Key Takeaways
Our experienced team of online dating experts have tested and reviewed popular dating apps to identify the ones that work best from a male perspective.
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Match is our overall top pick for its free messaging and compatibility matching features.
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For dating over 50, we’d recommend the free dating site OurTime.com.
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When it comes to casual dating and hookups, Ashley Madison is the best app for men.
The best dating apps for men do a great job of addressing the gender imbalance in the dating scene. We may like to think we live in an egalitarian society, BUT the burden still falls mostly on single men to make the first move in a romance. They have to be proactive and overcome fierce competition if they want to land a date.
Men are expected to take the lead in text conversations, and the fast-paced swiping scene can put a lot of pressure on them.
A Pew Research survey reported that 65% of male respondents agreed that online dating has gotten harder for men within the last few years. Only 43% of female respondents said online dating was harder for women.
Online dating can seem intimidating from the male perspective, but the best dating apps for men strive to make it easier. Here are a few of the top apps for today’s single guys.
Match
- Relationships: Friends, Dates, and Relationships
- Match System: Browse by zip, age, appearance, more
- Our Experts Say: “Match pairs a large dating pool with search filters specific enough to make that size useful rather than overwhelming.” Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
Best For: Men over 30 seeking genuine relationships, compatibility information, and free messaging.
Match is a trusted name in the online dating world. Single men can rely on this premium matchmaker to weed out the flakes and prioritize compatible matches. Make no mistake, this is a dating app for finding a real relationship, not aimlessly swiping. Approximately 75% of Match members are in the over-30 age group, so they tend to date with a purpose.
Cons
- Have to pay for search filters by lifestyle
- No video or voice note features
Match has the distinction of being the longest-running online dating platform on the market. The company was founded in 1993 by pioneering technologists who understood the internet’s potential to change dating life as we know it.
The reason we love Match for men is that it is affordable, personality-driven, and has a relatively even gender split that gives the average guy more of a chance to get noticed.
eharmony
- Relationships: Casual Dates, Deep Relationships
- Match System: Personality test suggests matches
- Our Experts Say: “eharmony helps relationship-minded singles meet compatible people who share their values and long-term outlook.” Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
Best For: Mature men who want to get married and don’t like swiping blindly.
In 2000, a Christian theologian and psychologist was concerned by the rising divorce rates in the U.S. and decided to take action. He created eharmony to help singles build a strong foundation for their marriage. The dating website attracted attention for its scientifically backed questionnaire and mature match process.
Pros
- Highly accurate compatibility scores
- Relatively even gender mix
- Users tend to be mature single professionals
Cons
- Not good for casual dating
- Limits on free photo viewing
A man can use eharmony to assess compatibility factors like temperament and extroversion and pursue matches that show the most promise. The latest version of the dating app has introduced icebreaker quizzes to facilitate more thoughtful and engaging conversations. Advanced search filters are also available.
As of today, eharmony has been responsible for introducing over 2 million couples in the U.S.— and countless more worldwide.
OurTime.com
- Relationships: Dates and Relationships
- Match System: Search by profiles by zip and more
- Our Experts Say: “OurTime makes dating after 50 feel simple, with senior-friendly search tools and an easy-to-use layout.” Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
Best For: Single men over 50 who are looking for dates in the same age group.
OurTime delivers a positive and hopeful message to senior singles seeking a new friend or date. It has a streamlined introduction system that highlights local dating profiles. Plus, app users don’t have to worry about fake profiles because of the automated scam detection software.
Pros
- Caters to senior dating
- Free chatting with matches
- Less competitive environment for men
Cons
- Smaller user base
- Must pay for filters by lifestyle
It’s free to communicate with mutual matches on OurTime. That means it’s in your best interest to send likes regularly and check your inbox to find matches who’ve already approved of your profile.
If you want to get more out of OurTime, you can upgrade to see who’s liked your profile and use search filters by religion, politics, ethnicity, and other characteristics.
- Relationships: Hookups, Casual Dates, Affairs
- Match System: Search by age, location, appearance, and more
- Our Experts Say: “With its massive user base and advanced privacy features, Ashley Madison is the #1 site for discreet hookups, dates, or relationships.” Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
Best For: Married men or singles who don’t believe in traditional monogamy.
Ashley Madison is a discreet dating app designed to help single and not-so-single folks flirt with the idea of having an affair. The platform does not require full names, and it can mask or blur a man’s face in photos to keep a little mystery alive.
Pros
- Anonymous profiles
- Sexually charged chatting
- Men can reply for free
Cons
- Gender imbalance
- No video features
Over 91 million people have joined Ashley Madison since its launch in 2001. Some are looking for a casual hookup or secret relationship, while others simply enjoy the ego boost of receiving compliments and date invites from strangers.
Guys should know that Ashley Madison has a gender bias when it comes to messaging. A woman enjoys unlimited messaging for free, while a man will have to pay for credits to send intro messages. This is meant to even the gender imbalance and give men who pay a bit of an edge.
NaughtyCharm
- Relationships: Hookups, Chats
- Match System: Search by encounter, location, and more
- Our Experts Say: “NaughtyCharm is a premier hookup app where you can feel comfortable expressing your desires. Plus, it's free to join, browse, and flirt.”
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
Best For: Men who want to explore dating profiles without labels or judgment.
NaughtyCharm is a casual hookup site with an international following. The network stretches from the United States to Australia, and it is a hot place to find a date.
It takes less than five minutes to set up a NaughtyCharm profile, upload your favorite selfies, and start matching with local singles. The dating platform generates a list of compatible matches based on your turn-ons.
Pros
- Quick signup with minimal details needed
- Fast photo swiping
- Pretty even gender split
Cons
- Not great for LGBTQ+ matches
- Free membership is limited
Female users can chat for free on NaughtyCharm, but a guy can only send private messages if he has upgraded to a premium membership. Although this gendered system may seem like a raw deal for men, it can actually support more real conversations and ensure a guy has a decent shot at getting replies to his pick-up lines.
- Relationships: Hookups Only
- Match System: Search by location, interest, more
- Our Experts Say: “Make no mistake: this site isn't about making friends, it's about finding hookups and casual encounters. No adult site has a larger or more active user base of those seeking discreet fun.” Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
Best For: Men with a high sex drive and a desire for nontraditional relations.
Adult Friend Finder has good reason to declare itself the most popular adult dating site of all time. It features over 105 million personal ads, 98 million sexy photos, and 14 million discussion groups about different kinks and fetishes.
Pros
- Lots of sexually active users
- Free communication in the forum
- Search by kink and online now
Cons
- Men outnumber women
- Not all videos are free to view
Erotic content is everywhere, and it doesn’t take much prodding to arrange a casual hookup with a stranger.
The AFF community welcomes people of all sexual orientations and experience levels. Some members are virgins who enjoy looking at X-rated pictures and videos, while others are polyamorous couples who are interested in threesome opportunities. Whatever your fetish, Adult Friend Finder promises to embrace all types of sexuality and facilitate intimate connections between open-minded daters.
- Relationships: Hookups Only
- Match System: Search by location, interest, more
- Our Experts Say: “A hookup site specializing in casual encounters, secret affairs, live chats, and member videos, FriendFinder-X skips the awkward "dating" stage of a relationship and fast-forwards straight to the sex.” Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
Best For: Men seeking to stay anonymous as they explore kinky profiles, pics, and videos.
A dynamic hookup app like FriendFinder-X can put a man on track to enjoy casual sex with no strings attached. Users don’t even have to submit their full names when creating a profile. Photos are also optional but highly recommended.
Pros
- X-rated photos and videos on display
- No stigma against seeking sex
- Age verification is required
Cons
- Not all profiles have photos
- Men compete for attention
FriendFinder-X forges a straightforward path to romance. If you’re looking for a certain type of woman, you can set search parameters based on age, weight, height, hair color, eye color, and other characteristics.
You can also scroll through profiles in the Online Now list if you’re eager to engage in a live conversation. FriendFinder-X supports video streaming and discussion boards as well. It’s free to post public statuses and comment on photos, but only Gold members can send private chats.
MenNation
- Relationships: Daters & Hookups
- Match System: Search by age, zip code, more
- Our Experts Say: “MenNation is a men-only hookup site where guys can enjoy video chat rooms, public forums, and private messaging. All you need is an email address to join.” Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
Best For: Gay, bisexual, or queer men seeking hookups with male partners.
MenNation invites gay guys to unleash their wild side and meet attractive men in the LGBTQ+ community. The gay hookup site sees over 100,000 daily active users. It is bustling with activity in private chat rooms, live video shows, and kinky groups.
Pros
- Lots of gay male profiles
- No rules against dick pics
- Free public discussion forum
Cons
- Some lurkers
- Superficial messages
Gay singles and gay couples can sign up to MenNation for free. The membership fee only comes into play if a guy wants to access the private messaging or live video features. The pornographic images, erotic blog, and endless list of dating profiles are all available at no charge.
Thanks to MenNation, queer men can search for hotties in privacy and explore their sexual kinks without censure or backlash.
- Relationships: Deep Relationships or Just Casual Dates
- Match System: Search by location, age, more
- Our Experts Say: “BlackPeopleMeet.com is the one of the largest and most popular dating sites for black and biracial singles, and the site is used by more than 5 million people a month.” Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
Best For: Black men looking to date a person of color.
Since 2002, BlackPeopleMeet has done exactly what its domain name has promised: It helps Black people meet promising date prospects. The dating site and app have fostered a safe space where all users agree that Black is beautiful.
Pros
- Free chatting with matches
- Detailed profiles
Cons
- Smaller dating pool
- Not all members are Black
- Must pay for advanced search filters
BlackPeopleMeet boasts having the largest community of African-American singles in North America. Thousands of people have found their bae here. App users do not have to be Black or even dark-skinned to join the network. Any single person who wants to date a Black person can create a free dating profile and take a look around.
10. Tinder
Of course, no list of the best dating apps for men would be complete without Tinder. This app became famous in 2012 because it pioneered swipe-based matchmaking. Online dating was a bit of a free-for-all before Tinder launched with the genius idea that singles should have some say over who can send messages to their inbox.
Best For: Men in their 20s looking for casual swiping on local profiles and keeping options open.
Tinder has proven to be incredibly popular and successful, especially for men who want to play the field. It has been downloaded over 630 million times and created over 100 billion matches in 180 countries.
Even though Tinder is commonly portrayed as a hookup app, the network includes relationship seekers as well, and it has been known to spark romances that lead to love and marriage. “I wasn’t looking for marriage, but that’s what I found,” said a Tinder user who got engaged thanks to the dating app.
11. Plenty of Fish
Plenty of Fish (also known as POF) does not hassle singles with chat restrictions, tokens, or hidden fees. All members can exchange messages as long as they have an approved profile and maintain good manners.
The free dating app stands out because it offers free messaging and doesn’t require users to make a match first. The only limit is that a user can only send 55 first messages in a day.
Best For: Men who like to chat and don’t like to put labels on new connections.
If you’re looking at online dating statistics, Plenty of Fish has distinguished itself as one of the top apps for having a low-key conversation. The POF community encompasses over 150 million profiles and sees around 3 million chats exchanged per day. The app is currently available in 20 countries and is rapidly expanding to new markets.
12. Grindr
Grindr is a gay dating app that is famous for arranging instant hookups, but it has also been used by guys looking for friendship and love. The local swiping and matching technology encourages single men to make connections quickly and forge their own path.
Best For: LGBTQ+ men seeking casual dates and relationships.
A gay man will find no shortage of date options on Grindr. The app has over 27 million users in almost every country in the world.
Grindr is free to download, and members can chat with mutual matches without paying anything. However, some guys find it’s worth upgrading to Grindr Xtra to enjoy an ad-free experience and have more filters and travel features at their disposal.
13. OkCupid
OkCupid launched in 2004 with an innovative and smart approach to online dating. The website used an opt-in questionnaire to identify compatibility in lifestyle, values, and relationship goals. By asking singles for their input, the OkCupid algorithm could predict which matches would be most successful.
Today, OkCupid is responsible for making about 91 million matches each year.
Best For: Men who prioritize free chatting and getting to know new matches.
The online dating app includes over 4,000 questions that cover everything from sexual preferences to political stances. Men can answer as many (or as few) questions as they like, and they’ll benefit from having a lot of information about a person before saying hello.
I recommend not letting all those important details go to waste. When sending an intro message, mention something specific you like about their prompts, quiz question responses, or photos (not just that she’s pretty). That’ll help you stand out.
14. Badoo
Badoo maintains a dating and social networking space where singles can send flirts, post videos, and make meaningful connections online. The platform verifies all profiles through social media and automatically blurs photos containing nudity.
Single men can download the app, get right into the mix, and enjoy live chatting, video calls, and phone calls with matches.
Best For: Men who are open to chatting with people in different cities or countries.
The Badoo dating pool is both large and diverse. It has seen more than 513 million signups and has about 30 million active users, including 1.2 million paid subscribers. The platform offers a range of gender identity options, so non-binary folks can be authentic when looking for dates.
15. Happn
A dating app called Happn has harnessed the power of local matchmaking to unite singles in big cities. You can find common ground (literally) with potential matches by perusing a map reference of public places where you’ve both been and could’ve crossed paths.
If two people frequent the same coffee shop or bookstore, Happn will mark them as a desirable match.
Best For: Young men seeking dates in more urban or populated areas.
Happn’s unique system does not reveal anyone’s actual location in real time. Instead, it promotes the discovery of common interests based on similar routines. The app fosters a feeling of familiarity between strangers, and it has inspired countless chats and dates.
16. The League
The League is a preeminent dating app geared toward doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and other single professionals. Its VIP members have high standards for their dating life. The waitlist to join can last anywhere from a day to a month.
The League offers a rigorous screening process and quality matchmaking to ensure every profile is worth getting to know better. Its quality-over-quantity approach to online dating has made it a highly coveted app for busy professionals.
Best For: Single professionals who want a relationship with a highly ambitious and successful person.
A high-powered career man can elevate his dating game by joining The League. This is not a sugar dating app or a millionaire site—it is a place where successful, intelligent, and motivated individuals can meet as equals. Over 98% of members have college degrees, and about 40% have a six-figure salary.
17. Bumble
Bumble is well-known as the feminist dating app that puts single women first. I’d say its quality-driven matching can benefit single guys too. The app has been particularly popular among men who are turned on by a woman taking charge.
As of 2026, the women-message-first rule is over, and anyone can message their match first regardless of gender identity. There is still a time limit though. Matches will disappear after 72 hours (unless one person uses their Extend for it).
Best For: Men who hold progressive values and like it when women make the first move.
Over 100 million people have downloaded Bumble and searched for dates without being beholden to traditional gender roles.
Bumble has endeavored to foster friendly and respectful connections. Profiles include photos alongside personal prompts, demographic details, and voice notes. It’s a nice change of pace from superficial swiping and can inspire more active and interesting conversations.
18. Hinge
Last but certainly not least, Hinge is a dating app for relationship-minded singles. Its profiles feature six photos and three prompts that convey a lot of personality. Online daters can send likes, comments, voice notes, or roses to show interest, and the app sends a notification when it’s their turn to respond to a message.
Best For: Men under 40 who want to get into a serious relationship.
Hinge operates under the motto “designed to be deleted” because the team aims to help singles escape the endless swiping carousel.
I count myself among Hinge’s many success stories. My husband and I met on the app in the summer of 2019. He’d only been swiping for a week when we started chatting, and he deleted the app a week later after we became an official couple. Now we’re raising a son with another on the way!
How Do the Best Dating Apps for Men Work?
Online dating apps are easy to understand and master — it just may take some trial and error to get your swiping legs. You’ll start by creating a dating profile that shows off your personality and explains what you’re looking for on the app.
Set clear expectations about what you want (not talking about physical traits). If you’re looking for a casual hookup, it’s best to make that clear. That way, relationship seekers don’t get the wrong impression. It saves time when online daters are on the same page about their desires and relationship goals (or lack thereof).
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Once you’re satisfied with your profile, you’ll be able to search or swipe for matches. The way the system works will differ depending on the platform, but users typically have some filtering options for age, gender, location, and other important qualities in a date.
Apps like Tinder will only allow mutual matches (i.e., singles who have liked each other’s dating profiles) to exchange messages. Free dating sites like Plenty of Fish and Badoo are not as strict when it comes to messaging, but they might have caps on how many first messages can be sent in a day.
What Are Common Mistakes Men Make Online?
Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of facepalm moments with men in online dating. There are those guys who seem to put zero thought or effort into their profiles. Unsmiling car selfies and “just ask” answers to prompts. Photos in baseball hats and sunglasses where I can’t tell what they even look like (red flag!).
Sometimes their profile is decent, but their messaging game needs work. If you’re not asking good questions, your chats are headed for a dead end.
Another big mistake I saw all too often was being fixated on sex in conversations and missing my social cues completely. One time, after a first date, I messaged the guy, “Hey, sorry for leaving early, I’m just feeling really tired.”
And he answered, “I could come over and make you more tired.” Oddly enough, that did not appeal to me.
Just because a woman is on a dating app doesn’t mean she’s automatically down to be your sext buddy or one-night stand. Pay attention to what she’s saying, and treat her like a person. You’ll be surprised how often that strategy puts you heads and shoulders above the other men in her inbox.
Is It Worth Upgrading to a Premium Membership?
I wouldn’t go straight for the upgrades, but it is worth considering if you’ve been using the free membership on an app for a week or two without getting many matches. If you have the cash and want to speed things up, then it could be worth getting a one-month or three-month subscription.
Prices for such memberships tend to fall somewhere between $15-40 a month. Sometimes you can do a one-time payment for a single perk, such as a temporary profile boost.
I’d look for premium memberships that offer perks that can move the needle for you. Being able to see who’s liked your profile is an example of an impactful feature that can help guys go from no matches to quite a few matches because they’re no longer swiping blindly.
Advanced search filters can also be worth paying for IF they include important dealbreakers that matter to you.
Caveat: Premium memberships can’t work magic. If your profile is nothing but bland responses and blurry photos, you’re not going to get many likes or matches until you fix that issue first.
Are Dating Apps for Men Safe to Use?
Yes, men (particularly if they’re straight) face far fewer online dating threats than women do. About 61% of men in a survey said they believe online dating is safe. The male respondents were more likely to complain about receiving too few messages than about receiving inappropriate or threatening messages.
The chief hazard for single men online is encountering a fake profile or catfishing photos. Luckily, this is easily remedied. Online daters can request a selfie or a video date to confirm a match's identity and establish trust.
It's pretty common to do some background research on social media as well — just to make sure the dating profile is legit.
Online dating is perfectly safe as long as men keep an eye out for red flags and never give money to a person they have not met face to face.
How Do I Choose the Best Dating App for Men?
Go with your gut, dude. There's no absolute best dating app that guarantees success for every user. Your success is dependent on where you are, who you are, and how lucky you are. It's going to be a bit of a gamble no matter what. So go where you feel comfortable.
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If you like the idea of meeting a lot of single people at once, then a popular dating app may be your best bet to maximize opportunities to connect.
Less outgoing and more discerning singles may want to try a niche dating site where they will be surrounded by their type — and not overwhelmed by too many options.
Remember, you don't have to pick just one app. Many singles use two or three apps simultaneously to up their odds of finding a compatible date.
How We Tested the Best Dating Apps for Men
Our team evaluated each dating app from a male dater's perspective. We assessed the size and activity of the dating pool, messaging rules, free features, search and matching tools, safety features, value for money, and how much opportunity men have to stand out through photos, icebreakers, and messages.
What Makes a Good Dating App for Men: The best apps have streamlined algorithms, helpful search filters, proven success rates, and robust profile verification tools.
An experienced dating app reviewer created a male profile on each of these apps and explored the free and paid features to see how they measured up.
We rated each app based on our evaluation of how likely the typical man would be to get dates and have a positive experience on the app.
Single Men Can Swipe Their Way to a Hot Date
Single guys make up roughly half the dating population, and they face unique challenges in the online dating scene. They're the ones expected to initiate and pursue dates. Women are (mostly) not going to come find them. It takes a lot of effort and charm.
If he's new to online dating, the average single guy can struggle to say the right thing and get positive responses.
Fortunately, the best dating apps for men act like a wingman by offering icebreaker suggestions and match recommendations that facilitate new romances.
The dating platforms on this list have highly sophisticated matchmaking tools that have proven successful for men of all ages, backgrounds, and sexual orientations. All you have to do is create a dating profile and start swiping — best of luck!
