Two things about FetLife catch people out, and only one of them is about the platform. It is a social network rather than a dating app — and it has no official mobile app at all, which means the “FetLife app” you may find in a store is somebody else’s software wearing the name.
How this review was done. A desk review of what the platform publishes about itself — its Australian App Store listing on 22 September 2026, including the App Privacy disclosure Apple requires every developer to complete, and its own website. Where we cite reporting by others, we say so and name them. We have not used the app under test conditions and will not pretend we have. We take no commissions and there are no affiliate links on this page.
At a glance
| What it is | A kink and BDSM social network, not a dating app |
|---|---|
| Official iOS app | None |
| Official Android app | None |
| How to use it | Web browser, on desktop or phone |
| Age | 18+ |
| Relevance to the lifestyle | Adjacent, with genuine overlap — a different scene |
| App Store privacy labels | Not available — there is no listing to read |
The app that isn’t
FetLife does not publish an app on the Apple App Store or on Google Play. The way to use it is a browser.
That matters because searches for “FetLife app” do return results. There are third-party apps that trade on the name or the association, and an app store listing looks equally official whoever built it. Installing one and entering your FetLife credentials means handing your username and password — for an account tied to your sexual interests — to a developer with no relationship to the platform.
We are not accusing any specific app of anything. The point is narrower and firmer: if it is in an app store and it says FetLife, it is not FetLife. Use the website.
Why there is no app, and why that is familiar
Apple and Google both restrict sexually explicit content in their stores. A platform built around kink and BDSM, with user-generated photography at its centre, cannot meaningfully comply without becoming a different product.
If that sounds familiar, it is the same wall this entire category keeps hitting. Google and Meta both prohibit advertising in this space, which is why the free party circuit in Australian cities is sponsored by a dating platform rather than advertised, and why an independent guide like this one has to earn its readers rather than buy them. FetLife’s missing app is the distribution version of the same problem.
What it actually is
A social network for people into kink and BDSM: profiles, groups, discussion, event listings, and photo and video sharing. The orientation is toward community and conversation rather than matching. There is no swiping, and treating it as a hookup app is the most common way newcomers make themselves unwelcome.
The overlap with the lifestyle is real but partial. Plenty of people in Melbourne’s scene hold accounts on both FetLife and a lifestyle platform, and kink nights appear on venue calendars — our kink guide covers where the two scenes meet in practice. But they are distinct cultures with distinct norms, and arriving in one with the assumptions of the other is noticed immediately.
What we could not verify
FetLife’s own site would not serve us a readable page — it returned an access error from two different networks — so unlike every other platform in this guide we could not read its current published description, membership model or privacy statements first-hand. We are not going to fill that in from review sites.
What is stated above is limited to what we can stand behind: the absence of official apps in both major stores, the nature of the platform, and the store policies that explain the absence. For anything about membership, support tiers or data handling, read it on their own site once you have an account.
Who it suits
People whose interest is kink itself rather than partner-swapping, anyone who prefers community and discussion to matching, and people looking for kink events. If you want to know what is on in Melbourne, our weekly listings include kink nights when venues publish them.
Who should look elsewhere
Anyone wanting a lifestyle dating app — that is Adult Match Maker for the Australian scene, Feeld for couples, or RedHotPie for reach. Anyone who specifically wants a phone app, because there isn’t one.
Questions people ask
Is there a FetLife app?
No. FetLife publishes no app on the Apple App Store or Google Play; it is used through a web browser. Apps using the name are built by other people, and entering your credentials into one hands your account to a third party.
Why doesn’t FetLife have an app?
Apple and Google both restrict sexually explicit content in their stores, and a platform built around kink with user-generated imagery cannot comply without becoming something else. It is the same restriction that stops anyone in this category advertising on Google or Meta.
Is FetLife the same as a swingers site?
No. It is a kink and BDSM social network oriented around community and discussion rather than matching. There is real overlap with the lifestyle scene, but they are different cultures with different norms.
Is FetLife free?
We could not read FetLife’s own site to verify its current model, so we are not publishing a figure. Check on their site rather than relying on a review, including ours.
App store availability checked 22 September 2026. FetLife’s own site would not serve a readable page from two networks, so this page is deliberately limited to what could be verified. Corrections welcome at hello@swingershub.com.au. Compare with the others in our guide to lifestyle apps in Australia.
Details checked . Venues change things at short notice — always confirm on their own site before booking. Spotted something wrong? Tell us.