Dating apps compared: who owns them, and what they cost

21 dating apps, what each one says it is for, how the money works, and who actually owns it — which is the column nobody else prints and the one that changes how the list reads. Not a ranking. Nothing here is a recommendation.

Before you download anything, one legal question

In some states, dating before the divorce is final can cost you spousal support, be raised in a custody case, or — still, on the books — be a crime. That is not a figure of speech and it is state law, not our opinion. Read that first. It takes two minutes and it is the only part of this subject that can cost you money.

All 21, side by side

Sorted as they were researched, not ranked. The money column describes the shape of the pricing, not a price: several of these publish no figure at all, and where that is true we say so rather than quoting a number we found on somebody else’s blog.

App	Who it says it is for	Money	Who owns it
Match (Match.com)	General adult audience, positioned by intent rather than by age, faith or community. Pew’s survey found Match is the platform online daters aged 50…	Free tier, paid to use it properly	Match Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTCH; SEC CIK 891103), through its subsidiaries. Match Group…
eharmony	General. eharmony runs separate marketing pages for many audiences at once – senior dating, over-50 dating, professional dating, single parents…	Free tier, paid to use it properly	eHarmony, Inc., a Delaware corporation, per its own terms and conditions. The brand sits…
Tinder	The 10-K names 18-to-30-year-olds as the group among whom Tinder achieved rapid adoption. Pew found that among online dating users, 79% of those…	Free tier, paid to use it properly	Match Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTCH; SEC CIK 891103), through its subsidiaries. Match Group…
Hinge	General, positioned by intent rather than demographic; the 10-K notes it is strongest in English-speaking countries. Pew found no significant…	Free tier, paid to use it properly	Match Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTCH; SEC CIK 891103), through its subsidiaries. Match Group…
Bumble	General adult audience, positioned around women’s experience rather than around age, faith or community. Pew found 28% of online dating users had…	Free tier, paid to use it properly	Bumble Inc. (Nasdaq: BMBL; SEC CIK 1830043), which also owns Badoo and BFF.
OkCupid	General, with the 10-K identifying a culturally progressive user base concentrated in large English-speaking cities.	Free tier, paid to use it properly	Match Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTCH; SEC CIK 891103), through its subsidiaries. Match Group…
Plenty of Fish	General, described in the filing as having broad appeal rather than a defined demographic.	Free tier, paid to use it properly	Match Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTCH; SEC CIK 891103), through its subsidiaries. Match Group…
Grindr	Explicitly community-specific: ‘a global social networking platform primarily serving and addressing the needs of gay, bisexual, and sexually…	Free tier, paid to use it properly	Grindr Inc. (NYSE: GRND; SEC CIK 1820144), operating through Grindr LLC. Independent of…
Christian Mingle	Faith-based: Christian singles. Black Cap describes its whole portfolio as ‘religious affinity dating’ and says it ‘owns and operates…	Free tier, paid to use it properly	Black Cap Holdings, LLC. Its Terms of Use, last modified 20 July 2026, name it as the…
JDate	Community-specific: Jewish singles across levels of observance. Its home page claims ‘Thousands of new members each month’ and ‘Over 10,000 messages…	Free tier, paid to use it properly	Black Cap Holdings, LLC. Its Terms of Use, last modified 20 July 2026, name it as the…
JSwipe	Community-specific and age-targeted: Jewish singles, positioned by Black Cap at Gen Z and millennials.	Free tier, paid to use it properly	Black Cap Holdings, LLC. Its Terms of Use, last modified 20 July 2026, name it as the…
OurTime	Marketed to older daters. This we could not verified in the company’s own words for this research, because ourtime.com returns HTTP 403 to automated…	Free tier, paid to use it properly	Match Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTCH; SEC CIK 891103), through its subsidiaries. Match Group…
SilverSingles	Age-targeted: singles over 50, including people ‘newly single’ and ‘returning to dating after many years’ – which is the closest any service reviewed…	Paid	SuccessfulMatch.com, Inc., described in its own end user service agreement as ‘a Delaware…
EliteSingles	Positioned by education, career and aspiration rather than by age, faith or community – ‘driven, thoughtful, and relationship-minded singles who…	Paid	SuccessfulMatch.com, Inc., described in its own end user service agreement as ‘a Delaware…
Zoosk	General, positioned by aspiration rather than demographic – ‘high-caliber singles who align with your ambitions and lifestyle’, in its own words. It…	Free tier, paid to use it properly	Black Cap Holdings, LLC. Its Terms of Use, last modified 20 July 2026, name it as the…
LDS Singles	Faith-based: Latter-day Saint singles. The site carries an explicit disclaimer of its own: ‘LDSsingles.com dating website and app are not owned by or…	Free tier, paid to use it properly	LDS Singles LLC. Its own footer states: ‘LDS Singles is a wholly owned subsidiary of…
Coffee Meets Bagel	General, positioned by stated intent. The company claims ‘over 91% of CMB Daters [are] looking for a committed relationship’ – its own figure, with…	Free tier, paid to use it properly	Coffee Meets Bagel, Inc., named in its own terms of service and biometrics policy, with a…
Facebook Dating	General adults on Facebook, opt-in only, 18 and over. Meta’s own 2025 figures emphasize young adults: ‘Hundreds of thousands of young adults (ages…	Free	Meta Platforms, Inc. Facebook Dating is a feature within the Facebook app, not a separate…
Raya	Application-only, by its own account. Raya publishes the test it asks its committee to apply: ‘If you were hosting an intimate dinner party with 10…	Paid	Not established. No corporate entity, parent company or ownership disclosure was found on…
The League	Career-oriented singles, per Match Group’s own brand description.	Free tier, paid to use it properly	Match Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTCH; SEC CIK 891103), through its subsidiaries. Match Group…
Badoo	General and international, with the filing identifying Europe and Latin America as its strongest markets rather than the US.	Free tier, paid to use it properly	Bumble Inc. (Nasdaq: BMBL).

The thing the last column is for

21 apps are not 21 companies. 7 of the ones below are Match Group brands, and one is Bumble. That matters for a practical reason: shared ownership can mean shared policies, shared safety features and shared enforcement history, so switching app is not always switching company.

Each one in detail

Every “good for” and every “know before” below rests on something we could check — how the pricing works, how the app actually works, what the company publishes about verifying people, who owns it, or what a regulator has put on the record.

Match (Match.com)

Match Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTCH; SEC CIK 891103), through its subsidiaries. Match Group, Inc. and Match Group, LLC are the entities bound by the FTC's 2025 order.

Free tier, paid to use it properly

Who it says it is for: General adult audience, positioned by intent rather than by age, faith or community. Pew's survey found Match is the platform online daters aged 50 and older are most likely to have used (50%, against 11% for Tinder).
How it works: Browse and search profiles, plus algorithmic recommendations, then message. Not a swipe-first product in the company's own description of it.
In its own words: Match Group's 10-K: 'Match was launched in 1995 and helped create the online dating category with the ability to search profiles and receive algorithmic recommendations. Match is a brand that focuses on users with a higher level of intent to enter into a serious relationship and its services and marketing are designed to reinforce that purpose.' Its corporate brand page calls it the 'Destination for singles looking for a long-term relationship.'
What it costs: No price is published. Match Group's Form 10-K states that access to premium features 'requires a subscription, which is typically offered in packages (generally ranging from one week to six months)' and that 'Prices can differ meaningfully within a given brand depending on the duration of a subscription, the bundle of paid features that a user chooses to access, and whether or not a user is taking advantage of any special offers.' There is therefore no single number that can honestly be quoted.
Verification: Match Group publishes a group-wide set of safety features: Photo Verification (a short video selfie compared against profile photos), an 'Are You Sure?' prompt on outgoing messages the system flags, a 'Does this bother you?' prompt on incoming ones, and Share My Date, which sends a match's profile and location to a chosen contact. The 10-K adds Face Check, 'a facial verification feature that helps confirm users are real and match their profile photos', launched in 2025 at Tinder in several markets. Match Group does not say anywhere reviewed here that it runs criminal background checks.

What it is good for

Reaching the age group that actually uses it: among online daters 50 and older, Pew found 50% have used Match, the highest of any platform it asked about for that age group.
Searching and filtering rather than swiping, which is how Match Group's own filing describes the product.
People who want the FTC's specific consumer-protection obligations to apply: the 2025 stipulated order permanently binds Match Group on guarantee claims, cancellation and account lockouts.

Know before you sign up

This is the service at the center of the FTC's enforcement action. Match Group paid $14 million in August 2025 and agreed to permanently stop misrepresenting guarantees, stop locking people out of accounts they had paid for, and simplify Match.com's cancellation process. The company did not admit wrongdoing.
No price is published. The 10-K says packages generally run from one week to six months and that prices differ meaningfully by duration, feature bundle and offer.
Match.com blocks automated access, so its own current terms, price page and safety page we could not read for this research. What is reported here comes from Match Group's SEC filing, its corporate site and the FTC.
Match Group does not say anywhere reviewed here that it runs criminal background checks on members.

Reputation versus what we could verifyMatch's reputation is as the oldest and most 'serious' mainstream site, and Match Group's own filing does position it that way. What has changed is the regulatory record: the FTC's action was specifically about how this service sold its guarantee and how hard it was to cancel, and those obligations now bind the company permanently.

Read from: Match Group, Inc. Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 · About Our Brands · Trust & Safety · Match Group Agrees to Pay $14 Million, Permanently Stop Deceptive Advertising, Cancellation, and Billing Practices to Resolve FTC Charges · Cases and Proceedings: Match Group, Inc. (FTC Matter/File Number 172 3013)

eharmony

eHarmony, Inc., a Delaware corporation, per its own terms and conditions. The brand sits within ParshipMeet Group, under ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, whose Annual Report 2024 identifies eharmony, Parship, ElitePartner and LOVOO as its dating platforms and states that 'In addition to ProSiebenSat.1, General Atlantic acts as a financial investor with a 45% share in ParshipMeet Holding GmbH.' ProSiebenSat.1 announced on 20 March 2025 an agreement to acquire General Atlantic's minority stakes; completion of that transaction was not confirmed.

Free tier, paid to use it properly

Who it says it is for: General. eharmony runs separate marketing pages for many audiences at once – senior dating, over-50 dating, professional dating, single parents, Christian dating, gay dating, lesbian dating, Black, Asian, Latin, Indian and international dating – none of which restricts who may join. Its sign-up form offers 'a woman', 'a man' or 'nonbinary' for both your own gender and who you are looking for. It published research in April 2026 titled 'Redefining Love After 40' and, in October 2024, a joint piece with GLAAD, 'Coming Out in a Dating App Culture'.
How it works: Questionnaire and algorithm. You take a Compatibility Quiz, which produces a personality profile that is matched against other members' profiles to generate a Discover list with a compatibility score for each person. You express interest with a Like, and 'Two likes make a Match'. eharmony's own free-dating page describes the free Basic membership as letting you take the quiz, build a profile, see your Discover list and send a first message; the terms add that Basic members 'will generally only be able to view blurred versions of other users' profile photos' and have 'only a limited ability to send and read personalized messages'.
In its own words: eharmony's own About page: 'At eharmony, real love is at the center of everything we do. Since 2000, we have been at the forefront of creating highly compatible relationships based on key dimensions of personality that predict the most successful, meaningful relationships.' The same page ends: 'eharmony is passionate about creating real love for all.' Its home page calls it 'The Dating Site for Real Love' and says 'What makes us different from other dating websites? Our Compatibility Quiz.'
What it costs: Free Basic membership; paid Premium membership required to see unblurred photos and message freely. No price is published on the public site: eharmony's own FAQ says 'Our membership terms and pricing are available on the Subscription page, which is accessed by clicking "Upgrade to Premium" button once logged into your account.' The terms name three Premium plans – Premium light, Premium plus and Premium UNLIMITED – 'in 6, 12, and 24-month terms', and state that 'The Plans automatically renew for consecutive 12 month terms (or other term lengths, as agreed-upon by you during the purchase process)', with cancellation of auto-renewal required 'at least 24 hours before the end of your current term'.
Verification: eharmony's terms say only that 'eharmony may but is not required to use various ways of verifying information that users have provided. However, none of those ways are perfect.' Its gay dating page states 'we invest in profile verification to keep the experience genuine'. On background checks the terms are explicit: 'EHARMONY DOES NOT CURRENTLY CONDUCT CRIMINAL BACKGROUND SCREENINGS ON ITS MEMBERS', while reserving a right to run public-records checks. Registrants must warrant that they have never been convicted of a felony and are not required to register as a sex offender. eharmony publishes a detailed safety page covering investment and cryptocurrency scams, financial-information rules and first-meeting guidance, and links readers to the FTC and the FBI.

What it is good for

People who would rather answer a long questionnaire once than swipe: the Compatibility Quiz and the resulting Discover list are the product, in eharmony's own description.
Being able to test the pool before paying: the free Basic membership lets you complete the quiz, see your matches and send a first message, by eharmony's own account.
Anyone whose search is defined by faith, age, sexual orientation or being a single parent but who does not want a separate niche site: eharmony runs marketing pages for all of these on one general platform.

Know before you sign up

The subscription terms are unusually long. eharmony's own terms offer Premium plans in 6, 12 and 24-month terms that 'automatically renew for consecutive 12 month terms', with auto-renewal cancellable only up to 24 hours before the term ends.
Canceling does not get your money back. The terms are headed 'Cancellation At Any Time With No Refund' and state that if you bought on an installment plan, 'cancellation will not affect your obligation to pay the total contractual amount due' and your card 'will continue to be charged the scheduled payments until the remaining balance is paid in full'. A three-business-day cancellation right applies in the listed states.
No price is published anywhere public. eharmony's own FAQ says pricing is only visible after you log in and click 'Upgrade to Premium'.
On the free tier you will mostly see blurred photos and can send only limited personalized messages, by eharmony's own description of Basic membership.
eharmony states in capitals in its terms that it does not conduct criminal background screenings on members.
eharmony is the one company among those checked that runs a public affiliate program paying third parties commission for registrations and subscriptions. If you arrive at eharmony from a link on a review site or a blog, that site may be paid for the click, the free registration, or the subscription. See the site's own disclosure research.

Reputation versus what we could verifyThis is the 'Christian dating site' question, and the honest answer has three parts. First, the founder's background is real and checkable: Fuller Theological Seminary's own institutional history records that 'Neil Clark Warren becomes dean of the School of Psychology' in 1975, and the New Jersey Attorney General's office names him as eHarmony's founder. Second, the legal history is real and specific, and it is not about the company being Christian – it is about who it would match. New Jersey's Division on Civil Rights investigated a 2005 complaint by a gay man, found probable cause in 2007, and in November 2008 settled on terms requiring eHarmony to offer same-sex matching by 31 March 2009 using the same or equivalent technology, at the same fees, with the same terms of service. The company admitted no liability, and it reserved the right to say that its matching system had been built from research on married heterosexual couples. Third, the position today has moved a long way. The separate same-sex site created under that settlement, Compatible Partners, no longer exists as a separate destination: compatiblepartners.net returns an HTTP 301 redirect to eharmony.com. The main sign-up form offers nonbinary options for both your own gender and the gender you are seeking, the company runs gay and lesbian dating pages of its own, and it published joint research with GLAAD in 2024. Christian dating is now one marketing page among many on eharmony's site, alongside senior, gay, lesbian, professional, Black, Asian, Latin and Indian dating – the site's own words are 'creating real love for all'. What could not be established here is how eharmony originally marketed itself in its early years: archived copies of its own site are blocked by this environment's egress policy, and no primary document describing its founding marketing was obtained. So the widely held belief has a real origin, and it describes a company that no longer positions itself that way.

On the public recordNew Jersey, 2008. The New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, part of the Office of the Attorney General, announced on 19 November 2008 a settlement with eHarmony, Inc. 'under which the compatibility-based relationship Web site will begin providing same-sex matching services in 2009'. The complaint was filed in 2005 by Eric McKinley, 'a gay match-seeker from New Jersey', and triggered a Division investigation and a Finding of Probable Cause in 2007. Under the settlement eHarmony agreed to provide a service for people identifying as 'male seeking a male' or 'female seeking a female' by 31 March 2009; 'to ensure that same-sex users are matched via the same or equivalent technology as that used for heterosexual match-seekers'; to charge the same fees and offer the same service quality and terms; to revise its anti-discrimination statements to make plain that it does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation; to advertise the same-sex service and retain a media consultant on fair representation of gay and lesbian people; to post photos of same-sex couples in the Diversity section of its site; to pay McKinley $5,000 and give him a free one-year membership; and to pay the Division $50,000 for investigation costs. The complaint was dismissed and 'neither the company nor its founder, Dr. Neil Clark Warren, admits to any liability.' The settlement expressly allowed eHarmony to run the same-sex service under a different name so long as the new site's home page identified it as an eHarmony affiliate, and reserved eHarmony's 'right to post a disclaimer noting that eHarmony's compatibility-based matching system was developed solely on the basis of research focused on married heterosexual couples.' No other regulatory action against eharmony was identified in this research.

Read from: About eharmony: Our Mission and Management · Terms and Conditions of Service · Try eharmony's free dating site experience · Dating Safety Tips · Gay Dating Site · The Christian dating site experience to meet compatible Christian singles in the USA

Tinder

Match Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTCH; SEC CIK 891103), through its subsidiaries. Match Group, Inc. and Match Group, LLC are the entities bound by the FTC's 2025 order.

Free tier, paid to use it properly

Who it says it is for: The 10-K names 18-to-30-year-olds as the group among whom Tinder achieved rapid adoption. Pew found that among online dating users, 79% of those under 30 have used Tinder against 17% of those 50 to 64 and 1% of those 65 and older.
How it works: Swipe right or left on profiles; a conversation opens only when both people swipe right. Free use includes limited use of Swipe Right with unlimited messaging to people you have matched with. The 10-K states that unlimited Swipe Right and 'the ability to "See Who Likes You"' are premium features requiring a subscription.
In its own words: Match Group's 10-K: 'Tinder emphasizes low-pressure discovery supported by its patented Swipe technology… Tinder achieved significant and rapid adoption, particularly among 18 to 30 year-old users.' Match Group's brand page gives its slogan as 'It Starts with a Swipe' and calls it the 'World's most popular app for meeting new people.' In Match Group's own three-way framework of Fun, Focus and Familiarity, 'brands such as Tinder emphasize Fun'.
What it costs: No price is published. Match Group's Form 10-K states that access to premium features 'requires a subscription, which is typically offered in packages (generally ranging from one week to six months)' and that 'Prices can differ meaningfully within a given brand depending on the duration of a subscription, the bundle of paid features that a user chooses to access, and whether or not a user is taking advantage of any special offers.' There is therefore no single number that can honestly be quoted. The 10-K names three subscription tiers – Tinder Plus, Tinder Gold and Tinder Platinum – plus pay-per-use items such as Super Likes and Boosts.
Verification: Match Group publishes a group-wide set of safety features: Photo Verification (a short video selfie compared against profile photos), an 'Are You Sure?' prompt on outgoing messages the system flags, a 'Does this bother you?' prompt on incoming ones, and Share My Date, which sends a match's profile and location to a chosen contact. The 10-K adds Face Check, 'a facial verification feature that helps confirm users are real and match their profile photos', launched in 2025 at Tinder in several markets. Match Group does not say anywhere reviewed here that it runs criminal background checks. Tinder publishes its own list: Photo Verification via a video selfie compared with profile photos using facial recognition; Photo Verified Chat, which lets verified users accept messages only from other verified users; Block Contacts, which pre-emptively blocks people from your phone contacts; Contact Exchange Alerts; and a Traveler Alert that warns and offers to hide profiles in countries with laws targeting LGBTQ+ people.

What it is good for

The largest active pool of people under 30, if that is the age range you are looking in: Pew found 79% of online daters under 30 have used it.
Confirming a match is the person in their photos before meeting: Photo Verification uses a video selfie compared against profile photos, and Photo Verified Chat can restrict incoming messages to other verified users.
Traveling or living somewhere with laws targeting LGBTQ+ people: Tinder publishes a Traveler Alert that warns users and offers to hide their profile in those countries.

Know before you sign up

Seeing who has liked you is a paid feature. Match Group's own 10-K lists 'the ability to "See Who Likes You"' among the premium features that require a subscription, along with unlimited right-swipes.
Tinder charged older California users more for the same product, and it cost the company $60.5 million. The class certified covers Tinder Plus and Tinder Gold subscribers aged 29 and over; settlement was agreed in September 2025 and preliminarily approved in January 2026. If you are over 40 and comparing prices, compare them from more than one account or device.
Only about one in six online daters aged 50 to 64 has ever used Tinder, and almost none over 65. A thin local pool in your age range is the likely experience, not a fault of your profile.
No price is published, and Match Group states that prices differ meaningfully by duration, bundle and offer.

Reputation versus what we could verifyTinder's reputation as the young and casual app is half right and half wrong, and Pew separates the halves. The age skew is real and large. The casualness is not an age effect: Pew found that among people who used any dating platform in the past year, 44% named meeting a long-term partner as a major reason and 40% named dating casually, and states that 'Younger users are just as likely as older adults to cite each of these reasons.' Pew did not publish intent broken down by app, so this does not tell you what Tinder's own users want; it does mean the age of a platform's users is not evidence about their intentions.

On the public recordMatch Group, Inc. and Match Group, LLC settled a Federal Trade Commission action on 12 August 2025, agreeing to pay $14 million and to permanently stop misrepresenting guarantees and locking consumers out of accounts they had paid for, and to simplify Match.com's cancellation process. The FTC named Match.com, OkCupid, PlentyOfFish and The League. The company did not admit wrongdoing. The FTC's own case page still lists the case status as 'Pending' and dates the announcement to September 2025 while the press release is dated 12 August 2025. Separately, the 10-K discloses: an FTC civil investigative demand issued 19 March 2020 about OkCupid's conduct in 2014 and the company's 2019 public statements about it, which the FTC went to court to enforce (FTC v. Match Group, Inc., No. 1:22-mc-00054, D.D.C., granted in part 20 June 2025), still contested; an Irish Data Protection Commission inquiry into Tinder's data access and retention, with a preliminary draft decision alleging GDPR breaches, contested; and a Netherlands GDPR class action over Tinder users' data, contested. Tinder itself was not named in the FTC order. It is, however, the subject of a separate consumer class action about age-based pricing. Match Group's 10-K discloses Allan Candelore v. Tinder, Inc., No. BC583162 (Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles), filed 28 May 2015, alleging that Tinder violated California's Unruh Civil Rights Act 'by offering and charging users over a certain age a higher price than younger users for subscriptions to its premium Tinder Plus service'. The court certified a class of California Tinder Plus and Tinder Gold subscribers aged 29 and over on 15 July 2024. On 10 September 2025 the parties agreed to settle for $60.5 million, and the court preliminarily approved the settlement on 13 January 2026.

Read from: Safety features · Safety tips · Key findings about online dating in the U.S. · Dating at 50 and up: Older Americans' experiences with online dating · Match Group, Inc. Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 · About Our Brands

Hinge

Match Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTCH; SEC CIK 891103), through its subsidiaries. Match Group, Inc. and Match Group, LLC are the entities bound by the FTC's 2025 order.

Free tier, paid to use it properly

Who it says it is for: General, positioned by intent rather than demographic; the 10-K notes it is strongest in English-speaking countries. Pew found no significant difference in Hinge use among online daters aged 50 and older by decade, and Hinge sat in the group used by about a fifth of online dating users overall in 2022.
How it works: Mobile-only. Profiles require photos or videos and written answers to Prompts. You like a specific photo or Prompt answer rather than a whole profile. Hinge publishes a plain-language explanation of its recommendation system: it combines stated compatibility settings, 'dealbreakers' you mark as non-negotiable, and your past liking behavior, and it says it also weighs other people's preferences 'so that the suggestions you receive reflect the likelihood of mutual interest'.
In its own words: Hinge's own site: 'Hinge is built on the belief that anyone looking for love should be able to find it. It's also built on an acclaimed Nobel-Prize-winning algorithm, so we can succeed in getting you out on promising dates, not keeping you on the app.' Its trademarked line is 'Designed to be Deleted'. Match Group's 10-K describes it as 'a popular app for individuals seeking intentional and relationship-oriented connections' that 'focuses on users with a higher level of intent to enter into a relationship'.
What it costs: No price is published. Match Group's Form 10-K states that access to premium features 'requires a subscription, which is typically offered in packages (generally ranging from one week to six months)' and that 'Prices can differ meaningfully within a given brand depending on the duration of a subscription, the bundle of paid features that a user chooses to access, and whether or not a user is taking advantage of any special offers.' There is therefore no single number that can honestly be quoted. The 10-K names two subscription tiers, Hinge+ and HingeX. Hinge's own page states that 'Paid subscribers can set additional preferences around height, family plans, lifestyle habits, and politics', and defends keeping some filters paid on the grounds that 'if all daters could apply unlimited dealbreakers, everyone's dating pools would shrink'.
Verification: Match Group publishes a group-wide set of safety features: Photo Verification (a short video selfie compared against profile photos), an 'Are You Sure?' prompt on outgoing messages the system flags, a 'Does this bother you?' prompt on incoming ones, and Share My Date, which sends a match's profile and location to a chosen contact. The 10-K adds Face Check, 'a facial verification feature that helps confirm users are real and match their profile photos', launched in 2025 at Tinder in several markets. Match Group does not say anywhere reviewed here that it runs criminal background checks.

What it is good for

Screening on things that matter after a divorce before you talk to anyone: Hinge says dealbreakers are enforced in both directions, so 'Hinge will only show you each other if you both meet the dealbreakers that either of you set, such as wanting kids'.
Readers who want to know how the ranking works: Hinge publishes a specific, non-marketing explanation of its recommendation system and of what your own behavior does to it.
Written profiles rather than photo-only ones: profiles require Prompt answers as well as photos or videos.

Know before you sign up

Several of the filters most relevant to a divorced dater – family plans, lifestyle habits, politics, height – are behind a paid subscription, by Hinge's own statement.
Selecting 'prefer not to say' on a profile field is not neutral. Hinge states it 'limits who can see you', because you are excluded from being shown to anyone who set a dealbreaker on that field.
It is mobile-only, per Match Group's 10-K. There is no web version to use on a laptop.
No price is published for Hinge+ or HingeX.
Hinge is a Match Group brand. A reader comparing Hinge, Tinder, Match, OkCupid and Plenty of Fish is comparing five products of one company.

Read from: How We Connect Daters on Hinge · Hinge home page (Our Approach) · Dating at 50 and up: Older Americans' experiences with online dating · Match Group, Inc. Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 · About Our Brands · Trust & Safety

Bumble

Bumble Inc. (Nasdaq: BMBL; SEC CIK 1830043), which also owns Badoo and BFF.

Free tier, paid to use it properly

Who it says it is for: General adult audience, positioned around women's experience rather than around age, faith or community. Pew found 28% of online dating users had used Bumble, and that within the over-50 group, users in their 50s were more likely than older users to have used it.
How it works: Swipe with mutual match, plus a time limit. Bumble's 10-K describes it: 'A member can swipe right to vote "yes" to a potential match, or left to go to the next profile, or, in most of our markets, leave a note… on someone's profile. When both members vote yes, a connection is made. After an initial match is formed, members on Bumble app must initiate a chat within 24 hours or the connection disappears. In some of our markets, in a heterosexual connection, Opening Moves gives women the option to set a question that their matches can respond to… For non-binary and same-gender connections, either person can set and respond to an Opening Move.'
In its own words: Bumble's own About page: 'Hello. We're The Love Company… We believe love – in all its forms – is the foundation to a happy, healthy life,' and 'In 2014, we rewrote the dating rules. The result? A member-first platform built to create kind, healthy connections.' Its stated mission is 'to bring people closer to love'. Its Form 10-K says: 'The Bumble brand was built with women at the center. Our platform is designed to help women feel safer and more empowered and, in turn, provide a better environment for everyone.'
What it costs: No price is published. Bumble's own terms state: 'The Bumble Group operates a global business, and our pricing varies by a number of factors. We frequently offer promotional rates – which can vary based on region, length of subscription, bundle size and more.' The terms name one-week, one-month and three-month auto-renewing subscriptions. Refund rules are published in unusual detail: weekly subscribers may get a refund within the first 6 days, monthly or longer subscribers within the first 14 days, minus the value of any portion used; 'There are no refunds for subscription renewals'; deleting your account cancels the subscription immediately with no refund; and blocked members are not entitled to refunds. California buyers have a three-business-day cancellation right.
Verification: Bumble publishes Photo Verification, 'to help make sure your potential match is who they say they are'; in-app video chat and voice calls so you need not give out a phone number; a Private Detector that automatically blurs lewd images; Snooze mode; unmatch, block and report; and bans on weapons in profile photos, hate speech, fetishisation and sexual harassment. The 10-K adds proactive machine-learning detection of harassment and identity-based hate flagged to human moderators, and 'Review before you send', which prompts a member to edit a message the system judges harmful. The terms reserve a right to require identity verification at any time, listing age assurance, fraud prevention, unusual account activity and payment-abuse investigation among the reasons. Bumble does not say anywhere reviewed here that it runs criminal background checks.

What it is good for

Reducing the volume of unanswered first messages: the 10-K's own description is that a match disappears if nobody opens a chat within 24 hours, which clears stale matches out on its own.
Meeting by video or voice before meeting in person without giving out your number, which Bumble publishes as a built-in feature.
Anyone who does not want unsolicited explicit images: Bumble publishes a Private Detector that automatically blurs them and leaves the choice to view to the recipient. Pew found 56% of women under 50 who use dating apps have been sent sexually explicit content they did not ask for.

Know before you sign up

The 24-hour rule cuts both ways. If you are dating around a job and children and cannot check the app daily, matches will expire before you get to them.
No price is published. Bumble's own terms say pricing varies by region, subscription length and bundle, and that it frequently runs promotional rates – so two people can pay different amounts for the same thing.
Deleting your account cancels any subscription immediately and forfeits the remainder, by Bumble's own terms. Cancel first, then delete, if you have paid.
There are no refunds on renewals at all, by Bumble's own terms.
Bumble's support site returns HTTP 403 to automated access, so its help-center articles on Opening Moves, ID verification and its subscription tiers we could not read for this research.

Reputation versus what we could verifyBumble is widely described as the app where women must message first, and Bumble's own history page still says '2014: Bumble is born. We flipped dating norms and gave women the first move.' Its current product description in its own SEC filing does not say that. What the 2025 filing describes is a mutual-match swipe with a 24-hour window in which 'members' – not women specifically – must start a chat, and an Opening Moves feature that in heterosexual matches 'gives women the option to set a question that their matches can respond to'. That is a choice offered to women, not a requirement placed on them. Bumble's own help pages, which would settle the point in plain language, are blocked to automated access, so this is reported from the filing's wording rather than from a user-facing explanation.

On the public recordNone identified. Bumble Inc.'s Form 10-K for 2025 discloses no named regulatory action or government proceeding against it, states that as of 31 December 2025 'no provision was required, as management's best estimate of any probable loss related to litigation was nil', and records $1.2 million paid during 2025 to settle unspecified litigation matters. The FTC's own online dating page names only Match Group. This is the limit of what was checked, not a clearance.

Read from: Bumble Inc. Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 · About – Bumble · What You Need to Know About Safety on Bumble · Terms and Conditions of Use · Key findings about online dating in the U.S. · Dating at 50 and up: Older Americans' experiences with online dating

OkCupid

Match Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTCH; SEC CIK 891103), through its subsidiaries. Match Group, Inc. and Match Group, LLC are the entities bound by the FTC's 2025 order.

Free tier, paid to use it properly

Who it says it is for: General, with the 10-K identifying a culturally progressive user base concentrated in large English-speaking cities.
How it works: Answer a large bank of optional questions; answers feed a compatibility percentage used in matching, alongside profile browsing and messaging.
In its own words: Match Group's 10-K: 'OkCupid launched in 2004 and has attracted users through a Q&A approach to the dating category. OkCupid relies on a freemium model and has a loyal, culturally progressive user base predominately located in larger metropolitan areas in English-speaking markets.' Match Group's brand page: 'Uses responses to its iconic questions to match singles.'
What it costs: No price is published. Match Group's Form 10-K states that access to premium features 'requires a subscription, which is typically offered in packages (generally ranging from one week to six months)' and that 'Prices can differ meaningfully within a given brand depending on the duration of a subscription, the bundle of paid features that a user chooses to access, and whether or not a user is taking advantage of any special offers.' There is therefore no single number that can honestly be quoted.
Verification: Match Group publishes a group-wide set of safety features: Photo Verification (a short video selfie compared against profile photos), an 'Are You Sure?' prompt on outgoing messages the system flags, a 'Does this bother you?' prompt on incoming ones, and Share My Date, which sends a match's profile and location to a chosen contact. The 10-K adds Face Check, 'a facial verification feature that helps confirm users are real and match their profile photos', launched in 2025 at Tinder in several markets. Match Group does not say anywhere reviewed here that it runs criminal background checks.

What it is good for

People who would rather answer questions than write a profile: the question-and-answer compatibility system is what the 10-K identifies as its distinguishing feature.
Larger metropolitan areas in English-speaking countries, which is where Match Group's own filing says the user base is concentrated.

Know before you sign up

OkCupid is named in the FTC's August 2025 order against Match Group over guarantee advertising, cancellation practices and locking out users who disputed charges. The company did not admit wrongdoing.
There is a second, unresolved FTC matter specific to OkCupid: a civil investigative demand about conduct in 2014 and the company's 2019 public statements about it, which the FTC had to go to court to enforce and which Match Group is contesting.
OkCupid's website returns HTTP 403 to automated access, so its own current terms, prices, free-tier limits and safety pages we could not read for this research.
No price is published.

Reputation versus what we could verifyOkCupid's reputation rests on the free, data-rich, question-driven product of the early 2010s and on public blog posts about its own user data. It is now one brand inside Match Group, on a freemium model, and it is one of the four platforms the FTC named in its 2025 order.

On the public recordMatch Group, Inc. and Match Group, LLC settled a Federal Trade Commission action on 12 August 2025, agreeing to pay $14 million and to permanently stop misrepresenting guarantees and locking consumers out of accounts they had paid for, and to simplify Match.com's cancellation process. The FTC named Match.com, OkCupid, PlentyOfFish and The League. The company did not admit wrongdoing. The FTC's own case page still lists the case status as 'Pending' and dates the announcement to September 2025 while the press release is dated 12 August 2025. Separately, the 10-K discloses: an FTC civil investigative demand issued 19 March 2020 about OkCupid's conduct in 2014 and the company's 2019 public statements about it, which the FTC went to court to enforce (FTC v. Match Group, Inc., No. 1:22-mc-00054, D.D.C., granted in part 20 June 2025), still contested; an Irish Data Protection Commission inquiry into Tinder's data access and retention, with a preliminary draft decision alleging GDPR breaches, contested; and a Netherlands GDPR class action over Tinder users' data, contested. OkCupid is named in the FTC's press release as one of the platforms covered by the $14 million order, and is the subject of the separate, still-contested FTC civil investigative demand about its conduct in 2014 and Match Group's 2019 public statements about it.

Plenty of Fish

Match Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTCH; SEC CIK 891103), through its subsidiaries. Match Group, Inc. and Match Group, LLC are the entities bound by the FTC's 2025 order.

Free tier, paid to use it properly

Who it says it is for: General, described in the filing as having broad appeal rather than a defined demographic.
How it works: Both search-and-message and swipe. Its own features page describes 'Meet Me', where you 'Swipe left if you're not into it and right if you want to get to know them a little better. If the love is mutual, we'll open up a chat', alongside profile search and a paid Super Like.
In its own words: Match Group's 10-K: 'Plenty Of Fish launched in 2003. Among its distinguishing features is the ability to both search profiles and receive algorithmic recommendations. Plenty Of Fish relies on a freemium model. Plenty Of Fish has broad appeal in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom.' Match Group's brand page says it 'Offers a low-pressure user experience.' Its own site says: 'We know online dating isn't one-size-fits-all, so we're letting you choose your own adventure.'
What it costs: No price is published. Match Group's Form 10-K states that access to premium features 'requires a subscription, which is typically offered in packages (generally ranging from one week to six months)' and that 'Prices can differ meaningfully within a given brand depending on the duration of a subscription, the bundle of paid features that a user chooses to access, and whether or not a user is taking advantage of any special offers.' There is therefore no single number that can honestly be quoted.
Verification: Match Group publishes a group-wide set of safety features: Photo Verification (a short video selfie compared against profile photos), an 'Are You Sure?' prompt on outgoing messages the system flags, a 'Does this bother you?' prompt on incoming ones, and Share My Date, which sends a match's profile and location to a chosen contact. The 10-K adds Face Check, 'a facial verification feature that helps confirm users are real and match their profile photos', launched in 2025 at Tinder in several markets. Match Group does not say anywhere reviewed here that it runs criminal background checks.

What it is good for

People who want to search and message directly rather than only swipe: the 10-K names profile search alongside algorithmic recommendations as its distinguishing feature.
A free tier that includes messaging, which is what a freemium model means here.

Know before you sign up

Plenty of Fish is named in the FTC's August 2025 order against Match Group over guarantee advertising, cancellation practices and locking out users who disputed charges. The company did not admit wrongdoing.
It is a Match Group brand, not the independent site it was before 2015.
No price is published.
Its own site is a single-page application that returns HTTP 200 for any path, including invented ones, so the presence of a page there cannot be inferred from a URL responding.

Read from: Plenty of features · Dating on Plenty of Fish · Match Group, Inc. Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 · About Our Brands · Trust & Safety · Match Group Agrees to Pay $14 Million, Permanently Stop Deceptive Advertising, Cancellation, and Billing Practices to Resolve FTC Charges

Grindr

Grindr Inc. (NYSE: GRND; SEC CIK 1820144), operating through Grindr LLC. Independent of Match Group and Bumble Inc.

Free tier, paid to use it properly

Who it says it is for: Explicitly community-specific: 'a global social networking platform primarily serving and addressing the needs of gay, bisexual, and sexually explorative adults around the world', per the 10-K, which adds that 'Our users have a range of intentions and use cases… casual dating, long-term relationships, community and friendships, professional networking, travel information, and local discovery.' Pew found 6% of online dating users overall had used Grindr, with use concentrated among LGB adults.
How it works: Location-based browse and message. There is no mutual-match gate: the 10-K describes 'identity expression (profile, photos, presence, Taken on Grindr); connection (search, filters, the Cascade, Viewed Me, Right Now, recommendations); and interaction (chat, media sharing, Discover, interactive map)'. You see nearby profiles in a grid and can message them directly.
In its own words: Grindr's own about page: 'THE GLOBAL GAYBORHOOD IN YOUR POCKET. Since 2009, Grindr has grown into the world's largest network for gay, bi, trans, and queer adults.' Its Form 10-K states: 'Our mission is to build the Global Gayborhood in Your Pocket, and, through our success, to make a world where the lives of our global LGBTQ community are free, equal, and just.'
What it costs: The 10-K states 'our app is free to use' with 'subscriptions or add-ons to access premium features'. Grindr publishes two named tiers, XTRA and Unlimited, and describes what Unlimited adds: 'Viewed Me – See who's checking you out', Unsend, Incognito, Typing Status, Unlimited Profiles, Expiring Photos and Chat Translate. No price is published on the pages read. Grindr also earns indirect revenue from advertisers, which it sells through its own advertise page.
Verification: No identity verification or photo verification feature is published on the Grindr pages read for this research. Grindr publishes safety and privacy material – a Safety and Privacy Center, a holistic security guide, sexual health resources in 30 countries – and its blog describes spam banning and moderation. Nothing reviewed here describes background checks or ID checks.

What it is good for

Messaging someone directly without waiting for a mutual match, which is the mechanic the company's own filing describes.
Finding people nearby: the product is location-based by design, which matters more in places with a thin LGBTQ+ scene.
Anyone whose use is broader than dating: Grindr's own filing lists community and friendships, professional networking, travel information and local discovery alongside casual dating and relationships.

Know before you sign up

Grindr has been fined by a European data protection regulator for sharing user data, including special-category data, with advertisers without a legal basis. The NOK 65 million fine was upheld through the Norwegian Privacy Appeals Board, the Oslo District Court and the Norwegian Appeals Court, and paid in February 2026.
Two further privacy actions are live or recently concluded: an Israeli class action settled in 2025 but now subject to the Israeli Attorney General's objections, and UK group proceedings for around 12,000 claimants covering 2009 to 2020.
Seeing who has viewed you is a paid feature: 'Viewed Me' is listed under the Unlimited tier.
No verification feature is published on Grindr's own pages read here, and no price is published for XTRA or Unlimited.
There is no mutual-match gate, so anyone nearby can message you unless you use the paid Incognito feature.

Reputation versus what we could verifyGrindr's public reputation is as a hookup app. Its own SEC filing takes a broader line, listing 'casual dating, long-term relationships, community and friendships, professional networking, travel information, and local discovery' and stating that its addressable market 'encompasses the entire GBTQ population and not just GBTQ singles'. That is the company's own framing of itself, not an independent finding about what its users do.

On the public recordYes, and it is a data-protection matter rather than a consumer one. Grindr's Form 10-K discloses that in January 2021 the Norwegian Data Protection Authority notified Grindr LLC of an administrative fine for alleged GDPR infringement, alleging that Grindr LLC 'disclosed personal data to third party advertisers without a legal basis' and 'disclosed special category personal data to third party advertisers without a valid exemption'. In December 2021 the authority issued a reduced fine of NOK 65 million (about $6.5 million at the December 2025 exchange rate the filing uses). Grindr appealed. The Norwegian Privacy Appeals Board upheld the fine on 29 September 2023, the Oslo District Court upheld it on 1 July 2024, and the Norwegian Appeals Court rejected Grindr's appeal on 21 October 2025. Grindr paid the principal on 11 February 2026 and disputes an additional NOK 16.8 million of asserted interest. The 10-K also discloses an Israeli class action over sharing information with third parties without explicit consent, settled in February 2025 and approved by the court in July 2025, to which the Israeli Attorney General filed objections in February 2026; and UK group proceedings brought on behalf of roughly 12,000 alleged users covering 2009 to 2020, alleging unlawful processing of personal data, which the company says is too early to call.

Read from: Grindr Inc. Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 · About Grindr · Grindr Unlimited · Key findings about online dating in the U.S.

Christian Mingle

Black Cap Holdings, LLC. Its Terms of Use, last modified 20 July 2026, name it as the counterparty for Jdate, JSwipe, Christian Mingle, Zoosk and LDS Singles, and its own portfolio page lists the same five brands. This is the answer to the open question about the former Spark Networks brands: Spark Networks SE was delisted by Nasdaq in October 2023 and deregistered with the SEC that November, and these five brands are now operated by Black Cap Holdings, LLC.

Free tier, paid to use it properly

Who it says it is for: Faith-based: Christian singles. Black Cap describes its whole portfolio as 'religious affinity dating' and says it 'owns and operates category-defining brands where faith, culture, and community shape how people meet.' The site claims '20+ years of faithful matches' and a growing community; no membership figure is published.
How it works: Not established in detail. The public home page describes matching and safety features and a sign-up flow, but no page read for this research sets out whether the mechanic is swipe, mutual match, or browse and message. The support site, support.christianmingle.com, returns HTTP 403 to automated access.
In its own words: Its own home page: 'Love guided by faith, defined by you. Christian Mingle makes it easier to meet someone who shares your values and understands what matters to you.' It describes itself as 'Faithfully designed for connection' and adds: 'As modern faith becomes more personal and less tied to labels, Christian Mingle offers a place for you to express your beliefs in the way that feels most authentic. Whether your faith is deeply personal, deeply practiced, or somewhere in between, we center connection around honesty, kindness, and genuine intent.' Black Cap's own portfolio page describes it as 'Faith-centered connections for Christian singles worldwide.'
What it costs: No price is published. Black Cap's Terms of Use describe a recurring monthly subscription charged on the same day each month, automatically renewing 'indefinitely until canceled', with 'no refunds or credits for partial months' and fees changeable on thirty days' notice by email. Subscriptions bought through the Apple App Store or Google Play must be canceled with Apple or Google, and the terms warn that deleting the app or the profile does not cancel the subscription. California and Colorado buyers are given a three-business-day cancellation right.
Verification: Black Cap publishes an unusually explicit Online Dating Safety Policy covering all five brands. It says it offers optional photo verification that confirms a live photo matches profile photos, automated and human profile review, reporting and blocking tools, and machine-learning detection of scams. It then states in terms what it does not do: 'We do not conduct comprehensive criminal background checks on our members', 'We do not verify information members provide in their profiles, including their name, age, location, employment, education, relationship status', and 'Individuals with criminal convictions, including those required to register as sex offenders, may use our platform and communicate with you.' It screens reported members against publicly available sex offender registries only after a report or a detection.

What it is good for

Readers who want shared faith to be the organizing principle rather than a filter buried in a general app.
People whose practice does not fit a denominational label: the site's own copy addresses faith that is 'deeply personal, deeply practiced, or somewhere in between'.
Anyone who wants to read exactly what a dating company will and will not check before joining: Black Cap's Online Dating Safety Policy is the most explicit of any reviewed here.

Know before you sign up

The company states in writing that it does not run criminal background checks and does not verify names, ages, locations, employment or education, and that people with criminal convictions, including registered sex offenders, may be on the platform.
Its photo verification, where used, confirms only that a live photo matches the profile photos. Black Cap says it 'does not verify identity, age, criminal history, or any other information'.
The subscription renews automatically every month until canceled, and there are no refunds or credits for partial months. Deleting the app or the profile does not cancel the subscription if it was bought through Apple or Google.
Prices are not published on the website. You will not see what a subscription costs until you are inside the purchase flow.
Disputes are subject to a binding individual arbitration clause and a class-action waiver, and a claim must be started within one year.
This brand changed hands after Spark Networks SE was delisted from Nasdaq in 2023. The ownership shown on the site today is Black Cap Holdings, LLC, and no public filing documenting the transfer was found.

Reputation versus what we could verifySpark Networks SE, which owned this brand alongside Christian Mingle, JDate, Zoosk, EliteSingles and SilverSingles, was delisted by Nasdaq in October 2023 and deregistered with the SEC that November; its corporate domains have lapsed. The brands survived the company. Establishing where they went was the open question in this research, and the answer is that they split: Jdate, JSwipe, Christian Mingle, Zoosk and LDS Singles are now operated by Black Cap Holdings, LLC, while EliteSingles and SilverSingles are operated by SuccessfulMatch.com, Inc. Both are documented from the brands' own legal pages and copyright notices; neither transfer is documented by any filing or transaction record located here.

On the public recordNone identified for Black Cap Holdings, LLC. No FTC action, state attorney general action or court proceeding naming Black Cap or Christian Mingle was found. The company is not an SEC registrant, so there is no filing stream to check, and this is the limit of what was checked rather than a clearance.

Read from: Christian Mingle home page · Terms of Use · Online Dating Safety Policy · Black Cap – Religious affinity dating (portfolio page) · Spark Networks SE Form 8-K, 6 November 2023 (Nasdaq delisting)

JDate

Free tier, paid to use it properly

Who it says it is for: Community-specific: Jewish singles across levels of observance. Its home page claims 'Thousands of new members each month' and 'Over 10,000 messages sent every day'; neither figure is independently verifiable and both are the company's own.
How it works: Not established in detail. No page read for this research sets out the mechanic. support.jdate.com returns HTTP 403 to automated access. Black Cap runs a separate swipe-based Jewish app, JSwipe, which its portfolio page describes as 'Swipe-based discovery for Jewish Gen Z and millennials' – the implied contrast is that Jdate is not primarily a swipe product, but that is an inference, not a statement by the company.
In its own words: Its own home page: 'Find your person. Build your future. Keep the tradition. Whether you're deeply observant, culturally connected, or somewhere in between – Jdate is where Jewish singles find meaningful, modern connection.' It says '"Jewish" isn't just a box you check here – it's the heart of what we do', claims 'over 30 years' of operation, and states that 'Being Jewish doesn't look one way.' Black Cap's portfolio page: 'Jewish singles building meaningful relationships.'
What it costs: No price is published. Black Cap's Terms of Use describe a recurring monthly subscription charged on the same day each month, automatically renewing 'indefinitely until canceled', with 'no refunds or credits for partial months' and fees changeable on thirty days' notice by email. Subscriptions bought through the Apple App Store or Google Play must be canceled with Apple or Google, and the terms warn that deleting the app or the profile does not cancel the subscription. California and Colorado buyers are given a three-business-day cancellation right.
Verification: Black Cap publishes an unusually explicit Online Dating Safety Policy covering all five brands. It says it offers optional photo verification that confirms a live photo matches profile photos, automated and human profile review, reporting and blocking tools, and machine-learning detection of scams. It then states in terms what it does not do: 'We do not conduct comprehensive criminal background checks on our members', 'We do not verify information members provide in their profiles, including their name, age, location, employment, education, relationship status', and 'Individuals with criminal convictions, including those required to register as sex offenders, may use our platform and communicate with you.' It screens reported members against publicly available sex offender registries only after a report or a detection.

What it is good for

Readers for whom a shared Jewish background is the point rather than one filter among many, across levels of observance.
Anyone who wants the non-swipe option within Black Cap's Jewish brands: the company positions JSwipe, not Jdate, as its swipe app for a younger audience.

Know before you sign up

The company states in writing that it does not run criminal background checks and does not verify names, ages, locations, employment or education, and that people with criminal convictions, including registered sex offenders, may be on the platform.
Its photo verification, where used, confirms only that a live photo matches the profile photos. Black Cap says it 'does not verify identity, age, criminal history, or any other information'.
The subscription renews automatically every month until canceled, and there are no refunds or credits for partial months. Deleting the app or the profile does not cancel the subscription if it was bought through Apple or Google.
Prices are not published on the website. You will not see what a subscription costs until you are inside the purchase flow.
Disputes are subject to a binding individual arbitration clause and a class-action waiver, and a claim must be started within one year.
This brand changed hands after Spark Networks SE was delisted from Nasdaq in 2023. The ownership shown on the site today is Black Cap Holdings, LLC, and no public filing documenting the transfer was found.

On the public recordNone identified for Black Cap Holdings, LLC. It is not an SEC registrant and no regulator or court record naming it was found. That is the limit of what was checked.

Read from: Jdate home page · Terms of Use · Online Dating Safety Policy · Black Cap – Religious affinity dating (portfolio page) · Spark Networks SE Form 8-K, 6 November 2023 (Nasdaq delisting)

JSwipe

Free tier, paid to use it properly

Who it says it is for: Community-specific and age-targeted: Jewish singles, positioned by Black Cap at Gen Z and millennials.
How it works: Swipe-based discovery, per Black Cap's own portfolio description. No further detail is published on the pages read.
In its own words: Its own home page carries only '#1 Jewish Dating App' and download links. Black Cap's portfolio page describes it as 'Swipe-based discovery for Jewish Gen Z and millennials.'
What it costs: No price is published. Black Cap's Terms of Use describe a recurring monthly subscription charged on the same day each month, automatically renewing 'indefinitely until canceled', with 'no refunds or credits for partial months' and fees changeable on thirty days' notice by email. Subscriptions bought through the Apple App Store or Google Play must be canceled with Apple or Google, and the terms warn that deleting the app or the profile does not cancel the subscription. California and Colorado buyers are given a three-business-day cancellation right.
Verification: Black Cap publishes an unusually explicit Online Dating Safety Policy covering all five brands. It says it offers optional photo verification that confirms a live photo matches profile photos, automated and human profile review, reporting and blocking tools, and machine-learning detection of scams. It then states in terms what it does not do: 'We do not conduct comprehensive criminal background checks on our members', 'We do not verify information members provide in their profiles, including their name, age, location, employment, education, relationship status', and 'Individuals with criminal convictions, including those required to register as sex offenders, may use our platform and communicate with you.' It screens reported members against publicly available sex offender registries only after a report or a detection.

What it is good for

Readers who want the swipe version of a Jewish-specific app rather than Jdate, which Black Cap positions differently.

Know before you sign up

The company states in writing that it does not run criminal background checks and does not verify names, ages, locations, employment or education, and that people with criminal convictions, including registered sex offenders, may be on the platform.
Its photo verification, where used, confirms only that a live photo matches the profile photos. Black Cap says it 'does not verify identity, age, criminal history, or any other information'.
The subscription renews automatically every month until canceled, and there are no refunds or credits for partial months. Deleting the app or the profile does not cancel the subscription if it was bought through Apple or Google.
Prices are not published on the website. You will not see what a subscription costs until you are inside the purchase flow.
Disputes are subject to a binding individual arbitration clause and a class-action waiver, and a claim must be started within one year.
This brand changed hands after Spark Networks SE was delisted from Nasdaq in 2023. The ownership shown on the site today is Black Cap Holdings, LLC, and no public filing documenting the transfer was found.
Black Cap positions this app at Gen Z and millennials. A divorced reader over 40 is not the audience the owner describes.
The public site is a download page only. Everything about the product beyond 'swipe-based discovery' is unverified here.

On the public recordNone identified. That is the limit of what was checked.

Read from: JSwipe home page · Terms of Use · Online Dating Safety Policy · Black Cap – Religious affinity dating (portfolio page) · Spark Networks SE Form 8-K, 6 November 2023 (Nasdaq delisting)

OurTime

Match Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTCH; SEC CIK 891103), through its subsidiaries. Match Group, Inc. and Match Group, LLC are the entities bound by the FTC's 2025 order.

Free tier, paid to use it properly

Who it says it is for: Marketed to older daters. This we could not verified in the company's own words for this research, because ourtime.com returns HTTP 403 to automated access and no Match Group document reviewed here states OurTime's target age range.
How it works: Not established. The brand's own site we could not read.
In its own words: Match Group's 10-K does not give OurTime a paragraph of its own. It names it once, in the description of the company's portfolio framework: 'Several Evergreen and Emerging brands, including Match, Meetic, Plenty of Fish, OurTime, and OkCupid, combine elements of these dimensions' – the dimensions being Fun, Focus and Familiarity. No positioning statement in the brand's own words was obtained.
What it costs: No price is published. Match Group's Form 10-K states that access to premium features 'requires a subscription, which is typically offered in packages (generally ranging from one week to six months)' and that 'Prices can differ meaningfully within a given brand depending on the duration of a subscription, the bundle of paid features that a user chooses to access, and whether or not a user is taking advantage of any special offers.' There is therefore no single number that can honestly be quoted. No OurTime-specific pricing or free-tier description was obtained. The 'freemium' label here is inferred from the 10-K's general statement that 'Many of our brands enable users to establish a profile and review other users' profiles without charge' and should be treated as unconfirmed for this brand specifically.
Verification: Match Group publishes a group-wide set of safety features: Photo Verification (a short video selfie compared against profile photos), an 'Are You Sure?' prompt on outgoing messages the system flags, a 'Does this bother you?' prompt on incoming ones, and Share My Date, which sends a match's profile and location to a chosen contact. The 10-K adds Face Check, 'a facial verification feature that helps confirm users are real and match their profile photos', launched in 2025 at Tinder in several markets. Match Group does not say anywhere reviewed here that it runs criminal background checks. No OurTime-specific verification page was obtained.

What it is good for

Readers who want an age-targeted Match Group product and are content to evaluate it themselves: this research could not read the site, so nothing about its features is asserted here.

Know before you sign up

OurTime is a Match Group brand. It is confirmed as such in Match Group's Form 10-K for 2025. A reader choosing it as an alternative to Match.com is choosing another product of the same company.
Almost nothing about this service could be verified. ourtime.com and help.ourtime.com both return HTTP 403 to automated access, and no attempt was made to work around that block. Its interaction model, free-tier scope, prices, stated audience and safety features are all unverified here.
The FTC's 2025 order binds Match Group, Inc. and Match Group, LLC, which operate OurTime, even though OurTime was not named among the four platforms in the press release.

SilverSingles

SuccessfulMatch.com, Inc., described in its own end user service agreement as 'a Delaware corporation'. This is the second half of the answer to the Spark Networks question: EliteSingles and SilverSingles did not go where Christian Mingle, JDate and Zoosk went. They are now operated by SuccessfulMatch.com, Inc., a different company from Black Cap Holdings, LLC.

Paid

Who it says it is for: Age-targeted: singles over 50, including people 'newly single' and 'returning to dating after many years' – which is the closest any service reviewed here comes to naming the divorced reader directly.
How it works: Not fully established. The site describes local matching, private messaging and profile browsing; the service agreement describes an application-and-approval process before you become a member. No page read sets out whether discovery is swipe-based or search-based.
In its own words: Its own About page: 'SilverSingles is a dating platform created for singles over 50 who are looking for meaningful connections, companionship, friendship, romance, or a serious relationship… We understand that dating after 50 can feel different. Some members are newly single, some are returning to dating after many years… At this stage, trust, honesty, comfort, and meaningful conversation often matter more than casual swiping.' Its home page adds: 'Verified profiles, new scam filters, and private messaging mean you don't have to second-guess your security.'
What it costs: No price is published. The service agreement describes a paid subscription in monthly, three-monthly, six-monthly or other terms, automatically renewing for the same duration until canceled. Refunds are limited to a three-business-day 'Trial Period' after purchase; outside that, 'Subscription fees are non-refundable'. The agreement also carries a clause headed 'No Payment Disputes' stating that 'all payments made by you to the Company are final and non-refundable'.
Verification: The service agreement carries a section headed 'NO CRIMINAL BACKGROUND SCREENING' stating that 'the Company does not conduct any criminal background checks, background checks, or any other screening of its Members'. It says members 'may have the option to select a third-party service to conduct a verification using information provided by the Member', and those who pass 'may receive a "Verified" badge', while disclaiming any guarantee of the accuracy of that badge. A separate 'Chairman Services Addendum' offers concierge-style advisory services in which optional verification is 'performed solely by independent third-party service providers'.

What it is good for

Readers who want the audience stated in the product's own terms: it is the only service reviewed here whose About page names people who are newly single or returning to dating after many years.
People who dislike swiping, which the site itself contrasts itself against.
Anyone who wants to know how thin the over-50 active pool is before committing: Pew found only 3% of adults 50 and older had used any dating platform in the past year.

Know before you sign up

Registration is an application, not a sign-up. The service agreement says 'All applications to become a Member are placed on a waiting list by default', that the company may decline applications, that it does not disclose its reasons, and that its decision 'is final and will not be reconsidered'.
The site says the current service runs on 'an independent member database'. If you remember this brand from before, the member base you would be joining is not the one it had under its previous owner.
Refunds are limited to three business days after purchase. After that the agreement states that fees are non-refundable and includes a clause headed 'No Payment Disputes'.
The company states in writing that it conducts no criminal background checks or other screening of members.
Disputes go to binding arbitration in San Francisco before a JAMS arbitrator, under Delaware governing law.
The minimum age in the service agreement is twenty, not eighteen.
This brand changed hands after Spark Networks SE was delisted from Nasdaq in 2023. No public filing documenting the transfer was found.
SilverSingles no longer offers only what its name suggests through the company you may remember. It is now run by SuccessfulMatch.com, Inc., not by Spark Networks, and its own About page says it 'is built on a fresh foundation with an independent member database'.
The home page says 'Verified profiles', but the service agreement says verification is optional, is performed by a third party using information the member supplies, and comes with no guarantee of accuracy from the company.

On the public recordNone established. SuccessfulMatch.com, Inc. is not an SEC registrant, and no FTC action or state attorney general action against it was found. Federal court records list a putative class action, Doe 1 v. Successfulmatch.com, No. 5:13-cv-03376 (N.D. Cal.), filed 19 July 2013 and terminated on 20 February 2015 by a stipulation to dismiss without prejudice – so it produced no judgment and no finding against the company, and the substance of the allegations was not verified from a court document here. That case did not concern SilverSingles, which the company did not then operate. Nothing further should be inferred from it.

Read from: About Us · End User Service Agreement for SilverSingles · SilverSingles home page · Spark Networks SE Form 8-K, 6 November 2023 (Nasdaq delisting) · Dating at 50 and up: Older Americans' experiences with online dating

EliteSingles

Paid

Who it says it is for: Positioned by education, career and aspiration rather than by age, faith or community – 'driven, thoughtful, and relationship-minded singles who value quality over quantity… busy professional[s], accomplished individual[s]'.
How it works: Application, then matchmaking. The service agreement states that 'Registering and creating your Account serves as an application' and that all applications go on a waiting list pending internal review. The About page describes 'smart matchmaking, advanced filters, and a quality-focused dating environment'. No swipe mechanic is described.
In its own words: Its own About page: 'EliteSingles is a dating platform designed for ambitious singles who are looking for meaningful, long-term relationships with people who share their values, lifestyle, and vision for the future… We believe dating should be more intentional than casual swiping.' Its home page tagline: 'EliteSingles: Elevate your dating. Elevate your life.'
What it costs: No price is published. The service agreement describes a paid subscription in monthly, three-monthly, six-monthly or other terms, automatically renewing for the same duration until canceled. Refunds are limited to a three-business-day 'Trial Period' after purchase; outside that, 'Subscription fees are non-refundable'. The agreement also carries a clause headed 'No Payment Disputes' stating that 'all payments made by you to the Company are final and non-refundable'.
Verification: The service agreement carries a section headed 'NO CRIMINAL BACKGROUND SCREENING' stating that 'the Company does not conduct any criminal background checks, background checks, or any other screening of its Members'. It says members 'may have the option to select a third-party service to conduct a verification using information provided by the Member', and those who pass 'may receive a "Verified" badge', while disclaiming any guarantee of the accuracy of that badge. A separate 'Chairman Services Addendum' offers concierge-style advisory services in which optional verification is 'performed solely by independent third-party service providers'.

What it is good for

Readers who prefer being matched to browsing, and who are content with an approval process before joining.
People who want a service that says plainly it is not a swipe app.

Know before you sign up

Registration is an application, not a sign-up. The service agreement says 'All applications to become a Member are placed on a waiting list by default', that the company may decline applications, that it does not disclose its reasons, and that its decision 'is final and will not be reconsidered'.
The site says the current service runs on 'an independent member database'. If you remember this brand from before, the member base you would be joining is not the one it had under its previous owner.
Refunds are limited to three business days after purchase. After that the agreement states that fees are non-refundable and includes a clause headed 'No Payment Disputes'.
The company states in writing that it conducts no criminal background checks or other screening of members.
Disputes go to binding arbitration in San Francisco before a JAMS arbitrator, under Delaware governing law.
The minimum age in the service agreement is twenty, not eighteen.
This brand changed hands after Spark Networks SE was delisted from Nasdaq in 2023. No public filing documenting the transfer was found.
EliteSingles runs a public affiliate program – 'Become an Affiliate' is linked in its own site footer. Third-party pages recommending it may be paid for sending you there.
Its own About page says the current service 'is built on a fresh foundation with an independent member database'. If you used EliteSingles before, this is a different member base under a different company.

On the public recordNone established, on the same basis as SilverSingles: SuccessfulMatch.com, Inc. is not an SEC registrant and no regulator action was found. The 2013 federal class action noted under SilverSingles was dismissed without prejudice in 2015, did not concern EliteSingles, and produced no finding.

Read from: About Us · End User Service Agreement for EliteSingles · Spark Networks SE Form 8-K, 6 November 2023 (Nasdaq delisting)

Zoosk

Free tier, paid to use it properly

Who it says it is for: General, positioned by aspiration rather than demographic – 'high-caliber singles who align with your ambitions and lifestyle', in its own words. It is the one non-religious brand in a portfolio Black Cap otherwise describes as religious affinity dating.
How it works: Behavioral matchmaking: the site says its matching adapts to your activity – 'Personalized Matches Refined Daily… Zoosk gets smarter as you go, fine-tuning your matches based on what you actually like' – alongside advanced filters. The specific interaction mechanic is not set out on any page read here; support.zoosk.com returns HTTP 403.
In its own words: Its own home page is titled 'Zoosk | Dating app for ambitious, educated singles' and says 'Your one in a million might be closer than you think', 'Designed for Serious Relationships', and 'Zoosk gets smarter as you go, fine-tuning your matches based on what you actually like.' It claims '60 Million+ Members' and '1.6 million messages sent daily'. Black Cap's portfolio page: 'Behavioral matchmaking at scale within the Black Cap ecosystem.'
What it costs: No price is published. Black Cap's Terms of Use describe a recurring monthly subscription charged on the same day each month, automatically renewing 'indefinitely until canceled', with 'no refunds or credits for partial months' and fees changeable on thirty days' notice by email. Subscriptions bought through the Apple App Store or Google Play must be canceled with Apple or Google, and the terms warn that deleting the app or the profile does not cancel the subscription. California and Colorado buyers are given a three-business-day cancellation right.
Verification: Black Cap publishes an unusually explicit Online Dating Safety Policy covering all five brands. It says it offers optional photo verification that confirms a live photo matches profile photos, automated and human profile review, reporting and blocking tools, and machine-learning detection of scams. It then states in terms what it does not do: 'We do not conduct comprehensive criminal background checks on our members', 'We do not verify information members provide in their profiles, including their name, age, location, employment, education, relationship status', and 'Individuals with criminal convictions, including those required to register as sex offenders, may use our platform and communicate with you.' It screens reported members against publicly available sex offender registries only after a report or a detection.

What it is good for

People who want matching to adjust to their behavior rather than only to stated filters, which is what the company says the product does.
Readers who want a general, non-faith-based option and are comfortable with the Black Cap terms that come with it.

Know before you sign up

The company states in writing that it does not run criminal background checks and does not verify names, ages, locations, employment or education, and that people with criminal convictions, including registered sex offenders, may be on the platform.
Its photo verification, where used, confirms only that a live photo matches the profile photos. Black Cap says it 'does not verify identity, age, criminal history, or any other information'.
The subscription renews automatically every month until canceled, and there are no refunds or credits for partial months. Deleting the app or the profile does not cancel the subscription if it was bought through Apple or Google.
Prices are not published on the website. You will not see what a subscription costs until you are inside the purchase flow.
Disputes are subject to a binding individual arbitration clause and a class-action waiver, and a claim must be started within one year.
This brand changed hands after Spark Networks SE was delisted from Nasdaq in 2023. The ownership shown on the site today is Black Cap Holdings, LLC, and no public filing documenting the transfer was found.
The '60 Million+ Members' figure is Zoosk's own, is undated, and almost certainly counts accounts ever created rather than people currently active. Nothing verifies it.

On the public recordNone identified for Black Cap Holdings, LLC. It is not an SEC registrant. That is the limit of what was checked.

Read from: Zoosk home page · Terms of Use · Online Dating Safety Policy · Black Cap – Religious affinity dating (portfolio page) · Spark Networks SE Form 8-K, 6 November 2023 (Nasdaq delisting)

LDS Singles

LDS Singles LLC. Its own footer states: 'LDS Singles is a wholly owned subsidiary of Black Cap Holdings LLC.'

Free tier, paid to use it properly

Who it says it is for: Faith-based: Latter-day Saint singles. The site carries an explicit disclaimer of its own: 'LDSsingles.com dating website and app are not owned by or affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints… The views expressed herein on our dating site or within our app do not necessarily represent the position of the Church,' and directs readers to the church's official sites.
How it works: Browse and connect. The site says members can 'easily browse profiles of men and women who value faith, family, and connection' and 'Upgrade to premium anytime for more features'. No further mechanic is published on the pages read; support.ldssingles.com returns HTTP 403.
In its own words: Its own home page: 'LDSSingles is the home of relationships rooted in faith, trust, and shared values. Here, dating isn't about fleeting chemistry or casual connections, it's about meaningful matches, and the kind of companionship that leads to something eternal.' Black Cap's portfolio page: 'Purpose-built for Latter-day Saint singles seeking aligned partnership.'
What it costs: No price is published. Black Cap's Terms of Use describe a recurring monthly subscription charged on the same day each month, automatically renewing 'indefinitely until canceled', with 'no refunds or credits for partial months' and fees changeable on thirty days' notice by email. Subscriptions bought through the Apple App Store or Google Play must be canceled with Apple or Google, and the terms warn that deleting the app or the profile does not cancel the subscription. California and Colorado buyers are given a three-business-day cancellation right.
Verification: Black Cap publishes an unusually explicit Online Dating Safety Policy covering all five brands. It says it offers optional photo verification that confirms a live photo matches profile photos, automated and human profile review, reporting and blocking tools, and machine-learning detection of scams. It then states in terms what it does not do: 'We do not conduct comprehensive criminal background checks on our members', 'We do not verify information members provide in their profiles, including their name, age, location, employment, education, relationship status', and 'Individuals with criminal convictions, including those required to register as sex offenders, may use our platform and communicate with you.' It screens reported members against publicly available sex offender registries only after a report or a detection.

What it is good for

Readers who want a Latter-day Saint-specific pool and want it stated plainly that the site is not run by the church – the site says so itself, in its own footer.

Know before you sign up

The company states in writing that it does not run criminal background checks and does not verify names, ages, locations, employment or education, and that people with criminal convictions, including registered sex offenders, may be on the platform.
Its photo verification, where used, confirms only that a live photo matches the profile photos. Black Cap says it 'does not verify identity, age, criminal history, or any other information'.
The subscription renews automatically every month until canceled, and there are no refunds or credits for partial months. Deleting the app or the profile does not cancel the subscription if it was bought through Apple or Google.
Prices are not published on the website. You will not see what a subscription costs until you are inside the purchase flow.
Disputes are subject to a binding individual arbitration clause and a class-action waiver, and a claim must be started within one year.
This brand changed hands after Spark Networks SE was delisted from Nasdaq in 2023. The ownership shown on the site today is Black Cap Holdings, LLC, and no public filing documenting the transfer was found.
The site is not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and says so in its own footer.

On the public recordNone identified. That is the limit of what was checked.

Read from: LDS Singles home page · Terms of Use · Online Dating Safety Policy · Black Cap – Religious affinity dating (portfolio page) · Spark Networks SE Form 8-K, 6 November 2023 (Nasdaq delisting)

Coffee Meets Bagel

Coffee Meets Bagel, Inc., named in its own terms of service and biometrics policy, with a registered agent address in Sacramento, California. Independent of Match Group, Bumble Inc. and Grindr Inc. Its CEO and co-founder is named on its own site as Arum Kang.

Free tier, paid to use it properly

Who it says it is for: General, positioned by stated intent. The company claims 'over 91% of CMB Daters [are] looking for a committed relationship' – its own figure, with no methodology published, and it should not be repeated as an independent statistic.
How it works: Curated daily batches rather than an open feed. Its own description: 'We ask upfront what you want and deliver daily batches of people picked just for you'; profiles put 'education, interests, and family plans… front and center'; and it uses 'icebreakers' plus 'chat limits' explicitly designed to push conversations offline.
In its own words: Its own site: 'For serious daters'. Its About page: 'Coffee Meets Bagel was founded by three sisters who believe everyone deserves a real chance at love and knew casual swiping apps just weren't going to cut it', and 'Singles needed an app that was less about casual dates, and more about finding a lasting, serious relationship. And so in 2012, Coffee Meets Bagel was born.'
What it costs: No price is published. The terms describe both one-time payments and auto-renewing subscriptions, and name 'message read receipts, additional matches in a day, or profile picture appraisals' as examples of paid features. Refund terms are strict: 'YOUR PURCHASE IS FINAL AND YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CANCEL THE PURCHASE AND/OR RECEIVE A REFUND OF ANY ONE-TIME PAYMENT OR SUBSCRIPTION FEE AT ANY TIME', with a 72-hour statutory cancellation right in some states and a 14-day right for EU, EEA, UK and Swiss subscribers.
Verification: Coffee Meets Bagel is the only service reviewed here that publishes a named identity-verification vendor. Its Biometric Information Privacy Policy, last updated 4 September 2025, states that its vendor Persona collects 'a scan of your facial geometry extracted from photos and videos you upload during the identity verification process', to 'verify your identity and prevent fraud'. Biometric data is retained until the purpose is met or two years, whichever is earlier. The company publishes a separate Safety Policy and Community Guidelines incorporated into its terms. Nothing published says it runs criminal background checks.

What it is good for

People who want a small, finite set of profiles a day rather than an endless feed, which is the mechanic the company describes.
Screening on family plans and education early: the company puts those fields on the profile itself.
Anyone who wants to know exactly what happens to their face scan: the biometrics policy names the vendor, the data collected, and a two-year retention limit.

Know before you sign up

Read receipts are a paid feature, listed by the company as an example of what a payment buys.
Purchases are final. The terms state in capitals that you will not be able to cancel a purchase or receive a refund at any time, subject only to a 72-hour right in some states and a 14-day right in the EU, EEA, UK and Switzerland.
Identity verification involves a scan of your facial geometry, processed by a third-party vendor, Persona – the company publishes this openly, but it is a real data decision for anyone cautious about biometrics.
The '91% of CMB Daters looking for a committed relationship' figure is the company's own marketing claim with no published methodology.
Disputes go to binding individual arbitration under California law, with a 30-day window to opt out of arbitration in writing.

On the public recordNone identified. Coffee Meets Bagel, Inc. is not an SEC registrant, and no FTC action, state attorney general action or court proceeding naming it was found in this research. That is the limit of what was checked.

Read from: The CMB way / Our story · Terms of Service · Biometric Information Privacy Policy

Facebook Dating

Meta Platforms, Inc. Facebook Dating is a feature within the Facebook app, not a separate product.

Free

Who it says it is for: General adults on Facebook, opt-in only, 18 and over. Meta's own 2025 figures emphasize young adults: 'Hundreds of thousands of young adults (ages 18-29) in the US and Canada create Facebook Dating profiles every month, and young adult matches are up 10% year over year.' Meta published no equivalent figure for older users.
How it works: Opt-in, suggestion-based, deliberately not swipe-first. Meta's own words in 2019: 'Facebook Dating isn't about swiping or having to wait for someone to like you to get a first chance at reaching out. If you are interested in someone, you can comment directly on their profile or tap on the Like button.' The Dating profile is separate from your main Facebook profile, Dating activity is not shared to the rest of Facebook, and you are not matched with your Facebook friends unless both of you add each other to a Secret Crush list. In September 2025 Meta added a chat-based 'dating assistant' for search and profile help, and 'Meet Cute', which delivers a weekly surprise algorithmic match.
In its own words: Meta's own 2025 announcement: 'A free dating experience within the Facebook app, Facebook Dating makes it easier to find love by meeting and starting conversations with people who share your interests.' Its 2019 launch post: 'Facebook Dating makes it easier to find love through what you like – helping you start meaningful relationships through things you have in common, like interests, events and groups. It takes the work out of creating a dating profile.'
What it costs: Free, and Meta says so directly: 'A free dating experience within the Facebook app'. Its 2025 announcement frames the new features as helping people meet 'without having to resort to endless swiping or paying to unlock product features'. No paid tier is published. This is the only service reviewed here with no published paid tier of any kind.
Verification: Meta publishes safety design rather than identity verification: the ability to report and block anyone, a prohibition on sending photos, links, payments or videos in Dating messages, and a feature to share details of an upcoming date or a live location with someone you trust via Messenger. No photo verification, ID check or background-check partnership is published on the pages read. Facebook's own dating pages return HTTP 400 to automated access and were not read; what is reported here comes from Meta's corporate newsroom.

What it is good for

Trying online dating at no cost at all: it is the only service reviewed here with no published paid tier, and Meta itself contrasts it with paying to unlock features.
Keeping it away from people you know: the Dating profile is separate, Dating activity is not shared to the rest of Facebook, and Meta says you will not be matched with Facebook friends unless you both use Secret Crush.
People who dislike swiping: Meta's own framing is that Dating 'isn't about swiping', and its 2025 features are explicitly aimed at 'swipe fatigue'.
Meeting through shared interests, events and groups, which is what the product is built on.

Know before you sign up

It requires a Facebook account and lives inside the Facebook app. There is no way to use it without one.
No identity verification, photo verification or background-check partnership is published for Facebook Dating on any page read here. It is a free product with correspondingly little published authentication.
Meta's own published growth figures are about 18-to-29-year-olds. It has published nothing about how many older adults use it, so a reader over 40 has no company figure to judge the pool by.
Facebook's own dating pages block automated access, so its current terms, in-app safety features and age policies we could not read directly for this research.

Reputation versus what we could verifyFacebook Dating is often assumed to be a marginal add-on. Meta's own 2025 announcement claims hundreds of thousands of new 18-to-29-year-old profiles a month in the US and Canada and 10% year-on-year growth in young adult matches. Those are company figures, unaudited, and about young adults only – they do not tell an over-40 reader anything about the pool they would be joining.

On the public recordNone identified specific to Facebook Dating. Meta Platforms, Inc. has an extensive regulatory history in privacy and competition that is outside the scope of this review, and no action specifically concerning Facebook Dating was found here.

Read from: Facebook Dating Adds Features to Address Swipe Fatigue (22 September 2025) · Facebook Dating (product announcement, 5 September 2019)

Raya

Not established. No corporate entity, parent company or ownership disclosure was found on rayatheapp.com or in any filing. The service is private and is not an SEC registrant.

Paid

Who it says it is for: Application-only, by its own account. Raya publishes the test it asks its committee to apply: 'If you were hosting an intimate dinner party with 10 people around a table, and wanted to create a memorable evening full of interesting, lively, and respectful conversation, who would you invite?' It says the differentiator is 'a sense of belonging – a common bond with fellow members of a community… Close relationships with other members, similar work, shared interests', and that 'It's why applications require referrals.' It states expressly that displays of wealth are not the criterion: 'How much or little money someone has isn't the currency here.'
How it works: Application, committee review, waitlist, then a members-only app. Raya's own text: 'Anyone interested in joining must fill out an application. From there, application are assessed based on algorithmic values as well as input from hundreds of committee members spread throughout the world. Committee members are anonymous to each other.' Applicants are waitlisted by default and 'Applications with referrals are more likely to get accepted.' Only accepted members can see member profiles: 'Applicants who have been waitlisted will have no way to know or see that you are a member.' It publishes hide, pause and social-mode controls.
In its own words: Its own site metadata: 'Raya is a private, membership based community for people all over the world to connect and collaborate.' Its published terms text: 'Raya is a membership-based online community for dating, networking and discovery. Our goal is to foster a safe, trusted, community for members to meet, share and engage in ways that will result in quality real-world connections and experiences.'
What it costs: Paid membership. No price is published anywhere on Raya's own site. Its terms state that payment is taken 'exclusively through third party services such as Apple and Stripe'. On cancellation: 'If you cancel your membership, you will have until the end of your billing cycle to use Raya. If your membership has expired, you may be asked to reapply as automatic renewal and/or readmission are not guaranteed.'
Verification: Raya publishes an age check but no general identity verification. Its guidelines state that an applicant may not 'be under 18 years of age. Raya is exclusively for adults and we very often ID applicants to ensure this.' It says its own team and membership committee 'have been rigorously vetted and are under strict non-disclosure agreements'. Nothing published describes criminal background checks or photo verification of members.

What it is good for

People who want a closed pool where non-members cannot see that they are on it, which Raya states as a property of the product.
Anyone who values being able to pause or hide a profile without losing existing conversations – Raya publishes both controls.

Know before you sign up

You cannot simply sign up. Applications are waitlisted by default, decided by anonymous committee members, and referrals make acceptance more likely – so admission depends partly on who you already know.
It is iPhone-only. Raya's own site states: 'Raya currently isn't available on Android. If your application is accepted, you will need to use an Apple device to download the app and access the community.'
Membership is not permanent. Raya's own terms say that if a membership expires 'you may be asked to reapply as automatic renewal and/or readmission are not guaranteed'.
No price is published anywhere on Raya's own site, and no owner or corporate entity is disclosed.
The site is a JavaScript application; the text quoted here was read from its own published page bundle rather than from a rendered page.

Reputation versus what we could verifyRaya is popularly described as a celebrity or wealth-gated app. Its own published criteria say the opposite about money – a listed disqualifier is 'consistent displays of excessive shows of wealth', and the site says 'How much or little money someone has isn't the currency here.' What it does gate on, by its own account, is referrals and committee judgment, which is a social-network filter rather than a financial one. That is Raya describing itself; nothing here independently tests who actually gets in.

On the public recordNone identified. Raya is not an SEC registrant and no regulator or court record naming it was found in this research.

Read from: Raya (application site, including published community guidelines and terms of use text) · Raya application-site page bundle (main.653ebf3f.js), containing the published About, community guidelines, terms of use and privacy text quoted here

The League

Match Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTCH; SEC CIK 891103), through its subsidiaries. Match Group, Inc. and Match Group, LLC are the entities bound by the FTC's 2025 order.

Free tier, paid to use it properly

Who it says it is for: Career-oriented singles, per Match Group's own brand description.
How it works: Not established. The brand's own product mechanics were not read for this research.
In its own words: Match Group's brand page: 'Launched in 2015. Designed to serve highly ambitious, career-oriented singles.'
What it costs: No price is published. Match Group's Form 10-K states that access to premium features 'requires a subscription, which is typically offered in packages (generally ranging from one week to six months)' and that 'Prices can differ meaningfully within a given brand depending on the duration of a subscription, the bundle of paid features that a user chooses to access, and whether or not a user is taking advantage of any special offers.' There is therefore no single number that can honestly be quoted. No League-specific price was obtained.
Verification: Match Group publishes a group-wide set of safety features: Photo Verification (a short video selfie compared against profile photos), an 'Are You Sure?' prompt on outgoing messages the system flags, a 'Does this bother you?' prompt on incoming ones, and Share My Date, which sends a match's profile and location to a chosen contact. The 10-K adds Face Check, 'a facial verification feature that helps confirm users are real and match their profile photos', launched in 2025 at Tinder in several markets. Match Group does not say anywhere reviewed here that it runs criminal background checks. No League-specific verification page was obtained.

What it is good for

Readers already comparing Match Group products who want to know that this is one of them.

Know before you sign up

The League is named in the FTC's August 2025 order against Match Group over guarantee advertising, cancellation practices and locking out users who disputed charges. The company did not admit wrongdoing.
It is a Match Group brand, confirmed on Match Group's own corporate site and in the FTC's press release.
No price is published, and its interaction model and safety features were not verified for this research.

Badoo

Bumble Inc. (Nasdaq: BMBL).

Free tier, paid to use it properly

Who it says it is for: General and international, with the filing identifying Europe and Latin America as its strongest markets rather than the US.
How it works: Not established from the pages read. Bumble's 10-K describes the Bumble app's mechanic in detail but does not do the same for Badoo.
In its own words: Bumble Inc.'s Form 10-K: 'Badoo app, launched in 2006, was one of the pioneers of web and mobile free-to-use dating products. Badoo app's focus is to make finding meaningful connections easy, fun and accessible for a mainstream global audience. Badoo app continues to be a market leader in several countries in Europe and Latin America.'
What it costs: No price is published. Bumble Inc.'s terms, which cover the Bumble Group, state that pricing 'varies by a number of factors' including region, subscription length and bundle.
Verification: Not established separately from Bumble's group-level description. The Bumble Group terms apply group-wide and reserve a right to require identity verification.

What it is good for

Readers dating outside the United States, particularly in Europe or Latin America, which is where Bumble Inc.'s own filing places its strength.

Know before you sign up

Badoo is owned by Bumble Inc. Choosing it as an alternative to Bumble means choosing another product of the same company.
Bumble Inc.'s own filing does not position Badoo as a US product. Badoo App and Other revenue was $182.6 million in 2025 against $783.0 million for the Bumble app.
Its interaction model, free-tier scope and safety features were not verified separately for this research.

On the public recordNone identified. See the Bumble entry; Bumble Inc.'s 2025 Form 10-K discloses no named regulatory action.

Read from: Bumble Inc. Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 · Terms and Conditions of Use

The safety part, in four lines

Meet in public. Tell someone where you are going and when you expect to be back. Arrange your own transport there and back. Never send money, however good the reason sounds. Romance fraud is a large, federally-measured crime and the version of it that takes the most money now involves fake investments rather than fake emergencies. The numbers, and where to report it.

Compiled from company filings, published pricing pages and regulator records; carried over unchanged from the research behind dating again. Apps change their pricing constantly. Tell us when we are out of date.

Keep reading

Dating again — the legal question, and the research
Body image and dating again
Talking to the children
Before you remarry
Digital safety
Co-parenting apps compared

Sources last checked2 September 2026

Page published2 September 2026

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