As February rolls around and Valentine’s Day approaches, there is an underlying pressure to secure a companion to celebrate the international day of love. To mark the romantic season a help smartphone-owning, singles find a date for the 14th, Envirofone has released new data showing the most popular and best-rated apps for online daters this February.

Envirofone, a recycler and retailer of refurbished mobile phones conducted a study, analysing App Store and Play Store data of the UK’s dating apps (31 were shortlisted) to determine the contenders that will help Brits secure a date as cuffing season draws to a close.

Of course, there is no denying that Tinder is the king of dating apps for both Android and iPhone users and dominates the online dating scene.  The app was searched a whopping 518,390 times across the Apple App Store and Google Play Store last year, averaging out at 44,290 a month and almost doubling in February (spiking at 74,070).

However, whilst Tinder may seem like the best dating app to find your winter romance, it came in at just number 10 in our rankings when taking into account user satisfaction through app ratings.

Related blog: Best Smartphone Apps For Sticking To Your New Years Resolutions

Which dating apps have the highest success rate?

 

Lewis Rice, Business Unit Lead at Envirofone commented,

“It’s now well accepted that dating apps can be a great way to find a romantic connection, opening up the dating pool for many, whether it be a fling or a long-term relationship. Although big contenders do still appear in the top 10, our research into rating data provides evidence that people prefer apps that cater for certain niche audiences, diluting the popularity of the previous dating app dominators.”

 

Do you currently have a stronger relationship with your phone than you do with real-life people? Are you bored of dating apps that don't work? Explore Envirofone's top ten dating app suggestions:

Badoo:

Coming second only to Tinder in popularity, Badoo’s annual searches reached  299,330 across the two app stores combined. Pair this with an average in-app rating of 4.1/5, and Badoo stands out on top as the best and most reliable dating app when the two ranking factors are combined. Although most people download the app seeking romance, Badoo offers a less intimidating “open to chat” function that can be used to find both friends and potential romantic connections.

Raya:

Exclusive dating app Raya is all the talk, with applicants having to have an official referral from an existing member of the app to ensure that they are a good fit. It’s so exclusive that you will only be able to download the app if you own an iPhone! Despite that, the app was searched 92,690 times last year and maintained a rating of 4.2, so you better get chatting with your Raya-exclusive friends to provide a referral for you!

Bumble:

Bumble takes a top 3 spot, making it a great place to meet both friends and partners. With the premise of the app requiring that the woman makes the first move, this can make the online dating space less intimidating for both genders. In total, the app was searched 232,430 across the year and scored a satisfaction score of 4 out of 5 by its users.

Hinge:

If you’re interested in finding a serious relationship, Hinge might be the one for you. On average, the app is searched over 5,000 times a month with a total of 61,921 searches over last year. The app is designed to steer away from the mindless swipe culture that some dating apps have created, by matching you based on interests and preferences. As a result, it has scored a high average rating of 4.05.

Mingle2:

One to look out for in 2023? Although Mingle2 has a smaller number of sign-ups, the app has searched a total of 27,590 across the year with members expressing their satisfaction, ranking it on average 4.25. Whether you’re seeking marriage, or a relationship or are there just to make some friends, Mingle2 could be worth exploring!

Grindr:

As the world’s largest social networking app for the LGBTQ community, the app was searched for a total of 109,200 last year in the UK. The app is rated highly amongst its audience with an overall in-app rating of 4.05, making it the 11th best-rated dating app and the 6th most popular.

HER:

This was the best-rated out of all 31 apps in the study, with high scores on both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Rated 4.35 out of 5, the LGBTQ+ app had a total of 15,670 searches in 2022. It seems that HER could be one to look out for in 2023, with high respectability and loyalty amongst its members.  

Plenty of Fish (POF.com):

Plenty of Fish rates above the likes of eHarmony and Match.com on both total searches (270,470) and overall ratings in-app (3.68), proving its popularity. The third most searched dating app in the UK is perfect for singles seeking a long-term relationship as matches are based on compatibility and a “Relationship Chemistry Predictor”.

Scruff:

Unlike its main rival, Grindr, Scruff attracts a smaller and older target audience of uniformly ‘muscular’ males. Its refined audience is reflected in searches for the app and in 2022 was searched a total of 19,400 times. However, ratings for the app sit at 4.15, highlighting the satisfaction that comes with a more compatible member audience.

Tinder:

Tinder may still appear at the top of the list for most searches, but the app sits down in 20th place in terms of ratings (3.4). Therefore, although the app is still popular, people’s loyalty to it could be low. Is 2023 the year that we see a decline in downloads?

 

Ruth Barrett, 35, from Newcastle shares how she met her partner on one such dating app, giving tips (and hope!) to those looking to find love online. Ruth said:

“Dating apps simply didn’t exist when I was last single so in 2017 I stumbled into the unknown and hoped for the best. As I'm sure countless other people experience, there were some mismatches and awkward dates along the way. But I had the opinion that it was ‘good for the plot’ and helped identify what I was and wasn’t looking for.

Tinder wasn’t the one for me as it turns out, I’m pretty direct, but not that direct. Bumble offered a safer space for online dating, putting women in charge of sending the opening line. I matched with a guy called Jordan in July 2017 and ended up hitting it off straight away. We moved in together in April 2018 and got married in March 2020. What’s more, we're expecting our first Bumble baby in July.

I’d encourage others to go for it. You might just meet ‘the one’.”

 

Related blog: Top 10 Most Popular Apps Used In 2023

 

Conclusion:

Although Tinder may be the app that comes to mind when we think about dating apps, Envriofone believes that the online dating scene is about to change, with emerging apps becoming more popular in 2023.