Best Dating Apps

Whilst Tinder features in every list of best dating apps we wont spend much time on it. Chances are you know it already and what it’s best for! Its strength is also its weakness, the huge volume of potential matches may seem appealing at first but that quickly wears off when all the swiping doesn’t lead to any good dates or long term relationships.

Stories of Tinder marriages do exist but seem to have originated 4 or 5 years ago when Tinder was new and users were still optimistic about its revolutionary matching system. For a long time it held the title of best dating app, but now it’s time to move over!

Whilst the Bumble App is marketed very differently to Tinder, with its “double opt in” for women, (who have to swipe on a match they like first, then message their match first to confirm, “empowering them” in the decision making process,) the reality is women already “opt in” with the right swipe on Tinder! Messaging first to “opt in again” doesn’t really add any value. In fact most guys enjoy bumble as the “Sit back and let the women do the work” app!!!

The redeeming feature is the app marketing does appeal to those looking for something more serious than Tinder, so even though the dating app doesn’t offer anything new (Bumble BFF and Bumble Biz aside) the users are a bit more serious and you generally get a better experience. Although leading the market in claims to be the best dating app it’s not our top pic.

If you’re looking for one a top dating app that prioritises quality over quantity, then the CLiKD Dating App is where it’s at. The dating app prides itself on helping people build deeper connections and finding common ground before you match. Their USP is their 3 Dealbreaker questions that users have to answer as part of the ‘liking’ process. They have an ever-expanding bank of either/or questions for users to choose from and they can also create their own to personalise the experience.

To match, both users have to get at least 2/3 of each other’s Dealbreakers right. The dealbreakers act as a way to initial shared interests and act as great conversation starters if you match. This app appeals to a Gen Z and millennial audience and they also offer various paid packages where you can offer users a second chance if they fail your test and can take more people’s Dealbreakers on a daily basis. To our minds this is definitely one of the best apps for dating.

Unquestionably the Granddaddy of the online dating world (if you’re ignoring those pages in newspapers where you look for someone who likes long walks on the beach etc) Match.com and its accompanying app have been the go-to for singletons finding love – years before even Tinder. So, in that sense, what you get from Match as a bare minimum is years of working experience and positive feedback from over a decade worth of customers.

However, there is a correlation between the age of the site and the age of its customers. Match is definitely known for having an older user basis, and as a result, you’re expected to pay a bit more than usual to use the service – £29.99 for 1 month.

Inner Circle is the hip new dating app coming from Amsterdam that truly lives up to the name of calling itself a very private and the Inner Circle of singles. The app has a great design and is extremely easy and fun to use, and really the people that you will see on the app will make your mouth drop, since they truly do look as the most elite singles that you can find in the area. But first things first, getting into the app is not so easy and to even be able to see other members you have to be accepted by the Inner circle team, or you can be invited by another member of Inner Circle (aka, a friend that is already on the app).

To get in you have to show your LinkedIn or your Facebook and getting accepted can take actually between 24 hours to a few days. The reason for this is harsh and pretty obvious because they do seem to not accept everyone, bummer.  Once using it, you do have to pay in order to see your messages and matches that you have with other people, unless you invite 2 other friends, and they sign up as well. It’s a fun app to use, but being limited to only be able to text one match a time can be frustrating. The quality of the matches is far superior to other apps out there, and the people do seem to be very real and honest on the app.

Also, before lockdown, they had some good events (in real life!) that members could attend. Yes, you could actually meet in person! So, if you really do fancy a more select dating app with great people, then give Inner Circle a try. Just be ready to wait to be accepted and also be ready to pay a membership fee to see your messages.  

If you’re looking to match and chat with users for free, Plenty of Fish is the app for you. Billing itself as the dating app where the most conversations take place the company claims a billion messages are sent on its platform every month. Thats a lot of messages! 

Whilst it may not have all the bells and whistles associated with other apps, it offers a great alternative for you if you’re on a budget. A simple onboarding, sleek design, easy to use interface and great features such as in app prompts to help users engage in better conversations, make this the app for you if you want a genuinely easy to use and interactive dating app. Whilst many dating apps have some kind of limitation on messaging other users, Plenty of Fish’s value comes from the fact it removes monetary barriers when it comes to messaging users. 

That’s not to say it’s totally free – Plenty of Fish offers a premium service starting at £28.00 for 3 months and a Tokens system, both of which give access to you an array of interesting features. From more “Super Yes’s” that enable you to let someone know you really like them to message priority, a tool that pushes your messages to the top of another user’s inbox, the premium features are the perfect way to help boost your online dating life.

eHarmony was created back in the stone age (2000) for those who want to meet people who are interested in more than a one-night stand. This dating site is specifically for those who are ready to settle down and want a happy ever after marriage.

Starting out as a website, it now has more than 29 million members with a high percentage of older people. It uses a “compatibility system” (questionnaire.) This allows people to get the most accurate matches and to find like-minded members. According to the company, more than 60,000 couples have already married using eHarmony.

One of its disadvantages is that after you sign up and take a test, you will find that not all of the app´s features are free. This means you will need to buy a plan (it is the catfish of the dating app world). The minimum subscription is 6 months.

The thing is, it’s always best to try a dating site first and then decide if you want a long-term commitment. However, eHarmony doesn’t allow you to do that. The saving grace though is that they will offer you three months free if you don’t make any meaningful connections:

Get Meaningful Connections using eharmony, Or 3 Months On Us!*

With 40 million users in over 80 countries, Zoosk is the place to go if international dating is your thing. By scraping information from your attached social media accounts, Zoosk creates a profile for you. This makes the onboarding surprisingly easy, compared to other apps.

Even more surprising is the fact Zoosk has a nearly 50:50 split of male and female users, a rarity in the world of dating apps (where most of the time male users are in much, much higher numbers!) So if you’re looking for lots of options, whether you’re male or female – Zoosk has you covered. Unfortunately, the gender options are only male or female. However, Zoosk is gay, lesbian and queer-friendly, and caters for a wide range of ethnicities, religions and backgrounds.

Zoosk uses a “Behavioural Matchmaking” algorithm that takes into account all your actions on the app to find better recommendations. Who you’re liking, messaging and winking at is all filtered into the algorithm. The more you use the app, the better your matches will get. This alongside the ability to verify your profile, as well as its modern design makes Zoosk ideal for those looking for a dating app that’s quick to set up easy to use, and one that learns about who you like and what you’re after. Zoosk – More ways to meet your match

If you are looking to EliteSingles – Get to know like-minded people in a safe and secure environment, then EliteSingles is for you. Although we have all heard the warnings about all work and no play, EliteSingles caters to those who put career first! The app utilises a ‘personality test’ that considers all your actions on your profile to find highly compatible matches.

The premium account enables you to send and receive unlimited messages, view all your matches’ photos, and provide you up to 20 authentic partner suggestions per day. Additionally, EliteSingles also provides receive confirmation of read messages, thus calming your nerves when you already have enough stress at work. Now, working professionals – the wait is over, you can synergically find meaningful relationships with EliteSingles’ latest mobile dating app.