Most dating companies don’t publish a lot of app statistics or membership demographics, so our experts had to do some digging to calculate dating site male-to-female ratios for the top names in the business.
The gender split in the online dating scene isn’t always strictly 50-50. And that can sometimes be a good thing. A single person can find a swiping advantage by choosing the right terrain with less competition and more date opportunities.
By using a combination of web analytics and sampling data, we have found the truth behind the impressive membership statistics and marketing language. Here’s a breakdown of the gender ratio on the most popular dating sites on the market.
1. Match — 49% Men, 51% Women
Since its establishment in 1995, Match has cultivated a friendly atmosphere where both single men and single women can feel comfortable. The dating platform has a relatively even gender split across the board.
- 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 Group has earned a good reputation for fair play in the dating world. The dating site and app facilitate free communication between highly compatible matches, and it consistently ranks among the most female-friendly dating sites on the web.
2. eharmony — 48% Men, 52% Women
Over the last two decades, eharmony has earned a stellar reputation as a relationship dating site. It appeals to singles of all types, but women, in particular, seem to have embraced psychology-driven matchmaking.
About 52% of eharmony users are women, and 48% are men. The majority of these users are looking for opposite-sex matches, though the dating site is open to same-sex matching as well.
- 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
Our dating experts recommend trying eharmony if you’re serious about finding a compatible date. The balanced male-to-female ratio works out well for online daters, and the scientific match ratings expedite the search for love.
3. OurTime — 48% Men, 52% Women
OurTime has a strong following in the senior dating community. Over 1 million people have signed up to the niche dating site or downloaded the dating app, and they are all looking for dates in the over-50 age group.
The female-to-male ratio is nearly equal at 50:50, but women slightly outnumber men, likely because women tend to live longer.
- 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 empowers senior singles to pursue romantic relationships on their terms. They don’t have to be very tech-savvy to get the hang of this dating platform. Its free membership even includes some communication options.
4. BlackPeopleMeet — 47% Men, 53% Women
Since 2002, BlackPeopleMeet has won the respect of plenty of many singles in the Black community, and it boasts having the largest concentration of African American singles online.
Black queens can truly feel at home within the BPM network. With over 53% of members being women, you can expect a community that’s not interested in playing games with boys or dealing with insincere players.
- 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
BlackPeopleMeet provides a free dating space where Blackness is celebrated. People of all gender and racial identities are welcome on this dating platform, and its diverse atmosphere makes for some stimulating conversations and relationships.
5. NaughtyCharm — 48% Men, 52% Women
NaughtyCharm is a casual hookup site where singles can be honest about their kinks and desires. Female users have a distinct advantage over male users here — and not just because they’re in the majority. Single women enjoy unlimited free communication in the NaughtyCharm network, while men have to get a paid subscription to get in contact.
- 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
An online dater can embrace their sexy side on NaughtyCharm. It is among the most popular adult dating sites available, and it stimulates matches by giving single women a free boost in chats. So go ahead and flirt the night away!
6. Adult Friend Finder — 65% Men, 35% Women
Adult Friend Finder has over 105 million members to its name. And they’re all interested in a sexual experience with a potential match. Male users tend to outnumber female users on most hookup sites, and Adult Friend Finder is no exception. Single guys are in a solid 65% majority of the membership base.
- 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
The sex ratio on Adult Friend Finder isn’t exactly equal, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It just means male users have to work a little bit harder if they want to turn their online chat into a casual hookup. AFF members can browse X-rated content and send contact requests to any attractive dating profile they see.
7. FriendFinder-X — 64% Men, 36% Women
FriendFinder-X is another example of a sex site that attracts more men than women. Its membership base is 64% male and only 36% female. A single man will face a lot of romantic competition on FriendFinder-X, but he will also have a lot of sexually explicit photos and videos at his fingertips.
- 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
FriendFinder-X offers a dynamic and discreet dating environment, empowering singles to add some excitement to their love lives. Women who embrace their sexuality will find plenty of potential matches to choose from.
8. MenNation — 95% Men, 5% Nonbinary
When assessing dating site gender ratios, MenNation is an easy one. This gay hookup site boasts a male-dominated scene where guys can be themselves and build romantic connections.
About 95% of MenNation users identify as male, while the remaining 5% include queer, nonbinary, and transgender individuals seeking LGBTQ+ friends and partners.
- 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 is an online dating site for men seeking no-strings gay sex. So it’s a pretty wild place to browse. Between the dick pics and the strip tease videos, this dating pool has everything LGBTQ+ men could desire from their late-night chat room.
9. Ashley Madison — 71% Men, 29% Women
Ashley Madison made a scandalous start in 2001 as an unabashedly risqué affair dating site. Now it has over 65 million users around the world, and many of them are not technically single.
Our dating experts have found a gender imbalance on Ashley Madison. Over 70% of users are men, and less than 30% are women.
- 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
Recently, Ashley Madison has endeavored to attract more female signups by providing free communication options to women on the dating site. That strategy is making a difference in how active female users are in comparison to male users, and we expect the female-to-male gender ratio will become more equal as word spreads about Ashley Madison’s female-friendly features.
10. Tinder — 55% Men, 50% Women
Tinder has a reputation for stimulating sexy chats and casual hookups, but the dating app has also led to countless friendships and relationships. Its open-ended swiping setup has sparked over 75 billion matches and satisfied singles of every gender identity and sexual orientation.
As far as the gender ratio is concerned, Tinder users see a pretty even split. Men have a slightly majority at 55% of the user base. Nonbinary options are available but account for less than 1% of all users.
Of course, when it comes to user messaging and swiping it isn’t exactly an equal playing field on this dating app. A Tinder user named Lucas said on Quora that his experience on the dating app differed wildly from that of his female friends. While he struggled to get matches or conversations, the single women he knew were inundated by pickup lines and date invites.
“In short, Tinder does work a LOT more for girls — but not because it’s Tinder, because it’s dating,” Lucas concluded. “Girls get more likes because boys are how we are and girls are how they are.”
11. Bumble — 41% Men, 59% Women
It’s no surprise that women outnumber men on Bumble. This app proudly promotes feminism and is best known for letting women take the lead by sending the first message in a match.
Nearly 6 out 10 Bumble users are women, and the rest are men who respect a woman’s choice and want to enjoy more progressive and equal relationships.
Bumble brought strong values and smart matchmaking to the dating market in 2014. Today, the female-led company has expanded its mobile network worldwide and surpassed 100 million downloads. The dating app puts women first and gives them greater control over their online dating prospects — and that has been key to Bumble’s success.
From the beginning, Bumble has rejected hookup culture and given female users free rein to determine their dating destiny. So it should come as no surprise that women outnumber men on this app.
12. Plenty of Fish — 60% Men, 40% Women
The Plenty of Fish database is huge and constantly in flux, so it’s hard to narrow down an exact gender ratio for this free dating service. At one point in 2008, POF boasted a gender breakdown of 56% male users and 44% female users. However, its free messaging has made it one of the most popular dating sites for men, and the number of male users on the platform has noticeably increased.
According to our calculations, the male-to-female gender ratio is about 60:40 on Plenty of Fish.
Every app user on POF has free chatting opportunities at their disposal. They don’t even have to wait for a mutual match to say hello. The dating platform allows its members to send up to 55 unsolicited messages per day, and there is no character or messaging limit once a private chat has been established.
13. OkCupid — 50% Men, 50% Women
When it launched in 2004, OkCupid was on a mission to find the formula for love to help the modern dater. The free platform includes an in-depth questionnaire, open-ended personality prompts, and savvy swiping lists that simulate compatible matches.
Our estimate for OkCupid’s gender ratio is about 50-50, but users should know the dating site doesn’t demand a binary gender choice. The platform has 22 gender options available.
It’s completely free to create an OkCupid dating profile, take the personality test, and send a greeting to a potential match. The dating platform calculates compatibility based on shared interests and values, thus making it easy to form a deep connection with someone new.
14. Grindr — 94% Men, 6% Nonbinary
Grindr is a gay dating app with over 27 million members around the globe. It is easily the most popular hookup app for gay and bisexual guys. Every app user must be over 18 and identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Over 94% of Grindr members are male, and the others identify across the gender spectrum.
Grindr uses location-based matchmaking to spur gay connections that have the potential to grow into a real relationship or casual hookup. The platform sees over 3 million app users per day, and it facilitates real-time chatting for free.
15. Hinge — 59% Men, 41% Women
Known as the relationship app, Hinge provides a level playing field for both men and women. The swiping lists contain many viable date opportunities, and chatting is free for all mutual matches. By collecting post-date feedback, the Hinge team has perfected its matchmaking tools and lived up to its motto of being designed to be deleted.
Men slightly outnumber women on Hinge — and that is actually good news for single ladies with this app. Women don’t have to compete for attention on this app. They’ll receive a slew of matches and messages with minimal effort. In fact, internal Hinge studies have shown that the app has a stellar track record for inspiring deep relationships both online and offline.
16. Coffee Meets Bagel — 42% Men, 58% Women
Coffee Meets Bagel is an online dating app geared toward relationship seekers in the U.S. and abroad. The company was founded by three sisters in California, so it is fitting that single women make up the majority of active users.
About 58% of Coffee Meets Bagel’s members identify as female, and 42% identify as male.
The CMB app promotes a female-friendly dating atmosphere. Its matchmaking system encourages individuals to get to know each other and form meaningful connections. Since its launch in 2012, the app has been downloaded over 21 million times.
17. Badoo — 70% Men, 30% Women
With over 512 million users, Badoo is easily among the most popular dating apps in the world. But its gender divide is pretty stark. About 70% of Badoo members are male, and 30% are female.
Straight men may find their swiping options are limited on Badoo, but they can always upgrade to a paid plan to get access to more features and enjoy greater visibility online.
According to its internal stats, Badoo sees over 12 billion swipes a day, and it adds about 2 million new users every week. The app has interactive photo and video tools to encourage social engagement and romance, but it’s most useful feature is the one-on-one communication.
18. Happn — 60% Men, 40% Women
Happn is a dating app that uses real-time location to inspire matches. It takes data directly from the app user’s smartphone and identifies any common ground they may have. The dating app can generate a map of public places where two users have crossed paths.
Despite Happn’s privacy assurances, single women seem to be more hesitant to jump aboard this dating app. Its gender breakdown shows that 60% of users are men and 40% are women.
If you’re leery about Happn, you should know that you can turn off the location feature as desired. Plus, no Happn user’s exact location will ever be published or visible to other users.
19. HER — 0% Men, 100% Women
HER is a dating app created by women for women. Its gender imbalance is by design. The HER team actively removes male users who try to infiltrate this woman-only space. So the gender ratio isn’t actually a ratio at all — it’s all female, all the time.
By maintaining a 100% female membership. HER has distinguished itself as the top lesbian dating app in the industry.
HER publishes event calendars and swiping lists to spark real connections in the LGBTQ+ community. The app has over 10 million members in the U.S. and Europe, and all of them have been verified as authentic.
20. The League — 45% Men, 55% Women
The League is the passion project of a highly successful female entrepreneur. In 2014, Amanda Bradford designed a high-end dating app to help college-educated women play the field and never settle for second-rate dates.
“I’m not elitist; I’m just an alpha female,” Amanda said The League’s mission statement. “I wanted to build a community where smart, outspoken, high-achieving women are celebrated and encouraged.”
The League is in business to create power couples. Its men and women are at the top of their fields and want a partner who can keep up with their success. Perhaps due to its message of empowerment, the membership base has slightly more women than men in it. The male-to-female gender ratio is approximately 45:55.
21. Raya — 48% Men, 52% Women
Finally, Raya is a celebrity dating app with a lot of value to offer singles. Its membership base includes actors, models, athletes, investment bankers, and other highly desirable individuals. A little over half of members are women who have college degrees and promising careers.
Raya sets high standards for the online dating scene. The app only accepts about 8% of online dating applicants, and all users must verify that they are who they say they are. This is not a sugar daddy or sugar baby app. Raya users are extraordinarily talented and successful in their own right, and they’re looking for a partner on their level.
What Do Dating Site Male-to-Female Ratios Mean? Are They Truly Accurate?
Dating site male-to-female ratios aren’t set in stone. They provide a rough guideline for online daters but shouldn’t be viewed as absolute truth. New users sign up every day, so these percentages are always shifting. Most dating sites avoid sharing these numbers publicly because they can vary greatly with the seasons.
After doing exhaustive research, our experts have calculated gender ratios that are as accurate as possible — at least within a few percentage points. Of course, certain regions may differ from the norm, so online daters may see a tad more female or male profiles depending on where they are looking for matches.
How Do Dating Sites Actually Work?
Online dating is not all that complicated, and a single person doesn’t need any prior matchmaking experience to get the hang of it. The first thing they’ll do is describe themselves in a dating profile. Some dating apps only ask for some key demographics and a sentence or two for the bio, while others go more in-depth and have a relationship questionnaire that touches on everything from dating dealbreakers to personality quirks.
Typically, online dating users will need to upload at least one photo to complete the profile. Facebook Dating allows internet users to pull pics from their Facebook profile. Moderators often check these photos to make sure fakes are booted from the database. The best photos to post on a mobile dating app are ones that clearly show your face and don’t have anyone else in the shot.
Once the dating profile is complete, a new user can begin conducting a search for a potential match. Sometimes that may involve swiping through a preselected list of profiles or creating custom filters to narrow down the dating pool. Some apps provide match ratings to highlight the most desirable candidates. It’s up to individuals to take action by sending likes or messages to catch attention.
Free dating platforms will allow members instant communication options upon signup, while premium sites set up a paywall and only allow the cream of the crop to exchange messages.
Are Dating Sites Safe?
Online dating can be a secure way to meet new people and explore real relationships. You just need to be cautious when sharing personal details and arranging meetups. Keep an eye out for the occasional fake profile or romance scam.
Most of the warning signs of an untrustworthy match are pretty obvious — no picture, false name, requests for favors or money — but it’s always a good idea to do some background research to ensure a catfisher or liar doesn’t slip past your radar.
If a dating profile or chat makes you uneasy, don’t hesitate to hit the block button and report the user to ensure immediate action.
How Do I Choose the Best Dating Site?
As you can see from this list, the average online dater has a lot of online dating apps and adult dating sites to choose from — and sometimes it can be difficult to pick a favorite. Doing research by reading reviews and talking to single friends can help. But it’s also a good idea to use a free trial or free membership to get the lay of the digital landscape before making a big commitment.
Some dating platforms even allow free chatting, so active users may have no need for a paid subscription at all. For example, Match unlocks conversation windows between free members who have made a mutual match.
- 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 Photos Now
Whether you’re looking for a casual hookup or a long-term relationship, you’ll need to choose the right wingman to have the best chance of success. A free chat room may have the low-key vibes you’re looking for, or you may want the more intelligent matchmaking system of a relationship app to steer you to a potential partner.
Use the Stats to Find Your Online Dating Sweet Spot
Dating site male-to-female ratios can change from month to month and year to year, and it can be difficult for an individual to keep up with the trends.
Online dating statistics can offer a baseline to temper expectations as singles explore new digital terrain. Our analysis has outlined the core aspects of a dating service’s membership base and identified gender patterns that could predict online dating success based on a single person’s gender identity and sexual orientation.
We hope this list can help you find a dating site with the right balance of men and women (and non-binary folks, too!), so a worthwhile match is within reach. Best of luck!
