The best sex and dating apps for hooking up

Tinder is one of the most popular dating apps. It’s pretty much shorthand for the entire dating app concept. That’s partly because it remains the fastest, easiest way to find a hookup. Tinder doesn’t label itself as a hookup app, but that doesn’t change the fact that it absolutely works for hooking up. The app has lost users recently but is still credited with 97 billion matches worldwide. If you want a no-fuss one-nighter, Tinder is the app to use. If you use the "Free Tonight" feature on weekends after 10 p.m., there’s a 45 percent higher chance of hooking up.

Tinder has made efforts to present itself as more relationship-focused (see how it’s evolved the "Double Date" feature into the broader "Modes"), but the app also reports that 2026 is all about "Clear-Coding," which means users are shooting from the hip about what they really want from their matches, whether it’s sex, a long-term thing, or something else.

Tinder is also testing an AI feature called "Chemistry" in some territories, which uses your camera roll (with your permission, of course) to help find matches based on your interests (eliminating users you’ve got zero interest in could be a valuable time saver). It’s also rolling out a facial recognition scan (Face Check) via a video selfie, ensuring that users are real and accurately represented. And while there’s a free version, you might want to skip all the ads and sign up for extra features with Tinder Plus, Gold, and Platinum paid tiers.

Read our full review of Tinder.

Read our full review of AdultFriendFinder.

Bumble is our top choice for women and non-binary people looking for a casual fling. That’s because Bumble allows you to take control and dictate the pace. Bumble was originally known for its rule that women message first. Now it has an "Opening Moves" feature, which ensures you only hear people you actually want to hear from and filters out all the rubbish. This feature is effectively a series prompts that users can set to encourage matches to get the convo going. Users can even select a photo as an Opening Move. But the potential match will disappear if they haven’t responded within 24 hours.

Other Bumble bonuses include the power to chat via text, voice, or video without spending any cash whatsoever — along with free access to basic filters such as age, distance, and verified profiles. There are premium tiers available — BumbleBoost and Premium — with souped-up features, but you can find a potential hookup buddy without them.

It's not perfect, however. There was some recent backlash over reports that previously blocked or left-swiped profiles started to reappear in users’ feeds, which is something of a trust issue for a high-profile dating app. If that’s not a deal breaker, Bumble remains a hookup favourite for good reason.

Feeld is an app for stepping outside the box of what might be considered “normal” dating, in the sense it’s for everyone and anyone, whether you’re single, part of a couple, or even a throuple. It’s about ethically exploring non-monogamy, kinks, and alternative relationship-type fun, with an inclusive, consent-focused environment that will suit anyone who lives by the philosophy of "relationship anarchy". Though it’s also great if you’re just a little curious about what lies beyond the boundaries of conventional dating.

You may be surprised with how your sexuality sways once everything's on the table. Feeld has an extensive and detailed selection of desire and kink tags, such as "Bondage" "Threeway" and "Cuddling". According to Feeld's "Raw 2025" report, "heteroflexible" is the fastest-growing sexuality on the app, and interest in pegging among cis men has surged.

It also boasts a free “Constellation” feature that allows you to link your profile with up to five partners. You can then define those connections with tags such as "Lover," "Dom," and "Friend with benefits." You know, in the name of transparency. Other features are unfortunately locked behind its "Majestic" paywall and it’s worth saying that Feeld can be buggy following a disastrous, privacy-troubling 2023 rebrand. And just so you know, reports suggest the app’s popularity has attracted more "vanilla daters" recently.

Hinge is great for finding regular hookups, particular if you like a bit of back and forth with prospective partners before you get down to business. It has a growing user base, which means more choice, more matches, and more chance of meeting someone who ticks all your boxes (if you know what we mean).

Hinge tends to attract people looking for long-term relationships — its tagline is "designed to be deleted" — so be prepared to weed out those lovelorn users. But it's still pleasingly effective for hookups, with features built to clearly communicate your expectations.

There’s a "Dating Intentions" section, which allows you to state exactly what you're looking for. According to Hinge, 75 percent of Gen Z daters check this before engaging. The upshot is that its features help you connect and learn more about each other before you get down to actual hooking up.

The free version of Hinge does some things a little differently, too. It allows users to see everyone who "likes" them, whereas most apps blur photos until you cough up some cash. You can send up to eight "likes" per day, and message your "likes" without paying anything extra. Hinge also provides a list of "Standouts", users the app thinks are your best potential hookups. The app has recently launched an AI feature called "Convo Starters," which analyses a match's profile and gives tips and inspo on how to get the dialogue going. That’s perfect for anyone who struggles to break the ice.

There's a new feature set to be added this spring called "Direct to Date", which kills any time wasting. It allows newly matched users immediately share availability and date ideas to "accelerate IRL plans." And let's give a shoutout to safety features such as "Hidden Words". This filters out specific words or emojis from incoming messages.

Read our full review of Hinge.

Pure offers something different: It’s adventurous, no-strings-attached, and totally anonymous. Not to mention very good for Gen Z, the app's fastest growing demographic.

Your chats and photos self-delete in 24 hours, and the app will never ask for your name, guaranteeing total anonymity (though it’s still compliant with UK law to ensure users are above legal age). It allows you to be totally direct about your desires without judgment, and engage in steamy convos with strangers from the get-go. There's no messing about with low-effort "heys" that ultimately go nowhere. Pure's whole USP is the potential for super-hot, straight-to-the-point encounters.

While men usually dominate the dating app landscape, Pure has a more balanced 60/40 male-to-female ratio — it’s totally free for women to use, by the way — and recently launched a "Safety Signal" feature for extra security. This enables you to share your live location and arrangements with a trusted contact if you meet a match IRL, which reduces the anxiety of meeting strangers.

It does have a smaller user base than the better-known mainstream apps, which means fewer options, and it’s worth noting that despite the artsy presentation and interface, it’s more geared towards heteronormative hookups. You may meet some bros who just want to etch another notch on the bedpost. And if you’re looking for something less conventional, or with a kink or queer perspective, you may want to go elsewhere. But for straight-up sex with no questions asked, Pure will deliver the goods

Read our full review of Pure.

Even with the increase of apps for non-heteronormative relationships, Grindr remains the top hookup app for gay men. It’s the undisputed go-to for gay, bi, trans, and queer men looking for quick connections (and quick fun, of course). Grindr’s impressive numbers speak for themselves. According to Grindr's "Unwrapped" report, users sent more than 135 billion chats last year, with "Hung" being the most searched profile tag.

Grindr can instantly connect you with guys in your area. And its ability to do so, quickly and easily, remains undefeated. Self-explanatory features such as "Right Now" and an interactive "Live View" map make hookups even easier. And it goes beyond the actual hooking up. "Roam" allows you to drop a pin anywhere in the world and check out the scene and local events.

There are also new AI features to play with. The app has begun testing a new ultra-premium subscription tier, EDGE, in select markets. This is powered by Grindr's proprietary "gAI" stack and offers features like "A-List" (summaries of chats you might have missed) and "Profile Insights" (which reveal stats on a user's habits on the app).

Early reports suggest this tier gets pricey, but as existing users will know, Grindr is an app worth paying for. The free tier can be a pain because of relentless ads that disrupt the user experience. Paid-for tiers Grindr Unlimited and Grindr XTRA are worth the money, with a new in-app Safety Center and "Taken on Grindr" timestamp that verifies how recent photos are. There are also sexual health features, including HIV status. 

Read our full Grindr XTRA review.