Friends with benefits dating has become a normal part of modern dating culture. Not everyone is seeking a serious, long-term relationship, with many instead preferring to have FWB relationships with friends.
It’s easy to see why friends with benefits dating apps and sites have become so popular. You get all the fun and satisfaction of a FWB relationship without any of the pressures and responsibilities of a serious relationship. FWB get to enjoy each other’s company and have plenty of fun, giving plenty of reasons for people to seek out this modern style of dating.
Of course, finding friends with benefits is easier said than done! While it’s more popular than ever, a lot of people on dating apps like Tinder are looking for romance and long-term love.
Thankfully, there are plenty of alternative sites for FWB dating. People on these apps are open about their desire for fun, making it much easier to find friends with benefits.
Here are ten of our favorite friends with benefits dating apps:
1. FWB Dating Only
A mobile-friendly dating site, FWB Dating Only has millions of active members from around the world. Most of the users are based in the US, although there are plenty of members based in the UK and wider Europe.
FWB Dating Only is free to sign up and browse, giving you the opportunity to search for friends with benefits in your area. It uses a location-based matching system to pair you with local people, so it is a good place to start your search for friends with benefits dating.
Another selling point of FWB Dating Only is the website’s user-friendly design. It has a layout like Facebook, so most people should find it easy to navigate profiles and search for local FWB. The website is mobile-friendly, so it functions fine across all devices.
And this site has most of your typical FWB dating site features, including robust search functions, chatrooms, and live cams. It also has a Hot or Not feature, which is basically a pairing system that lets you show interest in another user by declaring them hot (or not!).
2. Ashley Madison
One of the more popular dating sites for FWB, Ashley Madison carved out a unique niche in online dating by promoting FWB relationships.
That said, there are a lot of users on Ashley Madison who are open-minded about friends with benefits dating and seeking fun, like friends with benefits. A key benefit of Ashley Madison is that the dating site is completely free for women. Because it’s free for women, it attracts a wide range of female users, including a lot of people seeking friends with benefits.
Men do need to pay for a membership, although it’s a token-based system where you only pay when using features. So, male users have more control over how much they spend, making it a great way to sample the features without committing to an expensive monthly membership.
Ashley Madison is also big on privacy, allowing users to set anonymous profiles and blur their photos. It’s a great way to keep your activities private, which might be a big selling point if you’re hooking up with someone in a relationship!
3. Bumble
Bumble shares a very similar format to Tinder, using a matching-based system where you swipe right or left to accept or reject a pairing. The Bumble app offers an excellent user experience with a modern interface and a simple sign-up process.
Once you’ve created a profile and added some photos, Bumble starts matching you with users in your area. If you like the pairing, swipe right to accept, or swipe left to reject the pairing. Should you both swipe right, you’re able to message each other through the app.
Interestingly, once you match with another user on Bumble, only the woman can make the first move. Men can’t send the first message to women they pair with, as the app intends to encourage female users to initiate the chat within 24 hours of the pairing. Men also have 24 hours to respond to these messages.
It’s a cool concept that encourages women to make the first move, so it typically attracts users who are confident and know exactly what they want in dating. While Bumble is often considered a serious dating app, it also has plenty of women who are interested in more FWB fun.
4. Happn
If you’re seeking a unique app for FWB, look no further than Happn.
The friends with benefits dating app uses a unique concept where users are paired together based on their closeness to each other. While this may sound like a standard location-based dating feature, Happn’s matching system pairs people who are within 250 meters of each other!
This means you’re paired with people who are within literal walking distance of your current location when using the app. It’s an awesome concept that aims to promote dating on a much closer, more intimate scale.
The idea behind Happn is that those random people you meet every day could be the perfect match for your romantic life. It’s a fun idea and a great way to find local people seeking friends with benefits.
Thankfully, there are robust privacy measures in place to ensure people aren’t pestered by nearby people. For example, you need to pay to start messaging each other, while messaging features are only available when both users accept their match.
The app functions similarly to Tinder and Bumble, where you set up a profile and upload photos. It then uses location-based pairing to match people that are nearby to each other, which you then accept or reject.
5. Facebook Dating
One of the more overlooked dating sites, Facebook Dating is another great option for FWB dating.
Facebook Dating works like traditional dating sites, where you create a detailed profile and are matched based on the information provided. You're then given suggestions based on your preferences, giving you the opportunity to connect with like-minded people.
The matching system may appear dated, but it does work well, especially if you want to focus on a certain niche, like friends with benefits. Basically, you get to clearly state that you’re interested in finding FWB dating, so you don’t need to waste time chatting with people who are only interested in serious relationships.
The Facebook Dating app is simple to use, sharing many features with Facebook, while you can also import from your Facebook account. There are options to limit what information is imported from your normal profile, which is a good option if you want to keep your dates private.
To get matches on Facebook Dating, both users need to have liked each other’s profiles, after which you can start chatting. Like Facebook, the dating app is completely free to use, so it’s certainly worth trying out to see if you can find FWB!
6. Down
Down is a fantastic dating app for finding FWB relationships. The main reason it’s so great for finding friends with benefits is that the app encourages complete honesty from users. You’re given the option to clearly state whether you want to date or hookup, so you get to be entirely upfront about what you’re looking for.
Unsurprisingly, the app attracts a lot of open-minded users who are looking for local FWB. The app uses stickers that clearly state what you’re interested in from dating, including an option for friends with benefits dating tags.
Down has over 13 million users worldwide and gives users the option to pair with people from any location. So, it can be random to chat with people from another country, but it does give the chance for online fun or to arrange a meetup in the future.
If you’re struggling to find any friends with benefits on other dating apps, be sure to check out Down, as people here are very open to friends with benefits dating.
7. HUD
HUD is one of the leading hookup apps in online dating. Since its inception in 2015, the app has focused entirely on FWB dating, making it a good choice for finding friends with benefits.
While the app is free to join, you do need to pay to access most of the standard features, including matches and messaging. So, if you want to get the most from this FWB dating app, expect to pay a small monthly fee.
HUD uses a matching-based system like most other dating apps, but rather than forcing you to constantly swipe right or left, it offers endless scrolling. It’s a nice change of pace from a dating app, letting you continuously scroll through various matches to compare profiles.
8. Zoosk
Zoosk is one of the more popular dating apps around, boasting an impressive 40 million users across the world. Its popularity makes it a good way to try and find someone for FWB fun, as there are a lot of users all seeking different types of relationships on the app.
However, because it’s so popular, there are also lots of people looking for serious dating. As a result, you may need to sift through a lot of profiles before you find someone interested in friends with benefits.
Thankfully, there are features that make it easier to showcase your interest in friends with benefits dating. For example, you can create a detailed profile and answer a questionnaire where you can clearly state your dating preferences, so it’s easy enough to be upfront about wanting FWB.
In fact, Zoosk does follow the more traditional online dating formula where you create a profile, add photos, and complete a questionnaire. The site then uses this data to help find like-minded matches, whom you can then message.
While it does rely on the older dating site formula, Zoosk also offers the Tinder-like swipe dating function. It’s not the focus of the site, so it lacks the sophistication of dedicated swipe ads like Tinder or Bumble, but it’s a nice option for those who prefer swiping.
9. Match
First launched back in 1995, Match is one of the oldest dating sites around.
As an older dating site, it does things the old-fashioned way, including creating a personal profile and answering a detailed questionnaire about your personality and dating preferences.
Once your profile is ready, you get daily matches based on your preferences. Members clearly show their interests and dating preferences on their profile, so it's easy to see if someone is interested in friends with benefits.
The site also offers detailed search filters, allowing you to narrow your searches based on things like age, location, and dating preferences. Make sure to use these features to help find people who want FWB dating, as there are a lot of users seeking more serious relationships on the site!
Match also offers some cool extra features, although most are behind a paid subscription. Notable features include dating experts for dating advice, boost sessions to increase visibility, and match events for real-life meetups with other singles.
10. Hinge
Hinge is a dating app developed by the well-known dating website Match.com.
With over 23 million users, Hinge has a massive user base, helping to increase your chances of meeting friends with benefits. While many users on the app are seeking long-term love and romance, there are still plenty of people looking for more casual fun.
Hinge offers an easy sign-up process where you add personal details, share your dating preferences, and upload some profile photos. There’s lots of information you can include in your profile, making it easy to clearly state your interest in FWB, while you can also upload videos.
Once your profile is ready, you can see other users who share photos and prompts to promote their profile. If you see someone that catches your eye, just leave a like or comment on their photo or prompt, and then your profile will appear on their match list.
If you both agree to match, then you can start chatting via text messaging or video chat. The option for video is a nice addition that’s not available on many dating apps.
Disclaimer: The above is a contributor post, the views expressed are those of the contributor and do not represent the stand and views of Outlook Editorial.
