There are many things we’re passionate about here at Cosmo—lube, masturbation, open and honest communication, *the* best vibrators for whatever you’re into…basically, anything that turns good sex into great sex, we can get behind. And that very much includes ethical porn, a growing library of female-focused porn that puts women’s pleasure front and center while promoting inclusivity and more realistic on-screen portrayals of sex. Essentially, ethical porn sites are porn sites for women that give you more options catering to unique preferences and desires, and not the male-gazey videos produced for (and often by) straight dudes that make you feel cringe instead of aroused and empowered.
And we know—ethical anything is a term that’s getting thrown around more and more these days, but when it comes to porn, it is capital-V Very Important for you to know about it, understand it, find it, and yes, pay for it. That’s why we tapped Angie Rowntree, founder and director of ethical porn site Sssh.com, to give us a quick rundown.
“Ethical porn is not so much a ‘genre’ or a particular style of film, so much as it’s a way of doing business,” says Rowntree—one that prioritizes “open communication, honesty, respect, and transparency” among all people involved in the production of that content. “This means everything you see has been negotiated and consented to by all parties before the cameras are even rolling,” Rowntree explains. Which, hello, is exactly what adult performers deserve and *need* in order to create the kind of content you can feel good about consuming.
And while it can be tricky to know whether porn was actually ethically produced, Rowntree says there are a few signs to look out for as you vet your options, and recommends treating the following list as bonus points supporting a particular porn site, rather than strikes against one.
- First and foremost: Is it paid? Paying for your porn helps fund more empowering and realistic porn for women, pays the creators and workers fairly, and encourages higher standards and safer sex. “Consumers really need to pay for their porn, not only to ensure the content they consume is ethically made, but also because this is part of ethical consumption,” says Rowntree.
- Next, does the site tell you anything about the company, the director(s), the founder, and its ethos?
- Is this company on social media and engaging with the porn community?
- Does the company have a performer Bill of Rights on their site?
- Does the company offer contact information?
- Is the company approved by or does it hold membership to any industry organizations?
- How is the site marketing its content? Does it use tropes for descriptions or does it humanize the performers?
With all that in mind, we’ve gone ahead and rounded up some options for you. Remember: It’s always a good idea to run a quick vibe check on your porn of choice and make sure it’s a product you feel good about supporting and consuming! Thus, without further ado, 36 ethical, feminist, sexy porn sites and platforms for women that’ll make you feel good about getting off.
Cost: Free for limited access, $35/year or $17 quarterly for premium
Offers: Courses, audio
Okay, Emjoy is the least in-your-face ethical porn offering we have, but we have to start with it because it’s perfect for newbies. The app’s goal is to help women reach their sexual peaks by learning all about arousal, self esteem, and sex. You can go on “journeys” that’ll help you harness your own eroticism, you can listen to their vast selection of audio porn, or you can do a lil of both. Regardless of what you use the feminist app for, this female-focused pleasure center can help anyone achieve their sexual goals.
Cost: $6 for a weeklong trial, $12/month, $28 for a single month, or $61 for a year
Offers: Video, audio, stories, photos
Comprised entirely of exclusive content, FrolicMe offers tasteful, erotic, feminist porn films, audio, stories, and photo galleries. If you like more romantic porn that’s high in production value, this is your best bet. FrolicMe was started in 2015 by Anna Richards, who wanted to cater to those who found typical mainstream porn more of a turn-off than a turn-on. The site is also popular for sex therapists to recommend to their clients, as Richards says she gets lots of emails from members who sign up after hearing about it from professionals. Also cool: Richards has sex therapists write guest posts on the site, so you know they’re all about sex-positive education in the name of female pleasure.
Cost: $5 for a two-day membership, $20/month, $55 for three months, or $100 for a yearly membership
Offers: Movies, VR (no headset required), photos, novels, and stories
Founded by director Angie Rowntree, this feminist porn site is members-only and costs $20 a month, with options for a three-month membership for $55 and a yearly membership of $100. Not sure if you’ll be into it? Sssh also has a $5 two-day trial membership so you can get your *ahem* feet wet. The site offers original movies that are all ethically made (and have won numerous adult entertainment awards), livestream discussions called MindBrowse, radio, and a virtual world.
Cost: $18.99 for a one-month membership, $15.99/mo for a three-month membership, or $8/mo for a year-long membership (Individual films available to rent or purchase for non-members.)
Offers: Video
An award-winning porn studio, Aorta Films specializes in experimental adult content aimed at a queer audience—or, as the studio itself puts it, “Lusty, opulent, glorious fuckery.” (In other words: Sign us up.) Their films feature a diverse range of sexual identities, genders, and body types in all kinds of kinky configurations. Non-members can pay to stream or download videos, but a paid membership will grant you free streaming and a 50 percent discount on all downloads.
Offers: Video
A sprawling subscription platform that hosts over 300 channels and thousands of videos, Adult Time prides itself on “porn done differently.” Their extensive catalogue of erotic films and series from a diverse array of studios is home to a variety of genres, from trans and lesbian porn to animation and MILF porn, so you can craft your own personalized erotic experience.
Cost: Varies, expect to pay around $8 to $15 for most nude creators
Offers: Varies based on each creator
OnlyFans is kind of like Instagram but with the ability to see NSFW content in-feed. You become a “fan” of whichever creators you want to follow and pay whatever their rates are for access to exclusive content that’s paywalled. Some creators have free memberships as well, but you still need to link a credit card up in order to view any free content. Conn Perignon, a popular OnlyFans creator, says most OnlyFans subscriptions can run the gamut from $8 to $15.
Not all content on OnlyFans is NSFW or porn. (There are people who don’t do any sex-related content at all on the platform.) Your feed will vary based on what people feel comfortable posting, but given that it directly pays creators and allows them a distribution platform, it’s worth mentioning as a more ethical erotica or feminist porn avenue. Another bonus: OnlyFans gives you the ability to interact with creators. So, if you have a question or suggestion for a certain creator you subscribe to, you can just ask—although they might be more likely to respond to any Qs if you’re a paid subscriber or “tip” them.
Cost: FREE! (With paid options, of course)
Offers: Erotic videos and stories
Female pleasure-centric porn site Bellesa emphasizes authenticity and rawness in their vids by creating content written, directed, and produced by women, putting female empowerment at the forefront in more ways than one. Their plotlines include super-steamy, real-life scenarios that don’t feel corny or overdone. Moreover, these vids tend to be super foreplay-forward (think: slow-build, tension, kissing, I-shouldn’t-do-this-but-I-can’t-control-myself goodness). They also offer a Netflix-like model, Bellesa+, for $10 monthly.
Cost: $7.99 Monthly or $49.99 Annual
Offers: Audio erotica that syncs to your vibrator
Vibes Only is not your regular audio porn. The company, created by Ashley Hesseltine and Rayna Greenberg, co-hosts of the buzzy sex and relationships podcast Girls Gotta Eat, Vibes Only is an immersive experience where you, the listener, can become the center of your wildest fantasies. The erotic audio controls your Vibes Only vibrator and pulses to a collection of naughty stories—from getting ~sweaty~ with your personal trainer to experimenting with BDSM for the first time. The brand offers an array of vibrators, from a clit-sucking simulator to their Gigi magnetic clip that quite literally wants to get in your pants. (No, seriously. It’s designed to stay in place while hooked on your panties, so you, or someone else, can control it.)
Cost: $14.99 Monthly or $123.21 Annually
Offers: Films, Audio Erotica, Educational Resources
Think of CHEEX as the best sex education you’ve never had. They’re a health and wellness entertainment platform based on the idea that no sexual preference, orientation, kink, fetish, or desire should be “judged, mocked, or minimized.” (Co-sign!) Most notably, though, this sex-positive community is taking a fresh approach to porn—they curate their library, so it’s filled exclusively with consensual, diverse, and pleasure-first videos. Plus, they offer tons of live courses on everything from squirting to consent, non-penetrative sex, pegging, disability sex—you name it, there’s a sex tutorial. It’s everything your high school sex ed class could never.
Cost: $2.99 a month
Offers: Videos, how-to exercises, articles, and audio
Afterglow lives up to its tagline: “It’s ethical—and it’s sexy as f*ck.” Not only does the site house tons of orgasm-inducing vids, but it’s also a place for people to learn about sex—like, real sex, not performative, heteronormative BS. Afterglow founder Lily Sparks decided to make the ethical porn site and educational resource after learning about sex through porn, and realizing she wasn’t quite getting the full picture. Now the site is using its platform to shine a light on what real sex looks like—and how to achieve the ultimate orgasm, ofc.
Cost: $60 lifetime subscription
Offers: Feature-length porn videos
Remember that one episode of Sex and the City when Carrie and the girls are watching gay porn? No? Let me remind you: Charlotte, horrified, exclaims, “You said we were watching an independent film! I brought biscotti!” when she sees what’s on the screen. Well, in Lightsouthern’s case, using “independent film” to refer to porn is actually pretty on point. Think of the porn site as a marriage between “good old, fashion f*cking” (as Samatha Jones would say) and serious camera work and award-winning cinematography. The independent and Australian-based adult film label delivers feature-length, explorative content that’s plotline-driven and super hot.
Cost: Some content is free, but membership costs $35 for a month, $45 for three months, $84 for six months, or $132 for the year
Offers: Video, photos (both downloadable and online galleries)
Unlike a lot of porn sites, Ersties leans into the vast difference between mainstream porn for the male gaze and what real female pleasure actually looks like. The site design is cute, cheeky, and a little twee in a way you’d never see on a mainstream porn site. It’s all women-made and the videos, galleries, and photos all feature real people, not porn models or actors.
Cost: Free trial, then $5/month or $3/month annually
Offers: Audio
If you’ve ever wanted to experience porn without the visuals, now is your time. Female-founded, audio-only porn sites like Dipsea and Quinn are leading the charge. Quinn is free and includes categories for pretty much every scenario you can think of (and even some you can’t). We’re talking friends-to-lovers, kink, threesomes, and even a “doctor” category. Plus, you can sort the voices depending on whether you’re in the mood for a traditionally masculine or feminine voice. Très hot.
Cost: Free trial, then $13/month or $60/year
Offers: Audio
Dipsea is a female-founded startup and story studio, and the emphasis on storytelling is apparent in their content. The platform promises to always be relatable, feminist, and celebratory of sex in a positive way. Wanna get even more into it? Dipsea also accepts voice actors and writers to contribute to their new content. They have categories for “her and her,” “her and him,” and “her and them” stories as well, offering more inclusivity than a lot of mainstream, traditional porn. The stories range from 5 to 20 minutes. And did we mention that more than 300 new stories and sessions are added every week?!
Cost: Free
Offers: Photos, video, stories
Lady Cheeky’s Smut for Smarties is the most popular Tumblr around. We have a feeling it has something to do with the fact that it’s super hot, but at the same time, it feels classy and smart, with an emphasis on the empowerment of female pleasure. There are sexy quotes, black and white photos (yes, v artsy), and super hot GIFs capturing the exact perfect moments of great sex.
Cost: $5 per video for a 3-week rental, or $10/month for 5 videos, $30/month for 30 videos, or $50/month for 50 videos
Offers: Videos
In the words of Make Love Not Porn’s founder Cindy Gallop, MLNP is “pro-sex, pro-porn, and pro-knowing the difference.” What makes this site unique is that it features real-life couples having actual sex. The stars of the videos are paid a lot more ethically too, because the site operates on a video rental model—aka they see a more direct share of the profit per view. If you’re turned on by seeing people get it on without the acting, this is for you.
Cost: Free
Offers: Photos, video, photos, stories, chat, and audio
Okay, so Literotica is a little clunky and hard to navigate, but a ton of people swear by it, mostly for the erotic stories. The good news is that it has everything. Want stories about “erotic hypnosis and mind control”? There are more than 3,400 of them. That can also be the bad news. It’s kind of like shopping at TJ Maxx—you have to know what you’re looking for. You might find something super hot that’s totally up your alley, or you might end up reading a story where things get kinda weird. Stories are free, but videos are $6/30 minutes.
Cost: Free
Offers: Audio
Sounds of Pleasure is a Tumblr featuring nothing but the sounds of sex. Listening to someone having sex is surprisingly intimate. It’s thrilling and voyeuristic all at once, like overhearing something you shouldn’t. SoP has dirty talk—aka audio from people having sex with themselves or others—and JOI (jerk-off instructions). Plus, everything is self-submitted and created, so real people are recording themselves and sending the audio in, which is hella erotic and empowering.
Costs: Free
Offers: Audio, video, stories, chat
Orgasmic Tips for Girls is a feminist blog about sex, masturbation, orgasms, relationships, and body positivity.” But it’s kind of like sitting around with girlfriends, talking about sex, asking questions you can’t ask anywhere else, and sharing the hottest stuff you’ve found. Consider it like Sunday brunch with the gals, just with way more sex.
Cost: Free
Offers: Photos, videos, gifs
PornHub is not super great. We know this. But skip all the hetero fare with titles like “brunette gets slammed,” the comically fake emoting, and way-too-long fingernails, and head straight for the gay male porn. And honestly, there’s no need to feel strange about watching some dude-on-dude action. A lot of women—gay and straight—like to watch men doin’ it because (1) the men are generally kind to each other, (2) they seem to be actually into it, plus, (3) double the penises!
Cost: Free
Offers: Video
There’s nothing hotter than someone being overcome by lust—and Hysterical Literature is all about that. Artist Clayton Cubitt (yes, this is actually an art project) put together a series of films, each featuring a woman sitting at a table reading a passage from a book of her choice. As she reads, an unseen person under the table stimulates her with a vibrator. As the women get closer and closer to orgasm, they struggle to keep it together. But soon enough, their proper reading of, say, Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass becomes an incoherent series of gasps and moans. It’s beautiful, funny, smart, and very, very sexy.
Cost: Free trial then $35/month, $21/month for six months, or $12/month for a year
Offers: Video, essays
Each month, filmmaker Erika Lust takes two reader-submitted fantasies and turns them into short erotic films on XConfessions. Since women are picking the topics, they really are “what women want” and cover everything from Mad Men porn to IKEA-themed sex (oh, yeah). All of it’s lusciously filmed with gorgeous locales and good-looking (but not porny-looking) fuckers and fuckees. And if you’d rather read, all of the essays that inspired the films are published on the site, so you can get aroused that way. Last, Lust employs a bunch of women behind the scenes, treats her actors well, and is a big feminist herself, so her site is kind of like the porn version of fair-trade coffee.
Cost: $15/month, $30/three months, $100/year, but there are free previews
Offers: Video
The main page for Beautiful Agony, an artsy, ethical site from the Netherlands, is full of thumbnail shots of people making their “O” face. That alone isn’t so great, but a click on each one reveals a video showing just that person’s face as they ride toward, then through le petite mort, French for “little death,” or orgasm. It feels super intimate and hits your sexual brain from a whole different angle.
Cost: $5–9 to stream a video, $10 or so to stream and download, or pay by the minute ($7/30 minutes)
Offers: Video
Created by the venerable San Francisco sex toy store famous for female sex positivity, Good Vibrations’ selection of feminist porn reflects this philosophy. There are all kinds of niche choices to pick from, including how-to videos, vintage porn, queer porn, and the beautifully named category “All Sex-No Plot.” For any thrifty shoppers, GV also has a “sale” section where you can score sexy videos for cheaper while still knowing the content comes from an ethical source.
Cost: $24/month, with a few free videos.
Offers: Videos
I Feel Myself has more than 300 videos of women making themselves cum in a variety of ways. It kinda feels like you just stumbled upon someone going to town on themselves in the best way. Not only is it all authentic—think clit-rubbing and not-super-over-the-top orgasms just like most women actually have IRL—but all videos are self-submitted. Everyone gets paid upon being posted and the contributors get paid bonuses per click, so you’re literally supporting feminist artists every time you watch.
Cost: Videos about $10 each, or $40/month, $23/month for six months, or $15/month for a year
Offers: Videos
If you’re into kink, you probably already know about Kink.com, but if you’re a beginner, it’s a good place to start. It’s sort of like a Big Box store for BSDM, fetishes, and other kinks—whatever you’re into, they’ll probably have what you want. And let’s be honest, other things you didn’t know you wanted may end up in your cart as well.
Cost: $25/first month, $11 thereafter, or individual video-on-demand for around $16–20 for seven days
Offers: Videos
Bright Desire bills itself as “smart porn for men and women.” It’s not just straight-up boning but instead is aimed to titillate the entire body, including the mind. The feminist, ethical content is hailed as a celebration of sex with stories and situations that captivate you as much as the actual getting it on. Like this from Instructed: “Pandora Blake arrives at a hotel room, expecting to see her lover, D. Instead, she finds a letter bearing explicit instructions as to what she should do to prepare herself for him.” Oh, yeah. We are definitely listening.
Cost: $25/month, or $10/month for a year
Offers: Videos
Described as the Netflix of adult indie films, Pink Label TV offers pretty much everything by way of ethical erotica and feminist porn. Not only are there plenty of options that feature “blurred gender lines and fluid sexualities,” but the company makes it a mission to help industry professionals by offering courses, newsletters, events, and fair pay to better the lives of sex workers and the progression of ethically-made porn.
Cost: Films cost a donation, or $9/month for access to all films, read posts, and blog posts
Offers: Photos, video, stories
This content is super artsy, with gorgeous stills and sexy films with names like Alchemy, Flux, or The Renascence (note the delightfully cerebral Edna St. Vincent Millay spelling.) The “cinema” section (see also: artsy as hell) has similarly highbrow fare (but don’t worry, still oh-so-hot) like The Decadence. Basically, you get five people completely losing it while all having attractively filmed sex together. Sign us up, plz!
Cost: Free
Offers: Stories
Want to read about your favorite characters getting it on six ways to Sunday? Well, now you can. John/Sherlock? Steve Rogers/Tony Stark? A Transformer, doing…whatever it is they do? Archive of Our Own has high-quality fan fiction (not an oxymoron) and plenty of it. Ask a bookworm about how many fics they’ve bookmarked on the site, and they’ll think you’re looking into their very soul.
Cost: varies, but lowest plan is $25/first month, $11/month thereafter
Offers: Stories
Want to branch out or just feel over watching real people get it on? Slipshine’s erotic comics are sexy and enthralling. All of the cartoons are sexual in nature but also awesomely illustrated and written, which makes them super fun to read and discuss with a partner. If you want to start with a free site to figure out whether comic porn is for you, try Oglaf, which is female-founded. Bonus: Oglaf and Slipshine are both openly sex-positive and supportive of all genders, orientations, and ethnicities.
Cost: $25/month, $10/month for a year
Offers: Videos
Say it with us: There’s no reason being queer should limit your porn options. We’ve all seen what a male-centered worldview can do in the world of erotica. Boobs are jiggling everywhere, and orgasms don’t sound at all like they do IRL. (Why is that a thing, btw?) Whether you’re into femme-on-femme action or you’re looking for more trans representation in the ~sexy content~ you consume, The Crash Pad offers an authentic take on queer sexuality that is second to none.
Cost: $1 for two days, $30/month, $20/month for three months, or $9/month yearly
Offers: Videos
If you’re not ready to commit to a long-term paid membership, but you’d still like to see some quality, female-focused action that isn’t cheesy, Dane Jones is a destination you definitely want to check out. A lot of the platform’s free content is sensual and romantic in that Bridgerton sorta way. Is there anything better than a porn site that’s super intentional about highlighting sex from a woman’s perspective? We think not.
Cost: $20/month
Offers: Videos and photos
Queer folks, this one’s for you! This platform has it all: vids, pics, and even some erotica to really get your engine revving. Consent plays a major part in the content you’ll find on Spit, which is something we’re all about. What’s sexier than a hot-and-heavy sesh in bed (or on the kitchen table)? Asking your partner(s) for their consent before doing the deed. There’s truly no better turn-on. And best of all, this porn brand fully embraces ethical, intersectional practices so you can feel good in more ways than one.
Cost: $26/month, $42/two months, $63/three month, or $125/six months
Offers: Videos
There’s no such thing as too much diversity, um, anywhere, but that’s especially true when it comes to the porn we watch. More body types, please! More ethnicities and cultural backgrounds represented, please! Indie Porn Revolution understands the importance of showcasing the wide spectrum of sexual enjoyment, often featuring folks who may not always get their time in the spotlight. Inclusive and pleasure-inducing? It’s pretty much the best of both worlds.
Cost: $18/month, $11.50/month for three months, or $6/month yearly
Offers: Videos
Tired of the male gaze dominating literally everything? Lust Cinema is the place for you. Founded by Erika Lust (yep, the same Erika Lust from XConfessions!), this platform features feminist content mostly filmed by female directors. There are plenty of steamy vids to choose from and if you’re feeling particularly inspired (aka horny), you can submit your own viewer “confessions.” These may then be used in videos for the site’s aforementioned XConfessions series. Now that’s what we call quality user-generated content.
Rachel Varina is a full-time freelance writer covering everything from the best vibrators (the Lelo Sona) to the best TV shows (The Vampire Diaries). She has over 10 years of editorial experience with bylines at Women’s Health, Elite Daily, Betches, and more. She lives in Tampa, Florida, but did not feed her husband to tigers. When she’s not testing out new sex toys (100+ and counting so far!), she’s likely chilling with her dogs or eating buffalo chicken dip. Ideally at the same time. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
Associate Sex & Relationships Editor