Soft porn is a form of pornography that is less explicit than hard porn material in depicting or describing sexual behaviour. Generally soft porn does not depict sexual contact other than simulated by touching, kissing or may be devices and sexual toys.

While both soft porn and hard porn feature extensive nudity and sexual situations with the intention of arousing the viewer in all ways, the key difference is that soft porn does not include any of the following hard porn elements such as aroused genitalia, ejaculation, actual penetration (vaginal, anal and/or oral), including masturbation.

Examples of American soft porn video include the television series Red Shoe Diaries and most of the films that Shannon Tweed stars in. American soft porn also includes things like Playboy’s magazine pictures, Suicide Girls, or the Bomis Babe Engine. In Europe, soft porn films such as Emmanuelle (1974) were popular during the 70’s.

For some Erotica and Glamour photography is also seen as soft porn.