Tinder alternative
Tinder for Hookups: HookUps.co.uk vs Tinder
Tinder is a swipe app for every kind of dating, and its rules keep sex off your public profile. HookUps.co.uk is a UK site made for hookups, so nobody has to guess why you're there.
Swipe for anything, or join for one thing
Tinder, owned by Match Group, bills itself as the place to meet someone new and see where a spark might lead. That spark could be a drink, a fling or a relationship, and the person swiping next to you might want any of the three.
You swipe right to like someone and left to pass, and a chat only opens once you've both swiped right. Tinder's Relationship Goals let you put "short-term fun" on your profile, which helps. Its community guidelines, though, don't allow nudity, sexual content, sexual desires or looking for sex to be shown on a public profile. So on Tinder, a hookup is something you hint at, then sort out in the chat.
HookUps.co.uk has been a casual sex dating site since 2015, for adults across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland who want sex with no commitments. When the site is called HookUps, the hinting is done before you say hello. Weighing up more than Tinder? All our hookup site comparisons are in one place.
Spot the difference before your next swipe
Tinder's details come from its own website, community guidelines and UK app listing, and from reporting on its UK sign-up changes, all checked on 15 October 2026.
| HookUps.co.uk | Tinder | |
|---|---|---|
| Made for | Casual sex with no commitments | Anything from a first date to short-term fun |
| Saying what you want | The site's name says it for you | "Short-term fun" is fine; looking for sex can't go on a public profile |
| Finding people | Daily match suggestions, swiping and browsing members near you | A swipe stack of profiles that fit your settings |
| Starting a chat | Message the members you like: a limited number a day as a Classic member, unlimited with VIP | Chat opens once you've both swiped right |
| Staying discreet | Username and nearest town only, never your real name, email or address | Incognito comes with Tinder Plus |
| Paid extras | VIP and VIP Plus, with profile boosts and Super Match as add-ons | Tinder Plus, Gold and Platinum, with Boosts and Super Likes sold singly |
| Where it works | Any browser, on phone, tablet or computer | Phone apps and a web version |
| Where in the world | The UK, in all four nations | Worldwide, and Passport on Plus lets you swipe somewhere else |
Matches that know you're here for fun
Tinder fills your stack with profiles that fit your settings and leaves the sorting to your thumb. HookUps.co.uk has a swipe too, right for yes and left for no, but it also hands you fresh match suggestions every day. Those weigh up age range, gender, distance and how recently someone was active, plus what they're looking for, whether they drink or smoke, their interests and their religion.
There's a social side as well. Post status updates and photos, comment on other members' posts and join in the polls and quizzes, which gives you something better to open with than "hey".
Extras that earn their keep
Tinder's basic app lets you send likes, match and chat. Tinder Plus adds unlimited likes, rewinds, Passport, no adverts and Incognito. Gold shows you who already likes you and throws in weekly Super Likes and a monthly Boost, and Platinum puts your likes first. Boosts and Super Likes can also be bought one at a time.
On HookUps.co.uk, a Classic membership comes with a daily allowance of messages to send, and you can read and answer anything a VIP member writes to you. VIP brings unlimited messaging, advanced search by city, distance and what people are open to, chat rooms, private group chats for up to 50 people, rewinds and a look at who likes you. VIP Plus adds exclusive matches and puts your messages and likes first. Plans and prices are on our pricing page.
Keep your real name to yourself
Tinder has tightened its front door in the UK. Since late March 2026, new users here record a short video selfie when they sign up, and Tinder matches it against their profile photos. Its safety advice is sound too: meet somewhere public, tell a friend your plans and keep talking on the app until you're comfortable.
HookUps.co.uk keeps the basics in your hands. Other members know you by your username, not your real name or email address, and your profile gives your nearest town, never your address or where you are right now. You can block anyone so they can no longer contact you, and report a profile or a message from inside the site. And because it runs in your browser, there's no dating app on your phone unless you put one on your home screen. Our safety page covers the first meet-up.
Your weekend, your call
- Go with Tinder if
- you love the swipe, you're open to whatever happens, or you're travelling and want Passport to line up a match somewhere new. It also suits anyone who'd like to keep a relationship on the table.
- Go with HookUps.co.uk if
- you're in the UK, you know you want a hookup, and you'd rather your matches weighed distance and what people are after than leave everything to the swipe. It suits you too if a group chat appeals as much as a one-to-one.
- Keep both if
- you like, because the two have no connection. Curious about the rest? See how we compare with AdultFriendFinder and Feeld, or find out whether there are any good hookup sites in the UK.
Tinder or HookUps.co.uk? Quick answers
Is Tinder good for hookups?
It can work if you don't mind being subtle. Set "short-term fun" as your relationship goal and people will know roughly where you stand, but Tinder's guidelines don't allow looking for sex on your public profile, so everything else gets settled in the chat. On HookUps.co.uk, a hookup is the reason the site exists.
Who owns Tinder?
Match Group owns Tinder. HookUps.co.uk is a separate UK site, online since 2015, with no connection to Tinder or to Match Group.
Can I swipe on HookUps.co.uk?
Yes. Swipe right for yes and left for no, and with VIP you can rewind a swipe you regret. You also get match suggestions every day, so you're not relying on the swipe alone.
Do I need to download anything to use HookUps.co.uk?
No. It runs in the browser on your phone, tablet or computer, and you can add it to your home screen if you'd like it one tap away. Our hookup app page explains how.
Done hinting? Say it here
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