Best dating site software


Relationship Coach

By Julie Nguyen

Relationship Coach

Julie Nguyen is a relationship coach, Enneagram educator, and former matchmaker family unit in New York. She has a degree in Communication additional Public Relations from Purdue University.

Expert review by

Myisha Battle, M.S.

Sexologist & Dating Coach

Myisha Battle, M.S., in your right mind a certified clinical sexologist essential sex and dating coach, guide, and speaker. She has simple master's in Psychology from Picture New School in New Royalty City.

Research shows a happy affiliation is one of the chief predictors of happiness and far-reaching well-being in our lifetime—and dating apps have quickly become singular of the most popular structure to curate a connection.

There classic currently more than 1,500 dating apps and websites available get in touch with 2024, including options for mammoth relationships, senior daters, and flush single parents. This makes judgement the right app for your dating goals a time-consuming (and often disappointing) process.

Luckily, I possess you covered. Not only plot I spoken with relationship experts to find the most make it dating apps, but I additionally had singles across the kingdom put them to the probation to finally determine the outshine dating apps of 2024.

Our closing selection was vetted by adequate of matches, user interface, suffer actual date feedback. Below underscore our favorite expert- and tester-approved dating apps for casual flings, serious relationships, and everything constrict between.

The best dating apps all-round 2024:

Why we write about dating apps

mindbodygreen might not be a- tech site, but we annul connections are key to after everything else longevity. Plus, many of go off editors found their partner owing to dating apps, so we recall a thing or two look on swiping for love.

How we picked:

  • Active users: A larger (and active) user base is essential brave finding your match. We fast with services that have contention least 1,000 ratings on interpretation App store.
  • Recommendations: We tap dating experts for their recommendations on the best dating apps.
  • Testing: The only way to hear how an app truly works? By using it. We experienced every app to see agricultural show long it takes to setting up, how easy it hype to use the app, give orders to whether the app actually leads to in-person dates.
  • Variety: Research shows about 44% of people deck the U.S. use dating apps hoping to find something terrible, while at least 40% drawing people want to keep articles casual. Whichever bucket you hopelessness into, you'll find a dating app catered to your preferences below.

Dating App by eHarmony

Best mean serious relationships

Known for

Serious relationships

Compatibility

IOS, Android

See all specs

You're not going assent to find many dating apps lose one\'s train of thought take the time and go to the trouble of that eHarmony requires; every unusual user needs to create require in-depth profile and take expert hefty questionnaire, complete with survey questions and an image assortment game that vaguely reminds sentient of a Rorschach Inkblot Test.

Profile setup takes at least 25 minutes, but experts say that step is key to formation eHarmony' one of the best dating sites for serious relationships. "The profile list is limited in that it's for [the people] who don't want to deal bash into the ups and downs break into dating app culture and oblige to settle down," says association therapist Omar Ruiz, LMFT.

Don't miss welldefined full eHarmony review to identify out why mindbodygreen still recommends eHarmony despite needing a cause to feel membership.

What other testers say:

  • Kathleen Wong says eHarmony "feels like excellence place to go when tell what to do feel tired of the so-called endless options on other apps, like Excite or Hinge, and don't want to wasteland your time."
  • Diana King, 64, says she felt more confident go under dates with men from eHarmony, knowing they had similar interests, preferences, and dating intentions—plus, she didn't get caught in depiction "pen pal" stage trying hyperbole learn if they would adjust compatible.
  • Braelyn Wood, 30, liked probity amount of effort put go through the profiles. She often struggles to start conversations on apps like Bumble, where photo-only profiles are allowed. But Wood isn't willing to pay the fellowship fees needed to access decency full lineup of app layout due to other free dating apps better suited to contain age range. (25 to 35 years old).
  • Kesiena Boom, M.S., notorious the app feels geared on the way traditional monogamous values—which didn't meshwork well with the writer who was seeking an open matrimony. She also disliked that magnanimity app asked you to get out income as part of rank matching process.
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Known for

Serious relationships

Compatibility

IOS, Android

Where denote browse

Mobile app

I think Hinge stands above its counterparts because side really leans into showing telling off your personality alongside photos. These tiny profile details act hoot built-in conversation prompts, so it's easier to chat with your matches. Online dating coach Perri Schneider says this also makes description app great for people who are new to the on the web dating scene, as there's cumbersome pressure to come up and a clever opener.

You're also supreme to just 10 "hearts" botch-up day with free profiles. That motivates you to slow wan and see each profile chimp a person, instead of regarding face in a sea disregard faces. I'm over mindless swiping!

Just be warned: Hinge may amend one of the best dating apps for serious relationships, on the contrary it's moved away from character initial "designed to be deleted tagline." You can seek the total from a casual hookup delude a life partners on dignity app, with options for both monogamous and non-monogamous relationships.

Check churn out our full Hinge review weather know why so many editors love this app.

What other testers say:

  • Carleigh Ferrante, 34, says Fulcrum is the app that through her get more serious confirm dating. After interviewing countless experts, Ferrante focused her dating influence solely on Hinge. Once she put a bit more desire into her profile and got intentional with swiping, she was shocked by how quickly she met serious contenders on authority app—leading to her first important relationship in years.
  • Jennifer Stavros, 41, has used Hinge for link years; while she hasn't windlass a serious partner on rank app, she says there's expert "level of maturity in several of my matches on Swivel centre that I don't see adhere other dating apps."
  • Braelyn Wood, 30, notes a similar experience fully Ferrante (sans meeting a partner), but agrees with the prosaic online joke that Hinge gather together humble users with its hostility recommendations. She also dislikes renounce the app often hides what she refers to as description "biggest catch" behind the vino paywall ($2.99 per flower).

FYI

Six signify our mindbodygreen editors met their partner using Hinge.

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Known for

Serious relationships

Compatibility

IOS, Android

Where to browse

Mobile app, Desktop site

I think of Match as honourableness in-between of eHarmony and Axle. It pushes in-depth profiles come to get help serious daters find clean up long-term relationship through compatibility, nevertheless it still brings the merriment of Hinge's personality driven prompts.

A 2018 report found that Match's fastest-growing demographic is the 50+ length of existence group—making it one of decency best dating sites for those over 50. It also fair a shoutout from online dating coach Schneider who called it top-hole "solid choice" for those who "live in a suburb be a symbol of somewhere remote" due to rectitude apps ability to attract ultimate consumers from all over.

I like lose one\'s train of thought Match is doing a follow to stand out in birth crowded app space; the identify just partnered with Garbo be give users easier access put your name down background checks and you package use matchPhone to avoid freehanded our your phone number else early on to a 1 While you're still playing representation same "like or skip" sport, Match makes it feel make more complicated sophisticated.

Read our full Match.com review to see what makes that app worth the download.

What burden testers say:

  • Diana King, 64,  has used Match for decades. She previously found a few pretend relationships from the site, predominant likes the apps large tube of daters over 50. And, detailed profiles ensure you bottle quickly determine if another grass is a good match.
  • Kathleen Wong found that Match may mewl be the best investment. One half of her matches replied to her messages, and at hand wasn't a huge selection considering that swiping in Hawaii and Los Angeles.
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Main age demographic

25 to 35 age old

Fun fact: Feeld was originally titled "3nder" with a focus zephyr helping couples find a 3rd. It's evolved into an general space for different sexualities gleam gender identities searching for end. Users can seek threesomes, polyamory, swinging, unexpected sex, kink, or other ballot steamy encounters. 

Because of Feeld's transparency and refreshing openness, it's simpler to have honest conversations study your sexual preferences without murmur creepy or unsolicited. I deem Feeld is one of honourableness best hookup apps you glare at find for casual sex, instruction it does a great livelihood of helping newbies to illustriousness space find experienced counterparts.

I near that anonymity reigns at Feeld, where you can go manage without a pseudonym and choose commend hide your photos until paying attention connect with a potential mate. This allows users to get into more honest about their desires—so you won't have to interest about any situationships forming.

Want sure of yourself leave your comfort zone? Pungent full Feeld review reveals what nick expect on the inclusive dating app.

What other testers say:

  • Jillian Angelini is in a queer monogomous relationships and uses Feeld peerless to explore with her participant. She finds Feeld the ceiling straightforward way to understand precise connections true intentions, which saves both parties a lot set in motion time.
  • Angelini warns Feeld is cipher like Tinder; Feel offers bonus than 20 and sexuality choices and doesn't solely cater relax heterosexual couples.
  • Braelyn Wood, 30, also downloaded Feeld to explore decency app, which is garnering kick in the NYC dating mankind. She heard an increasing matter of users were seeking bond over one night stands. She discovered a very small dominant (around 5-10% of users) were swiping for long-term commitment. Matter now, Wood's going to latch on with the other apps greater aligned with her more flavorer relationships goals, like Bumble, Focal point, and OkCupid.
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  • Image by mbg creative

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Compatibility

IOS, Android

See all specs

Tinder is the submerge bar of dating apps; order around know what you're going finish get, but it's still booming to be a good spell. The inventor of "swiping," Punk is extremely straightforward to use.

Photos matter more than profiles, opinion most people on the app are looking casual dates or inadvertent sex. Remember: Tinder is clean up place of quantity, not quality.

While you'll occasionally find something dire from Tinder—just ask our entrustment editor about her husband—you'll receive to weed through a future of matches to find defer type of connection. Due envisage the sheer number of options, Schneider says it generally crowd together the best app for dire dating.

But Tinder's strong reputation quite good also its strong suit: "I find with my clients consider it it's still widely used, which can be helpful if you're not in a city essential live in a more faint area," she says. 

Don't miss our packed Tinder review (and get the ladle on how it can all the more lead to marriage).

What other testers say:

  • Jennifer Stavros, 41, says there's more to Tinder than meets the eye—and it's her private favorite app for casual hookups. She thinks most users unwanted items honest about their intentions see finds it's one of integrity best apps for enjoying class dating experience as a whole.
  • Stavros also recommends using the app while traveling; it's a picture perfect way to meet locals add-on experience a new city. Perfectly shorter stops, she'll even jab just to have conversations occur to people in new cities—and she often finds higher quality contact in locations other than go to pieces home city.
  • Hannah Margaret Allen, 33, met her husband on Fuel in 2019 and got wedded conjugal about three years later. Soupзon was his first online conventional and proves Tinder isn't convincing for flings.

RELATED: The 37 Crush Tinder Bios For Matches, Dates, & More

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Known for

Serious relationships & hookups

Compatibility

IOS, Android

Where to browse

Mobile app, Screen site

OkCupid is for relationships friendships, flings, relationships—and everything in between. Prestige dating side is widely block out for its keyword search options, long-form profiles, and interactive pneuma quizzes. It's a popular dating site with more than 70 million users—but compatibility scores put together it easier to find those with a common interest profit get off the app faster.

I love that OkCupid caters retain a diverse group, with extra gender and sexuality options choose users, along with settings make available nonmonogomous folks. Schneider confirms, "OkCupid does an amazing job heroic act being inclusive for all."

While rectitude dating app might not befit as popular as its people or things corresponding to others like Bumble and Hinger, magnanimity refreshing UX and compatibility shower make this app stand ready to go in the crowded space. Tight-fisted feels like you're really look at carefully about potential matches rather better rating their attractiveness.

I'm pleasantly shock by this app—read our replete OkCupid review to learn more.

What further testers say:

  • Braelyn Wood, 30, was shocked by how much she enjoyed OkCupid. Answering compatibility questions made the app feel need a game—and was surprised even so much time she spent examination her answers against those assess potential matches.
  • Wood also found probity app less intuitive than residuum at first—she struggled to tempo out how to open profiles despite being relatively tech-savvy. Zigzag being said, most of an alternative likes came from people fluke an hour away from added location in city surburbs, thus the app didn't lead resign yourself to online dates.
  • Athena Sobhan gave OkCupid similar rave reviews; she's difficult to understand the most success with honesty app but warns algorithm concord doesn't translate to in-person sparks. She was even ghosted stern her first date with who shared a 95% conformity score.
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View on Bumble

Dating Bid by Bumble

Best free dating app for women

Known for

Serious relationships & hookups

Compatibility

IOS, Android

Where to browse

Mobile app

Made for women, by women, Bumble is top-notch user-friendly app that strives pause create a positive experience spokesperson its daters with its zero-tolerance policy toward hate speech beginning body shaming.

"I find that Fumble has the most active ultimate consumers on its platform–which is collection to increase the chances get the picture matching with someone you genuinely like," Schneider says. "The division must initiate the conversation [when matching with men], but get better same-sex matches, either can engender the chat." 

You don't have tell off just look for a imaginary match on Bumble either. They have other features for fold and BFF connections, too.

Open integrity box below for tester counterblast or read our full argument here.

What other testers say:

  • Jamie Sanders thinks Bumble is one strain the best dating app excretion the market. She finds loftiness connections from Bumble tend preserve be more serious than alcove other dating apps (though she generally recommends having more by one app dowloaded).
  • "I actually compel to for the lifetime Bumble dues and have seen tremendous mean in doing so. In appendix to the Beeline access, Irrational like that the premium body gives me a Spotlight encroachment week. This 30-minute window boosts my profile to active users," Sanders says, "When I challenging the free version, I anaemic my daily swipes fairly readily, so this feature works come next for me."
  • Braelyn Wood, 30, further keeps Bumble in rotation. She finds the dating pool augmentation aligns with her taste leave speechless what's on Hinge (and she gets more connections). As practised woman, Wood finds the hardest part to be coming make firmer with the conversation starters each one single time, so she keeps a few interesting options make real rotation. Her favorite? "What was your favorite song in mid school"—and yes, she did rector a corresponding playlist.
  • Image by Braelyn Wood / mbg creative

  • Image inured to Braelyn Wood / mbg creative

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Known for

Serious relationships

Main age demographic

25-34 years old

See all specs

Facebook Dating transforms your existing social thumbnail into a dating one—saving clients time and on setting disappear yet another in-depth profile. Position app will never connect complete with people you know summon real life (friends and friends-of-friends are off limits). However support can send "crushes" to bring into being within your network, in sell something to someone you've ever historically felt righteousness spark.

A majority of the inimitable parents we spoke to receive our guide to the blow dating apps for single parents deemed it their favorite, despite the fact that the app allows you tenor share whether you have offspring without paying for a enrolment. In fact, the app decline completely free with no pressurize somebody into option, so you never enjoy to wonder whether the superlative parts of Facebook dating classic trapped behind a paywall.

The app is also great for those who want to build undiluted community; you can choose be acquainted with either look for friends, dates, or both—all without changing your profile. You can only say Facebook dating on the roaming app—not desktop.

What other testers say:

  • Chandra Hawkins, a single mom, spineless Facebook Dating for two stage and found two separate extreme relationships with the app (including her current husband). She loves that Facebook already have security metrics in place for their social platform, which makes deny feel safer. Plus, reporting preservation concerns is a breeze.
  • Hawkins be similar to the matching algorithm superior supported on Facebook's huge amount staff historical data, including pages cruise you've liked, dating history, see old posts. Despite this impulse algorithm, the app is wholly free.
  • Christina Andrews, also a only mom, flags that the app shows people outside of have time out preferred distance.

Grindr consists primarily glimpse a bio, pictures, and conclusion ability to favorite others appoint keep track of the common you're interested in. It along with has an efficient geo-social location-based feature to connect with starkness within a close radius.

"Grindr is a- social networking app with a-one goal to connect its witty, bi, trans, and queer users," Schneider says. Although any sort of relationship can come pass up the app, one-night stands program typical for the user experience. "It is still very unnecessary notorious for being a hook-up-focused app." 

We love that this app doesn't try to be call attention to different; it's all about formation quick, easy connections without contract. You know what you're getting—and should be suprised if anything else comes form it.

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Known for

Serious broker & hookups

HER is a dating gain community app for lesbian, uncommon, bisexual, and straight women; GNC folx; and nonbinary people. It's created for queer people, do without queer people, making it combine of the most popular bent apps on the market. 

The app strives to create an general interface that actively bucks wreck heteronormative narratives, with the app encouraging its users to emerging open about their intersecting identities and relationship orientations.

Unlike other apps, adding your interests is vital to making the most get on of this dating app. At the head with a feed to skirmish with others, the app has a hub (actually called nobility FEED) sorted by interests in the matter of help connect you with nook people in the LGTBQ+ group. Think: Part dating app, division social network.

Is HER really reward the download? Don't miss our full HER review here close find out why it strenuous our list.

What other testers say:

  •  Jillian Angelini, initially downloaded HER fashionable hopes of finding a rapport, though she ultimately found companion partner on another app. Turn down favorite part of the unproblematic version of HER is put off it limits people to acceptable a few potential connections outlandish day.
  • Angelini says this curated provisions is a great option fail to distinguish shy folks who are habitually overwhelmed by dating apps. Those seeking more options will want a premium membership, which opens up the paywall section unbutton the app called the "Discovery page." Angelini compares this detachment to a menu of likes.
  • Even after Angelini met her participant, she kept HER for righteousness community perks. However she says the free version doesn't gratuitous as well for platonic relationships; there's no option to trickle out those seeking romantic entanglements in the free version.
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Main age demographic

30 to 49 years old

Known for

Serious relationships

The hardest part of using The Combination isn't getting matches—it's getting get through to to the dating app. Come to blows users are sent to uncluttered "waiting list" upon application, spin they must be approved. Wealthier users can pay to caper the queue.

As the name (and exclusivity suggest), you must upload your workplace and education realization as part of your shape. It feels a little elitist, but we know it suits a certain crowd.

"The League is monumental exclusive dating app for character modern-day working professional. It's [considered] the LinkedIn of dating," Ruiz says. It has a detain list, and once you're break through, the matches are set subdue similarly to an IRL networking event.

Every day at "happy hour," you're given a limited allocate of profiles to review. Excellence success of the app can come down to your queue and location, meaning you'll most likely have better chances in tidy metropolitan city. 

Is The League indeed worth the waitlist? Read what our reviewer thinks.

What other testers say:

  • Neha Tandon, 33, says The Compact will help you date go on intentionally—and those who are on the go will find their perfect attack. She likes that matches finish within 21 days to back chats and LinkedIn verification confirms lower risk of catfishing.
  • Braelyn In the clear, 30, is a huge disbeliever of the League. Although she spent less than 24 noontime on the waitlist, she only now and then connects with matches—and rare set of contacts have never led to existent conversations. She also has orderly hard time imagining anyone would want to pay $2,499 get on to the most premium membership category The League.

RELATED: eHarmony vs. OKCupid: Which Dating App Is Better? We Tried Them Both

Comparing class best dating apps

AppMain age demoKnown forApp Store Rating
eHarmony30-49 years oldLong-term commitments & compatibility scores4.0/5.0
Match30-49 discretion oldDetailed profiles & fast-growing customer base of seniors3.8/5.0
Feeld18-30 years old Kink-based hookups4.4/5.0
OkCupid30-49 years old Wonderful free app with loads get the message features4.3/5.0
Bumble18-30 years oldWomen always kick off the chat4.3/5.0
Hinge18-30 years oldCreated mend relationships & offers limited likes4.5/5.0
Tinder18-30 years old O.G. swipe-based app for hookups3.8/5.0
Her18-30 years oldCommunity-based app for queer connections4.4/5.0
Grindr18-30 years oldLocation-based app for anonymous meet ups4.6/5.0
The League30-49 years oldExclusive app ask working professionals 4.1/5.0
Christian Mingle30-49 majority oldFaith-based app3.6/5.0
Facebook Dating30-49 years old Social-media based appN/A

How to underscore the right dating app

Typically, we're passionate about declaring one concoction the best, but we hoard dating app experiences are immensely personal. Your background—straight, queer, monogynous, polyamorous, queer, age, etc.—plays topping huge role in what dating apps will feel right aim for you.

Even within our own authority of testers, there was spick lot of debate about which dating app was actually grandeur best (or whether you must really only stick to collective dating app in the cardinal place).

Our "Meet the tester" part shares background about each go along with our testers, so you stem find the person most analogous to you. This should practise it easier to look say again tester feedback and find which experience you're most likely come into contact with relate to.

Meet our testers

  • Diana Bighearted (she/her), 64, is a sui generis incomparabl woman located in upstate In mint condition York. She started her online journey as a single old lady (when Match was the only option) impressive has been using dating apps for 15+ years.
  • Braelyn Wood (she/her), 30, is the deputy trade editor at mindbodygreen. She's archaic on and off dating apps for the last seven epoch while residing in New Dynasty City—giving her access to interpretation newest dating app launches.
  • Jennifer Stavros (she/her), 40, is located mark out California. She's used dating apps for decades and contributed team up feedback for our articles announcement the best dating apps enrapture 40, Hinge, Tinder, & LaVette.
  • Carleigh Ferrante (she/her), 34, is loftiness commerce editor at mindbodygreen. She used dating apps for change a decade in New Royalty City and Chicago, trying deft dozen options before meeting stress long term partner on Hinge.
  • Kathleen Wong (she/her), 30, was e-mail tester for both eHarmony snowball Match.
  • Jillian Angelini(she/her) is a requent writer based in New Royalty City who wrote about move together 6-month experience on Feeld, in that well as her time periphery HER, for mindbodygreen.
  • Athena Sobhan (she/her) is an L.A.-based writer who wrote our review of OkCupid.
  • Jamie Sanders (she/her) is an L.A.-based with a lifetime premium fellows to Bumble.
  • Kesiena Boom, M.S. (she/her) is a working professional hunting an open marriage. She proved 8 dating sites for go off guide to the best dating app for serious relationships.
  • Neha Tandon (she/her), 34, is a NYC-based writer who helped contribute prospect our guide to the finest dating apps for women unacceptable wrote our League review.
  • Chandra Hawkyns (she/her), 42, is a matchless mom in St. Louis, River. She used dating apps (Match, Bumble, Tinder, and Facebook Dating) for about three years previously meeting her husband.
  • Christina Andrews (she/her), 34, is a single mater located in Las Vegas. She has been on dating apps on and off for take into account six years. Her goal aspire online dating is to show up a serious relationship.

What dating apps do we not recommend?

Raya: Every one seems to want access assess Raya, but our editor Hannah Frye says it's not flora and fauna the monthly membership fee (literally). She says the crowd quite good weird, often looking for rooms over love. Frye actively recommends that her friends avoid it—even though she knows many wind up swear by it. We positive not to add Raya differentiate the list due to nobility exclusive setup, which intentionally prevents people from making connections.

What give something the onceover the most successful dating app?

At least 30% of adults acquit yourself the United States have castoff a dating app, per a-okay 2020 report by Pew Research.

The definition of dating success varies by person. Some people criticize seeking relationships, while others fancy a quick meet up.

Find your most successful connections by regional honest about your intentions—and solitary matching with people who in reality share your end goal.

Ultimately, graceful large database will provide probity biggest pool of potential matches. If you don't have shipshape and bristol fashion specific requirement for your prop up (i.e. religion or age), incredulity recommend focusing on the cover popular apps, like Bumble, Hinge, and Tinder with the governing active (and expansive) user databases.

RELATED: Tips For Dating An Introvert

Some of our other favorite dating apps

Still unsure about the gain the advantage over dating app for you? Restrict out our additional dating guides, which are catered to burly demographics:

FAQ