What are the best dating apps in 2021?

I’ve done quite a few roundups now and typically, I feel pretty versed in the apps I recommend. I’ve used many workout apps, tested lots of dog apps, and went all-in with investing apps. Yet, I haven’t used a single dating app. Trust me, these are great apps and will hopefully help you find that someone special in your life, but I won’t be giving you the “this one worked for me!” recommendation. With that said, let's kick this off.

Plenty of Fish
Free Features for Days

Plenty of Fish has plenty going for it, but its most loudly-touted feature is that it has the largest number of free features for users. The biggest of which is all conversations are entirely free, not requiring any subscription to use. Compared to the other apps, Plenty of Fish says you’re more than 2.7X more likely to have a conversation within the first 24 hours of using the app.

Singles are also able to Livestream on the app. While doing so, you can join these live streams and get to know people before you match with them.

Those free features draw in lots of users as well. With more than 17 million active users, you’re very likely to find someone to connect with. Since there isn’t a cost to get started, makes it even more tempting to try.

Wingman
You Don’t Have To Date Alone

One of the scariest parts of getting out there and dating is the approach. Right? The part where you have to introduce who you are to a stranger, all the while not embarrassing yourself. With Wingman, you aren’t doing that. Instead, you’re relying on your trusted friends to do it for you.

Here’s how it works. Your friends or family write an endearing profile of you. They then peruse the app for possible matches that they think you will like. When they find someone they believe you’ll hit it off with, they approach and make the introduction.

According to the app, singles with a Wingman get 80% higher matches than those who opt to go out on their own. Dating is hard. Let your friends help you.

Bumble
Dating, Friendships, Networking

Dating on Bumble is just a little different than other apps. They all have to have their own hook, right? With Bumble Date, women make the first move. Once matched, the women have 24 hours to make the first move and then the man has 24 hours to respond. In same-sex matches, it’s an even playing field where each has 24 hours to make the first move.

By encouraging each other to be so forward and put on a timer to respond, users have a lot of conversations via Bumble. Aside from text conversations, Bumble has video chat ability as well. No need to give out your number until you’re sure it’s a real connection.

Aside from dating, Bumble has other uses as well. You can use it to find other users in your field that can help expand your career or switch positions. Networking can be difficult, especially when you move to a new city. Similar with friends. You can find others in your area who have similar interests that might be great to hang out with. As someone in his 30s, I can attest that making new friends isn’t easy.

So whether you are looking for a new hang or a romantic partner, Bumble has you covered.

Tastebuds
Your Musical Life Partner

How important is music to you? I know between my wife and I music plays a huge part in our lives. Songs we’ve danced to. Concerts we’ve been to. And the music we were raised on. Tastebuds is for those folks.

The app uses your location to discover people near you that have a similar taste in music. It ties into iTunes and allows you to share your favorite songs and artists before identifying others who agree.

Each user profile has a standout photo atop a list of their favorite artists, pulling in the album art for a rich, visual interface. If you match with someone, you can send a message, or you can send her a song.

Find someone to connect with over your favorite jams and download Tastebuds

Hinge
Modern Meaningful Relationships

I’ll freely admit here that the reason I thought of this app is due to the commercials. The brand totally crushed it with the idea that it is the dating app designed to be deleted. That’s what most people are looking for right? That special someone that they can spend their life with and get rid of the dating apps. It is such an easy hook and the ads were hilarious and on-point.

The app has a very clean user interface that looks nicely modern and simplistic without the flash and cheesy colors found in other dating apps. With such a sleek design, it imparts a higher level of care into the app, and possibly your matches as well.

Instead of swiping to match, Hinge prioritizes those more meaningful relationships and helps you find someone with similar ideologies and preferences. If you want something new, hip, and real, check out Hinge.

Lex
A Retro Throwback for LGBTQ Users

All of the apps on my list work for LGBTQ users just as they work for heterosexual users. For gay men, Grindr is popular and Her is popular among lesbians. But for all LGBTQ and nonbinary users, one cool app is Lex.

This app takes away the need for photos and instead conjures up images of old-school missed connection advertisements in the newspaper. Each person’s bio is nothing more than a textcentric boost with not an image to be found.

Users can read the listings to find someone who you connect with before sharing pictures. You can search for interests in the app and react to any posts with fun little emoji-like icons. Find someone you’re interested in — either romantically or as friends — and start chatting.

This queer-owned and operated app is a novel approach that knows and appreciates it audience. Plus, there isn’t a single in-app purchase. It’s entirely free to use.

Match
The Top Contender

To me, Match is like the serious, more successful, older sibling of Tinder. Whereas Tinder feels more casual, Match wants to form more lifelong connections.

When matching with others, it presents several different similarities you share that may be great conversation starters. You can take video chats from the app, message back and forth, and everything else you can expect from a top-tier choice.

One feature I find very cool about Match is that it supports Apple Watch. The Match Apple Watch app lets you peruse possible matches, get more information on them, and select who you’d like to get to know better.

Match is the top dating app at the moment, for better or for worse. It ensures there are a lot of singles on the app but also makes it a bit cliche. Yes, I certainly had to include it on the list and if you want tried-and-true, try it out. But also be open to other apps on the list.

Tinder
Swipe Right On This Popular Choice

It had to be here, right? I mean.. it is still incredibly popular, spurs countless memes, and brought “swiping right” into the zeitgeist. Yet, it has started to garner a reputation for more of a hookup app rather than a long-term relationship starter. That isn’t to say it can’t work for both — it absolutely can!

The app is very simple and most people already understand how to use it. Swipe left if the person doesn’t light your torch and swipe right if they do. If you both swipe right on one another, you get to message and converse with one another.

Over the years the app has grown. It now can integrate with more services and apps than ever, including Facebook for info and photos or other apps for security. You’re able to do virtual dates, perfect for the COVID-19 era, directly from the app without having to give away any personally-identifying information.

There is no denying the app is popular and that it has been well designed. Whether you want to try it out just for fun while you kill time or you’re looking for your life partner, Tinder may be worth a download. Just watch your expectations.

But enough about other people's apps.

LET'S TALK ABOUT YOURS