ZA’s Top Alternative Dating Sites & Apps

Last Updated:
Most Popular Choice
9.9
Academic Singles
  • Nearly 200K unique users
  • Explore a wide range of interests
  • Alternative Lifestyle Adventures
9.7
Be2
  • Everything else is just too ordinary
  • Dating for niche categories
  • Physically Disabled Welcome
  • Away from Mzansi's Mainstream
  • Everyone from Goths to Gamers
9.3
iDates
  • Gothboys into Gothgirls
  • Alternative is open to interpretation
  • Do something outside of your comfort zone
  • Change the rules of the game
  • Original thinking and connecting
9.2
50s-love
  • Seeking Midlife Satisfaction
  • Into Anything Alternative
  • Open To Suggestion
  • Deep Conversations Encouraged
  • "Ask Me" feature that gets right to it
8.7
40sdating
  • For females and males in their prime of life (40+)
  • Aim is a long-term relationship
  • Scientific personality test to help find the right partner
8.4
CupiDates
  • Large database of verified & attractive Asian and European singles
  • Efficient communication tools for real relationships
  • Top-level safety and professional support
8.0
DateYourGirl
  • A dating site that allows you to meet beautiful Asian, European, and Latino singles
  • Real-time communication with efficient tools
  • Professional dating services

Are you tired of the same old dating scene that Tinder, Plenty of Fish, and other sites and apps have to offer? Maybe there’s something special that you are interested in, or a lifestyle that is attractive to you that you would like your potential partner to also have. Or maybe you just want something new?

Then Alternative Dating is exactly the best place you need to be.

What is Alternative Dating?

Simply put, this is a category of dating that offers niche dating services for people who may find traditional sites and apps to be a bit lackluster. This means that alternative people who are looking for an alternative partner can find that special someone they’ve always been looking for.

You can find a dating site for any age here, ranging from the free to paid services. Explore what interests you the most and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there!

alternative girl in zen pose

Alternative Lifestyles

This ranges from people who choose to enjoy a lifestyle that is non-normative, such as vegans, hippies, furries, nudists, gamers, and goths, to name a few. This kind of dating is perfect then for someone who is looking to find a service that caters to something like, say, goth dating.

This isn’t to say that someone who enjoys living a furry lifestyle or who is an avid gamer would not find love on a dating website that is more traditional and generic. However, these kind of alternative dating sites give people with something that really interests them a range of benefits.

For someone that is intensely interested in a particular lifestyle, a dating site that emphasizes your hobbies and lifestyle offers security for you in the sense that you can rest assured knowing that you will be matching and meeting with people who share your hobbies and lifestyle.

Dating for the physically impaired

Alternative dating not only gives singles with unique lifestyles a chance to search for, meet and match with other likeminded individuals, but it also had taken dating into a new direction lately. These kind of dating services also offer platforms for singles with physical impairment as well.

For people who are deaf or have a physical disability of some kind but want to date just like anyone else online, then these new platforms offer the single best way to meet the new love of your life. For example, if you are looking for a different dating site for dwarfs, then look no further!

Any time there is something different that you might be looking for in your new dating service, whether it is at home or while you are on the go, rest easy knowing that there are others who share your situation and interests and would love to meet or simply just email with you.

Not just for alternative people

These services are a popular niche for many people, and these dating sites which cater to groups with special interests also attract people who would like to date within these communities, even if they aren’t themselves living a unique lifestyle or have a physical impairment.  

Rest assured that these sites are entirely for people with said special interests or disabilities. However, you can also meet someone who is not disabled on a site for dating the physically impaired that would be interested in dating you. It’s more common in this day and age than you might think!

The bottom line is that these are safe spaces. You can share your life with someone special that loves you for who you are and has an interest in your lifestyle, and most likely will share in what makes you special.

No matter your age, alternative dating can make it easy to email and contact the single of your dreams no matter your interests! You can search, match, and meet with singles for free to take home the best person for you.

Make the most out of who you are and embrace your identity! Try out these different dating sites for free and find the one that will make you truly happy before signing up. It is free to make a profile on these best sites, so why not take the leap today and make your own happiness?