Best Hookup Apps That Actually Work
The harsh truth is that not all dating apps actually get the results they promise. If you're here, you've probably already come across a dating app or a hookup app that promised you big things, but then took your cash and left you in the dark. We've all been there, and unfortunately, it's more common than you might think.
But there are actually plenty of legitimate dating sites and free hookup apps that do actually get you laid. Need a one night stand or an impulsive hookup? Then there's a casual dating app out there for you. We can't promise they're all completely free, but if it's easy sex you want then we've got you covered. Here are the best hookup apps that actually work in 2022.
Hookup Apps vs Dating Apps
You might find that people use these terms interchangably, but most dating apps and hookup sites come with a few notable differences. The main contrast is that hookup apps cater to those who just want impulsive casual sex with strangers or regular fuck buddies, while other dating apps appeal to those seeking long term relationships and serious dating.
Another is that most hookup sites offer a free version to give you a taste of what's to come, while other apps aren't always so generous. Furthermore, hookup sites tend to be easily accessible through mobile devices so you can meet other users while you're on the move, but some lesser-known online dating sites are purely browser-based.
Are Hookup Apps Better Than Dating Sites?
It really depends what you're looking for. If you just want to hook up and meet new people without going through weeks of boring 'dates,' you're probably best introducing a hookup app in your life. On the flip side, if you're looking to take things slowly, you might be better off with something like Match or Facebook Dating.
So with that in mind, we're here to show you the best hookup apps you'll find in 2022. These are all places to find casual hookups, one night stands and discreet meetups, and at the end we'll give you our verdict on the best hookup app in 2022. Some are totally free and some require a paid subscription, but they're all worthy places to find casual sex.
Which Hookup App Is Right For Me?
Imagine your perfect relationship. What would it look like? Do you just want to booty call the same woman whenever you've got the urge to bang? Are you looking for unlimited potential matches so you can spread your seed far and wide? Maybe you want chat rooms to make it easier to meet new people? Whatever it is, there's a dating platform out there for you.
So, with that in mind, here are the apps we'll be reviewing in this article.
- Happn - Best location based app
- OKCupid - Best mainstream dating app
- Alt.com - Best for alternative relationships
- Tinder - Biggest user base
- The League - Best exclusive dating app
- Illicit Encounters - Best for extramarital hookups
- Bumble - Best hookup site for women
- Down Dating - Best to hookup with Facebook friends
- Plenty Of Fish - Best to find a committed relationship
- HER - Best for queer women
- Scruff - Best for gay men
- Coffee Meets Bagel - Best for high quality
- Jack'd - Best for queer people
- Hookup - Most success stories
- Passion.com - Most popular 2022 Google Play app
- InstaSex - Unique livestream feature
- Ashley Madison - Best for married hookups
- Adult Friend Finder - Best adult community
Happn - Best location based app
All the best hookup apps have interesting gimicks, and Happn's gimmick is the most simple of all. This completely free app matches you with people who you've crossed paths with in real life. That woman opposite you on the train? The barista at the coffee shop? If they've got the app and they're a suitable match, Happn will connect you together.
You can't just browse and message users like most apps, but the app is fantastic if you want to match with people who you'll know are in close proximity. It means you don't have to worry about driving 50 miles for a quick bang because they're guaranteed to be within a reasonable distance. For a world of potential hookups, Happn can make it happen.
Pros- Location-based hookup app
- Regular matches with new people
- Good security features
- Not good if you're travelling
OKCupid - Best mainstream dating app
OKCupid is a good app if you're looking for a long term relationship, and it's a great app if you're looking for an instant hookup. OKCupid's appeal lies in its versatility. It can just as easily connect you with like-minded people for adult fun as it can with your future wife. For that reason alone, OKCupid is worth a mention on our best free hookup apps list.
Not to mention that you can use OKCupid in full without having to pay a cent. It's now a swipe-based dating site like Tinder (despite it once being a classic grid-style approach), but it's super easy to match, send messages and arrange simple hookups. And with such a vast user base, your pool of potential matches are endless on OKCupid.
Pros- Extensive user base of 5 million plus
- Swipe based system for easy matching
- All relationship preferences represented
- Lots of sponsored content
- Some ads
Alt.com - Best for alternative relationships
If you want a different take on the standard hook up app, Alt.com will help you find a more niche type of relationship. As you might guess from the name. Alt.com helps connect people who are into the kink scene. BDSM practitioners, swinging couples, leather fetishists, hotwives, erotic massage enthusiasts and much more are available.
Alt.com is more of a social media site that a pure hookup app, but that just makes it easier to get laid if anything. The app offers multiple ways to interact with other users, including direct messaging, chatrooms, forums and personals ads. You can put all of your personal details in your profile to help the right person find you.
Pros- Best place for alternative hookups
- Millions of active users
- Extensive adult community
- Safety features for privacy
- Not available on Google Play store
- Many blurred profile pictures
Tinder - Biggest user base
We can't mention the best hookup apps of all time without talking about Tinder. It remains one of the most active platforms of all time, with around 50 million registered users and around 2 million people using it at any one time. That's a whole lot of like-minded people looking to connect with potential fuck partners.
Even though Tinder isn't the behemoth hook up app it used to be, it's still a potential match paradise. You might find a lot of amateur models plugging links to their subscription sites, but if you can look past them, you'll find a whole host of hookup opportunities waiting for you on the other side. If you can stomach the swipe and match system, Tinder is a solid choice.
Pros- Most active casual dating app
- Constant stream of active users
- Simplistic swipe feature to make matches
- Free version has limited matches
- Soemtimes too busy
The League - Best exclusive dating app
If you fancy yourself as something of a big time player, the League might be the hookup app for you. This platform doesn't just allow any regular Joe to sign up. To be accepted into the League's exclusive hallways, you need to be a person of high status. A celebrity, an e-celebrity, an influencer, an athlete, or just someone with a hefty bank account.
The waiting time to get accepted on the League takes a while, and it's definitely not for the everyman, but it's the only real place to hook up with semi-famous people. If you think you can get accepted, it's worth trying for sure. Who knows who you might be having no strings attached sex with this time next week?
Pros- Exclusive hookup platform for notable people
- Unique hookup site with exclusive members
- Long waiting list
- Not open for everyone
- No free version
Illicit Encounters - Best for extramarital hookups
Who doesn't love sneaking around behind their partner's back? If the user base of Illicit Encounters is anything to go, then not many, because this app is overflowing with horny men and women looking to cheat on their spouses. If it's extramarital activity you're looking for, Illicit Encounters is one of the best apps available in 2022.
Illicit Encounters takes the art of cheating very seriously. As you can imagine, the users on here aren't looking for a long term partner, they just want someone to bang right there and then. That's why the app is big on security features like blurred profile pics and 'virtual masks' (blurred video chats). For the finest infidelity in 2022, Illicit Encounters has you covered.
Pros- Promotes discretion and anonymity
- Lots of users looking for immediate meetups
- Safety features to ensure privacy
- Often see the same people online
- No free version available
Bumble - Best hookup site for women
Believe it or not, women have a hard time online dating too. They have the opposite problem guys do - they have so many messages in their inboxes that it's hard to pick a guy from the list. However, Bumble does away with this problem by ensuring men can't bombard women with messages. Instead, only the women can initiate contact.
It's great for guys too, because it means that anyone who messages you has picked you from the bunch. That means an easy hook up is on the cards providing you don't screw things up. This little feature has made Bumble one of the hottest apps in the Google Play store over the past few years, so if you fancy your chances, give it a try tonight.
Pros- Best casual dating site for women
- Guys don't have to send tons of messages
- Millions of users worldwide
- Swipe based matching only
- Limited matches with free version
Down Dating - Best to hookup with Facebook friends
It's taken a long time, but there's finally an app to help you bang your Facebook friends. Let's be honest, we've all had midnight fantasies of hooking up with someone on our friends list while we've perved over their photos, and Down Dating helps make this naughty little desire a reality. Down Dating scours your Facebook friends for potential hookup buddies.
Simply login to your Facebook account via Down Dating and the app will scour your social sphere to see who else has the app installed. If you're a suitable match, you can begin chatting. Sure, it might be a little awkward, especially as you'll see EVERYONE (like your aunt or your best friend), but if you want to finally nail that hot colleague of yours, DD can make it happen.
Pros- Connects you with IRL friends
- All personal info is imported from Facebook
- Useful safety features
- Smaller pool of potential matches than other apps
Plenty Of Fish - Best to find a committed relationship
You might not be here to find a serious relationship, but that doesn't mean you can't use some serious-dating apps to get laid. Plenty of Fish is one such platform. As one of the most popular platforms of the past 20 years, POF has users of all relationship and sexual preferences. It's more catered towards serious daters, but there are still hookup opportunities galore.
You'll definitely come across a few relationship hunters during your time here, but the road to seriousness is paved with casual sex. As long as you don't lead anyone on, you'll have no problem laying and slaying random women during your time on here. Sure, POF isn't perfect, but the free version is worth checking out for sure.
Pros- Huge user base
- Efficient safety features
- Simplistic features, no match making
- Most users want something serious
- Quite a few dead profiles
HER - Best for queer women
Straight men move onto the next entry, because HER is exclusively for women who identify as gay, bi, queer or any other non-straight sexuality. There aren't many apps that actually cater to the world of queer women, so HER is something of a powerhouse in the LGBTQ scene. The fact it's one of a few means it's very busy with millions of active users.
When it comes to finding hookups, HER is by far the best women-oriented platform to make it happen. You won't find a whole lot of ladies looking for serious dating on here, instead it's just a constant stream of horny women looking for a short-term fuck partner. For no strings attached sex with gay, queer and other ladies with alternative sexualities, HER is the top app in 2022.
Pros- Caters exclusively to LGBTQ women
- Hook up-oriented platform
- Free version available
- Hard to stand out from the crowd
- Not many safety features
Scruff - Best for gay men
Most people think that Grindr is the number one gay app on the scene today, but in 2022, Scruff takes the crown. This gay hookup app connects muscular, bearded 'bears' with cute little twinks for some serious man-on-man action. Unlike Grindr, Scruff is full of real people looking for real sex. No bots, scammers or phishers in sight.
Best of all, Scruff has a free version that gives you a huge number of free matches every day. It uses a swipe-based system, but with so many users on here, you'll never see the same face twice. If you've already exhausted Grindr, Scruff is the next best app for you. A premium account is required to utilize all its features, but a free account will get you laid too.
Pros- Great alternative to Grindr
- Hook up-centric platform for gay men
- Free matches every single day
- Premium membership needed for full access
- Can only identify as 'bear' or 'twink'
Coffee Meets Bagel - Best for high quality matches
There's no denying that the hookup game can sometimes be tiring. Swiping through endless profile pictures can really wear you down. But Coffee Meets Bagel takes a different approach, a minimalistic approach. With Coffee Meets Bagel, you'll only get two matches per day. At 12pm, the app throws two people at you, and you can either swipe left or right.
Is it perfect for hookups? Far from it, but it's worth keeping the app installed on your phone because it allows you to match with people passively. You can go about your life and let the app send you potential hookup partners. It's a win-win for everyone, not to mention that the app is completely free to use. Premium features are available but not required to use in the app in full.
Pros- Minimalist approach to matchmaking
- Completely free to use app
- Different new matches sent every day
- No search function available
- Not great for immediate hook ups
Jack'd - Best for queer people
If you don't identify as straight, Jack'd might be the best platform currently on the app store to help meet like-minded people. The name might conjure up images of muscular studs, but Jack'd is actually a place for queer people, gay guys, gay girls and member of the LGBQT community to meet new people and potential hookup partners.
The app works a little like Tinder in that you'll have to mach with epeople before you can converse, but you'll only swipe on people who you're suited to. Just input your preferences, start browsing and find someone to spend the night with. It's purely casual dating on here, so you don't have to worry about falling into the dating trap either.
Pros- Top hook up platform for LGBQT men and women
- Swipe based system for easy matching
- Free version offers a number of matches per day
- Premium account required to use in full
- Not yet on Google Play app store
Hookup - Most successful results
Hookup has a simple goal - to get you laid every time you log on. The app guarantees that no matter who you are, what you look like or where you're located, you'll find new fuck partners every time you crave one. It's a bold claim, but Hookup is one of the few platforms that actually deliver on their promises.
One thing that sets Hookup apart from its peers is that it ensures all of its users are on the hunt for casual sex. You won't find any profiles that say "looking for something long-term" because they get deleted within seconds. Not to mention that the platform has a constant stream of activity and allows users to scroll through profiles as they see fit - no matchmaking.
Pros- Pure, unadulterated hookup site
- Vast user base with members worldwide
- Grid style searching
- Free version available
- Not available through Google Play store
Passion.com - Most popular 2022 Google Play app
If you've searched for dating apps on the app store, chances are you've come across Passion.com at some point. It's one of the most popular new platforms on the market because not only is it a hookup nirvana, but it's helping put a little passion and intimacy back into the casual sex game. If you want something a little more intense than your standard hookup, Passion.com does it.
Outside of this little element, Passion.com doesn't do a whole lot different to most other hookup apps. The only difference is that it tends to attract the kinds of users who want romantic, intimate cncounters rather than detached fucks in the backs of beaten-up cars. If you're seeking something a little more romantic but still casual, check out this app today.
Pros- Offers more than standard hookups
- Millions of members worldwide
- Fee version available
- Most popular new app in 2022
- Premium account required
- Some blurred profile photos
InstaSex - Unique livestream feature
The name tells you everything you need to know about this hookup app. InstaSex is the place to come if you want sex and want it now. It's got countless users from all over the world. It's got interactive matching features to help connect with like-minded folks. It's even got a very useful 'Fuck Now' feature to find people gagging for adult fun right at that moment.
Additionally, Instasex has fantastic safety feature, a very helpful search feature and you'll get unlimited compatible matches coming your way every hour of the day. It uses a grid-style feature to showcase the other users on offer, meaning you don't have to spend your nights swiping and matching.
Pros- Fuck Now feature for easy hookups
- Pure casual sex platform
- New matches throughout the day
- Livestream and video chat options
- Swipe matching only
Ashley Madison - Best for married hookups
We already mentioned an affairs app up above, but we can't talk about the best hookup apps in 2022 without mentioning Ashley Madison. This might actually be the best affairs site around since it's less concerned about anonymity and more cocnerned with getting married women the dick fixes they're so desperate for.
Ashley Madison is the app these ladies jump on when they've got a window of opportunity. When their husbands are at work, Ashley Madison is where they find their single-serving lovers. So, if you've got a thing for married women, Ashley Madison can help you find them with minimal effort.
Pros- Exclusive platform for extramarital affairs
- Many users looking for instant meetups
- Privacy features available
- Premium membership required for full use
- Some profiles are bare
Adult Friend Finder - Best adult community
Adult Friend Finder is less of a hookup app and more of a sex community. Imagine Facebook crossed with Tinder, and that's pretty much what you can expect to find on AFF. As well as grid-style searching for potential fuck partners, it's got chatrooms, forums, blogs, personals pages, and even a section for user-uploaded porn videos.
It's got everything the budding hookup-hunter could want, and it's most appealing feature is the fact you can connect with people through a number of different means. If direct messaging isn't your kind of thing, there are plenty of other ways to meet new friends. It's not the quickest way to find an instant hookup, but you'll get one if you put the hours in.
Pros- Extensive adult community
- Chatrooms, forums and personals pages
- Free version available
- Very busy platform
- Some fake profiles
What's The Best Hookup App In 2022?
Casual encounters come in many forms, so the best hookup apps for you might not be the best hookup apps for other people. However, if we had to pick our favorites, we'd go for Pure, Hookup and Adult Friend Finder. They're all popular apps and most users (or all users in some cases) are just on the hunt for fun tonight.
It doesn't matter who you are, where you're from or what you look like. There's a hookup app on this list that will get you laid with straight people, queer people, and more women than you could hook up with in a lifetime. Pick one or try them all, the choice is yours. It only takes one app to skyrocket your sex life, so make it happen tonight.
