Tinder is easily one of the biggest names in the online and mobile dating space, but it isn’t the only name. Many Tinder alternatives have caught our eye as well.
Sure, it’s impressive that Tinder has fostered over 97 billion matches since its launch in 2012. However, not all those potential matches lead to real-life dates. The app inspires about 1.5 million dates each week — and not all those dates lead to hookups or relationships. So, there’s no guarantee that Tinder will work for you.
Maybe you’ve already concluded that Tinder isn’t right for you. Maybe you’ve been swiping to no avail for too long, and you’re ready to try something new.
If you’re looking for the best alternative to Tinder, we’ve got a lot of good options for you. The following dating sites and apps can offer a fresh start and a world of date possibilities for singles who are totally burnt out on Tinder.
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 can help serious daters get off the swiping carousel and land quality first dates in no time. The dating site’s profiles put more emphasis on personality than photos, so it can be a breath of fresh air for singles who dislike reducing their stories and experiences to a brief photo caption.
On Match, dating profiles are packed with insights about others. Free members can view profiles, send likes, and search for dates indefinitely, and they can upgrade to read and respond to messages. Match provides limited communication for free members, so subscribing is essential for the full experience.
While Match may require more investment (both in time and money) than Tinder, singles can also get more value out of their experience on Match. Only serious and mature daters will commit to a paid subscription package on Match, and that basically means almost everyone you talk to on Match is ready to meet a special person and build a serious relationship. Swipe right on Match if you’re done with flaky dates and want to find the real thing.
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
Launched in 2000, eharmony distinguished itself in the dating scene long before Tinder came along. The dating site’s mission is diametrically opposed to swipe culture. Instead of offering up dating profiles seemingly at random, eharmony curates a list of viable date candidates and offers compatibility ratings to guide singles to the right match.
How exactly does eharmony know who’s right for you? It asks you. The dating site has a lengthy signup process that includes a 32-dimension personality test on your likes, habits, goals, values, and personality quirks. Once you’ve given your answers, eharmony will compare them with others in your area and highlight the profiles that share similar sensibilities.
If you see the green word “compatible” on a profile, that means you scored over 90% in the compatibility ratings, and you guys have a lot in common. Singles can get to know one another on a deeper level thanks to eharmony’s personality-driven matchmaking.
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
Not finding that many fast dates on Tinder? Then join NaughtyCharm, the top hookup site for singles over 18. There’s no pretense or playing hard to get on NaughtyCharm. Everyone is here for one reason and one reason only: to have sex.
NaughtyCharm uses a Tinder-like swiping system in its Like Gallery where users see a profile photo (no bio or extraneous details) and answer the question “Cute or Not?” The hookup site also has search filters that allow hot singles to find one another more quickly. After a little hassle-free browsing, you’ll find yourself surrounded by date prospects eager to get steamy in the bedroom.
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
Tinder is a notoriously young dating app, and seniors may not have the best luck here. That’s what niche dating communities like OurTime are for. OurTime caters to singles over 50 and fosters real friendships and relationships.
The OurTime matching system is thoughtful, value-oriented, and straightforward. Members get Daily Match Recommendations based on their dating preferences and history of likes. They can also explore Community Updates, Who Viewed Me, New Members Nearby, and other Notifications to find profiles worth sending a flirt or message to.
Members can also use Tokens to promote their profiles, send virtual gifts, and get placed in someone’s Daily Matches. Only premium members can send messages on OurTime, so that means you can enjoy a high-caliber conversation without worrying about getting spammed. OurTime’s commitment to keeping members safe has helped it grow its community around the globe.
- 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
If you’re bored to tears by white-bread mainstream dating, then you may want to give BlackPeopleMeet a try. This niche dating site caters to black singles in the U.S. and Canada, and people of all racial backgrounds are welcome to join in the fun.
BlackPeopleMeet offers a diverse dating network where African-American singles are in the majority and dark skin is a definite turn on. As a free member, you can search for dates on your own and send flirts to the ones who catch your eye, or you can go to the Matches section to see who BlackPeopleMeet recommends for you.
Tinder doesn’t publish any of its success stories, but BlackPeopleMeet does. These testimonials speak to the life-changing impact the dating site can have in people’s lives.
- 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
AdultFriendFinder is a hookup app with over 97 million profiles to its name. The sex-positive database has been around since 1996 — which is 16 years longer than Tinder — and it has attracted attention by offering adults a space where they can let go of their inhibitions.
If you want a one-night stand, threesome, or hookup, you can mingle with a sexy crowd on AFF and see what happens. The public dating forums, erotic blogs, live video strip teases, and private messaging all serve to get people into the mood and help them discover their sexuality.
You can cut right to the chase on AdultFriendFinder and use the search tab to find the hottest local singles and swingers. And, the best part is, you don’t have to be a mutual match to send a message.
7. Plenty of Fish
PlentyOfFish can offer a large dating pool to singles seeking love and romance. It’s free to create a profile, browse matches, and chat on the POF website and app, and over 4 million active users log in every day to have an online conversation and arrange an IRL date.
As a free dating platform, PlentyOfFish can offer a world of dating opportunities to singles on a budget. As long as you follow the POF community guidelines, you’re welcome to flirt in this friendly community.
Founded in Vancouver in 2003, PlentyOfFish has entered the dating scene with the saying “There are plenty of fish in the sea.” Just how many? More than 150 million are registered in the POF database. The site spans 20 countries and is available in 11 languages, allowing you to search far and wide for your ideal match.
8. OkCupid
OkCupid is one of Tinder’s biggest competitors, taking up 10% of the online dating market, according to a 2016 study. The dating site and app offer completely free and unlimited communication to all users, and its intelligent match algorithm shepherds compatible people together so those conversations yield quality dates.
Every week, OkCupid members land over 50,000 dates on the platform. Many of these first dates lead to second dates because users have compatibility ratings to help them find common ground more quickly.
Since 2004, OkCupid has taken a data-driven approach to matchmaking, and its in-depth profiles, Q&A section, and advanced search tools encourage singles to get to know one another online before agreeing to meet up offline. You can express your personality and highlight your hobbies, fandoms, pet peeves, and passions on your OkCupid profile and thus attract someone who likes you for you.
9. Grindr
Grindr is often called the gay Tinder, but it actually launched three years before Tinder, so it’d probably be more accurate to call Tinder “straight Grindr.” The names may sound similar, but these two dating apps couldn’t be more different.
For one thing, Grindr supports an all-male membership base. It does not have features for straight or lesbian singles. Another difference is in the way Grindr recommends dating profiles to its users. The dating app prioritizes location above all other factors. The dating profiles geographically closest to you will always rank at the top of its list, and you can see approximately where that person is — which means you can ask him out immediately.
“No other popular dating app is so deliberately streamlined towards meeting immediately,” according to a review by The Face.
With nearly 4 million members, Grindr boasts being the largest social networking app for gay, bi, trans, and queer guys. It’s got the gay dating market cornered, and it’s a great alternative to Tinder if you’re a man seeking men.
Tinder may claim to be gay-friendly, but we’re not really buying it. Today’s gay and bi singles are better off on a niche dating app like Grindr where their interests come first. In our estimation, Grindr has a greater capacity to satisfy gay and bi singles and connect them to the hottest men in town.
10. Badoo
Badoo is a fast-growing dating app with a massive membership base. Over 448 million users in 180 countries have joined the network and embraced Badoo’s fun approach to online dating. In total, over 350 million messages are sent every day on Badoo.
Singles can browse the Encounters tab to view top-rated profiles and generate mutual matches. If swiping really isn’t your thing, then you can search People Nearby by gender, age, location, and other important factors. Members also have to specify whether they’re online to make new friends, chat, or date, so Badoo can find folks who are looking for the same things.
Badoo was one of the first dating apps to integrate videos into its messaging and profile setup, and that feature has led to increased engagement and flirtation on the platform.
In the words of the Badoo team, “We believe there is someone for everyone. We have become the largest social discovery network in the world because we have created the best tools to connect people.”
11. Happn
Happn is a dating app that thrives on chance encounters. It uses your smartphone’s location data to pair you with people you’ve crossed paths with once, twice, or multiple times in your daily routine — but you might not have noticed them standing behind you in line or sitting next to you at a café. Thanks to Happn, singles get another shot at connecting with local sweethearts.
Happn notifies you when you’re in close proximity to a match, and you can choose to send a like to get that person’s attention. If the person likes you back, then it’s a Crush, and you can start chatting.
Many singles enjoy the organic way Happn introduces people, and the app has a 4.1 star rating on Google Play. “I’ve literally only been on this app for 20 seconds, and it’s already everything I’ve been looking for,” said Angela R.
12. Bumble
If Tinder had an arch-nemesis, it’d probably be Bumble. These two dating apps have a well-known rivalry that began in 2014 when Tinder Co-Founder Whitney Wolfe Herd left the company and launched what she characterized as a female-friendly alternative to swipe culture. Around that same time, she sued Tinder for sexual harassment, robbing her of her rightful title as a co-founder, and creating a hostile work environment.
Bumble is Whitney’s answer to gender-based issues in the online dating scene. She saw women overwhelmed with creepy messages and men failing to get responses to their pickup lines, and she decided to institute a system that would empower women to be the gatekeepers in their online matches. Once a mutual match is formed, the woman has to send a message within 24 hours, or the chat will disappear.
On Bumble, women make the first move, and that sets the tone for the conversation going forward. This progressive dating app has appealed to online daters who consider themselves feminists and want more quality control in their inboxes.
Tinder has since copied Bumble’s ladies-first feature and sued Bumble for being a “Tinder-clone,” so it’s safe to say the bad blood between these two dating companies is alive and well.
13. Skout
You can easily scout the dating scene with Skout downloaded on your phone. The top-rated dating app has won people over with its social media-like setup and live chat features. The dating app encourages singles to socialize and make connections with people around the corner or around the globe.
One of Skout’s stand-out features is called Go Live. With this feature, members can broadcast their stories to a live audience and wrack up the likes and hearts while they’re at it.
Since 2007, Skout has brought singles around the world together. The dating network is active in 180 countries, and it has inspired countless friendships, romances, and relationships.
“I am so relieved to have found this app,” said Isaac B. in a review. “This app is by far the best!”
14. Hinge
Hinge is more than a dating app — it’s a relationship app. From the beginning, Hinge’s founders have endeavored to stake out a middle ground between old-school pay-to-chat dating sites and new-school casual-swiping dating apps. The result is a free, quality-driven dating app that’s “designed to be deleted,” meaning you find a romantic match and get off the app for good.
The Hinge matchmaking process is much more about who you are and what you want, and that makes it worlds better than Tinder’s looks-based system.
The goal on Hinge is to inspire compatible matches, and the app uses a unique chatting system to make that happen. You don’t just send likes here. You have to like or comment on a specific photo or prompt to express your interest in someone else. If the interest is mutual, you’ll be invited to chat. Hinge profiles offer six photos and three prompts (things like “What’s your favorite Disney movie?” and “What are your dealbreakers?”) to get the conversation started.
I’m biased toward Hinge because I met my boyfriend there, but I’m not the only one who’s had success with its personality-driven matching. Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg met his husband on Hinge, saying they felt fireworks on their first date. There are a lot of Hinge couples out there, and many of their love stories are rather touching.
Is Tinder Only a Hookup App?
No, Tinder is much more than just a hookup app. While the swiping system can encourage superficial and even flaky dating behavior, it can also help serious daters land awesome dates. Believe it or not, plenty of long-term relationships have started on Tinder.
If you need more convincing, you can hear it straight from the users themselves. In a survey of 300,000 singles on Tinder, over 80% of users said they’re looking for a long-term relationship on the app. Some wouldn’t say no to a hookup though.
A 25-year-old single named Dan said he’s open to everything. “Hookup, long-term relationship, short-term relationship,” he shared. “As long as I’m enjoying myself. I don’t want to limit my options.” You do you, Dan.
How Can I Be Successful On Tinder?
If you want to be successful on Tinder, you’ve got to do the work. Whether you’re looking for a hookup or a relationship, your success in the online dating scene is entirely dependent on the effort you put into the search and the quality you bring to every match. Tinder’s match algorithm can’t deliver a hot date to your door. It’s on you to set up an attractive profile, send flirtatious messages, and attract attention from the types of singles you want to date.
Tinder is a competitive dating environment, so you’ll have to be proactive and responsive to capture dates here. If you treat online dating like a side hustle and put in the hours, you’re bound to develop a dating strategy that works for you.
I’ve known single guys and gals who use Tinder on a regular basis to pick up dates on the weekend, and I think the biggest key to success with Tinder is going into it with low expectations and low-ish standards because you can’t control the quality of people you meet in the swiping scene.
Do You Get More Matches With Tinder Gold?
Tinder Gold perks include the ability to see who’s liked you, the ability to rewind your last swipe, up to five Super Likes a day, unlimited likes, one Boost per month, and the ability to swipe with people around the world. Plus, an ad-free experience. What more could you ask for? How about more matches in your inbox.
Well, unfortunately, all the perks in the world can’t make more people choose to swipe right on you. Paid subscribers enjoy more privileges on the dating app, and sometimes that yields good results. Tinder can highlight your profile, and you can Super Like people to up your odds of getting positive attention, but it’s never guaranteed that you’ll have more matches as a result.
Tinder Isn’t Your Only Alternative in the Dating Scene
Tinder is an undeniably impressive dating app. It sees over 2 billion views a day, and it leads to over 1.5 million dates per week. That doesn’t mean it’s working for everyone, though. If you’re interested in a particular type of date or you’re not into the swiping scene, then you’ll probably enjoy other dating apps more than Tinder.
We’ve listed several trustworthy alternatives to Tinder to help singles explore their options and get a feel for what’s out there. It’s free to sign up to any or all of these apps, and we recommend giving a few a try before settling on your favorite.
While Tinder may have the reputation, the stats, and the features on its side, it’s not the end-all be-all of online dating. You can meet your perfect match on one of many Tinder alternatives, so seek out dating sites and apps that cater more toward your interests. Happy swiping!
