Casual dating apps and sites encourage singles to let go of their inhibitions and follow their desires in the online dating scene. Because dating is supposed to be fun, right?

Thanks to modern technology, picking up dates and arranging one-night stands has never been easier. Singles can go online to use local search tools, swipe for matches, and engage in real-time conversations without missing a beat.

We’ve ranked and reviewed some of the best dating platforms for casual daters who are feeling frisky and want to find a sexually active date in their area.

Best Overall Casual Dating Apps & Sites

Let’s get straight to business. If you’re looking to get laid, the following hookup sites and apps can help by introducing you to local date prospects. And, best of all, it’s completely free to join these sex networks.

Category Rating
★★★★★ 4.8/5.0
  • Discreetly arranges one-night stands and extramarital affairs
  • More than 80 million profiles worldwide
  • Travel-friendly features for seeking matches in other cities

Ashley Madison tops our list because it has an anonymous sex culture geared toward single and married folks. This adult dating site operates under the motto “Life is short. Have an affair.”

When it launched in 2002, Ashley Madison promised to provide a judgment-free zone where men and women could explore their options, exchange flirty messages, and arrange dates in secret. Today, its database includes over 60 million members.

Around 61% of Ashley Madison members said in a survey that they’re looking for straight-up sex on the affairs site and app, and 44% of men said they have already used it to have an affair.

Category Rating
★★★★★ 4.8/5.0
  • 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

BeNaughty is an adult dating site where you can find a hookup with no strings attached — and no hidden fees. It’s completely free to join the network, find matches, and send messages here.

Singles can find a potential match by swiping through photos in the Like Gallery or using search filters by age, location, and appearance. If they’re in a hurry to make an impression, they can always send a mass text message to everyone who meets their dating criteria.

The BeNaughty team keeps things casual by not requiring a lot of personal details from online daters. All you need is a valid email address to create a free dating profile and start prowling for a sex partner.

Category Rating
★★★★★ 4.7/5.0

With over 100 million members, Adult Friend Finder can rightly claim to be among the largest casual sex and swinger sites ever created. The AFF community welcomes adults of all sexual orientations, fetishes, and backgrounds, and it has active members all over the world.

The AFF dating forums are a private, members-only space where casual daters can have an X-rated conversation and find people who share similar desires. Sometimes these flirty chats stay in the virtual world, and sometimes they evolve into a real-relationship or instant hookup.

You never know what’s in store when you sign up to Adult Friend Finder, but you can rest assured that the dating service won’t charge you anything to browse adult personal ads, sexy photos, and erotic blogs.

Our Adult Friend Finder review goes into more detail about how this casual dating site works and what it can offer users.

Category Rating
★★★★★ 4.5/5.0
  • 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

FriendFinder-X is an adult-only dating website that puts a casual hookup within reach. Its potential match list is all local, and includes the most sexually active daters in town.

You don’t need a paid membership to create an account and look through profiles and photos on FriendFinder-X. However, you will have limited messaging options as a free member. This hookup site uses a paywall to lower the risk of scammers and fake profiles ruining its online vibes.

The FriendFinder-X site is designed to help genuine singles and swingers find sexual satisfaction, and it can lead to a casual encounter any day of the week.

Category Rating
★★★★★ 4.5/5.0
  • 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

As a free hookup site, Flirt.com operates under the motto “It all starts with flirting.” It doesn’t cost anything to send a message to cutie in this sexually charged environment, and you can create matches by liking dating profiles that catch your eye.

Casual daters don’t need to write an autobiography or take a personality test to get chatting on Flirt.com. All they need is a valid email address to get started. Flirt users do not have to upload a profile picture or provide their real names, so they can stay under the radar while scoping out the hottest dates in town.

“Flirt.com has a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere,” the team said. “It offers the ideal environment in which to chat and arrange dates with local people right away.”

6. Tinder

Category Rating
★★★★ 4.4/5.0
  • The dating app of choice for millions of sexually active singles
  • Accelerating the dating process through swiping
  • Has led to over 97 billion mutual matches

Tinder is a go-to hookup app for singles feeling flirty and hoping to find a fast date. The swiping scene benefits single men and women who know a good thing when they see it, and Tinder users are always up for a flirtatious conversation.

Since its launch in 2012, Tinder has created over 43 billion matches and seen more than 340 million downloads in 190 countries around the world. The free dating app currently facilitates over 1.5 million dates per week.

Tinder has a stellar reputation as a casual place to pick up a date. Over half of Tinder users are under 25, and most of them are more interested in finding a casual hookup than a serious relationship.

7. OkCupid

Category Rating
★★★★ 3.9/5.0
  • Free private messaging available to all members
  • Users can state that they're seeking hookups on their profiles
  • Responsible for 50,000 dates per week

As a free dating app and site, OkCupid supports a fast-paced, singles-friendly free-for-all that gives singles the information and inroads they need to fill up their date calendars. Every year, the dating platform creates over 91 million love connections and facilitates over 2.5 million IRL dates.

All messaging is 100% free on OkCupid, and you don’t need to create a mutual match to send the first message and get someone’s attention. OkCupid can help you find a hookup by promoting compatible profiles in the Double Take section and providing ample search filters in the Discover section.

OkCupid fosters a nonjudgmental space that welcomes people across the sexuality spectrum. It doesn’t matter if you’re into polyamory, pansexuality, and casual dating, you can find a like-minded partner in this dynamic dating scene.

8. Match

Category Rating
★★★★ 3.9/5.0
  • Free profile browsing and liking
  • Private chat rooms and video dates for Match members only
  • Fast-working, time-tested AI match algorithm

Match is the longest-running online dating site in existence, and it’s known for creating matches based on mutual compatibility. Some of those matches last a lifetime, while others only last long enough for a first date or a one-night stand.

We’d recommend using Match.com if you’re looking for good conversations as well as good sex. Over 75% of Match users are over 30, and they tend to be uninterested in playing games or beating around the bush. Free members are especially eager to turn their online connection into something real because they have limited messaging options — only premium Match members can send unsolicited messages to everyone online.

Whether you’re hoping for a serious relationship or a casual hookup, the Match algorithm can steer you toward attractive and available date options in your area.

9. Zoosk

Category Rating
★★★★ 3.8/5.0
  • 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

Zoosk is a casual dating site that uses behavioral matchmaking to direct singles to their ideal companion. That means the more you like, swipe, and chat on this dating service, the more personalized its match recommendations will become.

Since 2007, Zoosk has amassed a huge following of 40 million singles, and it gives app users a lot of search and chat options to get something going. Free members can send likes, favorite profiles, reply to messages, and exchange in some free chats. They can also earn or pay for Zoosk Coins to send virtual gifts to other members.

Zoosk has over 500,000 paid members, and many find it’s worth upgrading to get full access to their inboxes and local dating opportunities.

Category Rating
★★★★ 3.7/5.0

Plenty of Fish is an online dating app and site where all communication is completely free. You don’t have to pay to create a dating profile, upload photos, view matches, and send messages through the POF dating service.

Many singles say that Plenty of Fish is the ideal place to find a casual fling because it doesn’t cost anything to start multiple conversations with potential partners. App users can send flirty messages from home or from the bar scene and build confidence with every new match.

Plenty of Fish has over 150 million users, and it sees over 4 million visits per day, so you shouldn’t run out of people to chat up in this friendly community of casual daters.

Best LGBT Casual Dating Apps & Sites

The mainstream dating world isn’t always great for someone looking for same-sex matches. That’s why niche dating sites and apps have launched to make sure singles can find plenty of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender date options.

We’ve picked out some of the most popular gay dating apps for finding a casual hookup with no muss and no fuss.

11. MenNation

Category Rating
★★★★ 4.4/5.0
  • 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

I can list three good reasons that MenNation is the top gay hookup site for men seeking instant connections. It’s free to join. It’s completely anonymous. And it has millions of active profiles.

MenNation invites gay, bisexual, and questioning men to go after the guy of their dreams and solicit sex in a private forum. You don’t have to provide your real name or upload a picture of your face to mingle in this casual sex scene. Most guys choose to browse under a suggestive or playful user name, and they post a picture of their abs, biceps, or other body parts (if you know what I mean) to get attention.

More than 72,000 gay singles and couples visit this network every day in hopes of sparking romance and adding a notch to their bed post, and you can join in the fun without paying anything.

Category Rating
★★★★ 4.3/5.0
  • 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

LesbianPersonals is a female-friendly hookup site for any adult hoping to take a woman into their bed. The majority of users are lesbian or bisexual women, but this sex space is also open to couples seeking threesomes or polyamorous relationships.

If you want to meet a single woman for sex, you can use the match tools on LesbianPersonals to generate a list of viable options and start sending private messages. Premium members can also engage in a two-way video chat and send private photos to their online crush.

LesbianPersonals is part of a large network of casual dating sites, so singles and couples can trust this dating platform to safely introduce them to a world of flirtatious options.

13. Grindr

Category Rating
★★★★ 3.8/5.0
  • Sexually active men can create free profiles
  • Matching system uses GPS information to find local dates
  • Millions of prospects available in 192 countries

Since its launch in 2009, Grindr has won over guys in the LGBTQ+ dating scene and become the most popular gay dating app around. It currently has nearly 30 million users and sees over 3 million visitors per day.

Grindr’s claim to fame is its location-based matching. The app quickly points you in the direction of the nearest gay man and facilitates a private chat where you can build your romance.

It’s free to match and chat on Grindr for as long as you like; however, some sex-driven gay and bisexual men have found that upgrading to Grindr Xtra gives them more freedom to date as they like. This premium subscription includes more search filters, privacy features, swiping tools as well as a read receipt on outgoing messages.

What is “Casual Dating?”

Casual dating simply means that a couple is romantically involved but hasn’t made any promises or commitments to each other. They’re playing the field. They’re keeping their options open. They’re seeing where things go.

Typically, casual daters aren’t looking to get into a serious relationship, and they’d rather hook up with a person who doesn’t make too many demands on their time.

How are Casual Dating Apps and Sites Different Than Traditional Platforms?

Casual dating apps

differentiate themselves from more traditional dating platforms by offering a more fast-paced and looks-driven dating experience. These apps don’t offer complicated matchmaking systems or lengthy dating profiles. They’re more about getting straight to the point — and the point is to have sex with someone.

Apps can foster a casual dating atmosphere by supporting swipe-based matching or cost-free chatting. Some platforms even have video chat or private photo sharing that allow individuals to turn up the heat in their conversations.

Photo of a bedroom

Casual dating apps can lead to some steamy encounters if your play your cards right.

One of the most apparent differences between casual dating apps and mainstream sites can be found in the type of people you’ll meet. Sex seekers tend to move more quickly than relationship seekers, and they’re also not shy about expressing their sexual needs and desires.

Casual daters often skip the small talk and go right to dirty talk within the first few messages, so you’d better up your online sexting game if you want to make a good impression on a sex app. Such an uninhibited dating environment can be liberating for sexually active individuals, and the more experience you get, the more comfortable you’ll become in flirtatious situations.

Why Do Some Apps Ask You to Connect to Facebook?

Many socially savvy apps have begun using a Facebook verification system to ensure that all users are who they say they are. Apps can verify a person’s photos and demographic information by corroborating with a Facebook profile, and that can virtually eliminate the possibility of someone creating multiple fake profiles or impersonating someone on the app.

The dating platform will use the social media connection for information-gathering purposes only. It will never post anything on your Facebook profile, and your Facebook friends won’t see your online dating activity.

Of course, if you’d rather keep your Facebook profile separate from your online dating profile, you can always join a dating site without a Facebook signup. Usually, you’ll be able to provide an email address or phone number instead.

Can You Search for Casual Dates on Every Dating Platform?

Dating platforms exist to support people in search of romance, but the tools they use can vary based on the target audience. Most sex-driven apps and sites will focus on the physical, so you’ll find search filters for age, height, eye color, hair color, body type, and other attributes. Some will also include options for relationship status or kinks.

OkCupid is one of the few dating apps that actually asks online daters what they’re looking for (hookups, short-term dating, long-term dating, new friends) and uses that information as part of its search criteria and matchmaking formula.

Category Rating
★★★★ 4.1/5.0
  • Free, unlimited communication for everyone
  • Singles can swipe or search for a compatible date
  • Over 91 million connections every year

OkCupid provides an abundance of swiping, filtering, and matching features for free, and it doesn’t require a paid membership to send messages, so it’s an effective way to meet like-minded people and set up dates that go where you want them to go.

A dating site or app’s search filters can help online daters find common ground with a potential partner, and it’s a great way to take control of your matching experience.

How Do I Know Which Casual Dating App or Site to Choose?

As you can see, singles have a lot of options in the online dating world, and they’re all free to try, so there really are no wrong choices on this list. It’s just a matter of personal preference.

For instance, if you want to meet a lot of people as quickly as possible, then Tinder can satisfy your sexual appetites with its endless swiping options. If you’d like an app to guide you to tailored match suggestions, then Match or eharmony may be more to your liking.

Our online dating experts recommend signing up for at least three dating platforms at first so you can get a feel for how they work and what type of online dating experience suits you best.

Are Casual Dating Apps and Sites Really Safe?

Meeting a stranger on a casual dating site or app is similar to meeting a stranger at a bar or club. You may occasionally get bad vibes from some creep, but mostly it’s pretty safe to engage in a conversation and see where the night leads you.

Singles should always keep their safety in the back of their minds and vet their date prospects thoroughly to make sure they’re not putting themselves at risk. Some red flags of online dating scams include using broken English, refusing to talk on the phone or video chat, and asking for money or favors.

You can spot fake profiles by looking carefully at their photos and doing a search for their name/location/job on popular social media networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) to see if you can find the person. If you do not find an online footprint of some sort, that could indicate the person is lying.

Photo of a smartphone

Online daters should keep an eye out for warning signs of fraud and criminal activity.

Things can move pretty fast in the casual dating scene, but you should never agree to anything that makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable. Do not accept a ride from a stranger, do not share nude pictures over the web, and avoid putting yourself in a compromising situation as you get intimate.

Generally speaking, a first date should always be in a public location. It’s not a good idea to go to someone’s house or apartment for a first date. You should at least get drinks first. That way, you can see if the physical chemistry is there and get a feel for whether the real-life person matches up with the online persona.

You need to build trust with someone before getting sexual, so don’t hesitate to ask questions, do a background search, and make sure you know who is getting into bed with you.

Does Online Dating Really Work?

Yes, online dating is the most popular way for singles to find a date, and it’s particularly common among 20-somethings who have no qualms about socializing online. According to a 2019 survey, 48% of Americans between 18 to 29 have used a dating site or app to meet people, and 17% said they had gotten into a relationship as a result.

About 57% of all online daters in the survey said they had an overall positive experience in the online dating scene, and 71% said it was easy to meet someone they were attracted to on a dating site or app.

Can I Use eharmony as a Hookup Site?

You’ve probably seen the commercials for eharmony and thought it looked like a pretty safe and friendly place to meet new people and play the field, but, truthfully, this dating site is only effective if your intention is to get into a serious relationship that leads to marriage.

Our dating experts do not recommend using eharmony just for hookups. It’s just not the right audience, and you may find yourself quickly getting blocked and/or reported by commitment-minded daters.

Category Rating
★★★★★ 4.7/5.0
  • 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

The eharmony dating site launched in 2000 on a mission to strengthen marriage by using psychology in its matchmaking formula. It takes a long time to set up a profile, and an even longer time to convince a person to go on a first date with you.

Singles on eharmony are in it for the long haul, and their slow-paced and quality-driven dating styles are just not going to align with someone who has a hit-it-and-quit-it mentality.

Casual Dating Platforms Can Help You Get Your Flirt On

Online dating is by far the fastest way to meet a new person and create a romantic connection. It takes less than a minute to create a dating profile on a hookup app or site, and then you can browse personal ads and find a potential match that fits your idea of a dream date.

Every dating service on this list is free to join, but oftentimes a paid membership will give you more bang for your buck, so don’t hesitate to upgrade if you like what you see.

Today’s most popular casual dating apps and sites invite singles to take a walk on the wild side, explore flirtatious chat rooms, and enjoy a casual fling with a sexy stranger. Have fun!

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