The best dating apps to help find a relationship, a hookup, or something in between

Who it's for

Match Group's flagship app, Match, is a pretty popular dating app for people in their 30s and 40s who are looking for a long-term relationship but aren't quite ready to walk down the aisle just yet.

Age-wise, 25% of the Match user base is younger than 30, while most users are in their mid-30s to mid-40s.

Why we picked this

As one of the first dating sites launched in 1995, Match has decades of experience and data to back up its algorithms — so no, it's not just another one of those mainstream dating apps that you'll forget about after a month.

Match also offers several premium features, including unlimited likes and the ability to see who's viewed your profile, which can increase your chances of finding a compatible partner. Plus, Match is serious about cracking down on fake profiles. Now, you need to upload three photos to set up your profile, which helps ensure a safer and more authentic dating experience.

All you need to do is sign up on the mobile app or via the desktop website to start browsing.

Check out our full review of Match.

Read our full review of AdultFriendFinder.

Who it's for

Hinge isn't your traditional dating app: It's geared towards younger adults in their 20s and 30s who are tired of swiping and interested in starting a real conversation. Approximately 49% of Hinge users are between 18 and 29 years old. Only 2% of users are over the age of 50.

Hinge is ideal for younger singles who want to bypass the BS and meet a potential match who's looking for something more meaningful and long-term.

Why we picked this

Hinge is known for its tagline, "Designed to be deleted," and it lives up to that promise by providing a list of curated matches based on your preferences and shared interests.

You'll get to know your matches better through detailed profiles that feature unique prompts about personality traits, beliefs, and hobbies. The app offers multiple fun and stress-free ways to showcase your personality, including voice prompts, photos, and icebreakers.

With Hinge's "We Met" feature, you can give feedback on your dates, which helps the app provide you with more compatible matches. Plus, the free version lets you send eight likes per day with no limit on how many likes you can receive.

Who it's for

eharmony is a popular dating app for people looking for serious relationships and long-term commitments. It's more of a traditional dating app than a hookup app; the algorithm focuses on compatibility, personality traits, shared interests, and core values.

eharmony users tend to skew older, most falling into the 35-54 age range. So, if you're out of your 20s and ready to settle down, are conservative, or value religion in your dating preferences, eharmony might be worth looking into.

Why we picked this

eharmony has a track record that speaks volumes, making it our top pick for the best dating app for marriage-minded singles.

While the compatibility quiz can be a bit introspective, this level of depth allows eharmony to match you with someone who shares your values and personality traits. The site even got a makeover, complete with a new heart logo symbolizing its 32 dimensions of compatibility and a more down-to-earth approach to relationship questions.

But, it's important to note that eharmony's emphasis on "traditional values" has its drawbacks historically, but they are trying to turn over a new leaf by working with GLAAD to improve user experience. That being said, if you're looking for a serious relationship, eharmony's reputation and commitment to compatibility make it a great choice.

Check out our full review of eharmony.

Who it's for

OkCupid (also a part of the Match Group) is a popular dating app for singles who aren't afraid to share their opinions on social and political issues. With 22 gender identities and 12 sexual orientations, OkCupid welcomes people of all gender identities and orientations.

Plus, with the option to list your pronouns, you'll be more likely to be addressed correctly.

Why we picked this

OkCupid is great for people who value inclusivity, want to express themselves authentically and enjoy a meaningful connection. The site's commitment to offering 22 gender identities and 13 sexual orientations and allowing users to choose their pronouns makes it a welcoming space for all.

If you're a non-monogamous user, you'll only get shown to — gasp — other people interested in non-monogamy. These are only a few features that provide OkCupid understanding of the modern dating landscape much better than its other longtime competitors.

Users can answer deal-breaker questions about hot-button topics like politics and vaccines to weed out incompatible matches. The algorithm that matches users is based on how similarly they answered questions during sign-up, giving users a compatibility score and details on where they disagreed.

Check out our full review of OkCupid.

Who it's for

Tinder is basically a mobile app for finding hookups or a date within the hour. This doesn't mean all your connections will be surface level, but users go in with a different mindset than they would on say, Match. Its interface is simple and intuitive, and its premium features, such as Tinder Plus and Tinder Gold, offer additional perks for people interested in casual dating.

Why we picked this

If there's one app that fits the bill for this category, it's Tinder. The Tinder app has become one of the most popular dating apps for casual dating and steamy one-night stands. With its pioneering swiping feature, Tinder has transformed how people date and has become a household name in online dating, boasting 1.6 billion swipes daily.

The app's straightforward formula is well-known: swipe right if you like what you see, and swipe left if you don't. When both parties swipe right, it's a match. It's simple, effective, and widely copied in the dating app world. If you like to know a bit more about your matches than the standard bio might divulge, Tinder has finally taken a page out of Hinge's book by adding prompts to profiles. And if you need help narrowing down your options, Tinder's new matchmaker feature allows you to invite your friends and family (whether or not they have accounts themselves) to send you recommended profiles.

Read our full review of Tinder Platinum.

Who it's for

Bumble is a dating app that puts women (and non-binary users) in the driver's seat. The app's unique selling point from the beginning was that women have to make the first move, so if you're a woman who's tired of receiving unsolicited messages from men on other mainstream dating apps, Bumble could be the solution you're looking for.

Why we picked this 

Unlike other dating apps, Bumble requires women and non-binary people to make the first move, giving them more power to choose who to talk to and when. This unique feature helps filter out unwanted messages and creepy encounters they often face on other dating apps.

Bumble also has a 24-hour expiration rule for matches, which keeps your match list fresh and up-to-date. This means you won't be wasting your time talking to someone who's not really interested, and you won't be scrolling through profiles of people you matched with months ago.

Looking to make a new friend or professional colleague? Bumble also has Bumble BFF and Bumble Bizz, which allow you to swipe through profiles of people who are looking for friendship or professional connections, respectively.

Who it's for

HER is a dating app designed specifically for LGBTQ+ people, queer women, and non-binary individuals seeking a safe and inclusive online dating experience. Unlike other dating apps, HER is not just an afterthought or an add-on for queer women. It's a space that centers their experiences and allows them to connect with other like-minded people in a fun and meaningful way.

Why we picked this

If you're a queer woman looking for love, chances are you've had your fair share of frustrating experiences on heteronormative dating sites. Between straight people looking for threesomes and creepy men pretending to be women, finding a safe and inclusive space to meet potential partners can be tough. That's where HER comes in. Designed by and for queer women, this award-winning app offers a refreshing alternative to mainstream dating sites.

With a rapidly growing user base of over 4 million, HER is quickly becoming the go-to app for queer women who want to expand their dating pool beyond their existing social circles. And with cool profile features that let you get creative with your gender, sexuality, pronouns, and diet preferences, HER makes it easy to express your authentic self.

Who it's for

Grindr is the go-to online dating app for gay and bisexual men looking for other men. If you've had enough of the mainstream dating apps that don't cater to your preferences or are tired of explaining your sexuality, Grindr is the perfect place to be yourself.

It's also a great option for those who want to experiment with their sexuality, as Grindr allows users to filter their search by sexual preferences, including bisexual men.

Why we picked this

Grindr has been the No. 1 dating app for gay and bi men since 2009, and that's because finding someone to talk to is damn near-instantaneous. Instead of swiping right or left to match, the app uses geolocation to connect users with nearby singles.

While the abundance of users can be overwhelming, it also means that there's a large pool of men waiting for a conversation. Most users just looking to hook up will tell you that they're not trying to make small talk, and that warning may come in the form of a dick pic.

That's not to say it's not for relationships — a lot of men meet their forever person on Grindr — but on the surface, it's a tool for quick, casual encounters. If you're seeking something more serious, you can adjust your filter to look for "dates." Keep in mind, though, that this will significantly decrease the number of potential matches. Grindr is especially useful for men in small towns with a limited queer population as they are more likely to find a connection here than on other dating apps like Tinder or OkCupid.

Who it's for

Feeld is a dating app for people interested in exploring non-traditional relationships and sexual experiences. It's perfect for individuals and couples who are polyamorous, open-minded, or curious about alternative lifestyles, calling itself the "dating app for the curious."

Feeld welcomes people of all gender identities and sexual orientations and encourages users to be upfront and honest about their desires and boundaries.

Why we picked this

Feeld is a niche dating app for couples and singles to find threesomes, foursomes, twosomes or however many people you want. (This isn't the first dating site to focus on non-monogamous sex and kink, but it's the first to do it in a way that doesn't look like a pop-up ad.)

Sex positivity is the name of the game here, but not in a hyper-fetishizing way. You can get specific about boundaries, find people with the same kinks, and advertise what (who?) you're looking for in your bio without issue.

People on Feeld are generally chill, respectful, and can talk about sex without frothing at the mouth. Because exploration is the entire point of the app, people are typically honest about intentions right out of the gate. Most people on the app are in their mid-20s to 30s. Since it's more niche, people in bigger cities will probably have the best luck with Feeld.

Who it's for

The Pure dating app is designed for people who are looking for casual hookups with no strings attached. It's for those who want to cut straight to the chase without dealing with the hassle of traditional dating apps and those who value their privacy and anonymity.

Why we picked this

Think Pure as in a purely physical experience. This is the place to find a local booty call who won't try to text you earlier than midnight. App rules urge you to "pretend like you're strangers afterward," making no-strings-attached the only name of the game here. This super millennial app is a sex-positive, 18+ safe space with some pretty cool art — the blueprint of the truly modern hookup app. Just be sure to communicate your boundaries in your bio.

Your selfies, bio, conversations, matches, and likes self-destruct every 24 hours, promoting spur-of-the-moment, borderline anonymous hookups. No nudity is allowed in your albums, and any photos sent in messages can't be saved. (As the dry-humored comics on their website state, "Don't talk about your problems. Problems are for therapists. Pure is for fun.") The app will ask for your phone number, but that's to make sure you're a real person.

PURE gives all the feels of a sex-based site without the obnoxious naked parts and porn ads everywhere. (Cough *AdultFriendFinder* cough) Running into bots and people trying to make money is likely, but the spammy stuff isn't nearly as rampant as traditional hookup sites. 

Who it's for

Coffee Meets Bagel is ideal for people who are tired of endless swiping on other dating apps and prefer a more curated selection of potential matches. It's also great for those who are looking for a serious relationship, as the app's algorithm focuses on quality over quantity and encourages users to take the time to get to know each other before meeting in person.

The app's "Ladies Choice" feature empowers women to make the first move and only receive messages from men they've liked.

Why we picked this

Grabbing coffee is the low-pressure date idea that lets you skip trying to choose a dressy-but-not-too-extra outfit for a concert or a restaurant. Coffee Meets Bagel is like the "grabbing coffee" version of dating apps, aiming to bring an easygoing atmosphere to folks who might just be a little rusty. The now-successful Shark Tank bust is one of those rare dating apps that actually gets decent feedback on Reddit. Every profile shown to men has already been okay-ed by the women, so the chance of getting unsolicited messages from creepy guys (or the worry of being seen as creepy) is drained a bit.

Each day, you'll receive anywhere from five to 21 curated matches depending on your gender, preferences, location, and whether or not you're a premium member. The algorithm curates these "bagels" based on your preferences and the bagels you weren't hungry for in the days prior. If you're in the mood to search more once you've gone through suggested matches, you can always check out more users nearby under the "Discover" tag. 

Who it's for

Heybaby is a dating app designed specifically for people who want to start a family or find a partner who shares their desire to have children in the future. Whether you're ready to have a child now or in the near future, Heybaby is the perfect app to connect you with singles who are looking for the same thing.

Why we picked this

Single parents shouldn't have to be worried about dropping the kid bomb on a potential date — because, with the right person, it's not a bomb at all. That's the idea behind heybaby, a dating app specifically for the huge chunk of online daters focused on raising a family.

With the children stuff given the green light by both parties ahead of time, heybaby makes it easy to move on to other fun aspects of getting to know someone. The minimalist swipe-through questionnaire dives into lots of introverts versus extrovert stuff, plus chill parenting questions like "Dirty clothes are everywhere. What do you do?" and answers like "I can't live like an animal" or "I'm neat, but I'm not a freak."While you only answer three questions at first, the more you swipe through users, the more chances you'll have to "improve your score" with them, which basically means you can answer the questions they have and you haven't. 

Heybaby also has a more intensive verification process than most other apps. Once you've uploaded photos, you send another picture to the app mimicking a pose they show you so they can confirm that your profile photos are, in fact, real. Then, you wait for an email that'll tell you whether or not you've been verified. 

Read more about heybaby.

Who it's for

If it weren't for all the dead profiles (and out-of-date interface), Zoosk could be a dating app suitable for people looking for a diverse and active dating pool. Still, unlike most other apps on this list, it's not owned by the Match Group.

Why we don't recommend this

With such little focus on details past physique or distance, it's natural to question how the site builds any real foundations. Admittedly, something Zoosk did worked at one point, as the site keeps a meticulously updated list of couples who met through the site with news of new engagements and marriages — but the latest post is from June 2020.

Still, there's no denying that Zoosk is a zombie land of dead-end profiles and somewhat boring design (that looks straight out of 2009 on its mobile version). We guess some 35 million people use Zoosk because it's easy — there are no long questionnaires required to build your profile, and you have free reign over how to go about approaching matches. But being on the site also feels like witnessing an identity crisis — it's hard to tell if Zoosk wants to be taken as a place for hookups or a place to find something more serious.

When Zoosk switched from a social media app to a legit dating site, it was more or less in a league of its own. Incorporating "liking" photos and having a similar look to a Facebook feed was super attractive to young, single people... in the early 2000s. The problem is that Zoosk hasn't changed much since then.

Read our full review of Zoosk.