Many people are in search of a quick hook-up—a one-night-stand, a “booty call,” or just a casual date. The following apps can help you find what you’re looking for.
We’ll review the app Tinder first because it is the most well-known of these apps. Tinder allows users to rate people on a scale of 1 to 5 and then see who they match with. If you click “yes” on someone’s picture and they click “yes” on yours, then you are matched and may begin chatting with each other. Tinder is free, but if you want to upgrade to Tinder Plus, you have to pay $9.99 a month.
If you want something less casual than Tinder, then try Coffee Meets Bagel. This app allows users to pick out one potential date every day, so that way the user isn’t overwhelmed by too many choices at once. Coffee Meets Bagel has about 20 million active users and about 450,000 matches daily. And like Tinder, it’s free unless you want an upgraded version; Coffee Meets Bagel Plus costs $19.99 a month and offers unlimited swipes, priority matching (basically more control over who sees your profile),
Best Apps For Quick Hookups
Tinder
Best For Casual Sex
Our love/hate relationship with Tinder aside, we can’t ignore the fact that it’s a tried-and-true option when all you want is some casual sex without a ton of effort.
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OkCupid on smartphone.
Credit: Okcupid / Apple
OkCupid
Best For Liberals And Leftists
OkCupid hits different with woke, not corny questions that make profile building fun and matchmaking more logical.
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PROS & CONS
Hinge on smartphone.
Credit: Hinge / Apple
Hinge
Best For An Ongoing Casual Hookup
A more chill alternative to Tinder that’s great for casual daters who are DTF, but open to something more exclusive.
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PROS & CONS
AdultFriendFinder opening page.
Credit: Adultfriendfinder
AdultFriendFinder
Best For A Porn-like User Experience
Millions of down-for-anything users make AFF great for finding a fling, but it’s as sketchy as it is sexy.
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Grindr on smartphone.
Credit: Grindr / Apple
Grindr
Best For Gay Men
Thanks to its wide user base and location-based interface, Grindr is the go-to hookup app for gay men.
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Plenty of Fish on smartphone.
Credit: Plenty Of Fish
Plenty of Fish
Best For A Last-minute Meet Up
Plenty of Fish is for people who like to chat a bit with potential hookups but don’t want to wait around all day for a match.
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PROS & CONS
HER app on smartphones.
Credit: Her / Apple
HER
Best For Queer Women
HER is made specifically for queer women to find a hookup, relationship, or platonic friend.
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PROS & CONS
PURE app on smartphone.
Credit: Pure / Apple
PURE
Best For Guaranteeing No Strings Attached
It’s like Snapchat for sex, where hookups are spontaneous and impersonal.
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PROS & CONS
Feeld on smartphone.
Credit: Feeld / Apple
Feeld
Best For Threesomes
Find people looking for a non-monogamous hookup on this inclusive app.
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PROS & CONS
match on smartphones.
Credit: Match / Apple
match
Best For Finding Mature Partners
If your age makes you feel like a certified creep on Tinder, match is a more mature place to find an experienced booty call.
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Zoosk app on smartphones.
Credit: Zoosk / Apple
Zoosk
Best For People Who Don’t Know What They Want
Zoosk learns your behavior to present you with matches you’ll truly vibe with.
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Life > Sex, Dating & Relationships
Hookup culture has become an accepted style of human connection. The desire to have sex without strings has always been a thing, but proudly searching for just that it is just way less taboo than it was when your parents were dating.
The dedicated hookup app is the horny person’s vessel for hot instant gratification. But the cool thing is that most dating apps can be used for sex purposes these days. Where you decide to go to find your casual fling really just depends on how much you’d like to know about the person in your bed. The butterflies of meeting someone new are still there — they just might be happening in a different region of the body.
SEE ALSO: Is casual sex bad for you?
The online hookup atmosphere is full of horny anxious people
All things considered, it may seem like the ideal time for a mass release of all that pent-up sexual tension. But in reality, people are, of course, still nervous.
Hinge actually coined the term Fear of Dating Again to encompass people’s uneasiness to get back in the dating scene. Many feel like they have lost their game during isolation, and there’s a hump that many online daters still need to get over. Time feels more valuable, and even those who are DTF may be more closely considering the authenticity and personality of prospects. If anything, surveys have found that this long period of isolation has made more people want to find a long-term partner.
Still, this pandemic hasn’t meant the death of hookup culture. Just like literally every other part of life, it’s merely had to evolve and change with the times. Tinder and Hinge are still crawling with users, but baby steps between messaging for the first time and arranging a booty call may be the norm for now. The good news is that being upfront and honest about what you’re looking for has become more of the norm over the past two years, so people are more likely to appreciate you coming right out and saying you want something light and fun.
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Staying safe while using hookup apps
The pandemic has also brought on a whole new meaning to having safe sex with strangers. Some dating apps have added vaccination status as a section to their profiles, so you can tell if someone’s going to be a safer hookup or not without having to waste time chatting with someone you won’t feel comfortable seeing IRL. Badge or not, if you have any hesitations being direct and asking people outright about their vaccination status and what they’re comfortable with is a good way to make an informed decision.
Taking precautions doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy yourself. Over the past year, people have been learning how to be safe while exploring new desires and kinks.
What makes a good hookup app?
A good hookup doesn’t have to be a one and done situation. Sure, things can be kept as anonymous as taking a nameless person home from the bar, but there’s also nothing wrong with ensuring that the person getting to see you naked doesn’t have the world’s worst sense of humor. Plus, getting along well with a hookup, even if you’re not looking for anything serious or exclusive, can help if you are looking for a regular friends with benefits situation. Though many of these apps make it obvious that people are looking for that, people on more generalized dating apps can avoid a lot of messiness if a head’s up about intentions is given within the first few DMs. You’ll want an app that skips the 10-minute questionnaire about romance and future families and you’ll probably also want to avoid any that require an expensive subscriptions designed for long-term relationships. However, you should choose an app that has ample space to showcase what you’re looking for — and maybe turn a few people on with your sense of humor.
Photos are also a huge factor in good hookup apps. Some apps and dating sites hide people’s pics unless you have a paid subscription, and we don’t really love that — for physical attraction reasons and safety reasons. Apps that show the full view of someone’s profile are the way to go.
Whether you want to pay for a hookup app or not is totally up to you, but we will say Tinder and Hinge have great free versions of the app. You can likely find a hookup by the weekend without paying a cent.
Whether you’re looking for casual sex or are simply looking to exchange nudes, here are our picks for the best hookup apps right now:
Tinder
Best For Casual Sex
Tinder on a smart phone.
Credit: Tinder / Apple
Specs
Free version: Yes
One month of Tinder Plus: $7.99
Six months of Tinder Plus: $23.99 ($4 per month)
One year of Tinder Plus: $31.99 ($2.67 per month)
One month of Tinder Gold: $24.99
Six months of Tinder Gold: $74.99 ($12.50 per month)
12 months of Tinder Gold: $99.99 ($8.33 per month)
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Tinder may not want to advertise as such, but it doesn’t have the reputation as a hookup app for no reason. Yeah yeah, we know the amount of success stories of happy couples who met on Tinder is growing rapidly, but it’s way easier to find a date for the night than it is to find someone looking for a long term relationship. Using Tinder for the latter includes deciding if you want to interact with someone based on nothing but profile pictures and a quote from The Office, so yeah, you can see how getting laid would be the main goal of most users.
It’s fast, easy, and if there’s one app that even the shyest, most skeptical people will be on, it’s Tinder. Sure, you may get carpal tunnel from swiping so much, but I guess that also means that it’s nearly impossible to not find like-minded people who are also DTF.
Though it’s pretty much free for general use, Tinder does offer three upgrades: Tinder Plus, Tinder Gold, and Tinder Platinum. These include extras like the opportunity to undo a left swipe (bless), send “Super Likes” to people you’re really into, see who has swiped right on your profile, and in the case of Tinder Platinum, message users before they’ve even matched with you.
OkCupid
Best For Liberals And Leftists
OkCupid on smartphone.
Credit: Okcupid / Apple
Specs
Free version: Yes
One month of OkCupid Basic: $11.99 per month
Three months of OkCupid Basic: $23.97 ($7.99 per month)
Six months of OkCupid Basic: $35.94 ($5.99 per month)
One month of OkCupid Premium: $23.99 per month
Three months of OkCupid Premium: $47.97 ($15.99 per month)
Six months of OkCupid Premium: $71.94 ($11.99 per month)
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Turned on by social awareness? Same. You’ve heard of OkCupid before, and you know it’s not solely for hooking up. But if your attraction to someone is partly dictated by whether you’d be on their side in a political Facebook fight, OkCupid can direct you to the sexy woke side of the internet.
This hip LGBTQ-friendly site has won the hearts of liberal millennial singles by dedicating a portion of its profile-building prompts to the current political climate: weed, guns, vaccinations, women’s rights, and more topics are covered. This, badges for voting and open pronoun and orientation options, all help to reel in an informed, respectful, and sex-positive crowd. Dry-humored graphics do a lot to alleviate pressure, too.
While you get the most out of the site with a paid plan, you can still use its search features without ever paying a dime. In other words, you literally search the keyword “hookup” — or any other common interests that might be important to you — and see what users have those words in their profile. In a website that can lean more relationship oriented, it’s an easy way to filter and find people looking for the same casual connection as you.
Hinge
Best For An Ongoing Casual Hookup
Hinge on smartphone.
Credit: Hinge / Apple
Specs
Free version: Yes
One month of Preferred: $29.99
Three months of Preferred: $59.99 ($19.99 per month)
Six months of Preferred: $89.99 ($14.99 per month)
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Hinge is officially geared more toward relationships, but if you’re upfront with your intentions, it’s as useful of a hookup app as Tinder — especially in more populated areas.
Hinge marries the modern, instantaneous feel of swiping apps with the relationship atmosphere that sites like eharmony or Match offer. Hinge literally labels itself the relationship app, or as I prefer, the “anti Tinder.” You scroll like Instagram, creating a smoother (and less judge-y) feel than swiping. It’s a chill alternative for singles who are down for a hookup, but would see where things go with the right person.
On Hinge you get to send eight likes per day with the free version (unlimited with the paid version) and set preferences like age, ethnicity, and religion. You can filter by even more preferences with a paid membership if you’re looking for a specific height, drug usage, and more. If you’re just in search of a hookup, this level of compatibility might not be necessary, so you’re probably good with the free version.
AdultFriendFinder
Best For A Porn-like User Experience
AdultFriendFinder opening page.
Credit: Adultfriendfinder
Specs
Free version: Yes
One month: $27.95
Three months: $59.85 ($19.95 per month)
12 months: $179.40 ($14.95 per month)
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Read our full review of AdultFriendFinder.
Though a lot of young people use Tinder to find casual sex, AdultFriendFinder is more… mature — like a Pornhub that you can actually interact with. Regardless of whether you’re looking for an in-person hookup or to blow off some steam via sexting or raunchy videos, AFF has everything that your dirty mind can think of and more. Almost nothing is blurred out (you see everything), but if you don’t mind that the entire thing looks like a sketchy “There are hot singles in your area” ad, you’ll be in heaven.
With 20-something million monthly users as well as live video options, chat rooms, groups for ultra specific kinks, and more, you can probably assume how wild this site can get. The part that you wouldn’t expect is the fact that they do offer tons of compatibility questions and matchmaking services, because they’re that intent on finding you a good lay.
Another bonus is that AdultFriendFinder is like the dating site version of New York City — it never sleeps. You’ll find people who work the regular 9 to 5, people who work the night shift, and people in other time zones, so it’s nearly impossible to log on and not have people to talk to. AdultFriendFinder is like the booty call that’s always awake when you text them.
Grindr
Best For Gay Men
Grindr on smartphone.
Credit: Grindr / Apple
Specs
Free version: Yes
One month of Grindr XTRA: $19.99
Three months of Grindr XTRA: $39.99
12 months of Grindr XTRA: $99.99
One month of Grindr Unlimited: $39.99
Three months of Grindr Unlimited: $79.99
12 months of Grindr Unlimited: $239.99
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Grindr is the go-to hookup app for gay guys. It’s one of the only mainstream dating apps for gay men and you can truly find a range of relationship types through the platform — yes, obviously, this includes casual hookups.
On the surface, Grindr is a hookup-oriented app, so it won’t be too much work to find another guy who’s also looking for a one-night stand or friends with benefits. The app is location-based, so instead of swiping, you’re able to message anyone in your nearby area, making it pretty much as easy as it can be to find someone to link up with within the hour. Just don’t be surprised if you’re greeted with an unsolicited dick pic or two.
That’s not to say that Grindr isn’t also a place to find serious relationships, but that’s not what you came here for, is it? Grindr is technically for gay, bi, trans, and queer people, but you’ll mostly find men on there.
Plenty of Fish
Best For A Last-minute Meet Up
Plenty of Fish on smartphone.
Credit: Plenty Of Fish
Specs
Free version: Yes
Three months of Premium: $59.99 ($20 per month)
Six months of Premium: $89.99 ($15 per month)
12 months of Premium: $119.99 ($10 per month)
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Sometimes, you might be in the mood to swipe for a while and sometimes, you’re ready to get straight to chatting. For when you want the best of both worlds, Plenty of Fish has your back.
Thanks to the sign up questionnaire, you may get the impression that Plenty of Fish is more relationship-oriented. While it’s certainly possible to use the app to find your future partner, at the end of the day the app’s main draw is that you can chat with any user, even if you haven’t matched — that includes with seeing who’s nearby and online. This ease of communication means finding someone who’s also not looking for anything serious isn’t all that difficult.
You can also mark in your profile that you’re looking for something casual, giving you an easy way to chat with someone a bit before deciding to meet up, without giving the wrong impression. And in the case that you do feel like doing a bit of screening before saying hello, there is a tab where you can swipe through potential matches.
It can be a little bot-filled, you can’t look for men and women at the same time, and its livestream feature sets up more of a creator-viewer relationship than a two-people-trying-to-sleep-together relationship, but if you ignore that tab, you’ll find that with its four million daily users, you really do have quite a few options with Plenty of Fish.
HER
Best For Queer Women
HER app on smartphones.
Credit: Her / Apple
Specs
Free version: Yes
One month of HER Premium: Starting at $14.99
Six months of HER Premium: Starting at $11.99 per month
One year of HER Premium: Starting at $7.49 per month
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Made by and for queer women, HER is a space where women can feel safe looking for other women to hook up with without worrying about being sexualized by skeevy men. HER isn’t designed just for hookups, so if you’re looking for a hookup-turned-relationship, you might find that here with the more than 4 million active users.
If you’re looking for a simple way to mention you’re not springing to jump into anything long-term, the “Looking for” section of the profile provides a “something casual” tag that’ll be displayed out in the open on your profile. To streamline your own search, you can filter users by this tag (and more) if you’re willing to pay for a membership. Adding it to your profile is completely free of charge, though.
The app isn’t even solely focused on romantic/sexual relationships — it’s also just a space carved out for the LGBTQ community where women can connect with other queer people. This is a great breeding ground for friends with benefits.
HER requires a Facebook account to create a profile, which adds a nice level of security as you know that all the people you’re seeing on the app are real. The app even sort of runs like Facebook with a feed filled with events, media, and more specifically tailored to the LGBTQ community.
PURE
Best For Guaranteeing No Strings Attached
PURE app on smartphone.
Credit: Pure / Apple
Specs
Free version: Yes
Weekly Pure membership: $14.99
Monthly Pure membership: $29.99
In-app purchases: Varying prices
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If you’re tired of getting signals crossed or dread being asked “What are we?” by a friend with benefits, Pure is the place to find a booty call who won’t try to text you earlier than midnight. App rules urge you to “pretend like you’re strangers afterwards,” making no-strings-attached sex the only name of the game. The surge of blatant sex positivity is a breath of fresh air when compared to other dating apps that try to convince you that you’ll find your soulmate.
Your uploaded selfies, personal info, and conversations with others self destruct every 60 minutes, promoting spur-of-the-moment and borderline anonymous hookups. There aren’t even any profiles — it’s just a feed of personal ads that let you get directly to the point of what you’re looking for. The app uses your geolocation and sends out the sex version of an Uber request, so you won’t have to worry about finding out your match actually lives across the country.
Though you can find someone down for pretty much anything, PURE doesn’t have that same slightly sketchy vibe as Adult Friend Finder. Plus, using filters is completely free, which is a nice perk when you’re trying to find someone to get down with, even if you’re not looking for anything serious. Of course, you should still be smart about meeting up with basically anonymous strangers, but for no-strings attachment, PURE is a pretty good place to be.
Feeld
Best For Threesomes
Feeld on smartphone.
Credit: Feeld / Apple
Specs
Free version: Yes
One month of Majestic: $11.99
Three months of Majesitc: $23.99 ($7.48 per month)
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Sometimes a hookup includes more than one other person, but finding people who are down for a threesome (or more-some) isn’t always the easiest task. Don’t be that asshole who goes on a dating app and matches with someone only to later reveal your intentions of finding a third.
Feeld is where everyone on the app is on the same page about what they’re seeking. It’s an open-minded community that allows you to choose from more than 20 sexual and gender identities, pair your profile with your partner’s, list your desires, and create group chats. So yeah, you’ll be able to narrow down exactly what you’re looking for.
The app is sex positive without looking like a computer virus popup. You can sign up for Feeld as a couple or as a single to practice consensual polyamory (AKA, people openly participating in non-monogamous relationships rather than people secretly cheating on their partners).
Feeld is free to use, but has a paid Majestic membership with bonus features like seeing people who liked you, filtering by desires, sharing private photos, and incognito browsing.
match
Best For Finding Mature Partners
match on smartphones.
Credit: Match / Apple
Specs
Free version: Yes
Three months of Standard: $74.97 ($24.99 per month)
Six months of Standard: $95.94 ($15.99 per month)
12 months of Standard: $143.88 ($11.99 per month)
Three months of Premium: $80.97 ($26.99 per month)
Six months of Premium: $107.94 ($17.99 per month)
12 months of Premium: $167.88 ($13.99 per month)
Buying Options
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Read our full review of match.
Anything can be a hookup app if you want it to be, right? We know match isn’t the raunchiest place (it’s actually known for its relationship success rate), but its massive user base of over seven million people can’t be ignored. Even if you’re not looking for a long-term relationship like many members, there’s a pretty high chance you’ll find a ton of users also looking for something risqué.
One main difference between match and most of the other sites we’ve listed (other than AdultFriendFinder maybe) is that match sees a way more diverse age range. Sure, there are a ton of young people on match who are probably on Tinder as well, but match also attracts significantly more older, more mature (and probably more experienced in bed) users. If you’re at an age where you feel nothing but creepy on Tinder, match is a nice alternative.
Zoosk
Best For People Who Don’t Know What They Want
Zoosk app on smartphones.
Credit: Zoosk / Apple
Specs
Free version: Yes, but limited
One month: $14.99
Three months: $59.95 ($19.98 per month)
Six months: $65.99 ($11 per month)
12 months: $99.99 ($8.33 per month)
Buying Options
See Details
Read our full review of Zoosk.
Not looking for casual sex? If you’d also like to meet the family of the person you’re sleeping with, then we suggest a site like this.
Zoosk sports a flirty “pick up and go” philosophy when it comes to online dating, so they won’t make you answer a torturous string of questions about yourself. Instead, Zoosk monitors your on-site activity and attempts to give you better matches based on what you already like. Zoosk offers ease and practicality and is pretty far from the Tinders of the world.
Specifying the age range and gender that you’re looking for in a partner does squat to narrow down your options. That might be fine for a strict hookup, but finding something past friends with benefits will require a little more help. Considering Zoosk sees a user base of about 40 million members, getting through all profiles that match your requirements could take ages. By monitoring your swiping behavior, Zoosk can tap into your subconscious (okay, not really, but sorta) and give you what you want deep down, even if you don’t even know why you’re saying yes or no to those profiles.
There are two drawbacks we need to mention, though: First, if you are a bi person, you need to make two accounts to look for both men and women. Zoosk will let you set up a second account at no additional cost, but it feels like the easier solution would be to, I don’t know, let users look at men and women at the same time? The other main drawback is that the amount of fake or dead profiles makes this place seem like the dating site version of The Walking Dead. Of course, all dating sites have their fair share of duds, but Zoosk is just feeling that plague a bit more intensely (we’ve heard it’s mostly female profiles). Luckily, you can weed these out by looking for a “currently online” or “recently online” status. Like most sites, there is a free version, but it’s worthless — AKA you’re gonna need to pay to do anything.
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best apps for online dating
Maybe your dating game is a little rusty due to a prolonged period of social distancing? Or maybe you’re just getting out of a serious relationship and starting to explore your options. Either way, finding a potential new partner is always complicated. Sure, it can be fun, but there’s no doubt that finding that spark or connection can feel a little like trying to uncover a needle in a haystack—especially if you know exactly what you want and won’t settle for anything else. (More power to you!)
For better or for worse, today, there are dozens upon dozens of paid and free online dating apps and sites that can help send you on your merry way as you journey toward love. In fact, the online dating audience is expected to grow to 37.5 million users by 2023, according to data from Statista. And by 2040, eHarmony predicts that 70 percent of couples will have started their relationships online.
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So while these sites can undoubtedly offer a low-stress, convenient way to get to know someone (or a few someones…), the sheer volume of options—both available platforms and number of registered users—can make online dating can feel overwhelming.
It’s possible to make that dating world feel manageable, though—ghosting and all—you just have to find the right app. For example, there are niche platforms specifically for those who love farming, bacon, or even beard-stroking (yes, seriously).
So if you’re looking to make a broader connection with, say, someone over 50, newly dating after divorce, or are hoping for a serious relationship, these online dating apps (many of which are free) cover all the bases.
- Match
Apple, Android
DOWNLOAD NOW
As one of the OG dating services (it’s moved from website-only to a website and app), Match is one of the most popular online dating apps of all time. And thanks to its storied past, it has a specific appeal to those between 45 and 65 looking for a serious relationship; additional research by SurveyMonkey found that 58 percent of adults 45 to 54 years old use Match, more than double the percent who use Tinder. You can download it for free, although that will restrict you to browsing; if you want to actually message potential partners, subscriptions start at $19.99 a month.
- OurTime
Apple, Android
DOWNLOAD NOW
Dating apps aren’t just for millennials; 20 percent of internet users between the ages of 55 and 64 have used a dating app or service, according to a poll from technology and research company Morning Consult. OurTime turns the idea of hookup culture on its head; instead, it encourages users to search for pen pals, friends, dates, long-term relationships, and marriage partners. The free-to-download app lets you send emails, flirt, and match with potential partners, and a premium subscription ($29.96 per month) allows for additional features like the ability to see who has liked your profile.
- Bumble
Apple, Android
DOWNLOAD NOW
Bumble set itself apart from all the other dating services crowding the app store by requiring women to make the first move once a match is made. In the free version, you only get 24 hours to send a message. But if that feels too pressure-filled, you can invest in a Boost membership, which starts at $6.99 for a week. Women love the app because it cuts down on the number of unsolicited messages; men love it, too. In fact, 58 percent of the respondents who preferred Bumble in PCMag’s survey were guys, likely because it takes some of the pressure off initiating. Plus, once you find somebody you’re interested in, you have the option of going on a video date in-app.
- Tinder
Apple, Android
DOWNLOAD NOW
Tinder may have brought on “hookup culture,” but it’s still one of the top free dating apps in the U.S. It has about 8 million users, the most of any other dating app surveyed by Statista. That means you have a pretty solid chance of eventually matching with someone who piques your interest—even if it takes a lot of left-swiping to get there. As mentioned, the app is free, but you can access premium features like Tinder Plus starting around $4.99 a month.
- Plenty of Fish
Apple, Android
DOWNLOAD NOW
Another one of the original dating websites turned apps with an eye toward finding a relationship, POF had 90 million users in its heyday. It’s still popular (Statista ranked it as number two), and the app claims you’re 2.7 times more likely to enter a conversation in your first 24 hours than on other apps. In polling its female users, the app found that 44 percent were single mothers—and that they find a partner 10 percent faster than the average user. Download and swipe for free, and upgrade to add more photos or show up first to potential partners starting at $19.99.
- Hinge
Apple, Android
DOWNLOAD NOW
After filling in the free app’s questionnaire and prompts (think standard icebreakers like: “my biggest pet peeve is…” and “my go-to karaoke song is…”), Hinge will start matching you with users who share common interests. The algorithm also serves you with your “Most Compatible” matches—who you’re eight times more likely to go out with, they say. And not only does the app show you how many people have liked you, it also tells you what they liked about you, making it easy to start a conversation.
- OKCupid
Apple, Android
DOWNLOAD NOW
OKCupid’s algorithm uses a series of questions to determine what “percentage” you’ll match with any of its five million users. That compatibility-driven focus is especially appealing to women, who made up 58 percent of the respondents who preferred this app in PCMag’s poll. It’s also super inclusive, offering more than a dozen gender identities and sexual orientations so you can define yourself however you want and match with exactly who you’re looking for.
social media and digital online concept, woman using smartphone
Vladimir Vladimirov//Getty Images
- Zoosk
Apple, Android
DOWNLOAD NOW
Originally a Facebook app, Zoosk is now one of the largest dating sites out there, with over 30 million downloads since its launch in 2007. Today, it has over 40 million active users—many of whom are paying members, meaning they are seriously committed to find a match. Instead of forcing you to fill out a lengthy questionnaire, the app’s algorithm notes who you’re interacting with to better serve up potential matches.
- eHarmony
Apple, Android
DOWNLOAD NOW
At this point, eHarmony is a household name. It’s Match’s biggest competitor, and it’s two largest age groups are 30- to 44-year-olds and 55- to 64-year-olds. The sign-up process—which includes a very detailed 80-question survey—is a journey, but the brand once claimed to be responsible for creating 4 percent of marriages in the U.S. Plus, premium subscription members have the option to go on a video date before meeting in person.
- Coffee Meets Bagel
Apple, Android
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Every day at noon, Coffee Meets Bagel will curate and send you quality matches—or “bagels” as they call them—selected by its algorithm. With no swiping involved and a limited daily selection, this free app is meant to be digestible (pun intended). Plus, the in-depth profiles and “ice-breaker” questions encourage meaningful conversation, making this app perfect for those looking to start serious relationships.
- Hily
Apple, Android
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With more than 16 million users around the world, Hily stands for “Hey, I like you!” The app uses AI to continuously improve matchmaking, and has features like Hily stories to help you better capture who you are. The app is free, with an optional subscription for an ad-free and incognito-mode experience.
- BLK
Apple, Android
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If you’re looking for fellow Black singles who share your interests, BLK is a dating app that specializes in finding that connection in their community of users. The free app lets you match and chat with potential partners or upgrade to a premium membership ($9.99 per month) for an ad-free experience, a boosted profile, unlimited number of likes, and the ability to “rewind” by giving somebody a second chance.
- Happn
Apple, Android
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Got a crush on that cute neighbor but don’t know his or her name? Regularly make eye contact with someone while walking your dog but haven’t initiated conversation? Happn is a free dating app that can help make those seemingly lost connections a reality. By using the location on your phone, you can match with people also on the app who are nearby. With over 100 million users worldwide, chances are you might just find your neighborhood crush.
- HER
Apple, Android
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Created by queer women, this LGBTQ+ dating app (and social platform) is for women and nonbinary people who want to find love in a safe space. For their 10 million users, HER provides in-app communities and hosted events to help encourage those sparks to fly.
- Inner Circle
Apple, Android
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If you’re serious about finding your other half and want to avoid the swiping into the void, Inner Circle requires all users to accept “The Date Better Pledge” that details a commitment to be “respectful, reliable, and inclusive.” The free app provides detailed profiles, unique filters, and conversation prompts—so you can avoid the dreaded one-liner “hey” messages.
Conclusion
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