Wink app alternatives for adults who want friends, not dates

Product · by Simone Rainieri · 7 read · Published 22 October 2026

Wink is no longer a friendship app in any useful sense for adults. Its main App Store listing is now called Wink Dating, it is rated 18+, and Apple's own editors describe it as a friendship and dating app. If you want platonic friends, an app built for that will serve you better: BFF from Bumble in the US, Meetup for groups, or Vairi for one introduction at a time in the UK and a free online table on Fridays. Wink's maker also runs a newer app called Wink Social, which sits closer to the friends idea.

Everything below comes from the apps' own US App Store listings, opened on 22 October 2026. Ratings, prices and wording change often, so check the listing before you sign up.

Is Wink a friendship app or a dating app?

Both, by its own account, and the dating side is now the headline. The app is published by Euphorica Inc. under the name Wink Dating, with the subtitle "Find new people, Make friends". The listing is rated 18+, leans on AI features such as AI-written bios, and holds a 4.5 rating from about 309,000 reviews, so plenty of people like it. The Editors' Choice note on the page calls it a friendship and dating app.

That mix is the problem if you only want friends. On an app where some people are dating and some are not, every message carries a question about which one this is. Some people do not mind. If you do, the friends-only apps below are the better place to start.

Wink is free to download. Its in-app purchases list Wink+ at $8.99 to $14.99 for a week and $9.99 to $13.99 for a month, plus a $4.99 Boost and gems, a virtual currency.

What about Wink Social?

Wink Social is a separate app from the same company. It is also rated 18+, describes itself as built for intention, not attention, and sells Wink Plus at $4.99 a week or $9.99 a month. It rates 4.0 from about 5,900 reviews, a much smaller base than the main app. If you like Wink's format and want less dating in the mix, it is worth a look, though a small user base means fewer people near you.

How I chose the alternatives

Every app here had to be open to adults, say plainly on its own listing what it is for, and still be live in October 2026. I then sorted them by how they put you in touch with people (swiping, groups, live streams, or introductions), because that matters more than any feature list. I run one of them, Vairi, and I have given its limits the same space as the others'.

Six Wink alternatives for adults who want friends

BFF from Bumble: the familiar swipe, for friends only

Best for: adults in the US who like the Wink format but want no dating in it. Bumble has moved its friends mode out of the dating app into a standalone app called BFF, listed under Geneva Technologies, free and rated 18+. It is US only at the moment. Choose it if you want a large pool of people who are all there for friendship. Skip it if swiping itself is what wears you out. Our Bumble BFF review covers the details.

Meetup: groups instead of profiles

Best for: people who find it easier to talk while doing something. You join groups around a shared interest and go to their events, which costs members nothing unless an organiser charges for a particular event. Choose it if a book club or a walking group sounds better than a chat window. Skip it if you want one-to-one conversation, since a room of thirty is a different thing. See our Meetup review.

Boo: personality matching, with dating in the mix

Best for: people who like matching on personality types. Boo's listing, from Boo Enterprises, is titled Boo Dating App: Date & Friends and calls itself a personality dating app, so it carries the same mixed signal as Wink. It is rated 18+ and holds 4.2 from about 212,000 reviews. Boo Infinity is listed from $4.99 to $23.99 for a week and at $19.99 for a month. Our Boo alternatives explains where it fits.

Yubo: live group streams

Best for: people who like hanging out in live video rooms. Yubo, from Twelve APP, is now rated 18+ on the US App Store. Its paid options include a one-week Power Pack at $13.99, Elite at $17.99 a week and a one-month Power Pack at $18.99. Read our Yubo review and Yubo alternatives for adults before you commit.

Wizz: quick chats with strangers

Best for: casual chat rather than finding someone local to see again. Wizz, from VLB, is rated 18+ and runs on swipes plus a coin currency. Wizz Gold is listed at $6.99 a week, and coins are sold in bundles from $0.99. Choose it for low-stakes conversation. Skip it if you want friendships that last past the first chat.

Vairi: one introduction at a time

Best for: adults who want fewer, better conversations and no dating undertone. You answer a short quiz, and new introductions arrive every Tuesday at 7:30pm. A chat opens only when both of you say yes, and you stay anonymous until you both choose to reveal. Joining and chatting with your introductions are free; Founder membership, from £3.99 a month with the first 7 days free, adds unlimited messages to Vairi about your matches.

The limits: introductions run in the UK only for now, and the pool is far smaller than Wink's. Outside the UK you can still sit at Friday Aperitivo, a free hour online every Friday at 8pm UK time at a table of up to six, open to members in Europe and the US. It is voice first with the camera optional, Vairi hosts with question cards, and mutual picks at the end open a one-to-one chat.

Wink and the alternatives side by side

Which one should you try first?

Decide what bothered you about Wink. If it was the dating mixed in, go to an app that rules it out: BFF in the US, Vairi in the UK. If it was the endless swiping, try Meetup or Vairi, where you meet through an activity or a weekly round of introductions. If you simply want someone to talk to tonight, Wizz or Yubo will do that, with less chance of a friendship that lasts. Whichever you pick, give it a month before you judge it.

Key takeaways

Wink's main listing is now Wink Dating, rated 18+ and described by Apple's editors as a friendship and dating app, with Wink+ at $8.99 to $14.99 a week. Its sister app, Wink Social, is smaller and sells Wink Plus at $9.99 a month.

For friends only, BFF (US) and Vairi (UK introductions, plus free Friday evenings online for Europe and the US) exclude dating by design. Boo carries the same dating mix as Wink, and Yubo and Wizz suit chatting more than lasting friendships.

Is Wink a dating app?

Its main App Store listing is now called Wink Dating and is rated 18+, and Apple's editors describe it as a friendship and dating app. People do use it for friends, but dating is part of the mix.

Is Wink free?

Wink is free to download. Paid options on the US App Store include Wink+ at $8.99 to $14.99 a week or $9.99 to $13.99 a month, a $4.99 Boost and gems.

What is the difference between Wink and Wink Social?

Both come from Euphorica Inc. and are rated 18+. Wink Social is the newer and smaller app, describes itself as built for intention, not attention, and sells Wink Plus at $4.99 a week or $9.99 a month.

What is the best Wink alternative for making friends?

It depends where you live and how you like to meet. In the US, BFF from Bumble keeps the swipe format with no dating. In the UK, Vairi sends new introductions every Tuesday, and its Friday Aperitivo evenings are free online for members in Europe and the US. Meetup suits people who prefer groups.

Related reading

See the best apps to make friends in 2026, the best friend finder apps compared, paid vs free friendship apps and anonymous-first friendship apps.

Sources

• Wink Dating, US App Store
• Wink Social, US App Store
• BFF: Make friends and meet up, US App Store
• Boo Dating App: Date & Friends, US App Store
• Yubo, US App Store
• Wizz App, US App Store
• Vairi pricing

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Meet people from your city, from your sofa.

Friday Aperitivo is one relaxed hour online with a few new people, every Friday at 8pm UK time. Tables of up to six, voice with camera optional, and Vairi hosts with question cards. Free.

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