JSwipe is a Jewish Dating App with Over 1 Million Users Worldwide

David Yarus founded a Jewish dating app called JSwipe because he wanted to help singles find a Jewish partner. His inspiration came from his own experiences as a young Jewish man looking for romantic compatibility.

David moved to New York City in 2010 and began exploring the local dating scene. His goal was to meet a woman in the Jewish community, but that task proved difficult in such a diverse and crowded city. David went through his fair share of awkward encounters before discovering the burgeoning world of online dating.

As an early adopter of dating apps, David grew to appreciate the power of swipe-based matchmaking to help organize and prioritize local dating options.

“I found the technology fascinating,” David said. “But, at the same time, I felt the Jewish world needed an app that combined the latest technology with more Jewish-aligned features. I wanted to deliver on that.”

JSwipe uses swiping technology to increase the likelihood of a Jewish person finding a match.

JSwipe launched on Passover in 2014. Many Jewish singles were drawn to this values-driven approach to online dating, and the niche dating app grew rapidly.

Within just a few years, JSwipe went from a plucky tech startup to an established name in the online dating industry. The app currently has over 1 million users, making it the largest Jewish dating app on the market.

JSwipe is now part of the Spark Networks portfolio.

“We’re really passionate about helping people find love,” David said. “It’s been a wild ride and really meaningful to see JSwipe grow.”

Uniting an Authentic Community of Jewish Singles

JSwipe represents a group of people who share a vibrant culture and tradition. Jews of all types come together on this dating app and form close connections that can grow into a Jewish marriage.

Not all JSwipe members are devoutly religious. A good number of cultural Jews swipe on the app in hopes of meeting a partner who understands their heritage and shares similar values.

The JSwipe dating network has a strong following in the U.S., particularly in New York City, Miami, and Los Angeles, and it is growing in popularity in Europe and South America. Basically, every city with a large Jewish population will also have a sizable JSwipe population.

Swiping for dates is an easy way to meet like-minded people.

In terms of ages, JSwipe’s sweet spot is the 25-to-35 crowd, but it welcomes any single Jew over the age of 18. Some of its users are college students looking to explore a new city, while others are single adults who are ready for marriage. The app even sees a few tech-savvy retirees who hope to form new friendships and relationships in their senior years.

Creating a JSwipe profile is a quick and simple process. Online daters must fill out the usual sections regarding age, location, gender, and other demographics, and then they’ll complete their dating preferences for their ideal match.

JSwipe sets itself apart from other dating apps by digging into a single person’s religious and cultural qualities as well. The app asks users to disclose if they keep Shabbat or keep kosher. It also gives users the option to identify as reformed, conservative, traditional, or other types of Jews.

Jewish singles can play around with swiping and search filters to find a compatible partner within the faith. Once they see a person they like, they can swipe right to show interest and potentially initiate a match. Only mutual matches can chat on JSwipe.

The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges for the JSwipe crew, but it also stimulated interest in new forms of dating and relationship building. JSwipe’s online traffic increased by about 15% in March 2020.

Over the last year, JSwipe has given renewed attention to remote dating tools and encouraged users to practice social distancing while getting to know a new person. “We saw an accelerated adoption of video first dates because of COVID,” David said. “I’m excited to see how the impact of that will be long term. I think it could be very helpful.”

As the world opens back up, the JSwipe team is also looking forward to reinstituting its offline events and inviting Jewish singles to mingle in person. Hosting events in major cities can be a great way to spark love connections and expand JSwipe’s influence in communities around the world.

The Premium Plan Offers More Perks & Possibilities

JSwipe is free to download on Google Play and the App Store. The app offers free swiping, matching, and chatting to all users with a basic account. Members can browse profiles and send direct messages on the app without spending any money. However, some highly driven and discerning singles choose to upgrade to the paid subscription option to get more premium features at their fingertips.

The paid plan unlocks the Passport feature, which means JSwipe members can view profiles anywhere in the world, not just in their city, state, or province. Subscribers also have the ability to send up to five Super Swipes per day. A Super Swipe appears with an emoji to express particular interest and show a little personality.

JSwipe can upgrade the online dating experience with fun features.

Another premium perk is the Swipe Note, which allows users to send a short message along with their swipe. JSwipe limits paid members to sending one Swipe Note per day to deter spamming or blanket messaging.

Paid subscribers have more swiping and messaging powers at their disposal. They can see who has liked their dating profile, and they will get Read Receipts on their sent messages, so they’ll have a good idea of what’s going on behind the screen. JSwipe also has an Optimize Photos feature where it shows users which of their photos are performing best and leading to the most matches.

Armed with such insider information, Jewish singles can make informed decisions when pursuing online dates.

The JSwipe subscription also includes a Boost in the swipe list. Paid subscribers are shown twice as frequently as free members on the apps. More views often equate to more matches, so subscribing can be a good way for a single person to up their chances of landing a date.

Finally, the other advantage paid subscribers have is the ability to explore a larger dating pool on the app. They can view the Most Eligible list, which highlights the most popular and active profiles on JSwipe, and they can browse beyond their set search filters to discover match possibilities that wouldn’t be accessible with a free membership.

“When you see one person in Tel Aviv swiping globally and meeting someone from South Africa and falling in love, that’s the most exciting thing for us,” David said. “Those kinds of global love stories would not be possible if not for JSwipe.”

JSwipe is Responsible for Countless Love Stories

David started online dating as a solution for his own love life, and he saw the opportunity to forge deep connections in the Jewish community. JSwipe has enabled Jewish singles around the world to expand their search for love and find matches based on specific dating criteria.

Today, JSwipe has a claim to the title as the most popular Jewish dating app in the U.S. and abroad.

JSwipe has proven to be a reliable wingman for Jewish singles who want to fall in love and leave the swiping scene behind. The niche dating app provides a wholesome support system and promotes shared values as the foundation for real relationships that can lead to marriage and starting a Jewish family.

“We’ve had tens of thousands of couples get married thanks to JSwipe,” David said. “It’s very touching, it’s heartwarming, it’s inspiring. And it’s what keeps us going, knowing that we are really making a beautiful impact on people’s lives.”