Blend vs #open (Open: ENM IRL)
Updated September 2026. Facts checked on 28 September 2026.
A note before you read: we make Blend, so we are not neutral. We have tried to be fair. Every claim about #open below comes from #open’s own website or app store listings, linked in the sources. Prices and features change, so check the source before you decide.
About availability: when we checked on 28 September 2026, the App Store and Google Play links on the #open website led to “not found” pages for us, in both the US and Canadian stores. That may be temporary or regional. Details of the app below come from the #open website and from an archived copy of its App Store listing dated 22 February 2026. Check the #open website for the latest.
The short answer
#open, listed in app stores as “#Open: ENM IRL”, is an ENM social app closely tied to real-world lifestyle clubs and events, with club memberships, ticketing and QR check-in built in. Blend is a newer, smaller dating and community app for ENM, focused on linked partner and group profiles, encrypted chat, games and events. If your scene is clubs and lifestyle parties, #open was built around that. If you are dating as a poly person, couple or polycule, Blend was built around that.
At a glance
| Blend | #open | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | A dating and community app for ethical non-monogamy: polyamory, open relationships, relationship anarchy and people exploring ENM | A “non-monogamous social networking experience” for swinging, open relationships and polyamory, with events through a club network across the U.S. and Canada |
| Community size | New (launched 2026) and small | 516k downloads, 178k single profiles and 41k partnered profiles, according to its website |
| Platforms | Android on Google Play; iPhone and computers through the web app | iPhone (per its February 2026 App Store listing) and Android (linked from its website); both store listings were not found when we checked |
| Cost to start | Free to use | Free to download and use, according to its FAQ |
| Paid option | Optional Blend Premium adds incognito mode, advanced filters, priority likes, a monthly boost and rewind | #Open Plus: see who likes you, up to 5 intros a day and unlimited likes. The archived App Store listing showed a “Supporting Membership Monthly” at $9.99 and $14.99 and a Spark Pack (3) at $1.99 |
| Partners and groups | Link partners with their consent; couple and group profiles you manage together | Connect with singles, couples and polycules; partnered profiles |
| Chat privacy | One-to-one and group messages are end-to-end encrypted | Its FAQ says all messages are “private and encrypted” |
| Events and clubs | Icebreaker games for matches and partners; ENM events, with room-wide games guests join by QR code | Apply for club memberships, buy and store event tickets, QR check-in at events, and a membership and ticketing platform for clubs |
| Made by | 17816600 Canada Inc., Ottawa, Canada | HashtagOpen, Inc (per its website) |
Where #open shines
#open is built around real-life events. Its App Store listing describes applying for memberships at private clubs and venues, browsing and buying event tickets, keeping them in a digital wallet, and checking in with a QR code. For organizers, #open offers clubs a platform for membership applications, ticketing, guest lists and door check-in. Its website describes events across a club network in the U.S. and Canada, including swingers and lifestyle events, kink events, online events and workshops.
In the app, hashtags describe your interests, preferences and boundaries, and you can filter people by club affiliation. #open describes itself as consent-forward, and its website lists nonprofits it supports, including the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom and the Organization for Polyamory and Ethical Non-monogamy. Its website reports 516k downloads.
Where Blend is different
Blend is built only for ethical non-monogamy, so relationship structure sits at the centre of every profile, alongside what you are looking for and your boundaries. Couples and polycules can link partners with consent and create profiles they manage together. One-to-one and group messages are end-to-end encrypted.
Blend also leans into community. There are icebreaker games like Truth or Dare, Two Truths & a Lie, Would You Rather and Question Roulette, the Hot Partner Challenge for linked partners, and ENM events where hosts can run a game on a big screen that guests join with a QR code. Safety tools include date plans with check-ins, emergency contacts, vouches from people you have met and a visible trust score.
Blend also works in a web browser, so you can use it on iPhone and on a computer as well as on Android.
Where Blend is newer or smaller
Blend launched in 2026 and is made by a small team in Ottawa, Canada. Its community is much smaller than #open reports. If you want club memberships and ticketing in one place, that is #open’s specialty rather than Blend’s. Blend’s events are about finding and hosting ENM socials and meetups.
Pricing
Both are free to start. #open’s paid options are in the table above, as shown on its February 2026 App Store listing. Blend is free to use, with optional Blend Premium.
Who each app suits best
- #open suits you if you are into the lifestyle club and party scene in the U.S. or Canada and want memberships, tickets and check-in alongside your social connections.
- Blend suits you if you are dating as a poly person, couple or polycule, want your partners linked and visible, value end-to-end encrypted chat, or like icebreaker games and community socials.
Questions
Is #open still available?
When we checked on 28 September 2026, its App Store and Google Play links led to “not found” pages for us in the US and Canada, while its website, hashtagopen.com, was online. Check its website for the latest.
Is Blend related to #open?
No. They are separate apps. Blend is made by 17816600 Canada Inc. in Ottawa, Canada. The #open website names HashtagOpen, Inc.
Which app is better for events?
It depends. #open is built around lifestyle clubs, with memberships, tickets and QR check-in. Blend is for finding and hosting ENM socials and meetups.
Sources
- #open homepage, accessed 28 September 2026.
- #open FAQ, accessed 28 September 2026.
- About #open, accessed 28 September 2026.
- #open for clubs, accessed 28 September 2026.
- #Open: ENM IRL on the US App Store, archived 22 February 2026 by the Internet Archive, accessed 28 September 2026.
- About Blend, for every fact about Blend on this page.
Meet ENM people on Blend
Blend is free to use. Link partners with consent, chat with end-to-end encryption, play icebreaker games and find ENM events.
On iPhone? Add Blend to your Home Screen in about 30 seconds.