Do female-friendly dating apps even exist? You bet they do. We like to call them the anti-Tinder.
Tinder inspired a new era when it launched in 2012. This infamous dating app pioneered swiping technology and encouraged singles to make snap judgments based on looks. Lovely, right? But it’s been undeniably popular, and many dating sites and apps have duplicated this fast-paced matching system in hopes of competing.
However, not all apps have tried to emulate Tinder. Some have gone the other direction and challenged its quantity-over-quality approach. Tinder may claim to be female-friendly, but we all know who really benefits from superficial swiping. It’s like open season for creepers and jerks.
If you want to escape that hookup culture, this list is for you, ladies. We’ve reviewed the best apps to help you find a real relationship in the online dating scene.
1. Match
Over 51% of Match members are female, and Match knows how to look out for their interests. Every person who signs up must verify their email, and the dating website and app offer expert safety tips to follow both when you’re talking with a match online and meeting in real life.
- Relationships: Friends, Dates, and Relationships
- Match System: Browse by zip, age, appearance, more
- Our Experts Say: Match has facilitated the most dates and relationships of any dating site, and its large audience and high success rate make it our top review. Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
Since 1995, Match has introduced relationship-minded singles to the more eligible dates in town, and its personality-driven matchmaking has satisfied women of all ages and backgrounds.
This is a personality-driven dating space where users have to either pay a subscription fee or meet certain match requirements to send messages. That means more serious guys show up in your inbox.
2. eharmony
Founded in 2000, eharmony is perhaps the most serious dating site in the industry, and that’s one of the main things we love about it. The online dating service uses a personality test to identify true compatibility and streamline the path to love.
- Relationships: Casual Dates, Deep Relationships
- Match System: Personality test suggests matches
- Our Experts Say: Accounting for 2% of U.S. marriages, eharmony's compatibility-based system and commitment-minded user base are ideal for those seeking a serious relationship. Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
As a premium dating site and app, eharmony focuses on finding its members a serious, long-term relationship, so you can be sure that you won’t be bombarded by guys who just want to hook up.
3. WooPlus
WooPlus describes itself as “the most comfortable plus-size dating community,” and we’d have to wholeheartedly agree. Voluptuous single women are free to be themselves and be comfortable in their own skin, and that’s what the men who join the app admire most.
The body-positive message on WooPlus appeals to women who have a lot of love to give. All curves are considered beautiful here, so create a free profile to boost your confidence and find a hot date.
4. I’m Yours
I’m Yours is a great option for British women who want romance or a serious relationship, not a hookup. All you have to do is fill out your name, date of birth, and the gender you’re interested in, upload and photo, and then you can start browsing. The online dating site also has an auto profile matching system that can do all the work for you.
5. Morak
Morak promises to find commitment-minded U.K. singles that special someone in just four steps: 1) Join for free. 2) Search. 3) Connect. 4) Find love. The site also makes your safety a top priority. Some of the security features include Profile Watch 24/7 moderation, anti-scam software, and expert advice available on the blog.
6. Happn
Happn is a dating app powered by real-life interactions and serendipity. Whether you’re at a bar, restaurant, coffee shop, park, or anywhere else, you can use Happn to discover singles who frequent the same places you do.
The Happn app shows you where you cross paths with romantic interests (without revealing anyone’s exact location), and that has made it a powerful tool in the hands of local daters.
Sometimes online dating can make you feel disconnected from people instead of more connected, but Happn perfectly blends the personable side of offline dating with the convenience of online dating with its location-driven matches. If you often find yourself in well-populated areas, you can rely on Happn to help you break the ice and find hot dates in the area.
7. Hinge
Known as the relationship app, Hinge has become one of the most popular ways for serious daters to meet one another. This dating app is “designed to be deleted,” meaning its goal is to get singles off the swiping carousel and into a steady, satisfying relationship. Easier said than done, right?
Fortunately, Hinge has the quality-driven tools to back its goodhearted mission. The app offers in-depth profiles and a thoughtful swiping system to help singles get to know one another on a deeper level before they even say “hello.”
On Hinge, you have to like or comment on something specific on someone’s dating profile if you want to inspire a mutual match. You can’t just breeze through the app and send likes at a random — Hinge daters expect more from their dates, so we recommend putting a little time and thought when writing your initial message.
Hinge has seen a lot of success stories over the years, and you could be one of them if you give this free platform a chance.
8. Bumble
Tinder Co-Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd left the biggest name in the dating industry in 2014 because she was tired of bro culture, sexual harassment, and settling for second-rate experiences. She thought women deserved better, so she created Bumble, which the media hailed as the first feminist dating app. Bumble is pretty much just like Tinder except that straight women are in control of the conversation.
Once a mutual match is formed between a man and woman on Bumble, the woman has 24 hours to make the first move (as in, send a message) or the connection disappears forever.
Bumble has turned heads with its progressive values and women-first interface, and we applaud the online dating app’s courage to be different and empower women.
9. Lucky
The Lucky dating app offers a private and anonymous space where women can swipe on attractive singles and spark mutual interest. From there, users can correspond. You must select your availability for that day — 1 hour, 3 hours, or 6 hours later — and you’ll see profiles within a 100-mile radius of you.
Finally, women can use an app to get lucky without making themselves a target for all the creeps on the web. It’s a fast and hassle-free way to create intimacy with no strings attached.
“Lucky favors the quick,” the team says. “Because you’re both on Lucky, and you both want hook up, tonight, without any of the clutter that comes with a typical dating app. It’s now or never.”
10. OkCupid
In 2004, OkCupid launched as the math nerd’s solution to love. Which I’ve gotta admit sounds pretty intriguing to me. The dating site and app now operate under the motto “dating deserves better” and offer 100% free chatting and matchmaking for singles seeking all types of relationships.
The thing that makes OkCupid great for women is that it has compatibility ratings on every dating profile and can assess what qualities you have in common — and where you disagree. That way, you are more informed when you like a profile and create a mutual match.
11. SparkMeets
As a location-based dating site, SparkMeets basically functions as a casual dating wingman. If you’re a single woman who is open to being approached, then this dating network will be more than satisfactory — it’ll be a whole new flirting world.
- Relationships: Hookups, Casual Dating, Chats
- Match System: Search by location, age, and appearance.
- Our Experts Say: SparkMeets is a dating website that provides a fast track to a romance with a flirty partner. The network has private chats, search filters, and safety features to help spark real connections. Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
This female-friendly dating site has a lot to offer single ladies and dudes seeking a real life date, at least for one night.
12. Butterfly
Butterfly is an inclusive dating app designed to make online dating safer for transgender people. Trans women and trans men can join the dating website or download the dating app for free and meet singles who accept them as they are.
- Relationships: Casual Dating, Serious Relationships, Chatting
- Match System: Search Filters, match suggestions
- Our Experts Say: Butterfly is a safe space for transgender and genderfluid people seeking a partner. The platform checks and approves all profiles to ensure fake profiles aren’t an issue, and all communication is closely monitored.
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
This app has a strict policy against cyberbullying, homophobia, transphobia, and hate speech, so anyone acting out will be banned from the app.
Women Love Dating Apps That Love Them
At the end of the day, women expect a lot from the online dating scene, and they don’t always get gratification from casual dating apps like Tinder. Sometimes, they need to slow down, filter their messages, and assess their romantic options in a more thoughtful way. That’s what female-friendly dating apps are there for.
How do you feel about the quality of dating apps today? Do these apps sound better than Tinder? Which would you be most likely to use? Let us know in the comments.
