Two ways to meet
Forget Dinner vs Tinder: Casual Dating, Said Up Front
A fair look at a swipe-first giant and a casual dating site, checked against what each says about itself.
Tinder suits you if you want a big, swipe-first app that covers every kind of dating. Forget Dinner suits you if you already know you want something casual: you say so on your profile, and your daily match suggestions weigh it. Nothing stops you trying both.
Forget Dinner
A casual dating site for UK adults, online since 2008. You choose the kind of dating you want, and your daily suggestions take it into account.
Tinder
Launched in 2012, and named the most visited dating service in the UK by Ofcom’s Online Nation 2025 report. One app for every kind of dating, from short-term fun to something much more serious.
At a glance
How do Forget Dinner and Tinder compare?
| What you compare | Forget Dinner | Tinder |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Casual dating for UK adults | Meeting someone new, whatever you are after |
| Saying what you want | The kind of dating you want on your profile, which shapes your daily suggestions | A dating-goals setting, introduced in 2022, with six options |
| Finding people | Daily match suggestions, plus search filters on VIP | Swiping, then chat once you both Like |
| Where you use it | Any browser, or your phone’s home screen | iPhone app, Android app and the web |
| Cost | Everyone starts on Classic; VIP and VIP Plus are paid | A basic app with paid subscriptions on top, in its own words |
| Identity checks | Optional ID verification with a badge, or a live video check with a moderator | Face Check, a video selfie, required for new UK members since March 2026 |
| Background checks | None, say the terms | None, say Tinder’s terms |
| Minimum age | 18 | 18 |
Intent
Will they know you want casual?
On a general app, what you want is something you signal first and confirm in the chat.
Tinder is for everyone, so it has built ways to say what you are after. In December 2022 it introduced a goals setting for profiles, with six options that run from short-term fun to a serious partner, and its announcement of the Explore tiles says they “cut through the guesswork”.
Its community guidelines keep sexual desires and looking for sex off public profiles, and allow them in private conversation if everyone is okay with it. So the specifics tend to come out in the chat.
Forget Dinner starts from the other end. It is a casual dating site, so the kind of dating you want sits among the things your daily suggestions weigh, next to age range, distance and how recently people have been around. If you would rather not spend three messages working out whether you want the same thing, that is the point.
Either way, a profile that says it plainly helps. Our profile and first message tips show how.
Trust and safety
How do they keep things honest?
Fair play
When Tinder suits you better, and when we do
Tinder suits you better if
- You want the service Ofcom names as the UK’s most visited for dating.
- You want one app for every kind of dating, new friends included.
- You would rather have a dedicated iPhone or Android app.
- You like meeting through friends: Double Date lets you bring one along.
- You enjoy swiping and letting chance do the sorting.
Forget Dinner suits you better if
- You know you want something casual and would like the site to know it too.
- You are 35 or over: around six in ten members are aged 35 to 54.
- You prefer a browser to an app, with a shortcut on your home screen.
- You like a fresh set of suggestions each day more than a stack to work through.
- You want chat rooms or private group chats of up to 50 people, which VIP includes.
Ofcom reported in February 2025 that most UK adults who use dating services visit more than one, so you do not have to choose for life. Try both and keep whichever suits. Our guide to the best casual dating apps in the UK puts more of them side by side.
What people ask about Tinder and casual dating
Is Tinder good for casual dating?
It can be. Tinder describes itself as the place to meet someone new, and it has offered a goals setting for profiles since December 2022 that includes short-term fun. It is a general app, though, so you will meet people who want different things. Forget Dinner is a casual dating site from the start.
How does Tinder charge?
Tinder says its paid subscriptions sit on top of the basic app, and its terms say pricing varies. Forget Dinner starts everyone on Classic, and VIP and VIP Plus are the paid tiers, sold weekly to yearly. The pricing page lists every plan.
Do I need an app for Forget Dinner?
No. Forget Dinner is a website, so any browser will do, and a shortcut on your phone’s home screen makes it open like an app. Tinder runs as an iPhone app, an Android app and on the web, so you have both choices there.
What are good apps like Tinder for casual dating?
Forget Dinner is a casual dating site by design. Feeld is made for open-minded singles and couples, and Pure uses personal ads and chats that expire after 24 hours. The comparisons hub covers the rest.
Can I use Tinder and Forget Dinner at the same time?
Yes, nothing stops you. Ofcom reported in February 2025 that most UK adults who use dating services visit more than one. The sensible rules are the same on both: keep early chat on the platform, never send money, and meet somewhere public first.
Say it plainly, then see who answers
Build a profile in a few minutes, name the kind of dating you want and let the daily suggestions do the sifting.
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