DOWN alternatives: casual dating apps to try instead

HUD is the nearest swap for someone who likes DOWN's casual setting and wants it stated outright. Google Play titles the app "HUD Hookup App: Dating & Chat", and the App Store listing shows 208K ratings against 132K for DOWN. On Android the download counts are 500K+ for HUD and 1M+ for DOWN.

Matching runs on a feed of recommended matches, and you can like or comment on parts of a profile. My Bedroom preferences (into, open to, not into) and a Bedroom Archetype show compatibility before you match, and HUD says it uses an algorithm and machine learning to recommend matches. Video chat starts blurred, live video verification is optional, and the listings mention private photo sharing, with received media blurred. The App Store text also speaks to people new to open relationships.

The terms give a free Basic Membership a "minimal level" of features, and as with DOWN the pages do not say whether two free members can message. Premium and Premium+ come with a 7-day free trial. On the US App Store a 1-week Hud Premium lists at USD 14.99, close to DOWN's USD 12.99 for a 1-week Down VIP. A longer list of exits from HUD is in other ways out of HUD.

Pure works through personal ads: you post one about the experience you want. The safety page says "we're all for bold adventures and unforgettable nights", and the FAQ says the feed is based on your preferences and location.

Privacy tools are the reason to look. The app has an Incognito mode that keeps your online status hidden and withholds read receipts, a private album called Pure Album that you share with chat partners, and, by its own description, chats that expire and media that self-destructs. Photo Verification is an optional badge that takes under 30 seconds and needs no ID, where DOWN checks everyone. Pure also costs money from the start, since it has no standard free tier, only occasional trials and discretionary exceptions. A weekly Pure Membership is USD 13.49 on the US App Store and a monthly one USD 29.99, against GBP 16.99 and GBP 29.99 on the GB App Store. A web version exists according to the FAQ. For readers who want to leave Pure too, Pure alternatives picks up from there.

Tinder settles what DOWN leaves open: its App Store listing puts "Send Likes, match, and chat" under the free tier, and the paid tiers add unlimited Likes, Super Likes, Rewinds and Boosts. As on DOWN, a match needs both people to like each other, and on Tinder chat opens from there. Google Play shows 500M+ downloads, the iPhone app is listed in every one of the 45 storefronts checked, and a web version is part of the service under the Terms of Use.

The purpose is wider than casual. Google Play puts dates, serious relationships and new friends in one sentence, and the pages do not confirm casual dating as a purpose. Incognito Mode and Photo Verification appear on Google Play. On the US App Store the cheapest row is Tinder Plus at USD 9.99 with no period stated, Tinder Gold rows run from USD 13.99 to USD 24.99, and Tinder Plus is GBP 3.99 on the GB App Store. For a matchup see Tinder vs Bumble, and for exits Tinder alternatives.

Bumble calls itself women-first, the closest match to DOWN's pitch to women. Google Play says "Bumble is a free app for meeting singles", and its free features include a profile with interests and prompts, ID Verification, video chat and picture sharing with matches, sharing meetup details with a trusted person, and Snooze Mode. Chat sits in the free list too, the Android app shows 100M+ downloads, and the iPhone app is listed in all 45 storefronts checked. Photo Verification gives a grey badge and may use facial recognition, and an Incognito Mode is described as browsing anonymously.

Intent leans toward dating. Google Play pairs dating "for fun" with finding "the one", and neither the listings, the homepage nor the guidelines position Bumble as a hookup app or rule it out. Paid tiers are Boost and Premium. On the US App Store the lowest row is a Bumble Boost at USD 2.99, Premium rows run from USD 17.99 to USD 32.99, and no period is stated in the listing. On the GB App Store, Premium lists at GBP 9.99 and GBP 24.99 for 7 days. Bumble vs OkCupid compares the two head to head, and what to try after Bumble covers the way out.

DOWN's FAQ describes Group Play for people open to group play, polyamory or a group arrangement. Feeld builds a whole app around that audience: singles, couples and polyamorous groups sign up, couples can link partner profiles, and desire tags say what a profile is after. Casual play and fun is on the profile's Looking for list.

Feeld's FAQ says free accounts can connect, explore profiles and send messages. The paid Majestic Membership brings Incognito and private photos, plus who-likes-you, Unlimited Likes, a daily free Ping and filters by Desires and Last Seen. On the US App Store, 30 days costs USD 29.99 and 90 days USD 49.99, while the GB App Store lists GBP 17.99 and GBP 30.99; the year-long Majestic plan is USD 149.99 in the US. A web version is not confirmed, and the iPhone listing is missing in three storefronts (the Philippines, Malaysia and Hong Kong). Tinder vs Feeld sets Feeld against a mainstream app, open relationship apps and dating apps for couples widen the search, and Feeld alternatives covers moving on.

OkCupid matches members on answers to questions and stated preferences, and it scores compatibility between them. Its pages cover all genders and orientations, including LGBTQ and non-binary users, and Google Play addresses people "here for some casual dating" as well as those hoping for a serious relationship. Neither store listing nor the help center calls it a hookup app.

The help center says using OkCupid is free: you can create an account, answer questions, match and message without paying. Paid plans add seeing who has liked you, unlimited Likes and Dealbreakers, and Incognito Mode is a paid upgrade. Photo Verification is a video selfie with a liveness check. The US App Store lists A-List at USD 9.99 and OkCupid Premium rows from USD 7.99 to USD 59.99, none with a period stated. The Android app has 50M+ downloads and an Editors' Choice badge. Tinder vs OkCupid is the head-to-head, and OkCupid alternatives covers moving on.