With so many “best paid dating apps” out there you might think that it’s easier than ever before to find someone.. And… you’d be wrong. In fact, a Pew Research survey found that 67% of singles said their dating lives weren’t going well and further 75% said they hadn’t been on a date in over […]
With so many “best paid dating apps” out there you might think that it’s easier than ever before to find someone..
And… you’d be wrong.
In fact, a Pew Research survey found that 67% of singles said their dating lives weren’t going well and further 75% said they hadn’t been on a date in over a year!
Trends like this suggest that despite the volume of dating apps available in 2023, quality is so much more important than quantity.
As we review the best paid dating app (and 11 runners-up) we’re going to consider not only the best features but also what kind of people are best suited for each option.
Let’s start with our #1 paid dating app for serious relationships, Zoosk!
Related Reading: Best Adult Dating Sites
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Zoosk was always the “brainy option” when it came to choosing a paid dating app for serious relationships. After all, the “last of the dating apps” (at least alphabetically speaking) combines four of the most sought-after dating sites features:
You can browse freely, search for someone specific, swipe through random profiles, and receive personalized match suggestions. In short, Zoosk has the same features as most real dating sites.
Paying subscribers get more search filters, unlimited messages, fully unlocked profiles, and the option to boost their profiles for more interaction. You can also buy Zoosk coins for in-app purchases, like profile boosts, access to incognito mode, and virtual gifts.
As one of the top paid dating apps, Zoosk has 40 million active users, which is great.
But there’s one area where Zoosk excels, which boosts them to our #1 spot…
Zoosk Live!
Zoosk has recently capitalized on the user-submitted videos craze, and now offers a live streaming community where members can broadcast themselves and participate in group video chats.
Zoosk Live! Has a variety of nationwide shows you can watch, as well as live shows from nearby members. You can even broadcast yourself!
People used to other popular chat apps will find themselves right at home with video dating apps like Zoosk Live!
While this isn’t exactly like an intimate video chat (streams may have anywhere from 18-999 viewers at once), it’s still a great way to meet new people in the community.
Zoosk doesn’t offer much of a free preview, and is considered one of the top paid dating apps online. But it’s quickly becoming one of the most fun online dating apps for people who love social media and video chatting.
Join Zoosk Live and see why it’s our top pick for the best paid dating apps!
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Elite Singles anticipated your parent’s first question; what does He/She do for a living?
This “project manager” of dating apps is fully devoted to matching educated, working professionals together. With 85% of its members having a college degree, it’s hard to deny the quality of singles you’re going to find here.
Elite Singles is a paid dating app for serious relationships and equally matched professionals looking for love.
Elite Singles is “rich”, but its dating services are geared towards serious relationships, and matching people based on shared values. You can even add filters for religion and ethnicity, as well as other factors that might increase compatibility.
Like many of the best paid dating apps, ES offers intelligent matchmaking suggestions based on profile similarities. It also offers something else unique: a highly moderated community where profiles are routinely scrutinized.
Most paid dating apps online avoid verification and moderation, but these people are serious!
While there isn’t much of a free dating option (you can’t even see your matches’ faces!), as far as paid dating sites go, it’s an ideal choice for working professionals.
Find out why EliteSingles is known as the top paid dating apps for professionals!
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eHarmony is an multi-award winning platform and easily one of the most trusted of all dating apps, dating back to 2000.
Not only does it have a reputation for promoting serious relationships, but it has one of the best track records for finding love. The site even claims that every 14 minutes, a couple finds love.
The site is even full of real testimonies written by happy customers!
That’s a rarity among most online dating apps, since no one really wants to write a testimonial about a hookup gone wrong that ended with someone half-naked and screaming in your driveway!
You could say that eHarmony filters out “hookup relationships” almost immediately. It starts with a very detailed questionnaire which later provides better data for matchmaking.
One of the most exciting features for this paid dating app for serious relationships is the virtual date option. After matching with someone, you can catch each other online and activate a Video Date.
Yes, you need to match first – meaning women won’t be inundated with unsolicited video calls.
But it’s more than just a video chat. Video Date lets you experience an event together, like a virtual dinner, a movie, or a few glasses of wine.
Getting personal, real, and honest is one of the best features of the Virtual Date.
Of all the online dating apps, eHarmony feels the most authentic. It doesn’t offer much of a free preview but it’s no doubt one of the best paid dating apps online for those looking to fall in love.
Join the most serious-minded of the best paid dating apps, eHarmony!
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Silver Singles has been around for over 20 years…and let’s face it, no one ever thinks they want to join SilverSingles until they realize they’re over 50 (after all, joining Tinder may not be the best option at this age).
But don’t worry, unlike other dating apps, SilverSingles isn’t about live streaming, or posting your playlist, or getting Instagram followers.
(You will need to upload a few of your most flattering pictures, however)
SilverSingles users can expect the staples of traditional online dating apps, with unlimited texting and intelligent matchmaking. If matchmaking is too stifling, you can even make use of a “Have You Met?” feature, which lets you see profiles of nearby users.
SilverSingles doesn’t have much of a free preview, unfortunately. There are also other quibbles, like the lack of advanced filter options.
But as far as creating a comfortable environment and great user experience goes, this is clearly the best paid dating app for Gen Xers, Boomers and people looking for someone to make them feel young again.
Join the best paid dating app for singles over 50!
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Seeking.com is one of the very few paid dating apps online that offer luxury matching.
To be clear, this doesn’t necessarily mean “rich and successful meets rich and successful”. It can also mean “rich man meets young and beautiful woman” or even “rich woman meets younger man.”
Seeking is all about creating arrangements. That means you can customize the serious relationship of your dreams here, whether you’re looking for someone that makes over 1.5 million a year, or even an extramarital affair partner.
About that rich and celebrity thing…
Yeah, a number of users on Reddit have gossiped about celebrities and other famous or rich people that look for dates on Seeking – because they don’t like using non-luxury dating apps. They want a partner who understands how difficult it is to date someone with money.
Someone who can just as easily walk away from a serious relationship if need be.
While this is a paid dating app for serious relationships, it’s very much an open-minded community where finding a strong connection is more important than defining what the relationship is.
Yeah, so it’s not exactly a romcom of manners here.
No wonder Seeking offers privacy features like invisible status, hide your join date, and hide your login information. It’s like the Mr. Grey of paid dating apps.
As far as the best paid dating apps go, Seeking is the best choice if you know exactly what you’re looking for.
Find out why Seeking is one of the top paid dating apps for luxury and wealth!
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As hookup cultures become more and more prevalent, so do online dating apps like Adult Friend Finder.
Although AFF has been around since 1996, it’s seen a major surge in popularity over the last 10 years, and today, it’s home to over 100 million members!
While the site is extremely inclusive (There’s tons of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans singles) there’s also a thriving community of polyamorous couples, swingers, BDSM partners, and other alternative romantic lifestyles that most dating sites ignore.
Adult Friend Finder is one of the few paid dating apps online where you can ask for a vinyl-clad Domme to tie you up, whip you, and a host of other boundary-pushing activities.
Other NSFW features include:
There isn’t much of a free preview here, as AFF’s best features are for premium members.
Fill out your dating profile with kinks and fetishes, as well as your life goals. There’s no reason why kink has to be a short-term affair only.
In short, although AFF is a decent paid dating app for serious relationships, it’s definitely for unconventional lovers who have a not-so-vanilla sex life.
Related Reading: Best Hookup Sites
Simply put, AFF is a top dog among top paid dating apps, so wear your kinks on your sleeves and embrace the community.
Join Adult Friend Finder, the sexiest of the paid dating apps online!
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There are so many paid dating apps online that promise to connect men with women – usually “horny women waiting to meet in your area.”
But truth be told there are only a few paid dating apps online that have a higher than average female-to-male ratio. One is Seeking, one is eHarmony, and the other is Bumble.
That’s right, the other ones are probably lying!
Bumble is actually the most female-friendly of the best paid dating apps, since it was designed by one of the women who also worked on Tinder.
The free dating app has a simple pitch: women initiate a text conversation after a mutual match. This cuts down on the barrage of male DMs that sometimes overwhelm female users.
Of course, the free version of Bumble comes with some annoyances. You have to respond to all matches within 24 hours. If you don’t, the chat expires.
Moreover, you can’t see who swiped right on you, and if you accidentally swipe left on someone you meant to swipe right on, you can’t double back
Bumble Premium not only fixes these dating services, but also boosts your profile for more views.
Join Bumble, the paid dating app where women message first
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Of all the online dating apps, Hinge is one of the most well known for having younger demographics, and for pushing for more serious relationships.
Over 90% of Hinge’s users are between the ages of 23 and 36 and 49% are between 18 and 29.
Between 45-70% of Hinge users are also looking for a relationship, so this is one of the best paid dating apps for finding a long-term partner.
Hinge’s icebreakers are among its best features, since you not only get asked icebreakers on your dating profile, but you also get icebreaker prompts on video chat!
Only the best paid dating apps have video chat, and Hinge has a great “speed dating” feature that lets you rapidly cam-2-cam chat with local singles.
The free version puts limits on profiles and ways to reach out and the sign up process is daunting.
But that said, Hinge is one of the top paid dating apps for finding a strong emotional connection – and specifically for young people who are looking for more than just Spring Break shenanigans.
Join Hinge, one of the top paid dating apps for people 35 and under!
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Tinder is one of the most active dating apps with 75 million members, and a notorious name that almost everyone instantly associates with hooking up.
Of course, most people think of Tinder as one of those online dating apps for hookups and easy sex – not realizing that about 25-50% of all Tinder profiles say something like “I am not looking for a hookup.”
That’s right, some people still want a real connection – even if the relationship is not going to last forever.
This makes it a great choice for “rebound relationships” – the ones that are probably short-term, but still meaningful. The kind you look for to help you get over your ex.
Like other online dating apps, Tinder has tried to up the ante when it comes to adding more relationship-oriented features.
Tinder Premium gives you special dating services like unlimited swiping and likes, unlimited rewinds for accidental swipes, and the ability to search different cities and countries.
Of course, Tinder is not the most romantic of the online dating apps, but is the best way to get back into the dating game after a long “recess.”
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Plenty of Fish has so many members – over 100 million members – that you’re sure to find someone nearby to connect with.
Yes, that includes long-term relationships and people looking for love.
Unlike other dating apps like Tinder and Adult Friend Finder, Plenty of Fish focuses more on real chemistry and matching profiles with similar relationship needs.
POF is not without its flaws, however. Profiles are partially “locked” for free members until you join a premium dating sites plan. If you stay with a free account, you’ll only get about one “First Contact” DM per day.
That said, Plenty of Fish is certainly one of the best paid dating apps because it removes many of these limitations. You can unlock full profiles and get 50 First Contacts per day vs. just a handful.
POF is a good paid dating app for serious relationships due to its unlimited messaging (paid version) and easy sign-up process that lets you jump right in.
Sign up quickly at Plenty of Fish, one of the top paid dating apps for conversation!
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HER used to be considered “Grindr for lesbians.” But whereas Grindr has become associated with gay hookups, HER has come into its own as an LGBTQ safe haven…
It’s also a place where people take friendships and relationships seriously. You can find trans women, lesbians, non-binary users, and a wide range of other genders and sexualities.
Well, except for cisgender males.
HER has two cool features you don’t usually see from other online dating apps.
You can join virtual communities for forum discussion, or attend in-person or virtual events by visiting the “Events” section. Much like Facebook, you can keep track of who’s going to events, who’s posting in what groups, and add people to your friends’ list.
HER is one of the better paid dating apps online, especially once you ditch the free app and upgrade to HER Premium.
Join HER, top paid dating app for serious relationships among LGBTQ users!
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Match.com is perhaps best known for its guarantee of ‘find a suitable match’ within 6 months or you get the next six months free.
The site dates back to 1995 and has processed more matches than most paid dating apps out there. It also has the distinction as one of the most active online dating apps in the game.
Besides that, Match’s features are easy to learn and versatile. You can get recommended matches in the Discover section, see local members in Highlights, or do a reverse search to find people looking for your “type.
Best of all, you can do a keyword search, which only a few paid dating apps online offer.
Match.com is ideal for users who want the safety net of a guarantee and access to some of the most advanced search tools of any paid dating app for serious relationships.
Try out Match.com, the most active paid dating app
In determining the top performing of the top paid dating apps, we had to consider these criteria:
The best paid dating app of the year might well be Zoosk, for its fun video streaming community, as well as its more traditional dating sites features.
Zoosk lets you meet someone on Zoosk Live! and then message them privately for more one-on-one chat. You can also swipe local neighbors or get matches based on shared dating sites profiles.
The best dating app for long-term relationships is Hinge. It not only has a large population of millennials, but uses an in-depth personality quiz to create personalized matches.
For older online users, the best paid dating app for serious relationships is either SilverSingles (which has a high population of users over 50) or Zoosk, which has a mix of millennial and boomer-aged users.
Yes, you can find long term relationships on dating apps. In fact, dating sites like Hinge and eHarmony are relationship-focused, and extra effort is made to provide users with highly compatible matches.
Even on adult NSFW hookup dating apps, like Adult Friend Finder and Alt.com, many users have found long-term relationships based on their shared kinks.
C’est la vie, it goes to show you never can tell!
The best dating site for serious relationships is Zoosk and eHarmony. After all, no other dating apps have as much provable success as eHarmony.
eHarmony is a paid dating app for serious relationships that not only recommends intelligent matches to you, but also gives you a “Compatibility Score” for each potential match.
Yes, a paid dating app for serious relationships can help you get married, although there’s no guarantee of marriage.
Actually, a research study concluded that while desired qualities in a mate fluctuated greatly between various respondents, there was one noted phenomenon.
Most happy long-term marriages resulted from happier single people getting together.
In other words, people who were already happy and then found someone to be happy with fared much better in their long-term relationships.
People who counted on marriage to fix their problems as a single person were left feeling dissatisfied.
Kind of makes you think, doesn’t it?
In the end, we determined that Zoosk was the most exciting of the best paid dating apps for its innovative video streaming community and its proprietary SmartMatch technology.
Whatever works to encourage conversation is a winner in our book.
But before choosing the best paid dating app for serious relationships, remember to work on yourself and first find contentment within your own body and mind.
Then, as your own happiness beams, you will notice other people will find you that much more attractive and interesting!
That means more swipe rights for you!
