Hello everyone, I’m Emma Stockton, and if there’s one thing I know like the back of my hand, it’s the landscape of dating apps. Over the years, I’ve personally tested over 100+ dating apps, not just swiping right or left from my own perspective, but taking into account the experiences of people across genders and sexualities. So, whether you’re looking for long-term love, a casual fling, or something wonderfully undefined, read on. This comprehensive guide dives into what makes each app unique, and how they measure up in an increasingly crowded space.
TOP DATING APPS
Match
Rating: ★★★★★
Match.com is one of the world’s most famous dating sites. After visiting it, it is not difficult to understand why. The app is both serious, easy to use, and aimed at people of all ages. It is also possible to be matched with other singles by answering a form. Match.com then handles this automatically. This dating site can also be seen as the ancestor of Tinder as it has been around since 1995. On this site, as on many other sites, you need to register to be able to do something. You can choose to have an account that is free or sign up for a subscription. You can pay monthly or for a number of months where the prices vary. I recommend that you examine the difference between the packages yourself. This is because we as humans value different things differently and it’s hard for me to determine if the price is worth it for everyone.
Elite Singles
Rating: ★★★★★
The site was created by a German company and has been on the market since 2009. With 14 million users, it is one of the largest dating sites and users are spread over 19 countries. This dating site focuses a lot on so-called matchmaking. Each user fills in a form that contains personal information such as interests and education. The registration also involves certain personality tests, where you get to see pictures with color spots, for example. You should then say if you see, for example, a rabbit or a bird. You have probably heard of these types of tests, or done them before. These forms are then used to pair users with each other. This site can be considered the most serious as most users have a bachelor’s degree. When Elite singles match users, they of course have individual preferences in mind. You can also enter these when you register.
Be2
Rating: ★★★★
This site also has a relatively good gender distribution. Be2 has also shown statistics on how many have managed to find their future partner via their dating site. The figure they have given themselves is 41% and that is a fairly high figure. However, a Norwegian television company has criticized this site because they believe that it does not fulfill what it promises. There have also been rumors that there are many fake accounts. If that’s true, then the reason is more popular than it really is.
But if you register as a member and are done with the registration process, which also involves a personality test, you will see which members match your own profile. Based on the tests I have seen, I can say that the matching function is perfectly okay. There were not many matches, but it can of course depend on the information provided or the number of active members.
The number of members should not be a problem, as they themselves have indicated that they have 20 million members and that number is rising. This service also has a paid membership that is relatively expensive. What you get access to then is unlimited messaging, favoriting contacts, and better-quality images.
Tinder
Rating: ★★★
Perhaps the most popular and definitely the most famous dating site of them all. Tinder does absolutely best as an app on mobile. It’s because you do the classic swiping, left for no and right for yes that you’ve probably heard of. What you may not have heard of, however, is that you can also swipe up. Then a so-called superlike is performed. As a member with a premium account, you can get an unlimited number of superlikes and can also see who has liked you in the usual way when they appear in your feed. The registration is also quite simple and definitely user-friendly. You can register with your Facebook account and also need to enter your mobile number. You then write a short description of yourself.
Academic Singles
Rating: ★★★
Academic Singles are aimed at all those who have higher education and have not yet found love. So the choice of the name of the service makes it clear who they are targeting. When you register on the site, you must enter what it is you are looking for and, as usual, your e-mail and password.
Then follows, as on many other dating sites, a personality test. This personality test is different from the others. Here you will answer a few questions about the division of tasks in a relationship, and how you notice that you are in love. You then get to rank different personality traits. The average age on this page is also higher than on other pages. 35-54 years is considered to be the majority. When you look at the members’ interests, books, history and science are recurring.
When you have finished registering, you will be given a choice which means whether you want to send a challenging question to selected members. When it comes to the free version, the images are blurred and messages are limited. When the images are blurred, it is only possible to distinguish whether there is a man or woman in the image. This is what makes many people switch to the paid version. Choosing a so-called niche site like this can be good if you are looking for something very specific.
Badoo
Rating: ★★
This is one of the largest sites in online dating as they have 418,970,435+ members. They have been accused of having a lot of fake members but nothing has been proven. Badoo has fallen a bit into the shadows lately but you should not let this stop you from giving the site a chance. The page is easy to look at as it is minimally designed. There are also many free features that are best suited for the younger generation.
When you sign up, you will need to go through a verification process to see if you are serious and have honest intentions. When you are done, you will be able to see your level of popularity. There is a feature that allows you to increase this level. You can also buy Badoo premium. The premium version is a lot cheaper than other dating sites’ premium memberships. Badoo has no matching function but you will be “liked” and “liked” by other visitors to the site. Badoo is also more like a social network as there is a lot of chat that occurs. Which in itself can be very nice.
Singles50
Rating : ★★★★★
Singles50.com is exactly what the name implies it to be. It is aimed at singles over 50. Partner search works in such a way that you complete a personality test that includes 34 questions. You will then receive suggestions for partners that are based on the results you received on the personality test. They are updated regularly. You can then see them but you can not write any messages as you have to pay to unlock that feature.
There is a very large proportion of members over 50, but singles under 50 are not allowed to register. This is good as it can be difficult to find someone at that age but I think they should be a little more tolerant. If you are 49, you should not have to wait until your birthday just to be able to register on a dating site. The service is one of the best online contact services for the 50+ generation.
Happn
Rating: ★★★
Happn has a lot in common with Tinder. It’s largely about being able to find people you’ve ever met or encountered on the street. When you are in the vicinity of another user, they will appear in your feed. Then you can choose if you want to like the person or you can also hide the person.
When you and another person have liked each other, you can start chatting. The statistics for how many users Happn has are unclear because they do not publish it. However, users have reported that new users are appearing on their feeds all the time. In any case, it shows that the service is fully active and useful. When you register, you need to enter your telephone number in addition to the usual registration information. Then enter a description of yourself and what you are interested in.
FAQ
Try to use an image that really shows what you look like but it is also beneficial to show you and your interests. If you have written that you like forest walks, you can post a picture of yourself out in the woods. Do not just have the same type of pictures either as it can easily get boring but try to make sure that each picture differs slightly from the others.
Of course, most services offer a choice. This means that you should be able to easily delete your matches. That is, undo a like or undo a message you sent.
When describing yourself, it is important that you are honest. Write in detail and easy to read, but definitely not too much. Too much text becomes boring and difficult to read. You can make a bulleted list of your interests which makes it easy to remember them. Also, include nice verbs that “love” or “like”.
Starting a conversation is difficult. If you are a little unsure, you can of course start with a “Hello” and see where it leads. Another good start to a conversation might be to be a little fun and assertive like “Hey! How many kids are we going to have?” or “Hello! Time and place?”.
Be sure to read about the dating sites one by one, but also remember to try them to see if you think they feel good. If the registration is free, you can always set up a free account. If then it was not for you, you can just stop using the service and no harm is done. Also, be sure to choose the service that works or is recommended for your age as this may affect your results.
Yes, most of these sites are safe to use and also to make payments to. If you are unsure, you can of course examine the companies before and then also read what other users have to say about the site.
No, then everyone’s notices would be overflowing. A person who swipes on Tinder, for example, usually swipes more no than they answer yes. This means that the joy of getting a “like” would be significantly dampened if you saw how many no you got all the time. Of course, companies have this in mind and have therefore chosen not to have it as a function on their page or in their app.
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