Whether you love or loathe Tinder, there is no denying it has changed online dating forever.
As a result there is now no end of apps with the same aim of helping you fall in love and live happily ever after, or at the least find someone to hang out with next weekend.
Whether it's matching you on your favourite interests or finding someone who you share mutual friends with. Here, we take the biggest alternatives to Tinder and give them a spin to find out what (if anything) they do differently and what sets them apart.
Parship
The USP: The serious dating site for serious daters. This Hamburg-headquartered company leads with a couple of facts: a 38 percent success rate for premium Parship members and 23,000 new members each week. The idea is that Parship uses strictly objective, scientific processes to matchmake, which does rather click with the comedy German stereotype. Imagine Thomas Tuchel reading this bit of bumph from the website: "Sounds complicated. Mathematical. Psychological. But it is very simple. Parship searches – you find." Haunting.
Pros: There's an ID check feature which feels extremely sensible, is bumble a good dating app?, and the emphasis on finding a is bumble a good dating app? for you who does actually fit what you want and who you are is a good thing.
Cons: You register for free, but then there's a fair old monthly fee of £14.90 for the basic membership package – and it'll renew automatically, so you'd best not forget about it. There are a lot of extremely grumpy reviews from people struggling to make head or tail of the app. Plus, the pool of people in the UK isn't gigantic.
Verdict: Like a more intense reworking of OK Cupid, is bumble a good dating app?, but without the charm or easy functionality for a casual user, is bumble a good dating app?, this one feels like it's got some way to go before it goes overground.
Kippo
The USP: Liking the same things is the starting point of so many relationships, it does make a lot of sense to build a dating app around finding the fandoms and subcultures you're into already. Kippo doesn't style itself explicitly as a dating app, rather a place to find friends and hang out, but there's certainly a lot of sifting through profiles in hope of matching with people you fancy in the time-honoured manner. Fill out a form detailing which games you love plus the usual trad stuff about what you're looking for in a friend/partner, and on you go. It's the dating app for proud nerds and hardened gamers.
Pros: It's not just a case of sifting through pictures – there's the Kippoverse to wander around, looking something like a GameBoy era Pokémon universe. Play games, hang out with people, and audio chat with new mates. Depending on how much you liked Habbo Hotel, you might find the interface endearingly retro or maddeningly cutesy.
Cons: The clientele definitely skews younger, which might make you feel extremely 'How do you do fellow kids', is bumble a good dating app?. Suspicions that the Metaverse-lite interface is a bit too close to the thing Zuckerberg wants to boot you and your consciousness into will persist.
Verdict: For the shy dater, this is a godsend: there are so many icebreakers at hand to give you a simple in with whoever you're chatting to, plus the audio call functionality is both more intimate than just text and less open to abuse than video calling. You might not go out with someone just because they also like PUBG but it's a foot in a door.
The Sauce
The USP: The TikTokification of dating apps has already started, but The Sauce does away with stuffy, boomerish concepts like 'still images' entirely and instead has users approve or disapprove of each other by uploading videos of themselves. That, co-founder Sachin Kara says, means you can expect "Instagram stories, Reels, the odd TikTok and playful videos usually filmed by someone’s mate thrown into the mix, allowing members to get to know their is bumble a good dating app? before they’ve even sent their first like".
Pros: Getting a read on someone's vibe is a lot easier with sound, movement and the sudden realisation that you were both in Rowan's arcade room the other Saturday night. Plus, you've got a lot more leeway to get creative and avoid the dreaded profile picture triumvirate of 'man holding fish', 'man with arm around four other men', and ''
Cons: Watching other people's Insta stories can be a bit tedious at the best of times, is bumble a good dating app?. Also, might feel a bit like doing one of those excruciatingvideo pre-interviews for an internship. Let's keep those memories pushed deep, deep down.
Verdict: A lot livelier and more fun than your average app format, and it does make it easier to filter out anyone who's got a sideline in lame Olly Murs-lite pranks.
thesauceapp.co
Victoria
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The USP: Properly styled as 'Victoria the app', just in case you get it mixed up with 'Victoria the rail terminus' or 'Victoria the Beckham', this is less a straightforward dating app than a member's club with a bit where you can get your sauce on. The idea is to help people connect through curated experiences suggested according to your shared interests. It's also got a networking function for anyone looking for a partner in the boardroom rather than the bedroom.
Pros: There's an extremely no time-wasters vibe to the whole enterprise, and you're not likely to end up doing the same thing as you always do if you hit it off with someone on the app and meet up in real life. The app has a load of
Cons: It's a bit Soho House. If you've limited patience for hearing about your date's plans to push into SaaS marketing or minting some NFTs of some pieces from their flatmate's art show in Deptford, you might find it a little much.
Verdict: If you're comfortable with only dating within a very particular echelon of society, and aren't put off by the slightly wiffly 'Who is cough dating site Victoria member?' section on the website ("Driven — Members pursue their dreams and passions with intensity. They are pushed to excel, to do more, to be better in is bumble a good dating app? facet of their career and personal life" etc), then jump in.
victoriatheapp.com
The Intro
The USP: The Intro positions itself as the dating app for the busy urban professional. It skips the bit where you spend three weeks running through the 'have you got any brothers or sisters' stage and skips straight to video calls, and it even does the scheduling for the pair of you too. It's a bit like having a PA whose only remit is to sort out facetime with hotties.
Pros: It's a lot more time efficient, person-focused and tactile than tapping out messages for however long, and you can get a proper vibe off someone before you go spending a whole evening of your precious, precious time with them.
Cons: There's a teeny whiff of the, "Hi, yah, buddy" Square Mile broseph about it. Just because you're spending 15 hours a day squeezing emerging markets and shifting units before Tokyo opens, it doesn't mean you should be spared the swipe-match-chat-ignore drudgery of most apps. It's the great leveller.
Verdict: A little bit Train Guy in the conception, but anything that whittles down the chances of anyone using the monkey hiding its eyes emoji to take the edge off whatever wildly overfamiliar opening line they've used 50 times that day is a good thing.
theintro.com
Jungle Dating
The USP: Throwing yourself into solo dates all the time can end up feeling quite lonely, especially if they're not tending to go quite how you'd like them to. So, Jungle is a platform for organising double dates for yourself and a mate.
Pros: Turning the dating game into a team pursuit makes it a lot more fun, and at the very least you and whichever mate you bring along will get some anecdotes out of the whole thing. Hopefully it's a dynamic which will make single women feel more comfortable, and there's also a lot more chance you're going to just make some new friends, which is always nice.
Cons: It only launched in July in London, so the pool is likely to be a little smaller than the other apps on this list. Also kind of depends on you having mates who are good crack, but not such great crack that your opposite numbers only fancy them and not you. And if you thought sorting out a time to go for brunch with one other person, try it with four diaries on the go.
Verdict: A nice idea, especially in a gigantic megacity that sees thousands of awkward two-drink Tuesday night dates every week. One to keep an eye on.
bit.ly/getjungle
Thursday
The USP: Many conversations you have on dating apps go absolutely nowhere. There are a number of reasons for this. Some nascent chats are simply overwhelmed by the sheer number of other romantic options that are available to the user at all times (why tolerate some less-than-stellar small talk when there are so many other people to talk to?) while longer conversations peter out over the course of weeks, as incessant back and forth robs both parties of their best material before they’ve even met up. Thursday attempts to solve this problem by only allowing users to match and talk on – you guessed it – Thursday. It builds anticipation, is bumble a good dating app?, allows people to get straight to the point, and encourages the organising of actual dates.
Pros: While other apps can often function as a game at this point – something to swipe while you’re on the bus – Thursday is all about spontaneity and IRL encounters, is bumble a good dating app?. It’s been a big thing in New York for a while, but has only recently launched in London.
Cons: Its strengths are also its drawbacks. Most people go on their dating apps on the weekend, specifically Sunday. A strict 24-hour period, on a working day no less, adds a sense of pressure to proceedings.
Verdict: An interesting concept.
getthursday.com
Feeld
The USP: Originally called 3nder, Feeld is sex-positive dating app for polyamorous couples who want to explore bringing a third into their bedroom, but it’s also a place where people can explore other kinks as well. That being said, it doesn’t allow nudity and takes great lengths to ensure users feels safe on the platform. The audience is mostly made up of young straight couples, but the app encourages everyone to join in and gender options are relatively vast for a dating app. Usefully, there’s a mode which allows you to stay invisible to any Facebook friends who might be using the app too (you have to sign in through the social media site in the first place, which it scrapes your personal information from.)
Pros: The platform creators care about the safety and privacy of their anonymous dating apps base, and have created a respectful community as a result. The group chat feature is handy, obviously. Safer than many other options on the internet.
Cons: Fake profiles abound. At £14.99 a month it’s not exactly cheap, but you can get a better deal by going for a 90 day membership package. Some people might resent the need for Facebook verification.
Verdict: Of all the threesome apps on the market, this is the only one to break into the mainstream. It’s easy to see why.
feeld.co
MATCH
The USP: Match.com is Old Internet – it launched in 1995! Before Google! Before you even had a computer! – so we understand any scepticism you might have. What are we going to suggest next, an AOL chat room? Habbo Hotel? The dating world is about gimmicks and ever-advancing AI. Why would you look backwards when you could just download the trendy new app?
But Match.com has survived this long for a reason. It’s moved with the times from an algorithmic standpoint but remains is bumble a good dating app? stripped-back and basic. The filters are extensive, and while the ‘like’ system is very similar to Tinder, is bumble a good dating app?, the discover page allows a more curated window-shopping experience, is bumble a good dating app?. The MatchPhone feature also provides you with a custom, totally anonymous phone line that allows you to chat without monitoring is bumble a good dating app? can block the caller if need be).
Pros: The phone app is simple, and the service has a wide database of users.
Cons:A one-month subscription is £29.99, which is pretty crazy. Three months works out at £19.99/m and six boils down to £9.99/m.
Verdict: VINTAGE FUN with a Is bumble a good dating app? AGE FEEL.
uk.match.com
Facebook Dating
The USP: It’s safe is bumble a good dating app? say that Facebook Dating has arrived about a decade too late. People are probably far less keen to involve Zuckerberg and co in their love lives following the Cambridge Analytica privacy fall-out of 2018, and the site’s popularity amongst young people is dropping off. Still, it was always perfectly suited to hosting a dating app and now it's here, completely free, simple to set up and integrated with the rest of site’s myriad social features.
Pros:It’s easy to find others with similar interests through the group function, and there’s a ‘Secret Crush’ feature that allows you to select Facebook friends who you’re interested in (they won’t see if they don’t choose you too.)
Cons: It’s Facebook.
Verdict:Free and easy to use
facebook.com/dating
Hinge
The USP: "Designed to be deleted", as the company's motto goes.
Pros: It delves deep into your preferences to make sure matches are as suitable as possible, and it easily has the most impressive (and sleek) profile experience. You can also send 'likes' in reference to specific elements of their profile, and send messages to mutual matches.
Cons: The sheer amount of profile questions and features creates a pressure to impress – but then, is that any different to other dating apps?
Verdict: A great experience from start to finish.
hinge.co
Badoo
The USP: With more than 400 million members, Badoo is one of the world's most popular dating apps and part of the same umbrella company as Bumble. Uniquely, it allows users to live stream to potential partners.
Pros: It's a non-swiping app and allows you a smaller pool of potential dates tailored to your taste.
Cons: It's doesn't have quite as many features as some competitors.
Verdict: If you've got very specific tastes Badoo might work for you but fancying is bumble a good dating app? because they look like a celebrity is so rarely how attraction works.
badoo.com
Guardian Soulmates
The USP: As one of the longest standing dating sites on the internet, The Guardian’s Soulmates service doesn’t need to prove its credentials. Perhaps that’s why it’s one of the only apps that requires a paid subscription to fully utilise (and at £35/month, it doesn’t come cheap.)
So what are you getting for that money? None of the bells and whistles that we’ve come to expect from modern dating apps, that’s for sure. This is a back-to-basics service that relies on its like-minded and loyal user base (more than 80 per cent of members read the Guardian, and unlike many dating apps men only slightly outnumber women). It also russian dating in philadelphia regular singles events for users, a regularly updated Soulmates blog and a highly refined search function.
Pros: A strong reputation and compatible crowd
Cons: Not as innovative or packed with features as newer dating apps.
Verdict: Worth the money if sitting in the pub on a Sunday quietly reading The Observer is one of your kinks.
soulmates.theguardian.com
Coffee Meets Bagel
The USP: Their mantra and methodology is explained thus: "Each day at noon, guys will receive up to 21 quality matches – known as 'Bagels'. They are given the option to either LIKE or PASS. Then, Coffee Meets Bagel will curate the best potential matches for women among the men who expressed interest."
Pros: A more curated selection than just endlessly swiping through everyone.
Cons: The app requires you to give over control over to someone else to decide for you.
Verdict: CMB only lets you see people who have liked you, so no torturing yourself about 'the one that got away'. Think of it as a time-effective dating app.
coffeemeetsbagel.com
Down
The USP: Gives you the chance to tell your friends (rather than strangers) that you want to sleep with them.
Pros: There is a strange thrill in being able to 'swipe' that acquaintance you've always fancied, asking them for a date (up) or telling them you want to sleep with them (down). Until you realise how pathetic it is.
Cons: It pulls in every single woman who happens to be your friend on Facebook, even if they haven't joined Down yet (your cowardly come on will be waiting for them if they ever do), making it rather pointless.
Verdict: The more you think about it, the less sense Down makes. Isn't the whole point of internet dating that you can meet someone new? This hook-up app for friends (and friends of friends) is the equivalent of passing 'I Like You' notes in class.
downapp.com
Happn
The USP: Hook up with the people you walk past on the street.
Pros: Once you get over the slight stalker complex Happn instils on you by showing women who walked past your front door an hour ago, matching with users within a 250-metre radius is actually quite handy. Chances are you live or work in the same area, so arranging a date becomes a lot simpler.
Cons: If the date goes horribly, there are no assurances you won't bump into her when you're buying milk a few days later. Also, spend too much time on it and you start getting paranoid you're seeing 'someone you liked on Happn' every time you sit in your local cafe.
Verdict: One of the most effective – and convenient – dating apps out there. Until it isn't.
happn.com/en
HER
The USP: A progressive dating app designed for queer, bisexual and lesbian women that boasts a worldwide membership of 4 million, the free version of the app allows users to view mutually matched profiles and chat, while the premium option lets you view the photos and names of those who like you, and gives you unlimited swipes. The gender options are also very inclusive, is bumble a good dating app?, including female, non-binary, is bumble a good dating app?, agender, gender fluid and intersex.
Pros: The app notifies users about LGBTQ+ events that are happening in the local area.
Cons: It only lets you sign up through your Facebook or Instagram account, which many are loath to do (but it only uses your first name).
Verdict: The most popular lesbian dating app in the world for a reason.
OKCupid
The USP: Endless personality quiz questions that give you a match percentage with would-be partners.
Pros: You can weed out people with traits or points of view you find simply unacceptable. Racists, bigots and Mumford & Sons fans, then.
Cons: Too many basic functions are restricted to paid membership.
Verdict: Worth a shot, if only to kill time answering bizarre questions about yourself.
okcupid.com
Plenty Of Fish
The USP: It's a huge ocean, with more members than any of the others (around 70 million).
Pros: Unlike most of the other apps, doing the basics on PoF – looking at profiles, sending and reading messages – is absolutely free.
Cons: A high number of sexually frustrated virgin-trolls means a lot of women find using it a harrowing experience, which understandably makes them cagey when you, is bumble a good dating app?, a normal man, comes along. It's disheartening how many women have to resort to 'please no sex pests' appendices on their profile information.
Verdict: Easy to navigate, simple and free to use, void of distracting gimmicks. And unlike Tinder, users tend to write a bit about themselves, meaning you have more to go on (and submissive girl dating yourself with) than just your five least-worst selfies.
uk.pof.com
Grindr
The USP: It really works. If you happen to be gay, bisexual or curious.
Pros: Easy and efficient to use, you can find a hook-up within minutes.
Cons: It is notoriously 'glitchy', with messages disappearing and some functions not working properly.
Verdict: The app that started it all, Grindr has been helping men who like men improve their sex lives since 2009. Whether they are honest about it or not, every heterosexual internet dating app out there aspires to be the 'Grindr for straight people'. Has is happened yet? Not even close.
Grindr
Lumen
The USP: Dating for over-50s.
Pros: Most (if not all) dating apps provide age boundaries, but Lumen is the first dedicated service for people over the age of 50, with a verification system that keeps bots and scammers at bay.
Cons: Not a lot of search filter options. All opening messages must feature more than 50 characters, which means you can't rely on the tried-and-tested "Wazzzuuuppp?!?!"
Verdict: Asimple interface, strong security focus and growing community means that Lumen's future is bright for this mature dating app.
Inner Circle
The USP: Members are vetted, and they also run IRL singles events.
Pros: The screening process ensures out-and-out perverts are banished, which means everyone wins (except the perverts). The fun and well-organised events means membership feels a bit more like a club, and less like pin-balling around a vast galaxy of random singletons.
Cons: After sending someone a message, you're notified when they're checking your profile, which means you can actually see yourself being rejected in real time. But hey, is bumble a good dating app?, that's life.
Verdict: Pulling together the best elements of other older dating apps, Inner Circle is the best all-rounder out there with the highest quantity of people you'd actually like to meet. £5 a week for the advanced user options is just too much, though.
theinnercircle.co
Bumble
The USP: Like Tinder, except once you match, only the ladies can make the first move and say hello.
Pros: It means women have an extra barrier against the 'hey hun wanna fuk??' brigade, which is good for all concerned. It also means if she's got in touch with you, you definitely weren't an 'accidental swipe', meaning you'll be leaving less of those unanswered hellos that slowly chip away at your soul.
Cons: None, is bumble a good dating app?. Though one minor gripe is that Bumble's algorithm clearly pulls ten of the highest rated profiles to the top is bumble a good dating app? your feed every time you log in. Parading the hottest – and least obtainable – women in front of your face every time you log in feels a little bit manipulative.
Verdict: A dating app where women need not fear to tread, and where the sting of rejection is largely removed for you. Win-win.
bumble.com
Luxy
The USP: Connect with verified millionaires.
Pros: The site boasts a large portfolio of high earners and offers 24/7 customer service for their members.
Cons: Sadly, you also need to be a millionaire. People tend to upload shots of their huge houses.
Verdict: Aside the obviously Dickensian classism all over the site, it also has an understandably odd mixture of trust fund brats and retired divorcees. Luxy does however offer is bumble a good dating app? security to protect your privacy and weeds out people looking for a sugar daddy or mumma.
onluxy.com
Muddy Matches
The USP: It's a dating service for countryside lovers, rather than people who don't bathe.
Pros: You don't actually have to live in the countryside. You just need to be into the rural scene. Rambling, jodhpurs, chortling, wax gilets, shovelling poo. All that good stuff.
Cons: Full membership (which allows you to send messages) comes in at £94/year.
Verdict: No other app can guarantee you a weekly polo tutorial. For that, it's worth the yearly fee.
Tastebuds
The USP: Fall in love with someone who shares your music taste.
Pros: A nice way to connect with people on something you're passionate about, or it can be used to find friends to visit gigs with.
Cons: Just because you both like Kings of Leon doesn't really mean you're made for each other.
Verdict: A nice concept and considering music is a personal passion that connect a lot of people, Tastebuds actually has more of a USP is bumble a good dating app? most niche interest apps. However the same warnings apply – you may be looking for your dream girl who loves Ok Computer, but you're going to end up with a page of middle-aged Radiohead loving blokes like yourself.
tastebuds.fm
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