The popularity of casual sexual encounters has risen over the years, to the point where it has become a normal and stable way of finding a fitting partner for us. Whether it’s a hookup or a committed relationship, dating sites encourage you to explore, learn more about yourself and the others, but most importantly, it gets you excited over a sexual experience.
Don’t you feel enthusiastic when you scroll through dating sites, seeing all those attractive people that are looking for the same thing you’ve been trying to find? Well, the era of casual encounters is here, and it looks like it will keep on going for a long time.
And its quality can be determined by the number of the websites that suit your goals and needs for finding a loving partner or crazy one-night stand. Whatever your kink might be, and whenever you feel the need to express it, dating and hookups sites are there to provoke that need and give you the pleasure and satisfaction you are looking for.
Tinder is the first hookup platform that comes to our mind when we think about casual encounters. It used to be all about finding that perfect sexual partner by mutual acceptance and conversation. But the playground of Tinder has changed. Now, you’re not sure whether it’s a hookup platform or a dating site for you to find a soulmate.
Lots of people started using Tinder to find romantic relationships and not to have fun for the night. You know, just to get laid because it’s a thrilling moment and also good for you, a win-win situation, right?
We don’t like it when the ground is unclear. “Oh, I thought you wanted something more… I’m here to try and find a responsible person who will spend his time with me whenever he can.” And we’re sure nobody else likes it too.
For that reason, we’re presenting you with the 10 best dating sites like Tinder that are focused only on one thing: either hookups or relationships.
Sometimes, being straightforward is the best solution. And when the dating site sets the boundaries and expectations, it becomes way easier to understand the needs in both directions.
Tinder Alternatives for Hookups
Dating sites that assure their users that the star of the show is sex. Nothing more or less, just sex. A wild, memorable night for you and your partner to experience, without any confusions.
1. AdultFriendFinder
One of the most popular sites for you to find casual sexual encounters and hookups is AdultFriendFinder, a sex and swinger community. On average it has 25 million visits per month so it’s pretty big. Most of the users come from the United States followed by the United Kingdom and Canada.
Registration is very intuitive and quick. You’ll have to spend 30 seconds to register. Your email and address are included. Everything else is up to you. Setting up your bio properly is important because it’s how you’ll attract others and explain what you’re looking for.
Many people look for specific things and the only way to find someone with the same likes is to fulfill everything that’s on your mind. This tip is general and helps you on every dating site.
Basic questions about your hair and eye color are frequently asked, but more specific ones are also included. Size matters here.
There’s also a personality test that, to some extent, expresses the inner you, which for some people is also an important thing. A funny test form is the “Purity Test” that features 100 amazingly-worded questions about your boundaries of sexuality.
AdultFriendFinder gives you the possibility to start a video call, get in, and watch live broadcasts – it’s not about the weather.
The message section is like Gmail’s, you can mark the important ones and delete the spam. The messages you receive are instant so you won’t be waiting long. Unlike on more traditional sites, people don’t usually talk for over a month before going out. It’s straightforward and we like it. You want to hookup, someone else does as well, let’s roll then.
From swingers to ordinary one-night stands, AdultFriendFinder with its wide range of possibilities is a good start if you want to have a unique time with someone with no attachments.
2. SeekingArrangement
SeekingArrangement is a sugar baby and sugar daddy dating website. People get paid to date and spend time together. This type of arrangement has a lot of controversy around it. Many podcasts and questions have arisen on whether it’s morally acceptable. Is it okay to be in the type of relationship that revolves around money?
We are not experts on ethics here, so picking sides will have to wait for another time. The fact is this – people don’t have the time to commit to something that looks like a relationship.
And if they feel empty or just bad when hooking up with random people, can they financially support (sugar daddies) a girl (sugar baby) for some company. It’s a perfect solution that both sides can benefit from.
Many of the sugar babies are going to college and that period can be tough, especially if you don’t have the money to handle it.
A good example of why people are engaging in this type of casual encounter is the story of a 50-year-old man who explains his thought process and situations he had been in. From convenient encounters that led to a relationship, to a “mercenary” situation where the only thing on the line was the money.
SeekingArrangement supports students. Sugar babies who study and connect to the site with a university email address get a Premium Membership for free. So it’s not all about harsh and empty encounters. Some people need help, a bad financial status can really disrupt your life, and the mutual benefit formed with money is not that bad of an environment.
3. AshleyMadison
“Life is short. Have an affair.”
That’s the slogan of the AshleyMadison site. If you are married, or in the committed relationship, you should have one more intimate, discreet relationship with someone who is there as your hookup and gives you that taste of freshness and freedom which is lost in a long-term relationship.
But there are a lot of strange things about Ashley Madison. One of them is that they had multiple breaches by hackers who collected private data from the site, since it had a low security level.
Another one is that their former employee Doriana Silva had sued the company because she was assigned to create over a thousand fake member profiles in only three weeks, which caused her to develop a repetitive strain injury.
AshleyMadison has a way of ensuring a high-quality service. It offers a guarantee to users that they will find someone. And if not, their money will be given back. But for this to happen, users have to purchase the most expensive package, send 5 Madison gifts per month and talk over 60 minutes in paid chat rooms.
4. NoStringsAttached
NoStringsAttched is another site which offers discreet sexual encounters for people who have an affair fetish. Let’s be honest, it sure is a provocative thought having a sexy affair hidden from the world, and especially your partner. It allows you to turn profiles off and on instantly and users can create private networks.
The platform has a nice visual interface. There’s a lot of broadcasts and live streams so it meets the needs of those who are into cyber sex. Users can send flirts, hotlist other members and send them their favorite video or photo.
The platform has a large video database that is only accessible to the members of the site. Members can sort videos by the hottest ones, more recent or the ones that match their flavor.
5. BDSM
BDSM.com pushes you into sharing and experiencing your kinks. It’s important to mention right from the start that most of the women on the site are paid actresses. Users may be completely fine interacting in the chatrooms with a professional, but that’s when a site has a transition from hookup to porn.
Without a membership, you’re limited in reading the site’s magazine and scrolling with almost no access to other profiles. And because everything happens via chatrooms and webcam, they suggest that you to get that membership. But, since the site doesn’t offer you a free trial, we are unsure what’s really behind the wall of paid membership.
BDSM.com takes privacy very seriously though. It has 24/7 phone support for any issues members have on the site.
Tinder Alternatives for Relationships
For some people, casual encounters are not a thing, and that’s ok! Someone wants a committed, romantic relationship that has an opportunity to evolve into something big and important. That’s why there are a couple of dating sites that focus on you finding a perfect relationship.
6. Match
Match has been with us from 1995 and it’s one of the largest and oldest dating sites on the internet. You start by easily answering a couple of personality questionnaires which are the key for Match to find your matches based on common interests, physical attributes, personalities, hobbies, etc…
It comes with a paid membership account which gives you extra features. You can customize your matchmaking service, delete the unwanted, and keep track of the ones you like.
Also, Match has its own relationship adviser, Dr. Phil who advises users on how to find their relationship partner.
7. OkCupid
OkCupid is somewhat a competition to Match. Some say that it’s better than Match, more intuitive with extra free features.
We’re not the judge here, sadly.
Well, messaging and viewing profiles is free, but you can’t really see who liked you without a premium membership. And that’s OK for a Cupid.
Setting up the profile requires you to give an insight on what type of the relationship you’re looking for with other ordinary information.
You’ll have to keep your profile active though – updating it and keeping it cool will work the best.
8. Zoosk
Zoosk is an intuitive and easy to use platform that helps you find a partner who suits your needs. Unfortunately messaging isn’t free.
The information you have to give is your gender, body type, and whether you have kids.
The Zoosk app has a feature for verifying your photos. Luckily, you won’t be tricked on this platform. No scammers or evildoers!
Its matchmaking is similar to that of Tinder, where you also have the option “maybe” at your disposal.
9. eHarmony
From the start, eHarmony tells you that the platform you are on is made for people that want a long-term committed relationship. It has a thorough signup process which increases the chances of finding someone you are compatible with.
Which one is better, eHarmony or Match is for you to decide.
The quiz is like an exam in high school. It asks you to rate on a scale how demanding and acceptable to others you are, what you expect from other people, etc. After you pass the exam, you’ll be given access to the site, but it’s a very narrow one. The site gives initial pictures which are there only to push you into subscribing, so you won’t get far before you’re pushed up against the wall.
If you are decisive about finding someone who you might end up with for the rest of your life, then eHarmony is a good shot.
10. Christian Mingle
Christian Mingle has an interesting spot on our list. Its idea is to connect users who are Christians with others who share their system of belief for a romantic relationship.
People have positive reviews about Christian Mingle. It’s easy to use, you can customize your profile and there are a good amount of free features to help you find a fitting partner.
Because it has a religious aspect to it, people there tend to be more serious about the relationship that they’re going to be a part of. So think about it – if you have a desire to find someone who shares the same spiritual ideas with you, and he also attracts you physically, Christian Mingle is a proper dating site that gives you just that.
