Looking for your next online dating app?
I get it – choosing the one that’s right for you is never easy now that there’s SO. MUCH. DAMN. CHOICE.
Bumble and Hinge are two of the world’s most popular dating apps. They’re both primarily used by singles aged between 20 and 35, they can both be downloaded to your phone, and they both have millions of users around the world.
So which one’s the one for you?
In this article, I’m going to compare and contrast the two to help you make a better decision. I’ll be taking a look at both their quality of profiles, matches, and conversation, as well as how they compare in terms of their upgrade value.
Ready? Let’s make a start.
Hinge Vs Bumble: Overview
Pros of Bumble
- Free to send and receive messages
- Very easy to use
- Lots of users
Cons of Bumble
- Men can’t send the first message
Pros of Hinge
- Free to send and receive messages
- High profile quality
- Lots of features, including video chat
Cons of Hinge
- Free users are limited with what they can do
Hinge Vs Bumble: Profiles Quality
Profiles on Bumble:
Bumble has developed quite a reputation for itself as one of the hippest, coolest dating apps around and quite popular as a feminist dating app.
One of the reasons it’s got this reputation is because users generally agree with the rule that “less is more” when it comes to their dating profile.
You won’t see too many blank dating profiles on Bumble – but you will see lots that look like this:
Basically, Bumble users are encouraged to create short and sweet bio’s that typically feature either a witty one-liner, a few emojis, or just a link to their Snapchat or Instagram.
Of course, they add lots of pics, too.
That all said, users have the option of importing their Facebook data, which goes some way to filling out their profile for them. Moreover, some users take the time to add more detail to their bio to ensure they stand out and get more suitable matches.
But all in all, profile quality on Bumble is very subjective. While users clearly prefer basic profiles on Bumble, those who use profiles to truly gauge what someone’s all about will be left disappointed.
Profiles on Hinge:
Profiles on Hinge look very different from profiles on Bumble. Whilst you’ll still see lots of one-liners, you’ll generally see lots of one-liners in the same dating profile.
What does this mean?
A key feature on the Hinge is “prompts.”
A prompt looks like this:
Essentially, it’s up to the individual user to fill in the blanks. Because you can answer as many prompts as you like, you can really fill out your profile with interesting things about yourself, including your likes, dislikes, values, preferences, and anything and everything in-between.
Prompts are ideal for users who usually never know what to write in their bio’s, and they’ve definitely improved the quality of profiles on Hinge. Moreover, each time you answer a prompt, you can add a new pic of yourself.
On the other hand, some users who actually enjoy writing bio’s from scratch might see Hinge’s prompts as too restrictive.
That said, there’s a great interplay between photos and text on Hinge, and you can add things like this to your profile:
The Winner:
Hinge’s dating profile quality is generally higher simply because every single user gets to answer different prompts. This ensures you’ll never see a mundane “dunno what to write here” bio on Hinge. Instead, all users will have something to say.
Not just that, but Hinge is aimed specifically at those who want to date long-term. As such, you’ll find that most of its users really put some time and effort into their profile answers.
Bumble, however, gives users who want to write about themselves from scratch more freedom. Therefore, I think this one’s a tie. Hinge is great if you never know what to write in a bio, and it’s also great for killer one-liners. Bumble is also good for killer one-liners, and it’s also better for those who prefer to write their own bio’s.
Hinge vs Bumble: Match Quality
Match quality on Bumble:
The quality of matches on Bumble can be hit and miss because the app doesn’t have an actual search option.
But first, let’s take a look at the numbers:
Bumble is used by over a 6.3million people each month around the world, with most of these users aged between 25 and 35. This means that there’s every chance you’ll get a match.
But how good a match?
Without a search option, match quality just isn’t quite there on Bumble. Women have often complained of having hundreds of matches, but very few “good” matches.
Guys typically get less matches, but again the quality of the matches isn’t always so high.
The chief reason for this is that (as well as the lack of a search function) profiles form a ‘match queue’ for you, and it’s up to you to decide whether or not to say Yes or No to someone. If you say Yes and they say Yes, you’re a match.
However, many users often find themselves saying ‘Yes’ to more profiles simply in the hope of landing a match. This inevitably means that more people will end up matching with singles who aren’t suitable for them.
Match quality on Hinge:
Hinge works in a similar way to Bumble in that profiles are queued up for you. However, it differs in a few crucial ways.
For one thing, Hinge only lets free members “like” 10 profiles each day. Such a limitation has its pros and cons, but its biggest advantage is that it means users are more selective in regards to who they say Yes to. This can ensure a better quality match than Bumble, where users can end up endlessly swiping Yes.
Secondly, Hinge has a feature known as curated matches. Essentially, the app will recommend another profile to you (while at the same time recommending your profile to the corresponding person) every few days. Hinge’s recommendations are based on your preferences and behavior on the site, and they’re generally fairly accurate.
The Winner:
Hinge wins this round because of its curated matches, and the fact that each user has to be ultra-selective in regards to who they swipe Yes or No on.
Bumble, on the other hand, has so many members and no search function that it can be very easy to fall into the trap of ‘endless swiping’ – which, in turn, can reduce the quality of your matches.
Hinge vs Bumble: Messages & Conversation Quality
Messages & Conversation Quality on Bumble:
One of the problems faced by those who use a dating app like Bumble is they sometimes don’t know what to write in an opening message.
A lot of the time, you’ll find that Bumble users will simply say “hey” to get things going. This can really put the brakes on a conversation, and it often leaves other users feeling a bit frustrated.
After all, what can you really say in response?
The quality of conversation on Bumble, then, really comes down to how good the individual is at engaging a total stranger on a dating app. That said, because Bumble is often used by those looking for a hookup, you shouldn’t always expect to have a deep, meaningful conversation on this dating app. Instead, conversations tend to be snappy, funny, and flirty. For many people, their aim is to move things away from the app as soon as possible.
Take a look at the profile above, for example. The guy has written “great with parents,” in his bio. While that’s super witty, it doesn’t give women much to go off in terms of starting a conversation with him, and it also suggests that if you chat with him, you can expect it to be snappy.
Messages & Conversation Quality on Hinge
The quality of conversation on Hinge is instantly helped by the fact that Hinge lets everyone answer a series of prompts on their profile. Essentially, other users can come along and respond to one of the prompts.
For example, let’s say that a user has answered this on their profile:
This means that a guy can come along and respond to her answer in order to kickstart a conversation. Then, the two singles can take things from there.
No other online dating site uses this concept, which makes Hinge really unique. It also ensures that there is no excuse for someone to start a conversation with “hey!”
Moreover, as mentioned, Hinge is specifically aimed at those who are looking to date long-term. As such, you’ll find that people tend to put more time and effort into the conversations on there than on Bumble. They want to get to know you to see whether or not the two of you are truly compatible.
On the downside, Hinge definitely benefits from the prompts – but what happens when an individual has to hold a conversation with you without the aid of a prompt?
The Winner:
You can definitely have a lot of fun chatting with someone on Bumble. But Bumble users will typically not write long, drawn-out replies to you. Instead, they’ll keep things as brief and as flirty as possible. If that’s your thing, Bumble is a solid option.
Hinge, on the other hand, is more ideal if you’re really looking to get to know someone. Plus, it benefits from the prompts which help you to kickstart a new conversation with someone.
Overall, though, we’d probably give this one to Bumble, simply because there’s a greater variety of people who use this dating app. There are people looking for a hookup, people looking for something serious, and people looking for new friends. Moreover, Bumble’s demographic is wider and you’ll meet all kinds of interesting and entertaining people on here.
Hinge vs Bumble: Upgrade Value
Bumble's paid membership upgradable value:
Bumble is free to sign up to, and it’s also free to send and receive messages. So why would you upgrade?
First, let’s take a look at the prices:
- 1 week – $10
- 1 month – $25 per month
- 3 months – $19 per month
- 6 months – $15 per month
When you upgrade your account, you get to extend your connections for longer than 24 hours (free members will find that if they don’t message their match within the first 24 hours, they disappear forever), and you can also re-match with past connections.
Crucially, the Bumble upgrade lets you see who’s swiped right for you.
Why is this crucial?
One of the problems with Bumble is that it lets you know someone has swiped right for you – but it doesn’t let you know exactly who it is. In order to reveal their identity, you need to swipe right for them.
This can cause people to swipe endlessly in order to land a match. As mentioned earlier, it can really dilute match quality. Because the Bumble upgrade allows you to see at a glance who’s swiped right for you, many users decide to upgrade their accounts.
The upgrade also includes the ability to use the SuperSwipe feature more, which can also help you land more matches.
Price-wise, Bumble is competitive with its closest rivals, including Hinge and Tinder.
Hinge‘s paid membership upgradable value::
Like Bumble, Hinge lets you create an account for free, and it also lets you send and receive messages. Is it worth upgrading?
Let’s have a look at the prices:
- 1 month – $25 per month3 months – $18 per month6 months – $13 per month
Hinge is priced similarly to Bumble but works out cheaper in the long run if you lock yourself into a 6-month contract. When you upgrade your account, you get access to unlimited likes, and you can also set advanced preferences. This enables you to land more suitable matches.
Are these hugely beneficial?
Unlimited likes is a good feature for those who feel restricted by 10 daily likes. But it can also work the opposite way if you swipe endlessly and match with people who are unsuitable anyway. Being able to set advanced preferences, however, is definitely a major plus but because Hinge’s user base isn’t as high as the likes of Bumble and Tinder, upgrading your account might not be worth it.
The Winner:
Free members of both Bumble and Hinge can easily achieve success, and there’s an argument that it’s not worth upgrading on either online dating app.
However, because Bumble’s user base is so high, it can be difficult to land a match in highly-populated areas, such as New York City. Therefore, if you’re feeling bored, you’re getting no matches, and want to chat with someone new, upgrading to Bumble for a week at $10 is easily the best option here. On that count, Bumble wins this final round.
Is Hinge Better Than Bumble?
Like all dating apps, both Bumble and Hinge have their pros and cons. The fact that they’re both free to sign up means that even if you do change your mind, you at least won’t have wasted your money. But while Bumble is the best dating app for making new friends and something shorter term, Hinge wins when it comes to relationships. For you, the next step is to decide which one appeals to you the most, before creating an account.
For detailed analysis you can read Hinge review.
What are the Alternatives Available?
Still not sure whether Bumble or Hinge is the right dating app for you? Let’s take a look at the top 3 alternatives:
- Tinder
Tinder is one of the most popular dating apps that inspired both Bumble and Hinge. In fact, Bumble was created by the same founders. Like Bumble, Tinder is used by those who are looking for a hookup, those who want a relationship, as well as those who are just looking for friends. These two dating apps are very similar, with the crucial differences being the user layout and the fact that only females can send the first message on Bumble.
Read how to use Tinder.
- OkCupid
It’s free to create an account and to send and receive messages, and most members prefer to retain their free account as opposed to upgrading.
Especially popular with members of the LGBTQ+ community, OKCupid has developed a reputation for acting as a ‘safe space’ for daters who want an online dating app where they won’t get hassled.
To this end, OKCupid has put in place a few controls. For example, members can’t send follow-up messages to their matches until their match has responded. Having been around for sixteen years at the time of writing, OkCupid is also one of the most reputable online dating sites around. It’s used by more than 50 million people worldwide and its user base is very varied when it comes to their dating intentions and preferences.
Read OkCupid's review.
- POF
Plenty of Fish (POF) was recently given a makeover and now looks better than ever. It’s ideal for anyone and everyone, whether you want something serious or something casual. Perhaps the biggest advantage it has over Bumble and Hinge is that it comes with a search feature that you can tweak according to your preferences. POF isn’t a swipe dating app but it does have a swipe ‘matchmaking’ feature, and it’s also got a very high user base.
However, because POF is completely free, it’s riddled with fake profiles. Quality of conversation and profiles can also be quite low, and it’s more of an app to use alongside your main online dating app.
Read POF's review.
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