Best Alternative Dating Sites


The current generation is, to a large extent tolerant and accepting of unconventional forms of love. So naturally, it means that the platforms of dating are also rapidly evolving to make themselves inclusive of everyone’s tastes and preferences.

Alternative dating has been gaining momentum in the past couple of years since more and more people are now coming out and owning up to what they want in their partners. Whether you are into punk, Goth, rock, metal, or emo, there’s a place for everyone in the dating world.

While most of the popular websites have created a category for alternative dating, some new-age websites have dedicated themselves completely towards making sure that they create a safe space where alternative people interact with other alternative people only.
And we are going to find out about these websites as we brush down which are some of the best ones available online. So, stick around to find out more.

Top Alternative Dating Websites Review

Below are the reviews of the top 10 alternative dating sites. It includes the site's description, key features, benefits along with statistics like popularity, website traffic, gender ratio, user ratings, and a lot more. Whether you are looking for straight, gays, lesbian goths, emos, or any other alternative lifestyle lovers, you can find it all.

eHarmony Dating Site

Relationships: Long term, serious and deep relationships
Profile: All singles*
Gender Ratio: 51% male and 49% female*
User Base: 4.2 million visits/month*
Popularity: Over 9 million active users worldwide*
User Rating:  4.8/5.0*

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eHarmony has garnered a favorable reputation for itself among dating enthusiasts for over two decades now. It truly caters to the needs and wants of daters with a varied range of preferences, and alternative dating is without a doubt, part of it.

Having millions of profiles, it provides you with numerous filters to narrow down your dating preferences. Chief among them is their highly scientific “29 components of compatibility” test. This allows you to narrow the pool whose ideas and dating needs match yours.

Furthermore, you would also be able to enjoy the premium features of this amazing dating website once a week without becoming its premium member. There are also pre-written messages and scripted greetings that are part of the communication feature that helps you in establishing a positive first impression.

Special features


  • The efficient “29 components of compatibility” test ensure ideal matchmaking.
  • Provision to enjoy the premium features of the websites for free once a week for all members.
  • Video dates to give you an idea of how your actual first date might work.

So all you Goth singles out there, this is a dream website for you. The same goes for emo, punk, metal, and everything else that falls under alternative dating.

Try eHarmony For FREE

Relationships: Flexible dating, fun & short term dates, serious relationships
Profile: All singles*
Gender Ratio: 48% male and 52% female*
User Base: 3.9 million visits/month*
Popularity: Over 40 million active users worldwide*
User Rating:  4.7/5.0*

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For a long time and even now, people who are into alternative dating are considered freaks and crazy by society. Zoosk understands the prejudice that these people go through and that is why it has made its platform available for them to find the love of their life.

When you are already in a marginalized society, you might think your chances of finding love are low since the pool is so small. Zoosk does an amazing job by bringing together all these people under a common umbrella from where they can get to know each other better.

Much like most of the websites in this list, it is not exclusively an alternative lifestyle dating site but has a section dedicated to it. On this website, you will find a carousel section where you will be able to take a look at all the profiles that match your specific preferences.

Special features


  • Can be personalized into 25 different languages based on your preferences.
  • Matchmaking is based on a highly successful behavioral matchmaking technology that has been built through research on 35 million users.
  • The user-friendly “Carousel” section helps you take a glance at potential matches at one go.

Zoosk is also hugely popular among the younger crowd and has an extensive behavioral matchmaking system that helps with the matching process.

Try Zoosk For FREE

AltScene


AltScene

Relationships: Date, friendship, serious relationship
Specialty: 100% Free alternative dating site*
Profile: All alternative people*

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One of the very few websites that is completely dedicated to alternative lifestyle dating, AltScene is a dream place for those who are into emo, punk, metalhead, skater, Goth culture, and rock.

This website offers you the opportunity to sign up for free to find like-minded people in your locality. Whether you are looking for casual romance or a hookup or a long-term relationship or even just a good old friend, this is the place where you need to be if you want to find people who share similar tastes as yours.

Special features


  • Interactive chat rooms help you get to know your different people from a large pool of potential partners.
  • A dedicated music section because dating is fun when accompanied by the tunes of your favorite music artists.
  • Creative photo albums wherein you can upload a bunch of your pictures and take a close look at others

AltScene believes that just because your interests are non-conventional doesn’t mean that you would have to settle for less. They aim to create a safe space for the alternate dating scenario where everyone can be themselves without any societal shame or taboo.

Emo Friends


Emo Friends

Relationships: Date, hookup
Specialty: BDSM kinky fetish dating site*
Profile: All alternative people*

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If you are specifically looking for an emo dating website, then we highly recommend you check out Emo Friends, which has been ranked as the number one emo, Goth, BDSM, kinky, fetish dating site.

Having been in the business for over a decade now, this website was built with the sole idea of bringing together people who share a common passion for adventures and kinky lifestyles.

If you want the flavors of bondage, spanking, dominance, submission, sadomasochism, and S&M alongside emo and Goth in your life, this is where you need to register yourself as soon as possible. Emo Friends allows you to nurture and explore your inner desires.

Special features


  • Free sign-up allows you to explore the website without investing beforehand.
  • Let's you personalize your kink preferences.
  • It is not limited to your surroundings only and henceforth lets you connect with people across the globe.

You would be able to filter your preferences on this website to find people who are interested in femdom, pegging, cuckold, dominatrix control, pet play, watersports, discipline, role play, foot worship, and rubber fetish, among others. So, go out there and find your match on Emo Friends.

Match


Relationships: Casual dating, friendship, romance, long-term relationship
Profile: All singles*
Gender Ratio: 45% male and 55% female*
User Base: 37 million visits/month*
Popularity: Over 10 million premium members worldwide*
User Rating:  4.9/5.0*

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When it comes to the online dating scene, there are very few that can match the popularity of Match. Having been around for over 20 years now, this dating platform is becoming more and more inclusive with each passing day.

So, it is not a surprise that it has opened its arms to welcome people who are interested in alternate lifestyle dating. Its interface is extremely user-friendly which ensures an easy and hassle-free sign-up and navigation process.

In addition, they organize occasional events to facilitate meet-ups where you can meet people face-to-face and get to know them up and close. What more can you ask for?

Special features


  • Let's you text a fellow member without getting matched first.
  • Organizes occasional meet-up events for interested members.
  • A very user-friendly mobile app keeps you connected to your matches round-the-clock.

With over 30 million profiles, the pool of potential partners is larger than most other dating websites.  A great aspect of Match is that it allows you to send and receive messages before getting matched. A quick chat would help you figure out whether the person you are talking to is worth your match or not.

Metal Dating


MetalDating website

Relationships: Date, friendship, hookup
Profile: All metalheads*

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If you want to meet metalheads, then you need to sign up and make yourself visible in Metal Dating. One of the fastest-growing contemporary dating websites, it caters to the dating priorities of people whose vibe ingratiate with the metal genre.

The layout of this website allows for a quick matching system based on your nuanced needs. Unlike your regular dating websites, the process of getting to know your potential partner is quick and candid here.

You can sign up for free and get a feel of the website and if it suits your taste, then you can try out its silver, steel, or platinum memberships.

Special features


  • You can sign up for free which is always great because finding love should be accessible for everyone.
  • Its fully integrated messaging system allows you to connect with other members without revealing your real e-mail address, thereby ensuring your safety.
  • The “Buddy list” feature lets you share photos and events with other trusted members.

Usually, in an ordinary dating website, you would hardly get a dozen of people who are as passionate about metal as you are. As such, most of the time, the dating pool is small for you. But with Metal Dating, you would find yourself getting connected with numerous people who share similar tastes as yours.

Goth Scene


Goth Scene

Relationships: Date, friendship, serious relationship
Specialty: Free Goth dating site*
Profile: All Gothic singles*

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Next up on our list of the best alternative dating websites is Goth Scene. Evident by its name, it has been exclusively designed and dedicated for all you Goths out there. In its very essence, this website is the epitome of Goth culture celebration.

If you are a Goth, you know the prejudice you face on a daily basis in the forms of strange stares by people, raised eyebrows each time you step out of the house, and innumerable questions by people about the way you present yourself.

Needless to say, finding a fellow Goth who shares similar interests like you can be taxing due to how less visible the community is. But with Goth Scene by your side, your shot at finding a fellow Goth as a potential partner is multiplied.

Special features


  • A photo album that allows you to upload your favorite photographs while also browsing through the photographs of other members you are interested in.
  • A goth forum provides a safe space to discuss a broad range of topics, which, in turn, would help you know the point of view of other fellow members.
  • Availability of free sign-up option.

This website caters to both straight and gay Goths. So, whatever your preferences are, as long you are into Goths, this website will satiate your needs. Sign up to one of the most popular free alternative dating sites and start connecting with like-minded people.

Punk Dating Site


Punk Dating Site

Relationships: Date, friendship, hookup
Specialty: A part of Online Connections dating network*
Profile: All punk singles*

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Punk is more than just a music genre. People, who are into the punk culture, imbibe it in their lifestyle. And many of them specifically want to date people who have a similar passion, if not more, about the punk lifestyle. This is what Punk Dating Site is all about.

This is such a nuanced preference that it is extremely difficult for people to find a fellow punk partner on a regular website. Therefore, the makers of this website decided that there has to be a safe space for punk rock dating.

Not only you can date people in the same community, but you would also be ecstatic to be on a platform where you can discuss and talk about your punk artists, style, and everything in between. It's always nice to be around people who share a similar artistic vision and philosophy as yours.

Special features


  • Allows you to browse both through your location and interest(s); whatever you prefer.
  • The free sign-up option helps you take a sneak peek of the website to see if it suits your needs.
  • Your account will be shown on other related punk dating websites, thereby multiplying your chances of finding love due to the heavy exposure.

So, become a member and enjoy this forum and explore punk fashion, punk literature, punk ideologies, punk visual art, and the other nuances of the punk subculture.

Planet Rock Dating


Relationships: Date, friendship, hookup
Profile: All lock lovers*

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Another demographic in the alternate dating scene that we want to highlight is the rock genre. Multiple subcultures celebrate rock and are constantly on the lookout for people with similar interests.

For those of you, we present Planet Rock Dating, an exclusive dating platform that provides opportunities for rock enthusiasts to find the love of their dream. What more can you ask for when the journey to finding your prospective partner is clubbed with passionate rock music talk?

With fascinating discussions about The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Janis Joplin, U2, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, David Bowie, Nirvana, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Doors, Eagles, and Elvis Presley, to name a few, there won’t be a single dull moment once you sign up in this alt dating app.

Special features


  • Provision for signing up for free.
  • Brings back old school dating by using a simple logarithm.
  • A user-friendly interface allows easy and smooth browsing.

One aspect of Planet Rock Dating that separates it from most other modern dating apps is that it keeps it simple. It doesn’t use any complex logarithm to match you with another member. The vibe is very chilled on this website where the natural flow of conversation is preferred over forceful matchmaking.

EmoWire


Emo Wire

Relationships: Date, friendship, hookup
Specialty: Free alternative dating site*
Profile: All alternative singles*

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Next on our list of the best alternative dating websites is EmoWire. Allowing you to sign up for free, this is strictly dedicated to emo girls and emo guys on the foundation that emo-interested people can interact and find love under a safety blanket.

Some of its best features are live wall posts, customized profiles, and unlimited photo-sharing. On top of that, it also has its blog-sharing aspect, where members can write their thought about anything and post it there for others to read. So, in a way, it also functions as an emo forum.

Special features


  • An extensive blog section lets you explore your favorite emo topics.
  • The video section allows you to upload videos and watch the videos of other members to get to know them closely.
  • The forum section helps you hold discussions to see where people stand on various emo-related issues.

Many people equate punk and emo together but only a true emo fan knows how frustrating that can be. Therefore, you don’t have to deal with those people on this website as you will only find emo enthusiasts in this space. So, get your groove on, sign up now and start the journey of finding love.


Botton Line

When you are leading an unconventional lifestyle, it can be really difficult to find similar-minded people to date. But fortunately enough, more and more alternative dating websites and apps are coming up and even conventional popular websites are opening up branches for alternative dating.

We certainly hope that these aforementioned websites will cater to your dating needs and preferences. Rock, Punk, Goth, metal, emo, whatever it is that you prefer, just go out and sign up on the website of your choice and see the world that awaits you.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)


What is an alternative lifestyle?

The phrase alternative lifestyle is a broad umbrella term and can entail a plethora of subtexts within it. In its true essence, it means any lifestyle that is considered to be outside the cultural norm. A person living an unconventional life that is outside the mainstream fraternity is what comprises an alternative lifestyle.

The different subcultures within an alternate lifestyle are segregated based on activities, interests, beliefs, and customs. Some of the most common segregations of alternate lifestyle are as follows:

  • Body modification – It involves body piercings, tattoos, non-surgical stretchings, scarification, transdermal implants, etc.
  • Alternative child-rearing – Co-parenting, home-schooling, home births, etc.
  • Bohemianism – Simple living, hippies, punk, rock, emo, steampunk subculture, antiquarian, etc.
  • Unconventional sexual fetish – BDSM, swinging, threesome, gangbang, etc.
  • Alternative medicine – Natural, herbal remedies or medication.
  • Travelling subculture – House-trucking, new age travelers.
  • Restrictive dieting – Vegetarianism, veganism, etc.
  • Alternate sexuality – Lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, sapiosexual, transgender, etc.

These are just a few of the many subcultures that are there in the world.

What does an alternative lifestyle mean sexually?

When it comes to alternate lifestyle from a sexual perspective, it means either your sexual orientation or sexual identity. Let us try and understand both these terms in detail.

Sexual identity is what you identify as. You can be cisgender or transgender or non-binary. Cisgender means your gender identity is the same as your biological sex or the sex assigned at birth.

Transgender is the opposite of cisgender. If your gender identity does not conform to the sex you were assigned at birth, then you are a transgender. For instance, a person who was assigned a woman at birth can identify as a man. In this case, they will be a transman.

A non-binary person does not conform to either male or female and doesn’t want to put themselves in a box. People use many pronouns and the pronoun ‘they’ is also relevant. So, one must always seek people’s pronouns before addressing them.

The second aspect of the sub-division (sexual orientation) has been discussed in the following question.

What does an alternative lifestyle mean in terms of sexual orientation?

Sexual orientation refers to the sexual and/or romantic attraction of a person. The three broad classifications here are as follows:

  • Heterosexual – Commonly known a straight, it refers to an individual being attracted to only the opposite sex.
  • Homosexual – Commonly known as gay and lesbian, it refers to an individual being attracted to only the same sex.
  • Bisexual – It refers to an individual being attracted to both the opposite and same sex.

Needless to say, homosexual and bisexual falls under alternate sexual orientation and alternate dating since these are still considered taboo.

Apart from these, there are also other sexual orientations that are considered taboo such as pansexual, asexual, bi-curious, etc. all of which fall under the broad alternate sexuality term.

How do you meet alternative people?

Usually, there are cruising spots for alternative people to meet, not only for finding love or hooking up but for sharing camaraderie as well. It is very much like an underground culture. It can be a club, a park, a bar, etc.

But nowadays, the digital world is bringing these people together and is unifying people with similar tastes around the globe. So, now you can interact with more Goth because you are not limited to your local town only.

The same applies to punks, metalheads, and, emo enthusiasts, to name a few. There are online alternative dating sites and apps specifically designed for each of these subcultures through which people can find friends, companionship, and love.

Even mainstream dating websites are branching out to include a safe space for people who are into alternative dating.

What is emo subculture?

Emo refers to a genre of rock music that puts an emphasis on emotional expression, mostly through its lyrics. It emerged during the 1980s and was pioneered by bands such as Embrace and Rites of Spring.

It has since then spawned a lifestyle of its own that is marked by tight t-shirts often bearing band names, skinny jeans, jet-black hair, studded belts, and long bangs. Introversion, sensitivity, angst are also often associated with this subculture.

Fans of emo music often describe themselves as emo kids, emo guy, emo girl, or simple emos.

What is punk subculture?

Punk is a subculture that stemmed in the mid-1970s through the fans of the music genre punk rock. The music of punk, which often involved fast-paced songs that were short in duration and edged by hard melodies united a whole other community of fans together.

Punk slowly ingratiated itself in literature, music, visual art, fashion, and ideologies. Most notable punk motifs include leather jackets, brightly colored hair, tattoos, Mohawks, body modification, and jewelry, among others.

Punk enthusiasts often enjoy arts that bear the themes of minimalism, underground, satirical and iconoclastic sensibilities.

What is Goth subculture?

Emerging in the UK in the 1980s, this subculture was developed by fans of gothic rock music. The bands that inspired this subculture were Jo Division, Bauhaus, The Cure, and Siouxsie and the Banshees.

The types of music that they prefer are gothic rock, cold wave, ethereal wave, dark wave, and post-punk. This subculture draws many influences from the Belle Epoque, Edwardian, and Victorian eras. Besides, nineteenth-century horror literature and early twentieth-century horror films have had significant influences on this subculture as well.

Motifs of Goth include black hair, dark attire, dark makeup, including black lipstick. Their aesthetics and fashion are extremely distinct and have inspired many fashion giants to take out collections of their own.

Famous Gothic style icons include Robert Smith, Rozz Williams, Dave Vanian, Vampira, Morticia Addams, Nico, David Bowie, Lux Interior, Musidora, Bela Lugosi, and Bettie Page.

What is heavy metal subculture?

Evident by the name, the heavy metal subculture comprises of fans of heavy metal. Although it started with a fanbase that was predominantly white male in the 1970s, it has since then garnered the interests of more female fans alongside different ethnicities.

Common motifs of heavy metal include vests and jackets made of denim, drill pants, boots, long hair, band patches and studs, alongside riding bikes and loads of tattoos. The newer and younger fans have adopted an urban hipster vibe in recent years.