Looking to find a serious relationship in the age of coronavirus? With doctors advising against in-person romance, flirting with potential new paramours over online dating apps might be the next best option.
Online dating can feel overwhelming. It’s not just having to make judgements based on a couple of photos and one-line bios, or the awkwardness of sending direct messages to strangers only to be ghosted.
It’s possible to make that dating world feel manageable, though—you just have to find the right app. If you’re looking to make a broader connection and have a virtual game night date with someone new, or are hoping for a relationship, these online dating apps cover all the bases.
10 best online dating apps to find relationships
1. Happn
Got a crush on that cute neighbor but don’t know his or her name? Regularly make eye contact with someone while walking but haven’t initiated a conversation? Happn is a dating app that can help make those seemingly lost connections a reality.
2. Hily
With more than 14 million users, Hily stands for “Hey, I like you!” The app uses AI to continuously improve matchmaking and has features like Hily stories to help you better capture who you are. The app is free, with an optional subscription for ad-free and incognito-mode experience.
3. Tinder
Tinder may have brought on “hookup culture,” but it’s still one of the top dating apps. It has about 8 million users, the most of any other dating app surveyed. That means you have a pretty solid chance of eventually matching with someone who piques your interest. Even if it takes a lot of left-swiping to get there.
4. Match
Match has a specific appeal to those between 45 and 65 looking for a serious relationship. Additional research found that 58 percent of adults 45-54 years old use Match, more than double the percent who use Tinder.
5. OurTime
OurTime turns the idea of hookup culture on its head; instead, it encourages users to search for pen pals, friends, dates, long-term relationships and marriage partners.
6. HER
Created by queer women, this LGBTQ+ dating app (and social platform) is for women and non-binary people who want to find love in a safe space. For their 6 million users, HER provides in-app communities and hosted events to help encourage those sparks to fly.
7. Inner Circle
If you’re serious about finding your other half and want to avoid the swiping into the void. Inner Circle requires all users to accept “The Date Better Pledge” that details a commitment to be “respectful, reliable, and inclusive”. The app provides detailed profiles, unique filters, and conversation prompts. So you can avoid the dreaded one-liner “hey” messages.
8. Hinge
After filling in the app’s questionnaire and prompts (think standard icebreakers like: “my biggest pet peeve is…” And “my go-to karaoke song is…”). Hinge will start matching you with users who share common interests. The algorithm also serves you with your “Most Compatible” matches—who you’re eight times more likely to go out with, they say. And not only does the app show you how many people have liked you, it also tells you what they liked about you, making it easy to start a conversation.
9. OKCupid
OKCupid’s algorithm uses a series of questions to determine what “percentage” you’ll match with any of its five million users. That compatibility-driven focus is especially appealing to women, who made up 58 percent of the respondents who preferred this app in PCMag’s poll. It’s also super inclusive, offering 12 gender identities and 20 sexual orientations so you can define yourself however you want, and match with exactly who you’re looking for.
10. Zoosk
Originally a Facebook app, Zoosk is now one of the largest dating sites out there, with over 30 million downloads since its launch in 2007. Today, it has over a million active users, according to Statista. And 500,000 of those are paying members, which means more than half of the users are seriously committed to find a match. Instead of forcing you to fill in a lengthy questionnaire, the app’s algorithm notes who you’re interacting with to better serve up potential matches.