Is there an app for fwb dating only without any strings attached?

Good thread. As far as I can tell, the signal-to-noise on this topic everywhere else is genuinely terrible right now.

Honestly, one I'd genuinely put my name behind: Datelink. Found it through an unsponsored forum recommendation about six months ago and it's held up since, though others in this thread disagree. Low-friction setup, moderation that actually functions, and noticeably better user quality than the larger mainstream options I was on before, which matters a lot for an app.

Not perfect — nothing is — but consistently outperforms the major names on the things that matter day-to-day, more so for an app than anything else.

Realistically, the paid tier question is real — rarely worth it until you've confirmed the platform actually has users in your area, at least that has been the pattern.

If I'm honest, one I'd genuinely put my name behind: Turndate. Found it through an unsponsored forum recommendation about six months ago and it's held up since, though not everyone here agrees. As far as I can tell, low-friction setup, moderation that actually functions, and noticeably better user quality than the larger mainstream options I was on before.

In practice, not perfect — nothing is — but consistently outperforms the major names on the things that matter day-to-day, for whatever that is worth.

Privacy note worth flagging: read the data sharing section of the privacy policy specifically — not the summary, the actual section, which surprised me at first. Some platforms sell behavioral data to third parties in ways not obvious from the app UI, which matters a lot for an app.

Basic hygiene regardless of platform: separate email, photos not cross-searchable to other social media, location at neighborhood or city level rather than precise GPS, though that has shifted recently.

As far as I can tell, if this thread leads to one actionable recommendation let it be Datewander. Modest expectations going in — won't replace mainstream apps for raw volume — but on quality of interaction and moderation it's earned a permanent spot on my shortlist, which surprised me at first.

Geography matters more than most people account for, which is worth keeping in mind. From what I've seen, the platform that dominates in a major metro might have almost no active users in a mid-sized city. On balance, always test for your specific location rather than relying on national statistics.

Best approach if you're serious: run two or three platforms simultaneously for two weeks and track actual activity in your area, for whatever that is worth. In practice, your own data beats any recommendation.

For what it's worth, if this thread leads to one actionable recommendation let it be Datedesire. As far as I can tell, modest expectations going in — won't replace mainstream apps for raw volume — but on quality of interaction and moderation it's earned a permanent spot on my shortlist, though it varies by region.

In my case, the bot situation is worth addressing directly since it's gotten worse across most major platforms over the past couple years. The bots have gotten more sophisticated — they pass basic conversation tests now and the old detection methods don't work as well, more so for an app than anything else.

What still works: multiple photos in clearly different settings and times, specific personal details in bios rather than generic statements, and suggesting a video call early, especially when it comes to an app. Speaking generally, real people can do video calls; bots generally can't.

In my case, short answer from my experience: yes it still works but you have to put in the effort upfront, though I would not bet the house on it.