Rating the Most Popular Dating Apps

What are the best online dating apps and what does each offer? Let’s delve into some of the top dating apps!

Hinge for Finding True Love

Hinge makes a bold boast proclaiming itself to be "the dating app that’s designed to be deleted." While it can't guarantee you'll find "The One," Hinge does offer more than basic profiles, including questions and quotes in profiles to help you get a better idea of who your potential date is. With some important stuff like political leanings, interest in having kids, and how many cocktails you enjoy and how often. You may revel in creating a witty profile, or you might dread the pressure of representing yourself with writing. The majority of the Hinge users are between 24 and 32 years old.

Bumble for a Bit of Girl Power

Now, Bumble has its detractors. Anything as popular as this dating app is bound to bring in a few haters. And you probably only have a tiny bit of hate if you happen to be a guy seeking a girl, as only women can make the first move on Bumble. Those guys get 24 hours to respond if they're lucky enough to get messaged. Same-sex connections give each person 24 hours to decide. And Bumble can be used for connections beyond dating—there are BFF and business options. As a majority of the users fall in the 25 to 35-year-old range, Bumble skews to younger daters but there are so many Bumble users that adult age groups are represented.

Coffee Meets Bagel for a Nudge Toward Romance

Rather than waiting for you to search through potential dates, Coffee Meets Bagel sends possible matches to eligible guys. Women get notifications about potential matches who have shown interest in them, leaving them free to follow up or not. CMB calls sending these potential matches "delivering bagels." So, if you prefer some guidance and a nudge here and there over pouring through profiles, CMB might work for you. The majority of users range from ages 30 to 49.

Happn for (Sorta) Chance Encounters

Don't feel like traveling for a date? Happn will help you look for a match who lives or works close by! Though, in fairness, other apps do have distance settings. Blending the real world and the virtual one, Happn tracks both where you and your possible match may have crossed paths, opening up the possibility for you two to have a semi-chance encounter in person. So, if you live in an area that's densely populated by hot people, this one may be for you, especially if you fall into the app's main age range of 25 to 34.

Her for Great LGBTQ+ Matches

While lots of apps can help you to make same-sex and LGBTQ+ connections, Her distinguishes itself for being specifically tailored to women. And while it was created by women with women in mind, Her is inclusive for non-binary and cisgender people as well. It's a pretty simple setup: like the photo of a potential match and find out if there's mutual interest. Her is also something of a social network, both online and offline with Her-hosted in-person events. While more mature users might have some luck, the app’s biggest age group is from 25 to 34.

Tinder for Browsing in Bulk

If you've only heard of one dating app, it's probably Tinder. It's estimated that Tinder has over 65 million users. That popularity can be a drawback—there are just so many profiles to swipe through! And the profiles really don't offer much information. Still, if you're willing to pour through potential dates, and take a chance on someone you know very little about, Tinder could help you to find a good match merely on the odds of sheer volume. The bulk of Tinder users range in age from 33 to 44. But there are also millions in older and younger age groups.

OkCupid for Those Who Are Done With Tinder

Making matches since 2004, OkCupid could be welcoming the offspring of people who've found love through OkCupid not long from now. And OkCupid has mastered a few things in all that time. Profiles are more in-depth than you'll find on most dating apps, giving you details on everything from religion to food preferences. OkCupid is integrated with Instagram to give you an even better view into the life of a potential date. And even though OkCupid has been around a long time, the biggest group of users is in the 18 to 29 range. But don't worry older folks, lots of mature matches are also on the app.

Good dates are out there, and good dating apps may be the best way to find them. So, download some, choose your best profile pic and see who the best dating apps have waiting for you.

Written by William McCleary for Knockaround.