The best dating apps for most people looking for a relationship are Hinge, eharmony and Match, while Christian Mingle suits faith-focused singles, OurTime suits people over 50, Grindr, which calls itself the largest social networking app for LGBTQ people, suits gay, bi, trans and queer men, and Tinder and Bumble have broad general audiences. Pick the app whose audience matches your goal, start on the free version, and only pay once you know people near you are active.
This guide is for single adults deciding where to spend their time, and possibly their money, on dating apps. It covers relationship-focused apps, the big swipe apps, and apps built for specific groups such as Christian singles, people over 50, and gay, bi, trans and queer men.
Three things matter most: whether the audience matches what you want, whether enough people near you are active, and what the free version lets you do before you pay. Safety tools matter too, since most apps do not run background checks.
Below you'll find each app's free and paid options with App Store prices, its rating, a cost comparison table, a situation-by-situation shortlist, and the FTC's advice on spotting romance scams.
Company reviews
Busy professionals wanting matchmaking: Tawkify
- Target Demographic
- Professionals 30 to 60
- Relationship Focus
- Serious & Long-Term
- Free Messaging Availability
- No (Paid Only)
- Matching Mechanism
- Human Matchmaker
Why we picked it. Tawkify is a human-matchmaking service that pairs each paying client with a dedicated matchmaker who hand-selects and vets matches through background checks and video screening. It is a premium, done-for-you alternative to swipe-based apps, focused on serious daters rather than casual dating.
Pros and cons
Pros
- A real person picks your matches and plans the dates
- Every match gets video and criminal record screening
- Your profile isn't public, which helps people who want privacy
- Can start with a smaller 3 or 6 match package
- 4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot from about 8,000 reviews
Cons
- Prices aren't published; reported packages start around $4,900
- No photos before the first date
- 113 BBB complaints in three years, often about refunds and match quality
- Your matches may be free members, not paying clients
- About one match a month, so progress is slow
Best Human Matchmaking
Best for finding a serious relationship: Hinge
- Free version
- Yes, with daily like limits
- Paid plans (App Store)
- Hinge+ and HingeX subscriptions listed from $14.99 to $34.99
- App Store rating
- 4.4 from about 1.1 million ratings
Why we picked it. Hinge is built around prompts and comments on a specific part of someone's profile, which makes first messages more personal than a swipe. Profiles show dating intentions and relationship type, so it is easier to filter for people who want the same thing.
More details, pros and cons
Pros
- Profiles show dating intentions up front
- Prompts make conversation starters easy
- Selfie Verification on profiles
- Highest App Store rating among the relationship apps here
Cons
- Free users get a limited number of likes per day
- Seeing everyone who liked you requires a subscription
- Smaller user base outside cities
Best for Serious Dating
Skip it if: You want casual dating or live in a rural area with few active users.
More about Hinge
Marketed brilliantly as the app designed to be deleted, Hinge encourages thoughtful interactions through its unique profile prompts and limited daily likes. By forcing users to engage with specific content rather than simply swiping on photos, the platform cultivates a relationship-focused environment where meaningful conversations thrive.
- Free version
- Yes, free profile and browsing
- Paid plans (App Store)
- Premium $34.99 for 1 month
- App Store rating
- 3.5 from about 400 ratings
Why we picked it. Christian Mingle has served faith-focused singles for more than 20 years, so everyone you meet shares at least a broad Christian outlook. The tradeoff is a much smaller pool than general apps, so check that members near you are active before you pay.
More details, pros and cons
Background checks: None; the site states it does not conduct background checks on members
Pros
- Every member is there for faith-based dating
- Clear published plan prices in the App Store
- 12-month plan works out to about $10 a month
- Long track record
Cons
- The current iOS app is new, with only about 400 ratings
- No background checks on members, per the site
- Much smaller user pool than general apps
Best Faith-Based
Skip it if: Faith is not a deciding factor for you, since general apps have far more users.
More about Christian Mingle
As the premier destination for faith-focused singles, Christian Mingle provides an expansive community of users actively seeking serious, marriage-minded relationships. The platform stands out with its detailed profiles that highlight religious denomination and church attendance, ensuring that members can match based on deeply held shared values.
Show all 5 picks2 more, ranked 4 to 5
Best for compatibility matching and long-term commitment: eharmony
- Free version
- Yes: Compatibility Quiz
- Paid plans (App Store)
- Multi month plans listed from $59.99 to $349.99 upfront
- App Store rating
- 4.1 from about 49,000 ratings
Why we picked it. eharmony matches you based on a detailed Compatibility Quiz rather than photos first, and the company says it has helped over 2 million people find love. It suits people who want fewer, more considered matches.
More details, pros and cons
Pros
- In-depth compatibility matching
- Free tier now includes first messages
- Strong focus on long-term relationships
- Personality Profile insights
Cons
- Most expensive plans on this list, often sold in multi-month bundles
- Seeing all photos requires Premium
- Success figures are the company's own
Best for Marriage
Skip it if: You want to browse freely and decide on photos and chat rather than a quiz.
More about eharmony
Built on a foundation of scientific research, eharmony utilizes a proprietary compatibility matching system to connect singles who are genuinely ready for a long-term commitment. By requiring users to complete an extensive personality questionnaire upfront, the platform effectively filters out casual daters and delivers highly curated, meaningful match suggestions.
Best for inclusive matching based on detailed questions: OkCupid
- Free version
- Yes, including messaging matches
- Paid plans (App Store)
- Premium listed from $7.99 to $59.99
- App Store rating
- 4.3 from about 289,000 ratings
Why we picked it. OkCupid matches on your answers to questions about values and lifestyle, and offers more than 60 gender identity and orientation options plus pronouns. It is one of the cheapest paid upgrades here.
More details, pros and cons
Pros
- Very inclusive identity and orientation options
- Question-based matching
- Low-cost upgrade options
- Large established user base
Cons
- Mix of serious and casual daters
- Seeing who likes you requires a paid plan
Best for Inclusivity
Skip it if: You want a strictly marriage-minded pool.
More about OkCupid
OkCupid distinguishes itself with an industry-leading commitment to inclusivity and a deeply analytical matching process. By analyzing users' answers to thousands of potential questions regarding lifestyle, politics, and core values, the platform generates precise compatibility scores that help singles find truly like-minded partners.
How much dating apps cost
Every app here is free to join. Paid plans add features such as seeing who liked you, unlimited likes, and better filters. Based on App Store in-app purchase listings checked October 2026:
| App |
Lowest listed plan |
Notes |
| OkCupid |
$7.99 |
Premium tiers up to $59.99 |
| Tinder |
$9.99 (Plus) |
Gold $13.99 to $24.99 |
| Hinge |
$14.99 |
Up to $34.99 |
| Grindr |
$14.99 (XTRA) |
Unlimited from $27.99 |
| Bumble |
$17.99 (Premium) |
Boost from $2.99 |
| Match |
$19.99 |
1 Month Standard $44.99 |
| OurTime |
$19.99 (1 week) |
1 Month $39.99 |
| Plenty of Fish |
$19.99 (1 week) |
1 Month $29.99 |
| Christian Mingle |
$34.99 (1 month) |
$119.99 for 12-months |
| eharmony |
$59.99 |
Multi-month plans up to $349.99 |
Prices can differ by age, location and platform, and many apps auto-renew. Longer plans lower the monthly price but lock you in, so try the free version for a week or two first.
How to choose a dating app
- Match the app to your goal. Hinge, eharmony and Match lean toward relationships. Tinder, Bumble and Grindr have broad pools and a wider range of intentions.
- Match the audience. OurTime is for people over 50, Christian Mingle is for faith-focused singles, and Grindr and OkCupid serve LGBTQ daters well.
- Check who is near you. A big app with active local users beats a niche app with no one in your area.
- Look at safety tools. Hinge and Plenty of Fish offer Selfie Verification, and Bumble offers ID Verification and Share Date.
- Start free. Upgrade only after you know the app works for you, and turn off auto-renew if you do not want it.
Which dating apps are free?
All 10 apps let you make a profile free. The most useful free tiers for actually talking to people are Plenty of Fish (search and message), OkCupid (message matches), Tinder (message matches) and Hinge (limited daily likes). eharmony’s free Basic tier now lets you send initial likes and first messages, but you need Premium to see all photos. Christian Mingle, Match and OurTime are more limited for free users.
How to stay safe on dating apps
- Never send money. The FTC’s rule is to never send money or gifts to someone you have not met in person, whatever the story (medical emergency, visa fees, travel, or crypto investing).
- Watch for people who cannot meet. Claims of working overseas, on an oil rig, or in the military abroad are common romance scam signs.
- Reverse image search profile photos. Stolen photos are common in fake profiles.
- Use in-app verification and sharing tools. Look for verified badges and share your date plans with a friend.
- Meet in public and arrange your own transport.
- Report scams to the app and at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Christian Mingle states it does not run background checks on members, and most apps do not either.
Best dating app by situation
- Want marriage or a long-term partner: Hinge, eharmony, Match.
- Over 50: OurTime, eharmony, Match.
- Faith is essential: Christian Mingle.
- LGBTQ: Grindr for gay, bi, trans and queer men; OkCupid for the most identity options.
- Want the most matches: Tinder, Bumble, Plenty of Fish.
- On a budget: Plenty of Fish or OkCupid free tiers.
Terms to know
- Selfie Verification
- A check where you take a live selfie so the app can confirm you match your profile photos.
- Boost
- A paid feature that shows your profile to more people for a short time.
- Super Like or Rose
- A paid or limited way to signal strong interest so your like stands out.
- Romance scam
- A fraud where someone builds a fake relationship online to get money from you.
- Auto-renew
- A subscription setting that charges you again automatically at the end of each period.
- Incognito Mode
- A paid setting that shows your profile only to people you have liked.
