Top 10 Best Free Dating Apps in the UK 2021 (Hinge, Tinder and More)

Combining streaming with dating, finding love in a digital era has never been easier. You're required to complete a questionnaire to put yourself in the right groups for you to ensure that you find compatible profiles right away. Then, get the conversation moving and express yourself freely with videos, stories, and live streams. 

Start your live stream and wait to see who joins – you might even find your match! Hily is a very safe way of dating as you can digitally introduce yourself before meeting in person. However, while the concept is smart, the algorithm can sometimes throw random accounts your way, which is disappointing.

Using a compatibility matching system and a tailored questionnaire, this dating app allows you to build your own unique profile to help you find someone who ticks your boxes. It works by sending 'winks' to accounts that you're interested in and if you like someone who likes you back, you use an automated questionnaire to start breaking the ice! 

If you tend to be shy at first encounter, this system will be perfect for you. On the free version, you can send winks and use the five website-chosen questions. You don't get much wiggle room in your conversation as a free user, so if you want a bit more freedom in what you get to say to your match you may have to upgrade.

OkCupid is an app that helps you to meet new people based on who you really are and what you're interested in. There are no quick judgements and rushed decisions here so just take your time and see how you feel as you go along. One unique feature is that you can set your pronouns at the beginning to make sure that you're addressed in your preferred tone, no matter how you identify. 

To get things moving, OkCupid will help you start the first conversation and lead you to organise a date! The messaging system is quite limiting, but this system was put in place to reassure single women that they wouldn't be bombarded with unfiltered messages so you can date safely.

If you want a relationship but you're happy to take things slow, why not start by finding a friend? Bumble is aimed at people in their 20s who want to broaden their social horizon. Throughout its lifetime, Bumble has seen over 100 million accounts and it's most known for its empowering system, whereby women have to make the first move. 

While that doesn't work well for people who aren't interested in women, Bumble allows exceptions for sexual orientation and friendships. It's not as straightforward, but it still works. No matter what you're looking for, whether that's a lover, a partner, a friend, or a business mentor, this is a great app that connects the right people. 

Happn has over 95 million users who are looking for a casual relationship with a likeminded individual. So, how does it work? You can browse through profiles to send secret likes, and if the person likes you back, the app will let them know so that you can see if there are any sparks. 

This is one of the safest dating apps out there which is reassuring for younger users. Your location is never shared with anyone, but you can see if you and your match have ever crossed paths! Coincidence or fate? That's up to you to decide. 

When you use POF, you're practically guaranteed to have your first conversation in the first 24 hours. The best part? Messaging is 100% free! This is definitely a good app if you're reluctant to pay for added features. While the subscription offers a few good upgrades, the free version allows you to view your matches, send messages, and receive messages so you don't need to pay a penny. 

This widely popular app is designed to help people in their 30s and 40s to find love, and with 17 million conversations exchanged every day, this is one of the most popular dating apps around. 

Your hunt for a hookup ends here. This app holds a myriad of unique features and it's tailored at gay men who are looking for something casual, although there's nothing stopping your one-time-thing from growing into true love. On this app, you browse through profiles using a filtered search and you can chat to the man of your choice. 

You can pretty much do the same things whether you're a free user or a paying member, although the paid subscription allows a lot more freedom. You can chat and send as many photos as you like, and you can even see who's viewing your profile. Paying members can also check people out on incognito mode to stay on the down-low. 

Taimi is possibly the most inclusive app for LGBTQ+ folk. With over 8 million users, you can mingle with people interested in relationships of all kinds; gay, lesbian, bi, trans, asexual, and more. You can chat for free, video call, create posts and stories and spark a unique bond with people with similar interests. 

With the free version, you get to do all of that, and you even get to review your statistics and see who likes you. You can access most of the best features without paying, but the subscription can increase your chances of finding love.

Created to find exactly what you need, this app is designed to be deleted. Aimed at people looking for love in the digital world, Hinge is going to help you find a real relationship, connecting two people based on their interests, location, and vulnerabilities as opposed to visual preferences. 

Hinge hints at personality traits that complement your own as well as showing you some potential dates. You can ask them questions and spark a conversation, and Hinge will check in with you to see if you went on a second date. The free features are excellent; an upgrade allows you to see your likes or set advanced preferences. 

Based on first impressions and impulse decisions, Tinder is the fast-moving mastermind between the Swipe Right™ and Swipe Left™ feature, letting your heart act before your head to lead you to only the best of matches. Matching 25 million people every day, this app is also named as “the world’s hottest app” and it's clear that it can link you to new people with ease. 

Tinder uses a 'No Rejection' system which means that you'll only get a match if you have a mutual interest in each other. You can use Tinder completely free no matter where you are, whether at home or travelling, to make sure that you have great company wherever you go.