In 2023, the market for pornographic websites was projected to surpass one billion dollars. Compared to 2018, that's a growth of 58%. 

“Pornographic website” covers all genres of porn, with many free sites topping Google searches. But no porn is truly free, and when you don’t know much about the company offering the content, it’s hard to know if it was ethically produced.

So what is ethical porn? Ethical porn, also called feminist porn, is sexual content prioritizing consent, safety, pleasure, and diversity in both production and the final product. Instead of catering to the male gaze, like much of mainstream pornography, ethical porn follows a set of moral principles to create content that's healthier and more intimate. And the teams creating ethical porn, from producers to performers, have better wages and working environments.  

More about ethical porn 

Ethical porn is real porn that's all about consent. It champions safety, female pleasure, and healthy working conditions while featuring different body types, genders, sexualities, skin colors, and nationalities.   

Ethical porn is often considered queer and women-friendly porn, as its videos, images, and audio content cater to all genders, not just the male-centric dynamics of traditional porn. Performers receive fair payment and treatment, and production follows regional laws. 

Watching ethical porn is an arousing way to support companies and people who care about how people are treated, what sexual content portrays, and how that content is created and consumed. And the orgasm at the end is a great bonus.  

Why is ethical porn important?  

A staggering 91.5% of people who identify as men and 60.2% of people who identify as women consume porn, so why not do it ethically? 

Ethical porn offers a much-needed refresh for the pornography industry, which has historically harmed both creators and consumers alike. These are some of mainstream erotic content's most prevalent issues:  

Damage to relationships  

Watching traditional porn is linked to relationship problems. Research shows that using porn regularly strongly predicts break-ups and divorce, which could be related to the false expectations some porn creates. For some people, watching porn makes it harder to enjoy authentic, in-person connections, harming one’s capacity for intimacy.   

Potential for addiction  

Pornography is habit-forming. While not all porn consumption leads to problematic behavior, it can be challenging to stop frequent porn use, and casual viewing becomes compulsive for some people. In severe cases, watching porn is classified as a legitimate addiction.  

Promotion of violence  

Consuming traditional porn, especially porn that's violent in nature, is correlated with aggression. This includes an increased likelihood of sexual objectification, sexual violence, victim-blaming, and more. Ethical porn avoids these issues by focusing on portrayals of sex that are consensual and respectful.

Racism and stereotyping 

Mainstream porn often perpetuates racism and harmful stereotypes. It fetishizes different races, ethnicities, sexualities, and gender identities, which may contribute to widespread racial insensitivity and objectification. Ethical porn counters these issues by creating content free of these narratives with inclusive casts and production teams. 

The male gaze  

The traditional porn industry is male-centric and historically objectifies women. This contributes to society's harmful and hurtful views of people who identify as women, from how they dress to how much sex they have and with whom. Porn caters to the male gaze to such an extent that it, in some cases, abandons accurate representation of other genders.  

How to identify ethical porn  

According to sex therapist Kamil Lewis, "Ethical porn validates the needs, boundaries, and curiosities of the performers." It takes the female gaze into consideration, which is essential as more people who identify as women are watching porn.  

Identifying ethical alternatives to porn involves understanding what sets it apart. You can find ethical porn by looking for these key characteristics:  

Fair pay  

A fundamental principle of ethical porn is fair and equitable compensation for everyone involved, from performers to the production company. Recognizing sex workers as professionals ensures they're paid appropriately for their time, effort, and industry contribution. Fair pay for performers is one reason why accessing ethical porn typically requires a subscription and isn’t available for free.  

Consent and respect 

Ethical porn emphasizes performers' emotional and physical safety. Scenes are produced in environments where performers feel safe and respected, and no one’s ever pressured to engage in sexual acts they're not comfortable with. Ethical porn respects the boundaries of the people behind and in front of the camera.  

Diversity  

Ethical porn celebrates the diversity of human sexuality. It showcases different body types, ages, abilities, races, sexual orientations, and preferences, moving away from the one-dimensional portrayals in traditional porn. When you watch ethical porn, you're seeing realistic people having realistic sex.  

Women-friendly content 

Ethical porn caters to all viewers, including people who identify as women, by moving away from male-centric perspectives. This type of porn focuses on mutual pleasure, providing balanced representations of sex that are relatable and appealing to diverse audiences.   

Real sexual pleasure 

Ethical porn portrays actual, genuine sexual arousal and orgasms. It emphasizes authentic expressions of sexual acts over performance, including actual foreplay, intercourse, and aftercare. Sex is messy sometimes, and ethical porn demonstrates that.  

Where to find ethical porn  

Because ethical porn isn't the most accessible type of porn, finding it can be tricky. However, several platforms stand out in their commitment to moral adult entertainment, and it helps to know where to look.  

These websites and apps put unique spins on ethical porn, catering to different preferences. Whether you prefer watching, reading, or listening, there's an option for you:   

To watch 

Bellesa 

This platform advertises its content as free, ethically sourced porn for women, by women. Bellesa's videos emphasize mutual pleasure and respect, showcasing diverse, authentic, and realistic portrayals of sex. This brand also sells high-quality sex toys to make your viewing extra enjoyable.  

MakeLoveNotPorn 

MakeLoveNotPorn is the world's first user-generated, human-curated social sex website. Founded by Cindy Gallop, it advocates for natural, messy human intimacy and is pro-sex, pro-porn, and pro-knowing the difference.  

Founded in 2009, MakeLoveNotPorn features real-life couples sharing their most NSFW intimate moments. It celebrates genuine human connection and sexuality, breaking away from traditional porn narratives to showcase diversity and legitimate sexual pleasure. Membership is paid. 

To read  

Literotica 

Literotica is a well-known destination for reading erotica. This website's vast collection of user-submitted erotic stories covers a wide range of categories, kinks, and fantasies. The content is entirely free.  

Remittance Girl 

Remittance Girl is another excellent option for online erotica. This website features woman-written erotica by an author who blends impressive literary quality with sensual storytelling. It includes stories, series, and novellas with themes like bondage, threesomes, domination, submission, and more.  

To listen  

Quinn 

Quinn is an audio erotica platform offering sexy auditory experiences catering to a variety of different preferences. Made by women for the world, Quinn's adult content includes dirty talk, spicy audio stories, and guided masturbation sessions, with some audio erotica read by famous faces. Quinn offers a week-long free trial, and membership is paid.  

Explore ethical porn with Quinn 

Emerging platforms like Quinn play pivotal roles in the journey toward more responsible, inclusive, and realistic portrayals of sexuality in porn. 

Quinn's audio erotica aligns closely with the values of ethical porn, offering a unique and imaginative way to achieve arousal and orgasm. Quinn's listeners explore their sexual needs, desires, and fetishes safely and consensually in an environment that contributes positively to the adult film and entertainment industry.  

To enjoy thousands of narrated sex stories, playlists, and more, download Quinn for iOS or Android.