Which dating app should you use? This guide can help you figure it out.

Who it's for: People who trust experience over gimmicks and people who want a lot of options.

Why it's awesome:

• Huge user base

• Good for serious and more casual relationships

As one of the first online dating sites launched in 1995, Match has decades of data to back up its algorithms — so no, it's not just another one of those sites that you'll forget about after a month. Match even uses your swipes to get a better idea of what you like to give you better matches in the future. 

These algorithms (thankfully) don't involve a miserable questionnaire. This saves you time and lets you decide to take a more casual approach than, say, eharmony. Aside from asking about personal values and interests, Match allows you to specify what you want (or don't want) in a partner and how important that is: If you'd prefer someone who doesn't smoke cigarettes, but it's not a deal-breaker, Match lets you specify that. And if it is a deal-breaker, they try to avoid suggesting users that had that in their answers. It's a super simple way to make sure you two are at least somewhat on the same page with surface-level things and can avoid those awkward conversations two months into the relationship. 

Privacy policy: Match shares some of your information with third parties for marketing, advertising, and analytics and with other Match Group businesses. You have the option to allow or deny permissions to certain personal information. Read Match's full privacy policy here(opens in a new tab).

Check out our full review of Match.

Who it's for: People trying to marry the next person they date. 

Why it's awesome: 

• Focus on compatibility

• Almost everyone is looking for a long-term commitment.

When you think of eharmony, you probably think of marriage. So does everyone else — that's the point. The fact that it accounts for 4 percent of marriages in the US (as of 2018) speaks for itself. Putting the most honest picture of yourself out there requires some real introspection when taking the compatibility quiz, but that's how eharmony is able to find someone who complements you — and the whole reason people sign up for eharmony over Zoosk.

Perhaps you've noticed a logo change in the past few years: A measure to ensure that its decades-old name didn't get lost in the rush of new dating apps, eharmony's new logo is a heart with a colorful palette that represents the site's 32 dimensions of compatibility. The questionnaire has also been trimmed of the uselessly mushy questions about soulmates and self-ranking questions about honesty that are way too exaggerated. Instead of questions that only look good on paper, eharmony's dive into how you'd act in a relationship is more realistic and tangible, yet isn't too demanding to fill out.

The identity change was also accompanied by a new UX design for the app — a must for any dating site looking to attract users under 30. 

Unfortunately, the site isn't known for keeping up with the times in every aspect. It was only last December that bi users were finally able to look at both men and women on the same account, and there's still no meaningful infrastructure for non-binary users.

Privacy policy: eharmony collects cookies for its own purposes and for third-party advertisers. You have the option to opt out of certain cookies. Read the full privacy policy here(opens in a new tab).

Check out our full review of eharmony.

Read our full review of AdultFriendFinder.

Who it's for: Young people who want something a little more serious and less swipe-y than Tinder.

Why it's awesome: 

• Profile prompts and photos provide conversation starters

• Good for relationships that start casually and progress at your own pace

Hinge wants you to delete its app — but only because its algorithm found you someone who makes you want to stop playing the field. There's a common understanding that this app is super hookup-oriented, but there's no pressure to rush into a relationship either. 

Instead of swiping through a sea of every single in a 50-mile radius, Hinge shows you profiles that you scroll through, like Instagram. They're not random, either — rather, Hinge offers more detailed profiles with sections about religion, political views, stance on weed, and more. (Most of these can be filtered just like distance or age, but you'll have to pay.) Photos, voice prompts, and standard prompts alike allow you to show off your personality sans the stress of figuring out how to fill out a completely blank bio. One's funny or serious answers to fun icebreakers are showcased just as heavily as profile photos. 

Each day, you can send eight likes with the free version — but there's no limit to how many likes you can receive in a day. If you and a match go on a date, you can report how it went with the "We Met" feature, which helps the app send you matches more curated to your liking. 

Privacy Policy: Hinge collects cookies for the website/app's functionality as well as for third-party providers that work with the company. You have the option to opt out of nonessential cookies. Read the full privacy policy here(opens in a new tab).

Who it's for: Young people who don't feel like searching endlessly on Tinder. And by everyone, we mean it: OkCupid(opens in a new tab) offers 22 gender identities and 12 orientations, and everyone gets to choose their pronouns — so no one is forced to go by something they're not comfortable with. 

Why it's awesome: 

• Ensures you and your matches are on the same page when it comes to social issues

• The algorithm focuses on compatibility, so you don't just get random matches

OkCupid is the ideal place to come when you're ready to settle down some but still want to feel ~hip~ and have fun. It's been offering 22 gender and 13 orientation choices since 2014 (a major step toward inclusivity that other sites hadn't even considered yet). 

Fast forward to now, when all users can choose their pronouns. If you're a non-monogamous user, you'll only get shown — gasp — other people interested in non-monogamy. These are only a couple of the features that provide OkCupid understanding of the modern dating landscape much better than its other longtime competitors.

The site's 2017 redesign goes past enlisting a horny millennial as a graphic designer. For young, left-leaning singles, personal politics aren't just a "well, if we agree, it's great" thing when looking for a date. Users can weed out people they'd hate by answering deal-breakers about things like guns, women's issues, and vaccines. Though anyone can mark their preferences and much of OkCupid can be used entirely for free, sorting people out by dealbreakers is only available to paying users. 

OkCupid's connections are strengthened by an algorithm that picks matches based on how similarly both parties answered questions during sign-up (yes, there are questions about communication and sappy relationship things as well as political views.) A compatibility score plus details on where you disagreed are helpful padding when it comes to evaluating what differences are make-or-breaks. 

Privacy policy: OkCupid is part of Match Group, so its privacy policy is very similar to match's. The company shares some of your information with third-party partners, though its policy says they follow a strict vetting process before working with any partner. Read the full privacy policy here(opens in a new tab).

Check out our full review of OkCupid.

Who it's for: Literally everyone.

Why it's awesome: 

• Massive user base

• You can find pretty much any type of relationship, whether you want a hookup or something long-term

Let's just get this one out of the way. If you're thinking of dating apps, you're thinking of Tinder. If you tell someone you're on dating apps, they'll assume it's Tinder. They pioneered the now-ubiquitous swiping function, revolutionizing the world of online dating and boasting 1.6 billion swipes per day. What started out as strictly a hookup app has turned into one of the biggest matchmakers in the world. 

Even if you're brand new to online dating, you likely know that as you're served a series of photos, you swipe right if you like what you see and left if you don't. When you both indicate interest in each other, you'll get a notification that it's a match. It's a basic formula that's been copied a ton and has made "swiping" a part of the dating vernacular. 

Tinder may not want to advertise as such, but we all know what it's mostly used for. The threshold for making a profile is low, so you're quite literally 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 — but hey, we all know those couples who met on Tinder and have been together for years. It's fast and easy, and if there's one app that even the shyest, most skeptical people will be on, it's Tinder. 

It's free for general use, but Tinder does offer upgrades in the form of Tinder Plus, Tinder Gold(opens in a new tab), and Tinder Platinum. These include extras(opens in a new tab) like undoing a left swipe (bless), sending "Super Likes" to people you're really into, seeing which users have liked your profile, and even messaging someone before you match.

Privacy policy: Tinder has teams dedicated to keeping data secure and aims to be transparent in how your information is shared. Your information may be shared with third parties for data hosting, customer care, analytics, marketing, advertising, payment processing, and security operations. Read the full privacy policy here(opens in a new tab).

Who it's for: Those over antiquated first-move etiquette and those who'd prefer to have a match queue free of people who won't actually send you a message.

Why it's awesome: 

• Can send GIFs, photos, and voice messages in the app

• 24-hour limit weeds out dead matches

For women, it's the next best thing to AI being able to filter messages with a creepy aura. In an attempt to correct one of the common complaints of dating apps, women are required to message first with Bumble — so the party that usually gets spammed will only be in conversation with someone they genuinely wanted to get to know.

Bumble's other claim to fame: Matches expire after 24 hours. This means that your match list won't be filled with people from 57 weeks ago or people who shoot you a bare minimum "hey" after they matched with you four months ago. It also takes the pressure off of dudes who feel like they need to message first every time.

Bumble is usually the step people take after checking out Tinder, so it will have much of the same crowd. But generally, it will also have people looking for something a little less casual than the laid-back swiping app, even if they're not necessarily looking to jump into a relationship tomorrow.

Privacy policy: Bumble uses strictly necessary cookies for site functionality and also collects third-party cookies that link to social networks and that are used for advertising. You're able to manage your cookie preferences. Read the full privacy policy here(opens in a new tab).

Who it's for: Women seeking women who have had trash experiences on heteronormative apps.

Why it's awesome:

• Something for every type of queer women

• No dealing with unicorn hunters

Between creepy men pretending to be women, creepy men thinking you want to know about their lesbian fetish, and straight girls looking for a third for a threesome with their boyfriend, most heteronormative dating sites don't give queer women a great shot at finding a relationship. HER, an award-winning app made for queer women by queer women, is the perfect place to go if you're tired of the only lesbian you know being your ex-girlfriend. 

As the user base of over 4 million grows at an impressive pace (especially in large cities), HER could help you widen your dating pool beyond the people you already know IRL. HER's cool profiles to let users get creative in categories like gender, sexuality, pronouns, and diet preferences.

Privacy policy: HER collects personal information that can identify you and anonymous information that is not tied to you. The company uses cookies for marketing purposes like emails to see if users are actually opening promotional emails. HER also uses third parties for advertising. There is no clear way to opt out of cookies on its website unless you are a California resident. Read the full privacy policy here(opens in a new tab).

Who it's for: Men seeking men. It's the ideal gay paradise if you're tired of Tinder or Bumble throwing women into your pool when you specifically opted out, and a place for bisexual men to experiment with a bigger user base.

Why it's awesome: 

• Virtually every gay looking to date is on Grindr

• Easier to find a hookup than on Tinder

Grindr(opens in a new tab) has been the go-to 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, you'll get a borderline-infinite collage of people who are close location-wise. 

Aside from it being overwhelming and slightly frightening, it's obvious that there are a ton of men out there waiting for a conversation. Most users just looking to hook up will let you know right off 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 are looking for something more serious, setting your filter to looking for "dates" is one option, but you should expect to see the number of potential men on your grid go way down. However, men in small towns with a meager queer population are much more likely to find a connection here than on Tinder or OkCupid.

Privacy policy: Grindr aims to be transparent with your privacy by sending privacy pop-up notifications that explain anything you might opt into. You're able to withhold some personal information. Some information is provided to third parties for advertising and service purposes. You are able to opt out of some cookies. Note: Grindr has had data breaches in the past(opens in a new tab). Read the full privacy policy here(opens in a new tab).

Who it's for: People who just want to get laid without the "What are we?" question being popped and people who wouldn't be caught dead on a site like AdultFriendFinder.

Why it's awesome: 

• Sexting, dirty video chats, and keeping things casual are encouraged

• Photos delete after being seen, and you're notified if someone takes a screenshot, giving you peace of mind that your nudes aren't staying with a virtual stranger

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 afterwards," making no-strings-attached the only name of the game here. This super millennial app is a sex-positive, 18+ safe space that features 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 just to make sure you're a real person. The app uses your geolocation and sends out the sex version of an Uber request(opens in a new tab), though the sparse user base might have your searches suggesting the same few people. Still, the free-to-use filters make narrowing down who you're looking for easy, with the online one being especially useful if you're in the mood for some instant gratification.

PURE(opens in a new tab) gives all the feels of a sex-based site without the obnoxious naked parts and porn ads everywhere. (Cough *AdultFriendFinder(opens in a new tab)* 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. 

Privacy policy: Pure collects personal and anonymous data to provide site/app functionality and monitor personal use. It shares data with third parties for marketing and anti-fraud purposes. Read the full privacy policy here(opens in a new tab).

Who it's for: Singles who want a more curated dating app experience without giving up the low pressure of a modern app.

Why it's awesome: 

• Matches are vetted and curated before you see them

• In-depth profiles go beyond a handful of corny prompts

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 a creepy guy) is drained a bit.

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

CMB is an app that clearly prioritizes quality over quantity, which is especially apparent in one of its more intriguing premium features — the activity report. Paid users can see other people's stats at the bottom of their profile, from how active they are to how long it usually takes them to respond. Maybe that feels the slightest bit intrusive, but for an app that promotes being selective and intentional with your matches, you can't say this feature doesn't make sense. 

Privacy policy: Coffee Meets Bagel's privacy policy includes a list of actions you agree not to do on the app, including advertising products or multi-level marketing schemes. As for your information, CMB collects the basic personal and anonymous cookies and collects information from your Facebook profile when you link it during sign-up. CMB shares your information for direct marketing, research, fraud prevention, and information security. Read the full privacy policy here(opens in a new tab).

Who it's for: People who never fail to ask their date for their birth time and queer people who don't want to see straight people in their dating pool.

Why it's awesome: 

• Provides information for self-understanding as well as compatibility purposes

• See scores based on birth chart compatibility before you match with someone

Remember when Bumble announced filtering by zodiac sign? NUiT is the better version of that. The creators at NUiT know that, for many, birth charts can be a wildly helpful tool in maneuvering the dating world by predicting how well you'd mesh with someone in aspects like the importance of sex or argument style. NUiT also accounts for the nuances in placements outside of sun signs. It encourages daters to use astrological insights to understand why a match might act the way they do but does so while avoiding those "What fried food you are based on your zodiac sign" tactics in clickbait quizzes.

This more nuanced understanding of astrology shines through in the app's interface. Rather than swiping left or right, you can swipe through a carousel of profiles without rejecting or matching with any of them. When someone does strike your interest, you can swipe down to calculate your compatibility and see what the stars say about how you match romance, business, magnetism, and friendship. From there, you can decide to send them a like or a message.

NUiT creators also recognized another thing that turns queer users off to heteronormative dating apps: They don't want to see or be seen by straight people. Sure, Tinder and OkCupid have their share of well-meaning allies — but the lack of shared experience as a queer person can make or break a relationship's dynamic. People are pretty psyched about this unique, inclusive feature.

Privacy policy: NUiT allows third parties to use cookies for targeted advertisements, fraud detection, and "other legal purposes." You can manage your privacy preferences through your account. Read the full privacy policy here(opens in a new tab).

Who it's for: People who have or want kids.

Why it's awesome: 

• Eliminates the awkward "do you want kids?" talk 

• Fun compatibility questionnaire

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 who are 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. 

Privacy policy: heybaby collects basic personal information when you sign up, as well as behavioral cookies to help improve the service. Information goes to third-party providers for things like payment processing, email delivery, marketing efforts, and data analysis. Read the full privacy policy here(opens in a new tab).

Read more about heybaby.

Who it's for: People who are tired of only seeing profiles that are 50-plus miles away and people who are maybe a little too shy to approach that cutie they saw on the street.

Why it's awesome: 

• You can actually meet the local hotties in your area (and maybe giving you the perfect platform to finally make your move on that cute barista)

• More swipe-based model still available if you want to discover users the old-fashioned dating app way

Many of us dream of hitting it off with a cutie that passes us by on the street, and happn is the app that wants to make that, well, happen for you. Rather than show you every person looking for a hookup or date in a 50-mile radius, happn shows you the profiles of people you've actually crossed paths with. 

This modern-day missed connections page allows you to shoot a like or a message to those that have been in your area recently. For people a little too nervous to just walk right up to a stranger and find out they're in a relationship, or worse, just straight up uninterested, this provides a much welcome alternative. Though this app is definitely more reliant on chance, users still enjoy some dating app standards, like answering questions regarding smoking and drinking habits, what they do, and what they're looking for. In other words, a happn profile will help you glean a bit more info than a double-take on the street. 

Privacy policy: Happn collects information like your location, identification data, and data on how you interact with the app. Happn uses this information for basic functions of the app, like suggesting people you've crossed paths with, as well as delivering marketing and advertising content. Read the full privacy policy here.(opens in a new tab)

Who it's for: Poly people and threesome seekers.

Why it's awesome:

• Users are open-minded and upfront about what they want

• Specifically designed for threesomes (or moresomes) so you don't have to troll Tinder looking for a third

Feeld, the brainchild of a couple that knows non-hetero non-monogamy through personal experience, is a dating app for couples and singles to find threesomes, foursomes, or however many people you want. (This isn't the first dating site to focus on non-monogamous sex, but it is 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 you'll find on the app are in their mid-twenties to thirties. Since it is more niche, people in bigger cities will probably have the best luck with Feeld.

LGBTQ folks appreciate Feeld because it appreciates them. The app offers more than 20 sexualities and gender identities, and there's a comforting understanding between users about what those identities mean. The New York Times(opens in a new tab) describes it as "a dating app with options that put the Kinsey scale to shame."

Privacy policy: Feeld's privacy policy page(opens in a new tab) says data like purchases, usage data, identifiers, and diagnostics may be used by third-party apps and websites.

Who it's for: People who have exhausted every other option.  

Why it's not our favorite:

• Super dated design that's confusing to navigate

• Tons of spam accounts

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 as the site keeps a meticulously-updated list of couples who met through the site(opens in a new tab) 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. The lack of modern tweaks like OkCupid's politics-related icebreakers or Match's overhauled questionnaire makes its blandness even more obvious. Most features are behind a paywall, and bi-users can't view both men and women at the same time, forcing them to make two accounts (at that point, the site will allow you to link them, so you only pay one price, but like, come on, Zoosk. It's 2022). People are simply opting for Match Group's offerings with more premium designs, less messy email notifications, and algorithms that take your personality type into account. 

Privacy policy: Zoosk tracks cookies and provides information to third parties for custom advertising, to improve services, and to prevent fraud. Zoosk has faced legal action for data breaches(opens in a new tab) in the past. Read the full privacy policy here(opens in a new tab).

Read our full review of Zoosk.