Cupid’s Arrow

Are you looking for a date, but don’t want to go the Tinder route? There is a plethora of new dating apps at our fingertips, but which ones are good? We checked out a few shining stars, who’s using them and what they’re all about.

Bumble

Bumble is one of the most popular new dating apps on the scene that has singles buzzing. While the format is similar to Tinder, there are slight differences that make it a more legit site. Along with pictures, you have the choice of including your personal information such as your age, occupation and the school you last attended. Bumble will send over matches that are in your geographical area, and then you are all set to start swiping right or left on potential dates. Bumble is being hailed as the feminist’s dating site, as only the woman can initiate a conversation. Once a match is made, there are only 24 hours to make a move. If no conversation has been initiated by then, your match is lost into the void.

This feature helps eliminate those who aren’t seriously looking for a partner. The trouble with Tinder is that you can swipe right all you want, but it’s not guaranteed that anyone will ever start a conversation with you.

Bumble is the brainchild of one of Tinder’s exiled executives, Whitney Wolfe, who was famously ousted by her ex-boyfriend and Tinder co-founder Justin Mateen. The two are still in the middle of a bitter lawsuit, but that is not interfering with the success of Wolfe’s dating app.
Free. Available for iOS and Android.

eHarmony

Just in time for the New Year, eHarmony is overhauling the religious overtones of their dating site, and opening it up to non-religious folks. One thing that will not change is the fifty-point questionnaire that you fill out upon joining eHarmony. The company decided to keep this feature in order to match their users up on as many levels as possible. This new rules will undoubtedly gain eHarmony a slough of new customers, but it may turn off the religious crowd that is looking for love with like-minded religious individuals. A subscription is required, which might weed out potential mates that are just looking to have a good time. If a person has to shell out some cash to meet someone, they are typically pretty serious. $60/month. Available for iOS and Android.

JDate

If you are Jewish and are in the market for a Jewish partner, then Jdate is for you. This app just acquired another smaller Jewish-dating app called JSwipe, so it really has the monopoly on the Jewish online dating market. This app is helpful if you are looking for someone who holds the same values and beliefs that you do, as well as someone who celebrates the same traditions. JDate also allows you to narrow your search depending on your level of faith, from Orthodox to Hasidic to those who only celebrate holidays, and everything in between. The app even includes a synagogue locator. You don’t have to be Jewish to use the app; you can also join up if you are looking to date a Jewish man or woman. You can also classify yourself as “willing to convert” if that is up your alley. This app has been around since 2007 and states they have matched up to a million Jewish singles. Free. Available for iOS and Android.

Hinge

Since its inception in 2013, Hinge has been hailed as the professional’s dating app. When setting up a profile on this app you will be asked for your age, occupation, where you went to college and other personal info. Once matched with someone, you will be able to see your mutual friends on Facebook. This definitely takes the creeper element out of online dating, and you can be assured that you will be matched with someone who has a job.

One of the bigger drawbacks to Hinge is that you literally be thrown into a dating pool of friends of Facebook friends. This can get awkward if you are still friends with an ex, or their friends and family. A good idea is to do a thorough cleanse of your Facebook contacts before signing up with Hinge. Free. Available for iOS and Android.

Coffee Meets Bagel

This new dating app focuses on the meeting aspect of online dating, instead of chatting endlessly with potential suitors. We all know it is sometimes hard to communicate your personality through text, so there really is no better way to get to know someone but to go out and actually meet them. This app matches you up with men and woman who have similar interests as you, and who live in your area. The app will send you one match around noon everyday. You then have 24 hours to decide weather you have interest in this potential match, and they have the same amount of time to decide on their interest in you. If you are both interested, the app will then help you designate a meet-up spot. This app also goes through your Facebook, so your match will likely know one of your Facebook friends. This 24-hour feature cuts down on the lag time that sometimes comes with dating apps, where you can match with multiple people and never actually meet up or even communicate with them at all. This is the perfect app if you want to meet a lot of new people and have a large variety of potential sweethearts with similar interests to choose from, and want to meet them all face-to-face. This free app is available for iOS and Android.

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