With the ease and convenience of dating apps, dating is becoming easier for some but more challenging. Regardless of whether or not you find it easy, there is one thing we all have in common. It is getting hard to tell who is on the app for what reasons. So, what are the best apps for finding long-term relationships?
The best dating apps to use when looking for serious relationships are Hinge, Eharmony, Bumble, Elite Singles, Tinder, and Match.com. With that in mind, it is essential to remember that you should still specify what you are looking for in your bio.
This article will start by talking about the six best dating apps for serious relationships. We will then move on to the best dating apps for college students, the best dating apps for people in their 30s, the best international dating apps, and a whole lot more. So, keep reading.
Before we even get into this list, I need to mention something significant. Just because you are looking for a dating app geared towards serious relationships, it does not mean you should not have fun. Why do I say this?
Well, let’s say you get a date with somebody who is also looking for a serious relationship, that’s great. However, it doesn’t always mean that they are the right person for you.
And so, you might realize this very quickly into the date. It happens more than you think. Most dates do not lead to anything serious.
If you go there with a mindset of “this has to be a serious relationship or at least turn into one,” it might be a problem.
The date might go wrong, and you can miss out on a great night with a great person. They might not just be the long-term material that you are looking for.
Let’s get into the best six dating apps for serious relationships with all of that being said.
| App | Free Version? | Paid Version? |
| Hinge | Yes | $19.99 to $59.99 |
| Eharmony | Yes | $30 to $60 |
| Bumble | Yes | $29.90 or $1.99/coins |
| Elite Singles | Yes | $29.00 |
| Tinder | Yes | $10 to $20 |
| Match.com | Yes | $41.99 |
Hinge
This one slips under a lot of people’s radars. However, it is fully geared towards people who want serious relationships. The app itself is straightforward to use and has a simplified design. This makes it friendly, pleasant, and easy to browse through profiles.
When we say that hinge is geared towards serious relationships, we mean it. This made it first on this list because it says, “this app is designed to be deleted when you open the app.
Right from the start, the developers tell you that they want you to match with people with whom you want to spend a long time.
This app used to be highly rated on the app stores. Unfortunately, it took a slight knock when they added a feature called “stand out.”
This focuses primarily on attractive people. For some people, this might be great, but for your average user, they don’t like it. Remember, though, it is something you can look past.
Hinge has a free version and a premium version. Now, unlike most dating apps that don’t allow you to message people on their free versions, Hinge will enable you to do just about everything to a limited extent for free.
Hinge’s pricing starts at $19.99 per month. However, if you go for the three or six-month subscriptions, it costs $39.99 and $59.99. Is that expensive?
Well, because the app is designed to be deleted and your chances of finding a serious relationship are so high, I say the price is worth it.
Eharmony
eHarmony has been around for about two decades. Yep, that is before apps even became a thing. It was started in 2000 and has recently upgraded to include mobile apps, which is a nice touch.
It is almost impossible to compete without a dedicated app these days.
Eharmony has been known to cater to those looking for serious long-term relationships for the longest time. The app uses a very technical matchmaking system that matches people down to the t.
Although this might not seem like a lot, eHarmony in 2013 ranked as the number one dating site and has created 4% of all marriages inside the United States. As I said, that number may seem small, but it is pretty significant.
eHarmony has about 10 million users. So, if you are concerned that they might not match you with anybody based on your preferences, I wouldn’t worry about that.
Ten million people is a significant amount, and there is bound to be somebody with enough in common with you.
The pricing on eHarmony is quite tricky. The one-month plan goes for $59.95, whereas the 3-month program goes for $29.95 a month.
Finally, a six-month plan will cost you $29.90 per month. That might be a little bit steep for some people. However, you can browse the app for free and see if you like it before diving in with your cash.
Bumble
Bumble is an app geared towards male and female interactions. With that being said, I’m sorry, ladies, you will have to make the first move on this app.
The creators behind Bumble saw the problem of men always having to make the first move. And so, they created this app that changes that dynamic completely.
As much fun as that is, the app is geared towards long-term relationships, and it matches you with people, or at least shows people in your area starting as close as possible and then spreading out, much like Tinder.
I must add that Bumble can be rather harsh. It doesn’t matter how good-looking you are or what you are standing next to in your photos.
You have to make your first photo catch the eye of somebody.
I think this has to do with women having to make the first interaction. So, they are more careful with whom they match.
So, guys, make sure that your photo is not blurry and try to make your profile as enjoyable as possible.
Bumble does have a free version. It also has a premium version that costs $24.99 a month.
Also, you can use bumble coins instead if you use the application for a limited amount of time.
You can start using coins for as little as $1.99. The coins allow you to perform premium actions on a small scale.
I wouldn’t necessarily say that you need Bumble Premium. However, if you live in a very busy or dense area such as a major city, it could be worth it because you compete against many other singles.
Elite Singles
This app is a bit different from others, and it is all in the name, Elite Singles. The majority of users on this app are pretty educated, with over 85% holding a degree.
This does not mean that the people on this app are snobbish; it does mean that they are looking for other like-minded people.
If you have a degree and want to find somebody with a similar educational background, then this is the app you can use to find a serious long-term relationship.
The people on this app tend to be down-to-earth. They generally do not have a problem socializing with people who aren’t as highly educated as they are.
However, with that being said, it is essential to remember that the people on this app use it because it promises to match them with someone like themselves. So, keep that in mind before joining.
It might sound tempting to some to use this app to find financially well-off somebody. Allow me to warn you that the people on this app are young enough so that they are not going to try and be anybody’s sugar daddy or sugar mommy.
Also, it is essential to remember that just because somebody is highly educated, it does not mean that they are swimming in money.
Elite Singles has an extremely high success rate, with over 2500 people finding love on the app every month. I guess it is because the people on this app have so much in common.
Elite Singles has a premium version that costs around $29 per month. Please remember that this price is subject to change. So, please keep that in mind if the price is different when you get onto the app.
Tinder
Ok, I know Tinder is mainly used for young users. However, that is not always the case. Tinder is by far one of the most popular dating sites ever released. Its ease-of-use and swiping system was a revolution in the dating app industry.
Yes, a lot of people do use Tinder just for short-term flings. With that being said, every day I use Tinder, I see profiles that clearly state they are in it for the long-term prospect.
You could argue that people just put “no casual dating” and “no one-night stands” in their bio because they are worried that friends and family might see their profile.
Also, I know that many people do not admit to meeting each other on Tinder.
That might be through the fear of reaction. After all, Tinder does have a reputation that most other apps do not have.
You can specify what you are looking for on Tinder, and that is the beauty of it. You can state that you are looking for a long-term relationship, and you are more likely to get matched with like-minded people.
Also, because Tinder is a location-based app, meeting up with your date shouldn’t be too much of a problem in terms of travel.
Most people use the accessible version of Tinder. There is also a premium version called “Tinder Plus.”
The pricing for this is a little bit tricky and quite biased, in my opinion. For anyone under 30 years old, you can expect to pay around $10 a month, and if you are over 30, you can expect to pay $20 per month.
Match.com
Match.com has been hailed as one of the best online dating sites and apps available. It has an extremely high success rate, with 11% of users saying they have found the one they love on this app.
Match.com is better for long-term relationships because while the app works like Tinder, you get a lot more information.
This app encourages its users to give as much information about themselves as possible. Other than that, it uses location-based matchmaking.
In terms of pricing, it is one of the more expensive apps out there at $41.99 per month. However, you can do most of what you can do on the app for free. This includes creating a profile, viewing profiles, sending winks, and sending messages to users.
Nothing works as well as the premium version. It just gives you so many more options. So, if you are serious about getting into a long-term relationship via online dating apps, go for the premium. If you are just casually thinking about it, maybe $41 is not an excellent value for others.
Final Thoughts
Be sure to check out our other lists for dating apps that might be for you.
Best Dating Apps For Serious Relationships
Best Dating Apps For 30-Year-Olds
Best Dating Apps For Married People
To close off this article, I want to tell you to be safe. Most people do not have bad intentions. However, when you go on a date, let somebody know where you will be and who you will meet. I know I’m closing this article off with a bit of a bummer, but I think it is important to mention this.