Hinge vs. Tinder: A Complete Comparison of the Dating Apps

In a crowded dating app market, it's important to spend your efforts on the dating site where you'll get the best results. We'll walk you through all the differences between Hinge and Tinder so you can decide where to spend your time.

Find out what the best hookup sites are. I personally like to focus on a few apps. Many people dislike Tinder now, it is still one of my favorites! But I am super thrilled by Hinge's creativity.

Whatever app you’ve decided to use, the profile has to be spot on. No, we’re not talking about posting the last five photos from your Camera Roll — put some thought into it, and even get some professional assistance! In this article we'll cover all the subjects below. You know the drill: jump to any section that may attract you most, or just follow me through the whole comparaison.

How does Hinge work?

Hinge knows that the dating market is crowded, and they're serious about standing out. They don't want their users engaging in endless swiping. Instead, Hinge is designed so that users will put more thought into their choices.

Hinge wants you to know if each potential match has similar interests, and to do that they provide profile prompts to choose from. Instead of an open-ended bio section, users answer three of their prompts (there are plenty to choose from) to show more of their personalities.

Thanks to profile prompt answers, the decision about whether to like someone doesn't just come down to a profile picture, you can decide based on sense of humor and other personality traits.

Another way that Hinge stands out, a "like" isn't just an up or down vote. Instead, you can like one of the elements on someone's dating profile, such as one of their pictures or one of their Hinge prompt answers. You're only given 10 "likes" a day, so you need to make them count.

Even better, your "like" can come with a comment or note the person will see. This is essentially a chance to send a message before there's even been a match.

Finally, super important: you get to see who liked you almost for free. On the free version, you have to unpile the list of likes. Many girls will then just look there, looking for a good punchline that would push them too look at the profile.

Clearly Hinge used their advantage of coming way after the Tinder leader. Even using some mechanics used by Bumble.

How does Tinder work?

Tinder hit the scene in 2012 and changed the dating app world. Before Tinder, dating sites were primarily web-based, like OkCupid and Match, and relied heavily on long bios to make your case. Online dating sites also made you answer dozens of questions to allow the algorithms to do their work.

With Tinder, the process of setting up a profile is much easier. Not only does the app rely on photos for making a good impression, but Tinder bios are optional. (Though we strongly suggest you write a good bio!)

To get started on Tinder, you upload a series of photos, write a short bio, and you're ready to find potential matches!

These days you can't think of dating apps without thinking of swiping, so it's easy to forget, Tinder invented the "swipe." Whether that development is a change for the better or the worse is hotly debated. But whichever side of the debate you land on, the swipe is here to stay.

The idea behind Tinder is simple. It functions like holding a deck of cards — but the cards are Tinder users. As you land on each profile, you look at the photos and bio and decide if you "like" the person or not. If you do, you swipe right. If you don't, you swipe left.

When both users swipe right, you've got a match. Tinder will notify you right away and also add your match to a list of users you can now send messages to.

Ease of use and design

Tinder couldn't be easier. It's designed to work like a game, and you can swipe through other users without thinking too hard about it.

Unlike Tinder, Hinge feels a bit like looking at an Instagram profile. You're given more information about each user and you need to put more thought into who you want to like and how you want to make the first move.

With a free account, both Hinge and Tinder limit some of your options. Hinge only gives you 10 free likes a day and Tinder limits you to 100. (But those 100 swipes go faster than you think!) Both platforms will allow you to pay for unlimited likes.

On both apps, once you have a match it's time to send a message and start a conversation. Like other online dating options, both apps have a solid platform for chatting without having to exchange phone numbers or other personal information.

In terms of signing up, both apps make things fairly easy. You no longer need a Facebook profile to sign up and any other social platform integration is totally optional.

The big difference: Messaging

On both apps you technically need to wait for a match in order to send a message, but on Hinge there's a bit of a cheat. Because Hinge lets you send a "note" along with a like, you've got a big advantage in getting their attention — assuming you use this opportunity well.

If you're good at clever one-liners, or at giving compliments that are flattering rather than creepy, this feature alone can make Hinge a better dating app than Tinder.

It is equivalent to the Tinder Platinum super like, but for each profile! Other difference: The voice. HUGE impact to use the voice note on Hinge to get a better glimpse of the other person, or use it to score extra points!

Demographics

When it comes to the overall number of users, no one has Tinder beat. They are simply the most popular dating app out there.

But numbers alone don't tell the whole story. For starters, more of Tinder's users are men than women, so you need to work harder to stand out. The other big difference is what you're looking for. Tinder still wins when it comes to hooking up, but more of Hinge's users are looking for a relationship.

Which is better, Hinge or Tinder?

Which app is better depends on what you're looking for.

A Hinge account is better for finding serious relationships and Tinder wins if you want a hookup app. Ultimately, both apps can work for casual dating, as long as you're clear about it in your profile.

Online dating is also a numbers game, so it matters how many users are on each app in your area. Overall, Tinder has more members than any other dating app. This can be a deciding factor, especially if you don't live in a big city.

I would say that Tinder is more like the "raw" experience. If you are creative and a little advanced, you can easily make a Huge difference with your competition. For sure you will lack some features like the voice.

On the other hand, Hinge will take you by the end, and push to less volume. 10 profiles a day is quickly watched!

Hinge cost vs Tinder cost

If you plan to stick with the free version, Tinder comes out ahead. While their premium features are useful, you can still find quality matches and dates as a free member.

The Hinge app is a bit more limited for free users. If Hinge is the right app for you, it can be worth springing for a premium membership.

Both apps have features for showing you matches curated by their matching algorithm. However, these match lists are mostly a tease if you don't spring for a premium membership in order to take full advantage of this feature.

Conclusion

How do you decide? If you enjoy creating and reading detailed profiles and are interested in finding a serious relationship, Hinge wins.

If a long lasting relationship isn't your main goal, and you want to browse through more potential partners each day, Tinder is the way to go. For both Hinge and Tinder, the best thing you can have is a great profile. Get one made for you by someone who knows Hinge and Tinder better than anyone else.