YADate vs 9 popular dating apps: what's free and what you pay for
We compared YADate with Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, Badoo, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish, Match, Happn and eharmony using their official pages as of 26 October 2026: two tables, what's free, what costs money and who each one suits.
The main difference between YADate and the popular dating apps is that we have no paid features at all. The things Tinder, Bumble or Badoo ask you to subscribe for — seeing who liked you, removing the like limit, going back to a profile you skipped, browsing without being seen — are open to everyone on YADate from day one.
This article was written by the YADate team, so we are not a neutral party. That is why everything we say about the others can be checked: their own help pages, their app store listings and their owners' annual reports. Everything was checked on 26 October 2026. Hardly anyone publishes prices — they depend on your country and age — so we only give a price where we know it for sure.
The comparison in one table
| Service | Chat without paying | Who liked you | In a browser | Paid plans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YADate | yes, you can write first | free | yes | none, everything is free |
| Tinder | after a match | paid | yes | Plus, Gold, Platinum |
| Bumble | after a match | paid | no, app only | Boost, Premium, Premium+ |
| Hinge | after a match | one at a time for free, all at once paid | no, app only | Hinge+, HingeX |
| Badoo | after a match | paid | yes | Premium and credits |
| OkCupid | after a mutual like | paid | yes | Premium, Premium Plus, Incognito |
| Plenty of Fish | after a match, a few messages a day without one | paid | yes | Plus, Premium, Prestige |
| Match | after a match, one Intro a day without one | paid | yes | Bronze, Silver, Platinum, Diamond |
| Happn | after a mutual like | paid | no, app only | Premium |
| eharmony | only with a subscription | — | yes | Premium for several months |
On YADate everyone chooses in Settings who can message them, so "you can write first" means to anyone who allows it.
Free on YADate, paid elsewhere
| What | On YADate | Where you pay for it |
|---|---|---|
| See who liked you | free, the Liked me tab | Tinder Gold, Bumble Premium, Badoo Premium, OkCupid Premium, Plenty of Fish Premium, Match Silver, Happn Premium; on Hinge one at a time for free, all at once with Hinge+ |
| Likes without a daily limit | free, limited only to stop spam | Tinder Plus, Bumble Boost, Hinge+, Badoo Premium, OkCupid Premium, Plenty of Fish Plus, Match Bronze, Happn Premium |
| Go back to a profile you skipped | free, Undo last swipe | Tinder Plus, Bumble Boost, Badoo Premium, Match Bronze; on Hinge free once a week |
| Browse profiles without being seen | free, Incognito | Tinder Plus, Bumble Premium, Badoo Premium, Plenty of Fish paid plans, OkCupid as a separate plan |
| Detailed search filters | free, all of them | Bumble Premium, Hinge+, Match Platinum, Happn Premium; some filters on OkCupid |
| Write before a mutual like | free | Badoo with credits; Match one Intro a day free, unlimited with Platinum; Plenty of Fish a few a day free, unlimited with Prestige |
| Chat and see your matches' photos | free | eharmony — subscription only |
YADate
We are the newest on this list: YADate started in 2026. It is a dating site in 16 languages: People nearby with search by distance and filters, Quick Match for swiping, a Compatibility percentage based on your answers, and In short — quick answers on your profile instead of a long text.
Free: everything. There are no subscriptions, paid features, credits or ads. You can write first, see Liked me and Viewed me, use every filter, Incognito and Hide online status, Undo last swipe in Quick Match, and send voice messages and gifts. A message in another language is translated with the Translate button, so you can meet people from other countries. The only limits are there to stop spam and bots — for example, on how many new conversations you can start in a day.
You decide who can message you: Everyone, Verified members only, People who match my search filters or Mutual matches only.
Safety: a moderator checks every photo before others see it, and we notice when the same photo turns up in two profiles. Phone numbers and links in first messages are held back, so a stranger can't pull you straight into another app. The Verified profile badge is given by our moderators: it helps, but it doesn't prove who someone is. We don't sell your photos and texts or give them to anyone to train AI — it's in our Terms.
What we don't have yet: a big crowd — we have fewer people than any service below, and in a small town there may be nobody near you yet. There's no app in the App Store or Google Play: YADate works in the browser, and the Install the app button puts it on your phone's home screen. There are no voice or video calls and no ID verification.
Good for: people who don't want to pay to date and want to see everything at once, and people meeting someone from another country.
Tinder
The best-known swiping app: right for yes, left for no, and a match when you both swipe right. Owned by Match Group, around since 2012. In 2025 an average of 9 million people paid for it; the company says it took off above all with people aged 18 to 30.
Free: a profile, likes (Tinder doesn't say how many a day), matches and chat. The people who liked you are shown blurred.
Paid: Plus removes the like limit and adds undoing a swipe, changing your location and Incognito, with no ads. Gold adds the list of people who liked you; Platinum puts your likes first.
Profile checks: Face Check, a video selfie compared with your photos. Since October 2025 it has been required for new users in seven countries and in California, and it has spread further since.
Good for: anyone who wants as many people nearby as possible.
Bumble
Swiping again, but with its own rules for the first message. Since 11 August 2026 either person can write first, not only the woman. Each has 72 hours to send an opener, and the chat fully opens once both have written.
Free: a profile, likes up to a daily allowance, chat, one free match extension a day, and filters for age, distance, languages and interests.
Paid: Boost gives unlimited likes and lets you go back to skipped profiles; Premium adds who liked you, advanced filters, Incognito and Travel Mode; Premium+ adds more ways to be seen.
Profile checks: selfie verification (required in the US), ID verification and automatic blurring of explicit photos. You can make voice and video calls in the app.
Good for: people in the US, the UK, Australia or Canada, where Bumble is strongest. There is no website any more, only the app.
Hinge
Hinge sells itself as the app for relationships. Every match starts with a like or a comment on a specific photo or answer in someone's profile. Owned by Match Group, around since 2012.
Free: a few likes a day, incoming likes one at a time, chat, one undo and one Rose a week, and filters for age, distance and relationship type.
Paid: Hinge+ gives unlimited likes, all incoming likes at once and detailed filters such as height, children, education, drinking and smoking. HingeX shows you to more people sooner.
A nice detail: if too many chats are waiting for your reply, Hinge won't let you send new likes until you answer.
Good for: people looking for something serious in English-speaking countries; since 2025 Hinge has also been in Europe and Latin America. App only.
Badoo
Running since 2006 and owned by Bumble Inc., strongest in Europe and Latin America. You can swipe or browse people nearby.
Free: a profile, swiping up to a daily limit, filters for age, distance and gender, unlimited chat with matches, and voice and video calls. The people who liked you are blurred.
Paid: Premium shows who liked you and adds unlimited swipes, Invisible mode and undo, with no ads. It is sold for 7, 30, 90 or 180 days or for life; in the US App Store a week costs $13.99. Credits pay, for example, for messaging someone you haven't matched with (you also need a verified profile) or for seeing whether a message was read.
Good for: people in Europe or Latin America who want plenty of choice. It also works on the website.
OkCupid
Built around questions: the answers of two people add up to a match percentage. There are about 500 questions, and you are offered 15 when you sign up. Owned by Match Group, around since 2004.
Free: chat after a mutual like, likes up to a daily limit, one SuperLike a week and most filters.
Paid: Premium gives unlimited likes, shows who liked you, removes ads and lets you see other people's answers; Premium Plus adds priority; Incognito is a separate plan.
Worth knowing: in 2026 OkCupid added a setting called Expanded Discovery — your profile can be shown in other Match Group apps until you switch it off.
Good for: people who enjoy answering questions in detail; it works best in big cities in English-speaking countries.
Plenty of Fish
Running since 2003, it started in Canada and now belongs to Match Group. Popular in the US, Canada and the UK.
Free: search with lots of filters, swiping with a limit, chat with matches and a few "First Contacts" a day to people you haven't matched with. You need a profile photo to message.
Paid: Plus gives unlimited likes and up to 16 photos; Premium shows who is interested in you and adds read receipts; Prestige is offered only to some iPhone users in the US.
Good for: people who want to write first before there's a match. It also works on the website and has the same Expanded Discovery setting.
Match
The oldest of the nine, running since 1995 and owned by Match Group.
Free: a profile, up to 50 profile ratings a day, chat with all your matches and one Intro a day — a message to someone you haven't matched with.
Paid: Bronze, Silver, Platinum and Diamond — who liked you, unlimited Intros, detailed filters and read receipts. According to AARP (August 2026), six months of Platinum in the US cost about $165.
Profile checks: a video selfie; confirming your phone number by SMS is required for any subscription.
Good for: people looking for something serious who are ready to pay for full access. It works on the website too and has Expanded Discovery as well.
Happn
Shows the people you crossed paths with in real life, within a few kilometres, in a feed and on a map. Founded in Paris in 2014 and owned since 2025 by China's Hello Group. Strongest in France, Brazil, Turkey and India.
Free: likes up to a daily limit, chat after a mutual like and one round of CrushTime.
Paid: Premium shows who liked you, adds filters by profile answers and removes the like limit. In the US App Store a month costs $19.99.
Good for: people in big cities who keep seeing the same faces every day. Messages are text only for now.
eharmony
Running since 2000 and built around a questionnaire that scores your compatibility with every member on a scale from 60 to 140. Owned by ParshipMeet (ProSiebenSat.1).
Free: the questionnaire, suggested matches, viewing profiles, likes and a first message. But free members don't see their matches' photos, and exchanging messages needs a subscription.
Paid: Premium, with no one-month plan. According to AARP (October 2026), it comes to roughly $40–98 a month with a minimum of six months.
Good for: people set on a long-term relationship who are ready to pay for several months up front. English only.
How to choose
- You don't want to pay and want to see who liked you from day one — YADate.
- You're meeting people from other countries — YADate: 16 languages and message translation.
- You want as many people nearby as possible — Tinder or Badoo, and in the US, the UK and Australia also Bumble.
- You're looking for a relationship and happy to say a lot about yourself — Hinge, OkCupid, Match or eharmony.
- You keep seeing the same people around town — Happn.
Nothing stops you from having a profile on two services and keeping the one where people reply more often.
Try YADate
A profile takes a couple of minutes, and the quick questions on the Your profile in a minute page help you say something about yourself without writing a long text. Chat, Liked me, Viewed me and every filter are open straight away and free.
Before you pay anywhere else
- A subscription bought through the App Store or Google Play is cancelled in the store's settings. Deleting the app does not stop it from renewing.
- Check the minimum length: eharmony has no one-month plan.
- On OkCupid, Plenty of Fish and Match, look at the Expanded Discovery setting if you don't want your profile shown in the company's other apps.
- Wherever you date, read our tips on how to check someone is real and how to spot a romance scammer.
Where the facts come from
- Tinder: subscriptions, Match Group annual report for 2025, Face Check
- Bumble: who messages first, subscriptions, app only
- Hinge: app only, subscriptions and free likes
- Badoo: Premium, photo verification, App Store
- OkCupid: subscriptions, Expanded Discovery
- Plenty of Fish: subscriptions, First Contacts
- Match: subscriptions, Intros, AARP review
- Happn: how it works, App Store
- eharmony: membership options, photos need a subscription, AARP review
- YADate: Terms of Use