What’s Tacoma, Washington known for? First, there’s the majestic Puget Sound, the beautiful glass art, and the acrid “Tacoma Aroma” that locals know and joke about. And, yes—there’s also a vibrant dating scene to be enjoyed, especially if you’re using one of the best dating apps in Tacoma.
If you’re planning to move to “The City of Destiny” or at least check out the dating scene, then trust us on this one. You’ll need and want an app or two. You’ll find more people, more dates, and more fun in less time.
Tacoma’s local economy and the nearby military bases ensure a constant flow of people in and out of Tacoma. And while that means you’ll have lots of opportunities to meet and date around, you’ll still get more out of your time and money with the help of the right dating apps.
Before we jump into our recommended best dating apps in Tacoma, Washington: Are you in or around Seattle? We’ve already written a Seattle dating app guide, and it might be of more help to you.
That aside, let’s roll the tape.
The 5 Best Dating Sites in Tacoma Right Now
So, how did we choose the best dating apps from the rest? Our criteria for all our tests are simple: If it gets us the results we want, then it’s good. If it doesn’t, we drop it from our recommendations.
Ultimately, you’ll just need one or two apps that consistently get you the results you want to have a good time in Tacoma. To save you some time, we recommend you start with our Top 5.
#1 - eHarmony (Android, iOS) is one of the best dating apps in Tacoma for finding love
eHarmony is one of the best, if not the best, service for finding “the one” in Tacoma. From the number of matches you get to the quality of the people you meet, eHarmony can’t be beaten. The app has built a reputation as a matchmaking app throughout the country and the rest of the world. It has so far helped 600,000 couples find their happily ever afters.
We're not talking about finding "The One" after years of being on the app (any other app can promise that). Based on track record, eHarmony helps the majority of its users find their future spouse within a year of using the app. If that’s what you, too, are looking for, then give eHarmony a try—it may just be the only one you’ll need.
Why eHarmony is great
- Easy to use App
- Great matchmaking track record
- Rigorous signup process weeds out the timewasters and scammers
What we don't like about it
- The app and design feel a bit dated
- The signup process can be too rigorous for some of us
#2 - Tinder (Android, iOS) is still going strong as a dating service
For a long time, Tinder has been the #1 “hookup app.” That has since changed, as it has morphed into a more general dating service today. Despite that, we still got plenty of good results in Tacoma, which is why it sits firmly at #2 on our list.
One of Tinder’s selling points is its ease of use. You sign up, slap on a few good photos, write something about yourself, and you’re off to the swiping races. It usually isn’t long before you start finding good matches, whether you’re dating for keeps or for fun.
Why Tinder is great
- Super-easy to use
- One of the best, most intuitive interfaces among dating apps
- Solid matchmaking algorithms
What we don't like about it
- You tend to get a mixed bag of results, so you’ll need extra time sorting
- If you don’t have professionally done photos, you’ll have a harder time
#3 – AFF is the best dating site in Tacoma for casual, short-term flings (try it free)
If you’re 100% sure you don’t want to date for keeps, and instead simply want short-term, casual fun, then AFF should be the first app you try. It’s so good it might also be the last one you’ll need. This is especially true for guys, who tend to do better on AFF than other apps like Tinder
AFF is the premier app for casual flings, taking the title Tinder previously held. There’s just no beating it when finding like-minded people for same-night fun, and it looks like it will stay that way for a while.
Why AFF is great
- Where single guys tend to do the best
- Unmatched ability to find people for casual flings and non-committed relationships
- Easy to use App
- Lots of users means lots of opportunities for dates
What we don't like about it
- Design can use some updating
- Need to sign up on the website
#4 - Hinge (Android, iOS) is another good app to try in Tacoma
Hinge got us some pretty good results when we tried it out. The catch? It’s primarily designed to be in the same space as eHarmony—that is, to help people find committed relationships.
Hinge markets itself to be the “dating app that’s meant to be deleted,” which says quite a bit about its target market. If you’re looking for a solid backup to eHarmony, I suggest you give Hinge a try.
Why Hinge is great
- Easy to sign up and start to use
- Large userbase of younger people
- Connects to your Facebook, so you can easily find friends of friends to date
What we don't like about it
- If you’re looking for people 30 years and older, you might have a bit of trouble
- As with Tinder, your results will be driven by the quality of your photos
#5 - Bumble (Android, iOS) is worth a try whether you’re a man or a woman
Bumble is great if you’re a guy who’s not the type to message random women. It’s also good if you’re a woman who prefers to only talk to men you like. That’s because Bumble only lets women send the first message, an interesting dynamic that led to high-quality dates for us.
There’s a slight drawback for men, though: If you’re not that attractive, you might not get that much attention from the ladies. Meanwhile, if you got nice photos, all you need is to set up your profile and wait for the messages to come in.
Why Bumble is great
- If you’re an attractive guy, life can be pretty good on Bumble
- If you’re a woman, you can only talk to the guys you like—no more reading dozens of random messages
- A pretty good userbase in Tacoma
What we don't like about it
- If you’re a guy who’s used to messaging women first, you’ll have it rough here
- Also not good for men who aren’t attractive or articulate
The Best Hookup Sites in Tacoma
So, let’s say you’re not interested in dating for keeps, and you just want to explore the Tacoma dating scene and have some good, clean, no-strings-attached fun. What should you do?
Try AFF for a quick and easy way to hook up
If you’re just looking for the best Tacoma hookup sites, then AFF should top your list. It’s simply the best in terms of the quantity and quality of matches you’ll get. And it doesn’t matter if you’re not among the top 20% of most attractive people out there—AFF gives you a fighting chance.
One of the reasons why AFF has outranked Tinder in recent years is because the latter has been plagued with people who are only there for compliments and validation. You’re much more likely to find serious daters on AFF, and why it’s still one of the best casual dating sites in Tacoma.
Find a sexy match on Match.com
If you’re looking for a third option to find casual flings, we recommend you give Match.com a try, another general dating app. You’ll find a healthy number of people who are also just looking for some sexy, consensual fun.
The Best Dating Sites in Tacoma
Now, what if you are serious? What if you’re planning to stay in Tacoma for a while and you want to date someone for the long term?
We recommend you start with eHarmony before you try any other app
eHarmony’s biggest selling point is its track record. It’s been found that around 70% of people who use eHarmony for a year—that’s almost a 3-in-4 chance—will find their future spouse on it. And judging by the quality of the matches we got when we tested it, we’re inclined to wholeheartedly agree with the statistic.
Once you get through the long, tough signup process, you’ll get a list of new matches every single day. While browsing the list will only take a few minutes, you’ll likely need more time to really learn about your matches—so be prepared for the time commitment.
Coffee Meets Bagel streamlines serious daters
Meanwhile, if you don’t have that much time, then I suggest you try Coffee Meets Bagel—also one of the best dating sites/apps in Tacoma. Popular with young professionals, the service gives you a list of matches every day at noon—and nothing more. It keeps you from getting sucked into hours of mindless scrolling and lets you make dating a structured part of your day.
The Best Free Dating Sites in Tacoma
Do you need to pay money to find good people and dates in Tacoma? The answer is “No”—there are free dating sites out there. Although it’s important to know what you’re giving up by avoiding the monthly fee.
Most importantly, you won’t get many of the premium tools that are meant to save you time and stress. That means your overall dating experience will be more time-consuming and tedious, which can in turn affect your success rate and enjoyment.
If that’s a tradeoff you’re fine with, then we recommend you stick to the best free dating sites in Tacoma:
- Facebook Dating
- OkCupid
- Plenty of Fish
Remember: No matter what it is you want out of the Tacoma dating scene, it’s best to have an app or two helping you out. And not just any app—keep trying them out until you find the ones that give you the results you want. When you do, then your experiences in the City of Destiny will be among the best you’ll ever have.
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