Dating apps: relationship-first, casual and adult

Relationship-first dating apps

Hinge, Match and eharmony put relationships first in their own words. Hinge's App Store listing says "Hinge is the dating app for people who want to get off of dating apps", and the app's own wording includes "designed to be deleted". Match's listing calls it the dating app "for Real Relationships and Real People" and uses the line "Real Singles, Serious Intentions". eharmony's US terms describe "a Service for single people seeking romantic relationships".

Once inside, the three work differently. A Hinge match begins when someone likes or comments on a specific part of a profile, and the app learns your type from prompt answers, photos and profile fields. Match shows curated recommendations chosen daily, adds a Dating Intention filter and a Core Values feature that show shared goals, and lets free members chat with every match. eharmony starts with a Compatibility Quiz that builds a personality profile, and each recommendation carries a compatibility score. Its Basic membership is free with no time limit, though photos of others are generally blurred and personalized messaging is limited.

Casual dating apps

Bumble and OkCupid name casual dating in their Google Play listings. Bumble puts dating "for fun" next to finding "the one", and OkCupid puts casual dating next to a serious relationship. Tinder's App Store listing describes "a fun, relaxed" dating experience, and its Google Play listing says the app helps people "find a date, a serious relationship, or meet new friends". The pages checked do not confirm casual dating as a stated intention for Tinder. Casual dating explained has the wider set.

The mechanics differ. Tinder says "You can only match and chat when both people are interested." Bumble matches can expire, and its Premium tier lists "Extend your matches by 24 hours". OkCupid asks members to answer questions (more than 500 in the app, 15 of them required at sign-up) and combines the answers with stated preferences into a Match % score. Free accounts can message on all three: Tinder's listing puts "Send Likes, match, and chat" under its free tier, Bumble lists chat among its free features, and OkCupid's help center says interacting with matches needs no payment.

Adult and hookup apps

None of the six apps above is described as a hookup app on its own pages. Hinge and Match word themselves against it. Tinder's two store listings neither position the app as one nor rule it out, and the Bumble, OkCupid and eharmony pages checked do not position those apps that way either.

Apps built for adult use have their own pages, starting with hookup apps. There are separate rankings for sex apps, apps for a single evening and kink dating apps, and for readers who want privacy there are discreet dating apps and anonymous hookup apps. Non-monogamy has its own page too: apps for open couples. The pages checked do not state how OkCupid handles non-monogamy.

What to check before choosing a dating app

Start with whether the app is in your country's store. Tinder and Bumble are listed on all 45 App Store storefronts checked, OkCupid on 44, Hinge on 32, eharmony on 23 and Match on 15. Match is not listed on the UK, Irish, German or French ones. Country guides goes through what is available where.

Then check how you will use it. All six have an iPhone app and an Android app. Tinder, Bumble, OkCupid, Match and eharmony also work on the web, according to their terms, help pages or sign-in pages, and the pages checked do not confirm a web version of Hinge. Dating apps with a web version lists the web options.

Free access differs. Tinder, Bumble, OkCupid and Match let free accounts message matches. Hinge's listings do not say whether messaging between free accounts has limits, and eharmony's free Basic membership allows an initial message but limits personalized messaging. Costs by country are on dating app prices explained, and best free dating apps covers what each free tier does.

Verification and visibility settings are the last check. Each of the six has some form of profile verification: Selfie Verification on Hinge, Photo Verification on Tinder and OkCupid, Photo Verification and ID Verification on Bumble, Verified Profiles on Match and an optional SMS badge on eharmony. Bumble, Tinder and OkCupid name an Incognito Mode, Match has a paid Private Mode, eharmony has a Profile Visibility slider, and the pages checked do not mention one for Hinge. See apps that check photos and incognito mode for the full lists, and app safety, privacy and scams for the risks.

Where to go next

The ranking is on the best dating apps page. Head-to-head comparisons put two apps side by side, alternatives covers apps to try after one that did not fit, and audience pages cover groups such as people over 40, couples and LGBTQ daters. Individual apps have their own reviews under dating and hookup app reviews.