With the release of Tinder Gold last month, many people are looking for new dating alternatives. And I can’t really blame them. What was once “the game,” swipe to your heart’s content, not worry if someone was out of your league, because, unless they also swiped right on you, it was a no harm, no foul situation. Of course, there were those that swiped right on everything to help bolster their self-esteem in the form of more matches, but generally speaking, this wasn’t a huge issue.
Tinder Gold introduced a bunch of new features – some awesome, like being able to choose your location for those upcoming vacations, but some that are not as awesome and essentially eliminate what Tinder was all about.
So, if you’re on the market for some new dating apps, I’ve compiled a list of some of the ones I’ve personally enjoyed using, as well as some that are just doing cool things for the online dating scene.
Bumble
A pretty straightforward dating app – you fill out your profile, upload some pictures, and start swiping locals in an range that you set up. It’s very similar to Tinder, but with one main difference – on Bumble women have to initiate the conversations. Matches go into your “Hive,” and until a conversation is started they just stay there.
It’s not a huge difference to Tinder, you’re still going to get a lot of matches that just never talk to you, but it definitely adds an interesting dynamic. There is also the option to filter out by people that are only looking for new friends, making this a bit of a dual-purpose app.
Hily
Are you ready to let a machine serve up date recommendations? With Hily, machine learning is used to help offer up potential matches. You start as normally, filling in information about yourself and adding photos. You also have to complete a verification process which is supposed to really help cut down on the spam and fake accounts. While no system is perfect, bots have definitely been less of an issue on the platform.
The magic starts once you begin really using the app. The more you swipe, the more you talk, and the frequency and depth in which you talk to matches is all data that is being crunched by uncaring machines in order to make better match suggestions for you. It’s an interesting concept, and like most things AI, it should just get better the more it is used.
Tastebuds
This one toes the line between dating app and social experience, but it is definitely something worth checking out if you’re really into music. Tastebuds will pull your music preferences from Facebook, while also giving you the chance to search and add music manually to your profile, as well. Like MySpace of yesteryear, you can even have a song on display that people can check out when looking at your profile.
Tastebuds doesn’t have the largest audience, and you’ll have a much better experience with it in larger cities, but the concept alone is worth checking out if you’re a music lover.
Clover
If you’re looking for a more well-rounded experience, Clover brings in many features from other dating apps and puts it under one roof. There’s an “on-demand” feature that lets you real dates with people. In addition to the normal matching features, it also curates local events, singles meet-ups, parties, and more.
It also uses an advanced search feature that lets you fine tune your searches to help find your perfect match. While most of these features are available for free, it should be noted that some of the more advanced search options and verification process are locked behind a paywall.
Online dating will always be an adventure, with everyone having their own goals and wants from the connections made online. While Tinder is still dominating, the new features with Gold have many looking for alternatives, and any of the choices listed above make fine candidates.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.