Dating apps like Tinder see major gains in membership every year, especially with the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns associated with it making it harder to meet in person. But it’s no secret that swiping fatigue and online dating burnout are starting to set in for a lot of singles out there.
Finding the right fit is important when it comes to dating apps. The best dating app for one person may be all wrong for another. The good news is that there are a lot of options, so you can choose exactly the right dating platform to connect with your perfect match.
Our dating experts have compiled the best Tinder alternative dating apps and sites, so you can get swiping in an environment that meets your needs.
Dating Apps Like Tinder for Relationships
The Tinder app may seem like a bit of a meat market if you’re looking for a relationship. So many Tinder users are looking for a hookup, and screening each potential match to see if your expectations are the same takes time. Fortunately, several dating sites and apps combine Tinder’s user-friendly interface with features geared toward helping members meet a potential partner for longer than just one night.
1. Match
Match.com has come a long way since it launched in April 1995. This well-reputed dating site has honed its match algorithm to identify long-term compatibility and facilitate countless first dates, serious relationships, and successful marriages. Match’s esteemed dating experts go to great lengths to guide singles to a seriously good match.
- Match is the world’s longest running dating site
- The Discover section has search filters by interests, looks, lifestyle, and more
- Match is available in 50 countries and 15 languages
- Browse Match profiles 100% free »
Match has been in the online dating business for decades, with the official launch date in April 1995. But the dating site and popular dating app that goes with it remain fresh.
As the cornerstone of the Match group network of sites, Match.com and the Match app keep things fresh by incorporating features that work on other platforms, adapting and changing to fit the needs of the membership.
The site and dating app aren’t entirely free to use, but you can browse and swipe without paying a penny. You can even access some messaging features for free after a mutual match comes through. But for full access, you’ll have to sign up for the paid membership. The premium Match membership also gives you options like a visibility boost to your profile, read receipts, and more.
Elite Singles appeals to the cream of the dating crop with its smart, personality-driven matching system. Over 80% of its members have at least a bachelor’s degree, and these well-educated singles are looking for someone equally ambitious, attractive, and clever. Elite Singles focuses on helping relationship-minded men and women find someone who meets, or even exceeds, their high standards.
- More than 2 million monthly users
- A growing network of female professionals in 25 countries
- Elite Singles offers daily match recommendations and expert profile advice
- Browse Elite Singles profiles 100% free »
One of the major success stories in pandemic dating, Elite Singles sets itself apart from Tinder in a few key ways. For one, Elite Singles aims for quality over quantity.
Elite Singles features a highly educated, professional membership with college and post-grad degree holders. Elite Singles also uses a personality quiz to match you up with potential matches on the platform, rather than just serving up local profiles. You also get a more limited number of matches to choose from, though the higher quality means you’re more likely to find success.
Another key difference between Elite Singles and Tinder is the price point. While you can get a free membership with Elite Singles, the most important features only come with the premium bundle. It’s much more expensive than the Tinder Plus subscription, but the added expense goes with more in-depth identity verification, higher quality matches, and perks for paid users beyond just communication.
3. eharmony
When it comes to long-term relationships, eharmony doesn’t mess around. This dating website has crafted a time-tested matchmaking formula that identifies key personality traits and areas of compatibility. It provides hard data on how you stack up against potential dates and delivers a curated list of match recommendations to your inbox every day.
- Over 2.3 million messages sent every week
- Match formula pinpoints compatibility in lifestyle, temperament, and goals
- Relatively even gender split of men and women
- Browse eharmony profiles 100% free »
While eharmony may not be what you think of right away as a Tinder alternative, it can be a great relationship matchmaker. If you’re looking for a long-term relationship, it’s one of the top platforms in the industry.
The eharmony dating site known for fostering lasting connections with its compatibility quiz also provides its services in app form. Available via Google Play and the App Store, the platform offers the same deep connections in a hand-held medium. The popular dating app goes deeper than Tinder’s swipe-left-swipe-right connections while being just as easy to use.
Of course, eharmony isn’t entirely a free dating app, because key features only unlock once you pay for a premium membership. If you just want to join and browse member profiles, you don’t have to pay anything at all. The site and app also offer free Icebreaker Quizzes and temporary communication between members who show a mutual interest in each other. But to get the full range of communication and matching options, you’ll need the paid membership.
4. Bumble
Bumble has embraced its role as the world’s feminist dating app. The app launched in 2014 with the unique premise that women should send the first message and take the lead in a new romantic relationship. According to Bumble, over 85% of its users are looking for a long-term relationship, and less than 4% are looking for hookups.
- A female-friendly dating environment puts women in control
- Zero tolerance for bullying, misogyny, and rude behavior
- Conversations expire in 24 to 48 hours
- Browse Bumble profiles 100% free »
Since its launch in 2014, Bumble has worked hard to distance itself from the hookup culture, providing a Tinder alternative aimed at empowering single women. The free dating app has grown to become so much more, with Bumble BFF and Bumble Bizz making inroads on social media. Bumble is the top choice for women who want to initiate the search for a meaningful connection.
A basic Bumble account is free of charge, and everything members need to make a match comes with the standard profile. You can match, message, and meet other members of the popular dating app without ever getting your credit card out.
Bumble paid memberships, however, grant some pretty serious benefits: Backtrack lets you call back a profile you accidentally swiped left on; Rematch lets you keep matches that would otherwise expire; and Beeline lets you see users who have already swiped right on your profile. The added features that come with Bumble Boost or Bumble Premium include premium perks for a determined single person who wants to get down to the relationship part.
5. Hinge
Hinge is widely known as the dating app that was “designed to be deleted.” That means everything from the in-depth profile to the matchmaking formula works overtime to connect singles to that perfect match. The goal isn’t to get single people in as many chats and on as many first dates as possible. The goal is to streamline the process of finding a relationship and then retiring your Hinge profile forever.
- Profiles require multiple photos and responses to prompts
- Users can send a message with their match request
- The app collects post-date feedback to improve its system
- Browse Hinge profiles 100% free »
Hinge has made headlines in the online dating app world with its designed-to-be-deleted mantra. The platform functions more like a social media app than a matchmaking site, using deeper connections to foster a long-term relationship as opposed to a one-night stand.
Hinge has added its own unique spin on the old-school Tinder swiping system. Since the goal is quality over volume, Hinge users have to comment on or like something in their potential match’s profile to start the conversation. This fosters a deeper connection right off the bat, and gets things rolling in a way that gifs and quick “wyd” messages don’t.
As with Tinder, you can do all of the basics on Hinge without a premium membership: build your profile, browse matches, and even contact your crush without paying anything. But the dating platform’s data shows that Preferred Members get more dates, more quickly. This is probably because Preferred membership boosts your visibility and lets you see who’s browsing and enjoying your profile so you can connect sooner.
Dating Apps Like Tinder for Casual Sex
Although Tinder has a reputation as a hookup app, the popular app attracts people looking for a variety of different relationship types. Sorting through your matches to find someone who just wants casual sex can be frustrating, so better to choose a dating app that puts things out in the open right from the start. These hookup apps make it clear what everyone involved is looking for, with all the ease of use that Tinder boasts.
Ashley Madison is an extramarital dating site with over 80 million profiles in its private database, and it is full of temptation. The site and app offer a judgment-free zone where married people can consider their options and chat with singles who are willing to get together on the down-low.
- A uniquely open-minded dating network
- Privacy-conscious features
- Over 1.4 million matches per month
- Browse Ashley Madison profiles 100% free »
Ashley Madison has a reputation as a dating site for cheaters, but the discreet marital dating platform welcomes single people as well — as long as you don’t mind dating a married person. The dating app that goes with the site includes the same level of privacy and the same tools to help members coordinate a sexy date, all in handheld form.
The basic Ashley Madison features, including communication, are entirely free for female users, but men on the site have to buy credits to participate. Credits also give you the ability to send virtual gifts, boost profile visibility, and partake in other perks to get the most out of the Ashley Madison experience.
7. BeNaughty
BeNaughty invites singles to walk on the wild side and explore their sexuality in a fun, free-wheeling environment. This adults-only dating site is full of X-rated content, but users can blur nude photos if they’d prefer to leave some things to the imagination. Premium subscribers get the most bang for the buck because they can send messages, browse incognito, and receive alerts when their messages have been read by someone special.
- Sexually active adults in 10 countries
- Browse the Like Gallery for hot singles
- Stimulate conversation in intimate private messages
- Browse BeNaughty profiles 100% free »
If you want to get straight to business, without the “What are you looking for on here?” questions, BeNaughty is a strong option as both a site and an app. The dating platform encourages members to get down and dirty right away, instead of screening profiles to find someone whose interests match up. Everyone on the app is looking to hook up, so the questions can get straight to where, when, and how.
One way that BeNaughty sets itself apart from other hookup sites and apps is by offering different packages for premium membership. You can pick and choose the features that mean the most to you, whether that’s the unlimited premium messaging that comes with the Chataholic package or the discretion and privacy of the Security package. Free members still get to send messages, but men are limited to sending five messages per day.
In 1996, Friend Finder Networks began harnessing the power of online networking to help adults meet sexually active singles in their area, and it has now grown into a global X-rated phenomenon with over 93 million profiles. Adult Friend Finder provides a safe, anonymous dating platform where singles and swingers can hook up with another.
- Among the largest online sex and swinger communities
- Completely free no-obligation registration
- Live chat rooms and discussion forums open 24/7
- Browse Adult Friend Finder profiles 100% free »
Adult Friend Finder has been on the web since the ‘90s — pretty much as long as the web has existed for most people. What you may not know is that the site has a dating app, though its adult content means you won’t find it in the App Store or Google Play store. Instead, you’ll have to get it directly through the site itself. Once you’re there, you’ve got a 100% adult, free-wheeling and flirty experience ahead of you.
It’s free to sign up and post your personal ad and engage in the public content the app has to offer. But you’ll have to pay for the premium membership to take things private or to get access to adult videos.
OneNightFriend has been designed to offer fun browsing, speedy matches, and flirty chats between singles with few inhibitions. The casual hookup site and app help new members keep things light and look for opportunities to meet a sexy partner for a one-night stand. In addition to chat rooms and private messaging, OneNightFriend provides Safe Mode browsing to protect user privacy in a fast-paced, sex-positive online space.
- Quick signup for single men and women
- Free no-strings browsing of local personals
- Be the gatekeeper of your inbox with Safe Mode
- Browse OneNightFriend profiles 100% free »
OneNightFriend is a relative newcomer to the online dating space, but the site and app are already a bastion of naughty chatting and hookup arrangements. Unlike platforms like Tinder, OneNightFriend is dedicated to helping singles hook up, nothing more and nothing less. The site hosts members from around the world, so no matter what time of the day or night you sign on, there is someone there for a steamy chat or to set up an in-person meeting.
The app does seem to have some issues, according to user reviews, but you can still get access to all of the sexy public chats, as well as browsing member profiles and posting your own personal ad to get the hookup you seek. Women get full access for free, but if you’re a man on the site or app, you do have to pay to access private messages.
Dating Apps Like Tinder for Free Chatting
If you’re not looking for casual sex or a long-term relationship and instead just want interesting people to chat with, these apps provide a good Tinder alternative without the push for more. Where Tinder is about matching, connecting, and going on a date, these apps put more of a focus on getting to know your potential match through conversation. Messaging is free, so you can keep things purely in the app.
10. Plenty of Fish
Plenty of Fish prides itself on being one of the best dating sites for conversations. It supports 100% free and unlimited messaging for over 120 million monthly users in 20 countries. Since its launch in 2003, Plenty of Fish has developed a science-based matching system that has proven successful.
- Free registration, searches, and messaging
- The Chemistry Test creates a compatibility framework
- Over 1 billion messages sent per month
- Browse Plenty of Fish profiles 100% free »
Plenty of Fish has appeared in music videos, on TV shows, and in movies, and is far from being an unknown in the online dating world. But while it has been the butt of a few jokes, POF offers a key benefit that few dating platforms still provide these days: free messaging. If you want to keep your romantic life mostly to chatting with others, or just want to get to know someone better before taking the next step, Plenty of Fish makes it easy and affordable to do just that.
Plenty of Fish encourages users to be themselves and get to know their potential matches without rushing to the finish line. Since you can access all of the core features of the site for free, it’s a good option for singles who want to get to know their prospective partner a bit more before meeting.
11. Facebook Dating
Facebook Dating isn’t the most popular dating app on the market, but it makes up for it by being one of the easiest to use. Since it’s connected to your Facebook profile, it takes next to no time to set up your account and start finding matches. Don’t worry about a mutual friend seeing your activity on your main account. The social media site keeps the dating and social networking aspects separate.
Facebook Dating is free, easy to set up and use, and comes with unlimited messaging, so while it may not make it to the top of the list of free dating apps, it’s definitely a strong choice if you want to keep things simple.
12. OkCupid
OkCupid was one of the first dating platforms to make the conscious decision not to charge money to use basic site features, making it a favorite for Gen X through Gen Z. The dating site launched by self-proclaimed math nerds combines the features everyone likes about Tinder with the approachable atmosphere and data-driven matching that makes OkCupid famous.
The site and app both respond quickly to changes in social patterns and dating preferences, offering up helpful advice as well as tools and tricks to get the most out of your dating experience, whether you’re a free member or an A-List paid user.
Dating Apps Like Tinder for Senior Singles
Many people assume that senior singles avoid online dating sites and apps, or that older singles are more intimidated by electronic dating platforms. In fact, seniors are one of the fastest-growing dating app and site demographics. More over-50 singles are turning to electronic platforms to find their perfect match.
13. OurTime
OurTime is an over-50 dating site with a lot of helpful features to facilitate friendships and relationships. Senior singles can look for dates themselves using the search tools, or they can view a curated list of matches to find compatible folks. Singles can send likes, flirts, and faves for free, but they have to subscribe to send messages to their online crushes.
- Open to straight, gay, and lesbian singles over 50
- Free match recommendations and conversation starters
- Use Tokens to promote your profile and send virtual gifts
- Browse OurTime profiles 100% free »
After its launch in 2001, OurTime set out to corner the market on the over-50 dating pool, and it’s definitely one of the most popular platforms for senior singles. The app that goes with the site offers the same level of user-friendly interface, making it easy to navigate and find your matches. It works a little differently from Tinder, but it’s still straightforward and intuitive to find other members to interact with.
Free memberships come with just about everything you need to connect and get a date with another member of OurTime, but paid membership gives you more expanded search filters, more communication options, and other perks.
14. SilverSingles
SilverSingles is serious about helping singles over 50 meet one another, and its network stretches across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. The secure signup process includes profile verification and fraud detection, so new members must portray themselves accurately to gain access to the platform. By fostering a safe environment, SilverSingles helps men and women meet mature dates in their area.
- An exclusively senior membership base
- Over 800,000 monthly users worldwide
- App available for free on Google Play
- Browse SilverSingles profiles 100% free »
A major contender keeping OurTime from taking up the entire senior singles market, SilverSingles takes the user-friendly format and tools, and adds more useful features. The app that goes with the site keeps things simple, letting users navigate and match without having to learn a whole lot of different functions and features.
If you want a more premium membership experience, keep in mind that it comes with a real premium price tag at SilverSingles. But you get access to some helpful extra features to make it even easier to connect with the right match, and free and premium users alike have access to the very convenient customer service team through snail mail, email, fax, or other methods.
Dating Apps Like Tinder for LGBTQ+ Singles
Another major demographic for dating apps and sites is the LGBTQ+ community. Pew Research indicates that LGBTQ+ singles are more likely than their straight counterparts to use online dating platforms. But for a queer person on a dating service, harassment can be a constant fear. These apps and sites create safe spaces for members of the LGBTQ+ community to find love, friendship, or sex.
15. Grindr
Grindr became the world’s first gay geosocial app in 2009, and it continues growing its all-male user base more than a decade later. The app uses real-time GPS data to locate nearby date prospects and give gay and bisexual singles a chance to connect while they’re out on the town.
- Social networking for gay, bi, trans, and queer men
- Location-based matches spark instant chemistry
- Grindr Equality advocates for LGBTQ+ interests on the global stage
- Browse Grindr profiles 100% free »
It’s no secret that Grindr is a popular dating app for gay men, and is, in fact, the first app that a lot of people think of when they consider a Tinder alternative for gay, bisexual, and transgender men. The app lets you swipe local matches, participate in public discussions, and participate in the gay community for free while finding your next hookup. The functions are very close to Tinder, making it an easy switch for queer men who want to meet other queer men.
With Grindr XTRA, you can swipe outside of your zip code and boost your daily quota of likes and other perks that make it easy to meet people and get together. The site and app welcome any and all men-loving-men, whatever your specific sexual orientation, and even straight men looking to experiment are welcome to join.
16. HER
HER is a women-only (or “womxn” as the team says) dating app that helps cis, trans, and non-binary identified singles come into their own. This is a strict no-boys-allowed zone. HER encourages LGBTQ+ women to mingle by commenting on photos or events in the Feed, or they can like profiles to initiate a private conversation with a mutual match.
- A quirky and unapologetic womxn-only dating community
- Queer events get users connecting IRL
- The constantly updated Feed facilitates social networking
- Browse HER profiles 100% free »
For a queer woman, dating apps and sites can be intimidating. Women in general are more likely to get harassing messages. And queer women on mainstream dating sites are often harassed with greater frequency than are straight women, making things even more stressful. HER is more than just a dating app. It offers community and friendship along with matches.
By queer women, for queer women, HER offers all of its core features for free. Premium memberships offer perks like incognito mode, ad removal, and other benefits that are nice to have, but that aren’t absolutely necessary to find and meet new people, make dates and friends, and participate in the community.
17. SCRUFF
While Grindr offers free users the ability to match with anyone local, SCRUFF is all about the traveling gay man. The app offers men the opportunity to connect with men-loving men all around the world just by taking out their phone and opening the app. While some people consider SCRUFF to be an imitator of Grindr, it has truly evolved to offer its own atmosphere, making a community of men who like to connect across cultures and time zones.
SCRUFF continues to grow, keeping things fun and light with a live-streamed trivia show, hosting events around the world, and otherwise offering community as well as sexy romance to queer men around the world.
18. Lex
As with HER, the Lex app is not just about dating but about community and social engagement, setting it apart from swipe apps like Tinder. But while it focuses on a deeper connection than Tinder offers, Lex is still easy to use. Instead of a few pictures and one or two lines of text, Lex is text-centric. No pictures on the profile, just information you want people to know about you.
Lex explicitly welcomes every queer woman, as well as all non-binary queer people, to join in on the community and get to know each other. Not just a dating app, but a safe space to explore what it means to be queer, Lex makes personals and missed connections into a place for non-men to be comfortable and be themselves while finding love.
FAQs: Is Online Dating a Safe Way to Meet a New Person?
Online dating is as safe as just about any other way you can meet a new person. A dating website or mobile app offers a chance to expand your potential dating pool without having to get too far out of your comfort zone or change up your hobbies or activities. In addition, online dating platforms have some benefits you can’t really get in person.
Each dating site or app uses some form of verification for users on the platform. While these can be a little on the lax side, the safeguards at least make it harder for a person with a fake profile to prey on people just looking for someone new. The more premium dating apps and sites usually have more verification systems and stricter moderation policies, so you can avoid harassment and stalking more easily than you might through other venues.
That being said, it’s still a good idea to take measures to protect yourself. Don’t take a profile picture at face value, and make sure you text or chat with your potential match enough to feel comfortable meeting them. Even if you’re looking for a hookup, you should take at least a little time to get to know the person you have matched with. It’s also a good idea to meet for the first time in a public place like a coffee shop, restaurant, or bar. And of course, don’t send money or financial details to someone you don’t know.
Is Tinder Plus Worth Paying For?
The popular dating app gets a lot of attention for being free, and most of the features don’t cost anything at all. Most users seem to agree that Tinder Plus doesn’t add a whole lot to the experience, since Tinder allows free messaging between mutual matches and a fairly generous number of swipes per day, among other benefits.
Whether Tinder Plus is worth the price depends on what you want from a premium subscription. The additional feature package that comes with Plus includes benefits like heightened visibility, unlimited likes (right swipe), an ad-free experience, unlimited “rewinds” to bring back anyone you might have swiped left on accidentally, and more premium perks. There are other premium membership options with added benefits, but overall the consensus is that you can get everything you want from Tinder without paying a single subscription fee.
Which Dating Apps Have Video Features?
Several app development teams rolled out video chat features in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, as more online dating app users asked for ways to connect through lockdowns and quarantines. Sites like eharmony added the additional feature for both desktop and app users, and apps like Hinge jumped right into the fray, making it easy to connect by voice or video.
Some other apps joining the scene in the past few years include video features right from the beginning. The Sauce is a video-first dating platform, available through the App Store. Instead of a profile picture and bio, users upload short, TikTok-style videos introducing themselves.
Other users can respond to the videos, and open up communication in text and video channels alike. The Snack app, targeted at Gen Z singles, leans into the TikTok style even more. Users create videos for other members to swipe and match trade videos back and forth along with text messages on the platform.
Tinder’s Swiping Features Have Become the Status Quo
Tinder may have pioneered swipe-based matching in 2012, but a lot of dating sites and apps have duplicated it successfully, and built on the basic concept to offer an even better experience. Apps like Tinder make it easy to find exactly what you’re looking for, whether you’re seeking casual sex, a long-term relationship, friends to talk to, or a social media connection.
Maybe Tinder hasn’t been working for you recently, and a change of scenery in the online dating world can help you get back on top of your swiping game. We hope these Tinder alternatives can suit your needs, offer you something a little familiar yet different, and bust you out of that dating rut ASAP! Just remember to be yourself and try to have fun out there. Best of luck!
