I Tried 5 Dating Apps in 2026 — I Found Only One Was Worth It

The search for love can be exhausting. While my goal is to meet someone in person because I’m a firm believer that organic connections tend to be the best, I’ve decided to try dating apps again.

So far in 2026, I’ve tried 5 dating apps — and only one was worth it. Here’s my review of each of these dating apps.

1. Tinder

With more than 75 million active users as of 2026, Tinder is the most commonly used dating app. And there’s no doubt that it has some potential. I’ve matched with quite a few guys on Tinder, but I feel like I keep wading through AI photos and A LOT of people who are only interested in Ethical Non-Monogamy (ENM).

The Verdict: It’s worth keeping in your toolbox if you plan to use dating apps, but it’s not my favorite app.

2. Bumble

Years ago, Bumble was my absolute favorite dating app. But I’ve noticed a big decline in the number of people on the app compared to circa 2022–2023. Everyone’s profile feels perfectly curated, and most bios are written by ChatGPT.

The Verdict: Skip it. I’m deactivating my account today.

3. Hinge

I have friends who have found their spouses on Hinge, and many people rave about it. I’m not sure if it’s due to my location in northeast PA or what, but I haven’t found it to be the best dating app. I find myself swiping through the same people that I’ve been swiping through for years on the app.

The Verdict: It’s not a dating app I find myself to be very active on, but I’ll keep it around — just in case.

4. Plenty of Fish

Years ago, Plenty of Fish was the #1 dating app. My last two relationships actually came from POF. I’ve met many people who married their POF matches. And while I do like the app’s interface because it allows you to easily search for people who match your preferences, the quality of matches is bad. Like really bad.

The Verdict: It feels like I am literally out in a swamp fishing and digging up some highly suspect prospects. I’m torn between deactivating my account or keeping it around just for the daily giggles. I’ve never seen so many bad pickup lines before in my life.

5. Facebook Dating

When I first got on dating apps years ago, Facebook Dating wasn’t my favorite. But now? It’s actually my most-used app, with the highest-quality matches.

Everyone’s profiles come across as more authentic, and I see more fresh faces on Facebook Dating than on other apps. One of the things I love most is that Facebook Dating also shows you mutual friends, so you might be able to check with someone whether someone is a good person.

The Verdict: This is the dating app I will focus most of my efforts on as I continue my search for love in 2026. I strongly believe this is the best dating app currently in existence.

The Bottom Line

While this has been my experience with dating apps in 2026, the results might not be the same for everyone. It may depend on multiple factors, including your age, gender, location, and what you’re looking for on the apps. My results are based on a 39-year-old woman in northeast PA who’s looking for love and someone who wants kids.

That being said, based on my results, Tinder and Hinge could be worth keeping around, and Facebook Dating is a must. I’d definitely skip Plenty of Fish and not waste my time on Bumble in the future.

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This post was previously published on medium.com.