Which is Your Best Bet This Year?

At A Glance

Hinge impresses from the first glance with its “the
dating app designed to be deleted” motto. Developed for millennials looking for
long-term relationships rather than hookups, it proposes itself as a breath of
fresh air for singles who want to spend more time connecting with like-minded
people rather than spending ages swiping through profiles. It’s been around
since 2012, and it’s safe to say this app is one of Tinder’s fiercest
competitors.

Tinder is one of the most popular dating apps. It has
managed to pull a massive user pool and bagging millions of users. Since 2012,
Tinder has been the reason for many relationships across the world. The app
allows users to find lovers, friendship, marriage partners, and eternal love.
It is currently available in over 190 countries and translated in over 34
languages. The site welcomes singles of all ages looking for hookups and casual
dating.

How to Choose a Dating App

Dating apps
can serve many purposes. You can sign up for casual dating, to have a one night
stand while you’re on a business trip, or to find the love of your life. Thus,
choosing a dating app should start with deciding what you want to use it for.

Since there
are dozens of dating apps out there, deciding what you’re after will surely
help you trim down options.

For instance,
Tinder is a
great choice if you’re looking for casual dating and one night stands, but you
may find it difficult to find long-term romance through this site.

Hinge, on the other hand, is a much better choice
if you’re after a long-term relationship. Using a different policy than Tinder,
Hinge aims to help people connect outside the dating platform instead of
focusing on making “matches.”

Which is
the best dating app is ultimately down to you; however, knowing what to expect
from any of these services is crucial for making the right choice.

Picking is
not always easy, though; that’s why I decided to make a quick side-by-side
comparison of these two popular services. Whether you’re after a hookup or
long-term romance, let’s see who wins in the Hinge vs. Tinder battle.

Availability

Both Hinge and Tinder have been
around since 2012, but each platform developed in a very different way. They both
address millennials and, overall, attract younger singles. However, Tinder has
managed to expand in over 190 countries and is translated in over 34 languages.

Hinge, on
the other hand, is available in four countries and two continents. Needless to
say, Tinder wins the first round.

Winner: Tinder

Popularity

As
mentioned above, Hinge and Tinder are two dating apps developed for the same
target pool, namely millennials and younger singles. Most users on both
platforms have ages between 18 and 32, with the vast majority being in the
24-30 age group.

It is
widely known that people that age usually look after casual dating rather than
long-term commitment; therefore, it’s quite easy to understand why Hinge has
only 5 million monthly visits compared to Tinder’s 50 million.

Both platforms
are responsible for the creation of many couples and even for some marriages,
but Tinder is undoubtedly much more popular.  

Winner: Tinder

Sign-up Process

When it comes
to signing up, both apps focus on making the process as easy and smooth as
possible.

Hinge was
born as a Facebook app and still allows its members to sign up via Facebook. Since
2019, the platform was purchased by Match, and it now allows signing up with
your phone number.

This is a
great option for those who don’t want to use social media for this purpose and
also for members who don’t use Facebook at all.

Once you’ve
created an account, the platform will require you to verify your phone number
and upload a minimum of six pictures, which could put off some users. A big
white point goes to Hinge for allowing you to choose what information you want
to display on your profile.

Tinder also
allows you to sign up with Facebook or a phone number, but the app also permits
registering with your email alone. Once signed up, you can either verify your
email or phone number to get things rolling.

Unlike Hinge,
Tinder doesn’t require you to upload a full album. One photo is enough for you
to start swiping.

With this
in mind, Tinder wins this round! At this stage, it’s safe to call it 0-3 for
Tinder.

Winner: Tinder

Features

Since the
platform focus on different dating types, the features between the two couldn’t
be more different.

Hinge stands
out with a roulette-type display of matches, and you’re limited to sending a
maximum of 10 daily likes. When liking a profile, you have to choose what
exactly you like about it, and all matches will be displayed based on
compatibility.

For this
reason, it is recommended to fill in your full profile before you start
browsing.

Liking profiles
and sending messages is free, but the app only lets you chat with other members
if you liked their profile, and they liked yours. There is no such thing as
free browsing and instant messaging to whoever you want to contact.

This method
was implemented specifically to help you find the best match for a long-term
relationship, but it can easily become annoying.

Two awesome
features are Who Liked Me and We Met. The former lets you browse through the
profiles who liked you, so you can like them back. If you’re a free member, you’ll
have to actually open the profiles one by one to see the pictures, or you could
opt for a paid plan to see clear thumbnails of those who liked you.

We Met is a
feature that lets you provide private feedback about your date. This comes as a
novelty in the dating world, and it’s undoubtedly one of the most awesome characteristics
of the website, that helps you keep the dating community safer.

This feature
also helps Hinge recommend better matches and encourage you to get off the app,
based on your answers.

Tinder also
packs a wide variety of features designed to make it more fun to use. Undoubtedly,
the service is known for its profile swiping, a hot-or-not type of game that
lets you find matches based on whether you like or dismiss the profiles.

Just like
Hinge, Tinder is free to use, and you can communicate with others without paying
a dime. Paid features are the cherry on top of the cake.

One of them
is a profile booster that increases your chances of finding a match. The
feature boosts you on top of the search for half an hour and is a great feature
to use when you’re out and about and want to share a coffee with someone.

The Superlike
is another awesome feature you can use if you really like a profile and want to
draw the attention.

A nice feature
compared with Hinge is Rewind that lets you unlike or returns to a previous
profile if you accidentally swiped past it.

Last but
not least, the Top Picks feature helps you find a perfect match by simply
checking the suggestions made by the platforms. These picks are chosen based on
the information provided in your profile, so you’d better fill it inaccurately
if you want to receive relevant suggestions.

Since both
platforms come with a bunch of interesting features that serve different
purposes, I’m gonna call this a tie.

Winner: Tie

Quality of Matches

Hinge didn’t
score too many points so far. With a 2-0 for Tinder and a tie, the “dating app
to be deleted” comes second by now. However, things are about to take a turn
for the better when considering the quality of matches.

Hinge is
designed for people looking for a long-term relationship. It doesn’t have a
myriad of features, but all those that are present focus on getting you off the
app and into the real world as quickly as possible. You’re likely to find people
with similar interests here, and there are high chances you’ll even find the
love of your life.

Tinder
focuses on helping people hookup. The platform doesn’t focus on long-term
romance, and even if it is responsible for some marriages, most people on
Tinder are there for casual dating or uncommitted sex.

It sounds rough,
but the truth is that many young singles don’t want to end up in a committed relationship
just yet, so the platform is perfect for them.

Considering
the overall quality of matches, though, Hinge undoubtedly takes the lead and
starts to rebalance the situation. The score is now 1-3 for Tinder. Well done
Hinge! At least during this round.

Winner: Hinge

Aesthetics and Interface

One of the
main features to consider when choosing a dating platform is the aesthetics and
ease of use. The former is not truly important, but it can make or break the
deal. Indeed, dating apps looking like something coming from the 90s don’t really
inspire trust, so most quality users tend to look elsewhere.

The ease of
use is equally important, especially if you don’t want to spend ages figuring out
how to use the dating app.

Considering
both features, it’s easy to see that both Hinge and Tinder have clean aesthetics
that appeal to younger audiences.

Hinge has a
very intuitive interface too. Few buttons and easily accessible menu let you
move from one tab to another without worries. It is minimalist and easy to
learn, as the platform’s main purpose is that of facilitating communication.

Tinder also
has a highly attractive interface, just as inspiring as Hinge’s. However, this
dating app tends to be a little less intuitive.

Indeed, you’ll
need some time to figure out how it works, which is okay in the end. Nevertheless,
Hinge wins this round.

Winner: Hinge

Pricing

With the
odds starting to look brighter for Hinge, it’s time to talk about pricing. The first
thing to know is that both are free.

You can
successfully use both Hinge and Tinder to find a match. As you could expect
from a dating service, though, both platforms have paid plans too.

Hinge has
only one paid tiers, called Hinge Preferred, with prices starting at $9.99 per
month. Tinder’s paid plans are Tinder Gold and Tinder Plus. Even the cheapest
plan on Tinder is more expensive than Hinge’s plan, but the nice thing is that
both apps give you the possibility to opt for one-month paid membership plans.

Another nice
thing is that Tinder divides the plans and offers cheaper options to members 28
years old or younger.

Since Hinge
is cheaper anyway, the app wins another round! Ladies and gents, it’s 3-3 now!
Wow… what an unexpected turn!

Hinge Preferred	Subscription length	Price/month	Tinder Gold	Subscription length	Price/month
Read review	One month	$9.99	Read review	One month	$14.99
	Three months	$19.99		Six months	$52.99
	Six months	$29.99		12 months	$82.99

Winner: Hinge

Who Is It For? 

The last
thing I consider when comparing dating apps is the platform’s approach to the
LGBTQ community. And I’m pleased to say both Hinge and Tinder welcome members
from all walks of life. Whether you’re straight or have other sexual views, you
can surely find a match on either platform.

Hinge even
shows its LGBTQ support through cute videos on its home page, which is simply
awesome.

Since both
platforms accept members from all walks of life, this round is a tie.

Website	Who Is It For	Link
Hinge	Straight men and women + LGBT/queer/asexual individuals	Read review
Tinder	Straight men and women + LGBT/queer/asexual individuals	Read review

Winner:  Tie

And The Winner Is…

Ladies and
gents, I’m astonished. This is the first time I run a side-by-side comparison
between two dating apps and have a perfect tie.

Hinge is a great choice for younger singles
looking for a long-term relationship. The app is developed to get you out of it
and into real life as quickly as possible. As it says, it’s made to be deleted,
and there are high chances you’ll delete it quite quick.

Tinder focuses on helping you find casual dates or
hookups wherever you are. It uses geolocation to pin down your position on a
map and shows you matches nearby; whether you’re at home or on a business trip,
this app is perfect for connecting with singles near you.

Both apps
claim you can use them to find friends, too, but let’s be honest for a moment and
admit that nobody will ever use Hinge or Tinder for such a purpose.

With this
in mind, what is the best between the two is ultimately down to you.

So, what do
you say? Would you download Hinge or Tinder? Are you looking for a hookup or
long-term romance?

Tell me in
a comment below; I’d love to hear from you.

And before
you go, don’t forget to share this article. Your single friends will undoubtedly
thank you.