How we assess dating apps
Every verdict here is built from a cited data layer, not vibes or affiliate deals. This page explains exactly how we assess each app and where the numbers come from.
We map who owns whom
Most "alternatives" are the same company. Before we rank anything we record each app's parent owner, so a list of five apps that are really one conglomerate is never sold to you as five real choices.
Prices are per market, in your currency
Dating apps price differently by country and A/B-test heavily. We record the tier prices for this specific market with a source link and a verification date, and we compute a cost-to-connect figure — what it actually costs to message a match, not just the sticker price.
Free-tier verdicts are tested against the paywall
We label each free tier usable, crippled or demo-only based on what you can actually do without paying — send a message, see who liked you, filter — not on the word "free" in the marketing.
Every safety claim is cited and dated
Breaches, outages and safety incidents are recorded only with a source link and a date. If we cannot cite it, it does not appear — the profile says "no cited incidents on record" rather than implying an app is spotless.
No pay-to-rank
Rankings come from the data above. We take no payment from any app to rank, feature or bury it, and we run no affiliate deals that would bias a verdict.
We refuse to publish thin pages
We don't publish a profile that lacks native, sourced content and a real data layer. A page you can read here is one that cleared that bar.
Frequently asked questions
Do apps pay you to rank higher?
No. We take no payment from any app to rank, feature or bury it, and we run no affiliate links that would bias a verdict. Rankings come only from the cited data layer.
Do you personally test every app?
No, and we say so plainly. Pricing, ownership and safety data come from official listings and reputable reporting, each carrying a source link and a verification date. Where a first-hand judgement is involved — such as a free-tier verdict — we base it on the documented paywall, not on marketing copy.
Where do the app icons and screenshots come from?
They are the vendors' own App Store listing images, hosted locally and shown for editorial review (nominative use). They remain the property of their vendors and are removed on request.
How current is the data?
Every non-trivial fact carries its own verification date, shown on the profile. We revisit pricing and safety records as sources change; anything we can no longer verify is removed rather than left to rot.
Methodology: we do not personally test every app. Data (pricing, ownership, safety incidents) is sourced from official listings and reputable reporting, each cited with a verification date. App icons and screenshots are the property of their vendors, shown for editorial review.