A field guide to dating apps
Which dating app is actually worth your evenings?
An honest comparison of the apps people use to meet women: what they cost, who is really on them, how they check that people are real, and what has gone wrong before. No fake profiles, no "singles near you". Just sources.
What we compare, and how
Who is really there
Usage from published research and company filings (Pew Research Center, SEC reports), never a site's own "millions of members" claim.
Verification and safety
Whether the app checks that people match their photos, offers ID verification, video calls, message filters and easy blocking.
Cost
What works for free, and what the paid tiers are reported to cost in the US. Most apps price by age and region, so we give ranges.
Privacy record
Data breaches, what regulators found, and how much of you the profile exposes.
Honest dealing
Regulator actions over fake profiles, misleading ads or billing. A past case doesn't rule an app out, but you should know about it.
Seven apps, side by side
Listed from the most mainstream to the most adult. The order is not a ranking: Hinge suits someone who wants a relationship, Feeld someone who doesn't, and both can be the right answer. Read the "Good for" line first.
Affiliate disclosure: some links to dating platforms on MeetGirls.now may earn us a commission if you sign up or pay. It never costs you more, and no platform pays to be listed or to change what we write. How we rate
| Platform | Best for | Cost | Verification | Privacy record | Bots & regulators | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HingePrompt-based dating app | Relationships. Prompts give you something real to reply to. | Free; paid ~$30–50/mo | Selfie verification | No major breach found | FTC case vs. owner (Match.com) | |
| BumbleSwipe dating app | Dating with a bit more filtering, and optional ID-verified profiles. | Free; paid ~$40–80/mo | Photo + optional ID check | No major breach found | No regulator action found | |
| TinderSwipe dating app | Volume. The most people in the most places, from dates to casual. | Free; paid ~$25–50/mo | Face Check (US new users) | No major breach found | FTC case vs. owner (Match.com) | |
| OkCupidQuestionnaire-matching dating app | People who care about values and want to filter by them. | Free; paid varies | Selfie prompts (Match Group) | No major breach found | FTC case vs. owner (Match.com) | |
| FeeldApp for open, kinky and non-monogamous dating | Open, kinky or non-monogamous dating, including couples. | Free; Majestic $29.99/30 days | Optional photo verification | No major breach found | No regulator action found | |
| AdultFriendFinderAdult hookup site | Explicitly sexual chat and hookups, if you accept the privacy trade-off. | Gold ~$25/mo; less yearly | Few checks | 2016 breach: ~412M accounts | No regulator action found | |
| Ashley MadisonSite for discreet, often married, dating | People who specifically want discreet, often married, dating. | Women free; men buy credits | Few checks | 2015 breach: 36M users | FTC: fake "engager" profiles |
Facts last checked November 2026. Each platform's review page lists the sources.
Three numbers worth knowing
30% of US adults have used a dating site or app; among adults under 30 it's 53%.
52% of people who have dated online think they came across someone trying to scam them.
56% of women under 50 who date online have been sent sexually explicit messages or images they didn't ask for.
Source: Pew Research Center, 2023. That last number is why a plain, specific, polite first message stands out. Read our profile and first-message guide.