Best dating sites for professionals in 2023 mashable



Best dating sites for professionals who don t have time to meet someone IRL

The League does the work for you by sending you five matches per day at 5 p.m., aka “Happy Hour” in the app’s lingo (which is good when you have a day packed full of calls and meetings). The pricing reflects its exclusive client base: Get ready to fork out some money if you’re accepted for membership — it’s pricey, and unlocking certain features will result in another charge to your credit card.

Best dating sites for professionals who don't have time to meet someone IRL

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Overview

Best overall

Match

Jump to Details Go to Match For those simply looking for sex

AdultFriendFinder

Jump to Details Go to AdultFriendFinder Best dating app for busy women

Bumble

Jump to Details Go to Bumble Best for future power couples

The League

Jump to Details Go to The League Best dating app for marriage

eharmony

Jump to Details Go to eharmony Best dating app for liberals

OkCupid

Jump to Details Go to OkCupid Best Tinder alternative

Hinge

Jump to Details Go to Hinge Best dating app for educated professionals

EliteSingles

Jump to Details Go to EliteSingles Best for serendipitous meetings

happn

Jump to Details Go to happn Best for meeting people IRL

Coffee Meets Bagel

Jump to Details Go to Coffee Meets Bagel Best as a last resort

Zoosk

Jump to Details Go to Zoosk See 6 More

Meeting people in real life is ideal, but it's not always realistic, especially when life revolves around non-stop work hours, launching a startup, juggling multiple clients and side hustles as a busy freelancer, and just generally trying to have it all.

There are not enough hours in the day, and honestly, the free hours we do have are typically spent showering, sleeping, or hovering over the sink, chowing down on whatever we can find for dinner or lunch. Sure, it's not always pretty, but no one said success would be easy.

So, how do you find time to meet people when you're too busy for happy hour? Fortunately, the philosophy of "work smarter, not harder" can be applied to your love life, too.

The best dating sites for professionals make it easy to meet someone who's on your level.

Yes, we know you're online all day for work, and the last thing you want to do is spend more time on your computer or phone trying to find a partner. But online dating lets you connect with potential partners on your own time and terms.

This means you can forego the awkward almost-maybe-not relationships and curate your dating experience to fit your lifestyle and schedule.

Are there dating apps for professionals?

When you think of dating apps, two things probably come to mind: Tinder (or worse, Facebook dating) and the question of how you'll ever find someone who can understand that your busy lifestyle is just who you are. The good news is that we can answer both of these concerns right here and now.

First, let's deal with the whole Tinder thing. Yes, it's super popular, and for a good reason: people are getting laid! But if you're looking for something more than a casual fling, there are so many other options out there. Hundreds of dating apps, including Bumble, EliteSingles, and The League, have features designed for single professionals interested in finding a more meaningful connection. You honestly don't even need to download or use Tinder at all (unless you want to!).

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Now, let's talk about finding someone who understands and respects your busy lifestyle. You're not alone in wanting a life that's meant to go somewhere, and you shouldn't have to settle. You deserve someone who can lift you up and support you, not drag you and your dreams through the dirt.

How can you find this person? Through the very peculiar power of niche dating sites. Whether you're looking for the best dating sites for professionals over 50 or dating apps for people earning six figures (or more), we've gathered a list of the best dating sites for working professionals.

Match

Best overall

Go to Match

Who it's for:

If you're a professional in your early-to-mid 30s who's interested in starting a serious but not too serious relationship, then Match is definitely an option worth looking into — it's a non-committal alternative to marriage-focused dating sites like eharmony. On balance, we think it's the best dating site for professionals.

Most of the folks on Match are in the 35-50 age range, making it a sweet spot for professionals over 35 who are not only established in their careers but are also looking for someone at a similar stage in life.

Why we picked this:

Match (owned by the dating app behemoth Match Group) is a popular dating app for people who want to have conversations, not just swipe through dating profiles. It’s been around since 1995 and has the credentials of connecting 1.6 million people with their partners.

Even if you're not the chattiest person, Match can help you get started. AskMatch, a dating advice feature, offers a virtual team of dating experts who can help you beef up your bio, get tips on how to start that first convo, or deal with fake profiles. (Though, we think it may only be available to daters in NYC and Chicago so far.)

Buying Options

The Good

  • Free to join and start browsing
  • Large user base of over 30 million members
  • Detailed personality test to help you find compatible matches
  • Advanced search filters to narrow down your results
  • Free members can upgrade to a premium subscription for more features

The Bad

  • Can be expensive, especially for the premium membership
  • Can be time-consuming to create a detailed profile and search for matches
  • Some users may be inactive or not interested in a serious relationship

Details

  • Free version: Yes
  • Three months of Standard : $95.97 ($31.99 per month)
  • Six months of Standard : $137.94 ($22.99 per month)
  • 12 months of Standard : $227.88 ($18.99 per month)
  • Three months of Premium : $104.97 ($34.99 per month)
  • Six months of Premium : $149.94 ($24.99 per month)
  • 12 months of Premium : $239.88 ($19.99 per month)

AdultFriendFinder

For those simply looking for sex

Go to AdultFriendFinder Buying Options

The Good

  • User intentions are obvious
  • Huge, extremely active user base
  • No pressure to take it slow

The Bad

  • Lots of scam profiles
  • Obnoxious ads everywhere
  • XXX nature of the site might turn off some

Details

  • Free version: Yes
  • One month of Gold: $39.95
  • Three months of Gold: $80.85 ($26.95 per month)
  • 12 months of Gold: $239.40 ($19.95 per month)

Bumble

Best dating app for busy women

Go to Bumble

Who it's for:

Bumble is a dating app for women and non-binary professionals who are so over getting unsolicited messages from creepy dudes. This app isn't just about swipes and matches; it's where women can control the conversation.

While the app tends to attract a crowd of young professionals, with most users in their 20s and early 30s, there's an opportunity for everyone to meet someone, including more seasoned singles who are looking for a meaningful relationship.

Why we picked this:

Bumble's ingenious 24-hour time limit on messages keeps the conversation going, or at least gets it started, which helps to establish a quick connection that could potentially blossom into real-world meetups. Plus, Bumble's famous women-message-first approach serves as a shield against the sleazy and unsolicited messages that are commonplace on apps like Tinder.

Whether you're a professional woman, a non-binary individual, or a more reserved person who's intrigued by strong, dynamic individuals who prefer to take the reins, Bumble offers a more positive and respectful dating experience for the busy professional on the go.

Beyond its core dating function, Bumble also offers Bumble BFF (in a standalone app) and Bumble Bizz, which is kind of like Linkedin.

Buying Options

The Good

  • Free to sign up and get started
  • Only women and non-binary individuals can make the first move
  • Matches expire after 24 hours if neither person sends a message
  • Large and active user base
  • Offers safety features like the ability to report users and block unwanted messages

The Bad

  • The chat timer can be restrictive, especially if you have a busy work schedule
  • The free version has limited features, such as a limited number of swipes
  • Some reports of fake profiles

Details

  • Free version: Yes
  • One month of Premium: $39.99
  • Three months of Premium: $79.99 ($26.66 per month)
  • Lifetime of Premium: $199.99

The League

Best for future power couples

Go to The League

Who it's for:

Now owned by Match Group (as of July 2022), The League is a highly selective dating app for ambitious, goal-oriented professionals. It's not for everyone, but if you're OK with going through an admissions process to be a part of an elite society (maybe even a bit elitist), then The League dating app might be the perfect match.

Launched in 2015, The League is for look-good-on-paper people who want to meet other look-good-on-paper people. Targeted toward young professionals, this exclusive dating site prioritizes education and job title — one of the social networks you connect is your LinkedIn (though it has a system that lets users block their profile from coworkers).

It’s all about status, status, status. So, if you're looking for dating sites to meet people with six-figure incomes, i.e., dating sites for rich people, this is your best bet. Other than that, the app functions much like Tinder, with a two-week expiration on matches. While it’s not so great for those who live outside major cities where white-collar professionals flock, if you live in places like New York or Kansas City, you might want to give it a try.

Why we picked this:

The League does the work for you by sending you five matches per day at 5 p.m., aka “Happy Hour” in the app’s lingo (which is good when you have a day packed full of calls and meetings). The pricing reflects its exclusive client base: Get ready to fork out some money if you’re accepted for membership — it’s pricey, and unlocking certain features will result in another charge to your credit card.

However, The League is one of the few dating apps that takes goal setting seriously. With its new GoalMates feature, members can select up to 10 goals from a list of 100+ to place on their profile, and the app will match them with other members who share their same goals. This is a great way to find a motivated, ambitious partner who supports your dreams.

While the argument could easily be made that The League is an incredibly elitist app — and it’s received a lot of flak for lack of diversity — it’s still a popular pick with the future 1% and those looking for a serious relationship.