The best dating apps and sites in 2024 (UK)

Let’s just get this one out of the way. If you’re thinking of dating apps, you’re thinking of Tinder. If you tell someone you’re on dating apps, they’ll assume it’s Tinder. They pioneered the now-ubiquitous swiping function, revolutionising the world of online dating and boasting 1.6 billion swipes per day. What started out as strictly a hookup app has turned into one of the biggest matchmakers in the world. 

Even if you’re brand new to online dating, you likely know that as you’re served a series of photos, you swipe right if you like what you see and left if you don’t. When you both indicate interest in each other, you’ll get a notification that it’s a match. It’s a basic formula that’s been copied a lot, and has made “swiping” a part of the dating vernacular. 

Tinder may not want to advertise as such, but we all know what it’s mostly used for. The threshold for making a profile is low, so you’re quite literally deciding if you want to interact with someone based on nothing but profile pictures and a quote from The Office, so yeah, you can see how getting laid would be the main goal of most users — but hey, we all know those couples who met on Tinder and have been together for years. It’s fast, easy, and if there’s one app that even the shyest, most skeptical people will be on, it’s Tinder. 

It’s free for general use, but Tinder does offer upgrades in the form of Tinder Plus, Tinder Gold, and Tinder Platinum. These include extras like undoing a left swipe (bless), sending “Super Likes” to people you’re really into, seeing which users have liked your profile, and even messaging someone before you match.

Tinder has teams dedicated to keeping data secure and aims to be transparent in how your information is shared. Your information may be shared with third parties for data hosting, customer care, analytics, marketing, advertising, payment processing, and security operations.