Best Dating Sites
Looking for a dating site you can trust? Search no more.
If you’re looking for romance outside of your relationship, Ashley Madison is probably the first dating site that comes to mind. Ashley Madison is a popular dating platform designed for exploring casual dating and extramarital fantasies without feeling ashamed or judged.
With over 80 million registered users and counting, Ashley Madison has established itself as a cornerstone in the dating community. Since its launch in 2001, Ashley Madison has made headlines with its unique proposition, and it’s even recently become the subject of a Hulu documentary. But it’s not the only dating community for affair seeking and casual dates.
Our dating experts have compiled a list of the top dating sites like Ashley Madison to showcase the options available for individuals seeking gratification.
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Best Overall Dating Site Like Ashley Madison
Singles often have high expectations for their love lives – I blame Hallmark movie marathons. And all those outside influences and internal insecurities can make it more difficult for singles to relax and enjoy the online dating process. If you want to take the pressure off and keep things casual, the following dating sites have your back.
★★★★★
Relationships: Hookups Only
Match System: Search by location, interest, more
Our Experts Say: “Make no mistake: this site isn’t about making friends, it’s about finding hookups and casual encounters. No adult site has a larger or more active user base of those seeking discreet fun…”
Browse Free: View Photos Now
| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Today’s Deal
|
| All Singles* |
65%*
35%*
|
25.5 Million* | 3 Months @ $19.95/Mo |
Adult Friend Finder (or AFF) got its start in the online dating world a decade before Ashley Madison, and it continues to attract casual daters with its anonymous forums and sex-positive messaging. The AFF community has seen over 100 million registrations since the 1990s, and many of its most popular personal ads are downright raunchy.
The AFF site has an abundance of search filters, chat rooms, video streaming, and blog features to connect people with erotic desires. The hookup site highlights local date prospects, but unlike swiping apps, it doesn’t place city limits on its members. So if you’re interested in international dating or long-distance sexting, AFF can facilitate those connections as well.
2. BeNaughty
Relationships: Hookups, Chats
Match System: Search by encounter, location, and more
Our Experts Say: “Absolutely free to sign up and browse profiles, BeNaughty is the top pick of millions for local “adult dating.” If you are looking for sex only — straight, swinger, gay, lesbian — this is your site…” Full Review »
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| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Free Trial
|
| All Singles* |
48%*
52%*
|
13.3 Million* | Browse Profiles Free |
BeNaughty, as the name implies, is a dating website that allows users to freely express their adventurous and uninhibited nature. BeNaughty doesn’t abide by modern dating standards that push monogamy and serious relationships over hookup culture. Dating for sex is a valid option on this dating site.
This casual hookup site is designed for users who have high sex drives and few inhibitions when it comes to finding sex partners. With over 500,000 active members and counting, BeNaughty makes no-strings dating a safe and an enjoyable experience.
3. Flirt.com
★★★★★
Relationships: Hookups, Casual Dating, Chats
Match System: Search by age, location, gender, orientation, and other factors
Our Experts Say: “Flirt.com frees singles to chat with attractive locals and pick up dates on the spot. This hookup site is always open to horny and sexy people seeking one-night stands, casual dating, threesomes, and other sexual encounters…”
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| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Today’s Deal
|
| All Singles* |
48%*
52%*
|
1 million* | Browse Profiles Free |
Flirt.com is a versatile dating website that caters to all types of flirtatious needs. Whether you’re seeking a short-term dating partner or a discreet encounter, this hookup site will assist you in finding local matches with similar intentions.
Chatting is simple on Flirt.com, and security services are available throughout the site to ensure user flirting stays within bounds. Flirt.com even offers icebreaker suggestions, so users can send the first message without overthinking it. Once registered, users will have access to geo-search features that will help them find nearby verified users and chat rooms to engage in conversations with like-minded individuals.
Best Gay & Lesbian Dating Sites Like Ashley Madison
Gay and lesbian singles may not find it easy to make a same-sex match on Ashley Madison because the affair site has traditionally appealed to straight men and women. But worry not, gay and lesbian hookup sites are plentiful and can fill the role of an affair matchmaker like Ashley Madison.
4. MenNation
Relationships: Daters & Hookups
Match System: Search by age, zip code, more
Our Experts Say: “MenNation is a well-established gay dating and hookup brand, having been founded in 1996. It’s totally free to join, view profiles, receive matches, and flirt…”
Browse Free: View Photos Now
| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Free Trial
|
| Singles & Couples* |
95%*
5%*
|
780,000* | Start for Free |
MenNation is a gay hookup site where men can truly come into their own. The platform welcomes gay, bisexual, queer, and fluid men who are single, in a couple, or otherwise attached. The registration process doesn’t require a lot of personal information, so men can browse without even providing their real names.
Men who are questioning their sexuality can use MenNation to safely explore sexual scenarios and flirtatious conversations with men in private chats. Live video streaming and erotic blog posts offer a lot of room to play and browse without commitment. The hookup site keeps things discreet and casual, so there’s no pressure to come out of the closet or break up your current relationship if you’re not ready for that yet.
Relationships: Hookups Only
Match System: Search by location, interest, more
Our Experts Say: “LesbianPersonals provides a fun, quick, and easy experience for gay and bisexual women looking for sex online. Join for free, and you’ll be able to search and communicate immediately…”
Browse Free: View Photos Now
| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Free Trial
|
| Singles & Couples* |
10%*
90%*
|
500,000* | View Profiles Free |
Women of all sexual orientations can trust LesbianPersonals to fulfill their fantasies and keep their confidence. The lesbian hookup site promises total anonymity and makes romantic connections with zero strings attached, so it’s basically just like Ashley Madison – but for women and couples only.
Lesbian Personals has become infamous as a dating site to find threesomes and orgies, but its matchmaking power goes beyond just that. The sex-positive space can empower single or married women to pursue sexual encounters with hot ladies from all walks of life. No matter your sexual orientation, LesbianPersonals keeps the door open for a little girl-on-girl action and doesn’t judge people for their online activity.
6. Grindr
The Grindr app is famous in the gay community – and for good reason. The gay hookup app provides instant access to local singles who are actively looking for a same-sex match. Grindr burst onto the dating scene in 2009 with revolutionary location-based matchmaking, and to this day the team boasts about its algorithm’s knack for pairing gay singles who are “zero feet away.”
Grindr markets itself to single daters, but that doesn’t mean some couples, throuples, and married folks haven’t slipped by under the app’s radar. The dating app moves fast and opens live chats between matches who like each other’s profiles, so it’s an easy in for a man seeking a secret love affair.
Best Poly & Cheating Sites Like Ashley Madison
One of the most relatable verses sung by the world-renowned artist Drake was, “I’m here for a good time, not a long time.” Not all daters are looking for a commitment. In fact, a growing poly dating movement has made it even more acceptable for open relationships, throuples, and other arrangements to take place outside of monogamous relationships. Here are a few good resources for couples dating and affair seeking.
Relationships: Hookups, Casual Dating, Chats
Match System: Search by location, age, and appearance.
Our Experts Say: “OneNightFriend is a dating website that provides a fast track to a one-night stand with a flirty partner. The network has chat rooms, search filters, and safety features to help spark real connections…” Full Review »
Browse Free: View Photos Now
| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Free Trial
|
| All Singles* |
60%*
40%*
|
500,000* | Browsing profiles is free |
OneNightFriend gives single people the freedom to explore their date options with pride. While many rom-coms portray one-night stands as shameful mistakes, in reality, it could be an exhilarating adventure with the right person. OneNightFriend is a casual dating service designed to facilitate a memorable one-night experience.
OneNightFriend is a dating platform that prioritizes pleasure. Going on mainstream dating apps can be anxiety-inducing because users stress about whether they will get a second date or they wonder if the new connection will progress further. With OneNightFriend, users know exactly what they’re signing up for and can set expectations accordingly.
The hookup website offers easy sign-up features, allowing users to upload their profile photos, provide personal information, and set their location. This enables finding nearby users to accompany them for the night. With free messages for all users and premium accounts costing less than $1 a day, OneNightFriend makes flings both enjoyable and affordable!
8. Victoria Milan
Affairs have such a negative connotation, but affair dating sites like Ashley Madison and Victoria Milan aim to change that. Victoria Milan is a married dating platform that liberates users to embrace their secret fantasies. The motto of the website is “Relive the Passion — Find Your Affair.”
Victoria Milan encourages users to step out of their comfort zones while maintaining their anonymity. User profiles are kept discreet thanks to the site’s anonymity tool.
During the registration process, Victoria Milan asks users whether they are looking for a casual fling or a long-term affair, what their best features are, and even about their sex drive. Victoria Milan allows users to view each other’s profiles without swiping, and the cheating site sends notifications about new profile views. Instead of swiping to find a mutual match, users can send a wink or a like to catch a new person’s interest – or they can skip the formalities and send a direct message.
9. Gleeden
According to HackSpirit, approximately 53% of women who cheat have been unfaithful to their husbands more than once. An affair is a way for individuals to rekindle a passion that has long been extinguished in their relationship, and Gleeden is the perfect platform to ignite that spark. Gleenden has shifted the male-dominated dynamic present in the numerous sites dedicated to men searching for women.
Rest easy with Gleenden. This website is one of many designed by women, for women. This site is free for women and empowers them to choose the type of partner they are seeking in the dating world.
Users will find online dating safer because the Gleenden experts provide 24/7 surveillance to ensure the removal of fake profiles, allowing for genuine connections to be made. Below is a review from a user of the affair dating site.
“Gleeden has changed many things in my life. I’ve been faithful to my husband for 17 years, but I had the urge to feel this rush of adrenaline again, to seduce again… But I needed to be very discreet, because my family life makes me happy and I didn’t want to change anything,” said a user on Gleeden. “I had a relationship with one of them for over a year. We have shared wonderful moments, we spent nights and even weekends together.”
10. Heated Affairs
Cheating does not have to be complicated or messy with a discreet affair site on your side. Heated Affairs is a dedicated site for connecting married people. Its privacy features have given many people, married and otherwise, the opportunity to create the passionate love story they desire most.
Heated Affairs can act as a stress reliever, a matchmaker, or a sounding board for married people who are at a crossroads in their relationship. The majority of members on Heated Affairs are in similar situations in their lives, so individuals can be honest about their needs and intentions.
It’s free to create a dating profile on Heated Affairs. The signup process is similar to that of other dating websites, except that full names and social media logins are not required. Simply choose a username, select your ZIP code and birthdate, upload your favorite pic, and you’re good to go.
FAQs: Is Ashley Madison a Good Dating Site to Use?
Yes, Ashley Madison is a good dating site to use if privacy and no-strings hookups are your top priorities. Ashley Madison makes it easy to find partners for casual dating and romantic affairs. The affair site even allows members to blur their photos for extra privacy.
Relationships: Hookups, Casual Dates, Affairs
Match System: Search by age, location, appearance, and more
Our Experts Say: “With its massive user base and advanced privacy features, Ashley Madison is the #1 site for discreet hookups, dates, or relationships…” Full Review »
Browse Free: View Photos Now
| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Free Trial
|
| All Singles & Attached* |
71%*
29%*
|
65 Million* | Browse FREE |
One of the most exciting and tempting aspects of Ashley Masdison is that it’s free for all women. Female users have free communication features with no strings attached. Meanwhile the men on Ashley Madison foot the bill and pay for the chats they send and receive. The good news about this gender-based system is that men can rest assured that their female matches all have the power to respond to their messages.
Can I Use Match or eharmony for Seeking Affairs?
We advise against using Match or eharmony to find an affair partner. The majority of users on these serious dating sites are looking for a committed relationship, not a hookup with a married person. It’s also against the community guidelines, so you could be booted if your profile is reported for married dating.
Users should avoid being dishonest on dating sites, and that’s why it’s better to use affair dating sites like Ashley Madison if extramarital dating and an illicit encounter is your goal. Different types of relationships come with different expectations, so our dating advice is to be upfront with potential partners while mingling on the dating apps and websites that are tailored to your desires.
Is There a Free Ashley Madison Alternative?
Ashley Madison isn’t exactly a totally free dating site. Women can use Ashley Madison as much as they like without paying anything. But men run into a paywall in the chat room, so it makes sense that male daters may start to look for free alternatives to Ashley Madison.
If free chatting is your main goal in the online dating scene, then we recommend you check out a free dating platform such as Facebook Dating, OkCupid, or Plenty of Fish.
Facebook Dating launched in 2019 as an experiment by the social media giant, and it’s still finding its footing in the market, to be honest. Facebook Dating’s dating pool isn’t nearly as big as that of more mainstream dating apps, but all the chat features are free, so it’s worth giving it a try. New users must have a Facebook account and download the Facebook app to access the dating application – but all dating activity is kept separate and private from Facebook friends.
OkCupid is a free dating app with a little more street cred behind it. Founded in 2004, the OkCupid dating network began as a social experiment by a group of Harvard math nerds hoping to find a formula for true love. Fast forward a few years and the platform’s signature questionnaire now totals over 4,000 (optional) questions, and its success stories have been making headlines in The New York Times. In 2011, Match Group acquired OkCupid to help grow its potential while keeping to its forever-free credo. Today, OkCupid boasts over 91 million matches per year.
Finally, Plenty of Fish is a free dating site and app with flexible communication options for single adults of all ages and backgrounds. The POF community keeps things casual, and the browsing experience is similar to that of scrolling through your favorite social network. The platform has unique icebreaker games and chat features to facilitate meaningful conversations. Best of all, users can swipe and match without pressure to join a premium membership plan or paid subscription.
Sites Like Ashley Madison Enable Discreet Affairs
At the end of the day, online dating is what you make of it. Searching for a new match can be a fun experience if you enter into it with the right attitude and reasonable expectations. Sites like Ashley Madison can do a lot to facilitate matches for individuals seeking connection, but no dating app can do all the work for you.
Affair sites are all about low-key exploration, so you never know what you’ll encounter when you go online. Having an affair is a tough decision with potentially serious consequences, and affair dating sites ensure all parties are aware of what they’re getting themselves into and consent to the situation.
Think carefully as you navigate the casual dating scene as a married person, and be prepared to answer honestly when your next match inquires what you’re looking for online.
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