“I’m on five different dating apps, and I always revert back to Tinder. I really think it’s best for everything, from solid dinner dates to fun, wild nights. How could it not be? Everyone is on it,” says one Glamour reviewer, who lives in New York City. “I feel like it has the greatest range of people, and I can really find whatever I’m looking for and clearly set my wants. It’s also far easier to determine geographically-accurate matches. Unless the other person is using the app’s Passport feature (which shows up on their profile), my matches are from the area where I actually am in the moment. Tinder’s only flaw is its reputation—sometimes I’ll match with the exact same person on Tinder and another dating app, and they’ll totally switch up their tone and approach. That said, when they do that, it’s easier for me to weed out the inauthentic people.”
The app is a top choice for mature age groups, too. “I’ve talked to many, many seniors who’ve had wonderful dating experiences on Tinder because it’s simple to use and very accessible,” Dr. Carbino says. Its massive user base spans 190 countries, so you can find connections wherever you are in the world. You have the flexibility of signing up on a weekly basis, should the mood strike, as well.
5. Best Dating Site for Inclusivity: OkCupid
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In 2003, four friends from Harvard University created OkCupid, an online dating platform dedicated to helping people find love and happiness through meaningful connections. According to the brand’s website, more than 91 million connections are made on OkCupid every year, with 50,000 dates made every week—and apparently, it has more mentions in The New York Times wedding section than any other app.
OkCupid was the first dating app to introduce 22 gender and 13 orientation choices (in 2013, before competitor apps made similar updates). It’s known for its in-depth questionnaire that includes dealbreakers, ultimately generating a compatibility score, and is ideal for people who want their unique interests and personalities to align, with lots of opportunities to share what matters to you. “The site is best for people who are looking for diversity and inclusivity, as it caters to different sexual orientations, gender identities, and relationship styles,” Dr. Smith says. The basic version (which you have to pay for) offers unlimited likes and rewinds and the ability to filter out dealbreakers. Upgrade to the premium if you want to see who’s liked you, to send three SuperLikes per week, and to view their answers to public questions.
“I’ve found myself coming back to OkCupid in different phases of my life,” says Glamour reviewer Tasneem Anjarwalla. “The app worked best in helping me narrow down the seemingly endless pool of potential partners. It’s great that most dating sites now are more inclusive of gender identities, sexual preferences, and relationship styles (which OkCupid has been for a long while), but that feels like the bare minimum of info. Through OkCupid’s questionnaire, I could filter by my dealbreakers—from big-picture things like religion, kids, marriage, monogamy—to more granular compatibility stuff, like feelings on jealousy, sleeping routines, and political issues. What’s more, I could then rank how important those things were to me, and how important I wanted them to be for the other person. The questions felt like fun BuzzFeed quizzes, and the more I answered, the more I saw the algorithm suggesting potential matches that really felt like people I’d be into. Until eventually, four years ago, it introduced me to my current partner.”
6. Best Dating App for Social Networking: Bumble
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Founded by Whitney Wolfe Herd in 2014, Bumble was designed to challenge heterosexual dating norms by empowering women to send the first message. “It’s excellent for women who don’t want to wait around for men to message them, and for men who appreciate confident women,” says Dr. Smith. “It also has options for finding friends and networking.” Today, in hetero matches, women are still required to make the first move (in same-gender matches, either party can), and once a match is established, you’ll have 24 hours to chat or the connection expires. Your profile can include details about education, work, photos, and cute profile badges, along with engaging prompts—and you can even link your Instagram and Spotify accounts. It’s a free dating site, but you can pay extra for Bumble Boost and Bumble Premium plans that give you features like backtracking, the ability to extend your match time, and unlimited swipes.
I’ve used Bumble on and off for a couple years now. I’ve always liked being able to make the first move because it nudges me to get out of my comfort zone and also prunes my messages of the cheesy pick-up lines and “Sup?” that often serve as conversation starters on other apps. You can set your intentions for dating, and I find it’s a reliable place to just get to know someone without the pressure of a longer-term commitment or dating. The people I’ve matched with on Bumble Date seem more open to casually dating and making new friends (in fact, it has a Bumble BFF mode you can turn on that lets you look just for friendship, and I’ve made a couple friend connections this way. There’s a Bumble Bizz mode networking, too). Bumble really plays into the friendly, sociable vibe by letting each user link their profile to their Instagram or Spotify. I like how easy the app’s swipe interface is to use. Hinge makes me physically tap an X or a heart that specifies which piece of a profile I relate to, which gets tiring, but Bumble keeps the flow moving by letting me just swipe left or right on an entire profile. The annoying thing about Bumble, however, is that my matches expire if I haven’t spoken to them within one day (which is a lot of pressure for me!). The cost, as well. To see who’s liked me or to like any of the highlighted “For You” profiles that the app tailors for me, I have to pay—and $50 is a hefty price.