(Need an FWB?) 10 Best FWB Sites & Apps

Dating sites have made it extremely easy to find other people who share the same mentality as you when it comes to relationships.

Research shows that FWB relationships are beneficial for both those who want to start a long-term relationship and those who want to have a good time. About 20% of FWB relationships turn into long-term relationships.

So, if you’re worried about ending up in a long-term relationship that starts like this, the odds are pretty low. But if you aim to develop your relationship to this point, there are still a few chances.

Regardless of your aims, the question that could have been bugging you so far is how to even get into a friends-with-benefits relationship. In this article, you will find ten of the most used FWB dating sites that will help you in your quest. And the best part about it is that you only need to spend a few minutes per week to get your first date.

In this list, you’ll find a comprehensible list of the best hookup sites where you can find friends with benefits who are willing to connect with you.

Best For Hook-ups
AdultFriendFinder

Live videos & virtual sex makes AFF great for finding a down-for-anything fling.



Best For Affairs
AM
AshleyMadison

AshleyMadison is aimed at adulterous couples looking to spice up their sex life



The Best FWB Sites & Apps

1. AdultFriendFinder

AdultFriendFinder

If you’re thinking of starting a relationship that revolves around friends with benefits type of relationships, Adult Friend Finder is the first FWB site you should check out. With over 75 million active members, this hookup site registers approximately about 55 million monthly visits.

Its users are pretty clear about what they want; in most cases, that's not a long-term romantic relationship. You can sign up on the site and create your account for free. This tier allows you to browse around the site, find profiles, and even add them to a ‘Hot List.'

One of the distinct features that you've probably never heard of is the “Sex Academy.” Even though you'll need a premium membership to access it, it's totally worth it if you want to up your game and have amazing intercourses. The premium membership unlocks far more useful features as well, including the option to view unlimited profiles, all videos, and photos, as well as the option to exchange messages.

Once you join the site, you can expect to find a wide variety of options regarding the types of groups you can join, discussion forums, and the galleries of hot pictures you can browse through for entertainment. Our review of AdultFriendFinder goes more in-depth into this site.

Pros

  • Enriched with sex education articles & tutorials, forums, and webcam shows to help you get the most out of your relationships.
  • Created solely to bring together singles searching for casual sex, FWB, or one-night stands.
  • Compared to other FWB dating apps, it has a large and active user base.

Cons

  • The free version is quite limited, which makes purchasing a premium membership essential to benefit from the site fully.
  • Not ideal for those who want to turn their relationships into long-term ones.

2. Ashley Madison

Ashley Madison

Named after two of the most popular female names in North America, Ashley Madison was founded in 2002 by Darren J. Morgenstern, and since then, it has gained a massive user base. Its slogan was quite straightforward and catchy for those searching for FWB: “Life is too short. Have an affair.”

Its popularity has skyrocketed quickly in these two decades, amassing over 70 million members, with 17 million members only in the US. The site might not be as impressive as AdultFriendFinder regarding its functionalities but it hosts plenty of users searching for discreet affairs, hookups, and friends with benefits. Most members belong to the middle age group and are either divorced or unhappy in their marriage and in search of sexual pleasure.

Considering that most active users on the site are already in a relationship, the site gives plenty of options to stay discreet while browsing the site. These features include covering your eyes with a mask or paying with gift cards (Starbucks, Home Depot, etc.) to keep your private information secure.

Is your data on this app secure? Well, the app was subjected to a data breach in 2015 and since then they’ve taken stricter security measures to protect their users’ data. Plus, the site allows you to lock it with a PIN and its black icon makes it easy for it to get lost unnoticed in the phone background. Our review of Ashley Madison goes more in-depth into this site.

Pros

  • This dating site focused on fostering short-term relationships such as hook-ups, friends-with-benefits, or discreet affairs.
  • It provides a lot of features to help you keep your dating life private.
  • The site is free for female members.

Cons

  • Certain users claim that the app hasn’t helped them get a relationship which is subjective because it depends on the approach they’ve taken.
  • Not friendly to LBGT users (provides only female and male gender identification options).

3. Tinder

Tinder

How can a list of FWB dating apps be complete without the leading site that has long dominated the dating game (accounting for 27.6% of the downloads in the dating apps category in 2022)? The dating app that revolutionized the dating game with its swiping feature is the perfect place to search for a friends-with-benefits relationship.

At least 22% of Tinder users reportedly browse the app to find a hookup. Its user base includes users with different intentions but it's vast enough to help you find the relationship you're searching for. After all, the site has led to over 65 billion matches so far.

If you’re searching for an FWB relationship on Tinder, you can jump on the app and start swiping and talking to matches without purchasing a subscription. Paying for the premium has its benefits since it allows you to search for singles outside your area and removes the daily limits.

Physical attraction is the key to finding a match interested in an FWB relationship, which puts a lot of importance on your appearance on the app. Make sure to show your physique and describe yourself as realistically as possible. You might ask your friends for feedback on your profile so that you can polish it to perfection and attract as many matches as possible. You learn through our guide: how to get laid using Tinder.

Pros

  • Tinder has a worldwide reputation and a vast database of users interested in casual relationships.
  • The smooth interface makes the app easy to use in your free time and makes the decision-making process simple and time-efficient.
  • The app matches you seamlessly with local singles since whoever wants to date will be trying Tinder before any other dating apps.

Cons

  • Since most online daters will be on Tinder, you’re likely to face high competition.
  • The app doesn’t come with a search function to help you find the matches you want by using certain filters.

Available on iPhone and Android

4. OkCupid

okcupid

OkCupid was brought to the dating world over two decades ago (2004), counting more than 50 million members so far. The app has been growing steadily and helping its users get into short-term relationships, find friends with benefits, or even long-term relationships even though its users are more focused on the former ones.

What’s amazing about OkCupid is that it offers the option to choose the type of relationship you’re searching for. It clearly allows you to select a non-monogamous or monogamous relationship, and it’s perfect for singles or partners who want to find friends with benefits and have a good time together. Most of its users range from 25 to 34 years old, which is ideal.

The app offers plenty of cool capabilities for free and you can make the most of it without paying for a subscription. What matters is that you state your intentions clearly and write a profile that attracts views. Photos are a decisive factor in FWB dating so make sure to spend enough time on them.

Since most functionalities are available for free, you'll be dating without having to risk inserting your payment details on a dating site. The app comes with a Discovery page that allows you to filter profiles based on interests and chat with those who share your preferences.

Pros

  • Most essential features are available for free and you can find friends with benefits without having to pay.
  • The site comes with advanced search options to help you find the ideal partner.
  • It offers plenty of options to cater to the LGBT+ community members.

Cons

  • The majority of the users want a serious relationship as opposed to casual dating.
  • The sign-up process and limited messaging capabilities (you can’t exchange messages with users you haven’t matched).

Available for iPhone and Android

5. HER

feeld

The dating app founded by Robyn Exton and initially presented to the public as a platform for lesbians to date has developed into a more complete app with a lot more features, including the acceptance of all genders. The app makes finding friends-for-benefits simple for queer members.

It can be accessed from over 125+ countries and offers all the major capabilities of a traditional dating app. You start by creating your profile, chatting with friends, and exploring communities and events without spending a dime. You can get a bite of the cherry without much struggle.

When you join the site, it could be confusing because its interface and features offer extra features from those you'd expected from a dating app. These features include posting on the app and commenting or liking other posts like you regularly do on popular social media sites.

You can search for friends with benefits from your local and global ranges by switching on the feeds (Global and Local). With the wide categories of sexual orientations that have resurfaced, the confusion is normal. That's why HER has created a space where members chat, discuss and express their thoughts on gender fluidity, sex, and more.

Pros

  • The best FWB site for bisexual women.
  • Advanced filters allow you to search for other members based on location or sexual orientation.
  • The community gives you a space to voice your concerns and seek advice from other members on having an FWB relationship and more.
  • Focused on catering to LGBTQIA2S+ community members.

Cons

  • The user base isn’t big which causes you to run out of profiles to swipe pretty quickly.
  • Focused on catering to LGBTQIA2S+ community members.

Available on iPhone 

6. Down

down app

Down entered the dating market with the initial idea of allowing users to log in through their Facebook accounts and then date their friends there. Unfortunately, Facebook changes made it impossible for the company to continue this matching model further.

However, you can still use Facebook among other login methods (Apple, Google, Phone Number) to register and create an account on the site. If we were to describe the app in one word, that would be: brutally honest. And that's good for those searching for friends with benefits on the app.

Uniquely from other dating apps like Tinder which offer the option to swipe left or right when you want to mark a match, DOWN introduces a third option and rearranges them differently. You can instantly tell your match whether you're looking for a hookup or a date. Swiping up signals them that you're interested in dating and swiping down signals wanting to hook up with them plainly. To ignore them altogether, you just have to swipe left.

Even if you’re shy about openly asking for a hookup, DOWN makes it easier for you. Now you can avoid the wasted time spent on dating the wrong matches and the drama of a romantic relationship. That’s why we like to think this is one of the best hookup apps for casual sex.

Pros

  • The advanced filters allow you to filter matches based on location, sexual preferences, and gender.
  • Definitely, the most straightforward app that makes finding friends with benefits easier by letting you state your intentions clearly.
  • The app offers photo challenges, handles icebreakers, and snap matches among its variety of features.

Cons

  • The user base is significantly smaller than other popular dating apps.
  • The free version clutters your interface with ads.

Available on iPhone and Android

7. Pure

pure

Pure aims to immerse you in a pure dating experience that’s engaging, dynamic, and most importantly, worth your time. The app ponders the importance of a personal perspective when it comes to relationships, and it invites those searching for friends with benefits or other types of relationships, to be honest with their dating intentions in this space.

The app is pretty fresh on the dating market. It was invented in 2016 and has slowly built its user base of over  15 million members who are open about their preferences and intentions. Logging in to the platform is easy as long as you have a Google or Apple account or a Huawei ID.

However, the approach in this dating app is pretty unconventional. To get noticed and find matches, you have to post a personal ad where you talk about yourself and your mood and expect others to match with you. Looking for friends with benefits? State it right there, and start matching.

The app is open to both binary and non-binary users and gives various self-identification options. Users are allowed to send self-destructing messages and exchange nudes seamlessly. You can keep your identity anonymous throughout your dating experience.

Pros

  • It’s easy to put yourself out there while remaining anonymous.
  • The app is focused on hookups and FWB relationships which means that you’re joining a FWB dating site with like-minded users.
  • The app is free for women which have encouraged many of them to join the app.

Cons

  • Your chats and everything you're written on the app disappear automatically within 24 hours.
  • The login process could be a bit tricky.

Available on iPhone and Android

8. Wild

wild

There has been no better time to go wild with your dating game! That’s why the dating app that goes under this name offers an incomparable experience by allowing you to browse anonymously through its user base of verified members (at least 65% of their pictures have been verified).

The app promotes itself as the ideal space for all kinds of relationships, long-term or short-term hookups. Even though the app is best for finding friends-with-benefits relationships since the app is quite new and popular mostly among members who are familiarized with the hookup culture.

Wild aims to help you filter the exact types of matches you're searching for thanks to its variety of filters. Once you log in, you can search for matches based on their login activity, intention, location, age range, distance, ethnicity, photo verification status, height, and other attributes.

Also, it's worth mentioning that the app includes all genders and sexual orientations. Whether you're lesbian, straight, gay, or bisexual, it can help you find other single members who share your interests and intentions. Tap that download button and go wild!

Pros

  • Inclusive for all types of relationships including friends with benefits, hookups, and long-term relationships.
  • Members from all genders and sexual orientations are welcomed into the app.
  • Wild aims to identify all of its members, keeping the number of fake and scams as low as possible.

Cons

  • Available only on mobile (both Android and iOS) but not on desktop.
  • In areas with a small population, you might not find many matches.

Available on iPhone and Android

9. Feeld

FEELD

Thinking about taking your sex life to another level? Well, Feeld has been hailed as the top dating app for threesomes. It surely offers more than that along the same lines as this. Friends with benefits and hookups are just two types of relationships you can expect to easily land on this app.

The story of how this app was founded back in 2014 is entertaining. Feeld developer, Dimo Trifonov, received an unexpected letter from his girlfriend one day, where she explained to him why she had been thinking of getting into a poly relationship. So he decided to do something more than say “Yes.”

He built an app to empower the poly community and those searching for casual relationships. And the app is not limited to straight singles but is open to fluid, pansexual, and polysexual singles. Actually, the app is mostly focused on bringing together those who are interested in swinging, kink, and other relationships with more than one partner (the app was initially named 3nder).

The app boasts on its site to lead to over 2 million monthly connections. Not only does it stand as an ideal app to find friends with benefits, but it's also a space to help you explore your sexual fantasies and find other like-minded people who enjoy the same.

Pros

  • A dating app for those looking to live their extreme sexual fantasies that might not be spoken about on any other FWB dating sites/apps (the majority of users are couples searching for threesomes and open relationships).
  • The community is open-minded and no one is likely to judge you for your sexual desires.

Cons

  • If you log in with a Facebook account, you’ll have to purchase a paid membership to hide the Facebook profile.

Available on iPhone and Android

10. HUD

HUD

HUD is another dating app focused on bringing together people searching for short-term relationships, friends with benefits, and casual hookups. You can download the mobile app on either your iOS or Android and start browsing through other profiles of users who want commitment-free relationships just like you.

The way HUD presents matches is totally different from Tinder and all the other similar dating apps that use the swiping feature while selecting matches. Instead of this, HUD lists all the available matches in your area in a long scrollable page where you can scroll down at your own pace.

Launched in 2015, the app is still in its earliest first decade but is gaining quick momentum, having amassed around 5 million members. That's attributed to its inclusivity policies that welcome anyone who wants to find friends with benefits and other casual relationships in another way that differs from the traditional swiping culture.

Once you join, you can display all your favorite fantasies in bed in the section The HUD Bedroom. That's a space for you to start sharing sensitive personal information about yourself, starting from your basic habits and interests like smoking to more details about your sexual preferences such as tickling, dirty talk, bondage, etc. Go dirty as much as you want.

Pros

  • A low percentage of scammers and fake profiles.
  • Users can display STD tests that attest that they’re safe.
  • Welcomes all genders and sexual orientations.

Cons

  • Currently, it has a small user base of users which might lead to only a few matches in your area.
  • There's no proper search functionality.

Available on iPhone and Android

 

About Mary J. Gibson

Mary J. Gibson, director of DatingXP.co, is a renowned love and relationship coach whose expertise is widely acknowledged across the industry. Her insightful guidance and profound understanding of romantic relationships have earned her features in prestigious publications including Bustle, AskMen, Cosmopolitan, and Elite Daily. Committed to staying ahead of trends, she continually broadens her knowledge by conducting incisive interviews and forging dynamic relationships with emerging dating services, ensuring her advice remains relevant and impactful.