3 Interesting Dating and Meeting Applications for Android, iOS

There’s a dating app for everyone, whether you’re looking for a fling or a long-term relationship. From the specific — Farmers-Only, Or Geeks! to the general ones we review here that cast wider nets, there are many, many options.

Which Dating Apps Are Totally Free?

The first thing you need to decide is your commitment level. As in, how much do you want to pay to make your heart go pitter-patter? Some apps, like Plenty of Fish, let you view profiles and send messages for free. Most of the others let you view your potential matches without charging you a penny, but they make you pony up and subscribe if you want to actually reach out to them without limits—especially if the interest is one-sided.

While the monthly charges for the apps we review here range in price from $10 to more than $40, most offer a discount if you commit to a long-term subscription, such as six months or a year. (You’re not afraid of commitment, are you?) 

Then there are all the add-ons. Options—for example, letting you pay to boost your ranking in search results, letting someone know that you are really, really interested in them, or undoing a dreaded left-swipe that was supposed to be a right-swipe—cost you extra.

Although some apps may advertise themselves as free, they all try to get a buck from you in the end. Only Facebook Dating is totally free, and that’s only if you don’t consider your existing personal Facebook profile data to be currency.

Hinge

Hinge calls itself the dating app “designed to be deleted.” This is just marketing, but it confronts an amusing paradox about dating apps. If they’re good at their jobs, you won’t need to use them for very long. Hinge backs up its bold claim with robust profiles, appealing interplay between text and visuals, and many fun, flirty ways for people to interact. However, it moves at a slow pace, not helped by the restrictions on free users.

Kippo

Video games are more popular than ever, but having a deep affinity for the medium remains somewhat of a social stigma. At their worst, gamers bring this scorn on themselves, but plenty of people who love video games could also love romantic partners.

Kippo is a mobile dating app that lets you put your fandom at the forefront and connect with other people who feel the same way. That idea could easily become niche, pandering, or embarrassing. Fortunately, Kippo is a slick and capable service that gives you lots of room for uniquely nerdy expression. A fascinating new social hub feature strengthens the service’s already distinct identity and makes Kippo one of our Editors’ Choice picks for dating apps.

Plenty of Fish

Want to chat and message with fellow singles, ASAP? Plenty of Fish—or as it’s commonly known, POF—bills itself as the dating app where the most conversations take place. The company is serious about getting you talking to people and claims a billion messages are sent on its platform every month.

What’s the secret to all of that message activity? POF is one of the few dating apps that allow you to contact any fellow users without matching or subscribing. That makes it one of the most immediately usable dating apps. While it’s not as feature-rich or easy-to-use as our Editors’ Choice, Match, it’s a viable alternative for singles on a budget who are looking for love.

Source: pcmag.com