Best Hookup Sites of 2020

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

A hookup site can cut through the nonsense and allow singles (and couples, too) 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 exciting sexual encounters.

Our dating experts have picked out some of our favorite sex-positive sites to help you get out there and make something happen. Most of these sites allow free communication, so, really, what do you have to lose?

Best Overall 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, with no further ado, here are the best hookup sites for adults on the prowl.

BeNaughty takes the cake in terms of sex sites. Not only is it free to join and search for date prospects, but the site also offers free instant messaging between members.

In addition to its search features, BeNaughty has a Like Gallery where singles answer the question “Cute or Not?” and generate mutual matches. 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 singles who fit their dating criteria and get the ball rolling with a tried-and-true pick-up line.

Adult Friend Finder is one of the largest sex sites in the world with over 96 million dating profiles live. 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 site’s dating forums, erotic blogs, private messages, and video broadcasts. Whether you’re single or in a couple, you can create a kinky profile and declare yourself open for an adventure 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.

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 short-term sex.

There is no need to play it coy here. 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 site says, “FriendFinder-X isn’t just a site; it’s a community of people looking to add a little more passion into their lives.”

Ashley Madison is infamous for taking an anything-goes approach to the dating scene. The site supports married folks who are considering cheating and want to explore their options.

Whether you’re single or not-so-single, you can use Ashley Madison as your private dating ground, and no one will be the wiser. The site 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.

Tinder is a no-brainer for this list. The dating app invented swiping, for crying out loud. 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 or Tinder Gold to get even more perks — such as five Super Likes per day.

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

In 2004, OkCupid jumped into the online dating scene with a formula for compatibility like no other. The dating site uses an avalanche of personal questions to identify what’s important to its users and who fits their dating criteria.

Some people join OkCupid looking for a lifetime love, while others are just hoping for a one-time fling. The dating site is open to all romantic possibilities, and it encourages users to have a flirty conversation with people they like. Anyone can send a message on OkCupid, but only messages from your mutual matches show up in your inbox.

According to OkCupid’s internal stats, its users arrange over 50,000 dates per week on the platform, and its matching system powers over 91 million connections per year.

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

We like Match because it uses a time-tested match algorithm to pair up singles. The site looks at your demographics, profile information, and liking history to identity which profiles match up with you the best. If you want an enjoyable 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, but free members do have limited communication options that may be just enough to land a hot date.

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 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 here.

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 dating scene.

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 a gay-friendly dating app or site.

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.

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.

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.

Men don’t have to pretend they’re on MenNation for anything other than sex, and that’s liberating for anyone with sex on the brain.

Now it’s time for the ladies. LesbianPersonals is our favorite hookup site for women because it doesn’t allow men to create a profile — unless they’re in a straight relationship and want a threesome. Still, the vast majority of profiles on LesbianPersonals were created by women for 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, users can use the site’s instant messaging, photo-exchange feature, or two-way webcam to establish a genuine connection with a hottie online.

Grindr promises to connect men with dates who are just around the corner. “Zero feet away” is the app’s motto. Its location-based matching has the power to inspire instant romance 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 it a try.

What is Considered Hooking Up?

Hooking up is going to mean different things to different people. Everyone draws the line at different places, so 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 someone, or having sex. Basically, if it’s at all related to sex, it can count as hooking up.

When someone says they hooked up with someone, they can mean any number of things, and 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 website responsible for the actions of its users, and that wasn’t a risk Craigslist was willing to take.

However, many other platforms 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 and hookups in their area. CasualX is another platform designed to be an alternative for former Craigslist members.

Finally, while Craigslist isn’t in the dating game officially anymore, the site does have sections where singles mingle with one another. Most notably, in the Missed Connections section.

Is Tinder Just a Hookup App?

Tinder has become more than just a hookup app in the last few years. It has created over 30 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 something more than physical enjoyment.

Tinder has over 50 million users who log in for all sorts of reasons. According to one survey, 44% of college-aged users said they were on Tinder looking for confidence-boosting procrastination and only 22% wanted a hookup. That just goes to show that there’s more to Tinder than meets the eye.

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 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 even starts trying to make out during the movie, that’s a good signal that a hookup could be in your future.

Initiating a hookup online can be a little trickier. You won’t really know if someone 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 profile attractive. You may just not be their type. Don’t worry, though — because there are plenty of opportunities to try again and get better.

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

Adults Are Free to Have Sex on Hookup Sites

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

We’ve reviewed dozens of sites to help you get a feel for the best options out there, but you don’t have to stick to our list to hook up with someone special.

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 friends which sites they like, or read other reviews to get ideas. You should feel free to explore the online dating scene and make romantic overtures until you find your sweet spot on a hookup site that works for you. Have fun!