Hookup culture may seem like it’s everywhere, but not every dating app is a hookup app. I know plenty of couples who met their perfect match online and got into a long-term relationship, and that kind of success story is possible for you too!
Finding a date can be nerve-wracking, especially when you’re unsure about someone’s true intentions. Figuring out who is serious and who is just looking for something casual can be tiring if you’re hoping for real love.
Online dating can work for more than just a casual hookup and to prove it we’ve ranked the best dating sites for meeting your soulmate.
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 »
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The dating site Match is an oldie but a goodie. Match.com launched in 1995 on a mission to help people build genuine relationships that lead to marriage. Over the years, Match has established a good reputation for helping singles build authentic relationships that go way deeper than casual flings.
Singles falsely believe they have to lower their standards to find a date — but that’s not the case on Match. The dating platform’s simple matchmaking process pairs members based on their preferences. Match suggests profiles with compatible views, values, and goals. This allows you to take the lead on your dating journey.
Match is a free dating site to join, and some chat features are free as well. Members can chat freely with Top Picks and respond to all incoming messages. If you want access to unlimited messaging and enhanced features such as seeing who viewed your profile, then you should upgrade to Match’s paid membership.
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 »
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eharmony is a dating hub where single people can find genuine love. Members don’t have to worry about being solicited for casual sex because everyone on the app has the same goal –– to get who gets you. The eharmony app offers singles a real chance to meet people who share the same interests and beliefs.
The eharmony team is like the ultimate wingman for your dating journey. You can take a compatibility quiz to really hone in on your perfect matches. After completing the quiz, eharmony provides a special compatibility breakdown just for you.
Free members can upgrade to a premium membership to unlock unlimited messaging and exclusive dating content.
What’s cool about eharmony is the mature and diverse singles community it supports. eharmony uses a smart filter system to empower niche dating communities for Christian dating and gay dating. To ensure that members never feel alone in the process, the team offers sound dating advice on its blog and email newsletter.
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 »
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OurTime is a senior dating site that strives to change the way older singles date. Online dating isn’t just a solution for the younger generation, and OurTime proves that. OurTime creates meaningful connections between single people in the 50+ age range.
OurTime members often are looking to remarry, marry for the first time, or simply find companionship –– and pretty much no one is trying to waste time on casual dating.
OurTime emphasizes making the most out of your time and turning “what ifs” into what can be. The senior dating service gives older people a chance to start fresh in the dating world. Members can engage in text conversations and discover shared interests thanks to the simple interface.
Users can browse profiles freely but unlimited communication costs a bit extra. OurTime has a premium membership plan starting at $29.96 per month. A lot of users prefer going the premium membership route to unlock more messaging tools. As it stands now, free members on OurTime can only message people in their Top Picks list.
- 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 »
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BlackPeopleMeet is a Black dating app dedicated to connecting single people with diverse backgrounds and strong cultural values. As an African American woman, I understand how important it is to keep #BlackLove alive. Black daters can connect on a deeper level through shared traditions and similar upbringings.
BPM Founder Jack launched the BPM dating website in 2002 when online dating was still in its infancy. His primary goal was to create a hub for Black people to thrive and find common interests.
BlackPeopleMeet is now considered the number one Black dating app in the U.S. and Canada. The Black community is a primary focus of BlackPeopleMeet. The team is always working to develop new ways to engage and strengthen the community.
Finding a local match is relatively easy on BlackPeopleMeet. The site and app have search filters by age, ZIP code, height, religion, and appearance, among other compatibility factors. The BPM app has over 5 million members currently, so a new user won’t soon run out of profiles to view and new connections to explore.
5. Hinge
Hinge is a popular dating app for college students, single professionals, and anyone else with serious dating intentions. Since 2012, the Hinge platform has defined itself as more than the typical hookup app. Its slogan “designed to be deleted” encapsulates the ultimate goal of the matchmaking game — to be so effective that a single person no longer needs it because they’re no longer single.
As a relationship app, Hinge carries a heavy responsibility and has all sorts of features to discourage superficial dating. Hinge profiles offer six photos and four prompts to spark conversations and meaningful connections. According to data from its Date Feedback feature, Hinge users report a 70% success rate of first dates leading to second dates, so the system is clearly working well.
Hinge matches singles people based on their location and personal compatibility. The app has date preferences according to a variety of lifestyle factors, including religious beliefs, political values, and the desire to have children. Hinge users can message their mutual matches with a free subscription, and they can send an initial greeting to anyone they fancy on their swipe list.
“I met my boyfriend with this app. And I am pretty happy we matched. We are very compatible and there wouldn’t be any other way to meet each other. Other than using this app. So I am very grateful for the hinge app,” said a Hinge user in a review.
6. Bumble
The dating app known as Bumble has over 100 million members, and fewer than 1% of them report looking for a casual hookup. If you think you know all about online dating, think again because Bumble isn’t your ordinary dating app. Bumble challenges the antiquated rules of dating and builds meaningful connections between all types of people.
The Bumble app promotes gender equality in dating by upending the traditional gender norm where a man has to make the first move. Women have the exclusive right to make the first move in matches with a man. Once a couple of the opposite sex has matched, the woman will need to send an opening line to unlock communication and allow the man to message her back. He cannot message her first.
Bumble empowers singles to take control of their dating journey and become more confident in themselves. The majority of Bumble users are college students, single professionals, and young feminist daters who resonate with the app mission.
“We prioritize kindness and respect, providing a safe online community for users to build new relationships,” said the Bumble team.
7. Coffee Meets Bagel
Coffee Meets Bagel is a dating app for serious daters. The team has reported that 91% of members are on the app to find committed relationships. Coffee Meets Bagel’s main objective is to introduce couples to compatible matches that can go the distance. Its interface is famous for prioritizing quality over quantity by capping the number of profile likes and views a person can make in a day.
Coffee Meets Bagels equips singles to go on their last first date. From the very beginning, the app founders emphasized the importance of helping people connect organically and safely. The dating app supports genuine conversations between high-quality matches.
The app’s detailed and engaging dating profiles put personality front and center, and that helps conversations start on the right foot. Plus, Coffee Meets Bagels has fun icebreakers that members can use to get to know one another without the pressure of coming up with a witty pickup line.
8. Facebook Dating
Compared to other online dating sites, Facebook Dating is a rather new dating platform on the scene. The service launched in 2019 as a pet project of Mark Zuckerberg. Facebook Dating is accessible only through the Facebook app, but the dating activity is completely separate from the mainstream newsfeed on the social media site.
Facebook Dating provides singles with the necessary tools to start deep conversations and create meaningful relationships.
Facebook Dating is a completely free online dating service. Seriously, there’s no catch! Free registration, free chatting, free matches — no payment needed ever.
Users can slide into each other’s DMs and send likes and messages as they please. Facebook Dating is a great option for singles on a budget and looking to explore the dating scene without a lot of pressure. Facebook Dating is not nearly as popular as Match, Tinder, and other mainstream dating sites, but it’s a great introduction into how online dating works.
FAQs: Do Real Relationships Actually Start on Dating Apps?
Long story short –– yes! There are so many success stories that you can find on the web that share how impactful online dating can be. Online dating is actually the most popular way to meet a future spouse these days.
Online dating is a risk, but a risk worth taking if you’re looking for the love of your life. Our experts firmly believe that online dating is worth a try because no other way of meeting people has proven as convenient, efficient, and successful. Definitely beats trolling for dates at a local bar! Not to mention it’s free to create a dating profile, so it’s not unlikely that you’ll find true love for the low cost of nothing at all.
Which Discreet Dating Site Works Best?
Ashley Madison is a discreet married dating app that is perfect if you’re looking to date down on the low. Members of Ashley Madison don’t have to worry about their business being put into the spotlight. The dating service has discreet services that include photo masking, a nondescript app icon, and private invite-only galleries.
- 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
Since it launched in 2001, Ashley Madison has gained a naughty reputation for helping people explore their sexual desires and even purse an extramarital affair. Over the years, Ashley Madison has seen over 80 million registrations by married people, poly individuals, and casual daters. If that sounds like your crowd, it’s worth signing up for a free membership to encounter local matches.
What’s the Best Dating Site for Jewish Singles Seeking Love?
Jdate is the largest Jewish dating site in the game right now. Jdate is all about helping Jewish singles find a date with similar beliefs and backgrounds. For over 30 years, Jdate has inspired serious relationships and marriages between Jewish people, and your love story could be next!
Safety is a high priority. The customer care team reviews each dating profile upon signup and flags any obvious catfish users or scammers trying to infiltrate the Jewish community.
If your safety is important to you while online dating, Jdate is a great dating site and app to explore and establish genuine connections.
“I’ve had a pretty good experience with this site so far. I would recommend them for sure,” said Becky, a Jdate user in a review.
Pick the Right Dating Platform to Find True Love
Many online dating platforms are dedicated to helping singles find a committed and long-term relationship. When joining a serious dating service, singles don’t have to worry about playing games and can openly share their intentions to fall in love and get married.
Despite the prevalence of hookup culture, not all dating sites are for hookups, and serious daters don’t have to settle for the likes of Tinder in their search for a partner.
Remember that online dating is a numbers game, so don’t just stick to one app or site. The more you try, the higher your odds of meeting someone special. Best of luck!
