The 25 best dating sites and apps if you’re looking for love

• eharmony – Leading Dating Platform for Meaningful Connections
• eharmony: Cutting-Edge Algorithm Matches Based on Personality
• Free Membership (with Restrictions)
• 5 Million UK Users
• Inclusive of LGBT Community
• Accessible Online, via Apple App Store, and Google Play

eharmony, a modern matchmaking service, prides itself on facilitating over two million successful love stories. Users embark on a brief quiz to unearth their core values in relation to others, fueling a host of valuable tools for finding love, including compatibility scores, personality profiles, and relationship guidance.

Registration and app download are free, enabling users to send ‘smiles’ and pre-written Icebreakers to kickstart conversations. For custom messages and unlimited access to your match’s profile, a subscription starting at £7.95 per month for 24 months is required.

• Match.com – Pioneer in Online Dating Since 1995
• Match: Pioneering Online Dating Since 1995
• Free Membership (with Limitations)
• 3 Million UK Users
• Inclusive of LGBT Community
• Accessible Online, via Apple App Store, and Google Play

Synonymous with online dating, Match.com caters to a wide audience. Craft a detailed profile and seek potential partners through a targeted criteria search. Activate “zen mode” to only engage with those meeting your preferences.

While membership is free, sending and receiving messages necessitates a subscription, commencing at £12.99 per month for six months.

• Plenty of Fish: Where Messaging is Free, Premium Features Available
• Plenty of Fish: Free Messaging, Premium Features Available
• Free Membership
• 150 Million Global Users
• Available Online, via Apple App Store, and Google Play

Plenty of Fish, a pioneer in free dating since its 2003 launch, garners around 800,000 daily UK visitors. The site offers a matchmaking feature based on a personality evaluation, along with forums, interactive games, and comprehensive profiles. In addition to basic details, users share insights like their longest relationship and sibling count. It’s worth noting that men slightly outnumber women on Plenty of Fish.

Opt for additional features starting at £9.99 per month, providing benefits like extended profiles, message read receipts, ad removal, profile view tracking, virtual gifts, and increased visibility in searches.

• Elite Singles: Where 50% of Users Hold Degrees
• From £24.95 per Month
• 170,000 UK Users
• Inclusive of LGBT Community
• Available Online, via Apple App Store, Google Play, and Android Aptoide

For those disinterested in swiping, EliteSingles employs a personality test for compatibility-based matching. The comprehensive assessment delves into looks, personality traits, social skills, and more. Additionally, it considers your preferences in a partner, including whether you desire children. The majority of users seek long-term commitment and intellectual compatibility, with 85% holding degrees and falling within the 30-55 age range.

Messaging matches and accessing all their photos and comments requires a subscription, starting at £24.95 per month for 12 months. Alternatively, trial it for three months (£44.95 per month) or six months (£34.95 per month).

• Silver Singles: Harnessing Personality Tests for Mature Matchmaking
• Free Membership (with Limitations)
• 70,000 UK Users
• Inclusive of LGBT Community
• Available Online, via Apple App Store, and Google Play

Although Silver Singles thrives in the U.S., it’s gaining traction in the UK. To register, complete a thorough personality test, taking 15 to 30 minutes, aiming to align you with your perfect match.

While profiles are detailed, they are behind a paywall. Similarly, messaging prospective matches requires a paid membership, starting at $24.95 (about £20) for 12 months.

• Our Time: Verified Profiles for Secure Dating
• Free Membership
• 150,000 Active UK Users
• Inclusive of LGBT Community
• Available Online, via Apple App Store, and Google Play

Our Time offers a refreshing approach for those seeking real-life connections. The site hosts events for mature singles in your area, facilitating like-minded meetings. Feeling hesitant? You can bring up to three friends for support.

Owned by Match Group, your profile appears on other dating sites, expanding your potential partner pool.

• Telegraph Dating: Browse Profiles with Ease
• Free Membership (with Limitations)
• 220,000 Worldwide Members
• Inclusive of LGBT Community
• Available Online, via Apple App Store, and Google Play

Telegraph Dating offers a straightforward path to meeting like-minded singles. As you create your free profile, specify the type of person you’re seeking. Then, peruse profiles and send messages to potential matches.

A free membership permits reading messages and replying with a one-liner. Conversations and personalized messages are exclusive to paying subscribers. Subscriptions start from £12 per month for 12 months. For an extra £10 per month, upgrade to Premium, allowing anyone to respond to your messages for free.

• Parship: Promoting Compatibility for Long-Term Relationships
• Free (with Limitations)
• 23,000 New Members Weekly
• Inclusive of LGBT Community
• Available Online, via Apple App Store, and Google Play

Parship adopts a scientific approach to help you find love, drawing on 40 years of relationship-building research. Users are categorized into 36 personality traits, guided by a matching algorithm involving 136 rules. The extensive compatibility questionnaire covers everything from partner preferences to bedroom window habits.

With nearly equal male/female user distribution and 52% being graduates, Parship welcomes 23,000 new members weekly, with four in 10 finding their partner through the platform. While sign-up, comprehensive personality testing, match viewing, and ‘smiles’ are free, messaging requires a paid membership. Subscriptions start from £14.90 per month for 12 months. Alternatively, trial it for six months (£19.90 per month) or three months (£29.90 per month).

• Original Dating: Focus on Speed Dating and Events
• From £10 Per Event
• Over 250,000 Users
• Inclusive of LGBT Community
• Available Online

Original Dating offers a distinctive approach, emphasizing real-life meetings for singles. Speed dating events (including virtual options) introduce you to 15 to 20 people in a single night. Original Dating ensures an even gender ratio by requiring online booking. Subscribe for discounts and access to exclusive events, with prices starting at £10.

• OkCupid: Among the Most Inclusive Dating Platforms
• Free Membership
• 4 Million Global Users
• Inclusive of LGBT Community
• Available Online, via Apple App Store, and Google Play

OkCupid employs an extensive personality questionnaire to enhance compatibility. Infuse personality into your profile by answering unconventional questions. Rather than being inundated with messages, you can only message mutual matches. While the app and basic communication are free, you can upgrade to Premium for added features.

In 2014, OkCupid pioneered 22 genders and 13 sexual orientation options, fostering inclusivity and facilitating 91 million yearly connections.

• Bumble: Where Women Initiate Conversations
• Free Membership
• 22 Million Global Users
• Inclusive of LGBT Community
• Available Online, via Apple App Store, and Google Play

Bumble empowers women to kickstart conversations. While profiles are less detailed, you can engage in video calls to get better acquainted. To encourage active participation, conversations must be initiated within 24 hours.

Lazy users face a time constraint, as matches expire after 24 hours. While the app is free, upgrading to Bumble Boost (for features like seeing who has ‘liked’ you) costs £11.16 per month for six months or just £2.49 for a day.

• Muddy Matches: Uniting Friends and Partners in the Countryside
• Free Membership (with Limitations)
• 300,000 Users
• Inclusive of LGBT Community
• Available Online

Muddy Matches, founded by farming-background sisters, caters to those seeking partners who understand rural lifestyles. With around 200,000 UK users (60,000 active weekly), the gender distribution leans towards 60% male. While it’s a modest dating site lacking flashy features, you can browse, read the blog, tweak your profile, and even ‘wink’ at others for free.

Messaging, however, requires a paid membership. Prices range from £8 per month (annual commitment) to £12 for a single month, with intermediate options available.

• HER: Offering Monogamous and Polyamorous Profiles
• Free Membership
• 4 Million Members Globally
• Exclusively for Queer Women and Non-Binary Individuals
• Available on Apple App Store and Google Play

HER is a vital addition to the dating app scene, dedicated to helping queer, bisexual, and lesbian women find their perfect match. The app is free, allowing profile viewing, adding friends, and initiating chats at no extra cost. Upgrade to HER Premium for enhanced filters, visibility of online users, and more.

HER also shares LGBTQ+ news and local events, along with smaller chat groups for user connections.

• Inner Circle – Top Dating Platform for Ambitious Singles
• Inner Circle: A Picky Dating Space for Driven Individuals
• Free Membership
• 5 Million Users Worldwide
• Inclusive of LGBT Community
• Accessible Online, via Apple App Store, and Google Play

The Inner Circle advertisements exude an air of sophistication, resembling Glyndebourne promotions, featuring couples donned in elegant attire. This dating platform maintains an exclusivity through a rigorous screening process, evaluating users on safety consciousness, dedication, and mindset, ensuring a commitment to genuine connections while eliminating fake accounts.

Catering to the aspirations of dynamic, career-oriented young professionals, Inner Circle boasts a user base of 5 million across 66 cities in 29 countries. The diversity ranges from enterprising minds in London to imaginative directors in Brazil. While the app is downloadable for free, premium packages are available, along with exclusive member events. Perhaps a game of polo in the park?

• Happn – Premier Dating Platform Focused on Location
• Happn: Where Proximity Sparks the Initial Move
• Free Membership
• 50 Million Users Worldwide
• Inclusive of LGBT Community
• Accessible Online, via Apple App Store, and Google Play

In movies, chance encounters on trains lead to meaningful conversations and love stories. In reality, we might be too reserved (and quintessentially British) to act on impulse. That’s where Happn steps in. If you cross paths with another user, they’ll emerge at the forefront of your Happn page. If you’re intrigued, send a heart. If reciprocated, initiate a conversation.

Your exact location remains confidential; only the general area is shared. The app is free, but a Premium membership offers perks like up to 10 ‘Hellos’ and access to admirers’ list.

• Hinge – Personalized Matchmaking through Thoughtful Answers
• Hinge: Engage with Profile Questions for Meaningful Conversations
• Free Membership
• 5.5 Million Members Worldwide
• Inclusive of LGBT Community
• Available on Apple App Store, Google Play, and Apple Aptoide

Hinge emerges as a significant rival to Tinder, acknowledged by millennials as ‘the app for relationships’. Crafting a profile entails more than mere photos and a single-line bio. Instead, you must respond to three questions (e.g., “My childhood crush?…Andrew Garcia”) – potential matches can ‘like’ your answers and kickstart a dialogue.

Downloading the app grants unlimited access to profiles, swipes, and messages. However, a Preferred Membership upgrade refines filtering options, starting at £13.83 per month for a six-month commitment.

• Tinder – Where Swipes Guide Your Dating Journey
• Tinder: Swipe Right for Interest, Left for Pass
• Free Membership
• Over 50 Million Global Users
• Inclusive of LGBT Community
• Available on Apple App Store, Google Play, and Apple Aptoide

It’s the quintessential giant of dating apps. Tinder, with its image-centric interface boasting 2 billion daily views, invites you to swipe right towards potential partners, initiate conversations, and schedule meet-ups. The app takes credit for facilitating a million dates per week, as per their site. Tinder leans towards casual dating; profiles aren’t as comprehensive as other platforms, but you can share details like name, profession, company, education, location, and links to your Instagram and Spotify accounts.

For enhanced features, opt for the tiered subscription system starting at £3.64 per month, granting insights like admirer tracking, viewing ‘top picks’, and a rewind option for errant swipes.

• Thursday – Active One Day a Week to Counter Mindless Swiping
• Free Membership (with limitations)
• Over 320,000 Users
• Inclusive of LGBT Community
• Available on Apple App Store and Google Play

Thursday infuses tradition with a unique twist – it operates solely on its namesake day, offering a 24-hour window for matching and chatting. This concept stems from founder research, identifying Thursdays as the peak usage day for dating apps, likely to preserve cherished weekend nights from strangers’ encounters.

The distinctive element lies in Thursday events, where members partake in organized singles’ activities, spanning the UK’s major cities. These events range from post-workout mingling in fitness classes to rooftop bar rendezvous, dinners, comedy club nights, and more. Event attendance may require payment, though Thursday often secures exclusive drink deals.

Unfortunately, most events currently gravitate towards London (with sporadic appearances in other prominent cities like Manchester), but keep an eye out for expansion. Thursday aspires to “bridge the gap between online dating and offline experiences,” maintaining a gender balance of 52% men to 48% women.

• Badoo – Catering to a Majority Under 35
• Free Membership (with limitations)
• Over 497 Million Global Users
• Inclusive of LGBT Community
• Available Online, on Apple App Store, and Google Play

For those seeking abundance in options, Badoo is worth a shot. Upon sign-up, specify your preferences – whether it’s casual chat, relaxed dates, a committed relationship, or an open-minded approach.

The app employs a swipe mechanism, but also permits entry into live video chats. Profiles offer fundamental personal information, with notifications for likes or messages received. Due to its vast user base, this can be a tad overwhelming. Premium pricing varies by package and subscription, commencing at £4.99 per week.

• Coffee Meets Bagel – Exclusively for Long-Term Matches
• Free Membership
• 7 Million Global Users
• Inclusive of LGBT Community
• Available on Apple App Store and Google Play

As evident from the name, this app predominantly thrives in the United States, offering a unique approach to dating. Its standout feature is the delivery of one match per day, encouraging thoughtful consideration before swiping left or right, in contrast to hasty dismissals.

Yet, you can venture into the ‘Discover’ section and express interest in a few individuals daily. In cases of a match, the app suggests a tailored icebreaker (e.g., “Ask Thomas about his recent trip to Thailand!”). Initial downloads and communication with matches are free. Nevertheless, a Premium membership unveils message read receipts and match statistics – like response times.

• Free Membership
• Inclusive of LGBT Community
• Available on Apple App Store

The Sauce – A Video-Centric Approach to Dating Designed for 18-35 Year-Olds of All Genders and Orientations, Qemistry Emerges as a Breath of Fresh Air in the Dating App Arena. It’s in Its Nascent Stage, Launching on September 3rd This Year, Yet It Bears Significant Promise. Users Populate Their Profiles with Videos – Be It TikToks, Instagram Stories, or a Video Showcasing a Joke or Dance. In Contrast to Curated Photo Profiles, Which Tend to Spotlight Physical Attributes, This Method Allows Personality to Radiate.

• Facebook Dating – Steers Clear of Suggesting Familiar Facebook Friends as Matches
• Free Membership
• Inclusive of LGBT Community
• Accessible Anywhere You Access Facebook (Online, Apple App Store, Google Play, Android Aptoide)

Eager to Claim a Slice of Tinder’s Territory, Facebook Extended Its Network to Embrace Dating a Few Years Ago. It Operates Entirely Free, Sans Limitations or Hidden Charges, Nestled Within the Pre-Existing Facebook Platform Rather Than Constituting a Standalone Space.

One Would Assume an Abundance of Matches Given the Vast Facebook User Base. However, Membership Statistics Haven’t Been Disclosed by Facebook, Aligning with Parallel Reports of Relatively Modest Membership. Nevertheless, It Remains Entirely Gratis, Requiring No Download of a New Application – Thus, You’ve Nothing to Lose in Taking a Gander.

• Christian Connection – Extend a Wave to Express Interest
• Free Membership (with Limitations)
• 110,000 Users Worldwide
• Inclusive of LGBT Community
• Available Online, via Apple App Store, and Google Play

Christian Connection Encourages Users to Craft Comprehensive Profiles, Delving into Occupations, Political Beliefs, Dream Getaways, Preferred Films, and Naturally, Religious Affiliations.

Upon Discovering a Profile of Interest, You May ‘Wave’ to Signal Your Interest and Initiate a Conversation. While Membership Is Gratis, This Provides Only the Ability to Match, Send Waves, and Utilize Pre-Set Responses. A Complimentary 3-Day Trial Offers a Taste of the Subscription Service; Should You Opt to Subscribe, Pricing Begins at £24 Monthly, Granting Unlimited Messaging and Discounted Entry to Social Gatherings.

Muzz – Prioritizing Marriage Over Casual Dating

Free Membership

1 Million Global Members

Available on Apple App Store and Google Play

You Might Recognize Muzz from Its Playful Ad Campaigns (“Halal, Is It Me You’re Looking For?”). Nevertheless, This Free Dating App Flaunts Several Standout Features, Potentially Explaining Its 25,000 Success Stories. Firstly, It Safeguards Your Privacy – You Can Utilize an Alias and Conceal or Blur Your Photos Until a Later Stage, Averting Any Awkward Encounters with Friends or Family Who Might Stumble Upon Your Profile.

All Users Undergo Verification, and You Can Choose to Include a Chaperone (a ‘Wali’) in Your Conversations. The App Permits Swiping, Matching, and Chatting Free of Charge. However, Consider Opting for Instant Match, Allowing You to Engage in Conversation Before Reciprocal ‘Likes’.

JDate – Facilitating Connections Based on Shared Faith and Values

• Free Membership
• Inclusive of LGBT Community
• Available Online, via Apple App Store, and Google Play

The Internet’s Most Extensive Jewish Dating Service, JDate, Has Thrived for Nearly Two Decades, Gaining a Streamlined Approach Over Time. Post Uploading a Bio (Typically 100-150 Words) and Up to Six Photos, You Can Peruse Others’ Profiles, Assessing Their Physical Features, Hobbies, Religious Practices, and Relationship Objectives.

Managing Potential Matches Is Effortless with the Look Book – a Catalog of Those Who Have Reciprocated Interest. Additionally, the Kibitz Corner Cultivates a Sense of Community, Posing Daily Questions for Interactive Comparison with Your Matches.