Nowadays, it feels like there are more dating apps than singles.

As of the writing of this article, there are over 1,500 dating apps that New Yorkers can download to meet fellow singles.

But no one has time to download thousands of dating apps. You only have enough time to swipe through a few singles on the subway before your stop arrives.

That’s why we’re going to profile the top five dating apps in NYC you need on your phone to start meeting singles online.

Best Dating Apps In NYC

We’re going to rank our favorite dating apps for New Yorkers from our favorite to least favorite.

Keep in mind that just because an app doesn’t make this least doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use it. There are plenty of niche apps out there that might be perfect for you. The apps we’ll try to persuade you to download appeal to a broader audience.

Let’s get swiping!

1) Hinge

Hinge’s slogan is, “The dating app designed to be deleted.”

Let’s be serious: most dating apps aren’t designed to find you a partner; they’re designed to addict you and ideally keep you single, and thus a customer, forever.

Sure Hinge can be called out on their own addicting tactics, but less so than other apps.

It’s by some distance the least superficial dating app and thus appeals to singles who are more serious about finding long-term partners than those you might find on Tinder.

Here are some of our favorite features:

• 10 swipes per day for free users: This makes you a more conscious swiper and limits the time you spend on the app
• Message profile: Unlike nearly every other app, Hinge allows you to send a message when you like a profile, thus increasing the odds you’ll score a match
• Immediately shows users that liked you: Hinge bumps users that have liked you to the front of the queue so you spend less time browsing and more time talking
• In-depth search preferences: Spend more time looking at profiles of people you’re most compatible with by using specific search filters
• Anti-ghosting feature: This feature prods users into responding

If there’s one app you need to download right now, it’s Hinge.

Sure we love the features, the type of users that use it, and the volume of users it has. But beyond all that it’s our students’ preferred dating app. Time and time again our NYC students have told us that this is their favorite dating app.

Here are a couple of times our male students have name-dropped Hinge in our community.

2) Bumble

Bumble was once widely known as “feminist Tinder” but that label may be changing.

After it’s founder and CEO Whitney Wolfe relinquished her role as CEO in January of 2024, Bumble has already undergone a massive feature change – it no longer requires women to message first.

It’s this one unique feature that really set Bumble apart from the rest of the dating apps. But doing away with this women-first approach doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use the app, in fact we welcome the change.

Instead of requiring women to message first within the first 24 hours of matching, men now have the option of starting the conversation by answering a prompt chosen by the female user.

This new feature is called, Opening Moves. Both women and men can choose an Opening Move from a pre-written list but can also write their own. As Bumble puts it, the reason for this change is all about encouraging new matches to make conversation. So often, new matches won’t initiate a conversation because they don’t know how or want to put the effort into writing a witty opening message. Opening Moves addresses this problem by offering users questions to answer.

Bumble is kinda like Tinder’s more mature older sibling. It’s what Tinder users graduate to when they want to find something a bit more serious. Users are a little bit older, a little bit more respectful, and a little bit more ready to find a long-term partner.

Bumble is also the second most used app in the United States. You can find Bumble users just about anywhere in the country, regardless of how small your city is.

Here are some other features we like:

• 24-hour extension: Users have 24 hours to message, but you can extend one match another 24 hours should you please (one extension a day)
• Profile prompts: Users must answer prompts when building a profile, giving them a chance to display their personality
• For You section: It’s here you’ll find profiles that Bumble has hand-picked for you to take a look at
• Likes You section: Allows you to see singles that have already liked your profile (paid feature)
• Advanced Search Filters: This is a paid feature you can use to filter for compatible singles

3) The League

The League is a members-only dating app.

It doesn’t have the same name-brand recognition or number of users as the other two apps we profiled but what it does have is a high concentration of users that might just be your type. 

Founder Amanda Bradford created the app after noticing a lack of ambitious men on dating apps and in her social circles. She wasn’t going to lower her standards for a man who wasn’t as ambitious as her and wasn’t going to appear less career-driven in order to attract a man.

So she created an app for high achievers, high earners, and college-educated users, primarily in their late 20s and early 30s.

It’s the desire to gather a high concentration of successful and career-driven users that has earned The League the label of elitist Tinder.

And it makes sense, I mean just look at what Bradford wrote back in 2015 when describing the app’s users:

Clearly, The League wants to attract a specific type of user. It’s for this reason users have to apply and jump on a waiting list that can sometimes take months to accept applicants. And even then, Bradford herself said that only 20-30% of users are accepted. 

If you have high standards and are done swiping through the much to find someone that is worthy of you, you may consider joining The League. That is of course if you’re accepted (and want to pay the $99 per week to $2,499 per month membership costs).

Here are some features we like:

• League Live: Every Sunday at 8 p.m., users can go on 3 dates in 9 minutes via video call
• Video on profile: Instead of using photos, users can use videos on their profiles

4) Coffee Meets Bagel

You may have first seen Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB) on Shark Tank years ago (it’s a classic pitch interaction).

Cuban called them gold diggers and they walked away without an offer, but that didn’t stop them from building one of the most used dating apps in the US.

CMB is designed only for serious daters. If you’re looking for a one-night-stand or short fling this app isn’t for you.

CMB is pretty similar to other apps in that is allows you to choose up to 9 photos and fill out a bio and prompts on your profile.

Where it really differs is that every day at noon, you’re sent “bagels” or profile users that CMB’s algorithm thinks you’re compatible with. You can also meet users by swiping through singles via the Discover Bagels section of the application.

While CMB doesn’t have nearly as many users as apps like Bumble and Hinge it does have dedicated users as evidenced by its 3 million paying users. This tells us that while it doesn’t have as large a volume of users as other apps, it does perhaps have more users who are serious about using the app to find a long-term partner.

Here are some of our favorite features:

• Curated matches: At noon, everyday CMB will do the work for you and present you with a few users it thinks you’re compatible with
• More women than men: This is a plus if you’re a man, but perhaps also as a woman as you know that most male users will want something serious

5) Tinder

Tinder is on this list for one simple reason, sheer volume of users.

Tinder has 75 million users worldwide.

It’s the most-used dating app in the US, with twice as many users as Bumble, the second most popular app.

So then why is Tinder in last?

As far as the best dating apps in NYC, Tinder is a must because it has the most users, but that doesn’t mean the users are of the highest quality or in your age range.

The average Tinder user is 26, not looking for a serious relationship, and doesn’t use the app for romantic purposes.

The study below asked college students why they use Tinder.

Only about 27% said they used the app for romantic reasons.

This tells us that while Tinder has a ton of users, the vast majority aren’t looking for love. In fact about 50% of Tinder users have never even gone on a date with a match.

Even still, you should download and use Tinder.

When doing so, just be sure to broadcast what you’re looking for. Make it known that you want a serious relationship (if in fact you do). Also, humanize yourself by filling out your bio in full and using a range of photos that showcase your personality.

Here are some Tinder features we like:

• Swipe until your finger falls off: Even free users receive dozens of swipes a day
• Passport mode: Transport yourself to anywhere in the world to swipe internationally
• Boost: Boost your profile to the top of the queue to be seen by more users

Download Your New Partner

We don’t recommend downloading one app, but a few. Most singles use one or two apps. Cast a wide net and expose yourself to many singles by hopping on a few different apps.

If you need help getting started, consider joining the emlovz, Dating Decoded program.

Here, we teach students how to get the most out of dating apps. You’ll also team up with a mix of coaches to learn the ins and outs of dating.

Our Team

• Emyli (me), co-founder, curriculum developer, head coach, and I host coaching sessions every week
• Thomas, co-founder, and coach. He’ll lead the biweekly Man Cave event where men come together to talk dating, bond with one another, and support other single men
• Brooke, and Audrey are mock date specialists for men. Go on a practice date with them (and receive feedback) before your next date
• Darshil is our mock date coach for women. Go on a practice date with them (and receive feedback) before your next date
• Renee is our anxiety dating coach. As a licensed therapist she knows the steps needed to turn you into a cool, calm, and collected dater
• Hailey is your new stylist. She’s worked with celebs from every industry and is now about to raid your closet
• Tilly is our holistic sex & intimacy coach. She’ll help you get the most out of your sex life so you and your partner are happier between the sheets
• Mia is our social media expert. Revamp your Facebook and Instagram profiles with her help and start meeting singles online

Our Community

And look, we realize that the single life can be difficult. If accepted into our coaching program, Dating Decoded you’d be joining a community of supportive singles and coaches who are there to listen, support, and encourage you as you navigate the single life.

Our program offers every student a lifetime membership (as if you’ll need it) so the support won’t stop until you’ve found your ideal partner.

If you’re ready to find your forever partner, book a Zoom session with our team today. Together we’ll talk about your dating history, your goals and show you how our program, Dating Decoded, can help you find your ideal partner.