Smartphones and the Internet have revolutionized many things, including dating. Finding someone special who shares the same interests as you can be a hard job, but the power of smart devices has made filtering through potential matches much easier. These days, there are quite a lot of dating apps to choose from; however, only a handful of them stand out. This article unites them in one comprehensive list.

Good to know: need to expand your social circle? Check out our post on how to find new real-life friends online!

1. Best for Variety: Tinder

Price: Free with premium options

Tinder (Android, iOS, Web) transformed contemporary dating by introducing the distinctive swipe left/right mechanic, a feature now widely adopted by the majority of dating apps.

Setting up your profile doesn’t take longer than a few minutes, then you’re free to start swiping potential matches. The main reason to join Tinder is the large variety of users. If you’re living in a relatively large city, it’s unlikely that you’ll run out of people to match with. The app does have a reputation as a hookup app, so if you’re more relationship-orientated, it may not be for you.

In the last few years, Tinder has started to prioritize fostering more meaningful connections by enabling users to add more details about their personality to their profile. This includes interests, links to Instagram/Spotify accounts, and star sign or lifestyle information. Another aspect we appreciate is the addition of interest groups, which you can join if you’re looking to connect with a certain type of people, such as Creatives or Music Lovers.

Tip: before you go on a (blind) date, you may want to set up a fake phone call so that you can excuse yourself elegantly if needed.

2. Best for Finding Compatible Matches: OkCupid

Price: Free with premium options

OkCupid (Android, iOS, Web) is a dating service that has been around for some time, receiving a pretty substantial makeover a few years back.

OkCupid’s stand-out feature is showing compatibility scores when viewing a potential match’s profile. These scores are based on a preliminary questionnaire everyone is asked to take when setting up their profiles for the first time. If you want to improve your chances of finding a perfect match, answer up to 100 questions. There’s also a “My ideal person” form that makes your preferences visible to potential matches.

If you’re interested in meeting people who are compatible with your interests and values, OkCupid is one of the best choices out there. However, in recent times, the app has put a cap on the number of likes and messages you can send every day. For unlimited likes, you will need to upgrade to one of the paid subscriptions.

Tip: check out the best apps and websites to talk to strangers.

3. Best for Ladies Taking Initiative: Bumble

Price: Free with premium options

Think of Bumble (Android, iOS, Web) as the Tinder for women – but on a timer. The app displays potential matches based on your location and preferences, and requires women to initiate the chat within 24 hours. In the case of same-sex matches, either one can send the first text message.

We like that Bumble has zero tolerance for fake profiles. The fact that the app allows women to have control over who they interact with is another major highlight.

In the premium version, Bumble lets you search for people using various filters, which could be a good reason to invest in this app. For example, if it’s really important to you that your future partner doesn’t drink, you can ask Bumble to display only users who have sworn off alcohol.

4. Best for Dating People in Your Area: Happn

Price: Free with premium options

If you’re looking into dating neighbors or people in your area, Happn (Android, iOS) is the option for you. The app uses your device’s GPS to find people close to you. However, if you’re in a less populated area, and there aren’t many users to show, the app will revert to displaying people who are further apart.

Profiles on Happn are focused more on the visual aspect than on offering insights into personality. You can answer a few questions regarding your interests and preferences, but this information will show up as barely visible tags on your profile. The app lets you switch between cities, in case you’re curious what else is out there.

The cool part is that Happn has a new Hub feature that allows you to connect to people nearby who share your preferences. For instance, you can easily find night owls or people who like to go hiking and backpacking.

Tip: if you want to interact with others while playing Roblox, learn how to enable voice chat on the app.

5. Best for Busy Folks: Coffee Meets Bagel

Price: Free with premium options

Coffee Meets Bagel (Android, iOS) takes a similar approach to Hinge when delivering your matches, as it bets on quality over showing you large numbers of people to swipe. Every day at noon, the app will send a curated list of “bagels” for review: profiles of potential matches. You can even opt for a preferred height or ethnicity to narrow down your matches.

You get 24 hours to decide whether to “like” or “pass” on each bagel. If you like a bagel, and they like you back, you’ll connect and be able to message each other via the app’s private chat. The app tries to facilitate engagement between you and your matches by suggesting cool icebreakers. If you didn’t like any of the daily matches, check out the Discover section to see more profiles.

Coffee Meets Bagel is ideal for busy people, as it eliminates the need to scour through profiles each day. Like most apps, it has its share of downsides: it’s not as well-known as Tinder or OkCupid, so it won’t be as varied when it comes to matches.

Tip: monitor your children’s activities by setting up parental controls on Android devices. Check out our guide to get started.

6. Best for Gamers: Kippo

If your main hobby is gaming, you would probably like to meet people who enjoy pouring most of their time into doing the same. Kippo (Android, iOS) is an app that has been dubbed the “dating app for gamers.”

Once you’ve set up your basic profile, you can add more information so that others can see your preferences when checking your profile. For instance, add your favorite games by searching Kippo’s generous database.

Generate various cards that feature information, such as love language preferences, astrological data, personality type, and more. It’s a fun way to express your personality, and I really enjoyed creating these cards. Another reason to try Kippo is that the app lets you message people directly without waiting for a match, allowing you to reach out to whomever you find interesting without barriers.

FYI: if you love anime, here are the top Discord servers to join.

7. Best for Gay Men: Romeo

Price: Free with premium options

Gay men trying to find love may want to give Romeo (Android, iOS, Web) a try. While Grinder is perhaps better known in some regions, I haven’t included it in this list, as the app is suffering from login issues (at least in my region). Romeo can be a robust replacement.

Creating a profile is easy, as the app doesn’t require you to add a lot of information if you don’t want to. You’re free to jump to scrolling through profiles. If you find someone you like, you can immediately send them a message without waiting to match first. Interestingly, the feed also displays success stories you can read in full on the Romeo website.

A cool feature allows you to explore other locations. This means that you can set a different location and take a sneak peek at the people you could meet if you were there.

8. Best for LGBTQ Dating: HER

Price: Free with premium options

HER (Android, iOS) is a dating app designed to give gay women and LGBTQ+ people the chance to find love.

It boasts a nice interface, and setting up a profile is pretty straightforward: you’ll need to add your preferences and a few details about yourself. You can beautify your profile later by adding pride pins, such as Pro-Choice or BLM.

Unlike most dating apps, HER allows its users to join communities where they can interact more easily. There’s also the possibility of joining local events, where you can meet new people. Other than that, HER functions just like any dating app out there.

Tip: need to make a quick note? You can use WhatsApp, Telegram, or most messaging apps to message yourself.

Whenever going out to meet new people in real life, remember that safety should be a priority. You can use one of these apps to easily share your location with friends and family so that they are aware of your whereabouts.

Image credit: Pexels. All screenshots by Alexandra Arici.

Alexandra is passionate about mobile tech and can be often found fiddling with a smartphone from some obscure company. She kick-started her career in tech journalism in 2013, after working a few years as a middle-school teacher. Constantly driven by curiosity, Alexandra likes to know how things work and to share that knowledge with everyone.