Finding the best cougar dating app for you can be quite a challenge these days but it's absolutely essential. It doesn't matter if you're a younger man looking for older women or an older woman that wants a younger guy the right app can make things a LOT easier for you. New apps pop up every day but very few are actually worth your time.
You also have to be careful because almost all of the cougar dating site reviews you see online were written by professional writers (not dating experts) who never even used the app, let alone a paid membership!
That's where we're different. Unlike the other reviews you find online, our team has extensively used more than 100 different apps in the past year, including buying the paid memberships. If you’re looking for the best options online for younger men to meet older women we’ve got you covered.
It's more important than ever to find the right app for you with all the social distancing still happening. A HUGE number of older women (and younger guys) are only meet each other online now. If you're not doing the same there are a lot of opportunities you're going to miss.
How We Review Cougar Dating Apps and Sites and Why It Matters
Taking the time and spending the money to do a complete review of a cougar dating site is hard work. That's why nobody else is doing it. It's also the only way to truly understand who will do well using a particular app or site.
We've wasted a LOT of time on many terrible dating apps over the years so you don't have to. We've also found some really great options using this process:
- We spend several weeks using both the free version of the cougar site and any paid version (most reviews only cover the free version)
- We send several dozen tailored messages to cougars of all kinds that have proven effective on many other sites
- We followed up consistently using proven techniques we teach that have led to hundreds of dates
- We set up as many dates as we can and actually meet up (we’re looking to meet cougars too after all)
- We then compare our experience with the 100+ other ccougar apps we have recently reviewed to see where that app or site ranks
That sounds like a LOT of work to do (and it is) but it's really the only way to accurately measure which apps and sites are going to help regular guys meet a lot of single cougars.
Below we have our rankings of the 6 best cougar dating apps right now, how we rate them, and some of our best cougar dating tips:
#1 - AFF is the best cougar hookup site
AFF (which has a great free trial) is the cougar hookup app if you're just looking for fun in the bedroom without any commitments. There are a few other options out there (like Tinder) that are more hookup-focused but nothing compares to AFF in our experience, especially for guys that want to date women in their 30's, 40's and older.
AFF has been around for a while and is what a lot of cougars have been using for years. Most other apps are filled with younger women and cougars just don't want to compete with that. Instead, they've flocked here. There just isn't a better hookup option to meet women 35+ right now.
This is a site that is ALL about getting to the bedroom fast. If you want something where it's ok to skip the small talk, skip the dates, and just get down to business you've found it.
With over 60 million active users and a very engaged group of women this has been the best option for most guys that we've found. Check out AFF's free trial and see what we mean. If other apps haven't worked for you AFF will be a much better experience.
Why AFF is the site to hookup with older women
- With over 60 million members is the biggest site of its kind
- The hookup option that guys do the best with
- Women that actually want to meet up
What we don’t like about it
- You have to signup through their website
- Design could use an upgrade
#2 - eHarmony is the best cougar dating site for relationships
eHarmony might not be considered a pure cougar finding app but it turns out that it really excels in one particular area. If you want to meet a cougar for a long-term, committed relationship there isn't a better option. A crazy stat to illustrate this is that 75% of all marriages that began online started on eHarmony. 75%!
What makes this one of the best apps to find cougars is numbers and experience. There are a ton of cougars on this app and they have a unique matching system that actually works to pair you up with compatible women.
If you haven't heard of eHarmony, seen the commercials, or met a couple that used it you're definitely in the minority. This is one of the largest sites in the world and they spend a ton of money to attract new women to the site, especially women over 35.
They also have a very unique matching system that figures out what you want through a series of questions and sends you matches every day the fit your desires. That means cougars looking for guys like you are sent your way ever, single, day.
We've seen a lot of guys try it and those that really want a long-term relationship have had really good results. If that sounds like you check out their trial below and make it happen.
Why eHarmony is worth downloading
- By far the best success rates for long-term relationships with 70% of members meeting their future spouse within a year on the app
- The highest percentage of women 35+ from the super popular dating apps
- Really easy to use
What we don’t like about it
- Set up process for your profile is pretty involved
- You have to follow their process exactly
- You have to signup through their website
#3 - Passion is another great option for casual fun
Passion is still a decent option for younger guys looking for older women. In fact, it's really the only major league site out there with a pretty strong focus on cougars and the men who love them. With over 30 million members there are going to be cougars to choose from wherever you live.
If you haven't tried out their free trial (check out the links above and below) you need to. No other site out there is great for both cougar hookups as well as longer-term relationships. Every other site on our list is good for either one or the other.
The most important aspect of a dating app is being able to get a lot of people using it. Most of the other cougar sites are pretty small, with less than a million members (if that). This is the only option out there right now that has MILLIONS of members. Dating is a numbers game but the odds are in your favor here.
We've been recommending Passions's free trial for years and it continues to deliver for guys out there. Check out their free trial and see for yourself how easy it can be to meet cougars online.
Why Passion is a great cougar dating app
- Guys have consistently been having good success using it
- One of the largest cougar communities out there
- Good mix of cougar hookups and longter-term friends with benefits
What we don’t like about it
- Has dropped off in popularity a bit
- Still not as big as some other sites out there
- You have to signup from their website
How The Top 3 Cougar Dating Apps Compare Head-To-Head
| Site | Our Experience | Our Rating | Free Trial Link |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Hookup Site Cougars  | Experience Highlights
| 9 | Try AFF For Free |
Best For Relationships  | Experience Highlights
| 9 | Try eHarmony |
2nd Best For Hookups  | Experience Highlights
| 8 | Try Passion |
#4 - Tinder can work to meet cougars who want a younger man
Tinder is usually thought of as for younger women but it can also be a great app for older women dating younger men. It might not be as effective as some of the other options on our list but it can still work out pretty well.
Tinder works best if you're a decently attractive guy though. It's ALL about the photos so yours will need to be on point. If you aren't at least a 7, preferably an 8.5 plus, Tinder can be a pretty frustrating experience.
The reason it can be so rocky is that the top 10-15% of guys are usually getting all the attention from the top 70-80% of women. When so few guys get all that cougar attention it doesn't leave much for the rest of us.
The women on Tinder also tend to be among the flakiest of any app. There are a LOT of them that only go on Tinder for attention and validation, not to actually meet up.
Why Tinder is cougar dating friendly
- Huge number of users just about anywhere
- Great looking guys will get a lot of attention
- Cougars use it to meet younger guys
What we don’t like about it
- A lot of older women avoid it completely
- Your photo is pretty much all that matters
- Lots of flakes
#5 - Cougar Life is one of the better options out there
Cougar Life is one of the newest cougar dating apps out there and it's been growing in popularity pretty fast. It's still a lot smaller than the apps we've already covered but it's worth talking about. They have over 7 million users and have had some decent reviews.
It has a focus on ONLY cougars and guys who want to date them and even seems to use the same color schemes!
Given how many cougars prefer online access it isn't a surprise that Cougar Life is so popular.
While we think there is room for another great cougar dating app it's still too early to tell if this is the one. For now, it doesn't really have anything to offer that the apps before it on this list don't do better.
Why Cougar Life is worth trying
- Newest app on our list
- Growing quickly
- Good mix of singles
What we don’t like about it
- A lot smaller than the other options
- Needs more time to grow before it moves up the list
#6 - Older Women Dating is all about older women and younger men
Older Women Dating has a name that makes it pretty obvious what they're about. This is the point in our review where the quality of the apps we have on the list takes a major dive. We would really only recommend that you check out the first four apps on our list. Let's dive a bit deeper into this site though.
This is a cougar site that has been around since 2004 and is still hanging in there somehow. If you look at their website (which doesn't look like it's been updated since 2004) you begin to get a clearer picture of what we're dealing with.
Instead of being more of a cougar dating site app, Older Women Dating has rebranded itself as being more of a "sugar momma" app. Unfortunately, it hasn't been very good for that either. It doesn't take long after using this app to realize that you're going to be wasting your time. Even looking at the cougar profiles on their download page we spotted several "members" that we know are just using cheap stock photos.
Why Older Women Dating is worth trying
- Can work if you just want a sugar momma
- The app is better than their website
What we don’t like about it
- We’re not confident at all that this will work for most guys
- Their marketing really makes us question how legit it is
#7 - Cougary is one of the smaller cougar finding apps
Cougary is probably the smallest app on our list so far and it's also the first completely free one (or so they say). Unfortunately, in this case, you get what you pay for.
As we've mentioned before, the single most important feature of any cougar site is that it has a LOT of cougars and that it continues to attract more every day. Cougar apps are only as good as their users and Cougary just doesn't have the size to make for a good experience.
Their app isn't anything special but it decent and fairly easy to use. What really kills our ability to recommend this app though is that it ISN'T FREE! Despite all their claims you have to pay to do anything worthwhile here including messaging other members.
Why Cougary is worth a download
- Decent design but nothing special
- Claims to be free
What we don’t like about it
- You have to pay to message users despite their claims that it’s free
- Much smaller than the other apps on our list
FAQ’s about cougar dating apps and sites
We spend a TON of time testing and reviewing all of the top cougar sites out there every year (over 100). We always get questions about what our process is like and how we determine the best. These are the frequently asked questions that we wanted to answer:
What is a cougar dating app?
Cougar dating apps are dating apps specifically designed for younger men to meet older women. Unlike more general dating apps, an age gap of over 10 years is typical and it makes it much easier for singles looking for that type of relationship to find it. On a cougar dating app, you should expect younger men to be looking for women more than ten years older than them and women 35+ looking for much younger men.
How do you choose the best cougar dating websites?
Every year we test out and review dozens and dozens of dating apps and sites. We typically follow the following plan with every cougar app we review:
- A complete profile is created including good photos
- We explore and use the free version of the app for a couple of weeks
- A paid membership is purchased
- We then spend weeks using the paid version to fully understand what the app has to offer
- Dozens and dozens of women are messaged and chatted with online by one of our dating experts
- We try to set up as many dates and meetups as possible
This process allows us to get a very good idea of the quality of each app. It takes a long time to complete but it's worth it.
What are the most important factors of a good app to meet cougars online?
There are a handful of key features that every cougar dating app needs in order to be a great place for singles:
- Large and active userbase of singles, usually multiple millions
- A well-designed app that is easy to use
- The ability to continually attract more new users to the site than leave
- Solid matching or search capabilities
- Clear goals and purpose for the site and how it helps singles
If a cougar app can check all five of these off their list there is a very good chance that it's a quality option. If it's missing even one then it likely isn't a good option for anyone.
Should you use a free cougar dating app?
Using a free cougar dating app and what the best free cougar dating apps are is a question that comes up a lot. The reality is that you get what you pay for when it comes to cougar apps. Free apps are filled with women that are just looking for attention. They aren't committed to actually meeting anyone and they use the app almost like a self-esteem-bosting video game.
If you're a particularly good-looking guy you can still get some results but the competition is often fierce. When everyone can use the app for free it's going to be full of guys blasting out 100 messages a day to every woman they find hoping to get lucky. Overall free cougar apps just tend to be bad experiences for both men and women.
What are the best free cougar dating sites?
As we mentioned before, there really isn't a good cougar dating site that's actually free. All of the quality options require a paid membership because you get what you pay for with these types of apps. Every free option has thousands of guys bombarding every woman with messages every day and the best looking guys get almost all of the female attention.
Paid sites tend to have much better male/female ratios, more engaged and interested women, and almost always provide far superior results for men.
Are these good apps to meet older women?
These are probably the best apps to meet older women out there right now. This goes for both younger and older guys. All of the apps and sites in our rankings have a large now single older women, are easy to use, and make meeting older women a LOT easier.
