The 11 Best German Dating Sites & Apps

Perhaps you’re living in Germany, or maybe you’re traveling there for business or pleasure. Whatever the case, you’d like to meet attractive matches sooner rather than later.

Here are 11 popular German dating sites & apps you should consider in your quest for romance!

Finya

Finya is one of the most popular free dating sites in Germany, but there’s one caveat: it’s in German.

While many Germans speak English, this particular site is a great opportunity to brush up on your German skills. And if that fails, there’s always Google Translate, right?

Setting up a profile is simple. There’s no lengthy personality test to take, although Finya does have a section with 100 questions you can answer that could help you get more curated matches.

Finya allows you to freely browse the pool of German singles. There’s also a Tinder-like section where you can swipe through profiles and message any that “like” you back.

Being free, Finya is mainly financed by advertising. So you’ll see a lot of ads. You’ll also receive messages that are advertisements.

This site seems to have more fake profiles and scammers than other German dating sites. But on the plus side, it truly is without payment - there are no upgraded features offered.

eDarling

eDarling is one of the most popular dating sites across all of Europe, and is owned by the same company that runs EliteSingles.

You’ll need to pay for a subscription if you want to actually meet women on eDarling, as most functions aren’t available for free users.

But that’s not a bad thing - it cuts down on the number of fake profiles on the site.

This is what you can do for free on eDarling:

• Receive 7 matches every day
• Send smiles and “likes”
• Upload photos
• See the results of your personality test

These features come with a paid subscription:

• See photos of your matches
• Freely send messages
• See who visited your profile
• Your profile is shown to more local singles
• You can comment on other users’ profiles and photos
• You receive up to 20 additional matches every day in the “What If” section
• A more detailed explanation of your personality test results

There are 3 levels of membership on eDarling: free, premium classic, and premium comfort.

Here is what an eDarling subscription costs*:

(Editor's Note: Pricing subject to change)

Much like eHarmony, this German dating site’s matching algorithm is largely based on a lengthy personality test. Answering all the questions is required.

Be prepared to spend some time taking it - the questions number in the hundreds. But it’s worth answering them accurately, as your responses will directly affect who you’re matched with.

eDarling doesn’t allow you to freely browse all the eligible singles in your area. Instead, you’ll receive your “partner suggestions” every day.

It’s geared towards German singles who are seeking long-term relationships, and is one of the best options for meeting high quality women if you’re 35+ and in large city.

Parship

Parship is similar to eDarling in that it relies on a personality test to match people.

Called the “Parship Principle”, it’s a lengthy questionnaire filled with multiple choice questions, as well as more abstract exercises like choosing which image you prefer.

Setting up your profile could take up to an hour, but jumping through all the hoops helps weed out people who aren’t serious about online dating. You can only contact other members if you’ve completed at least 50% of your profile.

Parship sends you matches based on your compatibility score, which is determined by comparing your test results with theirs.

As a free user, you won’t be able to see a match’s photo unless they specifically grant access to it. Instead, you’ll only get a blurred image. Premium members can see photos a match has made public.

Here are the features that come with a paid subscription:

A premium membership on Parship depends on how many months you commit to up front:

• £14.90/ month for 6 months
• £19.90/ month for 3 months
• £29.90/ month for 1 month

This german dating site offers a guarantee of sorts - if you have not made contact with a user within 6 months of purchasing a premium membership, you’ll get another 6-month premium membership for free.

OkCupid

Sure, OkCupid may be owned by the same American corporation that owns Tinder. But it’s still one of the very best places to find interesting, attractive 20- and 30-somethings in Germany.

If you’re located near a university or in large, international city like Berlin, it’s definitely worth a closer look.

Okcupid doesn’t cost a cent to use. You can create your profile, see photos of your matches, and exchange messages without a paid subscription.

But, guys, there is one caveat - a woman will only be able to see your first message in her inbox if she’s already “liked” your profile. Until she does that, your profile will pop up in her Discovery, DoubleTake, and Search sections. And she can read your message when she checks out your profile.

OkCupid offers two “premium” membership levels, Basic and Premium which offer additional features like seeing who likes you, unlimited likes, and advanced filtering options.

Get all the details on upgrading OkCupid click here.

 Tinder

Tinder is one of the most widely used dating apps in the world, and you’ll find plenty of hot German singles looking for all types of relationships.

Using the app is simple - you swipe right on a photo if you’re interested, left if you’re not. If both people “like” each other, a match is made and you can exchange messages.

Tinder is free to download and use. You can “like” up to 100 profiles every 12 hours, and send unlimited messages to your matches.

The majority of Tinder users are 18-34 years old, and live in urban areas; less than 20% of users live in the suburbs, and only 7% in rural areas.

If you live outside the city and don’t mind commuting to your dates, Tinder’s Passport feature allows you to swipe through singles in any location.

This could also come in handy if you’ll be visiting a German city soon and would like to set up dates before you travel. In order to change your location on Tinder, you’ll have to upgrade to Tinder Plus, Gold or Platinum.

Tinder Plus costs around $24.99 per month. Here are the features that come with upgrading:

• Limit what other Tinder users can see, such as your age and distance away
• Swipe through profiles anywhere in the world
• “Undo” your last swipe
• Only be visible to people you’ve already “liked”
• Sort your match feed by most recently active users
• Swipe right as much as you want
• No ads

Tinder Gold includes all the Tinder Plus features, plus a grid view of users who have already “liked” your profile. That means you can instantly match with anyone you find there. You'll also get a monthly Boost, plus 5 extra Super Likes each week. Tinder Gold costs around $39.99 for 1 month. Tinder Platinum costs around $49.99 for 1 month.

For a deeper look at this popular dating app, check out our complete Tinder review!

Once

Once is a solid alternative to Tinder if you’re tired of constantly swiping.

Every day at noon, you’ll be presented with one new match. You’ll have 24 hours to like or pass on the match. If you both “like” each other, you can then exchange messages for as long as you’d like.

You can purchase “Crowns”, which are the in-app currency, to unlock these premium features:

• Choose your match for the next day, without them knowing they were pre-selected
• Send a one-time message to your match before they’ve “liked” you as a way to break the ice
• Send and receive chat requests
• Be matched immediately with another user who’s currently online
• Chat with a human matchmaker about your “perfect match”, and have your next match hand-picked.

Once markets itself as an app for people seeking serious relationships, and doesn’t have the same huge user pool as Tinder and Badoo. Since you only receive one match a day, you may want to use it in conjunction with another German dating app or site.

Badoo

Badoo is a dating app like Tinder, and you can swipe right or left on profiles in the “Encounters” section.

But there’s one big difference - Badoo will also show you users who are nearby and have similar interests. If someone catches your eye, you can either “like” their profile, or send them a message.

If you’ve crossed paths with a fellow Badoo user in real life, the dating app will display the time and approximate location.

Badoo is a free dating app, so you can match, message, and meet women on it without payment. However, upgrading to Badoo Premium will unlock some handy features, called Super Powers:

• See which users have “liked” your profile
• See who has made you a “favorite”
• Ability to chat with the most popular women on the app
• See profiles of new members as they join
• Your messages appear first in her inbox
• Invisible browsing
• Undo “no votes” in the Encounters section

Here is what a subscription to Badoo Premium costs:

• 1 day: $1.99
• A week: $7.99
• A month: $25.99
• 3 months: $63.99
• 6 months: $95.99
• Lifetime: $159.99

While you’ll find people looking for all type of relationships, Badoo has a more casual vibe than other dating apps like Bumble and Once. This German dating app is ideal if you’re looking for a hookup or a less serious relationship.

Want more info? Check out this in-depth Badoo review!

Happn

Happn is a truly location-based dating app that’s popular across Europe. Instead of being able to swipe through singles in your general area, you’ll only see people whose paths you’ve crossed during the day.

Your match feed is composed of Happn users who have come anywhere within a maximum distance that you set, up to 90 kilometers. The app will display how many times you’ve come within proximity of each other, the time, and the place of your last encounter.

If she’s currently within the app’s proximity restriction, her profile will say “NOW”. Of course, for privacy reasons it won’t pinpoint her exact location.

If you are interested in someone who appears in your timeline, simply “like” her profile.

If she “likes” you back, a “crush” is formed and you can exchange messages.

This app also has a game feature called “Crush Time”. In it, you’ll try to guess which of four users has liked your profile.

A correct guess means an instant match, a wrong one just means you “liked” her profile and hopefully she’ll return the favor.

Because it’s based solely on physical proximity to other users, Happn is best for people who live in densely populated areas.

Candidate

This German dating app has a unique twist - you don’t get to see profile photos right away. Instead, you answer questions sent to you from other users, and ask questions of your own. If you both “like” the answers, a match is made and you can exchange photos.

It’s very easy to get started on Candidate, you simply need to provide your name, age, gender, and sexual orientation.

This dating app doesn’t require Facebook, or even an email address to get started. You’ll need to provide your email if you want to verify your account, which is a good idea because you’ll get a “verified” flag on your profile so other users know you’re legit.

Once your profile is set up, you can start to create games.

This is how you “meet” matches. Each game consists of 3 questions that you write. The questions can be about anything, and each has a 300-character limit. You’ll also have to write a title for your game, which can be up to 100 characters.

5 people have the opportunity to answer the first question, and you rate their answers. The 3 “winners” then answer the 2nd question, and you pick your favorite 2 answers. Those 2 users then answer the last question, and you’ll match with and can see the photos of the user whose answer you like best.

You can also participate in the games of other users, and if you’re the winner you can exchange messages with that game’s creator.

Candidate is free to download and use.

Bumble

Bumble is a dating app that puts women in the driver’s seat when it comes to messaging - only they can send the first one. Apart from that, it’s similar to apps like Tinder where you’ll swipe right or left on singles in your area.

When both Bumble users swipe right, a “connection” is made. At that point she has 24 hours to send you a message before the clock runs out and the match expires. You also have 24 hours to respond, or the match will expire.

Once both halves of a match have sent a message, you can continue the message exchange for as long as you want.

Bumble is free to use, but upgraded “Bumble Boost” users can do things like extend the 24-hour deadline on the matches. That means you can give her an extra day if she hasn’t messaged you yet.

There are 3 features that come with a premium Bumble subscription:

1. Beeline - this is a separate feed of women who have already ‘liked’ your profile, so a right swipe is a guaranteed match.
2. Rematch - this feature allows you to reconnect with past matches for another 24 hours.
3. Busy Bee - this adds another 24 hours on the clock for a new match that’s about to expire.

Bumble Boost starts around $29 for a single month, and there are two more feature-packed Premium subscriptions to choose from as well.

Bumble tends to attract singles who are looking for a more serious relationship, so if you’re in the market for something casual, Tinder or even Badoo may be a better bet.

For everything you need to know about this popular dating app, check out our Ultimate Guide To Bumble.

LoveScout 24

LoveScout 24 is a popular dating site in Germany, and it’s free to access the site and download the app.

But if you want to the ability to freely contact singles in your area, you’ll have to pay for a subscription.

Here’s what you can do for free:

• Create a profile
• Upload photos
• Search for and view other profiles
• Send smiles to show interest in another user
• Reply to messages from Premium members

Here’s what you can do with a premium membership:

• Read, send, and reply to messages
• See who “liked” you
• Review who visited your profile
• See who sent you a “smile”
• See who marked your profile as a “favorite”

LoveScout 24 also hosts events, which members can register for and attend. LoveScout 24 is part of the FriendScout network, which is owned by the same company as Tinder and OkCupid (Match Group).

The Easiest, Most Effective Way To Meet Higher Quality Singles In Germany

Whether you’re just taking a short trip to Germany or living there indefinitely, VIDA’s team of experts can set up dates with the most attractive local women for you.

We’ll write your profile, select your very best photos, send proven messages to your most interesting matches, and book your dates - on just about any online dating site or app you want to use! All you need to do is show up!

Curious? Learn more about VIDA Select!