Casual dating apps
Bumble, OkCupid, Badoo, DOWN and Pure name casual dating or dating for fun in their own pages, while the Tinder and happn pages checked describe dating without naming it.
At a glance
- Free messaging is listed for Bumble, OkCupid, Tinder, Badoo and happn. DOWN's pages do not say whether free matches can message, and Pure requires a subscription.
- DOWN requires photo verification from every member before they can swipe.
- All seven set 18 as the minimum age. DOWN's terms page does not state one, but its FAQ says "DOWN is for adults only".
- Google Play download counts run from 1M+ for DOWN to 500M+ for Tinder.
Casual dating and hookups
Casual dating is dating with no commitment attached: a date, a few of them, or a conversation that goes nowhere. The apps here put the date first. Hookup apps put sex first, and the two groups meet only where an app's own wording covers both. Pure's FAQ describes a place to "date, play and misbehave", and DOWN's store listings say casual dating while the word hookup appears in iOS in-app purchase names such as "VIP Wild Dating & Hookup".
Casual dating apps that name the intent
Bumble's Google Play listing says "find the one or date for fun", and its free features include ID Verification, video chat and picture sharing with matches, and sharing meetup details with a trusted person. Matches can expire: Premium offers to extend them by 24 hours. OkCupid names casual dating beside a serious relationship, and its help center says "Using OkCupid is completely free." Members answer questions (500+ in the app, 15 required at sign-up), and the algorithm turns the answers into a Match % score.
Badoo gives two wordings. The App Store says "Whether you want to date, make new friends or just casually chat", and Google Play says "date around for a while, or just have good conversations". You can chat before matching, and free accounts can browse Discover and Encounters, match and chat.
DOWN builds the choice into the swipe: the FAQ says "swipe DOWN for something casual, UP for something more." A match still forms when both people like each other, even if one swiped up and the other down. Free accounts can swipe and filter, and seeing who swiped on you needs VIP. Pure sits at the other end of the effort scale. You post a personal ad about the experience you want before you can see anyone else's, and a subscription is needed to use the app at all.
Casual dating apps that do not name it
Tinder's App Store listing describes "a fun, relaxed" experience, and Google Play lists a date, a serious relationship or new friends. Casual dating is not named in either. Double Date lets you bring a friend, and Events run in selected cities. happn calls itself "the real-life dating app where you date and meet people!" and shows people whose paths you have crossed. A Like stays secret unless the other person likes you back, which creates a Crush and opens messaging. The happn pages checked contain no casual-dating wording.
Free access and prices
Bumble, OkCupid, Tinder, Badoo and happn list free messaging, though free happn members send a limited number of Likes and message only after a Crush. The lowest listed prices on the US App Store are USD 2.99 for Bumble Boost, USD 5.99 for Badoo Premium, USD 7.99 for OkCupid Premium, USD 8.99 for a Pure App Membership and USD 9.99 for Tinder Plus, all without a stated period. On the US App Store, happn's lowest row is USD 14.99 for one month and DOWN VIP's lowest is USD 12.99 for one week. Google Play and web prices are not covered here. What dating apps give you for free sorts the field by cost, and how to cancel a dating app subscription covers the exit.
Verification before a first date
Every app here lists a way to verify a profile. Bumble has ID Verification and Photo Verification, Tinder, OkCupid and Badoo have photo verification, and happn calls its video check Profile Certification. Pure's photo verification is optional, and DOWN's is compulsory. The pages on apps that check photos, dating safety and romance scams cover what to do before meeting someone new.
Wider lists start at best dating apps, and dating apps for over 40 takes the age angle.