Best dating apps for seniors

Online dating isn't just for younger people. You may be skeptical of the countless dating apps out there, but the truth is there is plenty of room for older people to make meaningful connections online. 

These days, there are seemingly as many dating apps as there are personal preferences. Looking to settle down with a serious relationship? Dating apps like Hinge offer detailed and diverse online dating experiences. Interested in making connections with same-sex or nonbinary people in your age range? There are plenty of dating apps that provide an inclusive experience for LGBTQIA+ daters as well, regardless of age.

Best dating apps for seniors

Are you ready to put yourself out there and start meeting people? We reviewed the best dating apps for older adults of 2024; find our top picks below.

• Best designed for seniors: OurTime
• Best for serious relationships: Match
• Meet the most people: SilverSingles
• Best for LGBTQIA+ daters: Hinge
• Most thorough: OKCupid

Find the right dating app for you below. Then, read some important tips for online dating safety and choosing the best senior dating app.

Best designed for seniors: OurTime

OurTime is a dating app geared toward older adults. It's easy to use thanks to a simple dashboard and straightforward signup process. You can make an account and start matching with people from your home computer or download the free OurTime mobile app for Android or iPhone. 

There's large text for readability and easy automatic prompts that help users get started quickly and easily.

OurTime offers free or premium memberships. A free account will give you access to the basics: You can view and search profiles and send a limited number of "likes" per day. The biggest limitation to a free account is messages; you can't send or receive them without a premium subscription. A premium subscription gives users unlimited messaging, unlimited "likes," and access to ConnectMe, a feature that generates a phone number for you and your match to chat securely offline.

According to OurTime, prices for a premium prescription may vary depending on your location. Costs start around $35 per month and go down if you pay for multiple months at a time. The cheapest monthly price we could find was $20 per month for a six-month premium subscription.

Pros:

• Senior-friendly website and mobile app that makes everything from creating a profile to sending "likes" to potential matches super easy.
• Setting up a profile only takes a few minutes.
• OurTime has options for LGBTQIA+ daters, with one of the first questions upon signup being sexual preference.

Cons:

• Premium prices are not listed online -- you need to subscribe first to see paid plan options.
• Messages are a premium feature only, which means free users can see other users and send "likes," but need a paid subscription to send or receive messages.
• No ability to filter searches based on distance.
• Although OurTime is inclusive of LGBTQIA+ users, the options are geared toward gay men, lesbians and heterosexual couples. Bisexual users, as well as transgender and nonbinary people, may want to try other dating apps first.

Best for serious relationships: Match

Dating apps may sound like a place to go for casual dates and connections, but there are actually several that focus on setting up serious or long-term relationships. At the top of that list is Match, an online dating service that's been going strong since its founding in 1993.

If you're less interested in swiping or casual dating, Match lets you take a different approach with an experience geared toward compatibility. You fill out a detailed profile which is then used to help connect you with like-minded and compatible people.

According to Match itself, 37% of the dating app's user base are 50 and up. Match also employs a background check service to maximize safety, making it easy to screen potential matches before a first date.

Match is inclusive to the LGBTQIA+ community. Users can choose from a number of gender identities upon signup, including agender, bigender, genderfluid, nonbinary, and trans identities.

Match users have three options: a free, standard, or premium plan. Users with a free account can send unlimited likes -- a rarity, as this is typically reserved for paid subscriptions with other apps -- and message other profiles. Standard prices start at $22 per month and offer additional features such as the ability to see who's liked or viewed your profile. Premium prices start at $23 per month and come with even more exclusive features, like a monthly boost that increases your number of profile views for a time.

Pros: 

• Detailed profiles can make it easy to find other matches based on shared interests or personality traits.
• Premium subscribers get access to local in-person events (speed dating, food tours, etc.) at a discounted price. 

Cons:

• Match doesn't require users to fill out complete profiles.
• Setting up your profile can be time consuming, but the attention to detail can be worth it for finding serious relationships.

Meet the most people: SilverSingles

Available in 25 countries and designed for people ages 50 and older, SilverSingles is a great senior-friendly dating app. This can make it easier to meet compatible people in your area (and age range). 

Matches are made based on personality tests that users fill out when signing up. Personality tests are required when you make an account, so no worries about matching with incomplete or blank profiles. Users are also prompted to select a gender and the gender(s) they are interested in for a potential partner. 

Free users can see potential matches, as well as send "smiles" or "likes" to anyone they're interested in. A premium SilverSingles membership, which starts at $25 per month (for a 12-month subscription; prices go up for shorter subscription lengths), offers features like comprehensive personality test results, unlimited messaging, and read receipts.

Pros:

• An exclusive focus on users ages 50 and up makes this a senior-friendly dating app that's easy to use.
  
• Up to seven compatible matches recommended to users per day.

Cons:

• Users can't browse or search for matches on their own and instead must rely on the app's daily recommendations. 
• Retaking the personality test requires reaching out to customer service.
• While there is inclusivity for gay and lesbian users, SilverSingles offers limited options for LGBTQIA+ users that fall outside of the category of "man/woman seeking man/woman."

Best for LGBTQIA+ daters: Hinge

While it's not geared specifically toward older adults, Hinge is a very popular dating app with a wide demographic of users. Beyond its large user base and popularity, Hinge stands out as a great dating app for seniors thanks to an inclusive and personalized design.

Due to the app's growing popularity, it's becoming increasingly easy for gay, lesbian and nonbinary users to find like-minded or open-minded individuals as well. Since Hinge is more of a relationship-oriented app, it can offer a refreshing alternative to more casual apps such as Tinder or Grindr for members of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Hinge is free to use, but users can unlock additional features, such as unlimited likes, with a premium account, which costs between $33 and $50 per month.

Pros: 

• Detailed profile options that let users stand out such as personal details and dating intention information.
• Voice prompts, video prompts, and prompt polls give users plenty of room to express themselves. 
• Free users can filter matches by things like distance and race, which is rare and typically reserved for paid subscriptions on other dating apps.
• Likes and comments can lead to more meaningful connections than other swipe-based mobile apps.

Cons: 

• Mobile app design can be a bit confusing for seniors, especially if they're new to online dating apps in general. 
• Features like weekly "roses" ("super likes") can feel a bit tacky and limiting.
• Premium accounts (Hinge Plus and Hinge X) are expensive.

Most thorough: OKCupid

OKCupid stands out among other senior or senior-friendly dating apps thanks to a diverse user base, thorough compatibility features, and a perfectly decent experience for free users.

New users can create an account, upload photos, and send messages to potential matches with a free account (other users will have to swipe right on your profile as well to read your message, however). Everything starts with an in-depth questionnaire, which is used to find suitable people and potential matches. 

As the first dating app to let users list their personal pronouns on their account bio, OKCupid is also a great dating app for inclusivity: the mobile app lets users choose from 13 sexual orientations and 22 gender identities. 

OKCupid has a free tier as well as several paid subscriptions: OKCupid basic ($30 per month), premium ($40 per month), and incognito ($20 per month), the last of which lets you stay active while only showing up for other users who you've liked or messaged.

Pros:

• Fairly straightforward and user-friendly mobile app and website.
• Various inclusivity features make OKCupid a good app for LGBTQ+ users looking for a dating pool that doesn't solely cater to heterosexual relationships.
  
• Broader and more diverse dating pool than many other apps, which means transgender and nonbinary seniors might have better luck making meaningful connections through OKCupid.
  

Cons:

• Potential matches need to swipe right on your profile as well in order to read your messages.
• Subscriptions are automatically renewed unless canceled manually.

How to pick the right dating app for older adults

When trying to decide on the right dating app to try out, older adults and seniors should think about what they're looking for. Many apps like Tinder and Grindr offer big user bases, but they tend to be geared toward younger user bases, as well as more casual relationships. Look for apps that are either designed with senior daters in mind, like SilverSingles, or ones that prioritize meaningful connections.

It's also important to look at the demographics for different dating apps. According to Pew Research Center survey data from 2022, dating apps like eHarmony and Match have a decent sized user base ages 50 and over: 54% of Match users were 50 or older. Those numbers obviously go up for senior-centered dating apps like OurTime but drop sharply for apps geared towards younger audiences. 

Take our online dating survey to find the perfect dating app for you.

How to avoid online dating scams

Scams are an unfortunate risk that everyone must be wary of, but older adults should be even more cautious. Online dating scams may sometimes target older users specifically and can be convincing. 

As a rule of thumb, you should never give out personal or financial information to a stranger online. If a new or potential match asks for your bank account, social security number or home address, they may be trying to take advantage of you. It's best to hold off on sharing any personal or sensitive information until after you get to know someone thoroughly and meet in a public place for a date. 

Love bombing is another red flag that seniors should learn to recognize. This refers to the act of showering someone new or unfamiliar with praise, gifts, or constant attention early on in the conversation. If it feels like the person you just matched with is going too fast, it could be a case of love bombing. It sounds harsh, but the underlying motive there may be to earn your trust before manipulating you for financial gain.

Is online dating worth it for older adults?

Dating is no less important, exciting, or beneficial for people over the age of 50 than it is for anyone else. Aside from the given benefits of finding companionship in someone new, online dating has been linked to lower stress levels and healthier behaviors for seniors putting themselves out there.

How we chose the best senior-friendly dating apps of 2024

Everyone deserves to find what they're looking for in a serious relationship, so that's why we prioritized the following things when conducting our reviews for this list:

• Accessibility: We prioritized senior-friendly dating apps that are easy to use.
• User base: We focused on popular and well-established dating apps that have a decently sized user base of people ages 50 and over.
• LGBTQIA+ compatibility: Our list highlights only the most diverse and accommodating dating apps for gay, lesbian, trans and nonbinary users in addition to cisgender and heterosexual people.
• User feedback: All of our chosen dating apps hold a four-star rating or higher on their respective app stores from users just like you.