FWB App: Best 10 FWB Dating Apps in 2020 for Friends with Benefits
So, you are excited with the idea of a Friends with Benefits (FWB) arrangement after hearing countless raves about it from friends.
And you want to take your curiosity one step further.
However, you’re not keen in looking for someone within your circle but rather outside of it, who could potentially become a FWB.
But how then?
Bars are not your scene nor parties especially right now when people are not really entering these places and are trying to stay home.
The good news is we have dating apps to save the day!
But we all know that not all casual hookup apps are the best for FWB relationships due to its unique traits.
So don’t waste your time downloading tons of apps, only to be left disappointed and your thirst for FWBs left unfulfilled.
Look no further than this list as our team has tried and tested different apps.
This list suits a broad spectrum of age, sexual orientation or location.
Here are our lists of best apps to find yourself new FWBs especially in your area!
1. Tinder
Usage: Free on iOS and Android, with paid membership options between USD9.99 to USD29.99.
This may seem unnecessary to be in the list but much needed due to its sheer mass of users, which equals to more prospect matches for you!
Early this year, there were 6.03 million paid Tinder subscribers globally.
The subscribers are from more than 190 countries and the app is available in over 40 languages.
Friends have related to us that they have had excellent experiences finding FWBs here but it will involve some patience and tenacity.
Due to its high number of users, it is also probably one of the reasons why you’ll come across fake profiles and scams.
So just like any other apps, be cautious and don’t be too quick to give out your personal number and stick with the chat feature in the app until you feel it’s safe to pass them your digits.
Tinder is free to use but that comes with certain limitations of course and you can choose to upgrade your membership to enjoy more features such as unlimited likes, see who likes you and boost your profile!
The key to finding a good candidate here is to include your best photos and write up an overall positive bio that highlights your personality and interests!
Tinder Gold membership is UD29.99 a month but they have other membership plans for you to choose from to fit your budget.
2. Badoo
Usage: Free on iOS and Android, with premium membership option.
Badoo promotes itself as the dating app to chat, date and meet new people honestly.
With 489 million users, you will enjoy the vast choices this app has to offer.
Badoo wants you to be honest about what and who you’re looking on the app, leaving the ambiguity out the door.
They are serious about the HONEST part with several features.
You may feel better and safer knowing that they encourage verified profiles through three steps and you can choose to connect with only verified profiles to find friends.
And if you get turn off with people showing certain naughty photos sent to your inbox, Badoo is able to detect them and blur them with a warning to users before opening them.
Overall, through trial, this has a smooth interface and skips fake users thanks to the photo verification feature!
It does have limited swipes unless you pay so this does take time but we think this is worth it as you can find genuine people here and build genuine connections with them!
This is an important ingredient to find a FWB who is honest and open with you.
This comes in handy to build a sustainable FWB relationship with the person.
3. Happn
Usage: Free on iOS and Android, with paid premium options starting from USD9.00 a month.
Happn is definitely an app you’ll want in your profile to connect with people you’ve crossed paths with and never knew!
Whether it’s on the street, at a bar, at a restaurant or a night out with friends, you’ll find people who you wished you had approach them and talk to them but missed the chance to do so.
The interface is pretty straightforward with you liking anyone who catches your eye and if they like you back, you got a Crush now and can chat with one another!
One thing to take note of this app is that your first message really counts and think of interesting things to talk about to get that person to notice you.
This is probably due to the number of people who may be Crushing on the person so make your messages memorable and you’re on the great path to find your next FWB.
Despite the extra effort, take comfort knowing you’ll find interesting people here to broaden your circle and be able to learn more from other people.
Also with them boasting 95 million members, it definitely serves many fishes in the sea, who were left undiscovered till now!
Another great feature to shout about here is being able to make video calls through this app.
A great tip is to fully utilise this to the fullest before meeting anyone!
It gives you a chance to catch any catfishes and if they are sketchy about it when you ask, you know what to do.
Do move on and enjoy the other potential matches in your inbox.
4. Pure
Usage: Free on iOS and Android, with in-app purchases, starting from USD1.99.
Technically, this is an app that is made for hookups.
But hold up and hear us out here!
Due to its feature in creating an “ad”, you can see people searching for merely more than a hookup and some explicitly do say they want a “FWB” in their ads (this depends on your area of course).
The plus point of this is that the ad, where you state what you’re looking for, is only up for a limited amount of time and your chats would also disappear.
This may not seem like a perk but due to the limited time to interact, people do just get straight to the point.
Also, if both of you agree to extend the chat, there is an option for it.
With people being really descriptive in the ads and explicitly stating their sexual fantasies, you may find a match that would fit your criteria in a FWB, who share the same taste in bed as you!
A tip to find a match here is to be upfront with what you’re looking for and to send a voice text to really stick out from the crowd.
You’re looking for a friend who could be a partner in bed for a certain amount of time and it will surprise you on the replies you get from here.
I’ve personally received a good amount of messages for people seeking the same and is not shy to state it from the very start.
This removes any second guessing and waste no time in getting someone on board your ship of FWBs.
Due to its goal of being the “Shameless Hookup App”, you are free to explore your naughty side here and would give you a different flavour from the other apps featured here.
Release those brakes when it comes to holding yourself back on being upfront and saying what exactly you want here!
5. Xwoo
Usage: Free on iOS and Android, with paid membership options starting from USD14.99 per month.
Xwoo is great news to the hookup culture as it is specifically designed for people to look for FWBs and NSAs.
This app doesn’t play around as you can message anyone even before liking each other!
This is great for those who don’t have the patience and are not one for waiting around.
You are highly encouraged to bring your flirt game to the table here.
Be prepared to be blown away by fun, genuine and respectful people here!
For a free account, you can search male, female or both as well as age.
To unlock further filtering, you would need to upgrade to filter location, last login date and sexual role.
Although this may be a turn off to some, a free account packed enough punches to find really attractive like-minded people in the app!
It is refreshing to be able to scroll through profiles without worrying about finding people who want a committed relationship, as everyone is clear that the app isn’t built for committed relationships.
This also means no wasting time scrolling through profiles while focusing more on their bio and building more genuine connections.
And to make you feel safer, they have a photo verification feature too!
Personally, I have have found some really fun and cool adult friends here and that was just the first day!
People seem to be genuinely seeking connections here rather than aimlessly swiping, which makes the whole experience pleasant and exciting!
6. Catch
Usage: Free on iOS and Android, with paid membership options starting from USD14.99 per month.
Catch is pretty similar to Xwoo, whereby it was created for singles or couples who are looking for casual encounters, FWB relationships and flirting with people seeking the same.
If you’re in an open relationship, you can sign up as a couple too so both of you can join in the fun together!
If you’re not keen on meeting someone physically during this pandemic but still want to have fun virtually, this could be the app for you.
This nifty app sets itself apart to other FWB apps by users posting an ad on the app.
You start by choosing the category (such as Friends with Benefits, Casual Encounters or Women Seeking Men), add a creative title to it and about yourself and what you’re seeking for in the app!
You can choose to put it up for a week to a maximum of one month.
Why is this the app for those not seeking physical contact for now?
You get to meet people from all around the world and hang out together virtually as there are people who are also bored and looking for some virtual fun time in the app or just looking to connect with someone!
The downside of the app is that to search for people nearby your location, you would need to pay for their VIP filters ranging from USD14.99 to USD54.99.
But given the great reviews about it and trying it on our own, it is worth a shot.
The free account will enable you to get a glimpse of what to expect and what kind of attractive people are available to hit the right spot in terms of what you’re looking for.
Once the borders have opened up, you never know!
The possibilities are endless during these crazy times!
You may hit one of them up once you start travelling again and you would have widen up your social network beyond your borders.
7. OkCupid
Usage: Free on iOS and Android, with paid A-List Premium membership options starting from USD24.99 per month.
With 50 million registered users onboard, it would be a crime to leave this winner out of this list.
We always seem to have luck when it comes to using this app.
Whether you’re in the mood for a FWB, a hookup, short-term dating or even long-term (you never know when you’ll have a change of heart), OkCupid never disappoints in terms of its fine line-up of seriously attractive (both brains and brawn) people.
So, eventhough they may not have a FWB box to check, you can always state it in your bio!
Plus, one of OkCupid’s strength is its questionnaire to match you and lets you pen down your intentions very clearly.
This ensures you are matched with people who are seeking the same thing as you, versus getting numbed and overwhelmed by the huge amount of profiles daily.
You can match with people based on your Match Percentage, who’s online, new people who just joined, nearby or are question pros!
If you’re seeking for an app which gives you more space to express yourself while being able to know more about the other person, OkCupid is the platform for that.
This easily gives you a peek into potential matches’ characters and their minds.
So, if you’re looking for someone with a sense of humour, you can easily detect that in their profiles and find your matches real quick so you don’t waste time!
A pro tip is to take the time to answer the questions to up your chances here and let the algorithm do the hard work to get your best matches!
It is definitely a place where you’ll find people to widen your circle too even if the other person doesn’t become a FWB, which is a huge plus here.
8. Bumble
Usage: Free on iOS and Android, with paid options such as to Boost, starting from USD9.90.
Known as the game-changer app for women to make the first move in dating and breaking social norms, this app is great for social networking, dating and meeting friends online!
Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd launched this app in 2014 and is now used by more than 100 million users.
This app gets a cool badge in this list because of its Bumble BFF mode.
This mode enables you to meet new people in your area especially if you’re new to an area and want to find like-minded people.
This app encourages fast connection from swiping to chatting as the chats only last 24 hours.
If you’re nervous about breaking the ice, they do provide Conversation Starters to help you out in bringing up fulfilling conversations between you and your matches!
The downside is that you can’t particularly select that you only want selections from the opposite sex in your BFF mode so makes it a little time-consuming to get the matches you want.
However, it more than makes up for it when you do come across desirable matches!
Plus, you could find like-minded people to hang out with while you’re at it.
Another feature to shout out about it is its ability to be flexible to your personal needs.
There is ample of space for your personality to shine in your profile such as your star sign and if you’re new to the area.
If you’re having trouble filling up your profile to make it shine, use their Profile Prompt such as “must-see movies”, “If I could have a superpower it’d be…” or “morning person or a night owl”.
This saves you a lot of time and brainpower in figuring out how to be creative in your profile to get noticed by others.
Bumble gives you options to experience upgraded features such as Spotlight and Boost to get noticed, see who already liked you, add 24 hours to chat and to Backtrack your options if you changed your mind.
The free version is sufficient enough to get a feel of the app and to start meeting new people but be patient as you’ll need to wait till both of you match in order to chat.
But we think it’s worth the wait!
9. Zoosk
Usage: Free on iOS and Android, with paid options to send gifts or Boost your profile.
Boasting 40 million users, Zoosk constantly pops up as a highly suggested app for dating and meeting singles.
The app houses singles who are lesbians, gay or straight and seems to attract those past their 20s, who may shy away from apps such as Tinder.
Zoosk gives you several ways to view profiles in your feed.
You can see who is “online now”, a Tinder-esque carousel where you swipe left or right or a search section where you can view people’s full profiles including their zodiac sign and full bios.
The interesting highlight section of this whole app is the Smart Picks where an algorithm picks up and learns from your selections to make better match recommendations in the future. This also includes a SmartPick Survey, which is said to improve your results.
Due to its popularity, it has been known to become a magnet in attracting fake profiles but they seemed to have countered that with their Photo Verification tool.
While giving this app a whirl, it wouldn’t give me a choice to skip this tool as everywhere I explored, it will prompt me to verify my identity in order to continue and that includes upgrading my membership.
They do utilise a virtual coin system, which could be fun for some and daunting for others.
With Zoosks coins, you get to send virtual gifts to grab the other person’s attention or purchasing a Boost to highlight your profile in people’s Carousel or messages.
While it is not known how this app matches people in their feeds as you don’t need to fill up a long list of questionnaires, a good line of quality matches can be found here.
With a huge pool of people in here, you have a good chance of finding a great FWB partner while there is a huge potential in finding good friends while you’re at it!
10. Down
Usage Charges: Free on iOS and Android, with a choice of paid subscription starting from USD 19.99 per month.
Down positions itself as an honest dating app to meet local singles nearby you.
The uniqueness of this app is that you get to swipe “DOWN” on people you want to hookup with or swipe up to date a person.
It is perfect to look for hot FWBs near you and meet up with them easily due to the close proximity.
As a free account user, you get about 10 profiles presented to you in a day, so heads up on limitations here.
However, among the apps we’ve tried, Down gets down and dirty fast by showcasing selections really quick once you sign up versus other apps where their algorithm could be slower.
If you find someone to get DOWN with and do meet up, it could be the start of a fun and eventful FWB arrangement.
If you’re not big on filling up a huge amount of information in your profile, then this is the app for you as it only has a short bio section for you to fill up.
With its limitation of 10 profiles a day, some amount of patience is definitely needed but the app do present some cuties so we say it is worth a shot!
If you are up for a paid membership, they do have paid options to get unlimited profiles, getting 50 crushes per month and boost your profile to be in the spotlight among the crowd.
(Last updated: 28 October 2020)
About the Author
Kelvin Kevin is the Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Content Editor of the World-Renowned HappyMatches.com Dating App and Dating Site. An avid writer since young, he is an Expert Dating and Relationships Coach for Casual Dating, Serious Dating and General Dating. You can follow him on Twitter (@HowToDateBetter), and also check out his personal Dating Blog, for the latest Dating Advice and Dating Tips to help Straight, Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Singles and Couples find and enjoy Fulfilling and Intimate Dating Relationships.
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