What is ugly dating? 5 min read
What Is Ugly Dating?
Ugly dating means dating that puts personality before looks, on sites built for people who do not feel they fit the polished faces of mainstream apps. Ugly is a word you can use about yourself, with a grin, never about anyone else. It covers plain, ordinary, older, heavier and camera-shy singles alike.
By The Ugly Bug Ball team
In short
- Ugly dating puts personality before looks.
- Ugly is a word you use about yourself, with a grin, never about anyone else.
- It suits plain, ordinary, older, heavier and camera-shy singles alike.
- Profiles get read, so humour and kindness get a real chance.
What people mean by ugly dating
Search for ugly dating and you will find people asking for a dating site for ugly people, a dating app for ugly people, or simply somewhere they will not be judged on one photo. Behind the blunt word is a simple wish: to be liked for your humour, your kindness and the way you see the world before anyone decides whether your face is their type. Ugly dating sites take that wish and make it the house rule.
Why use a word like ugly?
Because saying it out loud takes the sting out of it. On The Ugly Bug Ball, ugly is a word you use about yourself, the way a friend might call themselves a disaster in the kitchen. It is a joke you are in on, never a verdict someone else hands you, and never something to say about anyone else. Take away the pressure to look like a model and it is a lot easier to relax and be funny.
Who ugly dating is for
All sorts of people. It is for anyone who feels plain or unremarkable; for people who are heavier, balder, shorter or older, or who have a scar, a disability or features they have been teased about; for people who are perfectly happy with how they look and are fed up with apps that feel like a beauty contest; and for anyone attracted to people who are real rather than polished. On The Ugly Bug Ball, members range from 18 to past 65, and most live in the USA and the UK.
How it differs from mainstream apps
Swipe apps such as Tinder lead with a photo and a swipe. That is quick, but it means a photo decides almost everything before a word is read. On an ugly dating site, profiles get read. Your profile says what you enjoy, what makes you laugh and what you are looking for, and the daily matches take your interests into account alongside age and distance. Our comparisons set The Ugly Bug Ball beside Tinder, Hinge, Bumble and Plenty of Fish if you would like to see the differences in detail.
A few words you might see
Plain is the gentle version of ugly: ordinary-looking and fine with it. Unattractive is the word people type when they want a dating site for unattractive people; it means the same thing here. Personality first is the whole idea: who someone is before what they look like. Catfishing is pretending to be someone else with borrowed photos, and it is the opposite of everything this site stands for. Real dating for real people is what our logo has said from the start.
Is it for you?
If you have ever thought "they would like me if they got talking to me", it probably is. Start with our dating profile tips, read dating when you feel unattractive if confidence is the hard part, and see our guide to dating apps for ugly people for the options.
Questions people ask
What is an ugly dating site?
A dating site where looks come second and members can be themselves without pretending to be models.
Is calling it ugly offensive?
Not here. It is a word you use about yourself, lightly and with humour. Using it to insult another member goes against our house rules.
Is there a dating site for unattractive people?
Yes. The Ugly Bug Ball has been one since 2010, and it is for anyone who wants to be liked for their personality.
Do I have to think I am ugly to join?
Not at all. You might simply prefer people who are real rather than polished.