Online dating can be challenging for women as apps are often overrun with men who are ready to flood your inbox with messages. Thankfully, there are plenty of great dating apps made with women in mind that may work better for you. The only trick is finding the best one.
The team at HeartInsider, which is made up of men and women, is here to help. We’ve tested hundreds of dating apps ourselves, including general and niche ones, so we know what we’re talking about. With so many great apps to choose from, it was hard to limit our choice down to one app, so we chose five of the best dating apps for women.
But before we discuss them, take a look at the process for ranking these apps:
Then we use each app for a few months to learn its features and determine how successful it is. Our final review is based on how easy we found it as women to land a date with a high-quality match.
Out of all the dating sites we’ve tried, these two are the ones that women liked the most. Here’s a summary of what we liked.
Overall Our team rates each site objectively based on many hours of independent research, the features each site offers, and how it compares with other sites. The ratings are the opinion of our editors and their extensive experience. |
8 | 9.5 |
Quality of Women Our opinion of how attractive the typical woman is that uses this site and how easy they are to connect with compared to other sites. |
8 | 9 |
Popular How many people are using this site to actually meet people compared to other sites. |
8 | 9 |
Usability How easy is this site to use and how quickly can an average person begin meeting people compared to other sites. |
10 | 10 |
Privacy & Safety Does this site take proper precautions to safeguard its members, their identity, and their data. |
10 | 10 |
Effective Our opinion of how easily an average person will be able to achieve their dating goals with this site compared to other sites. |
8 | 9 |
Value Will the time and money spent using this site pay off for an average person based on the opinions and experience of our editors. |
9 | 10 |
Bumble is one of the best dating apps on the market for women as it is a female-focused app made by a woman. Whitney Wolfe Herd created Bumble in 2014 to improve women’s experiences with online dating. It’s different from other apps because when two people match, the woman must message first within 24 hours. Otherwise, the match disappears.
This gives women control over their dating lives as they can choose who’s allowed to message them. The 24-hour time limit also motivates women who may be scared to make the first move. Other than this feature, Bumble works the same as many other dating apps as you can look through profiles and swipe right on the ones you like or left on the ones you want to skip. You can also take advantage of Bumble’s other platforms called Bumble BFF or Bumble Bizz to find friends or network.
eHarmony is one of the most well-known dating sites on the market as it has been around since 2000. We think it’s a great option for women who want to get to know their matches as profiles are detailed and eHarmony uses an intuitive matching algorithm. When you sign-up, you complete a questionnaire about your interests, lifestyle, and preferences in a partner.
eHarmony then uses your answers to offer match recommendations based on compatibility. Not only does this save you from endless scrolling through profiles, but it can help you find someone you may actually have something in common with. eHarmony is a paid dating site, but we think membership is worth it, especially if you’re looking for something serious as over 600,000 couples in the United States alone have found love and got married.
Although these apps didn’t make our top two, they’re still great! Here’s why:
Hinge is quickly becoming one of the most popular dating apps on the market because of how fun and interactive it is to use. Create your profile by uploading six pictures, answering three conversation prompts, and including details about your views and vices. Then to match with someone, you comment or like a specific picture or prompt. This makes it a great option for women who actually want to get to know their matches.
If you’re not looking for something serious, Tinder is a great option for women because of how many eligible men are on it. Although it’s not marketed as a hookup app, it’s what most people use Tinder for nowadays because of how much it focuses on appearance. There are more men than women on the app, so you’re sure to find a hot single in your area.
Although Match is the oldest dating site on the market, since it’s been around since 1995, we still think it’s great. The site really helps users get to know one another as profiles are super detailed. You can upload up to 26 pictures, write a bio that can be up to 4,000 characters long, and complete 10 sections discussing your lifestyle and beliefs. This makes it a great option for women who want to form genuine connections.
Before choosing the best dating app for you, here are some factors to consider first:
The first thing to consider is how big of a userbase the dating app has. General dating apps typically have large userbases, which give you a lot of options, but make it harder to find the right matches. Niche dating apps, such as ones targeted more at women, may have a smaller userbase but you can focus on quality rather than quantity.
As there are often more men on dating apps, you may be overwhelmed with messages if anyone can message you. Instead, consider using an app that only allows people you matched with to message you.
Swiping through profiles yourself can be time-consuming, which puts many people off from online dating. There are many dating apps for women that recommend matches to you typically based on compatibility, so you can save time and effort while still finding someone with shared interests, values, or beliefs.
Choosing the best dating app for you typically depends on what you’re looking for in a partner. Dating apps are often targeted either at people who want something serious or people who just want to hook up. Deciding what you’re looking for can help you choose an app with like-minded singles.
The last factor to consider is your budget. There are plenty of free dating sites for women, but they don’t offer the same results that paid ones do. We always recommend investing in a dating membership to improve your experience.
Here are some tips you can implement to improve your results when online dating:
It’s important to be open-minded when online dating. You may have a specific type of person you want in your head, but you may find that your matches don’t meet that exact ideal. You never know whether someone is the right match until you start talking, so give them a chance.
As we mentioned earlier, free dating apps are great, but they don’t offer the same results that paid ones do. We think investing in a dating membership is worth it as it gives you access to high-quality matches and fun features that enhance your online dating experience. Most paid dating apps offer a free trial you can take advantage of to test the waters.
As many dating apps focus on appearance, try to choose your best pictures to make a good impression on potential matches. Choose pictures that express who you are and what you’re interested in so your matches can try to find common ground.
Many women get tired of dating apps because they spend too much time on them. Instead, use the dating app as a tool to be introduced to someone, then you can take conversations off the app to social media, texting, or even phone calls if you’re comfortable so you can start planning a date. This can help you form deeper connections.
Another way to make a good impression on your matches is to express your interests on your profile. You may include them in your pictures or bio to attract people with similar interests. Having this common ground can make starting a conversation much easier.
Here are some answers to frequently asked questions you may have about the best dating apps for women:
Dating sites for women are online platforms where women can meet other singles. These dating sites may have features that help enhance the dating experience for women, making it easier for them to find the perfect match.
There are hundreds of dating sites on the market and they’re definitely not all legit. Don’t let that scare you away from the experience as every app we recommend is thoroughly tested by us. This means we can guarantee that they’re all legit.
Although most major dating apps have safety measures in place, online scams and harassment are still prevalent. Use your best judgment when talking to people and planning to meet up with them. Always meet in public for the first time to keep yourself safe.
Dating sites for women work the same as any general dating site, they’re just targeted at women who want to start online dating. Every dating app has its own unique features, so test out the platform first before messaging anyone.
If you’re not ready to settle down but still want to have a little fun, consider using a dating app targeted at people who want something casual instead. Here are some of our favorite apps to use.
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