The Best 100 Free Dating Sites

  
The Best 100 Free Dating Sites 5,8/10 2225 reviews

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It's never been easy to find a partner, and challenges from COVID-19 has made dating even more complicated. Luckily, even if you're not getting out as much as you used to, online dating sites and mobile dating apps can help you make connections that lead to a long-term relationship (or even a fun fling!). Yes, the internet is a wonderful thing.

But where to start? There are lots of good dating websites and apps, whether you're looking to meet new people, try casual dating, find others with similar interests or finally find your ideal match for a long term relationship. I took into consideration everything from each online dating service's dating pool to whether it provides daily matches to whether it's a free dating app or a paid service. A new person that fits your exact dating profile is sure to be out there!

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Here's an overview of the best dating sites on the market. My recommendations are based primarily on my own experiences in the online dating platform arena as a woman, with some word-of-mouth impressions from friends thrown in for good measure.

So what are you waiting for? Sign up for these top dating sites or apps, start chatting and maximize your chances of meeting your perfect match. We'll update this list periodically.

Bumble is basically Tinder for women... and on a timer. Bumble is a free dating app that requires women to message first. If the guy doesn't message back within 24 hours, he loses the potential dates. Because that's the one thing my love life was really missing: Arbitrary time limits.

The timer is designed to encourage contact and some people really do appreciate that feature. But if you're someone who procrastinates, Bumble may not be for you. Because women must message first, Bumble tends to weed out the more insecure males from the dating pool. However, the rate of overly confident men tends to be higher than I've seen on other apps. Bumble also has a BFF feature to help you meet new people, but that's really not our focus, so I'll save it for another time.

Whether you're looking for a casual hookup, potential date, friendship or an LTR (long term relationship), Tinder has you covered. It's basically the first stop for those entering the dating world. If you want to play the odds when it comes to online dating, you need to be swiping where everyone's swiping.

On the upside, the profiles are brief, which helps you to make decisions quickly. The downside is that a short dating profile makes it harder to figure out what a lot of people are looking for. Knowing very little about a person can also make initial messaging a lot more challenging. You'll need to wade through a sea of profiles, which makes it easy to pass over people you might have given a chance under different circumstances.

OkCupid, how you confuse me. I have friends who've met their ideal match and even spouses through OkCupid. My last serious relationship came from the OkCupid dating service. In fact, I've been on OkCupid on and off, for roughly the last 11 years. Profiles are a lot more in-depth than most online dating sites and if you answer a seemingly endless series of questions (much like a personality test), they will spit out a reasonable Match/Enemy percentage ratio on profiles to help you gauge compatibility based on interests.

Changes in the last few years have made OkCupid a bit more like Tinder (both owned by the same company), focusing more on swiping and eliminating the ability to message a user without matching with them first. Online daters can still send a message -- it just won't show up in the recipient's inbox unless you match. Because who doesn't enjoy sending a thoughtful message to someone who might never see it? However, OkCupid has pointed out that these changes did help lower the number of offensive messages and fake profiles people received, which might be a worthwhile trade-off. Unfortunately in my experience OkCupid has become a bit of an online dating app ghost town.

Hinge

Hinge finally won me over, becoming my favorite dating app last year. Originally the app focused on common connections and mutual friends that you and a potential partner shared on Facebook, which was a gimmick I was never sold on. But it has since pivoted away from this model. Hinge has designed the app to make user profiles more engaging (and helpful) than on apps like Tinder. You have the option of displaying a lot of useful information that could be deal breakers: Your political leanings, your religion, your alcohol consumption frequency or even your interest level in having children someday. The prompts provided by Hinge make it easy to create more engaging profiles. Hinge's current slogan is 'designed to be deleted,' so if a potential match for a serious relationship is what you're looking for, this is the dating app I would recommend.

Coffee Meets Bagel hopes to offer people better-quality matches by sending curated daily matches, or 'bagels,' each day at noon. They suggest ice-breakers for first messages and the profiles are more in-depth than Tinder. For people who like a little extra hand-holding, CMB isn't the worst option. However, I found the app confusing to use, with too many features and a lot of gimmicks. I shouldn't have to look up online tutorials to figure out how to use a dating app. Plus why call matches Bagels?

I was also disappointed in the notifications, which I found too pushy. CMB was constantly 'gently' reminding me to message people I'd matched with. I eventually disabled the app after receiving the following notification: 'Show [match name] who's boss and break the ice today!' Should a potential future relationship be rooted in a hierarchical power dynamic? At the end of the day, I have friends who've had the perfect match on CMB, but it isn't one of my favorite online dating apps.

Happn matches you with people who are located nearby. It's a cool concept and helpful for people who want to meet someone in a more organic manner. That said, I've never met a single person who actually uses the app.

After signing up, Happn showed me 68 people it said I'd crossed paths with in the preceding 3 hours, though I hadn't left my apartment all day. This might be helpful if you're looking to date your immediate neighbors (or Uber drivers), but I don't see the attraction when competitors like Tinder already show the distance between you and other users. Frankly, if I saw an attractive guy in a coffee shop, I'd just approach him rather than check to see if he's on Happn. The app seems designed for people who don't want to use online dating sites but also don't want to approach people in real life. Pick a lane.

The League is an 'elite dating app' that requires you to apply -- and supply your job title, college and LinkedIn profile. Big cities tend to have long waiting lists, so you might find yourself twiddling your thumbs as your application to be one of the elite singles on the app is reviewed. (Of course, you can pay to expedite the process.) The exclusivity can be a draw for some and a turnoff for others, but I'll let you in on a secret: I've seen most of the profiles I come across on The League on other dating apps, too. So at the end of the day, you'll probably see the same faces for potential dates on Tinder, if you aren't deemed elite enough for The League.

Most dating apps are fairly LGBTQ inclusive. Still, it's nice to have an app to call your own. Her is tailored to lesbian, bisexual and queer women. It's a worthy notion -- but the app has some bugs and glitches that made it frustrating to use. Most of my queer female friends have told me they found the app 'just OK' and not perfect and that they usually end up back on Tinder or Bumble. Still I checked it regularly for some time and had a few pleasant conversations with actual human beings. Isn't that all we're really looking for in a dating app?

Clover tried to be the on-demand version of online dating sites, letting you order a date much like you would a pizza. It also provides numeric match predictions based on compatibility and interests, though it isn't entirely clear how those numbers are calculated.

I was on Clover for quite some time, but had since forgotten it existed until I started to compile this list. It strikes me as a less-successful hybrid of OkCupid and Tinder with a relatively small user base, even though I live in an urban area with plenty of people who use a wide variety of dating apps. Clover says it has nearly 6 million users, 85% of whom are between the ages of 18 and 30.

Plenty of Fish launched in 2003 -- and it shows. The problem I come across over and over again is that POF is filled with bots and scams, even though it may have the most users of any dating app. POF's issues don't mean you won't be able to find love on it, but the odds might be stacked against you. Unless you're into dating bots.

Match.com has a free version, but the general consensus is that you'll need a paid subscription to have any luck. That's a hangover from the early days of online dating sites, when a paid basic membership to a site meant you were serious about settling down. But my friends and I have long since come to the conclusion that you might be a little too eager to find a significant other or the perfect partner if you pay to get dates, particularly given the abundance of free dating apps. There are definitely paid features on some dating apps that are worth the price, but I've yet to be able to justify shelling out cash for love.

eHarmony/Apple

eHarmony was one of the pioneers among online dating site options, and -- while I haven't personally used this one -- we all remember the pitch for online daters, thanks to years of TV commercials: The service matches couples based on '29 dimensions' of compatibility and interests (as determined by a thorough relationship questionnaire and personality test). While you can review the profiles of your prospective matches for free, you'll need to pay to unlock the full features of the service. There's a three-month plan and a six-month plan, and they come with a guarantee: If, after three months of paid membership and communicating with at least five members, you're not satisfied, eHarmony will refund your money. Despite a rocky road that eventually involved a high-profile lawsuit, the site finally added same-sex dating in 2013. I have mixed feelings about using the site myself, but it's at least technically more inclusive now.

Have you had a good (or bad) experience with one of these services? Do you have any other online dating sites you'd recommend? Share your experiences in the comments or on social media.

Looking for love? Read these next

Many of the best hookup sites are filled with bots, scammers, and flakey people – it can be difficult to find hookup apps that work! Users are either catfishes, bots, or they claim to be DTF and then go into radio silence.

What’s a horny fella meant to do?

In an effort to help your sexual conquests, here we’ve compiled our 12 best hookup websites that work, at least in our experience.

While we can’t promise that your casual sex dream will become a reality, we can certainly point you in the right direction with hookup apps that cater to your individual fetishes, situation, and age group.

Excited yet? Let’s jump into these easy hookup sites and apps!

12 Best Hookup Sites & Sexual Dating Apps

Top 10

  1. Highest chance for a hookup tonight –Ashley Madison
  2. Best for swingers and threesomes –Adult Friend Finder
  3. Highest female to male ratio –Seeking
  4. Best new hookup site –SexMessenger
  5. Best 100% free hookup site –Reddit Dirty R4R
  6. Best hookup app –Pure
  7. Best results for women –Eharmony
  8. Best BDSM hookup site –Alt.com
  9. Best sex classifieds in your city –Craigslist activities
  10. Free alternative dating site –Fetlife

We reviewed 12 total sites for this post, each was scored on these qualities:

  • DTF rating – how easy is it to score a lay on these sites?
  • Value – is the site free or does it have cheap memberships?
  • Female to male ratio – are there as many women as men, if not more?
  • Matchmaking and search – how easy is it to search by body type and interest?

1.Ashley Madison – Best Hookup Site for Fast Results

Pros

  • Unique affair angle means more hookups
  • “Free for women to use” means higher female to male ratio
  • Discreet and anonymous

Cons

  • Men have to pay to send more than 20 messages
  • Occasional escorts and catfish

Why It’s Top Rated

Ashley Madison prides itself on being a hookup website geared towards married people looking to have a discreet affair.

Depending on your views and ethics, this may not make it best for you, however for hookups we can not deny that the members here are more sexually frustrated and eager to find a one night stand compared to other sites.

When testing the site, we got more messages and meetups than on any other site, and with more attractive members on average, too.

Similar to a nightclub, women get in for free but guys have to pay after a few free messages. The result is a higher female-to-male ratio than on other hookup sites. You get what you pay for I guess. If you are quick and to the point you can get someone’s number with the free messages and continue off the site.

The Best 100 Free Dating Sites Fish In The Sea

2.Adult Friend Finder – Best Sex Site for Threesomes and Open Minded Members (Largest Hookup Website)

Pros

  • Open-minded community
  • Wide range of kinks and fetishes
  • Average-looking people who are DTF
  • Interactive contests, chat rooms, and live webcam chat
  • Ideal hookups for hotwives, couple sharing, & threesomes

Cons

  • Members are less attractive than on other sites
  • More men than women members

Adult Friend Finder is the best hookup site to bring an extra person or two into the bedroom. There’s no shortage of eager couples looking to swap partners or solo users who want another person to join in for a fun threesome. Bisexual, straight, vanilla, or erotic kinks, they have it all.

With over 64 million users in the USA, and over two million active users (weekly), there’s plenty of options. You can establish a hookup through their forums or chat rooms. You can also send a private message or video chat with users.

This site really works well for virgins too, if you aren’t too picky with your standards and are willing to settle for a 5 or a 6 then adultfriendfinder will deliver in a heartbeat.

3.Seeking – Highest Female-to-Male Ratio of Any Hookup Website

Pros

  • Highest female to male ratio
  • Targets “sugar daddies” and “sugar babies.”
  • Background checks available on site

Cons

  • Guys are expected to spoil the girl to get sex
  • Some users are prostitutes

If you prefer to hookup with a 10/10 bombshell, then Seeking is probably the best way to make it happen fast.

The site is geared towards establishing hookups between wealthy men and eager ladies willing to trade their time and attention for lavish gifts.

Men, if you’re looking to be a sugar daddy to a lovely lady, this is the website for you. And ladies, for a man willing to drop stacks in return for your affection, Seeking is where you need to go.

This is one of the few hookup sites that has way more women than men, many of who are still in college or young enough to enjoy the party life with no desire for commitment or a monogamous relationship. Ladies can set their price for a night out on the town.

You have to pay to play the game with this dating website. Just be aware that agreeing to date doesn’t mean agreeing to sex.

4.SexMessenger – Best New Hookup Site

Pros

  • Sexually explicit
  • 4.5 million users
  • Customized search results to find members interested in your unique kink.
  • High quality live video chats and broadcasts.

Cons

  • Premium account needed to interact with live chats or broadcasts.
  • Mostly men

Sex Messenger is the top hookup app for straight men between 22 and 34 looking to get laid. You can filter through results based on age, location, gender, kink, and race to find your ideal match.

If there are willing females nearby DTF, you’ll come across a green “I’m on IM” icon under the profile. Send a message through chat and pitch your best game to see if you can score. You don’t have to waste time to get to know your match before you get to the good stuff.

Or take advantage of high-quality live video broadcasts. You can even view footage from professional models and famous porn stars. Give feedback to the performers or tip them for their actions.

5.Dirty R4R – Best 100% Free Hookup Site

Pros

  • Narrow to your location
  • Completely free, no sign up
  • Allows all fetishes

Cons

  • Lots of trolls
  • Can be hard to search

Reddit Dirty R4R is a place where over 450,000 Reddit members post personal ads. Some of these are spam or bots. But you can also find plenty of companions interested in hooking up in your area.

Believe us when we say they’ve got a bit of everything you could fantasize about, including virgins, MILFs, and swingers. Best of all, it’s completely free! Post an ad describing what you’re seeking or respond to other users’ posts.

6.Bumble – Best Hookup App for Women

Pros

  • Women are in control
  • Find hookups, friends, or network.
  • Easily mark what dating profile you’re interested in; dismiss ones you don’t

Cons

  • Men can’t contact a female first
  • If more than 24 hours pass without contact, communication closes

Bumble is one of the best dating apps for hookups geared towards women. On Bumble, the woman has to make contact first before a man can respond. There’s nothing men can do to make the first move except like or heart their profile.

Men who find it uncomfortable to reach out to females may appreciate this site’s design. But forward men, it may be a frustration. But women are sure to enjoy this site due to the full control they have over who they contact.

While you can use this site to establish quick sexual encounters, there’s also the option to set a separate profile where you can save potential friends’ profiles. Or you could link with Bumble Bizz to create networks with companies.

7.Pure – Best Hookup App and Site

The Best 100 Free Dating Sites

Pros

  • Majority of users are between 18-32
  • Most features are free
  • Algorithm matches people with shared Facebook friends
  • 60% male/40% female


Cons

  • Fewer middle-aged adults
  • Limited to 10 likes a day

Pure is another hookup dating app for younger adults (less than 30) to match like-minded professionals. There are only slightly more men than women.

Instead of providing a full-detailed bio, Pure requires you to answer three questions. But you can provide in-depth responses that help search algorithms narrow down the returned results.

To communicate with a potential dating match, both parties have to swipe their interest. Either party can initiate communication – women may make the first move, but so can the men.

8.Alt.com – Best Bdsm Hookup Site

Pros

  • Fetishes/kinks
  • Adult videos, content, and articles
  • Auto reply
  • Multiple communication methods

Downsides

  • Website design is poor
  • Fake profiles

Alt.com has received lots of bad press for being a glorified porn site that connects you with other users. This site is sexually explicit, with live-action cams, video streaming, nude photos, and outrageous forum topics.

Regardless of your fetish, there’s a forum for it. Get compatible matches with Cupid Report and New Member Matches, or attempt hookups through Friend Network, private chats, voice messages, or videos.

9. Craigslist Activities – Best Casual Encounters and Personals Site

Pros

  • Connect with locals
  • Free
  • No restrictions (except age)

Cons

  • Can’t filter who replies to your messages
  • Lots of spam and bots

Tons of people post personal ads to Craigslist looking for some NSA sexual encounters. Many of these are couples looking for a partner or people interested in kink.

You can post an ad describing what you’re looking for or browse through and respond to users’ posts. But don’t be surprised to receive an automated response inviting you to visit another website. There’s plenty of spam and bots.

Filter through the results for proper gender orientation (F4M, M4F, M4M) or by keywords (BDSM, BBW). And you can even view ads by the city so you can find locals nearby ready to play.

10. Fetlife – Top Free Sex Website

Pros

  • Wide variety of kinks and fetishes
  • Social media design
  • Millions of users
  • Easy to find locals

Cons

  • Doesn’t provide potential matches
  • Most profiles do not show face pictures

FetLife is among the best real hookup sites because most people are interested in more than plain vanilla sex and casual dating.

A lot of people use FetLife as a go-to for fantasy fulfilling ONS. It’s a favorite among traveling individuals who want to find someone to spend one night with while in a new town. No dating needed!

All fetishes and kinks are welcome and encouraged in an easy to use website layout. Ask questions on the forum, comment on users’ images, and share your sexual encounters without judgement. And always know when you’ve got notifications in the alert section.

11.eHarmony – Good for Hooking Up More than Once (Friends With Benefits Site)

Pros

  • Used by millions
  • Compatibility tests
  • Caters to educated individuals

Cons

  • Most users are interested in dating
  • Requires a subscription

eHarmony is a dating site aimed to help users establish a long term relationship. But a lot of users also use it for hookups. And even better, finding someone interested in repeat hookups like a friend with benefits.

You can complete the 29-dimension compatibility test, although most people looking for a quick hookup won’t bother. Instead, skip to local dating to see who’s nearby.

It may take some time to weed out the matches who want a long term commitment. But there’s plenty of users open to a beneficial sexual arrangement until their soulmate appears.

12. Zoosk – International Adult Sex Dating Site

Pros

  • 40 million members globally
  • 48% male/52% female
  • Caters to all sexual orientations, ethnicities, and religions

Cons

Top 5 100 Free Dating Sites

  • Lots of fake/inactive profiles
  • Many users looking for relationships

Zoosk is the adult hookup app to try hooking up around the world. Regardless of your orientation, this dating platform will have profiles that match your tastes.

You can use the search filters to narrow your choices, and Zoosk’s algorithm tracks your behaviors so they can tailor your future results to match your preferences.

Zoosk is full of users looking for serious relationships, but some want a simple hookup or an FWB match agreement.

Runner-up Casual Dating Sites

There are many free hookup sites and casual dating sites worth trying, but sadly, only a select few can make it to our list of the best. These adult dating sites might be worth your time, even if we weren’t the biggest fans ourselves!

  1. Grindr – Best gay sex app (beats all the gay hookup sites!)
  2. HER – Best LGBTQ+ sex app (adult dating for queer women)
  3. Tinder – Large dating app often used for casual sex
  4. OkCupid – Free dating site for younger users (18-30)
  5. POF – Free hookup site with older members (30+)
  6. Happn – Online dating and hookup app for casual encounters
  7. Feeld – Play the “field” with singles, couples, and more
  8. Blendr – Adult dating app with serious relationship options
  9. Badoo – Casual dating for one night stands
  10. Scruff – Large gay dating app for casual hookups, open couples, and more!

Which Hookup Site Has Highest Female to Male Ratio (Most Women For Each Guy)?

Seeking has the highest women to men ratio, with eight women for every guy. If you’re an M4W or W4W looking for single women, Seeking is the site for you.

Ladies are up against a lot of competition when using this website, making it much easier for guys to succeed.

Top 100% Free Hookup Sites – No Sign Up Required

Best 100 Free Dating Sites In America

Looking for a 100% free version that doesn’t require you to create an account, answer a ton of personality questions, or enter your credit card information? Try these websites.

1. Reddit r4r

Reddit Dirty R4R is excellent for finding available hookups in your area. Once you have a Reddit account (who doesn’t), post an ad or respond to ads from other users. Many users look for hookups to fulfill fantasies, fetishes, or to avoid dating sites. All for free!

2. Craigslist activities

Many users also post personal ads on Craigslist Activities, outlining what they’re looking for in an ONS. Most of these are couples looking to swap or have someone join their party for a night. These ads are great to use to find locals in your area. It’s also completely free!

Top Casual Dating Site For Women Hooking Up

Hinge is the best hook up website for younger W4M action with a higher population of men to women.

But for women who don’t mind making the first move or want to have control of who makes contact first, there’s no dating platform better than Bumble.

Best Hookup Sites for Young Guys

Ashley Madison is one of the best sites for young guys looking for hot, available women DTF for a quick ONS. Most of the users on this site are married or in committed relationships, so all affairs are discreet and casual.

Hookup Definition – What is “hooking up”?

Hooking up is when two or more people participate in sex or sex-related activities without being in a relationship. Many times, the act occurs between strangers for a one night stand.

How Can I Initiate a Hookup?

The easiest way to initiate a hookup is to join a website where you can engage with like-minded partners seeking the same thing.

You improve your chances when you have a strong profile with high-quality images and a well-developed profile. Be sure to list sexual interests and be honest.

Once you have an account, you can reach out to other users to attempt a hookup. You can communicate through chat rooms, private messages, calls, videos, and live chats.

Are Hookup Sites Safe?

There are plenty of janky hookup websites that could put you at risk, whether to unvetted companions, hackers, or identity thieves. But when you sign up for the right websites, you reduce the risks associated with casual hookups.

First, use an app or website that offers protection against data breaches and hackers. Next, consider whether the company runs background checks, which helps weed out bad or dangerous partners.

The Best 100 Free Dating Sites

Top 5 100 free dating sites

Always use caution when hooking up with someone you don’t know. Practice safe sex or share medical records to ensure you stay STD-free. Inform a friend or family member of your plans or establish a check-in time so someone knows if you go missing.

And consider using a hotel room or B-&-B to have hookups, so you aren’t bringing strangers to your residence.

“Hooking Up” vs “Friend with Benefits” – What’s the Difference?

Friends with benefits (FWB) is usually a sexually-exclusive relationship between two people who know each other.

Hooking up refers to sex between two people who don’t know each other. A hookup is usually a one-time encounter, whereas FWB happens multiple times.

Have Fun With Sexual Dating Sites!

Best 100 Percent Free Dating Sites

There we have it! You now know the best hookup sites and apps designed to help you set up a quick one-night-stand. Each of these sites offers members looking for a random hookup, but some sites have better features for specific subsets of people.

100%free Dating Sites For Seniors

Hopefully this list of the best hookup sites and sexual dating apps helped you find a site that will get you results, good luck out there!