The best dating apps to cure your app fatigue
If you’ve chatted with literally any single friend lately — or scrolled through social media for five minutes — you know the general consensus on dating apps in 2025. People are...tired.
So, what are the best dating apps to cure app fatigue? As someone who’s been testing and reviewing dating apps for years, I get this question a lot.
Here's a better question: What do you want from your online dating experience? People with similar interests, values, and goals tend to flock to the same places both IRL and online. Someone on eharmony probably doesn’t want to hear, “I’m not looking for anything serious,” and someone on Tinder probably doesn’t want to talk about how many kids they want on the first date. That's why choosing the best dating app for your needs is the only "hack" that actually works.
No matter how you feel about dating apps, you can't deny that many couples now owe their relationship to online dating. A 2023 report from the Pew Research Center found that out of nearly 6,000 respondents, one in 10 partnered adults (those who were married, in a long-term relationship, or living together) met through a dating app. For adults under 30 and members of the LGBTQ+ community, 20 to 24 percent found their partner on the apps.
The dating apps worth downloading in 2025
To help you find dating apps that actually work, I've put in the hours, the swipes, and the subscription fees.
To find the best options for every kind of single — whether you're a hopeless romantic looking for love, a college student on a budget, or a busy professional — I created profiles, swiped (and swiped, and swiped), and even paid for premium features. I also consulted Mashable's dating and relationship experts, reviewed privacy policies, and considered overall ease of use.
