What's The Best Dating App For Finding A Serious Relationship?

For those looking for love, dating apps can be a popular way of connecting with other singles, offering a quick method to survey your options and strike up a conversation. People flock to dating sites and apps for various reasons, from casual hookups to long-term, committed relationships. If you’re in the market for a serious connection, knowing which app to try may be difficult. 

To start, exploring a few of the most popular apps used by people looking for serious long-term relationships and a few tips for optimizing your dating profile might be helpful. By knowing where and how to invest your time and energy, you can be one step closer to finding a long-term partner—and taking down the apps altogether.

Top choices: The best dating app for serious relationships

A handful of apps are designed for those looking for long-term compatibility and meaningful relationships instead of just a fling or casual sex. These dating platforms are generally meant for active users and may cater to queer people or other users with specific preferences, ensuring an inclusive space for all. Most dating apps also have a free version, although you may miss out on unique features with paid versions. If you’re ready to start dating for keeps, the following dating apps for long-term relationships may be useful options. 

Hinge

Hinge bills itself as “the app designed to be taken down,” and its user experience seems to echo that claim compared to other dating sites. It’s built around prompts rather than bios, allowing the dating pool users to create interesting profiles and start meaningful conversations. The app also offers an option to tell people what you’re looking for, so you can tell the world you’re in the market for a long-term connection and check that potential matches are on the same page.

Anecdotally, Hinge users agree that it’s the best app for serious relationships, commonly used by those who take dating a little more seriously and prefer thorough profiles for in-depth understanding. However, your age, location, and other factors may influence who appears in your feed. 

Bumble

Bumble is mostly a free dating app with an extensive user base looking for a serious connection, including queer women and marriage seekers. One Bumble survey found that 85% of its users sought a relationship. Bumble differs from other dating apps in that women are tasked with sending the first message, and matches expire within 24 hours if the conversation doesn’t continue. For LGBTQ+ users, either party can make the first move.

This popular dating app also prioritizes similar interests and dating intentions, where the signup process includes personal prompts to help make it easier to start a conversation. You can select your favorite hobbies and pastimes, letting you match with people who has the same passions as yours. 

CoffeeMeetsBagel

CoffeeMeetsBagel’s tagline— “for serious daters”—may give you an idea of what to expect when looking for a free dating site. According to their stats, 91% of CMB users are looking for a relationship compared to other apps that may focus on casual connections. The site’s chat feature is unique, with icebreakers to help you get started and chat limits to help you move the conversation off the app. They offer a few matches daily, encouraging users to avoid being overwhelmed by endless swiping.

Your CMB profile can include values, interests, and a few prompts to help you showcase your personality. The app also offers a section to define your dating style, which may be helpful for planning a first date and clarifying boundaries you may have surrounding meeting up. CoffeeMeetsBagel is available on iOS, Android, and online. 

How to optimize your dating approach for serious relationships

It’s not just about finding the best dating apps, it’s also about how you present yourself. It may be helpful to think of your dating profile as an advertisement—you can work to capture people’s interest, showcase your favorite features, and give a sense of your personality, values, and dating goals. 

Online dating sites and apps provide members with countless potential matches. Some might boast or exaggerate the truth to make their profile stand out, but even through a dating app, it’s possible to avoid this and instead be your genuine self. 

By offering an accurate snapshot of who you are and what you’re looking for, you may be more likely to attract compatible matches seeking a long-term connection. 

Be clear about what you’re looking for long term

One way to signal that you want a serious relationship is to state it outright. The best apps often allow users to set dating goals and display that info alongside the rest of their biographical information. You might also consider elaborating further by expanding your dating goals in an in-depth profile, clarifying that you want a long-term connection. 

There can be a few steps between swiping and settling down, so try to balance setting expectations while remaining casual and approachable. For example, quips like “Looking for someone to take home for the holidays” or “Looking for someone to put down as my emergency contact” can convey that you want serious relationships in a lighthearted and low-pressure way. 

Choose app photos that tell your story

In addition to showing off your physical qualities, photos can show others your personality, lifestyle, and values, illustrating why this platform might be your best bet for finding serious connections.

Embody the qualities you seek in relationships

When dating, it may not be uncommon to daydream about who an ideal match might be, from their physical appearance to their passions and personality traits. While having specific standards or preferences can be helpful, finding someone who embodies those characteristics may be challenging unless you also exemplify similar traits and values yourself.

Research shows that people gravitate toward partners who are somewhat similar to themselves, a process known as assortative mating. For example, if you’re looking for a driven, healthy, and adventurous partner, it may be worth striving for those qualities in yourself.  

Focus on your interests and passions rather than your accomplishments

While your accomplishments may be bragworthy, avoid creating a profile that might come across as a professional resumé. Potential partners may be more interested in your personal interests, passions, and inner world than your career trajectory. 

You can discuss what you’re proud of on a dating site. However, it may be worth focusing on the personal qualities you possess that have helped you achieve your goals rather than the achievements themselves. For example, saying, “I love what I do, and it’s allowed me to thrive in my career,” might be preferable to listing your job titles or awards. 

Show your dating app matches you’re interested in them

Chats between matches may fizzle out. Between the thousands of other phone notifications people can receive and the day-to-day routines that keep them busy, keeping up with online dating apps can fall by the wayside. In some cases, it may start to seem like a chore.

Though it may be evident to some, one of the best ways to succeed in online dating may be to be proactive about keeping conversations going—preferably in person. Use icebreakers, interesting questions, and thoughtful responses to show your interest over chat, and suggest meeting up for coffee or a drink if the conversation is going well. 

Stay committed to the best dating app for serious relationships

If logistics make it challenging to schedule a date—or if you aren’t ready to meet up in person—phone calls, video calls, or voice notes may be an effective way to start getting to know each other and maintain interest. 

Be honest and authentic for serious matches on the best dating app for serious relationships

When creating your profile and chatting with your matches, write honestly and authentically about who you are, what you love, and what you’re looking for. While presenting an idealized version of yourself may be tempting, you may risk misrepresenting yourself or setting unrealistic expectations. 

Although the vulnerability that often comes with dating may be uncomfortable or scary, tell yourself you are complete and worthy of love. The right person will appreciate you for who you truly are. If confidence issues make it challenging to represent yourself authentically in your dating life, it may be worth connecting with a therapist to work through some of these challenges. 

Become the person you’re looking for in therapy

While casual dating can be a fun and carefree way to meet new people and discover your dating preferences, dating with the goal of a serious relationship can involve soul-searching and personal growth. Awkward first dates, rejection, anxiety, and uncertainty are often a part of the dating landscape, and it’s not uncommon for these experiences to bring up insecurities or self-doubt.

CBT & other great methodologies

In these cases, some may find therapy a positive companion as they navigate the dating marketplace. A therapist can help you work through any difficult emotions that may arise and offer valuable guidance as you work toward becoming the kind of person you want to attract as a partner. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, for example, has been found to be effective for several common mental health challenges and may offer a means of overcoming problematic thought patterns that may be interfering with your dating life.

Online therapy for dating

If you face barriers to in-person therapy, online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp may be a valuable resource for self-improvement as you balance the emotional and practical demands of dating, self-improvement, and daily life. Online platforms offer a flexible and convenient way to attend weekly therapy and tend to be more affordable than traditional face-to-face therapy. 

Studies show that internet-based interventions are as effective as in-person therapy and may offer additional features like weekly group sessions, webinars, interactive journaling, and daily messaging with your therapist.