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Kind vs Cuddle
Cuddle is an iOS dating app for people with HSV, HIV, HPV, and other STDs, released in 2024. Here is a factual comparison — we build Kind, so read with that in mind, but every claim below comes from Cuddle's App Store listing and its own website.
Published by Kind Dating, a competitor. Sources checked . This comparison uses public information, not testing of paid accounts. How we compare services.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Kind | Cuddle |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | HSV-1 and HSV-2 specifically | Broad multi-STD app (HSV, HIV, HPV, others) |
| Platforms | iOS and Android apps | iOS app plus a website (prideparty.app); we found no Google Play listing (checked Oct 6, 2026) |
| Monthly Price | Free while Kind is new — every feature included | Free download; the App Store lists subscriptions at $19.99 for 1 month, $37.99 for 3 months and $60.99 for 6 months (checked Oct 6, 2026) |
| Photo Verification | Every account passes a live-selfie photo verification before appearing in discovery | Its terms say registration may include SMS or posed-photo verification; its website advertises “verified humans” |
| Health Data Encryption | HSV type encrypted at the application layer; never sold or used for ads | Encryption not described in its privacy policy (checked Oct 6, 2026); App Store privacy label lists precise location, physical address and sensitive info as data linked to you |
| Who Runs It | Subtxt LLC; built by a software engineer who lives with HSV | Listed on the App Store under an individual developer’s name (莉 闫) |
| Track Record | New: iOS app first released June 2026; community still growing | iOS app first released March 2024 |
| App Store Rating (US) | 4.5 out of 5 from 11 ratings (checked Oct 6, 2026) | 3.9 out of 5 from 205 ratings (checked Oct 6, 2026) |
The Trust Question
An STD dating app holds very sensitive personal data, so it is worth knowing who runs it. Cuddle is listed on the App Store under an individual developer's name rather than a company. Its website, prideparty.app, publishes a privacy policy, terms of service and contact details. Its App Store privacy label lists precise location, physical address and sensitive info among the data linked to your identity. Its terms say registration “may include” verification by SMS or by a photo in a fixed posture, and its website advertises “verified humans.”
Kind is operated by Subtxt LLC and was built by a software engineer who lives with HSV. Your HSV type is encrypted at the application layer and is never sold or used for ads, and every account passes a live-selfie photo verification before it appears in discovery. You can read how your data is handled in our privacy overview.
Pricing and Experience
Cuddle is free to download. Its App Store listing shows subscriptions at $19.99 for 1 month, $37.99 for 3 months and $60.99 for 6 months (checked October 6, 2026), and does not say which features need a subscription. Its website lists swiping (“Spark”), chat, video calls, group chats (“Circles”), a sharing feed (“Moments”), local meetups and member stories. It targets the full spectrum of STDs rather than HSV specifically.
Kind is free while it is new, with messaging, matching, discovery, and seeing who liked you all included. It is HSV-focused and available on both iOS and Android, and its matching learns from your likes and passes.
The Verdict
Cuddle offers a broad STD community on iOS, with group chats, video calls and meetups. Before you join any app that will hold your health status, check who operates it, what its privacy label lists and how its verification works.
Kind may fit if you want an HSV-focused app on iOS or Android, where every account passes a live-selfie photo verification and every feature is free while Kind is new. Kind is newer and has fewer members, so check who is near you in each app. For every option side by side, see our guide to the best herpes dating apps.
Note: This comparison reflects publicly available information about Cuddle (its US App Store listing and privacy label, and its website, privacy policy and terms) as of October 6, 2026. Features and pricing may change. Kind is a competing app; verify details yourself and choose what fits you best. Kind is not affiliated with Cuddle.
Sources
All sources checked .