Best hookup sites in the UK: an honest comparison
By Lottie Williams, Head of Content
Updated
There is no single best hookup site, only the best one for what you want. A swingers' community, a kink-friendly app and a mainstream swipe app all get called hookup sites, and they suit very different people. This guide compares the main options in the UK fairly, including our own, so you can pick with your eyes open.
How we compared them
We looked at the sites people in the UK most often use for casual dating, and at five things that matter when you choose: who the site is really for, what you can do for free, what paying costs, how it checks that members are adults and real, and how easy it is to cancel.
Facts come from each site's own pages, its app store listing and reputable reporting, checked on 31 October 2026. Prices change, and several apps charge different people different amounts, so treat the figures as a guide and check the site before you pay. We run No Strings Dating, so we have said plainly where it fits and where another site may suit you better.
No Strings Dating
No Strings Dating is for adults who want something casual and want to say so up front. Every profile starts with intention tags: what that person is up for and what they are not. You can browse by distance, by shared intentions, and by who has switched on Free tonight. It is for people aged 21 and over, works in your phone's browser and on a computer, and has no app to download.
Everyone passes a selfie age check before anyone can see them, photos are checked by moderators, and members who pass a photo and ID check carry a red tick. Joining and browsing are free. To message, you buy a 24-hour pass (£1.99, never renews) or a plan from £4.99 a week, and women who verify get full membership free. You cancel in two taps on the Membership page. Our prices page has every price in your currency.
- Suits: people who want casual dating with clear expectations, tonight or regularly.
- Less suited to: anyone looking for a relationship, or who wants a swingers' club scene.
Feeld
Feeld calls itself "a dating app for the curious". It is popular with singles and couples exploring non-monogamy, kink and queer dating, and it lets two partners link their profiles. It is an app for iPhone and Android, made by Feeld Ltd, a UK company.
You can browse, connect and message for free. Its Majestic membership adds more, and costs £19.99 for 30 days on the UK App Store, with longer terms cheaper per month. UK members pass an age check with a live selfie, and photo verification is optional.
- Suits: couples, the kink-curious and the non-monogamous.
- Less suited to: anyone who wants a website rather than an app.
Pure
Pure is built for quick, anonymous meet-ups: you say what you are up for, chats are short-lived, and the focus is on meeting soon. It runs on iPhone, Android and the web, and is run by Online Classifieds AG in Switzerland.
Pure is a paid service, with weekly, monthly and yearly memberships, so budget for it from the start. UK members have had to pass an age check since July 2025, and it has offered photo verification since June 2025.
- Suits: people who want something fast and discreet.
- Less suited to: anyone who wants to browse properly before paying.
AdultFriendFinder
AdultFriendFinder is one of the oldest adult sites, owned by FriendFinder Networks in California. It is explicit by design, with a large social side of groups, blogs and videos alongside the dating.
A free account lets you browse and look at photos, but messaging needs a paid membership. Prices are shown in US dollars after you sign up: DatingScout lists Gold from $35.95 for one month, cheaper per month on longer terms. In 2016 FriendFinder Networks had one of the largest data breaches on record, with over 400 million accounts across its sites exposed, as TechCrunch reported. Our AdultFriendFinder alternatives guide goes into more detail.
- Suits: people who want an explicit, social adult site.
- Less suited to: anyone who wants a simple, private dating experience.
Fabswingers
Fabswingers is a long-running UK swingers' community, founded by a swinging couple in 2006. Alongside profiles and messaging it lists clubs and parties, and has forums and chat rooms.
Most of it is free, with an optional paid membership for extras. Members verify by posting a photo of themselves holding a sign with their username, which other members can check.
- Suits: couples and singles into swinging, clubs and parties.
- Less suited to: one-to-one casual dating outside the swinging scene.
Tinder
Tinder is the best known dating app of all, owned by Match Group. Plenty of people use it for casual dating, but plenty want relationships, so you cannot assume what someone is looking for.
Swiping and matching are free, with paid tiers for extras. Prices vary from person to person: in 2022 Which? found twenty different prices for the same yearly subscription. Since March 2026, new UK members must pass Face Check, a video selfie matched to their photos.
- Suits: anyone who wants the biggest pool and does not mind mixed intentions.
- Less suited to: people who want everyone to be on the same page from the start.
Grindr
Grindr is the main app for gay, bi, trans and queer men, and widely used for casual meets. It runs on iPhone, Android and the web. The free version shows people nearby, and paid tiers add more.
Since July 2025, UK members have verified their age with a selfie video matched to photo ID. Grindr settled a UK group claim over the alleged sharing of users' HIV status with advertisers in September 2026, without admitting liability, as PinkNews reported.
- Suits: gay, bi and queer men who want to see who is nearby right now.
- Our gay, bi and queer casual dating guide covers No Strings Dating for men seeking men.
Which one should you choose?
Start with what you want. If it is a clear, casual arrangement with someone who wants the same, a site built around saying what you want, like ours, saves the guessing. If it is swinging and parties, a dedicated community will suit you better. If you are exploring kink or non-monogamy as a couple, an app designed for couples makes sense. If you just want the biggest crowd, a mainstream app has it, with more mixed intentions.
Whatever you pick, a few checks are worth five minutes: does it check ages and photos, can you see what a free account does, is the price clear before you pay, and is cancelling straightforward? Our guide to NSA dating sites goes deeper on choosing, and hook-up apps compares apps with websites.
Staying safe on any hookup site
The same habits keep you safe everywhere. Meet somewhere public first and tell a friend where you are going. Keep the chat on the site until you trust someone, and never send money to someone you have not met. If someone pushes to move the chat elsewhere quickly, or asks for money, slow down: our guide to romance scams and sextortion explains the warning signs, and our Safety Centre has the rest.
Quick answers
What is the best hookup site in the UK?
It depends on what you want. No Strings Dating suits clear, casual dating; Fabswingers suits swinging; Feeld suits couples and the kink-curious; Tinder has the biggest crowd but mixed intentions.
Are hookup sites free in the UK?
Most let you join and browse free. Messaging usually costs: on No Strings Dating a 24-hour pass is £1.99 and never renews. Fabswingers is mostly free; Pure is paid only.
Do UK hookup sites check your age?
The main ones do, under the Online Safety Act. No Strings Dating, Feeld, Pure, Tinder and Grindr all use selfie or ID age checks for UK members.
Which hookup sites are safest?
Look for age checks, photo verification, moderated photos and an easy way to report someone. Then follow the basics: meet in public, tell a friend and never send money.
Is No Strings Dating an app?
No. It works in your phone browser and on a computer, so there is nothing to download and nothing on your home screen.
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