Love Is In The Airwaves: The 10 Best Dating Apps In Australia

Whilst we all fantasise about having a meet-cute with that super hot barista at our local coffee shop, we're also painfully aware of how out of step our dating expectations are with reality. Cue, dating apps. Love them or hate them, dating apps have become a cornerstone in how we approach modern love. And what app you're on can make the difference between a steamy hookup, a long-lasting relationship, or a nightmare date that'll be etched in your mind for years to come.

I'm someone who has felt the best and the worst of dating apps. I've had two really successful relationships sprout from Bumble, but I've also experienced a slew of horrible dating experiences, as is a rite of passage. If you're looking to dive into dating apps for the first time or have just been out of the game for a while, we're here to help you figure out which dating app might best suit you, inclusive of your sexuality, goal or relationship style.

Just entered the dating game and haven't been on Bumble? Your life's about to change. Bumble is a women-first app where chicks make the first move. You swipe right, get a match, and have 24 hours to send the first message. You control your experience, weed out time-wasters, and find people you gel with sooner. I've met two of my long-term boyfriends on Bumble — it just works, especially in Australia. It also has a pretty strong same-sex dating scene, making it ideal for queer women.

But it's not just a dating app. Bumble has three swipe settings you can choose from — date, BFF, or bizz — so you can find some new girlfriends to hang out with or even network with other like-minded women.

Hinge is quickly becoming the default dating app for young people in Australia. While Bumble and Tinder are arguably photo-first, Hinge prioritises the whole profile. Each user needs to add a minimum of six photos and answer three question prompts of their choosing, creating an experience where you really get to know a person before you make a decision.

Hinge doesn't operate on swipes — if you're into someone, you leave a like or comment — and they'll reach out if they like you too. There's little anonymity, but that makes it much more of an intentional dating experience. The Hinge algorithm is also quite clever — in my experience, I've found people on here to be much more my 'type' and have a lot more substance than people on other apps. That being said, as everything is more deliberate, matches are harder to come by.

There's a reason why Tinder is a household name. It was one of the first swipe-based dating apps to take the world by storm, and all these years later, it's still going strong. Whilst it was originally the dating app, with the rise of competition like Hinge and Bumble, Tinder has now settled in as the app for hookups, instant validation, and a nice date on rare occasions.

It's tried and true formula will gift you with matches as far as the eye can see — they just might not be one's that you'd be interested in pursuing long-term. Consider Tinder as your 10pm go-to after you've had too many wines. Set your radius to <2km, and get going.

So you're at the fruit shop, trying to find the perfect Pink Gala apple. You lock eyes with a cutie across the aisle who's searching for the perfect Granny Smith. You contemplate sauntering over and finally having a conversation. But at the last minute, you chicken out and run to the register, filled with regret.

Enter Happn — a location-sensitive dating app that shows you people that you've crossed paths with at some point. It's a refreshing change from your standard dating experience, showing people who have been near you at some point, with information on where your paths crossed.

Okay, okay, hear me out — OkCupid is actually a pretty good dating app option for those who know what they want, and want it now. While other apps might be slick and trendy, OkCupid leans into understanding who you are as a person and uses this information to show you people it thinks you'll dig. The signup process gathers a bunch of juicy information about you, then gives you a tailored, streamlined list of people you might like with a compatibility percentage estimate, saving you endless swipe time.

It's also super inclusive, offering a huge number of options for gender and sexual identities, as well as pronouns. It's a lovely middle ground between the looks-focused Tinder, and the questionnaire-focused eHarmony.

Feeld sells itself as "the first dating platform for couples and singles". Whilst it began as an app for people looking for threesomes, it quickly morphed into a go-to destination for everyone interested in non-monogamy and a place where you can "explore your identity".

There are options to create an account as a single or a couple, and the app is inclusive of all sexualities. If you find people you like, you can create a big group chat with them, get to know them, and see where it goes. It's a polished, fresh, and forward-thinking dating app that will connect you with like-minded people.

Whilst many dating apps have LGBTQIA+ options, it's nice to have a dedicated app for queer women, nonbinary, trans and gender non-conforming people. Her is the biggest dating app for lesbian, bisexual and queer people and while it's actually pretty similar to your standard Tinder or Bumble interface, it's different in that it also offers a bunch of IRL events in your area.

It's a safe space for those in the LGBTQIA+ community, where they can come together, share their experiences, build community, and find love. We love to see it.

If you haven't heard of eHarmony, allow us to bring you up to speed. It's one of the longest-running dating apps in Australia. Its core offering is that it matches you based on an extensive (and we mean extensive) personality quiz. You do need to be a paid member to contact other people, but the options you get are much more tailored than you would get on your standard swiping dating app — and so people are much more likely to align with your personal values, beliefs, and interests.

Branded as an 'anti-swiping app', Coffee Meets Bagel prides itself on helping people find serious relationships. They emphasise this through less swiping, more conversations, and more actual, IRL dating.

You'll get personalised match suggestions, detailed profiles, and a seven-day chat limit that encourages you to go out and meet each other in person. It's a smaller user base, but that makes it really easygoing, low-pressure, and respectful.

Tried all your classic swipey apps and still aren't having any luck? It might be time to go a bit old school. Enter Plenty of Fish, a dating app that prides itself on quality conversations. The app requires everyone to fill out a meaty description of themselves and complete a personality test which it uses to match you with people you might be compatible with.

It's definitely skewed older, so it might be a great option for those in their late 30s and 40s — or those who really just need to find a match ASAP.