How to Choose Dating Apps With the Best Success Rate?

Choosing a top-rated dating app can be an amazing opportunity to meet somebody new if you're short on time but passionate about romance! 

In the digital world, it can feel hit and miss. There are some excellent apps out there offering convenience without complications. Still, we've all come across cheesy pick ups lines and bad dates that can make online dating less of an exciting prospect.

The only sure-fire way to find the best dating site in the world is to ensure you're equipped with the information to identify those apps offering outstanding performance.

Our guide to dating apps runs through the key criteria to bear in mind when selecting the best apps, and what they mean.

For more help finding the right dating site for you, visit the Best10 rankings and reviews!

Value for Money

Now, premium-dating apps are always preferable. Although it does mean parting with a small amount of cash each month for your subscription, there are multiple reasons we'd suggest you consider an app with a paid-for account:

• Spammers rarely use subscription-only dating sites. You're unlikely to come across a fake profile so hell bent on causing annoyance they're willing to pay for the privilege!
• Security is tighter, with higher end dating sites having the budget to employ site moderators and admin teams to run things like ID verification.
• You'll usually find that all of the users on a paid-for dating site are authentic - whereas on a free app you can come across all sorts of dodgy accounts, dubious profile photos and all-out trolls.
• The quality on a premium-dating app will always out-class that on a freebie site. That could mean things like video messaging, personalised match recommendations, or unlimited access to profiles and user information.
  

Value is a key thing to look for - because the best dating site in the world isn't ever going to be a service that costs zero to join!

That doesn't mean that some freebie sites aren't excellent, but that you will have to expect things like pop-up ads, limited functionality and the risk of having to deal with spammers for the benefit of having a free membership.

Quality Profiles

Most apps offer a free trial period, or allow you to sign up for between one and three days to get a flavour for the service and decide whether it's the best place for your digital dating endeavours.

Alternatively, you can usually set up a free account and peruse the functions and features on offer to see whether it's worth paying more for.

There are a few key things to keep an eye out for during this period:

• Quality profile photos - sites with account images of pets, celebrities or landscapes are usually a little suspect. Great dating sites make authentic profile photos mandatory, and will remove accounts that aren't willing to show their face.
• Detailed information - unless you're after a hookup, you want to know more about your date than their shoe size and horoscope sign! The best dating apps for relationships will include a variety of fields to let each member explain a little more about themselves and their hopes for a future relationship.
• Authenticity - if you join an app and it makes outlandish promises about finding you a date immediately, or returning results within a certain timescale, I'd steer well clear. Love isn't a function, but an adventure, so if you don't trust what the dating app says it will deliver, it's best to move on.
  

It's also essential you think about what sort of members are on an app. If it's aimed at the 18-24 age group and you're in your mid 50s, for example, it's not for you.

Likewise, if you fall into a specific dating 'niche' like being a single parent, or wanting to meet plus-size men and women, you will usually receive far better match results on a site catering to that demographic, rather than a generic mainstream dating app.

Security Standards

Online security is no laughing matter - even everyday shopping sites or ecommerce apps will have built-in encryptions to ensure your credit card details are safe, and will have policies around cookies, sending mail outs and collecting your personal data.

Recommended Read: How to Act on a First Date - Guide For Teenage Guys‍

Dating sites are required to adhere to these standards just as any other type of app.

If you are asked for information that shouldn't be necessary to set up your subscription and create a profile, either by the app or by another user, take it as a big red flag.

The Best10 team always includes information about security procedures in our dating site app reviews, so if you're in any doubt whether a platform is safe and secure, you can find out more information there.

Good Usability

If you're an old hand at Internet dating, you'll likely be familiar with many of the features and tools on offer to help you find dates.

The key to a great app is one that is easy to use, makes you confident you'll be able to find whatever you're looking for, and makes the experience an enjoyable one.

Examples include:

• Sites without constant pop-ups and banner ads pressuring you to sign up for a more expensive service, or promoting partner content.
• Easy grid layouts or swipe through match suggestions, so you can get a clear view of the profile photo and basic details of each person you have been recommended to connect with.
• Block and report buttons in convenient places, so you can quickly get in touch with the site admin if you have any problems.
• Links with social networking accounts - which don't copy over private information, but allow the dating app to verify the authenticity of the user's name and account information.
• Browser-based sites as well as an app, so you can log in on a more secure device if you want to check anything or update your account information.
• Search parameters including age and location as a basic minimum so you can ensure each person you connect with is a viable date within a reasonable travelling distance.
  

Once you've checked that your preferred site conforms to usability best practise, you'll be in a better position to know if you're likely to enjoy using the app over the long term, and if the service standards are up to scratch.

The Best10 team hopes our guide to dating apps is helpful! If you need to know more about what to look for in your dating app, or which platforms offer the best value dating opportunities, check out our ranking systems for independent recommendations.

See also: Top USA Swinger Dating Sites Reviewed