Top 25 Dating Apps

Online dating and dating apps are popular ways to meet new people, with over 1,400 UK sites. You may rest assured that approximately 20% of the UK utilises dating apps, according to Statista, with 441 million active users worldwide by 2023. After Tinder altered relationships for a generation, dating sites have never been bigger or more specialised. You may find someone who loves dogs, green issues, or good wines a few clicks away. This list of 25 top dating websites and apps, including dating.telegraph.co.uk, includes pros and cons to help you select.

Top Dating Apps

We’ll explain further, but here are our top 25 quickly:

Match.com

The dating site Match.com has someone for everyone. Create a descriptive profile, then search by criteria for a companion. In “zen mode,” only those who fulfill your requirements will contact you. It’s free to join, but only subscribers may send and receive messages. A six-month subscription costs £12.99 each month. 

Features

• Limited free membership
• 3 million UK users
• LGBT friendly
• Available online via Apple App Store and Google Play

Plenty of Fish

Plenty of Fish, one of the earliest free dating services, debuted in 2003 and now has 800,000 UK users daily. A personality test-based matchmaker, forums, fill-in-the-blank games, and detailed profiles are available on the site. Along with age and career, you’ll uncover information like most extended relationships and siblings. Men outnumber women on Plenty of Fish by 20%. Purchase extra features for £9.99 per month. This lets you browse expanded profiles, read communication receipts and trash ads, know who has visited your profile, give virtual gifts, and appear in other members’ searches. Use the site online or on your phone.

Features

• Membership free
• 150 million users globally
• Available online via the Apple App Store and Google Play

Silver Singles

Silver Singles is most popular in the US, although it’s growing in the UK. To join the site, you must take a 15–30-minute personality test to find your perfect mate. Detailed profiles are behind a paywall. Sending communications to potential matches costs money. A 12-month premium membership costs $24.95 (£20).

Features

• Limited free membership
• 70,000 UK users
• LGBT friendly
• Available online via Apple App Store and Google Play

HER

HER helps gay, bisexual, and lesbian women discover their perfect match, bringing a unique perspective to the dating app world. The software lets you see profiles, add friends, and chat for free. HER Premium lets you sort users by sexuality, view online users, and more. HER discusses LGBTQ+ news and local events, and there are smaller chat rooms where you may meet other users. 

Features

• Membership free
• 4 million members worldwide
• Only for queer women and non-binary persons
• On Apple App Store and Google Play

Tegraph Dating

Telegraph Dating makes meeting like-minded people easy. When creating your free profile, explain the sort of person you want. Check out the shapes and send a message to someone you like. Free membership lets you view prospective matches’ communications and react with a one-liner. Conversations and personalized messages are only available to paid customers. Subscriptions cost £12 per month for 12 months. Upgrade to Premium for £10 per month to allow free message replies. 

Features

• Limited free membership
• 220,000 members worldwide
• LGBT friendly
• Available online via Apple App Store and Google Play

Bumble Boost

Women must start Bumble discussions to balance dating apps. Although profiles are less thorough than on other apps, you may video talk and get to know your match before meeting. Bumble penalizes lazy users because you only have 24 hours to chat before the game ends. The app is free, but Bumble Boost lets you view users who have already ‘loved’ you for £11.16 a month for six months or £2.49 per day.

Features

• Membership free
• 22 million users globally
• LGBT friendly
• Available online via Apple App Store and Google Play

eHarmony 

EHarmony has been one of the most trusted dating apps for over 20 years, and over 2 million individuals have found love on it. For long-term commitment and marriage, it is ideal.” You’ll take a fun compatibility questionnaire after joining, and the site will recommend matches based on your answers. Take the quiz and access basic profile information with the free basic membership, but you must upgrade to chat with partners.

Features

• Join for free (limited time)
• 5 million people in the UK
• LGBT friendly
• You can get it online, in the Apple App Store, and on Google Play

EliteSingles

Online at Apple App Store, Google Play, and Android Aptoide EliteSingles, which matches users’ personalities, may appeal to those who dislike swiping left. The extensive compatibility exam considers appearance, character (including how optimistic and ambitious you are, your social skills, how friends perceive you, and more), and what you want in a spouse, including if you want children. Most users want a long-term relationship and intellectual compatibility, and 85% have degrees and are 30–55. You must subscribe to message your matches, view their images, and comment. It costs £24.95 per month for 12 months or £44.95 for three or six months to try a premium membership.

Features

• From £24.95/month
• 170,000 users
• LGBT friendly

Our Time

Our Time is a breath of new air for individuals who are bored of swiping and want to meet someone IRL. The site organizes local older singles events where you may meet like-minded folks—feeling shy? Bring up to three buddies for moral support. As Match Group owns the app, your profile will display on other dating sites, expanding your prospective mate pool. Our Mature Dating section has more dating advice for over-40s.

Features

• Membership free
• 150,000 active users
• LGBT friendly
• Available online via the Apple App Store and Google Play

Parship

Parship helps you discover love scientifically. Based on 40 years of research on successful relationships, the site categorizes users into 36 personality types and matches them using 136 rules. From your ideal spouse to whether you sleep with the window open, the compatibility quiz is broad. Users are about equally male and female, and 52% are graduates. About 4 in 10 Parship users find their mate, and 23,000 join weekly. Signing up, taking the extensive personality test, viewing your matches, and sending them ‘smiles’ is free, but messaging your matches costs money. From £14.90 a month for 12 months, you can trial the site for six months (£19.90) or three months (£29.90). 

Features

• Free (limited)
• 23,000 new members weekly
• LGBT friendly
• Available online via Apple App Store and Google Play

Original Dating

Are you fed up with swiping? Original Dating emphasizes in-person meetings, unlike other applications. Speed dating events (including virtual ones) usually involve 15–20 individuals in one night. Original Dating requires online bookings to ensure an equitable gender ratio, unlike traditional speed dating events. You may try an event for £10 or subscribe for savings and exclusive events.

Features

• From £10 per event
• Over 250,000 users
• LGBT friendly
• Available online

Ok Cupid

OkCupid features a lengthy personality test to improve compatibility. You may add flair to your profile by answering unusual questions like “Do you make your bed every day?” In this app you have to download and talk to people for free or pay Premium for more features. OKCupid was the first to provide 22 genders and 13 sexual orientations in 2014. OkCupid, which makes 91 million connections annually, is praised for its inclusiveness. 

Features

• Membership free
• 4 million users globally
• LGBT friendly
• Available online via the Apple App Store and Google Play

Muddy Matches

Muddy Matches, developed by two sisters from rural origins who struggled to find compatible spouses, receives our favorite name award. Around 200,000 UK users use the site weekly, and 60,000 are active. The gender weighting is 60% male. Although it lacks the capabilities of current applications, you may browse, read the blog, modify your profile, and even ‘wink’ at other users for free on this primary dating site. Unfortunately, you cannot communicate with others without a premium membership. That costs £8 per month for a year or £12 per month, with alternatives in between.

Features

• Limited free membership
• 300,000 users
• LGBT friendly
• Available online

Happn

In movies, people meet on the train, talk, and fall in love. Indeed, we are too awkward and British to act impulsively. Here comes Happn. A user you met will appear at the top of your Happn page. Send a heart if you like what you see, and start a conversation if they do.  Only an approximate location is shared. The app is free, but you can upgrade for Premium features like 10 ‘Hellos’ and access to your likes.

Features

• Membership free
• 50 million users worldwide
• LGBT friendly
• Available online, on Apple App Store and Google Play

Inner Circle

Inner Circle ads feature couples in black ties and cocktail dresses, like Glyndebourne ads. To prevent fake accounts and ensure serious daters, this dating app screens users on safety, effort, and mindset. Inner Circle matches ambitious, career-savvy young professionals in 66 cities in 29 countries, with 5 million singles on the app. The mix includes London entrepreneurs and Brazilian creative directors. You can download the app for free or upgrade to premium. There are exclusive member events. Is anyone for park polo?

Features

• Membership free
• 5 million users worldwide
• LGBT friendly
• Available online, on Apple App Store and Google Play

Hinge

Young people call Hinge “the relationship app,” which is one of Tinder’s main competitors. For a profile, you need more than just a picture and a short bio. Instead, you have to answer three questions, like “Who was my childhood crush?”  You can download the app for free and see as many profiles, swipe, and send messages as you want. You can, however, pay more for a Preferred Membership, which lets you filter results better. If you sign up for six months, it starts at £13.83 a month.

Features

• No cost to join
• 5.5 million members around the world
• LGBT friendly
• You can get it from the Apple App Store, Google Play, and Apple App Store

Godfather

The dating app Godfather. The photo-heavy app Tinder has 2 billion daily views. Swipe right to potential mates, then communicate and schedule a date. The site claims the software handles 1 million dates every week. Tinder is for casual dating. Although profiles are less thorough than other applications, you may include your name, job, company, education, location, and Instagram and Spotify links. A tiered membership structure starting at £3.64 a month lets you see who liked you, check ‘top picks,’ and rewind if you swipe the wrong way on a match.

Features

• Membership free
• Over 50 million users globally
• LGBT friendly
• You can find it on the Apple App Store, Google Play, and Apple Aptoide

Thursday

The Thursday app mixes the conventional with the new by closing every day until Thursday when it opens for 24 hours of matching and chatting. The creators observed that dating apps are most popular on Thursdays, likely to avoid spending weekend evenings with strangers. The Thursday events in the UK’s leading cities offer singles fitness classes with a post-workout mingle, rooftop bar encounters, dinners, comedy club evenings, and more. Attending gatherings costs money, but Thursdays provide unique beverages. 

Features

• Free (limited) membership
• More than 320,000
• LGBT friendly
• On Apple App Store and Google Play

Badoo

Badoo offers a plethora of options. Choose conversation, casual dating, a committed relationship, or open-mindedness when joining the app. The software lets you join live video chats and swipe. User profiles provide basic information and alerts of likes and messages. This might be overwhelming due to the number of users. Package and subscription rates vary, but premium prices start at £4.99 weekly.

Features

• Limited free membership
• Over 497 million users globally
• LGBT friendly
• Available online via Apple App Store and Google Play

Coffee Meets Bagel

As its name implies, this software is popular in the US. It adds a unique element to dating. Its main draw is that it only delivers you one match every day, forcing you to think about if this person is a good match before swiping left. However, you can like a few individuals daily under the ‘Discover’ option. If you match, the app proposes a tailored icebreaker (“Ask Thomas about his recent trip to Thailand!”).  

Features

• Membership free
• 7 million users globally
• LGBT friendly
• On Apple App Store and Google Play

 The Sauce

Qemistry, a new dating app for 18-35-year-olds of all genders and orientations, is refreshing. Although it launched on September 3, it has immense promise. Upload TikToks, Instagram Stories, or a funny or boogie video to your profile to utilize it. This showcases your personality, unlike managed photo profiles that emphasize abs.

Features

• Membership free
• LGBT friendly
• Available on the Apple App Store

Facebook Dating

In order to emulate Tinder, Facebook included dating a few years ago. It’s free without restrictions or surcharges and adds to the Facebook website and app. That should imply millions of matches. Despite Facebook’s refusal to share membership data, The Conversation found it scant, supporting prior allegations. It’s free and doesn’t need an app, so you have nothing to lose by having a scout.

Features

• Membership free
• LGBT friendly
• Available anywhere Facebook is (online, Apple App Store, Google Play, Android Aptoide).

Christian Connection

Christian Connection users can discuss their work, politics, fantasy vacation spots, favorite films, and religion. If you like someone, you can wave and message them. Membership is free but limited to matching, sending waves, and preset answers. The membership service allows unlimited texts and reduced social event registration for £24 per month after a 3-day trial. 

Features

• Limited free membership
• 110,000 users globally
• LGBT friendly
• Available online, via Apple App Store and Google Play

JDate

Nearly 20 years old, JDate, the largest Jewish dating site online, is now simplified. You may explore others’ profiles to analyze their appearance, hobbies, religious practise, and interests after posting a bio (100-150 words) and up to 6 images. Look Books, lists of who has liked you, make it easier to monitor possible relationships. Since the Kibitz Corner asks daily questions and lets you compare answers with your matches, the site seems community-like. 

Features

• Unpaid membership
• Open to LGBT
• Online, Apple App Store, Google Play

Muzz (formerly Muzmatch)

Muzz is known for its humorous ads (“Halal, is it me you’re looking for?”). By allowing you to create a false identity and postpone the unveiling of your profile to close friends and family, your privacy is protected. A ‘Wali’ can accompany you in conversations, and all users are vetted. The app lets you swipe, match, and talk for free. You may upgrade to Instant Match to chat with someone before they like you.

Features

• Membership free
• 1 million members globally
• On Apple App Store and Google Play

FAQs

Which free dating app is best in 2023?

The finest free dating app is Hinge. People who seek a meaningful relationship without a marriage-focused dating profile can utilize it. It has the full free version, letting you swipe eight times daily, communicate freely, and comment on other accounts. Not paying for the premium version means missing out on unlimited likes, knowing who liked you, sophisticated filters (such as height, children, education, etc.), Hinge experts, and a ‘standout’ profile. They’re superfluous extras.

Which dating site is best for serious relationships?

Only serious daters use Eharmony. It connects people based on personality and character exams, suggesting couples with deep expertise. Eharmony provides more match details than Tinder.

Which over 50 dating sites are best?

Silver Singles is the most excellent dating site for those over 50—that’s its purpose. Silver Singles has over 17 years of experience and is full of single, divorced, separated, and bereaved seniors. It’s secure and tolerant, but if you want someone younger, go elsewhere.