The Best Dating Apps of 2024
Written by: BestApp.com App Testing Team - Updated: Mar 18, 2021
For dating apps, our top pick is Match. Its comprehensive matchmaking algorithm that improves over time is a big winner. Most singles looking for long-term relationships benefit from this app. But if Match doesn't meet your needs, we've reviewed nine additional dating apps with a variety of features and methods to support your online dating goals.
Top 10 Dating Apps to Try
- Match – Top Pick
- eharmony – Best for Long-Term Relationships
- Plenty of Fish – Best Free Version
- Bumble – Best for Women
- Hinge – Best User Profiles
- Her – Best for Queer, Lesbian, and Bisexual Womxn
- OkCupid – Lowest Monthly Subscription Fee
- Coffee Meets Bagel – Best Curated Matches
- Tinder – Best for Casual Dating
- Happn – Best Nearby Connections
How We Chose the Best Dating Apps
When selecting our list of the best dating apps, we primarily looked for apps with inclusivity settings for LGBTQ+ connections as well as in-app video chatting. But if you’re truly ready to give online dating a shot, it’s important for you to consider the features that matter most to you.
Choose the dating app that’s right for you
Since the majority of the dating apps on our list have excellent free versions, the pressure to choose the perfect app is minimal. You can easily delete one and move onto the next. But time is also an important factor, and no one wants to keep trying several dating apps to find the right one. To narrow your focus, consider an app’s upgrade cost, user reviews, target demographics, and whether its focus aligns with your dating goals.
Follow online dating safety tips
No matter which dating app you choose, it’s important that you take some crucial steps to minimize potential dangers by adhering to certain safety measures. To learn more about how to date safely online, read this resource from RAINN.org.
Our Dating App Reviews
Match – Top Pick
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Match is geared toward finding lasting, serious relationships for its members, and 35 million monthly visitors help make this goal a success. Launched in 1995, Match has a long history of helping people find one another. There is a “Missed Connections” feature that uses your phone’s geolocation to identify other users in your area. Matches improve over time as you use the app — it analyzes your choices and reveals your preferences. Most users are in the 25 to 55 year-old age group.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- In app purchases: $2.99 – $129.99
- Customer support: Help center, FAQ
| Match.com Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| 6-month guarantee to find a match | Limited features in free version |
| Advanced search filters | Expensive paid version |
| Optional profile posting on sister sites | |
eharmony – Best for Long-Term Relationships
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
With eharmony, you’re in for a lengthy sign-up process to create your profile and gauge compatibility with other members. But once you complete the surveys and questionnaires, eharmony’s matchmaking algorithm takes over, doing most of the work to find you suitable matches. For premium members, eharmony guarantees that if you’re not happy with your matches over a three-month window, the next three months are free. With more than 35 million members, this app is a good choice for relationship-minded singles looking for love.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- In app purchases: $94.99 – $399.99
- Customer support: Help center
| eHarmony Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| In-depth compatibility surveys | Limited free features |
| Flexible filtering options | Paid memberships still include ads |
| Strong security and privacy measures | |
Plenty of Fish – Best Free Version
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Plenty of Fish lets you create a robust user profile, search for other users, and message who you want as often as you like, all for free. The paid version allows you to post more photos, see extended profiles, and perform various other advanced functions. Same-sex connections are available but not bisexual pairings, since users must choose whether they’re interested in males or females. POF is a good “starter” dating app for singles new to the world of online dating.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- In app purchases: $0.99 – $399.99
- Customer support: Help center
| Plenty of Fish Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Extensive personality matching features | Ads in the free version |
| Vast user pool and great variety | |
| Versatile advanced search option | |
Bumble – Best for Women
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Bumble’s standout feature is allowing only the woman to make the first move in heterosexual matches. In same-sex matches, either party can send an icebreaker. Most of the users are between 18 and 29 years of age. If you’re looking for something long term and you’re a woman who’s comfortable initiating interest or a man who likes a confident woman, Bumble may be the dating app for you.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- In app purchases: $0.99 – $149.99
- Customer support: Help center
| Bumble Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Safety reporting feature with unmatch backup | Rematch feature only available with upgrade |
| Fewer unwelcome messages for female users | Additional fees for some special features |
Hinge – Best User Profiles
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
With its standout slogan, “the dating app designed to be deleted,” Hinge lets you know right away it’s focused on helping you find a long-term relationship. This is also evident when you complete the sign-up process. You must provide basic identifying information as well as gender preferences, your height, your stance on religion and politics, any vices, and six pictures. A compulsory writing prompt requires some introspection and creativity, hopefully making your profile fun and interesting. Even likes take some thought, since Hinge requires you to choose what it is in the other person’s profile that you like most.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- In app purchases: $0.99 – $119.99
- Customer support: Help center
| Hinge Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Dealbreakers option | Video calls not available in app |
| Fun icebreaker questions | Premium features don’t add much value |
| Feature-rich free version | |
Her – Best for Queer, Lesbian, and Bisexual Womxn
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
“Created for queer womxn by queer womxn” is the rallying cry of the Her dating app. The designers’ strategy was tailoring the app to the particular ways that womxn connect with and date other womxn. They use social media connections and communication methods to help users create profiles and interact with each other. The app encourages involvement in the LGBTQ+ community and promotes friendships, casual conversation, and hookups, along with serious dating for a committed relationship.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- In app purchases: $0.99 – $179.99
- Customer support: Help center
| Her Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Free, unlimited messaging | Paid membership needed for unlimited swiping |
| Many gender and sexual orientation options | No manual search |
| Informative LGBTQ+ news feed | |
OkCupid – Lowest Monthly Subscription Fee
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
OkCupid has been matching people since 2004. The free version includes messaging features, mutual likes, and viewing potential matches. OkCupid’s paid memberships start at $7.95 per month for Basic, $6.35 per month for a three-month subscription, and only $3.95 per month for a six-month membership. You can also purchase boosts individually and in bulk to get more profile visibility. All age groups are represented, but most users are in their thirties and forties.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- In app purchases: $0.99 – $179.99
- Customer support: Help center
| OkCupid Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Very flexible gender and sexual identity choices | No in-app video calling feature |
| Huge number of worldwide users | Mutual likes required for messaging |
| Comprehensive matchmaking functions | |
Coffee Meets Bagel – Best Curated Matches
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
According to Coffee Meets Bagel, its app attracts highly educated users with bachelor’s degrees for 98% of its base and master’s degrees for more than a third. Most of the people on CMB state they’re looking for a long-term relationship. The app tries to help them find that with a set number of daily curated potential matches at noon. Once you match, you have seven days to meet off-platform before your messaging channel closes. About 60% of CMB users are in their 30s and 40s.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- In app purchases: $0.99 – $179.99
- Customer support: Help center
| Coffee Meets Bagel Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Discover tab search feature | Limited matching criteria |
| Robust free features | Unliked matches expire in 24 hours |
| You can earn beans with tasks | |
Tinder – Best for Casual Dating
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
As the original “swipe right” dating app, Tinder encourages users to make initial matching decisions based on first impressions. People use the app for both casual hookups and serious dating. A safety feature lets users post identifying details before first dates and contact emergency services if things go badly. Free members only get 100 right swipes every 12 hours. Busy singles in their 20s and 30s appreciate the ease of connecting with others on this app.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- In app purchases: $0.99 – $299.99
- Customer support: Email, Phone
| Tinder Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| Supports app integrations like Snapchat and Instagram | Search limited to matched profiles |
| Matched users can message free | |
| Massive number of users | |
Happn – Best Nearby Connections
Download: Android ★★★★★★★★★★ | iOS ★★★★★★★★★★
Happn helps in-person meetups happen by only matching you with other users that you’ve encountered or passed by in real life. The app shows you profiles of other Happn users who you’ve been near recently, and you can heart them if you like what you see. If you get a reciprocal heart, you have a crush, letting you message each other. People living in highly populated areas who are out and about frequently are best suited for this app.
Notable features:
- Free version available
- In app purchases: $0.99 – $144.99
- Customer support: Help center, FAQ
| Happn Pros & Cons | |
|---|---|
| What we like | What we don’t like |
| One free 5-minute video chat per match | Proximity is the sole matching criteria |
| Available Spotify, Facebook, and Instagram integrations | No search option |
| No real-time locations shown for safety | |
Dating Apps: Features Summary Table
| Summary Table | ||
|---|---|---|
| App | In-App Purchases | Features |
| Match – Top Pick | $2.99 – $129.99 per item | X In-app video calls ✓ Same-sex matching ✓ Safety features |
| eharmony – Best for Long-Term Relationships | $94.99 – $399.99 per item | X In-app video calls ✓ Same-sex matching ✓ Safety features |
| Plenty of Fish – Best Free Version | $0.99 – $399.99 per item | X In-app video calls ✓ Same-sex matching ✓ Safety features |
| Bumble – Best for Women | $0.99 – $149.99 per item | X In-app video calls ✓ Same-sex matching ✓ Safety features |
| Hinge – Best User Profiles | $0.99 – $119.99 per item | X In-app video calls ✓ Same-sex matching ✓ Safety features |
| Her – Best for Queer, Lesbian, and Bisexual Womxn | $0.99 – $179.99 per item | X In-app video calls ✓ Same-sex matching ✓ Safety features |
| OkCupid – Lowest Monthly Subscription Fee | $0.99 – $179.99 per item | X In-app video calls ✓ Same-sex matching ✓ Safety features |
| Coffee Meets Bagel – Best Curated Matches | $0.99 – $179.99 per item | X In-app video calls ✓ Same-sex matching ✓ Safety features |
| Tinder – Best for Casual Dating | $0.99 – $299.99 per item | X In-app video calls ✓ Same-sex matching ✓ Safety features |
| Happn – Best Nearby Connections | $0.99 – $144.99 per item | X In-app video calls ✓ Same-sex matching ✓ Safety features |