Best dating sites for 20s

Finding a spouse has never been easy, and the challenges posed by COVID-19 have made it even more difficult. Even if you don’t go out as frequently as you used to, online dating services and mobile dating apps can help you build connections that could lead to a long-term partnership (or even just a fun fling!). Yes, the internet is a fantastic tool.

But where do you begin? Whether you’re trying to meet new people, attempt casual dating, locate individuals with similar interests, or eventually find your ideal match for a long-term relationship, there are plenty of reputable dating websites and apps to choose from. Everything from the size of each online dating service’s dating pool to whether it offers daily matches to whether it’s a free or paid service was taken into account. There’s bound to be someone new out there who matches your exact dating profile!

Here’s an overview of the best dating sites on the market. My recommendations are based primarily on my own experiences in the online dating platform arena as a woman, with some word-of-mouth impressions from friends thrown in for good measure.

So what are you waiting for? Sign up for these top dating sites or apps, start chatting and maximize your chances of meeting your perfect match. We’ll update this list periodically.

The best dating sites

Bumble

Bumble is like Tinder for women, but with a timer. Bumble is a free dating app in which women must initiate contact. If the guy does not respond within 24 hours, the possible dates are lost. Because arbitrary time constraints were the one thing lacking from my love life.

The timer is intended to foster communication, and some people appreciate it. However, if you’re a procrastinator, Bumble might not be for you. Bumble tends to pick out the more insecure males from the dating pool because women must message first. The rate of overconfident males, on the other hand, is higher than I’ve seen on other applications. Bumble also offers a BFF option that can help you meet new people, but that’s not our focus right now, so I’ll keep that for another day.

Tinder

Tinder has you covered whether you’re looking for a casual hookup, a prospective date, friendship, or an LTR (long-term relationship). It’s essentially the first stop for people who are new to the dating scene. When it comes to online dating, you need to swipe where everyone else is swiping if you want to beat the odds.

On the plus side, the profiles are brief, allowing you to make quick selections. The disadvantage is that a brief dating profile makes it difficult to determine what many people are looking for. When you don’t know much about someone, it can be difficult to strike up a conversation. You’ll have to sift through a sea of profiles, making it easier to overlook folks you would have given a chance in other situations.

OkCupid

How you perplex me, OkCupid. Friends of mine have met their soul mates and even husbands on OkCupid. The OkCupid dating service was the source of my most recent significant relationship. In fact, I’ve been on and off with OkCupid for the past 11 years. Profiles are far more detailed than those found on most online dating sites, and if you complete a seemingly endless series of questions (much like a personality test), they will spit out a fair Match/Enemy percentage ratio on profiles to help you judge compatibility based on shared interests.

Coffee Meets Bagel

By sending handpicked daily matches, or “bagels,” each day at noon, Coffee Meets Bagel wants to provide consumers with better-quality connections. They recommend icebreakers for first messages, and the profiles are more detailed than those on Tinder. CMB isn’t the worst option for folks who like a bit extra hand-holding. However, I found the program to be difficult to use because it had too many features and gimmicks. To find out how to use a dating app, I shouldn’t have to search up internet tutorials. Furthermore, why are matches referred to as Bagels?

Happn

Happn connects you with people in your immediate area. It’s an interesting concept that can help people meet someone in a more natural way. Having said that, I’ve never encountered anyone who genuinely uses the app.

Happn showed me 68 persons it stated I had crossed paths with in the previous three hours after I signed up, despite the fact that I hadn’t left my apartment all day. This could be useful if you’re wanting to date your immediate neighbors (or Uber drivers), but I don’t see the appeal when rival apps like Tinder already display the distance between you and other users. To be honest, I’d approach a handsome guy in a coffee shop rather than checking to see whether he’s on Happn. The software appears to be targeted at people who don’t want to utilize online dating sites but also don’t want to approach strangers in person. Choose a lane.