Hinge vs Bumble: Which is better?

Online dating can feel exhausting. There are so many apps and dating websites to choose from, yet somehow it can feel impossible to make an authentic connection, no matter which dating app you try out. Hinge and Bumble are two of the biggest and best dating apps on the scene, and for good reason: Both offer a ton of fun and interesting features geared towards bringing interesting and like-minded people together.

But which one is worth the download? We've done all the comparison work for you, looking at standout features and subscription prices. Read on for an in-depth look at both mobile dating apps, as well as our verdict on which one is the better dating app. 

Hinge or Bumble: Which is better?

Far from the fast casual dating apps like Tinder, Bumble and Hinge each offer an interesting way to seek out a serious relationship with someone in your community. Let's explore what makes each app stand out among the competition below.

Hinge, the dating app for serious relationships

Advertised as "designed to be deleted," Hinge aims to bring people together for serious dating experiences. With more than 20% of online dating users between 18 and 64 having used Hinge at least once between July of 2022 and June of 2023, Hinge is up there with other uber popular dating apps like Bumble in terms of popularity.

Hinge is more visually focused than many other dating apps with plenty of options to have your account stand out. You can upload images with captions, as well as videos, for a personalized experience. Other standout features include voice prompts, multiple choice polls that you can set up yourself and a plethora of filtering options to help you weed out people you may not be interested in (due to things like age, religion or simply how close their location is to you).

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

Hinge is free to download and use, but there are also upgraded paid subscriptions that unlock even more features. If you want more than eight likes per day, for example, Hinge+ offers unlimited likes, additional dating preferences, and the ability to sort users by things like location. The next and highest tier is HingeX, which gives you everything that comes with Hinge+ plus enhanced recommendations and "priority" likes that can help you stand out to other users.

Bumble, the popular dating app with a less conventional approach

For years, Bumble has been one of the most popular dating apps nationwide. This mobile app offers an engaging, inclusive, and somewhat unconventional experience to users of any identity, although some core features empower women interested in making the first move -- particularly when it comes to heterosexual matches.

Launched in 2014, Bumble is a dating app that was born from a desire to offer a more unconventional approach to online dating. With a basic structure that anyone who's ever used a dating app before will recognize, Bumble offers just enough free and paid features to keep things interesting and engaging.

One of the biggest draws to Bumble is how communication works. Bumble takes an approach different from other dating apps when it comes to sending that first message: Up until recently, women were empowered to always make the first move with heterosexual matches. This was a way to eliminate some of the concern women and female-presenting people may have on other dating apps where unsolicited messages can be a problem.

Recently, Bumble announced a new feature to cut back on some of the anxiety and uncertainty that came with the app's women-first approach to matchmaking. Opening moves is a new feature that gives women the option to set a question prompt that anyone can reply to. This new addition doesn't change the dynamics of Bumble too much, though, since opening moves aren't required.

Another exclusive feature of Bumble that you won't find with other dating apps like Tinder or Hinge is the 24-hour timer that kicks in with new matches. After that first message and mutual connection, your match has 24 hours to respond before the match expires. This can be a good way to prevent people from wasting each other's time.

Bumble is free to use, but users also have the option of paying for one of three premium tiers. Free users have access to a number of features already that are sometimes saved for paid subscriptions with other dating apps, such as: advanced search preferences (education level, politics, etc.), video calls, and the question game feature. Premium subscriptions can unlock access to additional features like unlimited daily swipes. Premium tiers include Bumble boost, Bumble premium and Bumble premium plus.

Hinge vs. Bumble: Standout features

Hinge and Bumble are both solid, popular dating apps that are geared toward sparking a serious relationship. Both offer a decent experience for free users, as well as several different premium subscription options for an even more expansive online dating experience.

Standout features for Hinge make for a reliable and rewarding experience. These include:

• The ability to like or comment on specific photos or prompts without restriction. The only limitation is for free users who get a limited number of swipes per day -- premium users of any tier can enjoy unlimited swipes.
• An expansive list of filters and preferences that are available to free and paid users alike (although paid users have access to more options than free users). Most other apps hide this ability behind a paywall completely, but Hinge lets anyone filter potential matches by age range, maximum distance, race and ethnicity, or religion.
• A large selection of varied prompts and questions to help you kickstart your personalized profile. These include a number of conversation starters and thought experiments exclusive to LGBTQIA+ experiences as well, making for an inclusive and immersive experience.
• Voice prompts, video prompts and prompt polls that offer a fun and easy way to express yourself. No need to sit and stare at your phone or computer screen to come up with the perfect profile bio.

Bumble offers a number of similar perks and features, such as an expansive list of accessibility features and profile prompts that offer an inclusive experience to members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Other standout features of Bumble that truly set it apart from the competition include:

• A "ladies first" approach to matchmaking. This can be a refreshing take for women and femmes who are tired of conversations in other dating apps that stall out, begin on a sour note or simply never take off at all. 
• The app's 24-hour timer on initial messages. While this may be con to some people, we find the added nudge of urgency helps to keep things from stagnating. If you've ever tried your hand at other dating apps, you've likely experienced a match with someone who seems incapable of saying "hi" until days (or weeks!) have gone by.
• Bumble's large user base. In a close tie with Tinder, Bumble has one of the largest user bases of any dating app available today. This means anyone having trouble finding interesting people in their community may have the best luck with Bumble over other apps -- even Hinge. 

Cost breakdown of Hinge and Bumble premium subscriptions

So with different subscription models and discounted bundle prices for both Hinge and Bumble, you're likely looking for a straight answer to the question: How much does each app cost? While both dating apps offer a fairly robust experience for free users, we break down the pricing structure for each app below.

It's worth noting that Hinge claims in its terms of use agreement that its pricing can vary based on a number of factors like occasional promotional rates and new features. All prices listed below are based on advertised prices at the time of publication.

Premium Hinge prices and features

• Hinge+: $16.99 for one week or $34.99 per month. Lengthier subscriptions come with discounts including up to 77% off for six months ($16.99 per month).
• HingeX: $22.99 for one week or $44.99 per month. Lengthier subscriptions come with discounts including up to 75% off for six months ($24.99 per month).

Hinge+ gives users some key upgrades including unlimited likes, expanded dating preferences (politics, education, family plans, etc.), and the ability to sort matches and incoming likes by who's new or nearby. Hinge+ subscribers can also see everyone who likes them, which is a step up from free users, who can only see their most recent incoming "like" at any time.

HingeX offers users everything that comes with Hinge+ plus additional features including enhanced match recommendations and priority likes that show up first for other users.

Premium Bumble prices and features

• Bumble boost: prices start at $20 per month. 
• Bumble premium: prices start at $35 per month.
• Bumble premium plus: prices start at $50 per month.

Bumble boost offers users unlimited daily swipes, a weekly spotlight feature for standing out to potential matches, unlimited "extends" (that add another 24 hours to the clock for new matches), five "SuperSwipes" per week, and the backtrack feature that lets users take another look at a profile they swiped left on.

Bumble premium comes with all Bumble boost features plus additional advanced search features, travel mode, incognito mode, and access to the Beeline feature.

Bumble premium plus unlocks all Bumble boost and premium features plus a prioritized profile (that lets users show up at the top of others' feeds), the ability to be seen sooner after liking someone, and access to trending users.

Hinge vs. Bumble: Which is better? Our final verdict

For free users, both Hinge and Bumble offer a solid online dating experience. You get a limited number of likes or swipes per day and can personalize your profile in a number of unique ways. Hinge stands out for its robust selection of interesting prompts and conversation starters, which include plenty of unique ones geared towards the LGBTQIA+ experience. 

Bumble stands out for its unique approach to matchmaking wherein women and femmes get to send the first message, but this only goes so far -- gay men and nonbinary or gender nonconforming individuals may still get stuck on that age-old "who messages first?" question upon matching. 

In terms of premium subscriptions, Bumble offers a slightly more robust experience thanks to unique perks such as the Beeline feature. Monthly prices are also a bit lower than Hinge, although Hinge has the added benefit of reduced bulk prices -- the trade-off is that you need to pay for several months at once in order to save.

We recommend Hinge for people looking for a unique online dating experience -- especially those interested in a serious relationship. If you're ready to pay for a premium subscription and unlock everything a dating app has to offer, we suggest giving Bumble a try due to its simpler pricing structure.