Best Dating Apps To Find A Serious Relationship
Dating apps have a bad rap: They are often associated more closely with promoting casual hookups than actually connecting two gentle souls for an actual, head-over-heels, yes-yes-yes relationship. There are, however, some dating apps that are good for relationships, and though they are somewhat few and far between, they're out there.
- Best Dating Apps To Find A Serious Relationship Without
- Best Dating Apps To Find A Relationship
- Dating Sites For Serious Relationships
- Best Dating Apps To Find A Serious Relationship Free
Actually, most apps — even Tinder — can yield a relationship, as long as you are super clear about what you're looking for in your profile and spend some time using them. Tinder just gives you one quick shot at clarification, and you'll still match with some creeps, but if your profile photo is sweet and elegant, and your tagline says something about how you're looking for love at the outset, you'll have a better chance at matching with the percentage of people on there who are ISO love.
But Tinder is definitely not the only app out there. There are tons of dating apps out there, and though some of them have a more casual bent, there are plenty of more reliable options. Here are 15 other options, on which you might have a higher chance at matching with 'the one' — or at least someone worth sticking with for a while.
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1. The Dating Ring
On the opposite side of the spectrum from apps like Tinder is The Dating Ring. This platform has various levels of membership, starting with free matches and going all the way to $2,500 and up for 'pre-screened dates … VIP treatment, concierge, date feedback, and more.' The Dating Ring is for 'those who are looking for a serious relationship and aren’t meeting the right people at bars or through friends,' or 'the anti-Tinder,' writes SF Weekly.
These are the best free dating sites for finding a serious relationship: OkCupid. Best For Dating A Liberal. Credit: okcupid. Unlimited matches with free account: No. Unlimited messaging. When it comes to finding love in the mobile age, it's hard to topple Tinder, one of the biggest and best dating apps that also enjoys a wide reach. Hinge's current slogan is simply 'Designed to be deleted,' and if a serious relationship is what you're looking for, this is the dating app I would recommend. See at Hinge 4 of 13 Screenshot. There’s a myth floating around amongst older people that millennials only use online dating for quick fixes. EHarmony proves how misleading stereotypes can be. This is a relatively low-cost app, making it attractive to many younger singles, but it is also geared towards serious relationships. Branded as the dating app “designed to be deleted,” Hinge markets itself squarely to people looking for serious relationships. App founder Justin McLeod said the Hinge prompts allow people to “ put themselves out there a bit more.”.
2. Hinge
The word on the street is that Hinge is for those who are a bit more on the serious side, in part by virtue of the fact that you log in with Facebook and you're matched with friends of friends, so you could potentially tattle on a total jerk to a mutual friend. Plus, you can select your intentions from a menu on your profile: casual, dating, relationship
3. Align
Align matches you based on your horoscope, and though it's all in good fun, I feel as though it might have a higher relationship-possibility quotient. That said, horoscopes can totally be used to match people based on their bedroom compatibility, so TBD on that. Give it a spin and report back.
4. Glimpse
Instead of filling out a boring old dating profile and taking some fresh selfies, Glimpse connects to your Instagram, so your profile is mostly populated by your stylish Instasnaps. Like Hinge, any dating app that connects via a social media platform adds an additional layer, and it'll be easier to see what your potential date is like before meeting.
5. Tinder
Tinder is notorious for being a hook-up app, but they also apparently match people who both want real relationships every day. Or so says their website. I personally don't know anyone who met on Tinder who started actually dating, but I have heard of it. The key here is being selective and transparent about what you're looking for.
6. OkCupid
Though I haven't met anyone personally who fell in love via Tinder, I have met people who were introduced on OkCupid — and are now married. I can't promise that this will be the happy ending for everyone, but I'm here to vouch for the fact that it has happened at least once.
7. Coffee Meets Bagel
I also have a couple of friends who met on Coffee Meets Bagel. The app gives you just one match per day, which is pretty lousy pickins' if you're just looking for a quick hookup. But in the search for love, one solid connection each day trumps a ton of swiping right.
8. Once
Just like Coffee Meets Bagel, you get one match per day on Once. (The name says it all.) According to their website, 'matches offered in the application are chosen by our team of matchmakers among the active users of the application.' So there's an actual real live person saying to themselves, 'Hmm, this girl likes Jeff Buckley … and this girl likes Jeff Buckley … and they both used to be modern dancers … and they both said they loved the Elena Ferrante books … let's match them up.' Or something very scientific along those lines.
9. Score
Though the name sounds pretty sex-oriented, Score uses emotional compatibility to match users. You answer a bunch of questions via the app, which is designed to feel like you're playing a game. And then you're only matched with people who have similar answers and values. Why go through all the trouble if you're just there to hook up?
10. At First Sight
First off, At First Sight is the brainchild of Bachelor host Chris Harrison, and we all know how many heartstrings have been legit pulled by that TV show. Though I'm rolling my eyes a little bit, Heidi Julavits wrote in The Folded Clock a lot about how she thinks people really do fall in love on that show, and she might be right. In any event, this app uses video to connect people, which is definitely something different from most apps. It's being retooled right now, with plans to relaunch next month.
11. How About We
This app concentrates on proposing dates: How about we go see the new Coen Brothers film? How about we get a manicure? Though you could go with something more vulgar, How About We is set up automatically to encourage actual dates — which could potentially lead to an actual relationship.
12. Plenty Of Fish
Plenty of Fish often gets left out of dating app roundups, just because it feels kind of … old. But it still exists, and those who are on it might actually be looking for a relationship.
13. Teased
Here's a brand-new app, and it looks pretty cool. Teased is about personality first, photos second, and the reviews on the app store are positive, with people saying that it led to second and third dates and isn't 'sleazy.' Halfway to love!
14. Meetville
Meetville matches you based on 'common interests, same values and beliefs, and psychological compatibility.' It's about dating, not sex, and it promises to give you 'smart matches.' Worth a try.
15. Match
Speaking of matches, Match for many years seemed old and fussy, but it is all about love connections, so if that's what you're in the market for, might as well give it a shot. It can't hurt — and it just might lead to something serious.
Want more of Bustle's Sex and Relationships coverage? Check out our new podcast, I Want It That Way, which delves into the difficult and downright dirty parts of a relationship, and find more on our Soundcloud page.
Images: Fotolia; iTunes (13); The Dating Ring; At First Sight
If you’re young, free, and single, what are your favoured haunts when it comes to seeking prospective partners? If you used to love hanging out in singles bars or nightclubs, perhaps the 2020 lockdown has made digital dating a more attractive proposition? Increasing numbers of millennials are signing up to dating apps, drawn to the convenience of flirting via their smart devices. There are many apps out there, so to make it easier to choose the most appropriate one, Singles-Kontakt dating review platform recommended their top five.
Match
Best Dating Apps To Find A Serious Relationship Without
Match is an excellent app for anyone who is searching for longer-term relationships. The fact that it has been matching singles for the best part of 20 years is an indication that it must be doing something right! Free to download, this outlet now has more than 8 million premium members across the globe, with a male to female ratio of 45 to 55%. Most of the users are searching for committed relationships, and the age demographic is widespread. With quick, straightforward registration, and easy-to-complete profiles, this app is recommended for newbies and seasoned online daters alike.
Coffee Meets Bagel
In an already crowded marketplace, Coffee Meet Bagel is a refreshingly unique dating app. Because this outlet limits the number of members you can like to only five per day, users are encouraged to be so much more focused. This is an obvious attempt to by-pass the so-called ‘swipe fatigue’ that can sometimes be raised as a gripe by those Tinder customers who find themselves overly tempted to keep swiping. CoffeeMeetsBagels marks a welcome return to reviewing the entire profile of a potential love interest, not just liking or dismissing based on a superficial appraisal of a picture.
Bumble
Bumble is a dating app geared towards making users feel comfortable and relaxed. There’s a definite positive and uplifting vibe about it, and its central premise of giving females the upper hand is a first in digital matching. This is especially attractive for newbies – if you have safety concerns about interacting with people you don’t know, or feel you’d rather take the initiative and make the first move, rather than allowing the single guy to dictate how your relationship is going to pan out, then this is an app worth consideration.
SteamySnaps
Best Dating Apps To Find A Relationship
One aspect of online dating that the younger generation has fixated on is the ability to find matches from a variety of social and cultural backgrounds. With international travel coming down in price, and people being introduced to foreign students at college, an service that can introduce singles from far-flung locations is always going to be arresting. SteamySnaps is another cleanly-designed app, with a user-friendly interface, and easy registration. You’ll certainly find local matches, but if you want to cast your net further, can launch straight into your quest by checking out the links at the foot of the home page. You’ll find singles from Luxembourg, the USA, Eastern Europe, or Scandinavia.
Dating Sites For Serious Relationships
eHarmony
Best Dating Apps To Find A Serious Relationship Free
There’s a myth floating around amongst older people that millennials only use online dating for quick fixes. eHarmony proves how misleading stereotypes can be. This is a relatively low-cost app, making it attractive to many younger singles, but it is also geared towards serious relationships. Attracting users who are mainly well-educated, it is especially focused on matching according to compatibility for meaningful relationships. Another bonus about this app is its extreme popularity – you’ll find members from 200 countries, totaling some 60 million. That’s a considerable pool of potential talent!