Best Dating Apps For Young Professionals [Who Want Better Matches!]

Whether you’re focusing on a startup or working your way up the corporate ladder, launching a successful career doesn’t often leave time for meeting new people.

Dating apps expand your options beyond the workplace (and who wants to fish in the company pool anyway?)

But when it comes to match quality, you may find yourself doing a lot of swiping on apps like Tinder to find the diamonds.

How do we know? We use all the most popular dating apps daily.

Since 2009, busy singles have been saving countless hours by outsourcing their online dating to our team of experts. 

We’ve spent thousands upon thousands of hours swiping, matching, and messaging on behalf of our clients, so we know which dating apps are most effective for young professionals.

If you want to find someone whose ambition and intelligence matches yours, try one of these!

Here’s a quick rundown on each one…

Raya

Why Raya Is A Great Dating App For Young Professionals:

• Designed for successful singles in creative fields
• Has a “directory” feature that’s perfect for networking
• The bar for acceptance is high, resulting in quality matches
• Exclusivity doesn’t equal expensive - it’s only $9.99 per month

One of the most exclusive dating apps on this list, Raya has attracted celebs, star athletes, influences, actors, and other high-profile singles.

To be accepted for membership, you need to impress an anonymous acceptance committee composed of 500 members around the world who supposedly evaluate every application.

Part of the sign-up process includes granting access to your Instagram account. Your amount of influence, the number of followers you have, the number of Raya members who follow you, etc. will all be taken into account.

According to the New Yorker, 87% of approved members have a referral from an existing Raya member or they have Raya members as contacts in their phones. 

Given who’s using the app, it’s no surprise that Raya members value their privacy. For that reason the app’s rules are strictly enforced. 

Screenshots are not permitted, and you’ll get a warning if you do it. You’ll also get booted off Raya if the screenshot appears online.

The Basics

As with most dating apps, Raya users can create a profile and exchange messages with matches. But there are a few twists.

For starters, profiles are pretty simple - it’s your photo lineup presented as a slideshow accompanied by a song you select.

When other users check out your profile, they have the option to say yes or no. When two people like each other’s profiles, a match results and you can exchange messages.

Like Bumble and CoffeeMeetsBagel, Raya matches have a shelf life. If no one starts the conversation, the match will expire after 10 days.

Raya costs $9.99 a month, and users can pay extra to unlock more daily swipes and likes. 

Raya is currently only available for iOS. Download Raya here.

Expert Raya Tip: Getting accepted on Raya boils down to your Instagram presence. While the exact workings of Raya’s algorithm and acceptance criteria are kept under wraps, rumor has it the bare minimum of IG followers required is around 5,000. Ideally you have more than 250,000. 

Further Reading: Raya dating app review

Hinge

Why Hinge Is A Great Dating App For Young Professionals:

• Hinge is designed for finding a relationship, and attracts like-minded singles
• Features like “Standouts” and “Most Compatible” make it easy to zero in on quality matches
• Prompt-based profiles make it easy to start a conversation
• Users can add voice and video prompts, which can help illustrate different aspects of your personality

According to Hinge’s founder Justin McLeod, millennials and Gen Z are the app’s core demographics. 

Created to be the opposite of fast-paced swiping apps like Tinder, Hinge is promoted as a “relationship app”. As the tagline goes, it was designed to be deleted.

Hinge focuses on match quality, encouraging users to carefully evaluate profiles by limiting the number of daily swipes you can get without a paid subscription. 

There are two levels of premium membership: HingeX and Hinge+ (formerly called Hinge Preferred). 

HingeX is pricey, coming in around $49.99 per month. Perks include priority likes and profile placement, and enhanced recommendations as the algorithm learns from how you interact with the app.

You’ll also get all the Hinge+ features.

Hinge+ is less expensive, costing around $32.99 for one month. As a subscriber, you’ll get unlimited likes, you can see who liked you all at once, unlock all the advanced preferences, and organize your matches by filters like nearby and recent activity.

The Basics

Profiles are relatively short, composed of up to 6 photos and 3 written prompt answers. You can also include one video prompt, prompt poll, and voice prompt, all of which encourage other Hinge users to interact with your profile. 

You can scroll through profiles on Discover and choose to “like” someone’s photo or prompt answer or click the X to ‘skip’ that profile. 

Matches are formed when two people like each other, and you can then exchange messages.

Hinge aims to make things easier for time-starved young professionals with features like “your turn” tags. These show up on active conversations that require your response.

As a premium member, you can also sort your matches by various categories. This can be helpful as it allows you to focus on matches who actively use the app, or are closest in proximity.

Download Hinge for iOS here or for Android here.

Expert Hinge Tip: One of Hinge’s major advantages is being able to send a message before you match with someone. That’s a perk you either can’t do on other dating apps, or can only do as a paid member.

According to Hinge’s internal data, sending a comment along with your “like” increases your chances of getting a response threefold. 

Further Reading: Hinge App Review

Bumble

Why Bumble Is A Great Dating App For Young Professionals:

• Women control who they receive messages from
• There’s a mode designed for networking: BumbleBizz
• You’ll receive a specially curated feed of matches in the Best Bees feature
• Bumble hosts IRL events in major cities, offering users an alternative way to connect

72% of Bumble users are under 35, and 91% of them have at least a Bachelor’s degree. Sounds like a match made in heaven for young professional singles!

If you don’t have a lot of extra time for online dating, Bumble can be an effective app to use. With deadlines that must be met, it encourages people to be active users, which means you have a better chance of forming a real connection with someone.

Bumble proudly proclaims itself to be a “female-friendly” app, proactively blocking users who display rude or misogynistic behavior. So it’s no surprise Bumble is popular with women looking for a serious relationship.

This popular dating app offers three premium membership options. Bumble Boost lets you extend the countdown, grants you unlimited right swipes, and also includes a weekly Spotlight to give your profile more visibility. 

Bumble Premium includes all the Boost features, plus you’ll unlock Incognito Mode for private browsing and the ability to change your location with Travel Mode.

You can also save time by seeing who liked you in one feed, and you’ll get unlimited likes to use on your Best Bees matches.

Bumble Premium+ unlocks the Trending tab, which features the app's most popular users. You'll also get the Priority Likes feature, as well as a daily visibility boost for your profile.

Boost cost starts around $29.99 for 1 month, and Premium starts around $54.99 for 1 month. A single month of Premium+ begins around $79.99.

The Basics

A swipe-based dating app, you can like or pass on matches as you scroll through your cardstack. 

When two people swipe right, a match is formed - and that’s when the clock starts ticking. Only women can send the first message, and must do so within 24 hours to prevent the match from expiring. 

Men also have 24 hours to respond, which effectively stops the countdown clock. After that, message exchanges can last as long as needed.

For same-gender matches, either person can message first but the timelines still apply.

Once both halves of a match have sent a message, there are no further deadlines to worry about.

Download Bumble for iOS here or for Android here. Bumble can also be accessed online.

Expert Bumble Tip: There’s no time limit on the message exchange after both people have sent one, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t move things off the app as soon as you can. 

Look for signs that your match is ready to meet in person:

1. She’s asking lots of questions. She’s curious, and wants to learn more about you.
2. She’s using emojis like 😄, lols or !. That generally indicates she’s excited and engaged in the conversation. 
3. Sending long(ish) messages. Putting effort into her responses is always a good sign.

You want to get a phone number or schedule a date before she moves on to your competition or deletes her profile. So as soon as you think she’s ready to say yes, ask.

Further Reading: Ultimate Guide To Bumble

The League

Why The League Is A Great Dating App For Young Professionals:

• Applicants are screened, which means you can look forward to quality matches
• There’s a video dating feature, which can help you better screen your matches before investing time in a face-to-face date
• Users receive a limited number of matches daily, making it easy to focus on quality over quantity
• It has several built in networking features, and also hosts IRL singles and networking events in major cities around the world

The League isn’t for just anyone. In fact, if you can’t bring it in the professional achievement, education, and ambition categories, don’t even bother signing up. 

Those are the factors that carry the most weight in the app’s screening algorithm, according to founder Amanda Bradford.

High standards are maintained throughout The League’s pool of singles thanks to a waiting list and profile vetting process.

You have limited use of this exclusive dating app as a free - or Guest - user. Without an upgraded membership, you’ll only receive 3 matches each day.

There are 3 premium levels: Member, Owner, and Investor.

As a Member, you’ll receive 5 matches (or Prospects, as they’re called in-app) daily. There are a few other perks as well, like the ability to search in multiple cities and hiding some of your biographical information, like your age, job, and education details.

At the Owner level, you’ll get additional perks like 6 daily Prospects, seeing if someone has “liked” your profile, and the ability to rematch with people.

Investor’s get all the perks, including 7 daily Prospects, a full list of everyone who has liked your profile already, revealing your profile only to those you “like”, and more.

The Member level starts at $299 for a single month, with the Owner level costing $399 for one month. The Investor level costs $399 for a single week. 

The Basics

The League users receive their daily Prospects at 5 pm. You have the option to like or pass on each match, and if the like is mutual you’re able to exchange messages.

There are some time limits you need to be aware of: matches expire in 21 days if neither person sends the first message.

And if the in-app conversation stalls out for longer than 2 weeks, the match will automatically expire. You can also manually expire a match if you’re no longer interested in pursuing the connection.

This is an app where what you do matters - because the algorithm calculates your running League Score. 

You can be deemed as a “Semi-Flaky” or “Flaky” user if you do things like expire too many matches, not having a complete profile, not engaging with the app or with matches often enough, etc.

A low League Score can directly affect your experience, as you may find yourself only receiving other “Flaky” users as potential matches.

Download The League for iOS here or for Android here.

Expert League Tip: Elite dating apps are great, because you’ll be granted access to some of the highest quality singles around. But that also means you’re in direct competition with the highest quality singles around.  

Your primary photo can make or break your right-swipe chances, so it needs the 4 traits that the most attractive dating app photos all have in common:

1. A high degree of contrast (so your image pops)
2. A single person in the frame
3. Cropped to traditional “headshot” proportions
4. Eye contact with camera

Further Reading: The League Dating App Review

Coffee Meets Bagel

Why CoffeeMeetsBagel Is A Great Dating App For Young Professionals:

• Our team has found CMB tends to attract more ambitious, career-focused singles than apps like Tinder
• Much like Bumble, CMB is focused on providing a female-friendly experience - so the gender ratio is closer to even than what you’ll find on apps like Tinder
• Users receive a limited number of potential matches daily, making it a good choice if you don’t have a lot of time to spend swiping
• “Activity Reports” help you avoid matching with people who aren’t active on the app

Coffee Meets Bagel is especially popular with the 18-29 and 30-49 crowds, and the quality > quantity approach makes it popular with women seeking a more serious type of relationship. 

That being said, CMB is not the most popular dating app out there. In terms of sheer number of users, Hinge, Tinder and Bumble come out on top. But if you’re in a major city and you have the time to manage more than one dating app, it’s a good one to add in.

The Basics

It’s got the same swiping format as apps like Tinder, but instead of marathon browsing sessions guys only get up to 21 potential matches (called “bagels”) every day at noon. Women are presented with a curated selection of guys who have already swiped right on them - so every single Bagel is a potential match if she’s feeling it.

Both genders have only 24 hours to either “take” or “pass” on a each Bagel, otherwise they’ll expire the next day at noon when your fresh Bagels arrive. When two people “like” each other’s profiles, messages can be sent back and forth.

CMB gives messaging a twist, though. You can only exchange messages with a particular Bagel for 7 days before the conversation expires. If that doesn’t motivate you to ask for her number, nothing will.

If you want to see more Bagels, you can head to the “Discovery” section and browse through even more local singles. You can “take” matches here as well, but you’ll have to spend a few beans (the in-app currency).

You can earn beans as you use the app, or buy them in bulk. There’s a mini-plan that starts at $10 a month and a premium membership for $34.95 a month.

Premium benefits include more Discover “likes”, seeing everyone who liked you at once, a monthly boost to increase your visibility and Activity Reports that show you how a potential match engages with the app.

Download CMB for iOS here and for Android here.

Expert CMB Tip: While it may be tempting to skip filling out your profile on apps like Tinder and CMB, that’s a mistake. When she only gets a limited number of matches per day, the odds are much higher she’ll be scrutinizing your profile.

CMB profiles start with the “I am…” section, which naturally lends itself to a list of adjectives. Don’t be that guy - lists are boring. Instead, spark a connection by describing yourself in an engaging, interesting way, like this:

Want more inspiration? Check out these short profile examples that get results!

Further Reading: How Coffee Meets Bagel Works

Honorable Mentions

These next 3 dating apps made our list, but come with a caveat: they don’t have the same extensive user pool as the 5 best dating apps for young professionals you just read about.

That means while they’re worth a try, you’ll want to use them in conjunction with a more mainstream app as well for the best results.

thursdayº

Why thursdayº Is A Great Dating App For Young Professionals:

• The app only works one day a week, making it ideal for singles who don’t want to spend a lot of time swiping and messaging
• Thursdayº hosts IRL “Singles’ Bar” events at venues around the world, complete with built-in icebreakers to make identifying fellow users easy
• Matches disappear at midnight, which motivates users to exchange contact information

While relatively new to the scene compared to the other apps on this list, thursdayº is rapidly gaining popularity.

When it originally launched, it was only in NYC and London. But these days you’ll find it in 60+ major cities around the world, over half of which are in the US.

You can use thursdayº effectively for free, although you will be limited to seeing only 100 profiles each Thursday. You can also only send up to 10 likes. A VIP subscription starts at $19.99 for one month, and removes those restrictions.

The Basics

Thursdayº is a dating app with a major twist - it’s only functional on one day of the week. At 12:01 am, all the app’s features unlock and you start scrolling through profiles, matching, and messaging. 

Nearby users display on a map, with 10 or so shown at once. As you go start “liking” and “passing” profiles, more will be revealed. A mutual like means you can exchange messages with your match.

When the clock strikes midnight, all your matches and the associated message history will disappear, leaving you a blank slate for the next Thursday. 

The app claims that you won’t see the same potential matches again, so if you’re interested - grab that contact info.

Download thursdayº for iOS here and for Android here.

Expert thursdayº Tip: This app is *all* about making a great first impression in a short amount of time, since users only engage with it for a single day. That means the competition is exceptionally fierce for the best matches in your area.

When you’re creating your profile, have a solid idea of how you want to package yourself. Essentially, you need a brand. 

Decide what traits you want to convey in order to attract the type of singles you want to meet, and ensure the photos you choose and the prompts you answer all support that core message.

Further Reading: thursdayº App Review

Inner Circle

Why Inner Circle Is A Great Dating App For Young Professionals:

• The app markets itself directly to successful, career-minded singles, and profiles have to be approved for acceptance
• Messaging requires a premium membership, so it cuts down on the number of fake profiles that tend to proliferate on free dating apps
• The app hosts IRL singles and networking events

The average Inner Circle user is around 30, and works in finance, tech, or consulting/marketing. If you’re well-educated and successful seeking same, Inner Circle is worth a shot.

It’s by far one of the best dating apps for young professionals in the UK, as it launched in Europe. It’s slowly building up a user base in the US as well.

Thanks to both a waiting list and a profile verification process, Inner Circle keeps their standards high. It’s even marketed as a step-up from typical dating apps with their slogan: “dare to date better”.

But you’ll also pay for the privilege of swiping through all those high quality local singles. 

While you can create a profile for free, you won’t get any real use out of the app since only paying subscribers can view messages and matches. A membership costs $39.99 for a month.

The app also hosts exclusive singles events, where you can meet, mingle, and network with other members, or you can check out one of the recommended “trending hotspots.”

The Basics

Much like The League, Inner Circle has a waiting list. If your profile gets approved, you can start checking out profiles. The format is familiar - like or pass, and a mutual like opens the messaging platform with that match.

Just like on Hinge, you can comment on a user’s photo, giving you the opportunity to message before matching.

Members can sort their feed by who’s currently online, who’s new, and who’s nearby, which can be a helpful time saver. You can also look for profiles specifically within your industry, as well as the usual filters like education, lifestyle, etc.

Download Inner Circle for iOS here and for Android here.

Expert Inner Circle Tip: As with any exclusive dating app, photos are of the utmost importance. Not only will they be judged as part of the acceptance process, but anyone swiping through them will be comparing you to the competition.

You need pics that can withstand the “thin slicing” process. That’s when your potential matches subconsciously note all the visible details, from your clothing to your surroundings, and quickly form a first impression of you. 

To make sure your photos are bulletproof, choose an array of 3-5 that not only show you in the best light possible, but also showcase a lifestyle that anyone swiping through them instantly wants to be part of.

Interesting hobbies, vivid travel photos, a snap of you having a great time at a trendy club - photos like that will make your matches want to return your messages.

Further Reading: Inner Circle Review

Happn

Why Happn Is A Great Dating App For Young Professionals:

• Happn shows you singles who came within close proximity to you during the day, making it easy to set up convenient dates
• You can schedule your visibility on the app (although it requires a paid subscription)
• The design makes it perfect for casual dates and hookups, if that’s what you’re looking for

Like Inner Circle, Happn has not yet achieved the same popularity in the US that it has in other countries. But if you live or work in a metropolitan area, it could be worth the download to see who’s using it around you. 

According to SimilarWeb, over half of Happn’s users are under 35, with the 36-44 age group not far behind.

While it’s not designed expressly for young professionals in the same way that Inner Circle and The League are, it does have one major advantage - your match queue is composed solely of people who cross your path during the day. 

That makes scheduling a quick cocktail after a busy day at the office convenient for both you and your match.

And if you’d rather not match with people who work nearby, you can use Invisible Mode to turn off the geolocation feature. You can even schedule it to automatically shut off during a certain timeframe.

Happn is free to use, with the option of upgrading to a Premium membership that starts at $29.99 for 1 month.

Premium perks include invisible mode, seeing who liked you, all the matching preferences, and limiting your feed to only those who match your criteria.

The Basics

Anytime a fellow Happn user gets within 250 meters of you, their profile appears in your Timeline, and vice versa.

When you both “like” each other, it forms a “crush” - and that opens the messaging platform.

But that’s not the only way to meet singles in your area. You can also use the “I’m Free To” feature to suggest an activity like “get a drink” or “grab a bite,” and your suggestion will be shown to anyone who appears on your Timeline for the next 6 hours. 

If one of them accepts your suggestion and you’re feeling the connection, you can start planning the date.

You can also accept other people’s date ideas, although it will require you to spend a credit. Those can be purchased for $1.99.

Download Happn for iOS here and for Android here.

Expert Happn Tip: Happn is an app designed for last-minute dates that could just spark a long-term relationship. Keep a “Happy Hour ready” change of clothes at the office, so you’re ready to roll on a moment’s notice.

Further Reading: Happn Review

How To Meet High-Quality Singles When Your Time Is At A Premium

You’re no stranger to hard work, and savvy enough to know that getting the best results on a dating app means you need to put some effort into your profile and photos. The problem is finding the time to do it.

You’ll also need to figure out how to write about yourself in a natural-but-attractive way, and identify your most compelling photo lineup - and that’s all before you get into actual message exchanges, and all the attention those require!

There’s no way around it - modern dating is work. A lot of work. You may find you need to spend even more time to catch the attention of the most attractive singles near you.

So why not save yourself a lot of hassle, not to mention time, and outsource it all? 

VIDA’s dating service was designed for young professionals just like you. Everything, from your profile, photos and message exchanges to setting up all your dates, is handled 100% for you. 

Your part: Showing up for all the dates with the high quality singles you want to meet most! Intrigued?

See how VIDA can revolutionize your dating life!