X
CNET logo Why You Can Trust CNET

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

Best dating apps of 2021

Ready to jump into the world of online dating apps? Here's the best place to start.

Rebecca Fleenor
Rebecca Fleenor was an editorial project manager. She enjoys all things wacky, techie and entertaining, and she's usually off binge-watching films and television shows (and writing them in her spare time).
Rebecca Fleenor
dating-app-icons-tinder-bumble-league-zoosk-okcupid-hinge-2182.jpg
1 of 13

Best dating apps of 2021

Valentine's Day is practically here! While all the single folks take a moment to sigh loudly, let us remember there is still time to find love (or even something casual) before the holiday. 

With that in mind, here are the best (and OK-est) dating apps to try out. My recommendations are based primarily on my own dating-app experiences as a woman. Make of that what you will.

bumble
2 of 13 Screenshot by Rebecca Fleenor/CNET

Bumble

Bumble is basically Tinder for women... and on a timer. Bumble requires women to message first and if the guy doesn't message back within 24 hours, he loses the potential match. Because that's the one thing my love life was really missing... arbitrary time limits.

The timer is designed to encourage contact, and some people really do appreciate that feature. But if you're someone who procrastinates, Bumble may not be for you. Also because women must message first, Bumble tends to weed out the slightly more insecure males. However the rate of overly confident males tends to be higher than I've seen on other apps. Bumble also has a BFF feature, but that's really not the focus of a dating app gallery, so I'll save it for another time. 

hinge
3 of 13 Screenshot by Rebecca Fleenor/CNET

Hinge

Hinge finally won me over, becoming my favorite dating app in 2019. Originally the app focused on common connections and mutual friends that you and a potential partner shared on Facebook, which was a gimmick I was never sold on. But it has since pivoted away from this model. Hinge has designed the app to make user profiles more engaging (and helpful) than on apps like Tinder. You have the option of displaying a lot of useful information that could be deal breakers: your political leanings, your religion, your alcohol consumption frequency or even your interest level in having children someday. And the prompts provided by Hinge do help create more engaging profiles. Hinge's current slogan is simply "Designed to be deleted," and if a serious relationship is what you're looking for, this is the dating app I would recommend.

tinder
4 of 13 Screenshot by Rebecca Fleenor/CNET

Tinder

Whether you're looking for a hookup or an LTR (long-term relationship), Tinder has you covered. It's basically the first stop for those entering the dating world. If you want to play the odds when it comes to online dating, you probably need to be swiping where everyone's swiping.

On the upside the profiles are brief, which allows you to make decisions quickly. The downside is that short profiles make it harder to figure out what people are looking for. Knowing very little about a person can also make initial messaging more challenging. You'll need to wade through a sea of profiles, which makes it easy to pass over people you might have given a chance under different circumstances. 

okcupid
5 of 13 Screenshot by Rebecca Fleenor/CNET

OkCupid

OkCupid, how you confuse me. I have friends who've met spouses through OkCupid. My last serious relationship came from OkCupid. In fact, I've been on OkCupid, on and off, for roughly the last 11 years. Profiles are much more in-depth than most dating sites, and if you answer a seemingly endless series of questions, they will spit out a reasonable Match/Enemy percentage ratio on profiles to help you gauge compatibility.

Changes in the last year have made OkCupid a bit more like Tinder, focusing more on swiping and eliminating the ability to message a user without matching with them first. You can still send a message, it just won't show up in the recipient's inbox unless you match. Because who doesn't love sending a thoughtful message to someone who might never see it? However, OkCupid has pointed out that these changes did help lower the number of offensive messages users received, which might not be the worst thing.

coffeemeetsbagel
6 of 13 Screenshot by Rebecca Fleenor/CNET

Coffee Meets Bagel

Coffee Meets Bagel hopes to offer users better quality matches by sending curated matches, or "Bagels," each day at noon. They suggest ice breakers for first messages and the profiles are more in-depth than Tinder. For people who like a little extra hand-holding, CMB isn't the worst option. However, I felt the app was confusing to use; too many features and too many gimmicks. I shouldn't have to lookup online tutorials to figure out how to use a dating app. And why call matches Bagels?

I was also disappointed in the notifications, which were a tad too pushy and out of touch for my taste. CMB was constantly "gently" reminding me to message users I'd matched with and I found myself disabling the app after I received a notification from it that said, "Show [Match Name] who's boss and break the ice today!" Is it just me or is it weird to imply that a potential future relationship should have a hierarchical power dynamic? At the end of the day, I have friends who've had good matches on CMB, but it isn't my favorite app. 

happn
7 of 13 Screenshot by Rebecca Fleenor/CNET

Happn

Happn matches you with people who are nearby physically. It's a cool concept and helpful for people who want to meet someone in a more organic manner. That said, I've never met a single person who actually uses the app.

Within the first three hours of signing up, Happn welcomed me with 68 users it said I had crossed paths with, even though I hadn't left my apartment all day. It might be helpful if you're looking to date your immediate neighbors (or Uber drivers), but I struggle to see why this is much of a draw when competitors like Tinder already show the distance between you and other users. Frankly, if I saw a cute guy in a coffee shop, I'd rather just approach him than check if he's on Happn. The app seems designed for people who don't want to use online dating but who also don't want to approach people in real life. Pick a lane.

theleague
8 of 13 Screenshot by Rebecca Fleenor/CNET

The League

The League is an "elite dating app" that requires you to apply to get access. Your job title and the college you attended are factors The League considers when you apply, which is why you have to provide your Linkedin account. Big cities tend to have long waiting lists, so you might find yourself twiddling your thumbs as your application goes through the process. (Of course, you can pay to hurry up the review.) The exclusivity can be a draw for some and a turnoff for others. Let me demystify the app for you: I've seen most of the profiles I come across on The League on other dating apps. So at the end of the day, you'll probably see the same faces on Tinder, if you aren't deemed elite enough for The League.

her
9 of 13 Screenshot by Rebecca Fleenor/CNET

Her

Most dating apps are fairly LGBTQ inclusive. Still, it's nice to have an app to call your own. Her is tailored to lesbian, bisexual and queer women. The app serves a valuable purpose, but generally has some bugs and glitches that made it frustrating for me to use. Most of my queer female friends have told me they found the app to be just OK, but they usually end up back on Tinder or Bumble. Still I checked it regularly for some time and had a few pleasant conversations with actual human beings. And isn't that all we're really looking for in a dating app?

clover
10 of 13 Screenshot by Rebecca Fleenor/CNET

Clover

Clover tried to be the on-demand version of online dating: you can basically order a date like you would a pizza. It also has match percentages based on compatibility, though it isn't entirely clear how those numbers are calculated.

I was on Clover for quite some time but had forgotten it even existed until I started to throw this list together. I felt like it was a less successful hybrid of OkCupid and Tinder, and I also felt like the user base was pretty small, even though I live in an urban area with plenty of people who use a wide variety of dating apps. Clover says it has nearly 6 million users, 85 percent of whom are between the ages of 18 and 30.

pof
11 of 13 Screenshot by Rebecca Fleenor/CNET

Plenty of Fish

Plenty of Fish launched in 2003 and it shows. The problem I come across over and over again is that POF is filled with bots and scams, even though it may have the most users of any dating app. POF's issues don't mean you won't be able to find love on it, but the odds might be stacked against you. Unless you're into dating bots. 

match
12 of 13 Screenshot by Rebecca Fleenor/CNET

Match

Match has a free version, but the general consensus is that you need a paid subscription to have any luck on it. That's a hangover from the early days of online dating, when paying for membership to a site meant you were serious about settling down. But my friends and I have long since come to the conclusion that you might be a little too eager to find a significant other if you're paying to get dates, particularly given the abundance of free dating apps. There are definitely paid features on some dating apps that are worth the price, but I've yet to be able to justify shelling out cash for love. 

dating-app-icons-tinder-bumble-league-zoosk-okcupid-hinge-2201.jpg
13 of 13 James Martin/CNET

More stories about finding love

Want to see even more stories about dating in our modern times of apps? Check out our collection of love-related stories called It's Complicated by clicking here.

More Galleries

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera
A houseplant

My Favorite Shots From the Galaxy S24 Ultra's Camera

20 Photos
Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra
magic-v2-2024-foldable-1383

Honor's Magic V2 Foldable Is Lighter Than Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra

10 Photos
The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum
Samsung Galaxy S24

The Samsung Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus Looks Sweet in Aluminum

23 Photos
Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design
The Galaxy S24 Ultra in multiple colors

Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra Now Has a Titanium Design

23 Photos
I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites
img-0368.jpg

I Took 600+ Photos With the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. Look at My Favorites

34 Photos
17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About
Invitation for the Apple September iPhone 15 event

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

18 Photos
AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?
img-1599-2.jpg

AI or Not AI: Can You Spot the Real Photos?

17 Photos