If you’re flying solo in New York City and looking for love, you’ve probably sought out some popular dating apps to help you in your search. But what makes a good dating app in NYC and what are the top apps that singles are using?
Here are the best dating sites and dating apps in New York that may bring you luck in the romance department.
A great dating app in NYC has the following key features.
Many New Yorkers rely on public transit to scoot around town and across boroughs, so local matching is crucial. After all, being several zip codes away from a match might not be a big deal for residents of other driving-oriented cities, but it could be a pain for a New Yorker. Apps that have accurate location matching and the ability to search by zip code or metro area are the ones to choose for NYC singles.
For singles in New York hoping to find love, compatibility is key. In a city as dense as the Big Apple, it might seem easy to find someone who shares your interests, lifestyle, goals, and so on—but its fast-paced culture and tight-knit communities can make the search a little more difficult. That’s why using an online dating platform that has a compatibility algorithm can give NYC singles a leg up in the search for their forever partner.
Regardless of location, safety and privacy in an online dating environment is extremely important. The best apps are the ones that have features like profile verification, in-app safety tools, and privacy controls.
If you’re dating in the Big Apple, make sure to check out these top dating sites and apps.
Hinge’s mission is to “create a less lonely world by inspiring intimate, in-person connections.”
Hinge helps to cut through the dating noise in NYC by offering a limited number of likes per day, which can encourage users to make more meaningful connections. Additionally, its matching algorithm is based on compatibility and learns from user feedback about past dates to provide better potential matches. Plus, users can get friendly nudges through Reply Reminders to keep those connections going.
Some of the cons of Hinge are its lack of background checks (not great for a safety-focused New Yorker) and the expense of its premium membership. But Hinge reviews also note that its signup process is simple and that its intentionality focus is nice.
Bumble is the app where women message men first, a unique feature among dating apps.
Although Bumble was originally designed for women to message men first, it has evolved to be more inclusive, where anyone in the LGBT community can message a match. Bumble also sets time limits on initial messages and responses: Users have 24 hours to message and respond.
Other key features that might be helpful for New Yorkers include match recommendations that are focused on compatibility; Interest Badges to find someone who shares specific interests; and Bumble IRL events, where users can meet in person at hosted events in the city.
Some Bumble reviewers find the messaging time limits and women-message-first features to be more constraining than helpful and also complain about fake profiles. However, the ability to connect in person through Bumble IRL events and be provided with compatible match recommendations (through Bumble Premium only) can be great features for NYC users.
OkCupid offers both a dating app and website for singles looking for love online.
One of the most notable features of OkCupid is its in-depth questionnaire during profile setup. Users can answer a number (read: hundreds!) of prompts that can help to inform the app’s algorithm, which provides potential matches that have a compatibility score. The higher the score, the more compatible the match.
Additionally, OkCupid is one of the most inclusive dating apps out there, with a variety of gender identity and sexual preference options available to choose from.
The compatibility focus of the app and site can be a big plus for New Yorkers looking for serious relationships. Plus, OkCupid has a large user base, so there should be plenty of profiles in the NYC area; however, some App Store and Google Play Store reviews mention seeing repeat profiles.
OkCupid doesn’t have an in-app video chat option, so users have to exchange phone numbers to take video chats off the app. This might introduce some security and privacy concerns for some NY singles. Additionally, some reviewers complain that the compatibility algorithm isn’t always accurate.
Match entered the online dating scene in the early 1990s as a website and now also has a dating app.
Match has been a popular dating app and site for the past three decades, so it might be a top choice for New Yorkers, especially those between the ages of 30 and 49: Match’s website claims that 44% of its user base is within this age range. Match’s detailed profiles and features make it generally more enticing for singles looking for long-term relationships:
In addition to the many features available on the Match app and site, users can also attend Match-hosted events in real life as a way to connect with like-minded singles. The Events tab displays any events in the user’s location. This, plus the detailed profile searches, helps singles in New York narrow down their potential matches and create meaningful connections.
But the free version of Match has fairly limited features, such as only being able to message one person per day, so a paid version may be necessary.
Another dating app in the serious dating arena is Coffee Meets Bagel, which aims to help users date with intention.
As part of its intentional dating mission, Coffee Meets Bagel takes a hard pass on swiping; instead, it provides a daily list of matches to users that they can choose from. To augment the limited number of suggested matches, users can choose to browse freely, but doing so requires paying for in-app currency.
Some people will probably appreciate Coffee Meets Bagel’s focus on quality over quantity, but others may prefer to have a wider array of options to search for their future partner.
According to Coffee Meets Bagel reviews, many people mention that the free version is effective and have met their partner through the app. More negative reviews note that the app is glitchy, there are lots of fake profiles, and the dating pool isn’t huge (although, we can’t confirm that this is the case in a large metro area like New York City).
If you’re looking for an exclusive, career-oriented dating app, check out The League.
During profile setup, it’s clear that The League prioritizes career-minded individuals, as the app requires users to connect their LinkedIn accounts in order to create their profiles. It’s designed for busy professionals who might not have the time to spend sifting through profiles on other apps—and part of its design is exclusivity, with a waiting list to match.
Key features that could be helpful for NYC singles include time limits on matches to encourage users to set up dates, League Live video dating parties, the ability for users to attend interest-based community groups and other local events, and its matchmaking service called Power League (considered a separate plan from the dating app).
While the exclusivity of The League can certainly help to narrow the pool of potential matches, some wonder what parameters The League team uses to accept or deny potential users. But once they’re in, users can enjoy some added peace of mind that there will be fewer fake accounts due to the LinkedIn requirement.
Reviews of The League mention that they like the career focus, but some complain about the high cost of the app to get more robust features, being stuck on the waitlist, a lack of diversity, and receiving a fewer number of matches.
Happn is a location-based dating app that focuses on helping people meet individuals they have likely crossed paths with.
Happn calls itself a “movement” in addition to being a dating app, where meeting IRL is highly encouraged. To help singles date locally, Happn only suggests profiles based on users’ locations, also called “crossing paths.” If a user crosses paths with someone, they can “heart” their profile. If it’s a mutual match, both people can start messaging in the app and eventually use the Ready to Date feature if desired.
Happn also allows users to view profiles on the Explore feed, but users might not be able to “heart” these profiles if they haven’t yet crossed paths. Another option is to use Happn Match, which shows users the top locations where they’ve crossed paths with people.
While Happn is all about location, it never shows exact locations, which can give users peace of mind. Plus, in a city as packed-full of people as New York City, users will probably have the chance to cross paths with other singles on the app (other smaller cities might not have as big a dating pool on Happn).
In our review of Happn, we note that some people really like the app for its emphasis on local dating, but others had negative experiences with it, not being able to find matches and seeing scammy profiles.
Dating in NYC can come with some unique challenges (but don’t worry—they can be overcome!).
It’s no secret that New York City is a fast-paced environment—and it often has a dating scene to match. There is constant activity at all times of day, influencing one of its famous nicknames, The City That Never Sleeps.
New Yorkers probably won’t have a hard time meeting people, as there is no shortage in NYC, but they might find it difficult to make meaningful connections, as friend groups, work, and weekend plans may take priority over intentional dating. That’s why it’s important to find like-minded singles who share similar relationship goals and lifestyles.
It can be challenging for singles in New York to filter out individuals who aren’t looking for the same things in a romantic connection. Some may be using dating apps for hookups, while others may be searching for LTRs (long-term relationships).
To navigate this, make sure to use an app that allows you to filter by “looking for” or something similar.
Big cities are full of people, and more people means more potential matches. But sometimes singles can feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of choices (often called the paradox of choice) or think that they’ll find someone better if they just keep dating, always having the assurance that there are more people in the city’s dating pool (also called a grass-is-greener approach).
But it is possible to find compatible matches that make you feel like you’ve scored “the one”–you just have to keep your deal-breakers, relationship goals, and preferences in mind.
Tawkify matchmakers understand that NYC is buzzing with excitement, energy, and activity—and also that singles there might need a helping hand to navigate the fast-paced dating scene. With one-on-one interviews, hand-selected matches, and curated dates (and helpful advice and coaching along the way), matchmakers at Tawkify are here to guide you toward your new favorite person. Find your person in NYC today.
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