also identify crushes in your Facebook friends list, and you’ll receive a notification if that person likes you back.

Facebook Dating is a new dating app designed exclusively for Facebook users.

Facebook Dating is still new to the online dating scene, so it doesn’t have the same time-tested match algorithms you’ll find on apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Match.com. The free dating network doesn’t have as large of a user base either — yet.

It’s easy to casually pick up dates on the Facebook Dating platform. You simply send likes, grow your matches list, and engage in chats with people who like you back. I received more than 100 likes within my first day with a Facebook Dating account, so I can promise you’ll certainly have a lot of date options at your disposal in this chat room.

Adults Are Free to Have Casual Sex on Hookup Sites

Not everyone enters the dating scene hoping to find a one-true love. Many casual daters would happily settle for a one-night stand. If you fall into the latter category, then legit hookup sites will be your best bet for success.

We’ve reviewed dozens of adult dating sites to help you get a feel for the best options for finding a local hookup, but you don’t have to stick to our list to meet a new sex partner online.

There are over 8,000 online dating services in the world, and any one of them could connect you with sexy people seeking a no strings attached date. Ask your Facebook friends which sites they like, or read dating websites reviews to get a better feel for how a hookup platform works. You should feel free to explore the online dating scene and make romantic overtures until you find your sweet spot on the best hookup sites that work for you. Have fun!

I’m friends with a single mom who joined her first dating site not that long ago. Like most singles seeking a fresh start, she chose one of the largest dating sites out there. It was also 100% free. She thought she was doing the right thing, but the dating platform had thousands of people for her to sort through and not enough features to help her do that. To make matters worse, dozens of unscreened matches and messages flooded her inbox every day. She couldn’t keep up with it all. Online dating had become work, not fun, so she deleted her dating profile without going out with a single person.

Truth be told, if my friend had done a little bit of research before she joined the dating site, she would’ve seen that there’s an online dating service for just about everything — from Jewish singles to single parent dating — and all of them offer something a little bit different from the rest.

Of course, most singles don’t have the time or inclination to do a lot of in-depth research in the dating world, and that’s what we’re here for.

Reviewing dating sites is our job, and we love finding different dating sites to help singles. So, we have ranked seven types of dating websites and apps that the average dater should know about and then gone the extra mile to select the best dating sites and apps in every niche category we could think of.

Oh, and just for good measure, our experts answered some frequently asked questions about meeting new people through an online dating service. Let’s get to it!

1. Most Popular Dating Sites

In our consideration, the most popular dating sites are the ones that receive the most positive comments and high star ratings from users. We rely on word on the digital street to help us identify the platforms we ought to try, and then we rate the dating sites based on their affordability, ease of use, safety features, and, most importantly, success rates.

The local dating pool is much easier to navigate when you have a popular dating site or app in your back pocket.

Here are our picks for the top dating sites for online daters seeking romance and love.

Best Overall: Match

Match.com was founded in 1995 and has been a pioneer in the dating industry ever since. No other dating website has been responsible for more dates, relationships, and marriages than Match. Not only that, but with over 13.5 million people visiting Match every month from more than 50 countries, no other dating website has anywhere near the same reach.

The basic membership is free and includes unlimited browsing and some communication options. Every online dating profile contains a good mix of photos, written responses, tags, and demographic details, so it’s easy to judge compatibility at a glance.

Match is the best online dating site for singles who are serious about meeting someone special and don’t want to mess around with too much superficial swiping and endless chatting.

Best for Mobile: Zoosk

If you’re always busy and on your phone all the time, like most of us are, then we’d highly recommend Zoosk. In 2007, the Zoosk dating website came into being, and it was one of the first major dating sites to integrate its match tools into an online dating app.

Zoosk allows fast signups through Facebook or Google profiles, and it doesn’t require a new person to upload a photo to explore the user base.

We consider Zoosk to be among the best mobile dating apps because it has been downloaded over 30 million times, and its customer reviews are consistently positive. Plus, Zoosk members get a lot of communication tools for free, and the paid subscription plan is affordably priced for those singles who want an upgrade.

Best for Serious Relationships: eharmony

Launched by clinical psychologist Dr. Neil Clark Warren in 2000, eharmony.com is a go-to if you want a serious, long term relationship with someone who meets or exceeds all your expectations. The eharmony dating site has inspired over 2 million relationships in the U.S. alone, and it creates a new potential match every 15 minutes.

One of eharmony’s biggest claim to fame is its unique in-depth matchmaking system that compares 32 dimensions of compatibility to identify which members will hit it off with each other and create a relationship that lasts in the long run.

If you want to learn even more about the top dating sites and apps, then take a look at our full reviews of Match, Zoosk, and eharmony:

Any of these sites or apps could introduce you to new people and help you get your footing in a fast-paced and exciting online dating scene.

2. Hookup Sites

Online dating isn’t just for finding a date or relationship — it’s also a great way to find a casual hookup, a secret affair, or a one-night stand. However, not all hookup websites are created equal. There are legit dating sites you’ll want to join, and then there are sketchy dating sites you’ll want to avoid. Here’s what you need to know about the best casual dating sites:

Best Hookup Sites: BeNaughty

BeNaughty is a hookup site that is among the cream of the crop in the online dating scene. With cool features like instant messaging and location-based matching, this dating platform will help you find no-strings-attached adult fun in no time.

Communication is 100% free to all BeNaughty members with an approved profile picture and a valid email address, so nothing will stand between you and a hot date here.

Best Affair App: Ashley Madison

If you’re hoping to date on the down low — as in, without a significant other finding out what you’re up to — then a mainstream dating app like Tinder may not be the best choice. For one thing, it’s super well-known as a dating app, and you could very well run into someone you know in real life there.

Fortunately, an affair dating app like Ashley Madison can help single and not-so-single people meet more discreetly and anonymously. Ashley Madison has some great undercover features, including the ability to blur or mask your face in photos, and it takes great pains to protect user privacy.

Best Sugar Daddy Site: Seeking Arrangement

Sugar daddy sites can get a bad reputation for having too many fake profiles or inactive users, but we’ve found some that make an effort to only support authentic singles seeking an age-gap romance or relationship.

Seeking Arrangement has over 13 million members, all of whom have been verified as authentic. This sugar daddy site can verify incomes and profile pictures to ensure that its women are really beautiful and its men are really rich, so newcomers don’t have to worry about getting conned by something too good to be true.

Sugar daddies and sugar babies come together on Seeking Arrangement to lay their cards on the table, play to their strengths, and find a potential partner who’s willing to engage in a special arrangement.

Some Free Hookup Sites to Avoid: Craigslist and Backpage

When you’re searching for the top sex site, you’ll often find ones that claim they’re 100% free. While that certainly sounds appealing, we’d suggest staying away from these services, including Craigslist and Backpage. We’ve all heard or read the horror stories about people on Craigslist pretending to be someone they’re not, and the Craigslist personals section and Backpage were actually shut down altogether in 2018 because they’d become overrun by criminal activity and sex trafficking.

You can avoid running into scams, fake profiles, and unsavory characters by joining a reputable hookup site like BeNaughty. Not only do they offer a free membership that doesn’t cost anything, but they also use anti-scammer technology to ensure their members stay safe from start to finish.

3. Christian Dating Sites

Finding someone who has the same religious beliefs and values is important to a lot of people, particularly Christians, and online dating can make that search much easier and quicker.

When it comes to Christian dating, one site has consistently proven itself to be leader and savior for people of faith.

Best Christian Dating Site: ChristianMingle

One of the best Christian dating sites on the web is ChristianMingle. More than 2.4 million Christian singles use the site every month, and the search filters even let you sort by keywords like “bible study.”

ChristianMingle creates potential match list of people who share similar interests, backgrounds, and beliefs, and its values-driven dating service has proven effective over time. In fact, ChristianMingle is currently the most popular Christian dating site for finding love and marriage in the Christian faith.

4. Senior (Over 50) Dating Sites

Online dating for seniors can be intimidating, especially if they’ve just been through a divorce, lost a partner, or aren’t that tech savvy. But it doesn’t have to be so difficult to start again. Mature singles over 50 can use a premium dating website or app to meet people in the same age range.

Here’s our rankings of the top senior dating sites:

Best Dating Site for Singles in their 50s: OurTime

OurTime.com is dedicated to singles over 50 and has a quick signup process and clean interface, making the entire process very easy to manage and understand. This is easily one of the top senior dating sites of all time, and we think it’s best for singles in their 50s looking to connect.

It takes less than five minutes to create a dating profile on OurTime, and doing so could open you up to age-appropriate dating prospects throughout the globe.

Best Dating Site for Singles in Their 60s: SeniorFriendsDate

SeniorFriendsDate is a free dating site for retired professionals who don’t have the cash to waste on premium dating service and matchmaking tools. These savvy senior singles just want to chat without spending a cent of their savings on the deal, and that’s what SeniorFriendsDate has to offer.

You can create a profile on SeniorFriendsDate, browse other members’ dating profiles, and send messages to anyone you like all for free. The site promises to remove any underage daters and fake profiles, so this mature dating network should be to your liking.

Best Dating Site for Singles in Their 70s: SilverSingles

As you get up there in age, it’s natural for your dating prospects to start to disappear and fade a bit. It’s also natural to have less patience for incompatible dates and matches. Singles in their 70s don’t have time to mess around, so they look for a quality-driven dating platform like SilverSingles to get something going.

We’ve ranked this among the top senior dating sites because it uses an in-depth personality test to pair up couples with the most in common, and you can set your preferences for age, appearance, income, and other important factors.

SilverSingles can help a person in their 70s dust off their flirting skills and meet someone worth going out on a first date again.

5. Gay & Lesbian Dating Sites

While you may think you have to use an LGBTQ-specific dating site if you’re an LGBT single, that’s not really the case. There are plenty of conventional sites that are also among the top websites for gay dating and the top lesbian date sites.

With over 1.5 million gay members and more than 1 million lesbian members, Match is one of them. Zoosk is another fantastic choice, particularly if you’re looking for a quality mobile dating experience.

However, if you would rather skip the mainstream and find some queer-friendly date options, you can check out these gay and lesbian dating platforms.

Best Dating App for Gay Men: Grindr

This is probably a no-brainer, but Grindr is by far the best gay dating app on the market. It’s the most popular — over 27 million members worldwide — and it has some of the most effective location-based matching tools you’ll find on any dating app anywhere.

Since 2009, Grindr has made waves in the gay dating pool by offering a men-only dating system that works. You can low-key swipe through dating profiles to meet guys who are ready and willing to go on a date.

Grindr was designed to satisfy gay men seeking a casual hookup or romantic tryst, and it never stops working on your behalf.

Best Dating App for Lesbian Women: HER

The online dating scene can be pretty tough for lesbian women who are ready to find a potential partner for life but keep running into requests for casual hookups and threesomes. Fortunately, a lesbian woman named Robyn Exton has embarked on a mission to aid queer women with an online dating app called simply HER.

The HER dating app is free to download, and it offers a lot of free networking and chatting tools to help womxn break the ice. You can comment on someone’s photo or RSVP to a local queer event to get noticed on the app.

If you want to meet a woman and start a serious relationship, the HER network will be there to make the proper introductions, support the LGBTQ community, and keep the creepers at bay. What more could a lesbian dater ask for?

Best Dating Site for Bisexual Singles: BiCupid.com

With over 1.6 million members, BiCupid has claimed the title as the world’s largest dating site for bisexual men and women.

This free dating site can help bisexuals find a potential date based on their unique dating preferences and dealbreakers. Most dating sites and apps require users to choose one gender or the other when browsing dating profiles, but BiCupid liberates bisexual and bi-curious online daters to pursue anyone they fancy regardless of that person’s gender, orientation, or sexual identity.

But wait, there’s more! BiCupid has recently launched a companion app that offers all the same matchmaking and search technology in a more mobile-friendly interface.

Best Dating Sites for Transgender Singles

A lot of so-called ladyboy or tranny dating sites treat transgender singles like they’re a fetish or a sexual object rather than a living breathing person hoping for a genuine connection. That’s why we’ve highlighted some upstanding transgender dating sites for singles in the LGBTQ community.

Sites like MyTranssexualDate.com have created thriving communities around the idea that people of all orientations and gender identities deserve to find love. These niche sites can offer a welcoming world of romance for singles willing to take the plunge and create a free dating profile.

6. Free Dating Sites

Free doesn’t necessarily have to mean a cheap or low-quality experience. The best free dating sites are the ones that give you every chance of success without any hidden fees or other barriers. We’re happy to say all of the sites on our list are 100% free to create a profile, upload photos, browse for and receive matches, and communicate.

Best Free Dating Site: OkCupid

Back in 2004, OkCupid launched with a pretty ambitious plan to offer a completely free dating service with a lengthy personality test and data-driven matching algorithm. The OkCupid site and app have thrived because the team has never wavered from the promise to provide high-quality matches and chatting for free.

It doesn’t cost anything to send messages on OkCupid, but you can only engage in a conversation if someone likes your dating profile. Otherwise, you’ll have to just send a flirty greeting and then move on to the next potential match.

Online daters should note that OkCupid calculates compatibility based on your profile information, answers to personal questions, and user activity, so the more data you give it, the more accurate your match ratings will be.

Every year, OkCupid creates over 91 million matches, and its free online chatting tools lead to millions of first dates and lasting relationships.

7. Dating Apps: Free vs. Best Apps

Dating apps have become extremely popular because they allow singles to date anywhere they are and at anytime, but you don’t want to just download the first dating app you happen to come across on Google Play or the App Store. Fortunately, we’ve done our homework and selected some of the best dating apps making headlines today.

Best Free Dating App for Your 20s: Zoosk

Zoosk’s much-heralded dating app lets you sign up through Facebook or Google+, so you can pull pictures and quick facts about yourself from your profiles that already exist — instead of having to spend a lot of time answering a bunch of questions. This is just one of the many reasons Zoosk is among our favorite online dating apps.

Zoosk maintains an active social network with affordable dating tools, and that’s why singles in their 20s have flocked here hoping to meet new people in their hometown or college town.

Best Totally Free Dating App: Tinder

Tinder is undeniably the biggest name in the online dating industry, so it deserves a place of honor on our list. We’ve ranked it as the best free dating app for singles of all ages, orientations, and backgrounds.

By creating a Tinder profile and swiping on daily matches, you can enjoy a casual dating experience that moves fast and suits your sensibilities. You’re in control of who can send you a message, so you can be as choosey or play the field at will.

Tinder has created over 60 billion matches since its launch in 2012, and the app also claims to be responsible for inspiring over 1.5 million dates per week. This online dating app is fast, fun, easy, and, most importantly, completely and totally free to use.

Best Dating App for Online Chatting: PlentyOfFish (POF)

The PlentyOfFish dating platform offers 100% free communication to all users at all times with no mutual matching requirements, so it’s a great option if you want to start some interesting conversations with people in the area.

The PlentyOfFish app can give you access to over 150 million dating profiles, and users typically exchange 1 billion messages a week, so don’t be shy about saying hi to someone special here.

Match.com Casual Dating

We’re not saying PlentyOfFish is the best dating site in the world for creating a serious long term relationship, but it can introduce you to new people who love to chat, and then it’s up to you to take it from there and see if you have any chemistry in real life.

Best Premium Dating App: Elite Singles

You could take a chance on a 100% free dating app, but, honestly, you never really know what you’re going to get. A lot of the self-proclaimed free dating apps attract scammers, liars, cheaters, and casual daters because they don’t have to invest much to carry on a conversation with a stranger and there aren’t many security measures in place to stop them.

Fortunately, a premium dating service like Elite Singles can stop scammers in their tracks by requiring all users to pay to play. This dating site only allows premium members to view photos and chat, so people with ill intents stay away.

Elite Singles is free to download, and you can browse profiles and review your daily matches for free too, but the paid communication tools put this app a step above the competition and ensures only serious daters (typically over 30) will take part in the fun.

Best Dating Apps for Relationships: Coffee Meets Bagel

Coffee Meets Bagel is the best online dating app for singles whose main goal is to get in a long-lasting and serious relationship. This app is free to download, but its matchmaking services can offer a lot of value and local dating opportunities.

The way the app works is that you receive a curated list of potential matches and can only send a limited number of likes per day. Coffee Meets Bagel encourages users to slow down and really consider their options rather than mindlessly swiping through profile after profile. As a result, Coffee Meets Bagel has made over 55 million matches and inspired thousands of relationships and marriages since its launch in 2012.

Whether you’re a cat person or a dog person, you can use this online dating service to find a potential partner who suits your lifestyle.

Best Jewish Dating Site: JDate

JDate was created in 1997 to unite Jewish singles in the dating pool. The online dating website made an overall positive impression on marriage-minded Jews and it grew into the premier Jewish matchmaker in the dating market.

As a Spark Networks site, JDate maintains an active and respectful community of singles who know what type of romantic partner they want.

Although JDate allows single people of all faiths to join its online dating network, the vast majority of JDate profiles identify with the Jewish faith or Jewish community.

Best Casual Dating App: SaucyDates

If all you want is a casual hookup, then you should seek out a free hookup app that can get the job done quickly and discreetly. Our dating experts like the SaucyDates dating app because it has a lot of street cred and the backing of a vast hookup network.

SaucyDates is a hookup site and app with instant matching, anonymous browsing, and plenty of naughty date options to go round. The SaucyDates platform is free to join and keeps things exciting by promoting and supporting adult dating opportunities every hour of every day.

Free Matchmaker Sites

Which Dating Apps Are Similar to Tinder?

Tinder is the dating app that invented the swiping and mutual matching system that is standard operating procedure for most of today’s dating services, so it’s pretty easy to find a dating app that looks and feels a lot like Tinder.

Our dating experts have gone in-depth and listed some great Tinder alternatives for anyone tired of the swiping scene, and we recommend joining two or three at a time to figure out which one suits you best.

For instance, many of my single friends like to use Hinge and Bumble at the same time because these two apps are similar to Tinder but with more relationship-oriented and female-friendly features. What does that mean exactly? On Bumble, only women can send the first message to men once a match has been formed, and on Hinge, users must like or comment on something specific on the dating profile to generate a mutual match.

Both these systems add an interesting twist to Tinder’s traditional swiping, and that can lead to more engaging conversations and respectful connections online.

Which Dating Sites Are Legit?

Many legit dating sites and apps exist in the online dating scene, and you can find them simply by scanning lists like this one. We’ve pointed out a lot of dating platforms that are guaranteed to work, and the top dating sites stand out for having some great customer reviews on Google Play, the App Store, and social media.

Sites like Match.com and eharmony have really done online dating right, and we recommend giving them a try the next time you’re in the mood to meet your perfect match.

Legit dating sites put in a lot of effort to screen new member profiles and remove unsavory characters. An algorithm can actually learn to recognize an online dating scam based on profile wording and photos. Plus, verification tools ensure a new person is genuine.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a 20-year-old college student, a 45-year-old single parent, or a 67-year-old retiree, there’s an online dating site out there for people of all types, and we’ve listed many reputable ones to give you a good idea about where to go to pick up a compatible date.

Which Dating Platforms Use Video Chat?

In 2020, video chat became a dominant force in the online dating market. Millions of online daters were stuck at home due to COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns, so they relied on the video date to keep their romantic dreams alive.

As a result, many dating sites and apps integrated video chat into their matchmaking and chat tools. Apps like Tinder, Hinge, and Coffee Meets Bagel inserted a video chat invite button for mutual matches. Meanwhile premier dating sites like eharmony have used video chat as an icebreaker or speed date event. Plenty of Fish has a video livestreaming feature. The League has host video speed dating events.

Which Dating Website Has the Best Reviews by Local Singles?

Ultimately, narrowing down all of the best dating sites out there comes down to which ones receive the best user and company reviews. Listening to singles about their online dating experiences and testing out the numerous options ourselves are the two biggest components that make up our reviews of the top 10 dating sites.

Match Member Sign In

And through all of our research, we’ve determined that Match truly is the top dating website for any type of dater, while Zoosk is among the best mobile dating apps for singles on the go.

Online dating shouldn’t be frustrating and overwhelming, like it was for my friend. It should be fun to look for a potential date online! Please take a few minutes to read the information we’ve provided before taking the leap and creating an online dating profile.

Whether you’re a young adult or a single parent, you can benefit from reading reviews of the best dating sites and apps in the online dating industry. Then you’ll feel 100% confident about your decision!