Best Dating Apps for Serious Relationships

What separates the best dating apps for serious relationships?

Hinge scores 8.7 and Bumble 8.5, and both earned it the same way: our testers got more first dates per match than anywhere else. Hinge's prompts and photo comments force a like to be about something, and the free tier gives you eight likes a day. Bumble's Opening Moves let a match reply to a prompt instead of a blank hello, and our women testers got the fewest unwanted messages of any app here.

OkCupid sits at 7.9 with 22 gender and 13 orientation options and full messaging on matches for free. Match scores 7.5 and asks $19.99 to start, with month-to-month at $44.99; you cannot message without paying. Coffee Meets Bagel (7.3) sends a handful of curated matches at noon and nothing to swipe. eHarmony (7) runs an 80-question quiz and costs $35.90.

What should I check before paying?

Match quality carries 30 of the score, so look at how each app builds a match, not how many profiles it shows. Safety and moderation is 20, and value is another 20 — the two most expensive monthly tiers here are Bumble Premium at $39.99 and eHarmony at $35.90.

• Pool size: Hinge has fewer profiles than Tinder outside big cities, OkCupid goes quiet outside cities, and Coffee Meets Bagel has the smallest pool here.
• Time pressure: Bumble matches expire in 24 hours; Coffee Meets Bagel gives a week.
• Cost to talk: Match requires a subscription to message; OkCupid and Hinge let you message on the free tier.
• Pace: eHarmony was the slowest to a first date in our test, and its format suits introverts.

Hinge

For anyone who wants dates, not chats. Highest date-per-match rate for all three testers. Hinge+ at $32.99/mo is the trade-off.

Bumble

For women who want to set the tone. Private Detector blurs unsolicited images and ID verification is built in.

OkCupid

For people who want to filter on values before matching, and who want free messaging. The app design is dated.

Match

For an older, more intentional user base. Our 45-year-old tester had the most conversations here, and Dating Expert phone sessions are included.

Coffee Meets Bagel

For anyone tired of swiping. A daily batch and a high reply rate per match, but the fewest dates simply because there were fewest matches.

eHarmony

For marriage-minded users who will trade speed for a compatibility breakdown. Lowest suspect-profile count in the test.

Hinge suits anyone who wants the most first dates per match, and Bumble suits women who want safety tooling and control over who speaks first. OkCupid fits people who want free messaging and inclusive gender and orientation options, while Match and eHarmony suit older, more intentional users who will pay to message. Coffee Meets Bagel is for anyone who wants a daily batch instead of a feed.