Sugar Daddy Guide 2024

Sugar dating is becoming nearly common in 2024. In this guide, we reveal all the secrets, answer all the questions and give all the definitions of the sugar term.

You'll not only find out if paying a sugar baby is legal and who a Splenda daddy is; you will also be able to learn more about the actual costs of dating a sugar baby and the top sugar dating sites—places where attractive ladies and gentlemen and successful men and women usually meet each other.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Sugar daddy is a successful mature man who wants to find a young and attractive woman for a mutually beneficial relationship In the absolute majority of cases, sugar relationships are about sex and intimacy. 
2. There are also gay sugar daddies, sugar mommas, and male sugar babies (but the majority of SDs are straight men). 
3. Sugar dating is not about falling in love. 
4. It's very important to discuss payment and boundaries at the beginning of your relationship. 
5. Choosing a trustworthy dating app is extremely important: with websites like SecretBenefits and SugarDaddy.com, you can be sure that the risks of getting scammed or blackmailed are minimized. 

Best rated sites and chats for sugar daddy dating

Let us start with the best sugar dating sites that work equally well for beginners and experienced sugar babies, sugar daddies, and sugar mommas.

1. SecretBenefits — 9.9⭐ 
2. AshleyMadison — 9.7⭐
3. SugarDaddy.com — 9.6⭐
4. SugarDaddyMeet — 9.6⭐
5. LuxuryDate — 9.5⭐
6. WhatsYourPrice — 9.5⭐
7. SugarBook — 9.3⭐

Secret Benefits—The most popular sugar dating site

If you're looking for sugar sites with the largest dating pools, you'll like SecretBenefits. This is an excellent modern platform overall—it's modern, most profiles are detailed, and most importantly, verified, and there are a lot of filters aimed at helping members find an ideal sugar match. There are not so many special features, but the site was created to help people meet online and then start dating in real life, so messaging usually works well enough. Those who are concerned about privacy can create Secret albums and grant access to private photos only to members they already know or at least to the members they like.

Ashley Madison—A sugar daddy site for people seeking affairs

AshleyMadison is now on all the lists of the best sugar daddy websites, but there was a time when it was just an affair website. The thing is, it started to become increasingly popular among sugar daddies and sugar babies and soon transformed into a website where many people are seeking non-exclusive sugar relationships.

It is still totally free for all women, so even sugar mommas can save some money on messaging. Sugar daddies, however, will need to purchase some credits to unlock conversations with sugar babies. 

The site has a better sugar daddy/sugar baby ratio than most other sites—on this platform, men outnumber women.

SugarDaddy.com—One of the safest sugar daddy websites

On SugarDaddy.com, you won't meet anyone looking for a vanilla relationship. On this dating site, there are only sugar members seeking mutually beneficial arrangements. One of the biggest benefits of using this very platform is safety. You simply won't be able to sign up if you don't provide your real photos, and members are also encouraged to verify their accounts by uploading short videos that can be viewed by other members. There is an online messenger, public and private photos, an advanced search feature, and 24/7/365 support.

SugarDaddyMeet—A sugar daddy website for people from the 20 richest countries

SugarDaddyMeet is a unique website. It's available only in particular countries—20 countries with the highest standards of living, to be exact. That's how the administration of the site ensures that it will be used by SDs who canafford to pay an allowance to SDs, and SDs living nearby. There are lots of different features to use. In particular, non-paying members can reply to messages, send winks, use basic search, and like pictures and comments, while a member with a premium account can also initiate conversation, use advanced search filters and add first date gifts.

Luxury Date—Upscale dating site with verified sugar babies and sugar daddies

LuxuryDate is also one of the best places to get a legit sugar date, no matter if you are a beginner or a pro in sugar dating. There's a strict video verification procedure, and future members need to provide pretty many details when signing up, so you'll hardly find low-effort profiles there. It works great for SBs who want to meet SDs but are afraid of getting scammed—men also need to add photos and provide enough information. As for the interaction between users, an online messenger is now the main communication tool.

WhatsYourPrice—A sugar dating site where you can pay for a date

On this sugar daddy site, sugar daddies and sugar babies can also chat, but this is not its bestfeature. The best thing is it's also a unique place where benefactors can choose a sugar baby and place a bid on a date with her. If she accepts it, they meet in real life. What about the financial security for benefactors? If a sugar baby cancels a meeting for some reason, he'll get a full refund. Note please that this is a dating website, not an escort website, and many people there are looking for a long-term sugar relationship but don't want to spend too much time chatting online.

SugarBook—A sugar site with lots of useful features

Sugar Book is a premium dating site created for all people seeking mutually beneficial arrangements—you can join a platform as a sugar daddy, sugar baby, or sugar momma. Though messaging is a premium feature, SBs who are currently studying at college can contact others for free.

So, what's special about this sugar website? First of all, there is a private mode for those who don't want others to see their login details, date of joining the platform, and last login country. There's live chat, of course, as well as an opportunity to add members to favorites and use search. Please note that all profiles are moderated manually, and the approval procedure can take up to a day.

Best rated apps for sugar daddy dating

Even the best sugar daddy sites don't always have their mobile apps as mobile stores usually don't accept sugar apps. Still, some companies could beat the block and release their applications for younger women and men looking for benefactors and benefactors themselves.

1. AshleyMadison—9.7⭐
2. Sudy Dating App—8.8⭐
3. LuxuryApp—8.7⭐

Ashley Madison—Top affair sugar daddy app

We've already mentioned Ashley Madison—it was on our list of the best sugar daddy sites. However, this is one of the rare platforms that also have apps on the App Store and Google Play, free to download and use. Basically, it's way more convenient than the mobile version of the website, and all the features are available to users. There's the same pricing policy—women don't pay, and SDs who want to reach them can buy some credits and spend them on sending standard and priority messages.

Sudy Dating App—Top classic sugar daddy app

Sudy is a great dating app for female SBs and male SDs. What about sugar mommas and gay SBs? There are versions for them, too—they are called Gay Sudy & Les Sudy and are also available on Google Play and App Store. This is one of the platforms that lets members looking for benefactors send messages for free once they verify their accounts, so it's pretty hard to find a sugar baby without a verification badge.

The app works like a standard sugar daddy website but has some features of a social media site. In particular, members can post Moments (like Stories on Instagram) and comment on them.

Luxy App—The app for millionaires and sugar babies

That's a perfect site and app for SBs seeking material benefits and very rich sugar daddies—those who earn from half a million dollars per month, to be exact. The income must be confirmed and verified, and a user can't just join the site if they want to—they can send an application, and the active members of the community will vote for them. A potential new user must get at least 50% of the “yes” votes to create an account. 

Membership is not cheap, but it will hardly be a problem for a sugar daddy with such an income. Premium members can not only send messages and virtual gifts but also real bouquets of roses.

Common questions about sugar daddy dating

So, there are a lot of places to meet a sugar partner, but beginners should learn more about this type of relationship before joining one of them. Information can help avoid pitfalls and disappointments and ensure that you've chosen the right role for yourself. Experienced people can find it useful, too, and maybe even change and improve their online and offline dating strategies.

What does Sugar Daddy mean?

A sugar daddy is a financially successful man who isn't looking for a vanilla relationship. He wants to date an attractive young woman or a man and financially compensate them for their time on the terms of their mutually beneficial arrangement. Please note: it's not a man looking for blatantly paid sex but also for companionship, communication, dates, all the regular features of traditional dating, without its other features, in particular, jealousy and deep commitment.

More information on types of SDs, their expectations, and some pitfalls can be found here.

What does Sugar Baby mean?

A sugar baby is usually an attractive young woman or a young man who dates older wealthy men and is financially compensated for it. SBs shouldn't be confused with sex workers—as we've noted before, a sugar relationship isn't only about intimacy. According to information provided by best sugar daddy websites, most SBs are college students or young people who have just started their careers and are looking for a quick and decent boost. For many of them, sugar dating is the way to mix pleasure and business. There are different types of sugar babies though, so their view of sugar relationships may vary a bit.

What does Sugar Dating mean?

Sugar dating is a special type of relationship that has features of a vanilla relationship but is also different from it in terms of money and commitment. Mutually beneficial relationships and no strings attached are the relationships where one of the partners, a sugar daddy, compensates a sugar baby for both companionship and intimacy. It shouldn't be confused with sex work because the classic sugar script incorporates the expectation that partners develop authentic feelings and enjoy their time together.

Though intimacy is involved in 90% of cases, there are exceptions, too. All the types of sugar arrangements are described in this guide on sugar dating.

What does Salt and Splenda Daddy mean?

Many sugar babies are looking for the right sugar daddy, and for all of them, a salt daddy is the "wrong sugar daddy". This is a man who wants to date younger women without giving anything in return, pretending to be rich with the only goal of getting sugar.

A Splenda daddy is a man who's seeking arrangement but doesn't earn as much as other actual SDs. He wants to date beautiful women and though he doesn't try to scam them, he doesn't have much to offer them, either.

SBs usually try to avoid both, and the only way to do it is to learn all about the ways to spot Splenda daddies and Salt daddies.

What does Gay Daddy mean?

Gay sugar daddies are successful men who also look for young attractive partners to date and are ready to compensate them for their time, but they're not interested in dating ladies—these benefactors look for male potential sugar babies instead. They're not so many niche gay sugar daddy sites and apps, but most sugar dating sites report having pretty many gay sugar daddies, especially in big cities.

Note that female benefactors aren't called sugar daddies—they are sugar mommas, and there may be gay sugar mommas, too. Gay dating doesn’t differ a lot from regular sugar dating, and yet there are some specific things that a gay person who wants to join the sugar bowl should understand.

What does a male Sugar Baby mean?

A male sugar baby is a young attractive man who's looking for a sugar daddy or a sugar momma. Note that men interested in dating women are usually called sugar cubs. It's pretty hard to find a niche dating site with only male SBs, but they are usually accepted on all the big platforms from Ashley Madisonand to Secret Benefits.

SB/SD relationship rules

Sugar relationships are for like-minded people, so it may seem everything is always clear and easy. It's not always true. As we've mentioned above, there are different types of sugar relationships—long-term relationships, short-term relationships, platonic dating, and exclusive and non-exclusive dating, so the rules may vary. Still, there are some common, essential rules that most SDs and SBs always try to follow:

• It's not about falling in love, otherwise, it's not sugar relationships
• Intimacy must be consensual
• Developing clear terms is the only way to avoid problems in sugar relationships
• Payment must be discussed at the beginning, all the changes must be discussed beforehand
• Frequency of dates, trips, and other special terms must be discussed, too

These are only the main aspects, and if you want to learn more about all the written and unwritten rules of sugar dating, you can find information in this detailed B/SD relationship rules guide.

Tips for beginners in sugar daddy dating

These were the basics—now we are going to proceed to more specific advice for beginner SDs and SBs.

How to become a Sugar Daddy?

You need to learn more about the actual cost of getting a sugar baby in your area and ensure you are ready to pay this amount. Then, you should do some research on sugar dating, learn the main safety rules (we'll provide some later), and if you agree with all the rules of sugar relationships, find the sugar daddy site that will work best for you personally. After that, you can communicate with ladies looking for benefactors, and go on dates before you meet a woman you'd like to start a sugar relationship with. 

As you can see, this is not challenging, but there are also pitfalls that every beginner sugar daddy should consider.

Sugar Daddy profile examples 

Men usually don't have to compete with as many other men as SBs have to compete with other women. Still, a good profile can help one find a perfect match much faster, and as you know, time is money. Bio, headlines, photos, everything is important, and you can find more specific recommendations, as well as the sugar daddy profile examples here.

How to find a Sugar Baby?

We mentioned that most SDs look for partners on websites, and it's true. This is the fastest and the most convenient way to meet a SB. However, there are also other ways of finding a young and attractive lady or a gentleman who wants to date a benefactor, in particular, you can do it through friends or using social media or a regular dating site. If you want to learn all about all the options, take a look at this guide on how to find a sugar baby—we describe all the pros, cons, and pitfalls in detail there.

How to start a conversation with a Sugar Baby?

Basically, in the beginning, it's a regular conversation on a dating site. A sugar daddy can ask a sugar baby anything and tell them about anything, and most prefer to start with some standard topics—interests, experience of living in the city, relationship goals, education, occupation, etc. If a profile is detailed, you can find a lot of hints to start a conversation provided by a member themselves (and this is another reason why the so-called quality of profiles that includes the percent of useful information and attractive photos in them is so important). Usually, SBs and SDs don't start with discussing allowances and terms of sugar relationships—it's what they talk about if they like each other and already want to meet in real life.

Sugar babies often experience difficulty with starting a conversation, too. But generally speaking, they should follow the same rules, and there are some common questions to ask a sugar daddy to help have a fruitful and pleasant conversation and make a good impression on a potential benefactor.

How much do Sugar Daddies usually pay?

It largely depends on the city where a SD and a SB live and, of course, some other things; particularly, the conditions of the arrangement, the age of the sugar baby, her looks and style, etc. Still, the average monthly allowance is around $2,500-$3,000 in a big city and $1,500-$2,000 in a smaller city, while the PPM rate ranges from $200 to $500. If you want to learn more about all the costs and things the prices are usually made up of, you can find this information in this guide on a sugar baby allowance.

Do Sugar Babies sleep with Sugar Daddies? 

Most sugar daddy-sugar baby relationships involve intimacy. Again, it doesn't mean that sugar dating is just another form of sex work—sex, in this case, is only the part of a relationship, and not the only and not even the most important one. Moreover, there are exceptions. For example, there are also platonic SBs and SDs, and some people are just looking for cyber affairs.

Potential partners usually discuss this specific term of their relationship before they start it. To know more about negotiating and establishing the intimate part of an arrangement, please visit our guide here.

What is the average age of Sugar Daddy?

The average age of SDs is around 50 years old. Most men you can meet on niche websites are 45-60 years old, but there are exceptions, too. In particular, younger men aged 35 sometimes decide to start a sugar relationship with a sugar baby, too. SBs, in turn, are usually much younger—the average age is around 23. The big age difference between SBs and SDs isn't considered the problem; moreover, it is common in the sugar dating world.

Is it illegal to pay for companionship?

No, it's not, but only if it's a legit companionship. As we've noted before, sugar dating isn't sex work. Providing sexual favors, as well as paying for them, is prosecuted in many states, while there was no single case where a SB or SD were prosecuted for dating a sugar partner. The thing is, such relationships also involve companionship as well as other features of traditional dating, and therefore, aren't just paid sex. If you want to protect yourself and learn more about all the legal aspects, you can find the information in this guide on legalities in sugar dating arrangements.

Sugar Daddy red flags (scam alerts)

Unfortunately, both sugar babies and sugar daddies can get scammed, especially if they choose the wrong sugar dating website with a poor moderation system.

Here are the most common types of scams for sugar babies to be aware of:

• Salt daddies who just pretend to be rich to get sugar and leave without paying anything
• A fake sugar daddy who pays in advance but wants a sugar baby to pay an extra fee for a transaction
• Blackmailers who ask for nude photos and then demand money in exchange for silence

Sugar daddies, in turn, should know and protect themselves from the following scams:

• Fake SBs who ask for a small gift before a date
• Sugar babies who are constantly delaying meeting in real life, making a sugar daddy their "virtual partner" without his consent and approval
• Blackmailers who also ask for photos or videos to get money

Every sugar daddy and every sugar baby should be cautious when looking for a partner online, and though there are fewer scammers on the best sugar daddy sites, following the safety rules and having a healthy skepticism is still a must.

To sum up

So, we tried to describe and explain the main elements of the sugar dating culture. At the first glance, it usually seems like a complex world, and it'd be wrong to deny there are a lot of tiny aspects, but once you understand the basics, you can understand them all much faster and easier. Of course, it comes with practice, but knowing the theory can help avoid numerous problems and disappointments.