In the digital age, making connections and finding the relationship you’re looking for has never been easier. Surprisingly, many people have even found their partners on online dating apps.
But with so many dating apps, you might not know where to start.
That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the six best dating apps to try right now. Whether you’re looking for a spouse or just a casual fling, there’s bound to be someone out there for you.
1. SecretBenefits
The SecretBenefits app is extremely exclusive. Only “Sugar Daddies” and “Sugar Babies” can join. It’s designed to match attractive women under 35 with wealthy men looking for companionship.
Women: if you’re over 18, are tired of playing games with immature men, and you’re looking for mentoring, affection, and guidance from someone with more experience, then SecretBenefits is for you. You’re free to empower yourself on this app with zero judgment.
For men: if you are looking for a mutually beneficial relationship, are financially stable, and you’re willing to be upfront about what you want, then this is the perfect app for you, too.
Extra safety features include moderator-verified profiles and a photo verification system to prevent users from uploading inappropriate photos (read more online dating safety tips here).
2. Tinder
If you’re looking for a date, friendship, a long-term relationship, or just a casual hookup, Tinder covers all the bases.
While Tinder is known as the most popular first-stop dating app by a country mile, sometimes it’s also (surprisingly) the last. A large number of people claim to have met their long-term partners and spouses on Tinder, and there are a lot of Tinder success stories to back them up.
One benefit of perusing through Tinder’s short dating profiles is that they help you make decisions quickly – but the caveat is that it may be harder to find what you’re looking for. Knowing so little about a person can make that initial message quite challenging, too.
Another downside is due to Tinder having so many users. On the one hand, there are a lot of options, but you’ll have to trawl through a sea of profiles – which makes it easy to accidentally pass over suitable people that you would have given a chance under different circumstances.
3. Coffee Meets Bagel
The creators of Coffee Meets Bagel aim to offer users matches of the highest quality. Every day at noon, you’ll be sent a list of curated matches, called “bagels.”
The app suggests ice-breakers for the first few messages, and the profiles are more detailed than Tinder. If you like getting prompts to nudge you to take the plunge, this app may be perfect for you.
On the downside, the app is not very user-friendly and it’s quite confusing to use. There are a lot of features and gimmicks to navigate, which can make the experience less enjoyable overall.
Another common complaint with Coffee Meets Bagel is that they are quite pushy when it comes to notifications.
4. Bumble
Bumble is essentially Tinder, but women have the upper hand. It’s a free dating app, but women are required to message first. If a man doesn’t reply within 24 hours, he loses the option to go on a date.
Bumble designed the timer to encourage making contact. While some people love this feature, it’s not for you if you tend to procrastinate.
Because women have to message first, the app tends to weed insecure men from the dating pool, which means the number of overly-confident men on Bumble is higher than most other dating apps.
5. OKCupid
Many people have found their ideal match on OkCupid. This app makes matches based on a lengthy series of questions that are basically personality tests. Based on your compatibility and interests, the app then provides a Match/Enemy ratio that you can see on every profile.
The profiles on OkCupid are a lot more in-depth than you’ll find on Tinder, even though both apps are owned by the same company. And, like with Tinder, you can’t message a user without matching with them first (well, you can, but they won’t see it in their inbox).
The upside to OKCupid’s messaging system is that it lowers the number of offensive and inappropriate messages and fake profiles. The downside, however, is that this app isn’t nearly as popular as its counterparts, so your choices will be limited.
6. Hinge
The Hinge dating app was designed to make user profiles more engaging. Users have the option to display a lot of personal information that might turn out to be deal-breakers.
Information like your religion, political leanings, alcohol consumption, and even your interest in having children are all on your profile – which can make finding a long-term relationship easier.
Hinge’s slogan is “designed to be deleted,” so they intend to match users who are more likely to go on to form a serious relationship.