Best dating sites for professionals who don't have time to meet someone IRL

Read our full review of AdultFriendFinder.

Who it's for:

Bumble is a dating app for women and non-binary professionals who are so over getting unsolicited messages from creepy dudes. This app isn't just about swipes and matches; it's where women can control the conversation.

While the app tends to attract a crowd of young professionals, with most users in their 20s and early 30s, there's an opportunity for everyone to meet someone, including more seasoned singles who are looking for a meaningful relationship.

Why we picked this:

Bumble's ingenious 24-hour time limit on messages keeps the conversation going, or at least gets it started, which helps to establish a quick connection that could potentially blossom into real-world meetups. Plus, Bumble's famous women-message-first approach serves as a shield against the sleazy and unsolicited messages that are commonplace on apps like Tinder.

Whether you're a professional woman, a non-binary individual, or a more reserved person who's intrigued by strong, dynamic individuals who prefer to take the reins, Bumble offers a more positive and respectful dating experience for the busy professional on the go.

Beyond its core dating function, Bumble also offers Bumble BFF (in a standalone app) and Bumble Bizz, which is kind of like Linkedin. 

Read our full review of Bumble.

Who it's for:

Now owned by Match Group (as of July 2022), The League is a highly selective dating app for ambitious, goal-oriented professionals. It's not for everyone, but if you're OK with going through an admissions process to be a part of an elite society (maybe even a bit elitist), then The League dating app might be the perfect match.

Launched in 2015, The League is for look-good-on-paper people who want to meet other look-good-on-paper people. Targeted toward young professionals, this exclusive dating site prioritizes education and job title — one of the social networks you connect is your LinkedIn (though it has a system that lets users block their profile from coworkers).

It’s all about status, status, status. So, if you're looking for dating sites to meet people with six-figure incomes, i.e., dating sites for rich people, this is your best bet. Other than that, the app functions much like Tinder, with a two-week expiration on matches. While it’s not so great for those who live outside major cities where white-collar professionals flock, if you live in places like New York or Kansas City, you might want to give it a try.  

Why we picked this:

The League does the work for you by sending you five matches per day at 5 p.m., aka “Happy Hour” in the app’s lingo (which is good when you have a day packed full of calls and meetings). The pricing reflects its exclusive client base: Get ready to fork out some money if you’re accepted for membership — it’s pricey, and unlocking certain features will result in another charge to your credit card.

However, The League is one of the few dating apps that takes goal setting seriously. With its new GoalMates feature, members can select up to 10 goals from a list of 100+ to place on their profile, and the app will match them with other members who share their same goals. This is a great way to find a motivated, ambitious partner who supports your dreams.

While the argument could easily be made that The League is an incredibly elitist app — and it’s received a lot of flak for lack of diversity — it’s still a popular pick with the future 1% and those looking for a serious relationship.

Who it's for:

If you're in the market for something more serious, especially the "M" word (yup, we're talking marriage), eharmony is a name you can trust. Despite evolving with the times, the platform hasn't let go of its foundational scientific approach to matchmaking.

Historically, eharmony has been a popular choice for users with conservative values, including those who value religion. However, there are other dating apps that cater specifically to religious users, such as Christian Mingle and Lox Club.

eharmony used to have a binary view of gender preferences, but it's made some progress in becoming more inclusive of non-binary users. The app now allows users to choose from an expanded list of genders; they can also choose whether to display their gender on their profile and indicate whether they're seeking men, women, nonbinary people, or a combination.

Why we picked this:

eharmony is one of the most popular and successful dating apps, and it has a proven track record of helping people find love. Nobody wants to waste time, money, or energy on people who aren’t right for them or offer up serious red flags. Having the app’s algorithm and science match you with highly compatible people goes a long way toward finding people you have a high probability of getting on with and who are just as focused on their careers as you are.

And if you're not comfortable meeting strangers in person right away, eharmony has a video call feature that lets you have your first date virtually. This is a great way to get to know someone before you meet them in person, and it's also a great way to connect with people who live far away.

Read our full review of eharmony.

Who it's for:

OkCupid is a dating app for people who are done swiping and want to start dating with intention. This dating platform helps users find potential matches based on their political beliefs, social views, lifestyle choices, and career goals.

It's pretty popular among young professionals and millennials, but it's open to users of all ages. Though singles in their 40s and 50s may fare better on Match or SilverSingles.

Why we picked this:

With a user base that skews towards the 25-34 age range, OkCupid is a great place to meet other young professionals who are looking to make a meaningful connection.

And because who has the time to swipe through hundreds of profiles after a long day at work? OkCupid's prompts and detailed questions make it easy to create a profile that reflects your true personality and values, and its search filters allow you to quickly find matches who share similar interests and goals.

If you're serious about finding love, you can upgrade to a paid membership to access features like unlimited Likes, Dealbreakers, and the ability to see who has already liked you.

Read our full review of OkCupid.

Who it's for:

If you're a young professional looking for a serious relationship, Hinge is a great option. It's more selective than Tinder and encourages users to start conversations and get to know each other before they match.

Hinge is basically a dating app for people who are tired of the swiping game. It's designed for people serious about finding a relationship, and it shows. With 99% of Hinge users being college-educated and hailing from industries like banking, consulting, media, and fashion, you're guaranteed to find someone who gets the hustle and bustle of your 9-to-5 life.

Why we picked this:

Hinge is based on more than thinking someone is hot; the app is designed for thought-provoking engagement to spark a connection with a bit more substance right from the get-go.

A dating guide helps you get your profile into optimal shape in the least amount of time, and a prominently featured one is about how to move your convo into an IRL date. Profiles also feature questions that help you figure out the potential partner’s sense of humor, so there’s a dating expectation set from the start. (Your matches are also curated by your own answers to the same questions).

The app has a cap on how many matches you can have each day, which helps you focus on finding a potential match you're genuinely interested in. So if the endless scrollability of Tinder distracts you from your work to-do list, it can be nice to have a built-in cap.

Who it's for:

EliteSingles is a dating app for educated and ambitious professionals serious about finding a relationship. More than 90% of its members have an above-average education and are 30-plus, so it's a great option if you're looking for someone who's on the same page as you are in terms of their goals and values.

Why we picked this:

Like eharmony, the very first step to signing up for an account is to take a lengthy (clear your schedule for this) personality test called the Five-Factor Model. This test breaks down your defining characteristics into five categories: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.

After you've revealed who you are, the app shows you your matches. Unlike Tinder, which greets you with an onslaught of matches and then tells you to check back later when you've swiped through all of them, EliteSingles recommends three to seven matches per day that it thinks are a good fit for you.

Who it's for:

Happn is a dating app for people looking for a more organic way to meet people. It's a good option for busy people who don't have time to plan to meet new people — like carving out time for happy hour at the bar.

Why we picked this:

Happn is the dating app for people who believe in love at first sight. It uses your phone's GPS tracking feature to list other users you've crossed paths with IRL. If you're both interested in each other, you'll be matched and can start chatting.

Think of it as a built-in radar for singles. It doesn't match you on anything other than proximity, but that's the whole point. If you're looking for someone to meet up with for a quick coffee date or a casual hookup, Happn is a great option.

Who it's for:

If your work schedule has you swamped with projects and Bumble connections tend to fizzle out before you can even catch a breath, Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB) could be your new go-to.

This app takes a refreshing approach by serving up specially curated matches every day at noon, so you can schedule the time to scroll through during your lunch break. 

Why we picked this:

Sure, dubbing matches as "bagels" might come off as a tad quirky, but once you move past that, this app is great for busy people who could use a nudge or two to dive into the dating scene. Its daily curated matches ensure that your dating life stays on track even if you're super busy at work.

You’ll get pinged with encouragement to set up a date with matches or to message users — while some find it annoying, those who don’t have much bandwidth might appreciate the reminders. Plus, profiles tend to go a bit more in-depth than Tinder (think more Hinge in terms of revealing icebreaker prompts).

Who it's for:

If you've found yourself at the crossroads of dating apps, but still have hope, Zoosk may be a good last-resort option.

This app isn't really for any one person; it has a large user base, and literally anyone can join. The demographics are all over the place and there are a ton of fake profiles.

Why we picked this:

Zoosk is a dating app that promises to make it easy to find matches, but it's not all it's cracked up to be. The website is a bit dated and full of spam accounts and fake profiles, and it's pretty expensive, especially when you consider that there are better dating apps out there that are more affordable.

Another downside of Zoosk is that it restricts its messaging function to premium users only. This means that if you want to send messages to your matches, you'll have to pay up.

Overall, Zoosk isn't the best dating app out there. There are better options available, such as Hinge, Bumble, and Match.

If you're looking for a dating app that's easy to use and full of real people, we recommend skipping Zoosk and trying one of the other apps on this list instead.

Read our full review of Zoosk.