Best Dating Apps in the US (2026): Verified Comparison
Which dating app is actually worth your time in the US in 2026? We verified every claim on this page against official sources — App Store listings and the apps' own help centers — and found one surprise: two of the biggest apps quietly removed their video-calling features. Here's the verified state of American dating apps this year.
Full disclosure: LoverSpot is our app. Every fact on this page was verified against official sources (each app's own site or its official App Store listing) in August 2026; anything we could not verify says "Not confirmed". Judge for yourself.
Key takeaways
- Tinder officially deprecated its video chat (help center, November 2025) and Hinge removed Voice & Video Calling (help center, May 2026).
- Coffee Meets Bagel and Match require identity/selfie checks at signup; on Tinder, Bumble, Hinge and OkCupid verification is optional.
- Bumble and LoverSpot are the apps on this list with a built-in video call before you meet.
The verified comparison
| LoverSpot | Tinder | Bumble | Hinge | Coffee Meets Bagel | OkCupid | Match | eharmony | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Yes — matching, messaging, video calls and date booking are all free | Yes — listing states 'you can simply continue using Tinder for free' if you don't purchase a subscription | Yes — listing states 'Bumble is free' with premium services optional | Yes — listing states 'The app is free to use' | Yes — listing states 'Coffee Meets Bagel is a free dating app' | Yes — help center states 'OkCupid is completely free to use' (likes, intros, matching, conversations) | Yes — 'free to download and start matching': create profile, browse daily suggestions, chat with recommended matches, join singles events (US App Store listing) | Yes (limited) — 'The Basic Membership is your default free membership upon joining'; swapping messages requires Premium (US App Store listing) |
| Paid tiers | Plus $9.99 / Gold $19.99 / Premium $29.99 per month (US pricing, loverspot.app/premium) | Tinder Plus, Tinder Gold, Tinder Platinum (US App Store listing; tier contents confirmed at tinder.com/feature/subscription-tiers) | Bumble Boost, Bumble Premium, Premium+ (US App Store listing) | Hinge+ (see everyone who likes you, unlimited likes) and HingeX (enhanced recommendations, priority likes) (US App Store listing) | CMB Premium (single subscription: unlimited likes, Premium Preferences, 1 Boost/month, Activity Reports) (US App Store listing) | OkCupid Premium and Premium Plus; OkCupid Basic is legacy ('no longer available for new purchases'); Incognito sold separately (okcupid help article 22945125907227, updated 2026-08-08) | Bronze, Silver, Platinum, Diamond tiers in 1/3/6/12-month packages, plus optional add-ons (help.match.com article 6241306373403, updated 2025-11-11; packages may vary by location) | Premium Membership, sold in multiple durations ('shorter plans don't give you the time...'); specific US plan names not verified on official sources (US App Store listing) |
| Photo/profile verification | Mandatory photo verification at signup — every profile | Yes, optional — Photo Verification via video selfie compared to profile photos ('provides an opportunity' to get the blue check; opt-in); separate ID + Photo Verification also offered (help.tinder.com article 36003494… | Yes — ID verification: 'Get ID Verified early-on (like the majority of our community)' (US App Store listing); presented as opt-in, but mandatory-vs-optional not explicitly stated in official sources checked | Yes, optional — Selfie Verification is 'a voluntary process' (video selfie, verified badge); a biometric Face Check is required in certain regions only (help.hinge.co article 10303221435539, updated 2026-07-14) | Yes, mandatory — 'CMB requires a selfie liveness check' matching your face to your main profile photo, processed by verification partner Persona (coffeemeetsbagel.zendesk.com article 44567276423955, updated 2026-08-11) | Yes — Photo Verification via video selfie (Liveness Check + 3D Face Authentication) grants a 'verified' badge; framed as a badge feature, not stated as mandatory (okcupid help article 22781075719195, updated 2026-08-06) | Yes — mandatory signup checks: face-photo upload with automated age/authenticity detection plus SMS verification; listing markets 'Verified Profiles — every profile goes through checks'; no opt-in badge program docume… | Not confirmed |
| Video call before meeting | Yes — built-in 15-minute video call before you meet (free tier) | No — 'Face to Face video chat has been deprecated' (help.tinder.com article 360046122311, updated 2025-11-25) | Yes — in-app: 'chat and video options make it easier to progress your connection, without ever leaving the app' (US App Store listing) | No — 'we've decided to remove the Voice and Video Calling feature from Hinge'; Voice Notes and messaging remain (help.hinge.co article 20650526717971, updated 2026-05-04) | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| Distinctive strength | The only app on this list that books the actual date: time, place and table arranged in-app at curated venues | Largest reach of the seven — 'millions of people nearby and around the world', spanning casual to serious intentions; includes Double Date group-matching | Women-first design — after a match, women send the first message and the match expires if not answered within 24 hours | 'Designed to be deleted' — prompt-rich profiles, every like/comment targets a specific part of a profile, and post-date follow-ups feed match recommendations | Curated daily match batches instead of endless swiping; company states 91% of its daters seek a serious relationship, and a seven-day chat limit pushes matches toward real dates | Most inclusive of the seven — matching built on profile questions, with 60+ gender identity and sexual-orientation options and pronoun display | 25+ years focused on serious relationships, with human touches the swipe apps lack: dating-expert support and virtual + in-person singles events | Compatibility-quiz matching — the Compatibility Matching System scores every match, profiles must be at least 50% complete, and the product is built around long-term commitment (2M+ couples claimed) |
Where each app is strong
LoverSpot
The only app on this list that books the actual date: time, place and table arranged in-app at curated venues
Tinder
Largest reach of the seven — 'millions of people nearby and around the world', spanning casual to serious intentions; includes Double Date group-matching
Bumble
Women-first design — after a match, women send the first message and the match expires if not answered within 24 hours
Hinge
'Designed to be deleted' — prompt-rich profiles, every like/comment targets a specific part of a profile, and post-date follow-ups feed match recommendations
Coffee Meets Bagel
Curated daily match batches instead of endless swiping; company states 91% of its daters seek a serious relationship, and a seven-day chat limit pushes matches toward real dates
OkCupid
Most inclusive of the seven — matching built on profile questions, with 60+ gender identity and sexual-orientation options and pronoun display
Match
25+ years focused on serious relationships, with human touches the swipe apps lack: dating-expert support and virtual + in-person singles events
eharmony
Compatibility-quiz matching — the Compatibility Matching System scores every match, profiles must be at least 50% complete, and the product is built around long-term commitment (2M+ couples claimed)
Which one should you pick?
For sheer volume, Tinder. For women-first etiquette, Bumble. For thoughtful profiles, Hinge. For curated daily matches, Coffee Meets Bagel. For serious, older audiences, Match or eharmony. And if your bar is meeting a verified, real person across a table — with a video call first and the date booked for you — that's the job LoverSpot was built for.
Last updated: August 13, 2026.
Want the date, not just the match? Download LoverSpot free — photo-verified profiles, a built-in video call, and dates booked in-app.