Reach for Pure when
You want a one-off with nothing left behind, you're travelling and want to post in another city, or you like the push of a chat that expires.
Compared on 13 October 2026
Casual.uk vs Pure: Fun Tonight, and Again Next Week
An app built for vanishing chats, and a site where a good connection can stick around.
Here for an hour, or here when you want them
Pure, launched in 2013 and run by Online Classifieds AG in Switzerland, is an anonymous app: you post an ad saying what you want, matched chats run on a timer, and photos disappear once seen. Casual.uk, online since 2014, is a British casual dating site with lasting profiles, daily matches and sections for different tastes.
So the choice comes down to style. Pure is designed for a spontaneous, leave-no-trace hook-up. Casual.uk is for people who like their casual sex and dating with a bit of continuity, where the person you had a great night with is still easy to find next month.
Credit where it is due
When Pure is the smarter move
Some evenings call for total anonymity.
Reach for Casual.uk when
You'd like regular casual company in the UK, matches chosen for you each day, and conversations that are still there next week.
What each one does best
| Casual.uk | Pure | |
|---|---|---|
| Launched | 2014 | 2013 |
| Company | Casual.uk, on the HubPeople dating platform | Online Classifieds AG, Switzerland |
| How you start | Build a profile, get daily matches | Post an ad describing what you want |
| Chats | Private messages that stay | Timed chats unless both switch the timer off |
| Photos | You choose which photos to share | Chat photos self-destruct, screenshot alerts |
| Where | People across the UK | Any city worldwide |
| Device | Any phone or computer browser | iPhone and Android app |
| Cost model | Free to join; VIP and VIP Plus | Free download, subscription to get in |
Private by default, without the countdown
Privacy is Pure's signature. Members stay anonymous, photos sent in chat vanish after viewing, the other person is told if you screenshot, and nothing from a chat can be saved to the phone's gallery. For a discreet single meet, that design is hard to beat.
Casual.uk keeps you private in a different way, one that doesn't cost you the conversation. Nobody sees more than a username and the town nearest to you: your real name, email and address stay private, and the photos are yours to pick. You decide who gets your number, and when. If the vibe goes wrong, block or report them from their profile or the chat.
Matches that wait for you to be ready
On Pure, you see others in the feed once your own ad is up. A mutual like opens a chat with a clock on it, and if nobody keeps it going, the chat disappears unless you both agree to switch the timer off. It suits people who decide fast.
Casual.uk takes the pressure off. You get daily suggestions chosen on what you're looking for, interests, distance and age, and a match is still there tomorrow if work runs late. The members' feed is a low-stakes way to flirt, and badges earned through activity, such as Chatterbox and Heartthrob, show who's been busy on the site. VIP adds members-only chat rooms and private group chats of up to 50, for when you fancy company in numbers. More on our features page, and if you're unsure how to open, our guide on asking for something casual helps.
People near you, not passing strangers
Pure lets you check any city around the world, which is handy on a trip. Casual.uk is about Britain: more than 2,000 members across five sections, almost all of them based here. On the main site Greater London has the most, and members are spread from Devon and Hampshire up to Tyne and Wear and Glasgow. Our casual dating near me page shows how to find people close by.
You also get to pick your crowd. Join Naughty Casual for something bolder, Mature Casual if you're over 40, MILF Casual to meet confident older women, or BBW Casual for curves and the people who adore them. Each section is a community of its own with a separate sign-up.
Know who you're meeting before you go
Pure's anonymity is the point of the app, so you meet with less to go on: no lasting profile to look back over, and a chat that may have vanished by the time you set off.
On Casual.uk the profile, the photos and the conversation are still there when you want them, so you can scroll back over what someone said before you meet. A short video call beforehand, if you want one, tells you a lot about the chemistry and whether the face matches the photos. Pick somewhere public, tell a friend where you'll be, and never send money to someone you haven't met. Read our safety page before your first meet.
Pick a plan that fits a busy diary
Pure is free to download, but you need a subscription to get inside, sold as Pure membership in a range of lengths through the app stores; the price depends on the plan you pick and where you are. Casual.uk is free to join and use for profiles, matches, the feed and a limited number of messages each day. VIP lifts the message limit and adds advanced search, chat rooms and group chats, and VIP Plus puts your messages and likes first. Plans run from a week: the weekly, monthly, three-month and six-month plans renew until you cancel, and the twelve-month plans are a single payment that never renews. Every price is on our pricing page.
Pure, timers and hook-ups: quick answers
How does the Pure app work?
You post an anonymous ad saying what you're looking for, then browse others. A mutual like opens a timed chat, which disappears unless both people agree to turn the timer off. Photos in chat self-destruct after viewing.
Who owns Pure?
Online Classifieds AG, a company based in Zug, Switzerland. Pure was founded by Roman Sydorenko and Oleksandr Kukhtenko.
Is Pure free?
Pure is free to download, but you have to subscribe to get inside, with weekly, monthly and annual subscriptions that renew automatically. Casual.uk is free to join, with VIP as an optional extra.
Is there an alternative to Pure for UK casual dating?
Yes. Casual.uk is a British casual dating site with daily matches, private messages that stay put, chat rooms with VIP, and sections for Naughty, Mature, MILF and BBW dating.
Weigh up the other options
See all four head-to-heads on our comparisons page.