Best Free Dating Apps

Every app claims to be free. The differences show up in the detail: how many messages a day, whether filters are locked, whether your profile keeps getting shown once you stop paying attention to it.

The apps most people cycle through — Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, OkCupid, Facebook Dating — each restrict something different on the free tier. Bumble limits who can open a conversation, Hinge limits daily likes, OkCupid buries free profiles further down the queue.

RuneDate is included here for the obvious reason, but the comparison is worth making yourself: sign up to two, send the same number of openers, and count replies after a week.

What to check

• Bumble: free but women must open the conversation
• Hinge: limited daily likes on the free tier
• OkCupid: free messaging, lower visibility without paying
• Facebook Dating: free, tied to an existing profile
• RuneDate: no message cap and no paid tier to buy

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