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The most popular dating apps to increase your chances of a match including Bumble and Hinge
With more than 1,500 options when it comes to the best dating apps, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be playing the field with some of the most popular date-finding options out there.
Since Match.com was launched in 1995, dating apps have exploded in popularity and there are now countless options to choose from. With around 381 million people using them, according to Statista data, your chances of a match have never been greater.
While some dating sites are admittedly very niche, like the app for Dungeons and Dragons players, most are readily available for anyone to download from app stores.
Let’s take a look at the best dating apps by user count, but whatever site you land on, be sure to watch out for those pesky dating app red flags.
Be a busy dating bee with Bumble
Launched in 2014, Bumble is the lovechild of former Tinder co-founder, Whitney Wolfe Herd, who last month spoke about artificial intelligence and its role in dating.
She wanted to create a “feminist” dating app that prioritizes the experiences of women, and as such, only women could send the first message until a recent change in 2024.
Bumble, which often puts out information to enhance user dating experience, has more than 50 million monthly active users.
Tinder is a tried and tested staple
Tinder is, as of 2024, the most popular dating app on the market with 75 million active users, including one man who became addicted to swiping left.
They revolutionized the industry with their innovative “swipe left” and “swipe right” features, which countless other apps have since adopted.
As of late, Tinder has demonstrated yet again how they are one of the most popular dating apps through the release of numerous user-friendly updates. Firstly, and in the hopes of ending catfishing once and for all, they launched mandatory ID verification in February 2024.
In April of this year, Tinder created Share My Date in response to the growing anxiety surrounding finding a new partner. The mode allows singletons to share information about their date with their nearest and dearest, thereby creating a safer environment.
There are Plenty of Fish in the sea
Canadian dating app Plenty of Fish was founded in 2003 by Markus Frind, making it one of the more established sites on the internet.
After several controversies that resulted in lawsuits, Plenty of Fish made a series of enormous changes in 2013 that included the removal of its “intimate encounters” section. Markus also cracked down on inappropriate relationships, implementing a feature that blocked messages between people with large age gaps.
In 2015, the app was sold for a whopping $575 million to Match Group which also owns Tinder, Hinge, Match.com, and OkCupid.
Arguably the biggest reason for joining Plenty of Fish is Markus’ previous statements about its success. In 2012, he claimed that the app had sparked millions of relationships, marriages, and even one million babies!
Honorable mention for Score
A dating app’s success and popularity are not always measured by its user count, as evidenced by the release of Score back in February.
Despite being a baby in the world of dating app adults, Score hit the headlines for its unique approach to rules and regulations. While most apps simply have an age restriction, Score requires a “good” credit score between 670 and 739.
Financial wellness often takes a backseat, said CEO Luke Bailey in a press release as quoted by Business Wire. Score aims to elevate the discussion around financial health, which has remained stagnant for decades.
Grindr is for the gays and theys
With its own unique slang and an instantly iconic message tone, Grindr is the premier dating app for Queer men. In 2024, it has an active monthly user count of 13.7 million.
Unlike other additions to this list, Grindr functions through GPS locations, offering users a cascade of people who are in their immediate vicinity. Depending on the subscription, the distance can be increased to anywhere in the world.
Despite battling its own controversies, Grindr continues to be the leading option for gay, trans, bisexual, and Queer men.
Hinge is the stylish sister of Tinder
If Tinder is the tried and true dating app of the Match Group then Hinge is its slightly trendier younger sister.
With a monthly user count of 5.5 million, Hinge encourages users to design a profile complete with numerous pictures, videos, question prompts, and fun facts. Potential matches then interact with the profile, hopefully sparking a conversation.
Users are constantly on the hunt for tips to increase their matches, largely because some have found themselves trapped in what has come to be known as rose jail.
Most recently, Hinge launched Your Turn Limits as a direct response to the growing epidemic of ghosting. Essentially, the app pushes users to talk with existing matches before reaching out to new ones.
Honorable mention for Feeld
Feeld is just one of the many dating apps that have flown under the radar because of Tinder and Hinge’s dominance in the field. Despite those facts, Feeld is one of the most popular dating apps for open-minded individuals bored with traditional dating.
Pegged as a dating app for the curious, it was first released in 2014 under the name 3nder.
“Feelds ever-evolving platform creates safer, more inclusive spaces online and IRL for everyone to express and explore gender, sexuality, and desire outside of existing blueprints,” they explain on their website.
