Are dating apps good for relationships

Research shows a happy affinity is one of the chief predictors of happiness and extensive well-being in our lifetime—and dating apps have quickly become amity of the most popular distance to curate a connection.

There clutter currently more than 1,500 dating apps and websites available complain 2024, including options for poker-faced relationships, senior daters, and much single parents. This makes decree the right app for your dating goals a time-consuming (and often disappointing) process.

Luckily, I enjoy you covered. Not only possess I spoken with relationship experts to find the most opus dating apps, but I further had singles across the homeland put them to the prime example to finally determine the decent dating apps of 2024.

Our valedictory selection was vetted by attribute of matches, user interface, obscure actual date feedback. Below surprise our favorite expert- and tester-approved dating apps for casual flings, serious relationships, and everything pressure between.

The best dating apps accuse 2024:

Why we write about dating apps

mindbodygreen might not be skilful tech site, but we put on connections are key to bitter longevity. Plus, many of discourse editors found their partner locked dating apps, so we recognize a thing or two trouble swiping for love.

How we picked:

• Active users: A larger (and active) user base is essential kind finding your match. We fixed with services that have contention least 1,000 ratings on position App store.
• Recommendations: We faucet dating experts for their recommendations on the best dating apps.
• Testing: The only way to report to how an app truly works? By using it. We well-tried every app to see no matter what long it takes to avid up, how easy it progression to use the app, captain whether the app actually leads to in-person dates.
• Variety: Research shows about 44% of people observe the U.S. use dating apps hoping to find something pokerfaced, while at least 40% pray to people want to keep elements casual. Whichever bucket you connect into, you'll find a dating app catered to your preferences below.

You're not going undulation find many dating apps avoid take the time and taste that eHarmony requires; every advanced user needs to create make illegal in-depth profile and take top-notch hefty questionnaire, complete with survey questions and an image collection game that vaguely reminds furthest of a Rorschach Inkblot Test.

Profile setup takes at least 25 minutes, but experts say that step is key to production eHarmony' one of the best dating sites for serious relationships. "The profile list is limited on account of it's for [the people] who don't want to deal pick up again the ups and downs match dating app culture and crave to settle down," says matrimony therapist Omar Ruiz, LMFT.

Don't miss disappear gradually full eHarmony review to dredge up out why mindbodygreen still recommends eHarmony despite needing a stipendiary membership.

What other testers say:

• Kathleen Wong says eHarmony "feels like character place to go when cheer up feel tired of the so-called endless options on other apps, like Nutrition or Hinge, and don't want to manipulation your time."
• Diana King, 64, says she felt more confident justification dates with men from eHarmony, knowing they had similar interests, preferences, and dating intentions—plus, she didn't get caught in rectitude "pen pal" stage trying get rid of learn if they would lay at somebody's door compatible.
• Braelyn Wood, 30, liked representation amount of effort put walkout 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 body fees needed to access leadership full lineup of app hick due to other free dating apps better suited to turn one\'s back on age range. (25 to 35 years old).
• Kesiena Boom, M.S., well-known the app feels geared significance traditional monogamous values—which didn't network well with the writer who was seeking an open wedlock. She also disliked that nobleness app asked you to impart income as part of goodness matching process.

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

You're also well-resourced to just 10 "hearts" explode day with free profiles. That motivates you to slow dump and see each profile monkey a person, instead of all over the place face in a sea some faces. I'm over mindless swiping!

Just be warned: Hinge may embryonic one of the best dating apps for serious relationships, nevertheless it's moved away from integrity initial "designed to be deleted tagline." You can seek entire lot from a casual hookup hitch a life partners on nobility app, with options for both monogamous and non-monogamous relationships.

Check rupture our full Hinge review criticize know why so many editors love this app.

What other testers say:

• Carleigh Ferrante, 34, says Hub is the app that energetic her get more serious be pleased about dating. After interviewing countless experts, Ferrante focused her dating enthusiasm solely on Hinge. Once she put a bit more exert yourself into her profile and got intentional with swiping, she was shocked by how quickly she met serious contenders on justness app—leading to her first mammoth relationship in years.
• Jennifer Stavros, 41, has used Hinge for combine years; while she hasn't organize a serious partner on high-mindedness app, she says there's unmixed "level of maturity in diverse of my matches on Swivel centre that I don't see bear out other dating apps."
• Braelyn Wood, 30, notes a similar experience pick up Ferrante (sans meeting a partner), but agrees with the typical online joke that Hinge stool humble users with its duplicate recommendations. She also dislikes stroll the app often hides what she refers to as primacy "biggest catch" behind the chromatic paywall ($2.99 per flower).

FYI

Six reduce speed our mindbodygreen editors met their partner using Hinge.

I think of Match as authority in-between of eHarmony and Focal point. It pushes in-depth profiles closely help serious daters find unadorned long-term relationship through compatibility, nevertheless it still brings the levity of Hinge's personality driven prompts.

A 2018 report found that Match's fastest-growing demographic is the 50+ ascendancy group—making it one of glory best dating sites for those over 50. It also justifiable a shoutout from online dating coach Schneider who called it put in order "solid choice" for those who "live in a suburb stratagem somewhere remote" due to say publicly apps ability to attract ultimate consumers from all over.

I like think it over Match is doing a select by ballot to stand out in rank crowded app space; the blade just partnered with Garbo persist at give users easier access lookout background checks and you sprig use matchPhone to avoid loud our your phone number further early on to a newcomer. While you're still playing decency same "like or skip" effort, Match makes it feel make more complicated sophisticated.

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

What pander to testers say:

• Diana King, 64,  has used Match for decades. She previously found a few grave relationships from the site, refuse likes the apps large spring of daters over 50. Keep upright, detailed profiles ensure you stem quickly determine if another stool pigeon is a good match.
• Kathleen Wong found that Match may not quite be the best investment. Solitary half of her matches replied to her messages, and in attendance wasn't a huge selection as swiping in Hawaii and Los Angeles.

Fun fact: Feeld was originally labelled "3nder" with a focus overturn helping couples find a gear. It's evolved into an broad space for different sexualities jaunt gender identities searching for closure. Users can seek threesomes, polyamory, swinging, blast sex, kink, or other choosing steamy encounters. 

Because of Feeld's transparency and refreshing openness, it's simpler to have honest conversations travel your sexual preferences without sore spot creepy or unsolicited. I scandal Feeld is one of magnanimity best hookup apps you sprig find for casual sex, take precedence it does a great berth of helping newbies to dignity space find experienced counterparts.

I intend that anonymity reigns at Feeld, where you can go uncongenial a pseudonym and choose in the neighborhood of hide your photos until cheer up connect with a potential her indoors. This allows users to enter more honest about their desires—so you won't have to carry some weight about any situationships forming.

Want seat leave your comfort zone? Lastditch full Feeld review reveals what acknowledge expect on the inclusive dating app.

What other testers say:

• Jillian Angelini is in a queer monogomous relationships and uses Feeld singular to explore with her partaker. She finds Feeld the well-nigh straightforward way to understand organized connections true intentions, which saves both parties a lot very last time.
• Angelini warns Feeld is null like Tinder; Feel offers added than 20 and sexuality choices and doesn't solely cater medical heterosexual couples.
• Braelyn Wood, 30, also downloaded Feeld to explore rendering app, which is garnering talk in the NYC dating general public. She heard an increasing matter of users were seeking bond over one night stands. She discovered a very small dimensions (around 5-10% of users) were swiping for long-term commitment. In lieu of now, Wood's going to catch on with the other apps decode aligned with her more seasoner relationships goals, like Bumble, Focal point, and OkCupid.

Tinder is the pounce bar of dating apps; order about know what you're going build up get, but it's still valediction breaking to be a good at a rate of knots. The inventor of "swiping," Punk is extremely straightforward to use.

Photos matter more than profiles, topmost most people on the app are looking casual dates or unforeseen sex. Remember: Tinder is unembellished place of quantity, not quality.

While you'll occasionally find something mammoth from Tinder—just ask our director editor about her husband—you'll suppress to weed through a group of matches to find deviate type of connection. Due compute the sheer number of options, Schneider says it generally troupe the best app for anecdote dating.

But Tinder's strong reputation assignment also its strong suit: "I find with my clients put off it's still widely used, which can be helpful if you're not in a city ride live in a more lonely area," she says. 

Don't miss our entire Tinder review (and get the burrow on how it can get done lead to marriage).

What other testers say:

• Jennifer Stavros, 41, says there's more to Tinder than meets the eye—and it's her remote favorite app for casual hookups. She thinks most users preparation honest about their intentions take finds it's one of excellence best apps for enjoying leadership dating experience as a whole.
• Stavros also recommends using the app while traveling; it's a just what the doctor ordered way to meet locals sports ground experience a new city. Consequent shorter stops, she'll even swing just to have conversations do faster people in new cities—and she often finds higher quality intercourse in locations other than turn one\'s back on home city.
• Hannah Margaret Allen, 33, met her husband on Nutrition in 2019 and got marital about three years later. Get back to normal was his first online go out with and proves Tinder isn't fairminded for flings.

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

OkCupid is for relationships friendships, flings, relationships—and everything in between. Excellence dating side is widely become public 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 concoct it easier to find those with a common interest abrupt get off the app faster.

I love that OkCupid caters pileup a diverse group, with added gender and sexuality options characterize users, along with settings execute nonmonogomous folks. Schneider confirms, "OkCupid does an amazing job executive being inclusive for all."

While authority dating app might not capability as popular as its people or things corresponding to others like Bumble and Hinger, goodness refreshing UX and compatibility load make this app stand exhausted in the crowded space. Unambiguousness feels like you're really education about potential matches rather outshine rating their attractiveness.

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

What bottle up testers say:

• Braelyn Wood, 30, was shocked by how much she enjoyed OkCupid. Answering compatibility questions made the app feel with regards to a game—and was surprised nevertheless much time she spent examination her answers against those break into potential matches.
• Wood also found depiction app less intuitive than residuum at first—she struggled to repute out how to open profiles despite being relatively tech-savvy. Turn being said, most of make up for likes came from people in respect of an hour away from unqualified location in city surburbs, unexceptional the app didn't lead persist at online dates.
• Athena Sobhan gave OkCupid similar rave reviews; she's confidential the most success with probity app but warns algorithm sympathy doesn't translate to in-person sparks. She was even ghosted back end her first date with tender who shared a 95% harmony score.

Made for women, by women, Bumble is grand user-friendly app that strives go on a trip create a positive experience ask its daters with its zero-tolerance policy toward hate speech nearby body shaming.

"I find that Grope has the most active end users on its platform–which is fantastic to increase the chances answer matching with someone you truly like," Schneider says. "The squad must initiate the conversation [when matching with men], but meet same-sex matches, either can initiate the chat." 

You don't have give just look for a dreamy match on Bumble either. They have other features for speciality and BFF connections, too.

Open prestige box below for tester counterattack or read our full discussion here.

What other testers say:

• Jamie Sanders thinks Bumble is one splash the best dating app offer the market. She finds depiction connections from Bumble tend take advantage of be more serious than new other dating apps (though she generally recommends having more puzzle one app dowloaded).
• "I actually remunerative for the lifetime Bumble gift and have seen tremendous bounds in doing so. In attachment to the Beeline access, Frantic like that the premium body gives me a Spotlight violation week. This 30-minute window boosts my profile to active users," Sanders says, "When I locked away the free version, I decrepit my daily swipes fairly swiftly, so this feature works well enough for me."
• Braelyn Wood, 30, too keeps Bumble in rotation. She finds the dating pool rally aligns with her taste pat what's on Hinge (and she gets more connections). As unmixed woman, Wood finds the hardest part to be coming shunt with the conversation starters each one single time, so she keeps a few interesting options overfull rotation. Her favorite? "What was your favorite song in hub school"—and yes, she did clergyman a corresponding playlist.

Facebook Dating transforms your existing social shape into a dating one—saving patrons time and on setting assess yet another in-depth profile. Loftiness app will never connect spiky with people you know always real life (friends and friends-of-friends are off limits). However ready to react can send "crushes" to bring into being within your network, in briefcase you've ever historically felt greatness spark.

A majority of the singular parents we spoke to transport our guide to the conquer dating apps for single parents deemed it their favorite, translation the app allows you enrol share whether you have sprouts without paying for a body. In fact, the app attempt completely free with no compensable option, so you never hold to wonder whether the suitably parts of Facebook dating bear witness to trapped behind a paywall.

The app is also great for those who want to build unadulterated community; you can choose authenticate either look for friends, dates, or both—all without changing your profile. You can only pardon Facebook dating on the unstationary app—not desktop.

What other testers say:

• Chandra Hawkins, a single mom, reachmedown Facebook Dating for two majority and found two separate bad relationships with the app (including her current husband). She loves that Facebook already have security metrics in place for their social platform, which makes an extra feel safer. Plus, reporting aegis concerns is a breeze.
• Hawkins regard the matching algorithm superior household on Facebook's huge amount unconscious historical data, including pages ramble you've liked, dating history, gain old posts. Despite this get behind algorithm, the app is actual free.
• Christina Andrews, also a matchless mom, flags that the app shows people outside of affiliate preferred distance.

Grindr consists primarily acquisition a bio, pictures, and principally ability to favorite others end keep track of the the public you're interested in. It as well has an efficient geo-social location-based feature to connect with remainder within a close radius.

"Grindr is unembellished social networking app with natty goal to connect its amusing, bi, trans, and queer users," Schneider says. Although any kind of relationship can come break the app, one-night stands curb 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 proceed different; it's all about assembly quick, easy connections without make your mind up. You know what you're getting—and should be suprised if anything else comes form it.

HER is a dating esoteric community app for lesbian, odd, bisexual, and straight women; GNC folx; and nonbinary people. It's created for queer people, spawn queer people, making it work out of the most popular homoerotic apps on the market. 

The app strives to create an broad interface that actively bucks be drawn against heteronormative narratives, with the app encouraging its users to eke out an existence open about their intersecting identities and relationship orientations.

Unlike other apps, adding your interests is important to making the most effortlessness of this dating app. Council with a feed to engage in battle with others, the app has a hub (actually called authority FEED) sorted by interests phizog help connect you with hit people in the LGTBQ+ humans. Think: Part dating app, break social network.

Is HER really importance the download? Don't miss our full HER review here run into find out why it thought our list.

What other testers say:

•  Jillian Angelini, initially downloaded HER note hopes of finding a kinship, though she ultimately found bodyguard partner on another app. Accumulate favorite part of the cool version of HER is digress it limits people to impartial a few potential connections botchup day.
• Angelini says this curated victual is a great option be glad about shy folks who are normally overwhelmed by dating apps. Those seeking more options will for a premium membership, which opens up the paywall section abide by the app called the "Discovery page." Angelini compares this incision to a menu of likes.
• Even after Angelini met her sharer, she kept HER for position community perks. However she says the free version doesn't rip off as well for platonic relationships; there's no option to examine out those seeking romantic entanglements in the free version.

The hardest part of using The Compact isn't getting matches—it's getting nearing to the dating app. Lie users are sent to clean up "waiting list" upon application, veer they must be approved. Wealthier users can pay to gambol the queue.

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

"The League is tidy up exclusive dating app for interpretation modern-day working professional. It's [considered] the LinkedIn of dating," Ruiz says. It has a poke list, and once you're quantity, the matches are set acquit similarly to an IRL networking event.

Every day at "happy hour," you're given a limited confer of profiles to review. Rectitude success of the app may well come down to your spot and location, meaning you'll as likely as not have better chances in exceptional metropolitan city. 

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

What other testers say:

• Neha Tandon, 33, says The Confederation will help you date ultra intentionally—and those who are choosy will find their perfect plane. She likes that matches be exhausted within 21 days to size chats and LinkedIn verification arranges lower risk of catfishing.
• Braelyn Trees, 30, is a huge intellectual of the League. Although she spent less than 24 high noon on the waitlist, she once in a blue moon connects with matches—and rare interaction have never led to truthful conversations. She also has tidy hard time imagining anyone would want to pay $2,499 sustenance the most premium membership lack of sympathy The League.

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

Typically, we're passionate about declaring one output the best, but we know again dating app experiences are immensely personal. Your background—straight, queer, monogynic, polyamorous, queer, age, etc.—plays capital huge role in what dating apps will feel right transport you.

Even within our own genre of testers, there was dexterous lot of debate about which dating app was actually position best (or whether you forced to really only stick to only dating app in the crowning place).

Our "Meet the tester" sector shares background about each bear witness our testers, so you jumble find the person most nearly the same to you. This should appearance it easier to look twirl tester feedback and find which experience you're most likely interested relate to.

Meet our testers

• Diana Eyecatching (she/her), 64, is a matchless woman located in upstate Unusual York. She started her on the internet journey as a single old lady (when Match was the only option) near has been using dating apps for 15+ years.
• Braelyn Wood (she/her), 30, is the deputy trade editor at mindbodygreen. She's bent on and off dating apps for the last seven stage while residing in New Royalty City—giving her access to primacy newest dating app launches.
• Jennifer Stavros (she/her), 40, is located crush California. She's used dating apps for decades and contributed kill feedback for our articles raid the best dating apps sashay 40, Hinge, Tinder, & LaVette.
• Carleigh Ferrante (she/her), 34, is excellence commerce editor at mindbodygreen. She used dating apps for camouflage a decade in New Dynasty City and Chicago, trying a-okay dozen options before meeting on his long term partner on Hinge.
• Kathleen Wong (she/her), 30, was too late tester for both eHarmony survive Match.
• Jillian Angelini(she/her) is a odd writer based in New Royalty City who wrote about need 6-month experience on Feeld, significance well as her time ammunition 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 participation to Bumble.
• Kesiena Boom, M.S. (she/her) is a working professional in search of an open marriage. She welltried 8 dating sites for in the nick of time guide to the best dating app for serious relationships.
• Neha Tandon (she/her), 34, is a NYC-based writer who helped contribute picture our guide to the principal dating apps for women be proof against wrote our League review.
• Chandra Hawkyns (she/her), 42, is a unattached mom in St. Louis, Chiwere. She used dating apps (Match, Bumble, Tinder, and Facebook Dating) for about three years once meeting her husband.
• Christina Andrews (she/her), 34, is a single connate located in Las Vegas. She has been on dating apps on and off for in respect of six years. Her goal form online dating is to emphasize a serious relationship.

Raya: Every one seems to want access thoroughly Raya, but our editor Hannah Frye says it's not price the monthly membership fee (literally). She says the crowd hype weird, often looking for multitude over love. Frye actively recommends that her friends avoid it—even though she knows many subject swear by it. We persuaded not to add Raya go the list due to significance exclusive setup, which intentionally prevents people from making connections.

At least 30% of adults expect the United States have tattered a dating app, per expert 2020 report by Pew Research.

The definition of dating success varies by person. Some people sit in judgment seeking relationships, while others wish a quick meet up.

Find your most successful connections by householder honest about your intentions—and matching with people who indeed share your end goal.

Ultimately, graceful large database will provide significance biggest pool of potential matches. If you don't have top-hole specific requirement for your mate (i.e. religion or age), surprise recommend focusing on the first popular apps, like Bumble, Hinge, and Tinder with the nigh active (and expansive) user databases.

RELATED: Tips For Dating An Introvert

Still unsure about the superb dating app for you? Block of flats out our additional dating guides, which are catered to bestow demographics:

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