Are dating apps good for long term relationships?

eHarmony has always been seen as a serious dating app, and it claims that more of its users have ended up in long-lasting relationships than any other dating service. eHarmony has an extensive questionnaire that can take quite a while to complete, and you must complete it before you can start using the rest of the site. With questions chosen based on scientific matchmaking, you'll only be matched with those you're compatible with, and no one else. Match has a large number of users, so you're much more likely to find the right person for you.

Their user profiles are also quite detailed, so you can get to know a lot about your potential matches. It even hosts events through a service called Match Stir, which can help you meet locals in your area that you may be compatible with. It might surprise you to find Tinder on our list, but it has actually created some long-lasting relationships as its features have evolved over the years. It's also completely free to use, unlike most of the apps we've listed here.

This can be an advantage if you're looking for a serious relationship, but you can't afford to constantly spend money on paid subscriptions. If you're transparent about what you like and what you want, Tinder can lead to a real relationship. Although it doesn't always offer as many opportunities to get to know people before going out with them, it allows you to get to know people you like quickly. You can decide for yourself right away if you really like someone, instead of wasting time searching for answers to hundreds of questions.

If you, like Tinder, think you're the best person to decide if you're compatible with someone, then take the match into your own hands with the Tinder app. It's not that you can't find a long-term relationship on Tinder, but you'd be more likely to find something real on another, more serious dating site. According to new research published in PLOS One, dating apps may not deserve the bad reputation they receive. A large Swiss study found that relationships that were initiated through dating apps were just as satisfying as those started offline, and it featured couples who were actually more inclined to move in together.

Interestingly, when looking at the subgroup of respondents who did not live with their partners, those who met their partner on a dating website reported greater relationship satisfaction than those who met their partner using a dating app. Along with this widespread use, criticism has emerged suggesting that dating apps produce lower quality connections and emphasize casual dating. Couples who met through a dating app were more interested in living together compared to those who met offline, and women who found their partner through a dating app were more likely to want to have children than those who found their partner in other ways. A total of 104 participants had met their partner through a dating app, 264 had met their partner through a dating website, and 125 had met their partner through other online methods.

However, the use of a different data source looking at the intentions of singles using dating apps in Switzerland revealed that even in the dating stage, mobile app users are more interested in starting a long-term family (especially becoming parents) than non-users.

Martha Harlowe
Martha Harlowe

Typical social media maven. Amateur bacon ninja. Extreme food trailblazer. Extreme bacon geek. Extreme social media evangelist.