Top dating apps for serious relationships (January 2026)

Cuffing season is here! The best dating apps for serious relationships, reviewed. Anna Iovine Bluesky . Read Full Bio Bethany Allard Read Full Bio Tabitha Britt Tabitha Britt is a freelance writer and editor. Aside from reviewing dating apps and sex toys for Mashable, Tabitha is also the founding editor-in-chief of DO YOU ENDO - a digital magazine by individuals with endometriosis, for individuals with endometriosis. She has a Master's degree in Creative Publishing and Critical Journalism from The New School of Social Research and is a grad of Sextech School. You can find more of her work in various online pubs, including National Geographic , Insider , Kinkly , and others. Read Full Bio Overview Table of Contents Gone are the days when people balk at you if you say you met your partner online. Dating apps have irrevocably changed the way we date - much like social media platforms have changed the way we interact with each other overall. With so many apps, from Bumble to eharmony, it can be challenging to determine which ones to invest in, especially if you're looking for that special someone. According to 2023 findings from the Pew Research Center, one in ten partnered adults (married, living with a partner, or in a committed relationship) met their partner on a dating app or site . If you're a younger adult and/or , you're more likely to have met your significant other online: one in five adults under 30 and nearly one in four for LGBTQ adults. LGBTQ The same study found that almost half (44 percent) of dating app users said a major reason for using them was to meet a long-term partner. So, if that's you, you're certainly not alone, despite what you might see people lament on TikTok. AdultFriendFinder - readers’ pick for casual connections Tinder - top pick for finding hookups Hinge - popular choice for regular meetups The discourse on dating app culture can be unrelenting. Singles told Mashable earlier this year they'd rather meet a potential partner in person , but they're begrudgingly on the apps. Some, like in recent quarters, while Hinge is growing. Even then, though, daters bemoan even the most popular of apps. After Zohran Mamdani's win for New York City mayor in November, for example, Tinder, have seen their revenue decrease where he had met his wife four years prior. Hinge users complained that it was somehow "not the same app" Despite the frustration over The AppsTM, it's undeniable that if you want to date from the comfort and safety of your home, they're the way to do it. If you're, say, introverted or have difficulty approaching someone in person, an app does have its uses. And consistently every year, the day with the most activity on dating apps is the first Sunday in January, now known as "Dating Sunday." It's right after New Year's Eve but well before Valentine's Day; it gives people who felt their singleness at the ball drop a chance...

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