According to Bumble, “in same-gender matches, matches with two non-binary people, or matches between non-binary people and men, either person has the power to make the first move. Then, the other person has 24 hours to respond, or the connection expires.”
Bumble has two tiers of premium features. Bumble Boost ($16.99/month) allows you to do things like re-match with people, backtrack on accidental left swipes, and extend your matches for another 24 hours. Bumble Premium ($39.99/month, with options to also pay weekly and for a lifetime subscription) allows that plus features like extra “spotlights” each week where the app boosts your profile for 30 minutes, TravelMode to let you swipe in other locations, and Incognito Mode where you can only be seen by people you’ve swiped yes on. Both also allow unlimited swipes.
Bumble also has Bumble BFF and Bumble Bizz to help people connect with people for friendship or networking rather than being solely fuck-focused. A few people I know have met friends via Bumble BFF, so maybe there’s something there!
Feeld
Feeld was conceived as a threesome app—whether you were a couple looking for a third or a person looking to find a couple. (Or perhaps just three individuals looking for a quorum). It evolved from its 2014 beginnings when it was named the unpronounceable “3nder,” to be an inclusive app that caters to those interested in non-monogamy, polyamory, kink, swinging, and more.
Partners on Feeld can pair their profiles, and anyone can decide if they’re interested in couples or singles. You can also choose from a much wider range of gender and sexuality options than most other dating apps provide. One person I spoke to said, “it’s much, much easier to find casual sex on Feeld without feeling skeeved out or super objectified, generally speaking.”
Premium features available under the unfortunately named “Majestic Membership” include unlimited matches, filtering by desires, filtering by who has been recently online, Incognito Mode, and one free “Ping” a day, which allows you to “Notify a member you like immediately and increase your chances of connecting.”
Tinder
Tinder is…Tinder. It’s ubiquitous. The inventor of swipes! The punchline to every joke in 2015!
The biggest downside to Tinder is also its biggest upside—the sheer number of users. Everyone is on Tinder, which means everyone is on Tinder. It’s like going to a massive flea market; yes, you might find a vintage Rolex, but first, you’re going to have to sort through piles of weird-smelling jean jackets.
Tinder is lovely for when you are looking for someone who wants to hook up or hang out tonight or when you’re willing to sort through profiles and are immune to discouragement.
Tinder has three Premium tiers—Tinder+, Tinder Gold, and Tinder Platinum. Premium features include things like Passport, where you can swipe in other locations (going to Dallas for a wedding next week? Start swiping now!), and Incognito Mode. The Gold and Platinum tiers focus on boosting your profile with things like prioritized likes, seeing who has matched with you, giving you 5 Super Likes a week, and being able to message people before matching.
Grindr
In the past decade, there has been a surge of good dating apps that are made for and by LGBTQIA+ people like Scruff, Her, and Lex. Although the gold standard remains: Grindr. Grindr is, above all, a hookup app. A gay friend of mine called it “dick on demand.” Although Grindr welcomes anyone who is queer, trans, bi, or curious, mostly the app is populated by gay men.
