Benjamin Otu EffiwattIs there life after Tinder? Absolutely. There’s so much life after Tinder that millions of people meet and fall in love on dating apps every single day.
I get it. Dating these days can feel more frustrating than ever. With so many apps and websites to choose from, it can be tough to know where to start. Heck, you might already be wasting time on apps that attract the wrong crowd — looking at you, Tinder.
That’s why I built this handy guide to the best dating apps for long term relationship.
How To Know If A Dating App Is Good For Long Term Relationships?
If you’ve downloaded a dating app before, chances are you already know how most of them work. You fill out a short profile, maybe answer a few questions about yourself, and then spend endless amounts of time looking at other people’s photos and judging them by their selfies.
Sound familiar? Sadly, that pretty much describes what you’ll experience on any dating app that’s designed for casual encounters.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. There are dating apps out there that are specifically designed with long-term relationships in mind. Here’s how you can spot them.
Sign-Up Process
The first sign of a relationship-oriented dating app is a detailed sign-up process. Apps that want you to answer questions about your personality, values, life goals, and ideal relationship are obviously seeking people who are looking for something serious.
If the app doesn’t ask you anything aside from your name, age, and a photo, it’s safe to say that it’s not designed for long-term relationships.
User Base
Think about it: if only three people you knew were on a dating app, how motivated would you be to sign up? You want to find an app with a large user base in your city. The more potential partners you have access to, the better your odds of finding a long-term match.
Matching Process
Does the app randomly assign you potential partners, or does it have a clever way of determining compatibility? I’m talking algorithms, compatibility scores, and even human curators who vet profiles.
Relationship-oriented apps do tend to spend more time making sure you’re matched with someone compatible, instead of just throwing every Jane and Joe at each other and hoping they click.
Alright, those are my tips for spotting the good ones. Now, without further ado, here are the best dating apps for long term relationships.
The 5 Best Dating Apps For Long Term Relationship
1. eHarmony
At the risk of blowing my own trumpet, allow me to present eHarmony. Here at Fearless Living, we recommend eHarmony all the time to our readers, and here’s why. When it comes to meeting serious, long-term partners, few platforms beat eHarmony. Unlike apps like Tinder or Bumble — which are both great for what they are — eHarmony is built around the concept of relationships.
You’ll notice this when you sign up. Instead of simply entering your name and uploading a photo, eHarmony requires you to fill out an exhaustive compatibility questionnaire. You’ll answer questions about everything from your communication style to your core values. The whole process takes anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, but trust me when I say it’s worth it. By the time you finish, you’ll have a clear idea of what you’re looking for, and eHarmony will only show you people who are compatible with those attributes.
2. Hinge
“We’re gonna find you the love of your life.”
Okay, hear me out. If Hinge makes you think of your favorite rom-com movie, then they’re definitely doing something right.
Designed to be “the app you delete,” Hinge takes a clever approach to showing you potential partners. Rather than just letting you swipe through endless profiles until one sticks, Hinge doubles down on sparking conversations. Profiles are organized around interesting little prompts that people answer. Some examples: “A skill I learned from my dad,” “My life goals,” or “Something I’d never do.”
When you match with someone, you message them by tapping on parts of their profile you actually find interesting. Tap the photo of their dog playing soccer? Your opening message reads “I love this dog playing soccer.” Simple questions lead to simple answers, and starting a conversation has never been easier.
3. Match.com
Ah yes, the granddaddy of online dating sites. Match.com has been around since 1995, which means it’s been helping people find love long before most of us knew what a “dating app” was. Match fills a specific niche: serious, long-term relationships. The people you’ll find on Match are not here to hook up or network — although you can do that too if you’re into it.
For the most part, Match users are professional singles looking to meet quality people. The age range is typically broader than Tinder or Bumble, spanning from teens to 80-somethings, although the average user is in their 30s.
One thing I love about Match is that you can literally browse for hours. It feels more like flipping through a magazine than scrolling through an app. You can search for matches based on filters, browse profiles at your leisure, see who liked you back, and even see who viewed your profile.
4. OkCupid
OkCupid may not be the first dating app you think of when searching for serious matches, but give it a chance.
OkCupid was built around a robust question system that helps match you with people who are truly compatible with you. Every time you use the app, you’re presented with questions ranging across your beliefs, hobbies, lifestyle, and much more. The more questions you answer, the better OkCupid can determine your compatibility with other users. Matches will show you a percentage based on how compatible you are with someone. Pretty cool, right?
You can think of OkCupid’s questionnaire as a super-efficient version of those old paper questionnaires you’d fill out on dates years ago. Only this time, OkCupid immediately shows you how you stack up against the person of your dreams.
5. Bumble
Hands down my favorite app. Bumble has come a long way since their infamous “women message first” rule. While that rule has proven very effective at fostering a respectful community, there’s a lot more to Bumble than that.
Speaking of which, let me explain how Bumble works if you’re not familiar. Like many dating apps, you swipe through profiles looking for people you’d be interested in connecting with. If you match with someone, the woman has 24 hours to message the guy first.
Once that ball is rolling, you’re both free to chat as much as you’d like. And because you both know the woman made the first move, there are far fewer unwanted messages.
It may not sound like much, but you’d be surprised how well that one rule has transformed the dating landscape on Bumble. I personally find the app to be much safer than most dating apps because of it. Bumble has also since expanded its dating empire with two spinoff apps: Bumble BFF to find friends, and Bumble Bizz to grow your professional network. While both of those sound super handy, we’re focusing on the dating side here.
Tips For Choosing The Right Dating App For You
Like I said at the top, choosing which dating app to join is only half the battle. How you approach these apps will largely determine whether or not you meet someone.
I know it’s a cliché at this point, but going in without a clear sense of who you are and what you want is a recipe for disappointment. Spend time learning what you’re truly looking for so you can find a compatible partner who matches your needs.
Final Thoughts
Dating apps can be great tools for meeting potential partners when you know how to use them. We live in an age where you can literally meet anyone from the palm of your hand, and that’s honestly pretty remarkable when you think about it.
The best dating apps for long term relationship are the ones that attract people who are genuinely ready to commit — platforms that go beyond surface-level swiping and actually invest in helping you find someone who is truly compatible with you.
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