Metro experts test the best dating apps – with honest reviews and rankings

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Choosing the right dating apps in the digital era, for better or worse, can be the be-all and end-all of your romantic life.

If you’ve ever experienced the anguish of downloading an app, spending half a morning curating your perfect, mysterious-but-sexy profile, only to be greeted with a hundred potential matches who don’t meet your criteria – you’ll know exactly what I mean. 

Obviously, you have the option to tool around with them yourself and spend hours finding the perfect fit for your dating needs. But it could be so much simpler – if only there were some well-versed dating experts (*cough*, us) ready and willing to put all the legwork in for you. 

The experts at Metro – and yes, I’m shamelessly including myself in this – thoroughly test dating apps and sites for at least two weeks. We look at things like ease of use, how complicated it is to set up a profile, which platforms explore a diverse range of relationship types (read our best gay and bisexual dating apps for more detail) and the benefits, and downsides of paid premium options. 

We then go on to review them, frankly and transparently, as well as categorising them in terms of what our readers are looking for. Whether it’s low-commitment romance, intentional dating or kink-friendly hook-ups; we like to make sure all our bases are covered. 

How we review dating apps 

Product Specs

First, we like to take a look at the product specifications for both dating sites and apps. This means the nitty-gritty of the app itself – the base-level cost (if any), paid subscription options, the number of global users, age range and inclusivity, exploring options for gender and sexuality identifiers, as well as relationship types. This way, you know exactly what you’re getting into, right off the bat. 

Reasons to Use… (…and Avoid)

At Metro, our experts don’t tend to hold back on opinions just because an app, or site, is popular. We always aim to give you at least two reasons to use a dating platform. But, if we feel it underperforms or doesn’t meet our personal expectations – we’ll let you know, okay?

These lists look for particular areas like the profile setup process. If we’re having to spend 40 minutes answering niche personality questions just for all our key points to be buried beneath our thirst-traps, it’s probably not ideal. 

More importantly, we take the accessibility of dating apps and sites very seriously. Huge point-scorers in our book include platforms which allow you to choose from a vast number of gender and sexuality options – ‘man or woman looking for man or woman’ doesn’t quite cut it. Financial accessibility is a priority, too. Users shouldn’t need to pay £40 per month just for more than five swipes – I’ll keep saying it until I’m dead. 

Our Verdict

This is where you’ll see our unfiltered thoughts in full. Our testers spend a significant amount of time on the apps and sites; matching with profiles, talking to people – even arranging dates IRL. 

We don’t just look at dating platforms on a surface level – we want to make sure they live up to expectations. 

Comparing to Similar Products

We’re all chronic daters – but I don’t need to tell you that. Trust me when I say our knowledge of the online dating world is vast (personally, I’ve been on the apps for a decade). This means we’re able to accurately compare the sites or apps we’re testing to competitors, and let you know which one might suit your needs best.  

Online Rankings

While we’re all seasoned professionals here, you don’t need to take our word as gospel. It’s important to let the online reviews speak for themselves. 

If it’s an app, we’ll take a look at the reviews on the Apple Store/Google Play Store, as well as scour social media for some of the hottest takes. We might include user reviews from X [formerly Twitter], Reddit, Instagram, TikTok or Facebook. 

Why Trust Us? 

Our experts have been in the love, sex and relationships field now for a number of years, and have plenty of reviewing experience. As well as this, a lot of us actively use the apps or sites we review in our personal lives, too. 

We’re always incredibly honest and our reviews are unbiased. Our priority is to recommend the best products for you – and we certainly don’t shy away from the bad points, as well as the good. 

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