Try These 10 Free Dating Apps to Find Your Next Connection

Tinder is one of the most popular ways to meet dates in the online world. Using a handful of pictures, a short description, and a general location, users can sift through potential matches by swiping left to ignore/deny someone or swiping right to match with someone. Once matched, users can message each other. The base app is completely free, but Tinder does have three paid tiers that offer exclusive features.

While dating apps are great in terms of controlling who you connect with, unsolicited messages and troublesome encounters can ruin the experience. Bumble seeks to solve this problem by giving women the upper hand. On the app, women make the first move and swipe through profiles to find their perfect match. Once matched, they have 24 hours to message their potential date before the connection disappears.

On top of adding tidbits of info to your page, you can also link your Spotify and Instagram accounts to beef up your profile. Bumble is free to use and has different versions — such as Bumble BFF or Bumble Bizz — depending on what you're looking for.

Known as the app that is "designed to be deleted," Hinge is a free dating app that seeks to help people get past the superficiality of online dating by finding meaningful romantic connections. Hinge uses in-depth profiles, which can include specific details such as education and religion, as well as unique prompts to connect you with the best match. To help users start conversations, the app also encourages people to like a prompt or aspect of another person's profile to spark a conversation deeper than the dreaded "Wyd?"

OkCupid is arguably the most in-depth online dating app with regard to information sharing. The free app helps users connect to people through lengthy questionnaires, which can range from your political affiliation to your favorite video games. Using answers from the questions, OkCupid connects you to potential matches based on how compatible you are.

If you're looking to explore dating options on a more familiar platform, look no further than Facebook Dating. This feature uses information from your Facebook profile, such as your current job, hometown, and education, to build you a free dating profile. After creating a profile, you can filter potential matches by hitting a heart button to connect or an "x" if you're not interested. If you're worried about your grandma or elderly neighbor seeing your dating prospects, don't worry: your Facebook Dating profile does not post on your page.

Instead of filling out a profile and uploading pictures, The Sauce uses Instagram stories and TikToks to showcase someone's true personality. The Sauce is free to use, and matching with someone is as easy as sending a DM — making it one of the easiest ways to find your next romance.

Plenty of Fish has been a leader in the online dating world since its launch in 2003. While competition has only increased since the early 2000s, the free app has managed to keep users over the years with its user-friendly platform and simple features. Plenty of Fish helps users find matches through swiping and unlimited messaging. Users can also join Livestreams on the app to get to know their potential dates in a deeper way.

Coffee Meets Bagel is a free dating app that's designed to help users find meaningful matches. The app utilizes an "antiswiping approach" and user-profile prompts to encourage more authentic connections and transparency. 91 percent of Coffee Meets Bagel users seek serious relationships, so if you're looking for something more substantial, try the app. You can also upgrade to Coffee Meets Bagel Premium for additional features.

Happn lets fate do its thing by matching you with people you've crossed paths with in real life. Whether it's on your evening commute from work or your morning trips to the gym, Happn is a free app that uses your location to match you with other users in your area who use the app. When you and a user get close to each another, their profile shows up on your feed, helping you find that random crush you never thought you'd be able to connect with. You can like profiles to start a conversation with a match and perhaps be inspired to cross paths formally in the future.

With more than 10 million users, HER is one of the top dating apps for lesbian, bisexual, queer women, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming people. The app markets itself as being incredibly safe for people in the LGBTQ+ community, allowing users to build a profile based on sexual orientation, gender identity, values, hobbies, and interests. Users can also join communities within the app ranging from traveling to social activism.