About us
The Ugly Bug Ball: Where Every Bug Is Welcome
Here, personality gets the first dance.
- Free to join
- 18+ only
Real dating for real people: a place where you're liked for your personality, your humour and your heart, and where nobody has to look like a film star to find love.
The Ugly Bug Ball has been around since 2010, when it was a British site offering "dating for the aesthetically challenged" and promising to deal in reality rather than perfect people on a beach. It took its name from an old Disney song about a party where every bug, however odd, is welcome. Our guide to where the name comes from tells the story. Today it has more than 2,000 members, most of them in America and Britain, aged from 18 to well past 65.
Why we say ugly with a smile
On the big apps, a photo decides almost everything before anyone reads a word. People who do not photograph well, who look different, or who simply never feel like the prettiest person in the room, get passed over before they have had a chance to be funny or kind. The idea here is simple: once the word "ugly" is out in the open and shared with a smile, it loses its sting, and it gets much easier to like someone for who they actually are.
Plenty of ways to get talking
Every member gets a profile, daily matches nearby, private messages and the members' feed, and VIP opens up the chat rooms and group chats. Joining and browsing are free; a paid membership lifts the daily message limit and adds extras. Read about our features and see every plan on the pricing page.
The platform behind the ball
The site runs on HubPeople, a dating platform that hosts many specialist dating sites. HubPeople provides the membership system, payments, moderation and the support team, so the same checks and the same round-the-clock help sit behind The Ugly Bug Ball as behind every other site on the platform. HubPeople is involved with the Online Dating and Discovery Association, an industry body for safety standards. The protections are set out on our safety page.
Part of a bigger network
In the site's own words: "To help maximise the chances of meeting the right person for you, The Ugly Bug Ball is part of a shared romance network of members and sites. This means that by joining The Ugly Bug Ball you automatically get access to members who are part of this shared network, who may have alternative interests, characteristics and lifestyle choices, significantly increasing the chances of finding what you're looking for. By joining The Ugly Bug Ball, your profile will also appear to members of other sites on the shared network."
Our house rules
A few simple rules keep the ball friendly.
- Adults only. This site is strictly 18+.
- Genuine members only. Real people and real photos, and no selling goods or services to other members.
- Be kind. Looks can be the joke you make about yourself, never the joke you make about someone else.
- Be tolerant. Members come from every background. Racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism and hate speech are not allowed.
- Be safe. Keep first conversations on the site, never share bank details and never send money or gift cards.
- Be discreet. If you recognise a member in public, only approach them if they have said you may.
- Respect boundaries. If someone says no, move on, and ask before sharing images.
- Follow the law. Nothing illegal, in messages or in media.