Plenty of Fish alternatives that match and message for free
OkCupid is the first of five Plenty of Fish alternatives here, and like POF it lets a free account match and message, with questions to answer before the matching starts.
At a glance
- Plenty of Fish is free to download. Free members can filter searches, Like members in Meet Me and message Mutual Matches, and the paid tiers (POF Plus, POF Premium, POF Prestige) add unlimited Likes, no ads and more.
- Incognito on Plenty of Fish needs a paid tier. OkCupid sells its version as a paid upgrade, Match as a paid add-on, and Bumble lists Incognito Mode as a Premium feature.
- Free messaging is confirmed for all five picks, and all five list 18 as the minimum age. Match also asks members to be single or separated from a spouse.
- Match's iPhone listing was found in 15 of the 45 App Store storefronts checked, Plenty of Fish's in 36.
Why people look for Plenty of Fish alternatives
A free account does a fair amount. The help center says free members can filter searches by gender, location, age, distance, religion and more, Like members in Meet Me, and see and message Mutual Matches. Messaging before a match is narrower: the Google Play text mentions one First Contact a day, and the pages checked do not say which plan lifts that. Paid tiers add unlimited Likes, no ads and more. Prices are on Plenty of Fish pricing.
Google Play states the aim as finding and building relationships more than once, which makes Plenty of Fish a relationship-leaning app. Casual dating and hookup wording are not confirmed in the sources read. OkCupid, Bumble and Badoo each name casual dating in their own listings, and Match points the other way with "Serious Intentions". Readers who want the hookup label itself can start from best hookup apps.
Privacy and verification are the other pulls. Incognito is a paid feature on Plenty of Fish, offered in Plus, Premium and Prestige, and the Google Play Data safety label says "Shares Location". Selfie Verification matches a video selfie to the main profile photo and puts a badge on the profile. How other apps handle the same checks is in apps with profile verification.
Free matching, with questions first
OkCupid: a free account that answers questions
- Platforms
- iPhone, Android, Web
- Minimum age
- 18
- Lowest listed price
- USD 7.99 (US, App Store)
OkCupid scores compatibility between members of any gender and orientation, from casual dating to a serious relationship. The help center is blunt: "Using OkCupid is completely free. You do not have to pay to create an account or interact with other users and matches." A free account creates a profile, answers questions, matches and messages. Seeing who has liked you, unlimited Likes and Dealbreakers are paid, and the pages imply a cap on free Likes without giving a number.
Google Play calls OkCupid an LGBT dating app where "lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer and straight singles can be themselves", and names casual dating beside a serious relationship. Incognito Mode is a paid upgrade that also removes ads. Photo Verification is a video selfie with a Liveness Check. On the US App Store the OkCupid Premium rows run from USD 7.99 to USD 59.99 and A-List is USD 9.99, with no period stated in any of them. The pairing with POF gets its own page in Plenty of Fish vs OkCupid.
Relationship-first, at a higher price
Match: serious intentions stated on the listing
- Platforms
- iPhone, Android, Web
- Minimum age
- 18
- Lowest listed price
- USD 19.99 (US, App Store)
The App Store text reads "Real Singles, Serious Intentions", and the pages checked contain no hookup wording. The help center sets the eligibility rule: you must be 18 or older and single or separated from your spouse. Free members can create a profile, rate up to 50 recommended profiles a day, explore curated profiles, chat with every match and join virtual or in-person events. Boosts and Super Likes can be bought without a subscription, and Private Mode, which shows your profile only to people you have communicated with, is a paid add-on.
The US App Store lists Basic and Standard at USD 44.99 for 1 month each and a Bundle at USD 129.99 for 6 months. Other Match rows on the US App Store show USD 19.99, USD 42.99, USD 74.99 and USD 129.99 with no period stated. The iPhone listing is missing from the UK storefront, and Match also runs a website. Match meets OkCupid head to head in Match vs OkCupid.
Swipe-style apps with free chat
Tinder: 500M+ Android downloads against 50M+
- Platforms
- iPhone, Android, Web
- Minimum age
- 18
- Lowest listed price
- USD 9.99 (US, App Store)
Google Play shows 500M+ downloads for Tinder and 50M+ for Plenty of Fish. Tinder is also listed in all 45 storefronts checked, where POF is in 36. Both numbers describe installs and listings, not members. The purpose is mixed: "a date, a serious relationship, or meet new friends", and casual dating is not named as a goal. Free accounts send Likes, match and chat, and the listing gives no daily limit.
Subscriptions add unlimited Likes, weekly Super Likes, compliments before a match, unlimited Rewinds and monthly Boosts. Google Play names Incognito Mode and Photo Verification. The US App Store lists Tinder Plus at USD 9.99 and Tinder Gold at four prices from USD 13.99 to USD 24.99, and the UK App Store lists Tinder Plus at GBP 3.99, none with a period. The feature-by-feature version is Tinder vs Plenty of Fish.
Badoo: chat before a match on the base list
- Platforms
- iPhone, Android, Web
- Minimum age
- 18
- Lowest listed price
- USD 5.99 (US, App Store)
Badoo is the Bumble group's swipe-and-chat app. Google Play describes it as a place to "date around for a while, or just have good conversations", and lists chat and chat before matching among the base features, with Premium adding message priority. Plenty of Fish's Google Play text, by contrast, mentions one First Contact a day. Discover and Encounters are free to browse, and the web login is at badoo.com.
Two Premium rows state a period: USD 13.99 for 7 days on the US App Store and GBP 9.99 for 7 days on the UK App Store. Other Premium rows show USD 5.99 and USD 6.99 on the US App Store and GBP 4.49 and GBP 6.99 on the UK App Store, with no period stated. Photo verification is a selfie copying a gesture, reviewed by automation and humans, and Invisible Mode is named on the App Store.
Bumble: video chat and ID Verification on the free list
- Platforms
- iPhone, Android, Web
- Minimum age
- 18
- Lowest listed price
- USD 2.99 (US, App Store)
Google Play calls Bumble "a free app for meeting singles" and lists the free features: a profile with interests and prompts, ID Verification, dating advice, Spotify linking, video chat and picture sharing with matches, sharing meetup details with a trusted person, and Snooze Mode. Seeing everyone who likes you, Advanced Filters, rematch and Incognito Mode are paid. The app calls itself women-first, and its listing names dating "for fun" next to finding "the one".
The UK App Store lists Bumble Premium at GBP 9.99 and GBP 24.99 for 7 days, plus GBP 13.99, GBP 14.99 and GBP 16.99 with no period. On the US App Store Bumble Boost runs from USD 2.99 to USD 12.99 and Bumble Premium from USD 17.99 to USD 32.99, again without a period. ID Verification earns a blue badge through Veriff, and Photo Verification a grey one.
One more relationship-minded name
Zoosk is a dating site and app with filters, daily match suggestions and a swipe-style carousel. Its homepage headings read "Designed for Serious Relationships". Its iPhone listing was found in 3 of the 45 storefronts checked.
Plenty of Fish and the five picks side by side
Not confirmed means the listings and policies checked on 2026-11-05 are silent on the feature, so it may exist. Lowest listed price is the cheapest row on the US App Store for any product, with the period often unstated.
Plenty of Fish
- Main intentdating
- Free planFree to download. Free members can filter searches (gender, location, age, distance, religion and more),...
- Lowest listed price (US, App Store)USD 19.99, Upgrade
- Web versionYes
- Minimum age18
OkCupid
- Main intentdating
- Free planFree to create an account, answer questions, match and message.
- Lowest listed price (US, App Store)USD 7.99, OkCupid Premium
- Web versionYes
- Minimum age18
Match
- Main intentrelationships
- Free planFree to download and start.
- Lowest listed price (US, App Store)USD 19.99, Match
- Web versionYes
- Minimum age18
Tinder
- Main intentmixed
- Free planFree accounts can send Likes, match and chat.
- Lowest listed price (US, App Store)USD 9.99, Tinder Plus
- Web versionYes
- Minimum age18
Badoo
- Main intentmixed
- Free planFree to download. Free accounts can browse Discover and Encounters, match and chat. Premium, Extra and...
- Lowest listed price (US, App Store)USD 5.99, Badoo Premium
- Web versionYes
- Minimum age18
Bumble
- Main intentdating
- Free planFree features listed on Google Play: profile with interests and prompts, ID Verification, dating advice,...
- Lowest listed price (US, App Store)USD 2.99, Bumble Boost
- Web versionYes
- Minimum age18
Plenty of Fish, OkCupid and Bumble carry the dating label, Tinder and Badoo are mixed, and Match says relationships. The free plan text and the lowest listed price are where the apps part, and the price rows rarely state a period, so a monthly comparison needs each app's own pricing page. Every app has a web version, and every minimum age is 18.
FAQ
Is there a free alternative to Plenty of Fish?
OkCupid says outright that creating an account and interacting with matches costs nothing. Free messaging is also confirmed for Match, Tinder, Badoo and Bumble, though Match limits free members to rating 50 recommended profiles a day and every app sells upgrades. More in free dating apps.
Which alternative states a relationship aim?
Match, on its App Store listing, and Zoosk, on its homepage. OkCupid and Bumble list casual dating next to serious relationships, and Tinder and Badoo describe mixed aims.
Do the alternatives have an incognito mode?
OkCupid sells Incognito Mode as an upgrade, Match sells Private Mode as an add-on, Bumble lists Incognito Mode under Premium, Tinder names Incognito Mode on Google Play and Badoo names Invisible Mode on the App Store. Plenty of Fish offers Incognito in its Plus, Premium and Prestige tiers. The wider comparison is incognito mode across apps.
Does Plenty of Fish work in a browser?
Yes: pof.com has Sign In and Register, and the help center describes web steps for Incognito, cancelling and Meet Me. OkCupid, Match, Tinder, Badoo and Bumble have web versions too. See dating sites without app download.
Where is Plenty of Fish missing from the App Store?
Of 45 storefronts checked, the iPhone listing was not found in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam. OkCupid is missing only in South Korea, Tinder, Badoo and Bumble are in all 45, and Match is in 15. Country pages start at dating apps by country.