Here’s the thing; I am not into online dating apps, and I’ve never liked the idea of swapping around thousands of faces in a mission to find the “right one”. I mean, they work great, and they’re often a pretty solid option when it comes to dating or one-night stands, but if you’re getting serious about trying them out, here’s the best I could find in this time and age.
Before getting into the online dating kind of thing, I knew that I had to invest a lot of time downloading, signing up, and using as many dating apps as I could. It’s important to use various similar apps if you want a solid and accurate end result for your reviews. I also knew that there was a big list ahead of me, as dating apps are pretty popular these days.
There are so many online dating apps and websites available at this moment of writing, it’s crazy how many choices someone has. Unfortunately, while the list is pretty huge, there aren’t many that are worth noting as far as my personal preferences go; Many of them are either bloated by fake bots, lack basic features and options, are pretty expensive to use, or even lack enough users to call them “ghost towns”.
How to stay safe when using online dating apps
No matter how much they have evolved or how many measures have been taken to increase safety and privacy, dating websites and apps continue to pose significant risks, especially for women. Just like social networks, you can’t know who you’re talking to on dating apps or what their intentions are.
For the men out there, you might encounter several women using dating apps to trick men into sending them money, perhaps for a ticket to visit them, only to take the money and disappear. The internet is not a safe place, and this is neither a secret nor a surprise. Anyone can create a fake account with fake photos to find “prey” from the comfort of their home.
In simpler terms: Trust no one. If you decide to go on a blind date, inform friends and family about the location of the meeting, share the person’s account details, and if someone can be nearby, even better. Prefer public places and never meet someone in isolated areas.
So, how can you protect yourself even more? First, make sure you use a VPN service to never leave digital footprints, have a different IP address, and have an encrypted connection. The good thing about VPN services is that even a beginner can use them easily, and you can connect to them with the press of a button.
Finally, although it shouldn’t need to be mentioned, never enter personal information or data on dating websites and apps, such as your phone number, home address, and so on. Although some dating apps will ask for your phone number for verification, never add it to your public profile.
What are the biggest differences between all those online dating apps?
Online dating apps are not that different from social media platforms that we’ve learned to use all of those years, and they work in a similar way; They both help you create a new profile, add as many details as you want, and start connecting with other people. You can either create a robust profile with any information about yourself and what you love or keep things more private and stay anonymous, that’s your choice.
What makes every online dating app different is basically its design and some unique features that it may include for its users. Some dating apps help you meet people based on your common interests, while others prefer looking for people who are nearby, making it even easier to meet for a date. Some apps are cheaper and include more features in the free version, while others focus on giving you all the extra boost that you’ll need when buying the premium subscription or getting a few coins that you can use through their app.
What makes things difficult is the user base itself, where you’ll have to try as many as you can to see which dating app has the most people close by. For example, in my own tests, I found that some dating apps are better for people living in the United States, while others were perfect for Europeans, with a bigger audience chance to find matches in your local area. In other words, checking them by yourself is probably the wisest choice you could make, and the following list will save you lots of time finding those with the biggest user base overall.
Those are the 10 best dating apps in 2024
Whether you’re looking for people in a new city, travelling a lot, or want to try your luck and maybe find a few matches and see where it goes, there are many dating apps that I’ve used that provided the best results when it comes to quality, features, users, etc. Here’s a great list of online dating apps that you can use to find your next match (and who knows, maybe your other half).
1. Tinder
The most popular dating app in the world, with millions of users, and the go-to option for most people.
Let’s start with Tinder, shall we? Tinder is basically the Facebook of online dating platforms, and the most popular of them all, holding the record for 55 billion matches made through the platform. In addition to its millions of users, the app comes with an easy-to-use interface, and signing up for a new account is pretty easy and straightforward (you can use your Facebook, Google, or email account).
The best thing about Tinder is its user base, where you can go and start swapping in an endless list of people looking for a match. There are fake accounts, of course, and there are also some users promoting their work rather than looking for a match, but that’s not a dealbreaker if you ask me. It works as you’d expect; Swapping left means you’re not interested in a person while swapping right means you like them. If both users like each other, it’s a match, and you can start messaging.
Like many other dating apps, Tinder lets you sign up for free, but there are premium plans that you can purchase that will boost your profile, give you more super likes, and more. There’s an Explore page from which you can find people, and what’s neat about this little feature is that it gives you the chance to choose a specific group, such as people looking for love, people who are free tonight, people who are free for a coffee date, etc.
Available to download: Android / iOS
2. Bumble
An online dating app with great emphasis on the safety and privacy of its users, where women make the first step.
Unlike other dating apps on the list, Bumble is the only platform designed to change the way online dating “works.” Specifically, on Bumble, the woman makes the first move, not the man. “Relationships should start with respect and equality,” states the dating platform.
It is an excellent dating app that places great emphasis on the safety and privacy of its users, which is extremely important nowadays. The free version will also cover the majority of people, while the design is easy and fun to use. There is also a video call feature, which will help you get better first impressions from people you meet, putting an end to blind dates and profile pictures.
Although they had a rough few days due to an anti-celibacy campaign that offended asexuals and others, Bumble still is one of the best choices around. As for men, they can rest assured knowing that their matches will make the first step, either that’s a catchy message or by using the pre-made “fun message” that Bumble provides them.
Available to download: Android / iOS
3. OkCubit
An easy-to-use online dating app that asks many questions, provides great suggestions and is being used mainly by “more serious” people.
Besides its huge list of active users, OkCupid focuses on those who are tired of traditional dating apps and don’t mind spending a little time answering questions. In fact, the answers you provide to a plethora of questions play a significant role in the suggestions that will appear afterwards. For example, you can easily set your preferences, such as liking men with beards, people who travel often, or even kinky nerds.
The good thing about OKCupid is that most of its features are provided in the free version, and it is not necessary to get one of the subscription plans unless you want access to other features. You can easily link your Instagram account, add personal quizzes, and continuously answer questions, which will then be logged into your account’s algorithm for better suggestions.
This app does not provide video call features but offers specialized profiles that help you easily understand each person’s preferences, views, and hobbies, so you can contact only those who share common interests with you or meet your personal preferences. Finally, depending on the preferences registered by both users, statistics will appear showing the areas where you agree and disagree, with percentages, such as 90% match.
OKCubit is one of those online dating apps that has mainly older people, and when I say “older”, I mean over 30 years old. I didn’t find many users under 30, but that was a good thing for me.
Available to download: Android / iOS
4. Facebook Dating
It only takes a couple of minutes to get started and you won’t have to download another app to join the dating platform.
If there is one website we all know, that’s definitely Facebook. The social network launched Facebook Dating, a dating feature available to all Facebook users operating through the website or the platform’s app.
To open Facebook Dating and register, open the app on Android or iOS and then click on your profile picture at the top right, and in “All Shortcuts,” find the Dating option with a heart icon. Fill in your details and interests, upload the photos you want to appear in, and Facebook will then show you all users who are both near and farther away.
The catch here is that you won’t find all users of the social network on Dating. This is because Facebook Dating will not show you everyone who has an account on the platform, but only those who have signed up for the Dating service. Anyone who has not manually registered for Facebook Dating will not appear even if they have an account on the platform. The user interface of Facebook Dating resembles that of Tinder and works in a similar way.
To be more visible to other users, Facebook Dating will ask you to upload at least 3 pictures, add your favourite song, and as many details as you can. There must be a big list of people using the app because swapping always gave me new people either nearby or at a close distance to the city, which was nice. Unfortunately, there are many users having pictures without their faces and the quality it’s kinda lower compared to other online dating apps.
Available to download: Android / iOS
5. FINALLY
You’re either going to love it or hate it.
With a 4.4-star rating on the Play Store and over 5 million downloads, FINALLY is a dating app that primarily focuses on older individuals who feel there is no place for them on other dating apps like Tinder. As the app describes, FINALLY is “the social dating app for mature adults and singles over 50 worldwide.”
Since there aren’t many dating apps that focus on a specific age group, if you are 50 years old or older, you will find people your age on FINALLY, with whom you can connect and get to know. Whether it’s for a new romantic relationship or to meet new people and make new friends, FINALLY is an excellent platform for this purpose. Unfortunately, the app is exclusively available for Android devices, so if you use iOS, you are out of luck.
If you don’t want to reveal your real details upfront, that’s not a problem, as FINALLY allows you to remain anonymous until you decide to give someone access to see your real information. It’s also a dating app that provides an extremely user-friendly interface, so you won’t have any trouble creating a new account and filling in your information to see the first suggestions on your homepage.
I used the app for a few minutes, and then I HAD to delete it. It has 30-second video ads that ruined my experience with the app, and there are community groups which you can join to meet people, but they’re mostly filled with men trying to find women. Another problem that I faced was with the app only showing the same people again and again, but with different pictures, which is weird because another picture of the same person won’t change my mind.
Available to download: Android
6. Badoo
It’s a fun dating app that’s fast and easy to use, while it has plenty of people using it worldwide.
Badoo is similar to Tinder, offering some interesting features and robust features for those who take online dating seriously. After creating a free account on the website or via the app, you will be able to search for other users easily using the service’s special search filters.
The dating app also allows you to see only users who are nearby, and here too, you will need to swipe right for like and left for dislike. If you want to take it to the next level, Badoo allows you to make video calls directly within the app, so you can get to know other users even better.
Sending and sharing photos from other social networks within Badoo is also an excellent option for those who don’t have time to search their devices for specific photos. Finally, the app allows you to answer various questions with your voice.
In general, one thing is certain: you will either love it or hate it! Either way, Badoo is definitely worth a try, as for many, it is the number one stop. And before closing this up, I’d like to say that Badoo was one of my favourite online dating apps, compared to many others that were a waste of time.
Available to download: Android / iOS
7. Hinge
If you don’t mind spending a bit more time for uploading your pictures and double-pressing for likes, Hinge is pretty great.
Using Hinge is both fun and frustrating. When signing up for a new account, the online date platform was unable to import my Instagram photos, and once it finally was able to do that simple thing, I was unable to import multiple photos at once, and for every single image, I had to re-login with my account, which was pretty frustrating. There’s also that thing where you can quickly swap someone that you didn’t like, but liking them needs two presses.
The app uses a unique algorithm that “matches” you with other people based on your preferences, personality, and lifestyle. You can interact with other users by liking or commenting on specific parts of their profiles, such as photos, and by sending messages and voice recordings.
According to Hinge, the app claims that 3 out of 4 users want to go on a second date with the people they matched with and that it is the fastest-growing dating app in the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia.
Note: Getting verified on the platform is pretty easy and straightforward, as it asks you to quickly take a selfie video with your face, and then their algorithm will do the rest. Finally, the dating app has great quality when it comes to its user base, as I couldn’t find any fake profiles in my testing.
Once you download Hinge (available for Android and iOS), the app will ask some questions about yourself and your lifestyle, as well as your personal preferences for the “perfect” match. Like most dating apps, Hinge allows you to create a free account but also offers subscription packages that give you access to more features of the app.
Available to download: Android / iOS
8. Jaumo
A dating app with social rooms, chats, live streamings, and all the features that you’ll need to find your next match.
With a 4.4 rating on Google Play from over 1.7 million reviews, Jaumo is one of the most popular and reliable dating apps at the moment. Although primarily a dating app, Jaumo can also be used as a community to socialize and meet new people with the same interests, or who work in the same profession.
Like the other dating apps on the list, Jaumo is free for everyone, with some subscription plans available for those interested in accessing all the platform’s features and functions. In fact, the service uses and provides its own coins, which you can use to access premium services. Users also have the opportunity to earn coins for free, allowing them to use the subscription features without spending any money.
Note: Jaumo gave me a warning for some of my pictures that they included nudity or sexual content, which wasn’t the case. Thankfully, they didn’t delete any of them.
To take it a step further, Jaumo has introduced the “Social Audio” feature, which allows you to join chat rooms to meet new people. Some of the chat rooms are live, while others provide a space for you to talk to each other using audio, as this feature is designed for voice messages. According to the company, this is an excellent way not only to spend your time on the app more enjoyably but also to meet other users more easily without needing to have your camera on.
Available to download: Android / iOS
9. eHarmony
eHarmony launched on August 22, 2000, and until this day, they’re the number one choice for a huge amount of people.
eHarmony is also one of the most popular and reliable options for those interested in online dating, and one of the oldest, as it was launched 23 years ago. Unlike many others, eHarmony is recommended by many psychotherapists as one of the best dating apps for those seeking a serious relationship and want to avoid the drawbacks that come with online dating. Since the app requires you to answer several questions and fill in your interests, it is easier for their algorithm to narrow down the number of people who appear as suggestions, showing only those with common interests.
The information users provide is quite important, as with eHarmony, you will quickly be able to tell if someone is a good match for you before you send the first message. This is the platform’s purpose, after all, to communicate only with people who share many common interests, avoiding irrelevant or pointless suggestions.
According to the company, every 14 minutes, someone finds love, with 51% of users being men and 49% women. Additionally, the company states that more than 2 million people worldwide have found “love” through their platform. Nevertheless, more than 2.3 million messages are sent every week via eHarmony, making it a dating service used by millions worldwide.
eHarmony has also published the fourth annual Happiness Index Study 2021, which aimed to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on relationships. Despite the uncertain times, the study revealed that the pandemic had a positive impact on romantic relationships.
Available to download: Android / iOS
10. Match
A modern (and weirdly beautiful) online dating app with a huge user base, it’s easy to use, and gives you the option to make video calls through the app before meeting them.
Match is one of the oldest dating apps in the field. The app was founded in 1993 and has remained among the most popular and best dating apps ever since. The service offers a modern and well-designed user interface with all the features and functions you would expect from a dating app. Unfortunately, however, it is not only one of the most expensive dating apps but also one of the most complicated to get started with.
Initially, creating a new account requires you to fill in all the basic fields; otherwise, your account will be invisible on the platform. Although you might spend some time filling in all the necessary information, once your account is ready, you will have the ability to see specialized profiles with plenty of details, helping you to avoid wasting time by seeing the “wrong” people.
Match has also received the Editor’s Choice award, so it is a dating platform that is not only well-known to the general public but also one of the most reliable in the online dating space. As mentioned earlier, it is one of the most expensive apps, and subscribing to one of the available subscriptions is significant for those interested in accessing all the powerful features of the app. However, if you don’t mind investing for your next match, then you may want to check it out.
Available to download: Android / iOS
11. Happn
Ummm… maybe? I don’t know, Happn seems great in theory and from the screenshots, but it fades away after a few days of using it.
Using Happn was somewhat of a weird experience. I felt most profiles were fake, with pictures being too good to be true. In my country and location, I couldn’t find more than 10 people nearby, and of them, only 2 were actually Greeks. Even in the “Browse” section, I was unable to find more people nearby, so it was a waste of time – in my location, that means.
Comparing it to other online dating apps, I also felt that anyone can easily create multiple accounts if they want to, and it kinda feels unsafe to use – but I am probably wrong. What I liked about the app was how fast and smooth it performs, and there’s also a map, but I still don’t understand what its use is, as it was empty the whole time I was using it.
Unlike many other dating sites and apps, Happn doesn’t show suggestions based on the interests you’ve set, personality, or other attributes. Instead, the app only displays users who are closest to you, which can be considered a drawback because if you live in a small town, you might stop seeing new suggestions until the app finds new users nearby.
Available to download: Android / iOS
12. Plenty of Fish
It’s one of the most beautiful and modern online dating apps around, but it didn’t work out between us in the end. Maybe in the near future? I’ll give it a try again.
Plenty of Fish (or POF) is a Canadian online dating platform that has been around since 2003. It’s available both as a website and a mobile app (Android & iOS). Rather than swapping and looking at pictures, Plenty of Fish tries to take a more conventional approach, so it’s more about messaging, but at the same time, it’s the same as any other dating app.
What makes the app pretty different is the POF Live, which lets users live stream on the app and meet more people. Personally, I find no use for this feature in a dating app, and I wouldn’t like to speak with various people while live streaming on a dating platform that I’m supposedly using to find a match, but that’s a personal preference.
What I loved the most about Plenty of Fish is its design, which looks cute and modern. It’s a user-friendly dating app, and registering for a new account was fun, but it’s not perfect, not by a long shot. In my tests, the app failed miserably; The home screen stopped showing any people and stayed blank, only showing the buttons. A notification for a new message was always appearing, even when I tapped on it and read the thing.
There was no one nearby, and I was only able to find six people who were from Greece, with most of them being at least 500km away from my location, and that was before the app’s home screen ruined my experience. I couldn’t make it work, even when I uninstalled it and installed it again, cleaned the cache and storage, etc. I don’t know, maybe give it a try? It’s better finding yourself, you may have better luck than me.
Available to download: Android / iOS
Frequently Asked Questions about Online Dating Apps
Let’s break things down; If you’re new to using online dating apps, you may have some questions, and I do have some answers. Well, I am not an expert, per se, but I’ve used more than 20 online dating apps (not going to waste your time with the others that I didn’t include in the article), so here’s everything that I know.
How do dating apps work?
Most dating apps operate in a similar manner; They allow you to see suggestions of people on your homepage, who appear based on either your common interests or based on the nearest location.
You can swipe a person’s picture to the left to skip them or to the right to like them. Some ups also have features like “Super Likes”, which you usually swap up to super like them, which also notifies them. Usually, users can’t see that you’ve liked them with simple likes, and to communicate with someone, both of you need to have liked each other first – this is known as a “match” – so that you can access the chat.
Some dating apps may also include more features such as chat rooms, live streamings, uploading videos, talking with voice messages or video calls, and so much more.
How do dating apps make money?
Since all apps and websites have significant monthly expenses, they often display ads to generate income. Some dating apps show minimal ads while you browse their platforms, which you will see as you swap to find new people. Others display lots of ads and annoying pop-ups.
Finally, most dating apps offer various subscription plans that are charged monthly or annually and give you access to their premium features. Some others may offer their own coins, which users buy and use only on the features they want access to.
What should I watch out for when using dating apps?
Although dating apps have made significant progress in preventing the creation of fake accounts and the use of their services by bots, they are not perfect. You never know the intentions of someone you don’t know and haven’t met in person, and it’s no secret that dating apps have been used for malicious purposes multiple times in the past.
Never share your personal information, such as your phone number or home address with anyone. Always inform your close ones about who you’re meeting and where you’ll be meeting them, and prefer public places for your first dates.
What are the verified profiles?
A lot of dating apps also provide a verification method, which adds a verify symbol to the person’s profile. That feature adds a little bit of extra safety, so preferring those users may also be a good idea. Usually, the verification works by sending a selfie video to verify that this is the real face as in the photographs, and most apps use an automatic verification system, which I don’t find really reliable.
How can I find more matches?
To better help the algorithm of any online dating app to suggest you to more people, and also provide you with more recommendations, is by building a solid profile. The more information you give, the better suggestions you’ll get and your ranking will get improved, simple as that.
There are other aspects that play a significant role of course, such as having good and high-quality profile pictures, a catchy description, or a selfie video introducing yourself. The location also plays a crucial role, as not every dating app has lots of users in some areas or countries, so make sure you check that too.
Last but not least, if you want to boost your profile so more people can see it on top, there are premium subscriptions that let you do that. Some dating apps come with reasonable pricing, but there are few that are pretty expensive.
Which are the best dating apps for the LGBTQ+ Community?
While there are some dating apps that focus on the LGBTQ+ Community, including Her, Grindr, and Date Byond, which are some of the most popular, most of the apps suggested in the article will work perfectly fine. It’s all about using as many as you can to find those that work the best for you and have lots of people in your region, meaning higher possibilities to find the perfect match.
Do you have more questions about the above-mentioned dating apps? If so, you can leave your comment at the end of the article and I will gladly respond to you.
