The best sex and dating apps for hooking up

Looking for no strings attached sex? We've lined up a selection of sex apps for finding something casual. Home > Life > Sex, Dating & Relationships The best sex and dating apps for hooking up Looking for no strings attached sex? These are the best apps for hooking up. By Joseph Green Joseph Green Global Shopping Editor Joseph Green is the Global Shopping Editor for Mashable. He covers VPNs, headphones, fitness gear, dating sites, streaming, and shopping events like Black Friday and Prime Day. Read Full Bio and Matt Ford Matt Ford Matt Ford is a freelance contributor to Mashable. Read Full Bio on January 27, 2026 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Flipboard Editors and writers independently select products unless marked Sponsored or Promoted. Sponsored content is a paid ad, while content marked Promoted is chosen by Ziff Davis leadership. We may earn an affiliate commission if you buy through our links. Promoted cards do not include input from individual authors. Overview Best for Most People Tinder Jump to Details Go to Tinder PROMOTED Best For Anyone Looking For Sex AdultFriendFinder Jump to Details Go to AdultFriendFinder Best for Women Bumble Jump to Details Go to Bumble Best For Open Relationships Feeld Jump to Details Go to Feeld Best for regular hookups Hinge Jump to Details Go to Hinge Best For No-Strings Attached Pure Jump to Details Go to Pure Best For Gay Men Grindr Jump to Details Go to Grindr See 2 More Table of Contents Table of Contents Table of Contents What to know before you swipe Tinder: Best for Most People AdultFriendFinder: Best For Anyone Looking For Sex Bumble: Best for Women Feeld: Best For Open Relationships Hinge: Best for regular hookups Pure: Best For No-Strings Attached Grindr: Best For Gay Men This content originally appeared on Mashable for a US audience and has been adapted for the UK audience.If we can get a movie, an album, or Amazon purchase with the tap of a smartphone — hell, even get a takeaway delivered directly to your door — there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to get a date in the same way. Indeed, this is the age of on-demand apps and instant gratification. That’s hardly news. Online dating and dating apps have dominated the romantic landscape for the best part of 20 years. But things are changing within the online dating world. According to the sex-perts at Lovehoney — everyone’s favourite progressively-minded sex toy brand — these are horny-but-wholesome times. They’ve declared that 2026 is "The Year of Pleasure."That doesn’t mean one-night stands and flippant flings. According to research, one-night stands are on the decrease. Prospective daters are actually looking for "purposeful pleasure" and "meaningful connections". In other words, hookups that have some actual substance. We're still hooking up, but we're getting more selective. That’s why using the right dating app is so important. Every dating app has something slightly different to offer, and you need the tools to find someone you actually want to share your time (and more) with. Getting a date might be as easy as tapping your phone, but it has to be the right date. To help you, we’ve looked at the top apps and taken advice from sex and relationship experts.What to know before you swipeBefore you start downloading apps, it’s good know just how to approach online dating. We advise that you’re completely up-front about who and what you’re looking for. And maybe pass on those mainstream dating apps that are all about romance and happily ever afters (we're looking at you, eharmony). The best hookup apps make chatting quick and easy (messaging, video calls, all that good stuff), and even the free ones should have features like profile verification to help keep you safe. But most importantly, be sure to stick to apps that are purpose-built for hookups, casual fun, and satisfying your kink. It can be freeing, not to mention productive, to be open about specific desires. The ways in which we understand sex and relationships are changing all the time — just looking at fast-growing "heteroflexible" sexuality — and hookup apps allow you to explore curiosities with no judgement or social anxiety. SEE ALSO: The best sexting apps for discreet NSFW chats It doesn’t matter what you’re looking for, whether it's the chance to explore a new sexual frontier, a friends-with-benefits situation on the reg, or an old school one-night stand (the one-night stand might be going out of fashion, but it’s still fun as long as it’s safe and on your terms). Whatever you're after, we’ve got your back with this guide on the best hookups apps, all based on Mashable’s own real-world testing and expert input. We’ve broken down each of the best hookup apps, selecting an option for every type of dater and every dating desire.These are the best hookup apps for 2026. Tinder Best for Most People Go to Tinder The Good & The Bad Global user base of 75+ million Lots of options for fast connections Q