Friendship apps for women: how to choose the right one
By ValuePair · · 7 min read
Compare women-only friend apps and mixed apps with a women-only setting by who can contact you, how chats start and what costs money.
You signed up for a friend app to meet friends, and somehow it still felt like dating: someone flirting when you wanted a coffee buddy, or a chat that never got past “hey, how are you?” Before you download the next app, it helps to know what actually differs between them: who can contact you, whether you can meet only women, how a first conversation starts, and what costs money.
This guide compares women-focused friend apps and mixed apps with a women-only setting, using each company’s own pages, checked November 2, 2026. It does not rank them by how many friends you will make. Nobody can honestly promise that, and active members near you vary by app and by city.
Four things to check before you download
Most frustration with friend apps comes from a mismatch between what you want and how the app is built. These four questions sort that out faster than reading star ratings.
- Who can see and contact you? Some apps show you to members of the same gender only, some are women-only by membership, and some mix everyone in groups. Read the help page, not just the app description.
- Can you limit friendship to women? A women-only app answers this by design. A mixed app may offer a setting for it, or may not. If this is a requirement for you, confirm it before you build a profile.
- How does the first conversation start? Swiping and an open chat put the opening line on you. Some apps start with a shared prompt or question instead, which gives you something to talk about.
- What is free? Check whether matching, messaging and groups are free, and what a paid plan adds. “Free to download” is not the same as free to use.
Women-focused friend apps compared
Facts below come from each app’s App Store listing or help center, checked November 2, 2026. Features and prices change, so check again in the app before paying for anything.
Bumble BFF
In the US, Canada and Mexico, Bumble’s friendship product is now a separate app called BFF, which replaced Bumble For Friends and BFF Mode there. Elsewhere, Bumble directs people to BFF Mode or Bumble For Friends. Its help center says People Discovery shows you members of the same gender, while Groups can include members of any gender, and that you cannot filter People Discovery by a specific gender. BFF currently says every feature is free. Our Bumble BFF alternatives guide covers what changed in the new app.
Peanut
Peanut is built for women through motherhood: you swipe to meet local moms, chat after a match, and join support groups. It is a strong fit if you want mom friends at a similar stage, and a weaker one if motherhood is not what you want to talk about. Peanut is free to use; an optional Peanut Plus subscription is sold to “speed up” finding friends.
Girlfriend Social
Girlfriend Social describes itself as a women-only friendship app for adults, with local and worldwide connections, chat, suggested friends based on shared interests and a scheduled daily icebreaker where you meet women who chose the same answer. An optional GFS Gold subscription unlocks premium features; the listing does not say exactly which ones, so check in the app.
Gofrendly
Gofrendly is designed for women to make friends in their local area, with matches, groups, activities and messaging. Its listing encourages you to say hello to as many people as you want. It does not state its prices, so check what is free in the app before relying on it.
Hey! VINA
Hey! VINA still appears in many “best friend apps for women” lists, but its website now says goodbye after nine years, and we could not find the app in the US, UK or German App Store on November 2, 2026. Treat it as closed unless the company says otherwise.
Women-only app or a mixed app with a women-only setting?
A women-only app sets the rule for everyone, which some people find reassuring. It can also mean a smaller pool in your area, and membership rules are only as good as the app’s checks and moderation. Women-only membership is not a safety guarantee.
A mixed app with a women-only setting lets you choose for yourself, and the same app can serve friends who want something different. The question to ask is whether that setting is reciprocal and applies everywhere in the app, or only to part of it. On Bumble BFF, for example, same-gender discovery applies to People Discovery, but not to Groups.
Neither model fixes the other common frustration: chats that stall. For that, look at how the app starts a conversation, and see our guide on what to say when a conversation dies over text.
Where ValuePair fits, and what it can’t do
We publish this guide as ValuePair, a friendship and dating app, so here is how ours handles the same four questions. ValuePair is not a women-only app. It is built around a few specific frustrations: being approached like a date when you want a friend, small talk that goes nowhere, and messages from strangers out of nowhere.
- Only women, if you want that. For friendship, you choose to be matched with everyone or only with women. Dating has its own separate settings, and someone who only wants dating isn’t matched with you for friendship.
- No open search. There is no search where someone can scroll through members. You are introduced to one person at a time. If you turn on Explore, you appear only as one of up to three suggestions for people who fit your filters, with your photo blurred.
- Questions before chat. Instead of “hey, how are you?”, you both answer the same questions and see each other’s answers once you have both replied. The chat opens only when you both choose to connect. It can’t make someone reply, but you never start from a blank chat.
- Your no-gos count. Mark the answers that are dealbreakers for you. People who clash on those, or who want something else, aren’t matched with you. Smaller differences stay, and they are often good to talk about.
- Free core. Matching, getting to know each other and chat are free, with no ads, and that won’t change. Optional Supporter extras exist.
What it can’t do: promise a match near you or by a certain date, guarantee anyone’s behavior, or predict whether a friendship will last. Matching is one person at a time, so it suits you if you would rather focus on one conversation than juggle many. If you would rather meet a group first, a women’s interest group or BFF Groups may suit you better. Read the FAQ before you decide whether to try ValuePair.
A few habits that help on any app
Write what you want to do, not just who you are: “Looking for someone to try new bakeries with on Saturday mornings” gives another woman something to answer. Before sharing your workplace or address, review friendship-app privacy controls. Meet somewhere public the first time, tell someone where you are going, and use the app’s report tools if anyone pushes past a boundary.
If you are still deciding between app types, our comparison of the best apps to make friends covers group apps, one-to-one apps and events. For meeting women offline, read how to make female friends as an adult.
Common questions
Is there a friendship app only for women?
Yes. Girlfriend Social and Gofrendly describe themselves as apps for women, and Peanut is built for women through motherhood. Mixed apps such as ValuePair let you choose to be matched only with women for friendship.
Does Bumble BFF only show women to women?
Bumble’s BFF help center says People Discovery shows members of the same gender, and Groups can include members of any gender. You cannot filter People Discovery by a specific gender.
Are friendship apps for women free?
Often the basics are. Bumble BFF currently says every feature is free. Peanut and Girlfriend Social are free to use with optional paid subscriptions. ValuePair’s matching, getting to know each other and chat are free. Check each app’s current terms before paying.
Sources and editorial note: Checked November 2, 2026: Bumble’s regional BFF changes, BFF’s gender guidance and BFF Premium pages, and the US App Store listings for BFF, Peanut, Girlfriend Social and Gofrendly. Hey! VINA’s status is based on its website and App Store searches the same day. We did not create accounts or test these apps; descriptions reflect each company’s own pages. ValuePair details reflect the app as of the same date.