7 Dating Apps Made For Marriage, Not Hookups
Not all dating apps were created equal. This is especially true if your goal is marriage. So which apps should you try if you’re looking for your future husband?
It often feels like the only way to “solve” singleness in 2022, for those searching for their spouse, is to hop on a dating app; in fact, the moment a single woman mentions she’s on the lookout for a relationship, no one can stop themselves from suggesting the most popular single’s apps.
More often than not, a few names will come up when discussing dating apps: Tinder, Bumble, or OkCupid. The single woman imagines endlessly swiping through a thousand pictures and profiles, getting wanna meet up? messages, and going on a slew of unpleasant dates with guys who have no intention of ever calling someone their wife. She cringes.
If we’re honest, the idea of dating apps is a wonderful one — finding your perfect match all without having to leave the house is an attractive thought. But sadly, for women actually looking for a guy who’s husband material, rather than a casual relationship guy, dating apps like Tinder and Bumble don’t always deliver.
But that doesn’t mean a single woman whose goal is to get married can’t ever use a dating app — it’s just about using the right one. So for all those single ladies looking for their future husband, here are a few dating apps to try.
eharmony
Sure, we’ve all heard of eharmony, the dating site that did online dating way before it was cool, but have you given it a chance? Ever since the likes of Tinder and Bumble showed up, eharmony has stepped up its game and is now available as an app. And perhaps the best thing about eharmony is that users are able to take a Compatibility Quiz and complete a Personality Profile, making for matches that have a lot less to do with picture-appeal and a lot more to do with actual compatibility. eharmony does have a monthly fee (after a free trial), but that could actually give you better odds of finding a guy who’s also looking for something serious.
Match.com
Match.com is yet another dating site that’s been at it a lot longer than most young singles have even been alive. With over 39 million users, Match.com is certainly worth the try. And because you’ll be filling out a detailed profile (the more you complete, the better your matches will be), the matchmaking process will be based on actual compatibility and shared values instead of surface-level things. Match.com has a free trial period as well as a few membership tiers to choose from.
Elite Singles
For the more professional-minded singles out there, Elite Singles could be the dating app you’ve been searching for. Over 80% of its members have either a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree, and over 90% are over the age of 30, so you know you aren’t getting involved with any immature college boys. And with nearly 400,000 new members each month and a personality test that’s based on psychological research, the odds are in your favor. Elite Singles is free to try, but also has premium membership options.
Hinge
Hinge is definitely one of the more popular dating apps out there, often being lumped in with apps like Bumble or OkCupid. And while you’re bound to find some guys who aren’t looking for anything serious, Hinge advertises itself as the dating app that’s “designed to be deleted,” so its goal is definitely for its users to find real relationships. Unlike other mainstream dating apps, Hinge makes it difficult for users to set up vague profiles with a bunch of pictures, but instead encourages more unique, personal profiles, leading to far better matches. Plus, Hinge was the most mentioned app in the NYT’s 2017 “Weddings” section, so it must be doing something right.
Coffee Meets Bagel
Besides having an adorable name, Coffee Meets Bagel is widely known as an app that attracts users who are specifically looking for long-term, committed relationships. One of its best features? Every day the app delivers its female users a list of their best matches (which have already liked you!), giving them the opportunity to either pass or match, so there’s no worry of getting burnt out by swiping for hours on end. Once the connection is made, the chat will last seven days after the last interaction, which is great news for ladies who are tired of hearing from a guy after four months of him ghosting!
Christian Mingle
Faith is one of the biggest dealbreakers in dating, so when it comes to finding your future husband, it’s no secret that it’s one of the most important things to align on. For single Christian men and women, one of their best bets for finding a fellow Christian online is through Christian Mingle. With around 3.5 million monthly users, you’re bound to come across someone you connect with and share similar values with. You can try out the app for free, but once you come across someone you’d like to chat with, there is a monthly fee.
JDate
Christians aren’t the only ones looking for love online. For single Jewish men and women, one of the best options out there to find matches you at least connect with on faith is JDate. While it certainly isn’t the most used app on this list, the quality of its singles is very high — many of JDate’s users are definitely looking for a serious relationship. You can upload photos and message paid members for free, but to unlock all the bells and whistles, it’ll cost you some money.
Closing Thoughts
While the mainstream dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and OkCupid are known for leading to more casual relationships than marriage, that doesn’t mean every dating app is the same. Single ladies who desire marriage should give one of these seven more marriage-minded apps a try!
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