The best dating apps for men do a great job of addressing the gender imbalance in the dating scene.
The burden falls on single men to make moves to further a match. They have to be proactive and overcome fierce competition if they want to land a date. Men are often expected to take the lead in text conversations, and the fast-paced swiping scene can put a lot of pressure on them to perform.
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 difficult and intimidating from the male perspective, but the best dating apps for men strive to make it easier to find a successful match. Here are a few of the top wingmen for today’s single guys.
Match
- 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
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 to swipe and chat aimlessly. Approximately 75% of Match members are in the over-30 age group, so they tend to date with a purpose.
Match.com 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. Today, the Match Group is responsible for more love stories, relationships, and marriages than any other dating service or matchmaker in the industry.
eharmony
- 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
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 online dating website attracted attention for its scientifically backed questionnaire and mature match process.
A man can use eharmony to assess compatibility with a potential partner and pursue matches that show the most promise. The latest version of the dating app has introduced icebreaker quizzes and video chat features to facilitate thoughtful and engaging conversations. Advanced search filters are also available.
As of today, eharmony has been responsible for introducing about 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 is well-known in the over-50 dating crowd, particularly because it has a ton of helpful search features and an easy layout. Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
OurTime delivers a positive and hopeful message to senior singles seeking a new friend or date. The online dating site and app have 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.
Singles in the over-50 age group can make the most of their dating life by exploring OurTime and reaching out to any online crushes they see.
OurTime provides daily matches, search tools, and instant messaging to all users. However, paid subscribers have the advantage of using upgraded chatting options, including anonymous calls and voicemails.
- 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
For nearly two decades, 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.
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.
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
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 a list of your turn-ons.
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
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 in its adults-only chat room. Erotic content is everywhere, and it doesn’t take much prodding to arrange a casual hookup with a stranger.
The AFF community includes 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 looking for 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
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 an online dating profile. Photos are also optional but highly recommended because physical attraction starts with the visual.
FriendFinder-X forges a straightforward path to a potential match. 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 for singles who prefer to look first and date later.
MenNation
- Relationships: Daters & Hookups
- Match System: Search by age, zip code, more
- Our Experts Say: MenNation is a well-established gay dating and hookup brand, having been founded in 1996. It's totally free to join, view profiles, receive matches, and flirt. Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
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.
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 video chat 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 possibly even arrange a sexual encounter on the down low.
- 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
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 the user’s face in photos to keep a little mystery alive.
Over 80 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 can chat on Ashley Madison for free, while a man will have to pay a fee for the same privilege.
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.
Tinder has proven to be incredibly popular and successful in the online dating scene. 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.
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 encourage single men to make connections quickly and set their own standards for a potential match.
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 premium features at their disposal.
13. OkCupid
OkCupid launched in 2004 with an innovative and smart approach to online dating. The website used a lengthy 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, the online dating app includes over 4,000 questions that cover everything from sexual preferences to political stances. App users can answer as many (or as few) questions as they like in the search for romance.
The OkCupid team has crunched the numbers and determined that its platform is responsible for making about 91 million matches each year.
14. Badoo
Badoo maintains a 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 or follow the signup steps on the website to scout the terrain for themselves.
The Badoo dating pool is both large and diverse. It has seen more than 513 million signups and has attracted online daters of all ages. The platform also 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 major urban areas. A user will be able to find common ground with potential matches by perusing a map reference of public places where they could have conceivably crossed paths.
If two people frequent the same coffee shop or bookstore, Happn will mark them as a desirable match.
Happn’s unique system does not reveal anyone’s real-time location. Instead, it promotes the discovery of common interests based on shared 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 when it comes to selecting a potential partner. The League offers a rigorous screening process and quality matchmaking to ensure every match is worth getting to know better.
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. However, 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.
Over 100 million people have downloaded Bumble and searched for dates without being beholden to traditional gender roles.
Thanks to Bumble, straight men don’t have to worry about making the first move or coming up with a pickup line. They can actually sit back and wait for women to approach them. This can be a nice change of pace and inspire more active and interesting conversations.
18. Hinge
Last but certainly not least, Hinge is a dating app for relationship-minded singles. Its dating profiles feature six photos and three prompts that convey a lot of personality. Online daters can send likes, comments, or roses to show interest, and the app sends a notification when it’s their turn to respond to a message.
Hinge operates under the motto “designed to be deleted” because it hopes to help singles escape the endless swiping carousel.
I count myself among Hinge’s many success stories. My boyfriend 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.
How Do the Best Dating Apps for Men Work?
Online dating apps are easy to understand and master — it just may take some test tries 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. If you’re looking for a casual hookup, it’s best to make that clear. That way, relationship seekers don’t show up in your matches with the wrong impression. It saves time when online daters are on the same page about their desires and relationship goals (or lack thereof).
Once you’re satisfied with your profile, you’ll be able to explore new date possibilities by going to the search or swiping tab. 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 profile — to exchange messages and set up a date. Free dating sites like Plenty of Fish and Badoo are not as strict when it comes to messaging and allow relationships to grow more organically.
Are Dating Apps for Men Safe to Use?
Yes, men 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 concern for single men online is the hazard of fake profiles and 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 physical chemistry. 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 online dating red flags and never give money to a person they have not met face to face.
How Do I Know How to Choose the Best Dating App for Men?
Just go with your gut, dude. There is 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. If you like the idea of meeting a lot of single people at once, then Tinder, Badoo, or another popular dating app may be your best bet.
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 match options.
Is Coffee Meets Bagel a Good Dating App for Men?
Coffee Meets Bagel was the passion project of three single women in Silicon Valley, so it’s often characterized as a female-friendly dating app. But it can also be helpful to relationship-minded men.
Any single person who values quality over quantity will be well-served by the CMB community. The detailed profiles and personalized matches encourage users to get to know each other before they go out on a date.
Coffee Meets Bagel is an anti-swiping platform. The app limits the number of likes and matches that can be made in a day, and it automatically hides a conversation after a week. The chat can be reopened for an extra month if a user spends 99 beans. Beans are the virtual currency on the dating app; they can be earned for free by inviting friends to the app or following Coffee Meets Bagel on social media.
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. The burden to pursue dates largely falls on men, and it can take a lot of effort to establish a meaningful connection with a new person. If he’s new to online dating, the average single guy can struggle to say the right thing and get positive responses from potential dates.
Fortunately, the best dating apps for men can help eliminate such issues and promote opportunities to form new friendships, romances, and relationships.
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!
