Tired of tinder? Looking for the alternatives to tinder? Different ways to meet people? Different apps to use? Or perhaps even, different ways entirely – going back to “traditional” routes? In this post, we’re going to outline our top three tinder alternatives, to get you branching out and finding love more effectively!
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. That means that, at no additional cost to you, I may make a commission if you click through and purchase. Please note, I will never recommend anything that I personally have not used or “approved!”
What Is Tinder?
So if you stumbled across this article and are wondering “what is tinder?!” Well, essentially, it’s a dating app. But not just any old dating app…
Tinder is “the world’s most popular dating app” largely because, it was one of the first. Tinder revolutionised online dating, and so it’s no surprise it’s the go-to-app.
But does this mean it’s the best? No way. So let’s explore this further.
The Pro’s and Con’s of Tinder
Tinder has its pros and cons, like all apps of course. So let’s quickly run through some of the key pros and cons of tinder to get a better understanding of the app – its strengths, its weaknesses and why you might like our alternatives to tinder.
Pro’s of Tinder
- Members: Tinder has masses and masses of members being one of the biggest networks which means plenty of choice for you when it comes to matches!
- Freedom: With Tinder, you can swipe as much as you like, getting as many matches as you like, and there’s no limit to how soon you have to speak to your match, who has to speak first or whether they’ll disappear… they won’t. Once they’re in, they’re in!
- Ease: It’s also super fast and easy to sign up on Tinder. You can create an account in minutes, again, you aren’t even required to answer any profile questions – so it’s just a case of uploading some photos, answering some basic info and bang – you’re done!
Con’s of Tinder:
- Lack of Info: Dating apps have developed. On many how, you’ll see basic information straight from the get-go. Like a persons height (often important), whether they smoke, how often they drink, what they’re looking for etc. Tinder does show some information – a person’s job and location for example, but that’s about it. It’s far more limited.
- Less Serious Dating: Because it’s so easy to make an account, Tinder can attract pretty much everyone and anyone. There’s also – in some ways – too many options, so you’ll find it’s easy to get matches, but less easy to filter through those and form genuine connections that actually progress.
- Less Genuine People: There’s also less genuine people on there because the pool is too broad. You’ll find a lot of catfishes on tinder – due to the ease of account set up. There’s also many users who are already in a relationship checking it out. In fact, research has revealed that 30% of Tinder users are already married and almost half aren’t even single. Shocking right? If this doesn’t put you off, I don’t know what will!
Top Three Tinder Alternatives
So what are our recommended alternatives to tinder? Well, let’s start from the top…
1) Similar Apps To Tinder
So first off, I want to recommend a similar app to tinder and my personal favourite of all dating apps currently on the market, and that is – Bumble.
What makes Bumble better than tinder?
- You find out far more about a person, like mentioned above.
- You can qualify far easier.
- You’re forced to have a conversation = end up with active members.
- They’re encouraged to answer profile questions = get a better feel for a person.
- One more.
So that’s our first tinder alternative, if you kind of like tinder but want to try a dating app that’s similar.
2) Try a Dating Website Instead
Next up, I want to recommend you trying a dating website, over a dating app – because I think you’ll actually be pretty blown away with the difference!
Dating websites have far more comprehensive matching systems. They’re not just based on shallow swiping. There’s algorithms – real “science” behind it, especially when you choose the right dating websites.
They also attract a better pool of people, particularly if you’re looking for something serious or meaningful. It takes more time and effort to join a dating website, and – for premium members – there are costs involved. But this then better filters out the fakes, those who aren’t actually single and those who aren’t looking for a relationship.
When it comes to which app to use first? I recommend EHarmony (and I don’t do this lightly!) After reviewing the key major players on the market, EHarmony wins in terms of:
- The sign up process
- The matching process
- Quality of matches / members
- Usability
- Affordability
- Success rate
Whats more, EHarmony also comes as an app, accessible on your phone (so it’s still pretty familiar to our old friend, Tinder!) And – the best part – you can start by joining for free, which means there’s 0 risk, 0 cost, absolutely nothing to lose.
Click here to Join Eharmony in the USA
Click here to Join EHarmony in the UK
You’ll complete a Compatibility Quiz (which is pretty eye-opening in itself), will be able to review any matches within the Match Preferences you specify, and can view basic profile information about your matches at no charge at all.
I recommend starting first with this. If you then like how it works and the kind of people you’re able to connect with – upgrade from there. But there’s no pressure.
3) Go To Meet-Ups / Events
Now our last alternative to tinder is not a dating app, it’s not a dating website – we’ve already recommended our favourites when it comes to those. Instead, it’s the suggestion to get yourself out there!
If you’re tiring of swiping and want to meet people in real life, you should look at:
- Meet-Up Groups: Here, you can attend socials and events, organised by others, expanding your social circle. Look especially for the “New To” groups, designed for people who have recently moved to a new city. These ones are especially good because many attendees are actually single when they’re new to an area. It’s therefore a fun, relaxed environment to meet fellow singles and see if there’s anything there!
- Dating Events: You may also like to scrap the apps and try dating events instead. This isn’t just limited to speed dating anymore. If you have a quick search in your area, you’re actually likely to find far more creative ones! Like singles parties, Jenga dating – fun, quirky themed events… You’ll be surprised by how much these have come on in the last couple of years! Especially if you’re in a major city.
Other than that, get social! When you go out, focus on actually mixing with people, starting up a conversation with a stranger if you’re getting “vibes” from them.
Or, if you really are struggling for motivation, just take a break from dating apps and websites for a while and THEN get back to it… You might just need a little breather!
That’s All For This One
So there we have it: the three key alternatives to tinder if you’re looking to date more effectively.
The last one is more of a tinder alternative when you’re fed up of all-things-online… it’s good to mix this in alongside the apps and websites, to break it up a bit.
Because that’s the key to staying motivated when dating – diversify. Try different things. Keep it fun and exciting!
I hope this has helped. For more dating tips, I recommend reading:
- How To Start a Conversation on Dating Apps
- The Top 10 Qualifying Questions To Ask a Date
- Deep Questions To Get To Know Someone Better
Want to dig even deeper? Then here’s our Top 10 Dating Book Recommendations.
“You get out what you put in as they say!” Immerse yourself in it, to master it!
All the best!
Love,
Ell_xx