How is an open relationship different from being friends with benefits?

[Flower7]

They seem very very similar to me. Is there a difference at all? If so, what is it?

[Interstate]

With an open relationship, you are exclusive, but at the same time want the ability to practice unfaithfulness by cheating on your Spouse/S. O with others. This is basically love's "Have my cake and eat it out too!!".

Wit a F. W. B, you are basically degrading yourself so they can use you to get off instead of them just using their fingers or hand.

[Flower7]

I love this answer! It sums everything up so well!

[Interstate]

🚩 😁

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

I believe a Friends with Benefits would just a couple who meet just for sex only maybe go out but not too much and an Open Relationship could be a married couple who
like to meet with other people to have sex with them and they could meet to have dates or this could be married couples date other people might not have sex with them?

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

Thanks For Most Helpful Guy :)

[Bricealan]

I have only been in one relationship that I would describe as an 'open relationship' She and I went to college together, she graduated ahead of me, and we both went our separate ways, getting married, having kids, (me, no children) and then a divorce. I looked her up, after I was divorced (marriage was short lived)

Both of us are/were liberal, and both wanted to experiment. We had camera sex in line with couples in Canada, her with him, and me with her. A guy sent her a picture of his naked body, with a hard-on, and a very long penis, (we were not living together at that point) and she wanted to meet him to fuck or at least jack him off. I agreed to either or, and she met and jacked him off and agreed to fuck later.
I don't know if Friends with Benefits are that open to giving their 'friend' the green light to suck and fuck other men or vise versa, him to fuck other women. I think it is just 'understood' that 'she will fuck me (and not me exclusively) and we are just 'friends' without any romantic attachment.
In my open relationship, we 'loved' each other, but she was free to have on-line sex or meet other men to fuck, and it was understood. She would tell me before she did it.
One draw back was that sometimes I felt she resented me having on line sex with another women (I. E. a woman I had camera sex with in Jamaica)
'Open" seems to mean, fuck and tell me, 'Friends" seems to mean fuck me and another if you chose, but 'don't tell me about it'

Bruce

[chrissykerdock]

open relationship means you go on dates but not exclusive... friends with benefits could be exclusive but seldom is... during the pandemic i had a friend with benefits and he said if i gave him a blowjob whenever he needed one he wouldn't see anyone else... i kind of liked that idea so i agreed... he didn't want one every night but he came pretty damn close... i didn't mind because i thought i'd be so lonely if he wasn't coming over most nights... sometimes days on the weekend... and often cooked for me as he was a chief in a restraunt.

[GingerGuy]

Similar yes, but open relationship, you have the basic relationship that's there "always". That person is someone you love and that loves you (from what they say, I've never done it lol). There definitely isn't that in a friends with benefits. A lot of friends with benefits don't even have basic respect for each other, never mind any "love" or anything. Really sad actually. Some treat trash better than their friends with benefits

[Flower7]

Thanks for the insight!

[Gingersnapz74]

Open relationship is when you're in a committed relationship with another person, however you and your partner want to have sex with other people (together or separately). This could include relationships with another person.

Friends with benefits is you have sex with this person, but have no relationship other than friendship. It's just sex, it's emotionless, or should be, no strings attached.

[Bricealan]

It seems you and I agree, point on point as to the differences.

[Agape93]

Friends with benefits have no obligations to one another. Its wholly casual without any intrinsic deeper meaning.

An open relationship however, is a dedicated relationship but with agreed upon non exclusivity, so they can have a casual side piece or even get others involved in the relationship itself.

[Archerer]

Friends with benefits has much lower commitment, if any at all. Open relationship you would go on dates, rely on each other, maybe live together, go on dates, fall in love, all things a normal relationship has except for the sexual exclusivity...

[Archerer]

Oops, I said dates twice lol, but hopefully you get the idea. Here's a question for you though, what is the difference between having just one friends with benefits and having a boyfriend?

[Flower7]

With a boyfriend there would be loyalty and with friends with benefits, there wouldn’t be.

[Archerer]

But if you only have one friends with benefits, then what is the difference?

[Flower7]

Because he is free to have sex with other people, not only with me.

[Archerer]

I meant to imply that he isn't either, you are both each others only friends with benefits and not looking to fuck other people

[Flower7]

Then I see no difference at all between that and a boyfriend.

[Archerer]

I can't believe you are 35 and can't fathom the difference between someone you just fuck and someone you are committed to...

Here's a good example, when I see something funny and want to share it, I think of my partner, not my fuck buddy, when I need to stay late at work I tell my partner, when I have a life changing decision to make I make it with my partner, when I am sad I want my partner to console me, not my fuck buddy. When I think of going on vacation I think about all the cool things I would want to do with my partner, not my fuck buddy. Do any of these strike you as a meaningful difference between the two? Or are they the same?

[Flower7]

I've never had a fuck buddy so I've never had a reason to become familiar with the concept. And I don't see why you had to bring my age into it. That was very rude!

[Archerer]

I would just assume someone at your age would surely be able to spot a difference, I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I apologize. I hope I have brought some more clarity to the subject though.

[Ninani]

It's a relationship. Other than sex, you give each other comfort, intimacy, security, everything you would in a relationship, you just don't limit each other from seeing other people.

[Gwenhwyfar]

You’re still a couple in an open relationship you just fuck and suck other people too

[Bricealan]

It seems, you and I and Gingersnapz74 agree on the differences

[Gwenhwyfar]

@Bricealan true lol

[AmeerX]

Friends with benefits is hook up.
Open relationship is about each partner being with multiple partners at the same time with consent of the others

[stargazeraug1989]

There are some key differences. There is still a certain degree of commitment in an open relationship that isn't present in a friends with benefits relationship. Why do you ask? Is it something you or your partner have thought about?

[Flower7]

I don’t have a partner. I was just wondering.

[stargazeraug1989]

Well, that sucks. If you ever want to talk, let me know. I can cook. 😂

[Ailaw22]

The only difference is you don't have to lie for sleeping around in open relationship but in friends with benefits it might became a issue for one partner

[Ladyleigh]

Open relationship you have companionship but the freedom to sleep with others. Friends with benefits doesn’t have the same partnership. You can live together or be married and have an open relationship

[Shy_Steve]

A lot of people prefer an open relationship because you can get more out of it but a Friends with benefits it is usually just sex.

[Hulk30]

with fuck buddies ya leave out intimacy in open relationships ya dont ya just deal with multiple people

[Yourfriend2021]

Yes it seems similar to me too, not much difference.

[Kelly6]

No
only difference is that in open relationship you are married to 1.

[Bricealan]

Well, you wouldn't have to be married, at least in my "open' we were not married

[Jerre]

I agree with you, no big difference in the friends with benefits vs Open Relationship.

[Slim57]

friends with benefits theyre not dating just hooking up

[pizzalovershouse]

It's really not much different

[PeterCharie1991]

friends with benefits is sex only

[Tstrbrainer]

I think difference is in the minds of people