The best dating app is the one built for the people you want to meet. Some apps say they're for serious daters, some ask you to apply, some are built for one faith or community, and some match people by personality and interests. Pick the audience first, and the shortlist gets much shorter.
Ask friends which dating app to try and you'll get ten different answers. The difference shows up when you read who each app says it's for, and that's where this list starts.
This list covers ten dating apps and sites, using only what each one's own website says, read on 2 Nov 2026 (as of Nov 2026). It's alphabetical and in no particular order. Each audience is described in the app's own words. You won't find member counts, success stories or claims about how matching works here, so read each app's own terms before you sign up.
Dating apps and the audience each one names
| Tool | Type | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Badoo | Dating site and app | Chat without waiting for a match |
| Boo | Social and dating app built on personality and interests | Interest Universes such as music, gaming and anime |
| Bumble | Dating and friendship modes in one app | Dating, or a BFF mode after a move |
| Christian Mingle | Dating site for Christian singles | Love guided by faith, in its own words |
| Coffee Meets Bagel | Dating app for serious daters | Founded by three sisters |
| EliteSingles | Dating site for ambitious, educated singles | Dating mixed with professional networking |
| HER | Dating app for queer women, nonbinary and trans sapphics | Pages for many identities |
| Hinge | Dating app it calls designed to be deleted | A stated aim of a last first date |
| Muzz | Dating and marriage app for Muslims | Voice and video profiles |
| The League | Dating app you apply to join | A curated batch of profiles at Happy Hour |
Ten dating apps and sites, A to Z
Badoo
Best for: Chatting straight away, since its page says there's no need to wait for a match, and meeting people who want the same thing.
Boo
Best for: Finding people through topic Universes such as music, movies, food, gaming and anime.
Bumble
Best for: Using Bumble Date whether you're new to dating or ready to try again, or BFF to meet like-minded people after moving to a new city.
Christian Mingle
Best for: Meeting someone who shares your values, on a service that describes love guided by faith, defined by you.
Coffee Meets Bagel
Best for: Dating with intent on an app founded by three sisters who decided casual swiping apps weren't going to cut it.
EliteSingles
Best for: Combining meaningful dating with professional networking, in the site's own words.
HER
Best for: Browsing pages for transgender, bisexual, polyamorous, non-binary, asexual and pansexual dating, on an app for queer women, nonbinary and trans sapphics.
Hinge
Best for: Going on your last first date, the aim its page names, with a Hinge Labs page on its menu.
Muzz
Best for: Making a voice or video profile, with the option to use a nickname, on an app for single Muslims looking for love and marriage.
The League
Best for: Applying to join, then reviewing a curated batch of profiles at Happy Hour.
Pick the audience before the app
Here's the split a feature list won't show you: these apps differ by the audience each one is built for far more than by features, so picking the audience first narrows the list fast. Coffee Meets Bagel is 'for serious daters'. The League runs 'through our application process'. EliteSingles is 'serious dating for ambitious & educated singles'.
- Relationship-first: apps that say they're for serious daters or serious dating.
- Apply to join: an app with an application process and a curated batch of profiles.
- Faith or community: apps built for one faith or one community, in their own words.
- Interest-led: apps that put personality, interests or friendship first.
Faith, community and identity apps
Some apps name one community, and their own words are the clearest guide. HER is 'the sapphic dating app'. Muzz is 'where single Muslims meet for love & marriage'. Christian Mingle is 'Christian dating for Christian singles'. If one of those describes you, start there.
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Personality, interests and friendship
Not every app here leads with romance. Boo says 'meet new people by personality and interests', and groups people into topic Universes. Another app on this list has a BFF mode for meeting like-minded people, and one says there's no need to wait for a match before you chat.
Questions to ask before you download a dating app
- Who is this app built for, in its own words?
- Do I want something serious, or to meet people through shared interests?
- Is there an application to join, and am I happy to wait?
- Is the app built for my faith or community?
- Can I chat before a match, or only after?
- Have I read the app's own terms and privacy policy?
Do you make a dating app? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My advice for choosing a dating app
Start with who you want to meet, not with the app everyone's talking about. Pick two or three apps whose own wording matches you, whether that's serious dating, a faith, a community or shared interests, and give them a fair go before adding more. And read each app's terms and privacy policy before you share anything personal.
If you're on Facebook already, here's how to turn off Facebook Dating if you'd rather not use it, and what ghosting in dating means for when a match goes quiet.
Want your tool on this list? Featured spots and reviews here are paid partnerships. Here's how to partner with me.
Related: the anime page.
Related: relationships: guidelines and how to pitch.
Frequently asked questions
Which of these dating apps are for serious relationships?
Several say so in their own words. One describes itself as for serious daters, one as serious dating for ambitious and educated singles, and one says its application process builds a community of daters committed to finding a long-term relationship.
Is there a dating app you have to apply to?
Yes. One app on this list says it runs through an application process, and members review a curated batch of profiles at Happy Hour.
Which of these are built for one faith or community?
Three are, in their own words: a sapphic dating app for queer women, nonbinary and trans sapphics, an app where single Muslims meet for love and marriage, and a Christian dating service for Christian singles.
Can I meet friends rather than dates?
One app here has a BFF mode for meeting like-minded people, for example after a move to a new city, and another groups people into Universes by interests such as music, gaming and anime.
Can I chat before I match?
One app on this list says there's no need to wait for a match. On other apps, check how chatting works in the app's own help pages.
Which app says it's designed to be deleted?
One app here calls itself the dating app designed to be deleted, and its page names the aim as going on your last first date.
