Best Free Dating Sites For Young Adults

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In this article we'll show you the best free dating apps for young adults (anyone 18 to 25), along with some advice for using them. If you're older, check out our list of dating sites for mature singles instead. You can even connect with potential mates on Twitter! A Warning on Age Restrictions.

Okay, so you’ve been stuck inside for 18 months dealing with that whole global pandemic thing. Bummer. And now you want to get out there, find some sexy people, and fulfill each other’s sexual needs.

Ain’t nothing wrong with that!

However, with many bars and clubs still using COVID restrictions, more and more singles are turning to the best hookup sites and apps to get their rocks off. After all, it’s relatively safe, you cut straight to the point, and you’re spoiled for choice.

But which hookup site is right for you?

In this post, we’ve put together a list that will do the hard work for you, and match you with a hookup site that gets YOU results.

Best Hookup Sites Reviewed

Quick Look

SITEFEATURESGREAT FORSCORE
Very kinky community,Cams and chat features,

Sex blogs,

80 million members

Swingers,

30+ Adults,

Open-Minded Singles

98%
Women join for free,

Face blurring,

Emergency “Panic Button”

“Traveling Man” feature

Spouses,

Married People,

Singles who are into MILFs and DILFs

95%
Designed for sugar dating,

79% female user base,
Advanced search filters,

Sugar Daddies,

Sugar Mommas,

Sugar Babies

93%
Hinge“Designed to be deleted”,

Leave feedback on dates,

Phone & video chat,

Bisexual dating

Millennials 24-32 years old,

Fun flirty flings,

Casual dates & hookups

86%
Reddit R4R100% free,

Many different subreddit niches,

Make an anonymous profile

Anonymous browsing,

Finding specific kinks/fetishes,

Those looking to save money

84%
Alt.comNSFW photos allowed,

Kinks & fetishes encouraged,

Live XXX cams,

24/7 phone support,

BDSM community,

Kinksters & fetishists,

People who just want sex

81%
Craigslist ActivitiesPersonals-style ads,

The new “Craigslist Personals”

Pretty anonymous posting,

Very sex-focused

Anonymous kinksters,

Flirty singles,

People who want to be discreet

77%

1. Adult Friend Finder – Best Hookup Site Online

Looking for no-strings-attached sex without all the bullshit? Adult Friend Finder is your new best friend.

Adult Friend Finder placed #1 on our list because of its combination of 80 million members, free amateur pics/videos, and a thriving social community so big you can find a partner quickly.

Best Free Dating Sites For Young Adults

Adult Friend Finder, founded in 1996, is one of the oldest sites for casual and niche dating online, bringing together a dating community, amateur sex videos/photos, and an active community of bloggers and commentators.

It’s a very sex-positive environment!

The site offers everything else “adult”, including couples, swingers, open marriages, and even email-only cybersex. Search the local community for members or search for niche keywords with the paid subscription – we recommend you try the AFF free trial to see if it’s a good match for you.

Pros

  • Amateur NSFW content & community-oriented chat
  • Can integrate with other social media sites
  • Buy “swag” badges for members you like

Cons

  • Not much in the way of romance – but a lot of nudity
  • No real matching system

Price

  • $39.95/month
  • $26.95/3 months
  • $19.95/12 months

Read the full Adult Friend Finder Review

2. Ashley Madison – Best Hookup Site for No Strings Attached

If discretion is what you need, Ashley Madison is perfect for you.

Ashley Madison is the runner-up on our list because of its high membership, reportedly boasting over 60 million “married but looking” members in 45 countries.

Ashley Madison targets people who are unhappy in their marriage, which automatically gives it a demographic of mature middle-class users. Oh, and did we mention that females join for free?

The result is easy pickings for hookups and casual sex if you are a guy, you’ll have much better odds here than you do on Tinder since there is more pent-up demand for sex among its members.

There are also features to keep your identity a secret, such as face-blurring, mask filters, and an emergency “panic button” that signs you out of all devices instantly.

Handy!

The local “Traveling” feature makes it easy to come across casual partners anywhere in the world, whereas the “wink” feature helps to break the ice.

Pros

  • Complete anonymity from other users
  • Can be used for married…but looking relationships
  • Face-blurring & discretion tools

Free Dating Sites No Fees

Cons

  • Many profiles incomplete or lacking clear photos
  • A little unethical to some

Price

  • Elite, 1000 credits, 29 cents per credit
  • Classic, 500 credits, 34 cents per credit
  • Basic, 100 credits, 59 cents per credit

Read the fullAshley Madison review

3. Seeking – Best Casual Sex Site for Young Women or Wealthy Men

Seeking has a theme – sugar daddies matching with sugar babies, or in some cases sugar mommas looking for sugar cubs. We love to see gender diversity in the sugar dating world!

If you’re a guy with a bit of extra money and you’re willing to splurge on dinner and some shopping, then this website is by far the easiest way to hook up with models and attractive college girls.

Unlike other fuck sites on the list, this one has a high female to male ratio of 79% women to 21% men. Being a guy on this site is what being an attractive girl is like on Tinder… you will get dozens of messages a day from hot women.

Yep!

Seeking makes it easy for everyone. It’s free for women to join, men can send messages before they pay, and paying members get plenty of attention – from multiple babies/cubs since the ratio is more female to male.

Pros

  • Women can meet verified wealthy men for hookup dates
  • Since sugar daddies pay, there is considerably less competition

Cons

  • Not good for low-income or middle-class male users
  • Since it’s a sugar daddy site, some will want you to spend $2000+ a month on them.
  • Prostitution is illegal on Seeking, but some “undercovers” use the site

Pricing

  • $89.95/month
  • $79.95/3 months
  • $249.95 Diamond elite membership

Read the full Seeking.com review.

4. Hinge – Best Fling App

Hinge is “designed to be deleted,” meaning it’s supposedly adept at finding your perfect match, so you won’t be single for long. When it comes to casual dating, however, you might be able to find better success for a no-strings-attached affair by first searching for a compatible friend.

It’s best to be upfront if you’re looking for sex!

Hinge offers a questionnaire with fun questions as well as some heavy political/religious viewpoints to filter out bad matches.

The “Date From Home” option on Hinge allows you to live phone chat and live video chat with matches, which is a great way to check you’re not being catfished!

Hinge isn’t designed for hookups, but they definitely happen.

Pros

  • 50-50 male-female ratio
  • Bisexual dating options
  • Leave feedback on your dates
  • “Date from home option” allows phone or video chat

Cons

  • Demographics cater to 24-32 age group
  • Designed more for long-term relationships

Price

  • $12.99/month
  • $20.99/3 months
  • $29.99/6 months

5. Reddit R4R – No Signup Hookup Site Free & Legit

With over 415,000 members, Reddit R4R is one of the most active free dating sites online. It’s a Reddit community, meaning members can drop by anonymously and leave private messages or post their own personals ad.

While the Reddit R4R doesn’t have any sub-sub groups, you can search the entire Reddit site for your local city to see if any singles are in town looking for a fling.

It’s worth a shot, and won’t cost a penny!

Just beware, some subreddits that include your local city or town may be named something like “DirtyR4R” or “Random Acts of Sex.” You kinda have to get used to using Reddit, but it’s a brilliant site once you’ve got it down.

Pros

  • Very easy & anonymous registration
  • No need to upload any photos
  • Directly message users (don’t need to be matched)

Cons

  • May be difficult to find someone if you live in a small town

Price

  • Free

6. Alt.com – Best Hookup Site For BDSM

Into BDSM? Love getting spanked? Like role play? You’re in for a treat.

It can be awkward to explain your sexual kinks to a stranger – and definitely for a first-time chat! That’s why there’s an advantage to using a site like Alt.com, which lets you search for and match users who share your kinks and fetishes.

One of the best fuck sites on the web, here you can find members who’re into swinging, bondage, fetishes, domination, submission, and everything else in-between.

Yes, you can get matched with someone who shares your kinks – no matter how dirty or weird you might feel about your fetishes – they’ll be someone on here who think it’s hot AF too.

If you’re a member, you can also sneak a peek at who viewed your page, and take part in the friend network and connect with people willing to talk about their favorite taboo subject. It’s basically Facebook for kinky people.

Pros

  • BDSM community for easy search/filtering/matches
  • See who viewed your profile
  • 24/7 phone support
  • Lots of X-rated niche content

Cons

  • As with most sex sites, many fake profiles
  • Long questionnaires to read

Price

  • $11.99/3 months
  • $8.95/12 months

7. Craigslist Activities/Missed Connections – Best Personals and Casual Encounters

Craigslist still lives up to its reputation as a wild and mostly unfiltered dating site, although posts now require a cell phone number – just in case of anything too creepy. While the personalspage was famously shut down several years ago, you can still find dating partners on the “Missed Connections” and “Activity Partners” community sections.

Craigslist lives on! …kind of.

In terms of demographics, it’s mostly men that use Craigslist. Here you’re likely to find gay men, prostitutes, trans people, married people, or swinging couples, so it could be right up your alley if any of those tickle your fancy.

Pros

  • Post ads for casual dating without registration
  • Easy for a woman to find many dates
  • Posts require a traceable cell number

Cons

  • Individual posts can be flagged for almost any reason
  • Mostly unfiltered posts, including lots of spammers
  • Poster must provide a phone number (not great for anonymity)

Price

  • Free

8. Bumble – Best Hookup App for Women

Bumble is the brainy alternative to most apps for hooking up and was made with a female perspective in mind. Men can swipe profiles and match with someone they like, but it’s up to the woman to start a conversation.

The idea? No more floods of dick pics for ladies.

Bumble also has a career friend finder and a platonic friend finder, in addition to casual or serious dating. Though it operates similarly to Tinder, it has a social community aspect that many women and intelligent men will find appealing.

Pros

  • Women are the first to start a conversation
  • Premium lets you view the people who already liked your profile
  • A 60 percent success rate for matches turning into a conversation

Cons

  • Not much for keyword searching or filtering matches
  • Men may dislike the app model

Price

  • A limited number of free swipes and chats
  • The Premium “Plus” package starts at $8.99 per week

9. Tinder – Best App For Hookups

Tinder is one of the easiest hooking up apps to use since you can log on with a Facebook account or a cellphone number and then start swiping. If you like someone’s profile, then swipe right. If they also like your profile, it’s a match! You can start chatting and arrange to meet.

It really is that simple.

Although it’s easily one of the best hookup apps, Tinder does have its problems.

For example, you frequently see complaints from men being ignored by women, or complaints from women about socially stunted men. Still, if you’re down for bar hopping or going to a club to meet some interesting new people, you’ll have fun.

Pros

  • Just need a cellphone number or Facebook account
  • Features like “super like” will get someone’s attention
  • Match with locals & out-of-towners visiting

Cons

  • No keyword or filtering searches
  • Must pay premium membership to search other cities across the country or world
  • A bit pricey

Price

  • A limited number of free swipes per day
  • $9.99 a month for those under 30, $19.99 a month for over 30

10. OkCupid – One of the Best Adult Dating Sites For LGBTQ+

OkCupid is the Gen Z and Millennial-friendly alternative to old-school matching sites. In recent years, it has focused on diversity, inclusivity, and on modern culture in order to court younger demographics.

Most users are between the ages of 25 and 34 – so it worked!

While most sites now offer gay dating, OkCupid goes one step further and offers selections for 13 genders, 22 sexual orientations, and even your own preferred pronouns.

It’s an intimate and personal way to put yourself out there and will help find a better quality match, even if it’s just for a one-night stand or a friend with benefits.

Pros

  • The most LGBTQ-friendly app/site
  • Five-minute fun questionnaire
  • Hashtag badges show your views on political issues

Cons

  • Caters exclusively to younger demographics

Price

  • A-List, $19.95/month
  • A-List, $9.95/6 months
  • A-List Premium, $34.90 per month

11. eHarmony – Best “Friends or More” Dating App

The fact that many people desire to turn their casual flings into serious relationships is probably not lost on sites like eHarmony. Though eHarmony claims to be commitment-minded, many users log onto the site to find a friend with benefits or a one-night stand – and then see what happens.

You’ve got to be chill!

If you’re “looking for something” and yet open-minded to the idea of love someday developing with a friend, a site like eHarmony might work.

Matches are made using advanced algorithms based on a complex personality questionnaire. Most people who use eHarmony get together for a long-term relationship, even though casual dating is what first attracted them.

Pros

  • Advanced algorithm & questionnaire
  • Paying members get the option of verified profiles
  • You can request a user’s criminal background for safety

Cons

  • Not a great place if you’re looking for ONLY sex
  • No keyword or filter searching

Price

  • $59.95/month
  • $39.95/3 months
  • $29.95/6 months
  • $19.95/12 months
DatingBest Free Dating Sites For Young Adults

12. Zoosk – Best Site For Casual Hookups Internationally

Zoosk supposedly has 40 million active members that are located all over the world. It’s also easy to join by using your Facebook profile, saving you a lot of time and hassle!

The site claims to use SmartPick and Dating Insights technology, which helps create matches for you based on your online behavior patterns. In other words, they make it a hell of a lot easier for you to find people you’re compatible with.

Zoosk also allows you to filter your search, which is something many casual dating apps don’t have. Choose local matches based on age range, religion, lifestyle, and other viewpoints. Whether you’re hooking up or looking for love, it’s nice to match with people you see eye-to-eye with!

Pros

  • Members in 80 different countries
  • Offers both one night stands & committed relationships
  • Good searching tools

Cons

  • Complaints of spammy profiles & members that never log in again
  • No free chats – free members can only browse

Price

  • $19.98/3 months
  • $12.49/6 months

FAQs About Hookup Sites and Finding Sex Online

What are the best free casual sex sites with no credit card or registration?

While many free casual sex sites offer limited chats and browsing, there are two big-name dating sites that are completely free.

First, there’s Reddit Dirty R4R, which doesn’t require any registration or credit card payment. Users can browse, respond to ads, or send private messages by clicking on a user’s name. However, your user base is limited and there are many fake accounts.

Bummer.

Second, there’s Craigslist, specifically in the subcategories of Activity Partners or Missed Connections. While you can definitely find hookups on Craigslist, it’s basically the Wild West of hooking up sites, so you need to be careful who you’re agreeing to meet on there.

Alternatively, sites like Adult Friend Finder and Ashley Madison require payment, but they’re significantly more secure and have million of users all over the world, so your chances of getting lucky are substantially higher.

Sometimes you get what you pay for!

Which hookup dating site is best for older men?

Seeking.com is the best hookup dating site for older men, specifically if they’re looking to become a Sugar Daddy. Male users tend to be rich, experienced, and open about their desire to be a “sugar daddy” to a younger match (a “sugar baby”).

It could be fun!

The paid subscription to Seeking also eliminates a lot of the competition for men, giving them a higher ratio of female to male members because women can join for free. Seeking actually has 79% female members, which is basically unheard of in the dating and hookup site world!

Which hookup site is best for younger guys?

Ashley Madison encourages a total lack of commitment since most users are already married or looking for married lovers.

Married women who cheat must be discreet in order to avoid family catastrophe. They only want affairs and not a progressive relationship. Most younger men are likewise not looking for anything serious.

In theory, it’s the opposite of Seeking.com and allows younger men to chase mature women, without wealth playing a factor.

What’s the best hookup site or app for women?

Bumble was created to be the opposite of most male-centric dating apps by letting women control who they chat with, rather than being bombarded with low-quality conversations and/or unwanted pictures of genitalia.

Yikes.

Both men and women can swipe until they find a match on Bumble. Once a woman finds a well-written profile with good photos that she likes the look of, she starts the conversation.

What do people mean by hooking up?

The definition of hooking up is sometimes debated, especially regarding the etiquette of before and after. However, most people agree it’s sex (or something close to sex) without commitment.

Usually, follow-up dates are not expected, so hookups would be similar to “one night stands” or “casual affairs”.

Make sure you and your partner are on the same page!

Are sex hookup sites safe to use?

Contrary to what you might read, there are no completely safe sex hookups sites or dating sites for that matter. The “safest” sites are the ones like eHarmony or Seeking, which actually verify the identities of members. Some sites even allow you to do a criminal background check for peace of mind.

Only you can exercise good judgment when dating a stranger. Remember these tips:

  1. Try to do a live video chat before meeting to confirm their identity
  2. Perform a reverse image search on their photos to check they’re not copied from somewhere else on the internet
  3. Only date in public places to start with – get to know the person
  4. Always tell a friend or family member where you’re going
  5. Always bring a cell phone (and a can of mace just to be safe)
  6. Take your own vehicle so you can leave if things get suspicious
  7. Bring condoms for protection – always insist!
  8. If you get a weird feeling, leave

Keep these tips in mind and use your common sense when using sex hookup sites and adult search sites – you never know who you might be talking to!

What’s the difference between a hookup and friends with benefits?

A hookup is just about finding sexual chemistry.

Best Free Dating Sites For Young Adults

Usually, there is no follow-up date – and not necessarily any personal information shared either. The “friends with benefits” scenario is closer to real dating.

You may not be committed to each other, but you still date traditionally. You also follow up with text chats or phone calls, and you do care about each other as close friends.

Hookups tend not to be romantic or even emotional in nature. It’s just the “right place at the right time.”

Conclusion – What Are The Best Legit Hookup Sites?

Our research suggested that Adult Friend Finder is the most likely site to find fast hookups because of its 80 million members and potential for niche matching. With open-minded swingers and kinksters, it’s easy for you to find sex without all the pretense of “dating” first.

It cuts the bullshit, you know?

Ashley Madison, however, came in a close second because of its discreet nature and the “married but looking” demographic, which is almost always casual and not romantic in nature. There are even features like face-blurring and emergency logouts to keep you anonymous.

It’s easy to sign up for the best hookup apps and find a potential match. Remember, though, the best way to test your chemistry is to focus on looking good and conveying positive energy. Ultimately, that’s what makes you attractive, and that’s what people on hookup apps will notice first.

Whichever site you choose, good luck out there!

Looking for dates, mates, or some casual hookups? Dating apps have it all – when you know which ones to use. With this guide, you can find The One for you.

What Is The Best Dating Site For Young Adults

There are so many dating platforms to choose from, but which app is best for you?

If you're feeling a little fed up with endlessly swiping and getting nowhere, worry not – you've come to the right place.

Check out our list of the best dating apps below, so you can stop wishing love was in the air, and find it at your fingertips instead.

Totally Free Dating Sites

Looking for cheap (or free) date ideas? You're in luck – we know of plenty.

Top dating apps for students

There are options to pay to upgrade the below apps. But, these are the 14 best dating apps which you can download and use for free:

Young
  1. Tinder

    Best for finding: Casual hookups and relationships.

    Pros: Tinder is one of, if not the, most popular dating apps. As so many people use it, you're bound to find users to chat with, even if you're somewhere super rural. You can also use Tinder online if you head to their website.

    Cons: It's a tad too easy to accidentally swipe the wrong way – particularly with 'Super Likes' (where the other person gets notified) – so swipe with caution.

    Top tip: Avoid the typical Tinder cliches in your bio (i.e. 'fluent in sarcasm', 'don't match if you're not going to talk', '6ft because apparently that matters'...). Be original and keep it light.

    Paid-for features on Tinder

    • Tinder Plus – Includes bonuses like unlimited likes, the chance to undo your last swipe, the ability to match with people around the world, extra Super Likes and one Boost a month (Boost makes you one of the top profiles in your area for half an hour).
    • Tinder Gold – All the same features as the free and Plus versions, and it also lets you see who's already liked you and receive updated Top Picks every day for a slightly extra cost.
    • Tinder Platinum – The features from the free, Plus and Gold versions, plus the option to message people before matching, see who you've liked in the last week and Priority Likes (these mean that, when you like someone, your profile will be shown to them before others who don't have Platinum).
  2. Bumble

    Best for finding: Casual hookups, relationships, work contacts and new friends.

    Pros: Women make the first move and the first couple of messages need to be sent within a certain time limit, encouraging faster-paced chats. The Bizz and BFF settings also mean you could find a job and a new best pal on here.

    Cons: You'll need to be on Bumble often enough to keep up with the time limits to send the first message and reply, or you could end up losing matches with people you like.

    Top tip: Bumble have found that, for 18–22 year olds, the best time to go on the Date setting of their app is between 7–10pm.

    Paid-for features on Bumble

    • Bumble Boost – Lets you SuperSwipe (like Tinder's Super Like function), extend matches for longer, have unlimited swipes, backtrack and use Bumble Spotlight (pretty much the same as Tinder Boost).
    • Bumble Premium – The same features as Bumble Boost, plus unlimited Advanced filters, chance to see who's liked you, ability to rematch with people and travel mode.
  3. Grindr

    Best for finding: Casual hookups and dates with gay, bisexual, trans and queer people.

    Pros: Grindr is the biggest social networking app for its target audience. You can easily find local dates and hookups on here.

    Cons: It's generally known for quite risqué chat and image sharing – if this isn't for you, we'd recommend giving this app a miss.

    Top tip: You can share your location with other users on Grindr, but don't rush into doing this. We recommend asking for things like their Instagram and phone number before sending your location, or meeting them in person so you're sure of their identity. Plus, it's always best to pick somewhere public to initially meet dates from apps.

    Paid-for features on Grindr

    • Grindr XTRA – Offers features such as read receipts, the chance to view up to 600 profiles in the cascade, explore mode and premium filters.
    • Grindr Unlimited – Has XTRA features, plus added ones like the ability to view an unlimited number of profiles, unsend messages, see who's viewed your profile and send expiring photos which disappear after 10 seconds.
  4. HER

    Best for finding: Dates and friendships with lesbian, bisexual and queer people.

    Pros: HER is the biggest free dating app for LGBTQ womxn. They put a huge emphasis on the importance of equality and empowerment, and they usually run cool events (when not impacted by coronavirus).

    Cons: You'll likely have to pay for their events and may need to travel to a major hub like London for them, so it could be pricey.

    Top tip: If you do need to travel to get to HER's events, check out our guide to getting cheap train tickets to save money on the journey.

    Paid-for features on HER

    • HER Premium Gold – Includes option to see who's liked you, use premium filters, rewind profiles and use incognito mode (where you can use the app without revealing your identity).
    • HER Premium Platinum – All of the Gold features, plus unlimited swipes, ability to see who's online, view read receipts and get one free Boost a month.
  5. Hinge

    Best for finding: Relationships based on individual preferences.

    Pros: 'The dating app designed to be deleted' – Hinge's slogan makes it clear that this app can help you find a long-term relationship. Its algorithm works out who you're 'Most Compatible' with and suggests people for you to meet.

    Cons: Each time you 'like' someone on here, they'll be notified and given the option to match with you, which can make it feel a teeny bit more daunting than a mindless Tinder swipe.

    Top tip: On Hinge, you can add comments to your profile in response to some prompt questions – avoid going for anything too predictable in your answers (e.g. saying the most spontaneous thing you've done is go travelling), and instead say something surprising that will spark conversations.

    Paid-for features on Hinge

    • Preferred Hinge membership – Lets you use added features like unlimited likes, extra filter options (e.g. so you can filter by height or whether someone smokes, etc.) the option to see all the people who have already liked you (rather than just one person at a time).
  6. Match

    Best for finding: Long-term relationships.

    Pros: Match is a really well-established dating site, aimed at helping people start serious relationships and find love. If this is what you're looking for, you'll be able to find like-minded people on here.

    Cons: It's free to register and start using Match, but to read and send messages, you'll need to sign up for a paid subscription. Also, be sure to cancel your subscription when you stop using the site as it renews automatically.

    Top tip: Try Match for free before paying for a subscription – you should be able to get a good idea of whether it's right for you based on their basic dating features.

    Paid-for features on Match

    • Match paid subscription – Unlocks key features, like letting you message other users and receive suggestions of different profiles.
  7. Happn

    Best for finding: Dates with people you've crossed paths with.

    Pros: Happn shows you people you walk past, or are likely to cross paths with, which might be more up your street if you'd ideally like to meet someone in person. Plus, it should make it easier to arrange dates if you already live, work or socialise near each other.

    Cons: You can see when people were last active on the app, which can make it a little awkward in the early stages of dating between establishing you like each other and having the 'let's delete our dating apps' chat.

    Top tip: Happn's great for city life where you'll be crossing paths with loads of people each day. But, if you live somewhere more rural, we'd recommend an app like Hinge that shows you people based on your preferences, rather than just your location.

    Paid-for features on Happn

    • Happn Premium subscription – Premium features include seeing who's liked you, rewinding when you accidentally skip a profile and getting up to 10 'FlashNotes' to send per day (FlashNotes are a bit like Tinder's Super Likes).
  8. CLiKD

    Best for finding: Dates with people who share your interests.

    Pros: On CLiKD, you can find dates where you both (you guessed it) click. You find people by setting three questions – if others get at least 2/3 of your questions right, and you get theirs right, you both pass the tests and match.

    Cons: It's less well known than some of the other apps in this list so it may be a bit harder to find matches in quieter areas.

    Top tip: Think about your dealbreaker questions carefully. Try to choose ones that genuinely reflect you and your interests, but that are also easy enough for others to work out.

    Paid-for features on CLiKD

    • CLiKD Premium – Includes getting unlimited Recommends and Superlikes, as well as the chance to boost your profile, see who's taken your test and give people who fail your dealbreakers the chance to answer another question.
  9. eHarmony

    Best for finding: Love based on compatibility.

    Pros: eHarmony offers a free trial, letting you take a compatibility test and start seeing how other profiles match up to yours with a 'compatibility score'. You can also start interacting with other users by sending Smiles and Icebreakers.

    Cons: While you can try out the app for free, you'll need to pay a subscription fee to use all of the dating features on eHarmony.

    Top tip: If you're looking for the ideal date location near you, have a read through the suggestions on the Great Date Guide on eHarmony's website – you could discover some lovely new places in your area.

    Paid-for features on eHarmony

    • eHarmony Premium membership – Subscriptions on eHarmony allow you to message other users, see unlimited photos of your matches, find out who's viewed your profile and see your Personality Report.
  10. Feeld

    Best for finding: Dates with curious and open-minded single people and couples.

    Pros: Feeld is hugely inclusive, with over 20 options for sexual and gender identities. On the app, you can find couples/single people looking for threesomes, as well as others looking to explore kinks, ethical non-monogamy and alternative relationship structures.

    Cons: Some users report finding the app buggy.

    Top tip: Feeld usually host loads of events like talks, parties and workshops which are great opportunities to meet like-minded people.

    Paid-for features on Feeld

    • Feeld Majestic Membership – Lets you see who's liked you, hide your profile from Facebook friends, know when someone was last online, and more.
  11. Once

    Best for finding: Relationships based on a slow-dating method.

    Pros: Each day at noon, Once will show you a profile of someone it thinks would be a good match for you. Plus, they've got a (rather brilliant) feature that replaces nude pics sent in chats with images of kittens and, honestly, we're sold.

    Cons: If you're in a hurry to meet someone, this might not be the app for you...

    Top tip: Matches are chosen each day for active users who have been online within the last 48 hours. So, even if you're not convinced by your match for the day, it's still worth checking the app every day, or every other day, to keep getting suggested matches.

    Paid-for features on Once

    • Once VIP subscription – Offers the chance to receive up to three more matches each day, see who's given you four or 5 stars, more accurately define your distance settings, find out if someone's passed you and read chat requests.
    • Once Crowns – Paid-for features include choosing your match for the next day (without them knowing 👀) and getting matched with someone else who's currently online.
  12. Plenty of Fish

    Best for finding: Dates based on a character test.

    Pros: Plenty of Fish (POF) is one of the oldest and biggest dating sites. When registering for the app, you can expect to answer a series of questions so POF can more accurately work out who you'd be well-matched with.

    Cons: The character test slows down the sign-up process.

    Top tip: A recent study by POF found that, according to singletons, the three least popular images on dating apps are bathroom selfies, gym selfies and heavily edited/filtered pics. You're a catch, so leave out these types of pics on Plenty of Fish and you'll quickly get chatting with salmon great.

    Paid-for features on Plenty of Fish

    • Upgraded POF memberships – Becoming an Upgraded member means you can appear on the Meet Me section more often, upload up to 16 images to your profile, get read receipts and see who's seen your profile and said 'Yes' to you in Meet Me.
  13. Badoo

    Best for finding: Casual hookups, relationships and new friends.

    Pros: Search filters include whether people want to make new friends, chat or date which helps you quickly identify the ones who are looking for similar things.

    Cons: You can see who's visited your profile, which isn't the nicest thing to know if they haven't liked you back.

    Top tip: Badoo have some useful safety tips on their site, including a suggestion to ask for recent photos (within the last four weeks) before meeting someone offline.

    Paid-for features on Badoo

    • Badoo Premium – Includes seeing who's liked you, the ability to undo last votes and the chance to chat directly with popular users on Badoo.
  14. Coffee Meets Bagel

    Best for finding: Relationships based on the app's suggested matches.

    Pros: Coffee Meets Bagel's algorithm works out who you're likely to be compatible with and picks a selection of potential matches (or bagels) each day for you. This would suit anyone who's tired of the constant swiping on Tinder, but is also hoping for more than one match a day, like on Once.

    Cons: If you don't check your bagels for a day, you could miss the chance to like them unless they're suggested to you again in future.

    Top tip: Any time you're not keen on the suggested matches, don't ignore them completely – responding with a pass can help the app's algorithm find you better, more suited bagels. 🥯

    Paid-for features on Coffee Meets Bagel

    • CMB Premium Subscription – Allows you to get activity reports on bagels (e.g. to see how often they message first), see read receipts, and receive extra 'beans' that let you buy other special features.

Ever wondered how much it costs to get over a breakup? (Spoiler: it's a lot).