Fact Checked by: Grady Shumway, LCSW
Pretty much every online dating app commercial shows people falling in love, but is that really what everyone is looking for when it comes to dating? The data says no. According to recent research from the Pew Research Center, nearly two-thirds of people say that casual sex between adults is totally fine. And even beyond that, many singles want to have companionship but also enjoy the perks that come with being single. According to popular casual dating app Tinder, 3 out of 4 young millennials are making a conscious decision to be single—at least for some period of time.
What this means is that if you’re looking for casual dating, you’re not alone. And if you want to find other singles in your area who are looking for no-commitment fun of some sort, online apps are the way to go. In this article, we’re going to share the top six casual dating apps you can join right now. These apps are built for singles with the same relationship goals as you and the ability to date at your own pace.
Zoosk has relationship goal filters perfect for casual dating.
IMPORTANT: Spark Networks, the owner of this app, is currently undergoing insolvency hearings in German courts. At this time, we are not sure what the future for the company looks like. We’d highly recommend check out one of our safest dating site recommendations in the meantime, until this is sorted out.
Casual Dating App Testing Score: 7.92/10
Our top pick for a casual dating app is Zoosk for several reasons. First, there are over 35 million users (yes, we said million), plenty of whom are looking for something far from serious. While the app isn’t 100% geared toward casual dating (no app that’s not trashy is), you can set exactly what you’re looking for from within your profile. For casual dating, you can choose friendship, short-term dating, hookups, or that you don’t know yet.
One other thing we like about Zoosk is that you do have the option of using the app for more traditional relationship goals (as you can see in the screenshot above) if you change your mind later, and you can do so without needing to create a new account. Just change one quick setting, and you’re all set.
If you want casual dating in an environment that doesn’t feel sleazy, you’ll like Zoosk.
Casual Dating Testing Results
| Factor | Score (0-10) | Weight | Weighted Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of Finding Matches | 9.2 | 25% | 2.30 | Over 35 million users keep things busy and easy to match. |
| Casual Dating Focus | 7.8 | 20% | 1.56 | Supports casual dating well, though still feels “relationship-friendly,” not purely hookup-focused. |
| Safety & Privacy | 7.5 | 15% | 1.13 | Decent moderation, but some bot/spam reports in free tier. |
| Tech & App Experience | 8.0 | 15% | 1.20 | Smooth, modern enough, though not as sleek as newer apps. |
| Clarity of Intentions | 8.0 | 10% | 0.80 | Filters let users set casual goals clearly. |
| Affordability & Value | 8.5 | 10% | 0.85 | Reasonably priced, flexible membership options. |
| Fun & Vibe | 7.5 | 5% | 0.38 | Feels practical rather than wild and fun. |
| Total | 7.92 |
Tinder is widely accepted as the most popular casual dating app.
Casual Dating App Testing Score: 7.62/10
If there was a king or queen of casual dating online, the crown would probably go to Tinder. While a few lucky guys and gals have met their special someone on the app, its real purpose (at least in most people’s view) is helping to connect casual singles with other casual singles who are nearby.
As opposed to Zoosk where you set your location, Tinder uses the location settings on your phone to show you matches that are actually physically close to you at the time you go on the app. There are ways to get around this (like using a VPN), but the software is pretty good about showing you people looking for casual dating based on proximity and your matching preferences.
An additional nice perk about Tinder is there is an option to verify your profile (and for others to do it), so you can know they are who they say they are. One thing to be aware of is that while Tinder does give you some free usage, it’s designed in a way that entices you to spend money. And with a mixed subscription + a la carte pricing model, it can get pretty pricy without you realizing it.
Casual Dating Testing Results
| Factor | Score (0-10) | Weight | Weighted Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of Finding Matches | 10.0 | 25% | 2.50 | Tinder has the largest casual dating pool worldwide, ensuring fast and plentiful matches almost anywhere. |
| Casual Dating Focus | 9.8 | 20% | 1.96 | Famous for hookups and casual dating, though some users pursue serious relationships. |
| Safety & Privacy | 5.5 | 15% | 0.83 | While Tinder offers safety features like verification, its swipe model has been linked to mental health strain, anxiety, and addictive use patterns, lowering the sense of user well-being and trust. |
| Tech & App Experience | 9.0 | 15% | 1.35 | Sleek, modern, and fast, delivering the iconic swipe experience without technical hiccups. |
| Clarity of Intentions | 7.0 | 10% | 0.70 | Primarily casual, but mixed user intentions sometimes create confusion for purely hookup seekers. |
| Affordability & Value | 8.0 | 10% | 0.80 | Free tier works well, but premium features can become surprisingly expensive for casual users. |
| Fun & Vibe | 9.5 | 5% | 0.48 | Extremely engaging and playful, though the fun can turn addictive for some users. |
| Total | 7.62 |
Flirt.com offers multiple ways to connect with an “old-school” type feel.
Casual Dating App Testing Score: 6.69/10
Where Zoosk is open to all relationship goals and Tinder says it’s good for all relationship goals, Flirt.com takes the direct approach to casual dating. Unlike the first two options on the list, this casual dating app does not serve people looking for serious or committed relationships.
Full disclosure, Flirt is not good if you’re looking for wholesome casual dating. It’s really designed for hookups, and not much else. The app does have a considerably number of ways to connect like profiles, chat rooms, personals (like the old school Craigslist style), and more. But, as we said, don’t expect much of a PG experience on this app. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll be happy. If not, choose a different option.
Casual Dating Testing Results
| Factor | Score (0-10) | Weight | Weighted Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of Finding Matches | 6.0 | 25% | 1.50 | User pool exists, but lots of spam profiles reduce real matches. |
| Casual Dating Focus | 10.0 | 20% | 2.00 | Pure hookup app. No illusions about seriousness. |
| Safety & Privacy | 3.5 | 15% | 0.53 | Very mixed reports, with users reporting fake profiles and scams. |
| Tech & App Experience | 5.5 | 15% | 0.83 | Dated design and clunky features. |
| Clarity of Intentions | 10.0 | 10% | 1.00 | Crystal clear it’s for hookups. |
| Affordability & Value | 5.0 | 10% | 0.50 | Feels overpriced for quality provided. |
| Fun & Vibe | 6.5 | 5% | 0.33 | Feels raunchy rather than genuinely fun. |
| Total | 6.69 |
Your Travel Mates is best for international casual dating.
Casual Dating App Testing Score: 5.96/10
While we’d argue there’s not a whole lot casual about going on a trip with someone, there are a lot of people that see the world differently than us—and that’s okay. Your Travel Mates is a dating app designed for people who want to go on a trip together or travel the world. There are features that allow you to plan trips, share recent experiences, and find people who are open to getting out there and doing something different.
A few things to be aware of with Your Travel Mates…One, it has a lot of international singles on there, so if you’re in the US, your travel partner may be meeting you from another country. Two, we think there could be better account verification processes in place because some of the accounts seemed a little odd to us (though, that could just be because of the international nature of the app).
If you’re looking for something a little different based around travel and with a lot of international singles, Your Travel Mates could be a fit for you.
Casual Dating Testing Results
| Factor | Score (0-10) | Weight | Weighted Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of Finding Matches | 5.8 | 25% | 1.45 | Small user base, heavily international, so local casual dating is difficult. |
| Casual Dating Focus | 6.5 | 20% | 1.30 | Casual potential, but travel-centric makes it less spontaneous. |
| Safety & Privacy | 5.2 | 15% | 0.78 | Concerns about fake profiles and data privacy due to international dynamics. |
| Tech & App Experience | 6.5 | 15% | 0.98 | Decent design, though not the sleekest. |
| Clarity of Intentions | 6.0 | 10% | 0.60 | Travel-based dating confuses some users on whether it’s romance, friendship, or tourism. |
| Affordability & Value | 5.5 | 10% | 0.55 | Can get expensive for minimal results. |
| Fun & Vibe | 6.0 | 5% | 0.30 | Novel idea but doesn’t feel wild or fun for purely casual dating. |
| Total | 5.96 |
HUD offers international hookup-style dating in a feature-rich environment.
Casual Dating App Testing Score: 8.05/10
That’s a mouthful…let’s break it down. HUD, which stands for Hookup Dating (and not the Housing Urban Development program which is what you may see if you Google it), is a swipe-style dating app (similar to Tinder) that is open to international singles. The biggest different between HUD and Tinder is that HUD has a lot of specific questions about your sexual preferences, like bedroom preferences.
Now, we’ve heard rumors that the app had inclusivity problems in the past, but it looks like they’ve worked past that as there is a massive inclusivity section on the app’s homepage. Additionally, HUD released some female-friendly features a few years ago that include things like blocking, photo blurring, and chat requesting. Honestly, these should have been features from the start and probably aren’t something to be bragging about, but we’re still happy to see the effort.
If hooking up is all you’re looking for, you may want to consider checking out HUD
Casual Dating Testing Results
| Factor | Score (0-10) | Weight | Weighted Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ease of Finding Matches | 7.8 | 25% | 1.95 | Niche but decently active for hookup seekers, especially internationally. |
| Casual Dating Focus | 10.0 | 20% | 2.00 | Purely built for casual hookups and sexual exploration. |
| Safety & Privacy | 6.5 | 15% | 0.98 | Improved safety features but still some complaints about fake profiles. |
| Tech & App Experience | 7.0 | 15% | 1.05 | Swipe-based, works decently but not as polished as Tinder. |
| Clarity of Intentions | 10.0 | 10% | 1.00 | Completely transparent about being hookup-focused. |
| Affordability & Value | 6.8 | 10% | 0.68 | Can get pricey for full features, especially given the niche. |
| Fun & Vibe | 7.8 | 5% | 0.39 | Playful, sexual, and vibrant—perfect if that’s your vibe. |
| Total | 8.05 |
Is the criteria for a good casual dating app different than that of a serious relationship app?
Yes, absolutely. First, here’s the specific criteria our team uses when ranking and testing casual dating apps. It’s an exhaustive process across many data points, but helps to ensure you know what you’re getting yourself into when making a decision.
| actor | Weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ease of Finding Matches (User Base Size & Activity) | 25% | Measures how large and active the app’s community is, ensuring users can easily find nearby matches for casual connections. |
| Casual Dating Focus | 20% | Evaluates how well the app caters specifically to casual dating, rather than serious relationships. |
| Safety & Privacy | 15% | Reflects the app’s ability to protect users from scams, fake profiles, and harassment, which is critical in casual dating environments. |
| Tech & App Experience | 15% | Assesses how modern, reliable, and enjoyable the app’s interface and features are for users looking for casual encounters. |
| Clarity of Intentions | 10% | Indicates how clearly the app communicates users’ intentions, helping avoid misunderstandings between casual and serious daters. |
| Affordability & Value | 10% | Considers whether the cost of using the app matches the value and results users receive, especially important in casual dating where users may be less willing to spend heavily. |
| Fun & Vibe | 5% | Captures how playful, exciting, or engaging the app feels, which matters for users seeking casual dating experiences. |
Next, here are some of the reasons we specifically think these are the best casual dating app options.
A Sign Up Process Matching Your Commitment Level
If you’re looking for casual dating, you’re probably not looking for a 45 minute sign up process that goes into the depths of your personality and all that fun stuff. Instead, you’re looking for a place where you can sign up fast, get up a quick profile, and start meeting some people. All of these casual dating apps fit that bill and come with sign up processes that are under 10 minutes long.
Ability to Set Casual Preferences
If a dating app is 100% catering to casual dating, this isn’t an issue. However, if it’s a site that offers service to casual and serious daters, you need to have a way to indicate what you’re looking for. These sites do just that. For example, on Zoosk you can literally select that you’re only looking for hookups, short-term dating, or just friendship at the click of a button.
No Hidden Pressure
Just because a dating app claims to serve the casual side of things doesn’t always mean that it does. And when that happens, you end up running into people who start pressuring you to have a more serious relationship. We’re not all about that. To mitigate this, we always do a deep dive into every site to ensure it’s not a serious dating app masquerading as a casual dating app. This means you get the full experience you’re looking for without the awkward conversations.
Fast Chat Options
When casual dating is your goal, you probably don’t want to spend time going through guided communication or something like that. You also probably don’t want to have to hunt around and jump through 50 hoops before you can send a message. For us, we only recommend sites with options to chat fast and easily.
Dating App Tips for Casual Dating Success
Here are a few tips to help you select the right casual dating app and get the most bang for your buck.
- Stick to casual dating apps. – Honestly, this may sound basic but it gets overlooked all the time. If you’re looking for casual dating, don’t go to a serious dating app and hope to have good luck. Stick to the places where the people with similar goals congregate.
- Be open about your casual dating goals. – Many of the best dating apps for casual relationships are dual-purpose, meaning that they cater to those looking for casual dating and those looking for serious relationships. When you use these sites (and we encourage you to use them), make sure you’re being very open about your casual goals. Put it on your profile, share it in one of your first conversations, and don’t try and sugarcoat it. It’s okay to want to date casually. It’s not okay to mislead someone who wants something more serious, though.
- Watch for “Red Flags” – Look, there’s nothing wrong with someone who is dating online to find something more serious. However, if you start getting involved with someone with wildly different goals than you, it’s going to spell trouble. Keep an eye out for indicators that might signal someone is starting to get hooked or might be looking for something different than you. Here are some examples:
- They start talking about “taking the next step”
- They blatantly say they’re looking for something serious
- They start talking about putting labels on the relationship
- They start talking about introducing you to their friends or family (not always an indicator, but can be)
- Your pictures are more important here. – When we coach people looking for serious dating, we push them to focus most of their efforts on their written profiles. However, when it comes to casual dating, it’s much more about your photos and grabbing that attention quickly. You can still put some awesome stuff in your written profile, but don’t ignore the quality of your photos.
- Use multiple casual dating apps. – Because you’re looking for something a little more niche and specific, it might be a good idea to set up a few profiles on different casual dating apps. This gives you the best chances to have the most options for what you’re looking for.
How to Stay Safe and Secure While Using Casual Dating Apps
Casual dating isn’t generally any more dangerous than traditional dating. The one caveat to that is that people who casually date generally meet up much sooner in the process than those looking for something more serious. This means a bit less time to look for red flags or to get a better handle on whether or not someone is safe to spend time with. And if you add in that things may get intimate sooner, it does add some more risk.
So, that being said, how do you stay safe when casually dating online? Here are a few helpful tips.
- Every time you go on a date, let your friends and family know where you’ll be, with who, and for how long.
- Establish a process for checking in that you’re safe after your date.
- Don’t meet new people in private settings until you trust them. Keep initial meetings to public places that are well-lit and well-known to you.
- Don’t be afraid to bounce if your date is making you uncomfortable.
- Don’t share private information with new people that could allow them to scam you or stalk you.
- Use your resources to report bad behavior. This includes moderators, customer service reps, or local law enforcement (in extreme, unlikely scenarios).
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