The only dating apps worth downloading in December 2024

Check out our full review of Match.

Who it's for:

Match, the flagship app from Match Group, is a go-to dating app for people in their 30s and 40s who are looking for a long-term relationship, but aren't quite ready to walk down the aisle just yet.

In terms of age, Match has a diverse user base, with 25 percent falling below the 30 mark, but it's a popular dating app for people in their mid-30s to mid-40s, too.

Why we picked this:

Match offers several premium features, including unlimited likes and the ability to see who's viewed your profile, which can increase your chances of finding a compatible partner. Plus, Match is serious about cracking down on fake profiles. Now, you need to upload three photos to set up your dating profile, which helps ensure a safer and more authentic dating experience.

Despite being in a current lawsuit over locking "users into a perpetual pay-to-play loop" and encouraging "compulsive," gambling-like behavior among its users, Match Group is still a behemoth in the dating app industry.

The 2024 lawsuit argues that Match-owned apps “employ recognized dopamine-manipulating product features” to keep users engaged and addicted — and Gen Z and TikTok are eating up every word of it. The anti-dating-app agenda has become so big that the term "boysober," which refers to abstaining from dating apps, has emerged as a trending hashtag on social media platforms.

But Match Group CEO Bernard Kim doesn't seem worried. In an April 2024 article for Fortune, he writes, "Unlike social media platforms, dating apps are not designed to maximize your time on the platform," adding, "The business model does not rely on ad revenue to be successful, so optimizing for engagement doesn’t provide a benefit."

Read our full review of AdultFriendFinder.

Check out our full review of eharmony.

Who it's for:

eharmony is a popular dating app for people looking for serious relationships and long-term commitments. Think in-depth personality quizzes, curated matches based on core beliefs, and a community where commitment isn't just a word; it's the foundation.

The user base leans towards established professionals in their 35-54 prime, but that means you're surrounded by folks who know what they want: a fulfilling partnership to build upon. So, if you're out of your 20s and ready to settle down, are conservative, or value religion in your dating preferences, eharmony might be worth looking into.

Why we picked this:

eharmony has been a major player in the online dating world since August 2000, and for good reason. It's our top pick for marriage-minded singles because, well, it actually works.

While the compatibility quiz can be a bit introspective, that's how eharmony finds you someone who truly gets you. (Just think of it as a relationship investment – you put in the time upfront, and you reap the rewards later.) The site recently got a fresh new look, complete with a new heart logo symbolizing its 32 dimensions of compatibility and a more down-to-earth approach to relationship questions.

Although historically non-inclusive, eharmony has made so many changes in recent years to be more inclusive and cater to the LGBTQ community that the app has angered the conservative Christian group One Million Moms. They're so angry they've posted a petition calling the company to take their LGBTQ -friendly ads off the air, claiming that eharmony is "glorifying sin" and promoting an agenda.

But their threats haven't affected the company in the slightest. Just this past October (in celebration of National Coming Out Day, no less), eharmony teamed up with GLAAD to create a report on how dating apps influence the ways LGBTQ folks express their identities in their dating lives.

Read our full review of Tinder Platinum.

Who it's for:

Tinder is the most popular dating app, although it's mainly meant for finding hookups or a date within an hour. This doesn't mean all your connections will be surface-level, but users go in with a different mindset than they would on, say, Match. One of Mashable's own editors did meet his partner of 10 years on Tinder, but that's very much the exception to the rule.

Its interface is simple and intuitive, and its premium features, such as Tinder Plus and Tinder Gold, offer additional perks for people interested in casual dating.

Why we picked this:

How could we not pick it? Tinder, the one hookup app to rule them all. The original swiping app is now mainly used to find casual encounters and steamy one-night stands. With its pioneering swiping feature, Tinder has transformed how people date — for better or worse, and mostly worse — and has become a household name, boasting 1.6 billion swipes daily.

As more young people burn out of online dating with a bad case of app fatigue, Tinder is compensating by hosting IRL events in cities around the country. Sex and culture writer Magdalene Taylor recently attended one of these events for Slate, calling it “a small act of resistance against our overwhelmingly digital world.” Plus, she said the line of eager men waiting to talk to her “was honestly the ego boost of the season.”

Tinder's straightforward formula is well-known: Swipe right if you like what you see, and swipe left if you don't. When both parties swipe right, it's a match. It's simple, effective, and widely copied in the dating app world. If you like to know a bit more about your matches than the standard bio might divulge, Tinder has finally taken a page out of Hinge's book by adding prompts to profiles. And if you need help narrowing down your options, Tinder's matchmaker feature allows you to invite your friends and family (whether or not they have accounts themselves) to send you recommended profiles.

Check out our full review of OkCupid.

Who it's for:

OkCupid (also a part of the Match Group) is a popular dating app for singles who aren't afraid to share their opinions on social and political issues. With 22 gender identities and 12 sexual orientations, OkCupid welcomes people of all gender identities and orientations.

Plus, with the option to list your pronouns, you'll be more likely to be addressed correctly.

Why we picked this:

OkCupid is great for people who value inclusivity, want to express themselves authentically, and enjoy a meaningful connection. The site's commitment to offering 22 gender identities and 13 sexual orientations and allowing users to choose their pronouns makes it a welcoming space for all.

If you're a non-monogamous user, you'll only be shown to — gasp — other people interested in non-monogamy. These are only a few features that give OkCupid a better understanding of the modern dating landscape than its other longtime competitors.

Users can answer deal-breaker questions about hot-button topics like politics and vaccines to weed out incompatible matches. The algorithm that matches users is based on how similarly they responded to questions during sign-up, giving users a compatibility score and details on where they disagreed.

According to Michael Kaye, the app's Director of Brand Marketing and Communications, OkCupid used generative AI (ChatGPT) to update its matching questions at the beginning of last year. This, of course, led to media coverage, increased website traffic, and user engagement.

“OkCupid matches people on what matters to them through in-app matching questions," Kaye said in a statement. "At the beginning of last year, we decided to have ChatGPT write our matching questions for us, and the chatbot-generated questions have been answered almost 4 million times."

Check out our full review of Bumble Premium.

Who it's for:

Bumble is a dating app that puts women (and non-binary users) in the driver's seat. The app's unique selling point from the beginning was that women have to make the first move, so if you're a woman who's tired of receiving unsolicited messages from men on other mainstream dating apps, Bumble could be the solution you're looking for.

Why we picked this:

Unlike most dating apps, Bumble flips the script, putting the power to initiate contact in the hands of women and non-binary people. This unique feature helps filter out unwanted messages and creepy encounters they often face on other dating apps.

Bumble's “Opening Moves” feature gives women and non-binary people the option to choose a prompt question or create their own message. According to Bumble CEO Lidiane Jones, this was done to alleviate the “exhaustion” many women felt with the “current online dating experience.”

The app also updated its Dating Intentions section to include “ethical non-monogamy” and “intimacy without commitment.” The 24-hour time limit for responding to matches before they disappear is still in place to encourage engagement and prevent ghosting. And you can still use Bumble Bizz and Bumble BFF to expand your professional and social networks.

Who it's for:

Coffee Meets Bagel is ideal for people who are tired of endless swiping on other dating apps and prefer a more curated selection of potential matches. It's also great for those who are looking for a serious relationship, as the app's algorithm focuses on quality over quantity and encourages users to take the time to get to know each other before meeting in person. (It's kind of like EliteSingles without the pretentious air.)

The app's "Ladies Choice" feature empowers women to make the first move and only receive messages from men they've liked.

Why we picked this:

Grabbing coffee is the low-pressure date idea that lets you skip trying to choose a dressy-but-not-too-extra outfit for a concert or a restaurant. Coffee Meets Bagel is like the "grabbing coffee" version of dating apps, aiming to bring an easygoing atmosphere to folks who might just be a little rusty. The now-successful Shark Tank bust is one of those rare dating apps that actually gets decent feedback on Reddit. Every profile shown to men has already been okay-ed by the women, so the chance of getting unsolicited messages from creepy guys (or the worry of being seen as creepy) is less likely.

Each day, you'll receive anywhere from five to 21 curated matches depending on your gender, preferences, location, and whether or not you're a premium member. The algorithm curates these "bagels" based on your preferences and the bagels you weren't hungry for in the days prior. If you're in the mood to search more once you've gone through suggested matches, you can always check out more users nearby under the "Discover" tag. 

Who it's for:

Let's be real: Even the best dating apps leave a lot to be desired for gay women. That's why many queer people prefer to use apps designed just for them. If that sounds like you, HER is a dating app designed specifically for LGBTQ people, queer women, and non-binary individuals seeking a safe and inclusive online dating experience. Unlike other dating apps, HER is not just an afterthought or an add-on for queer women. It's a space that centers their experiences and allows them to connect with other like-minded people in a fun and meaningful way.

Why we picked this:

If you're a queer woman looking for love, chances are you've had your fair share of frustrating experiences on heteronormative dating sites. Between straight people looking for threesomes and creepy men pretending to be women, finding a safe and inclusive space to meet potential partners can be tough. That's where HER comes in. Designed by and for queer women, this award-winning app offers a refreshing alternative to mainstream dating sites.

With a rapidly growing user base of over 4 million, HER is quickly becoming the go-to app for queer women who want to expand their dating pool beyond their existing social circles. And with cool profile features that let you get creative with your gender, sexuality, pronouns, and diet preferences, HER makes it easy to express your authentic self.

Who it's for:

Grindr is the dating app for gay men. And while queer guys have more options in 2024, Grindr is still the go-to app for millions of gay and bisexual men seeking men. If you've had enough of the mainstream dating apps, Grindr is the perfect place to be yourself.

It's also a great option for those who want to experiment with their sexuality, as Grindr allows users to filter their search by sexual preferences, including bisexual men. Keep in mind that Grindr is a very NSFW environment where many guys go purely for casual hookups. You might get lucky and meet your soulmate on the app, but that's generally not why people use Grindr,

Why we picked this:

Grindr has been the top dating app for gay men since 2009, and that's because finding someone to talk to is damn near-instantaneous. Instead of swiping right or left to match, the app uses geolocation to connect users with nearby guys.

While the abundance of users can be overwhelming, it also means that there's a large pool of men ready to chat and more. Most users just looking to hook up will tell you that they're not trying to make small talk, and that warning may come in the form of a dick pic.

That's not to say it's not for relationships — a lot of men do meet their forever person on Grindr — but on the surface, it's a tool for quick, casual encounters. If you're seeking something more serious, you can adjust your filter to look for "dates." Keep in mind, though, that this will significantly decrease the number of potential matches. Grindr is especially useful for men in small towns with a limited queer population as they are more likely to find a connection here than on other dating apps like Tinder or OkCupid.

That said, in a recent interview with Yahoo! Finance, Grindr's CEO George Arison said they're working towards an AI-powered algorithm that will match users based on more than just proximity, allowing for deeper connections and potentially long-term relationships. "Grindr doesn't do matching yet, but that's kind of the direction we want to go into for dating in particular," Arison told Yahoo! Finance. "So I think dating will be really changed by AI, and that's all kind of on the come."

Grindr really is going all-in on new AI features. The company is currently testing an "AI wingman" feature. So far, the AI wingman is only available to a very small group of testers, but the company plans to make it widely available by 2027.

Who it's for:

The Pure dating app is designed for people who are looking for casual hookups with no strings attached. It's for those who want to cut straight to the chase without dealing with the hassle of traditional dating apps and those who value their privacy and anonymity.

It's also totally free for female users.

Why we picked this:

Think Pure as in a purely physical experience. This is the place to find a local booty call who won't try to text you earlier than midnight. App rules urge you to "pretend like you're strangers afterward," making no-strings-attached the only name of the game here. This super millennial app is a sex-positive, 18 safe space with some pretty cool art — the blueprint of the truly modern hookup app. Just be sure to communicate your boundaries in your bio.

Your selfies, bio, conversations, matches, and likes self-destruct every 24 hours, promoting spur-of-the-moment, borderline anonymous hookups. No nudity is allowed in your albums, and any photos sent in messages can't be saved. (As the dry-humored comics on their website state, "Don't talk about your problems. Problems are for therapists. Pure is for fun.") The app will ask for your phone number, but that's to make sure you're a real person.

PURE gives all the feels of a sex-based site without the obnoxious naked parts and porn ads everywhere. (Cough *AdultFriendFinder* cough) Running into bots and people trying to make money is likely, but the spammy stuff isn't nearly as rampant as traditional hookup sites. 

Read our full review of Zoosk.

Who it's for:

If it weren't for all the dead profiles (and out-of-date interface), Zoosk could be a dating app suitable for people looking for a diverse and active dating pool. Still, unlike most other apps on this list, it's not owned by the Match Group.

Why we don't recommend this:

With such little focus on details past physique or distance, it's natural to question how the site builds any real foundations. Admittedly, something Zoosk did worked at one point, as the site keeps a meticulously updated list of couples who met through the site with news of new engagements and marriages — but the latest post is from June 2020.

Still, there's no denying that Zoosk is a zombie land of dead-end profiles and somewhat boring design (that looks straight out of 2009 on its mobile version). We guess some 35 million people use Zoosk because it's easy — there are no long questionnaires required to build your profile, and you have free reign over how to go about approaching matches. But being on the site also feels like witnessing an identity crisis — it's hard to tell if Zoosk wants to be taken as a place for hookups or a place to find something more serious.

When Zoosk switched from a social media app to a legit dating site, it was more or less in a league of its own. Incorporating "liking" photos and having a similar look to a Facebook feed was super attractive to young, single people... in the early 2000s. The problem is that Zoosk hasn't changed much since then.