Best Dating Apps of 2025

Written by: Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks is the Editor-in-Chief at DatingAdvice.com. When she was growing up, her family teased her for being "boy crazy," but she preferred to think of herself as a budding dating and relationship expert. As an English major at the University of Florida, Amber honed her communication skills to write clearly, knowledgeably, and passionately about a variety of subjects. Now with over 1,800 lifestyle articles to her name, Amber brings her tireless wit and relatable experiences to DatingAdvice.com. She has been quoted as a dating expert by The Washington Times, Cosmopolitan, The New York Post, Bustle, Salon, Well+Good, and AskMen.

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Edited by: Lillian Castro

Lillian Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of journalism experience to ensure DatingAdvice articles have been edited for overall clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement. She has worked at The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, The Gwinnett Daily News, and The Gainesville Sun covering lifestyle topics.

Looking for a new dating app? Our experts tested the most popular dating apps and narrowed them down to the 9 they'd recommend most for online dating. Below are our experts' reviews of membership options, user information, and success stories for the best dating apps of 2025:

All Apps | Black | Gay | Lesbian | Hookup | Senior
Advertiser Disclosure

Match.com

★★★★★
4.9/5.0
Match.com

Available on: iOS, Android

  • Relationships: Fun Dates, Serious Relationships
  • Match System: Browse by location, age, interest, and more
  • About the App: Available via the App Store and Google Play, Match is a fantastic app for dates and relationships. With a user base of 30 million singles, Match is where you'll have a high chance of success. It's free to download, create a profile, search for date prospects, and receive compatible matches based on personalized preferences. Free members can also chat with select members and send unlimited likes.
  • Browse Free: View Profiles Now

EliteSingles

★★★★★
4.9/5.0
EliteSingles

Available on: iOS, Android

  • Relationships: Deep Relationships
  • Match System: Search by education, lifestyle habits, age
  • About the App: Commitment-minded, professional daters will feel at home with EliteSingles, which can be downloaded for free in the App Store or Google Play. Not only is everyone looking for a long-term partner, but 80% of members hold a bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degree. EliteSingles sees 210,000 visitors and 2,500 users finding love every month, so it's one of the fastest growing and most reputable apps.
  • Browse Free: View Profiles Now

Zoosk

★★★★★
4.8/5.0
Zoosk

Available on: iOS, Android

  • Relationships: Casual Dates, Relationships
  • Match System: Search for and receive matches
  • About the App: Zoosk is the number one app for finding dates, and if you sync up your Google+ or Facebook account, you can have a profile in seconds. The app has 38 million members and will deliver matches to your inbox on a daily basis based on your behavior such as who you search for, like or don't like, and message. The Carousel is another section for matching (tap the heart if it's a yes and the X if it's a no).
  • Browse Free: View Profiles Now

eharmony

★★★★★
4.5/5.0
eharmony

Available on: iOS, Android

  • Relationships: Long-Term Relationships, Marriages
  • Match System: Get daily match suggestions
  • About the App: Responsible for 4% of marriages in the U.S., eharmony is among our top picks for relationship-minded heterosexual singles. To become a member, add the app to your phone (iOS or Android) and then take its 29 Dimensions® of Compatibility Matching Quiz. It's absolutely free to do both these things — as well as receive matches and communicate during other special events.
  • Browse Free: View Profiles Now

OurTime.com

★★★★
4.4/5.0
OurTime.com

Available on: iOS, Android

  • Relationships: Dating and Relationships
  • Match System: Search by age as well as zip, gender, more
  • About the App: Made just for single seniors, OurTime is one of the most well-known niche dating apps. It's a fun and straightforward app with simple swiping features. Once two people swipe right on each other, they can communicate. For more match options, visit the Connect and I'm Interested pages. Plus, if you sign up for OurTime, your profile will appear on its sister site, SeniorPeopleMeet, for free.
  • Browse Free: View Profiles Now

ChristianMingle

★★★★
4.4/5.0
ChristianMingle

Available on: iOS, Android

  • Relationships: Dates or Serious Commitments
  • Match System: Search and receive matches
  • About the App: Christian dating doesn't get any better than on ChristianMingle. With the free app, available on any iOS or Android device, you can browse the more than 2.4 million Christian singles. Since you already know that everyone is on the same religious page, you can focus on other things like age, distance, hobbies, and education to make a deep connection with someone of the same faith.
  • Browse Free: View Profiles Now

SilverSingles

★★★★
4.2/5.0
SilverSingles

Available on: iOS, Android

  • Relationships: Serious Relationships
  • Match System: Filter by age, height, and distance
  • About the App: SilverSingles runs an exclusive dating community for single men and women over the age of 50. Its database includes recently divorced singles as well as singles who have never been married. The dating app matches people based on their similarities in age, lifestyle, hobbies, and relationship goals. If you want to show your interest in someone online, you can send a smile, message, or request that they upload a profile picture. Either way, they'll know you care.
  • Browse Free: View Profiles Now

BlackPeopleMeet

★★★★
4.0/5.0
BlackPeopleMeet

Available on: iOS, Android

  • Relationships: Dates, Relationships
  • Match System: Browse by city, hobbies, age, etc.
  • About the App: Since it was founded in 2002, BlackPeopleMeet has established the largest online dating community for black and biracial singles of all orientations. Every month over 1.4 million daters use this simple and safe platform to connect with African-American singles in their area. You can download the app and create a profile for free to find new friends, hot dates, and love interests online.
  • Browse Free: View Profiles Now

BeNaughty

★★★★
3.5/5.0
BeNaughty

Available on: iOS, Android

  • Relationships: Casual Encounters
  • Match System: Sort profiles by zip code, appearance, more
  • About the App: On BeNaughty, everyone is interested in finding sexual encounters with no strings attached. Within a couple of minutes, you can get a profile up for $0. Free membership includes unlimited photos, browsing, matches, winks, and chats. BeNaughty also has an advanced anti-fraud system to ensure your personal information stays private while you flirt online.
  • Browse Free: View Profiles Now

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DatingAdvice.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. To keep this resource 100% free for users, we receive advertising compensation from the sites listed on this page. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where sites appear on the page (including, for example, the order in which they appear). DatingAdvice.com does not include listings for all dating sites.

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Review Summary

If you're having trouble deciding which dating app of 2025 is the best for you, don't worry. We've created a summary table that you can quickly scan for the most important pieces of information -- including popularity and gender ratio. We've tested every aspect of these apps, so give our reviews some thought before making your final choice!

Here are 2025's best dating apps:

Best  Dating Apps
Rank Dating App Popularity (Visits/Mo.) Gender Ratio Rating
1 Match.com 13.5 Million* M: 49%* | F: 51%* ★★★★★4.9
2 EliteSingles 290,000* M: 43%* | F: 57%* ★★★★★4.9
3 Zoosk 3.8 Million* M: 48%* | F: 52%* ★★★★★4.8
4 eharmony 4.1 Million* M: 48%* | F: 52%* ★★★★★4.5
5 OurTime.com 1.4 Million* M: 48%* | F: 52%* ★★★★4.4
6 ChristianMingle 2.4 Million* M: 44%* | F: 56%* ★★★★4.4
7 SilverSingles 800,000* M: 41%* | F: 59%* ★★★★4.2
8 BlackPeopleMeet 1.4 Million* M: 47%* | F: 53%* ★★★★4.0
9 BeNaughty 13.3 Million* M: 48%* | F: 52%* ★★★★3.5
7 Factors for Choosing the Best Dating App
Amber Brooks

By: Amber Brooks

Editor-in-Chief

The average American spends more than 4.7 hours a day on their smartphones, according to the Washington Times. For me, I’d say that sounds about right (maybe even more if I’m being honest). Whether we’re working, reading, shopping, or dating, we’re probably doing it on our phones or tablets.

Online dating apps can open singles up to a world of possibilities. It’s not just about virtual dating and fantasizing over a fake profile. Online daters can make meaningful connections, arrange first dates, and even find true love with the right match algorithm in hand.

That’s why it’s important to have quality dating apps on your phone. You want to have a good experience and accomplish your goals. Below we’ll take you through seven factors to keep in mind when choosing an online dating app.

1. Does Its User Base Fit What You’re Looking For?

One of the most important things to consider when deciding which dating app to download is to look at its audience. A free dating app may have a reputation for facilitating hookups, while a more serious online dating service may deal more in finding true love. Online daters should always take that into account when looking through their options on Google Play or the App Store.

Sexual orientation, religion, and age are also some of the top qualities and characteristics people look for in a potential partner. When a dating app has a niche audience, it can be easier to connect with the exact type of person you’re interested in getting to know better. For example, Zoosk is great for younger singles, while eharmony works best for older singles in the dating pool. Tinder tends to appeal to straight men, while Coffee Meets Bagel is a favorite among single women.

Save yourself some time and effort by picking out a popular dating app that appeals to singles like you because that’s the best way to meet potential date prospects in your area.

2. Is the App Compatible With Your Device?

Team Edward or Team Jacob, Team Pineapple Pizza or Team Anti-Pineapple, Team iOS or Team Android — these are some of the most famous matchups in history that have divided the population. When you can’t decide on a dating app or chat app, sometimes it simply comes down to what smartphone team you’re on. You should make sure the app is compatible with yours, and if it’s not, well, you have your answer. The good news is most app companies make a point to create apps that are iOS and Android friendly, so your options aren’t as limited as you might think.

3. Does the Dating Service Fit Your Budget?

All of the best dating apps offer a free trial or free membership (or both). App users should be allowed to test everything out before being charged — it just makes sense. With free trials and free memberships, you’re usually able to create a dating profile, upload several photos, search through members, swipe on profiles, receive match notifications, and communicate in a few ways (such as virtual winks and Favorite lists), among others.

Premium memberships offer features like being able to see who viewed your profile or read your message. While these things aren’t totally necessary, if they pique your interest and you have the money to spend, we’ve seen dating apps that start as low as $12.49 a month. I mean, how much do you spend on Starbucks every month? And this is your love life.

4. Does the App Integrate With Your Preferred Social Networks?

A majority of us probably have a Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, or Instagram account where we get our social networking fix. But did you know your social media profile could upgrade your online dating profile?

If you link your social media account to an online dating app, you can speed up the registration process, so instead of having to answer a lot of tedious questions or go hunting for your favorite profile pictures, it’s already done for you. Your information and photos can be pulled from a social media site in a matter of seconds, and you can get to browsing on a dating app that much sooner. Dating apps like Tinder will also use your social profile to find matches for you based on friends of friends and will have a policy about never posting on your behalf.

5. Are There Plenty of Features for Meeting Local Singles?

Swiping, browsing, filtering, match recommendations — the dating app you go with should have numerous ways to pair you with that special someone (or someones). Take Match, for instance. This app offers unlimited searching based on lifestyle, background, appearance traits, so you can be in the driver’s seat of your own love life. However, when you want Match to take the wheel, you can go on the Discover tab to view possible matches with high compatibility ratings.

The app Tinder doesn’t have any search filters, so users are reliant upon its match algorithm to identify potential date prospects and spark a meaningful conversation. Tinder has created over 43 billion matches, though, so it’s a pretty safe bet you’ll find a Tinder user to chat up here.

If you’re testing out an app and it seems like its matching feature is lacking, you might want to think twice before downloading.

6. Is It Safe and Secure?

Dating apps are fun because you can use them when you’re on your couch, waiting to order coffee, walking your dog, having drinks at a bar, and practically everywhere else on this earth. However, don’t let that cloud your judgment. You don’t want to pick a free dating app just because it looks fun and doesn’t cost anything.

You also need to consider if an online dating service is safe and reputable. Does it have a profile verification system that keeps scammers out? Some good things to look for are SSL encryption, profile verification, Block and Report buttons (for abusive members and fake profiles), and a 24/7 customer support team (even if it’s via email). The dating app doesn’t necessarily have to have all of these components, but the more it has, the less you’ll have to worry when meeting internet users in your free time.

7. Does the App Have a Good Reputation?

In addition to reading a dating app’s About page and things like that, don’t forget to also look for reviews from experts, like us, as well as consumers, like yourself, and companies like TrustPilot and Glassdoor. All you have to do is Google the app’s name with the word review after it (e.g., Elite Singles review). Another tip is to go to Google News and search for the app to see what kind of news is surrounding it. Get a feel for what other people are saying out there, and even ask your friends, family members, and coworkers if they’ve used the Tinder app or any similar apps that you’re thinking about.

Consider All the Facts, And It’ll Be an Easy Decision!

Similar to choosing a house, credit card, or career, choosing a dating app is a decision that’s worth taking your time on. A portion of the 5+ hours a day you spend on your phone will go toward dating, so don’t you want the app you choose to be the best one possible? We’ve provided you with all the pertinent information — now the ball is in your court. You can create a free dating profile on any of these online dating apps to increase your likelihood of finding a potential match and enjoying a meaningful conversation.

About The Author

Amber Brooks Amber Brooks Editor-in-Chief

Amber Brooks is the Editor-in-Chief at DatingAdvice.com. When she was growing up, her family teased her for being "boy crazy," but she preferred to think of herself as a budding dating and relationship expert. As an English major at the University of Florida, Amber honed her communication skills to write clearly, knowledgeably, and passionately about a variety of subjects. Now with over 1,800 lifestyle articles to her name, Amber brings her tireless wit and relatable experiences to DatingAdvice.com. She has been quoted as a dating expert by The Washington Times, Cosmopolitan, The New York Post, Bustle, Salon, Well+Good, and AskMen.