Online dating can be daunting, especially if dating apps weren’t around last time you were single. Whether you’re recently divorced or starting to date after losing a spouse, you may be navigating a new-to-you world.
You may already know of eHarmony, which launched in 2000, but you may not have heard of some newer dating apps, including Hinge, Zoosk and SilverSingles.
Need help sifting through all the dating apps? Here’s a guide to the best apps for adults 50+, plus a few online dating success stories.
Choosing a Dating App for 50+ Adults
There’s no one dating app that’s right for everyone, and picking one can involve trial and error, says Deb Dutcher, a dating coach for mature adults.
Here is a list of criteria to consider when choosing a dating app:
1
Sign-up costs.
Most dating apps offer a free version. But springing for the paid version can increase the quality of results and help weed out scammers, Dutcher says.
2
Commitment.
Most apps allow you to sign up for anywhere from one week to two years. Dutcher suggests signing up for three months max to see how you like an app.
3
Location.
Some apps are more popular in certain states or regions. You might need to try a few to see which ones are hot in your area, Dutcher says.
Take time to reflect on what you want before you start filling out questionnaires, Dutcher says. Last time she was dating—a year and a half ago at age 70—she met a man named Eric on the dating app Zoosk. He had 39 out of 40 of her desired qualities, and they’ve been together for 15 months.
“We’ve gone to Kauai, had a blast of a time. We’re going camping and doing a northwest tour in July,” she says. “We’re very compatible.”
Best Dating Apps for Adults Over 50
There are some dating apps specifically for adults 50 and older, while others are open to all age groups. Below are some of the best of both.
eHarmony
- Why it made the list: eHarmony is known as an app for seeking serious relationships, and it’s one of the most popular dating apps among users 50-64 and 65+, according to the Pew Research Center.
- How it works: You take a detailed 20-minute compatibility quiz. Questions include what type of setting you’d most like to live in, your reasons for wanting a relationship, and your answers to random scenarios, like what you’d think if you slipped on a banana peel.
- Cost: Start with a free basic trial, then choose from six-month, 12-month and 24-month plans. Prices range from $44.90 a month to $74.90 a month, depending on the plan, and you may be able to find special offers to save on monthly plans.
Hinge
- Why it made the list: Hinge isn’t specifically designed for mature adults, but it’s a popular dating app for some in the over-50 crowd. It bills itself as “the dating app designed to be deleted.”
- How it works: You download the app and start answering questions on religion, politics and more. You can add a voice message to your profile on your choice of fun topics, such as a random fact you love or a recent random thought you had in the shower.
- Cost: Free, or subscribe with two membership tiers. Subscriptions prices range from $5.83 a week to $24.99 for one week, depending on the plan.
OurTime
- Why it made the list: OurTime is a popular app specifically for daters age 50 and up, so you may easily find matches in your age range.
- How it works: You answer a short series of questions about your height, body type, education level, family and what you’re looking for in a match.
- Cost: The free version includes up to 12 matches a day, or choose between two paid membership tiers. A one-week plan costs $19.99, and monthly plans range from $12.99 to $24.99 a month.
SilverSingles
- Why it made the list: SilverSingles is one of the few online dating apps specifically geared toward adults age 50+, and it has a large number of users.
- How it works: You fill out a moderately detailed questionnaire that asks questions like how you’d settle into a new city and whether you’d rather clink wine glasses or go skydiving on a first date. SilverSingles uses “intelligent matchmaking,” employing a proprietary algorithm to show you partner suggestions.
- Cost: Free basic trial version, with paid plans ranging from $19.95 to $39.95 a month, depending on the plan.
Aside from the apps above, you can also find more niche dating apps that may be a great fit for you, based on religion, politics, hobbies and more.
These Daters Met Their Matches Online
So, you may still be wondering: Do people over 50 really have success with online dating? They absolutely can. Here are two dating app success stories.
Connecting over pop culture on Hinge
Paula Joseph, a retired teacher in Fredericksburg, Virginia, who now works in real estate, started dating again at age 54 after separating from her husband. She tried free Facebook Dating as well as Bumble and Hinge.
“I guess my favorite one was Hinge because that’s where I met my boyfriend,” she says. He was her second date from the app, and they connected over pop culture and a shared love of “The Office.” “We just clicked,” she says.
Joesph’s boyfriend Kevin is a carpenter who is two years her junior. The two plan to move in together soon. “I got really lucky,” she says.
A meant-to-be match on SilverSingles
Tammy Malone-Hasler and David Hasler met on SilverSingles in February 2022, a few days before the end of Tammy’s membership. Tammy, then 56 years old, had no luck on the site and even encountered a scammer who claimed he worked on an oil rig off the coast of Mexico and wanted to take her to Paris. Then she saw David’s photo and “just knew instantly.”
Both had lost beloved spouses to cancer, and both were open about their past. “I put on my profile that I was still in love with my husband, he had a piece of my heart that was not available to anybody else, and they had to be OK with that,” she says. David understood and “loved that” because he felt the same way about his wife.
Both love dogs, and even their dogs clicked on first meeting. They got engaged in five months—he proposed on the Bridge to Nowhere in Fort Benton, Montana, where they live—and were married at a park last spring.
Both encourage others to give online dating a try. “There’s that old saying, when one door closes, another one opens,” David says. “And it’s true.”
Have you tried online dating? Share your favorite apps, tips and stories in the comments.
View Comments (4)
I chose Our Time because it was rated so high. Very unhappy with app. Reasons sending potentials from out of state and 100's of miles away from the city where I live. Regardless of my requests. Also they have alot of add on's.
I guess I will try again, having not dated for years now. It was all so easy when I was younger, but I have been single for 20 years & have not met anyone who was a good fit....sigh.
Yes
I feel so blessed that I got to watch the love story of Tammy and David evolve. They are a wonderful couple and definitely a match made in Heaven by their spouses who are in Heaven knowing they needed to be together.