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Comparison of the week: Tinder vs Bumble
Dating apps Tinder and Bumble are giants (and rivals) in the business of finding love. But how do they differ?
We compare virtually everything at Finder and our Comparison of the Week isn't afraid to tackle the big questions. Now, we put Tinder and Bumble under the microscope.
Looking for a date this Valentine's Day but don't know where to start? Why not try a dating app? It can take the pain out of old-fashioned first dates and inject more fun into the modern dating game. Whether you're ready to look for The One or just burning to have a play around with two of the apps everyone is talking about, this comparison gives you the lowdown on what's what.
The essentials
Both Tinder and Bumble are free and let you connect and chat with other singles online via an app. You can set up a profile quickly, enter your dating preferences and start browsing in a matter of minutes. When you find someone who catches your eye, simply swipe right to instantly let them know you're interested.
The comparison
Tinder and Bumble are both well-known dating apps and rank in the Top 10 of the Lifestyle category on the App Store and Google Play. Despite this there are some big differences between the two platforms.
| Tinder | Bumble | |
|---|---|---|
| Best known for | Simplicity and for being the most iconic dating app. | Tinder with a twist of girl power as women initiate contact. |
| How it works | Facebook Connect matches you with people that are geographically close. Otherwise, you can enable location services. | Enable location detection on your phone to get matches close by. You can also connect to Facebook to access your profile photos. |
| Distance radius | Select from 3km to 160km. | Select from 2km to 161km. |
| Matching process | Swipe right on profiles you like (the free version has a maximum of 100 likes per 12 hours). If they also swipe right on you, it’s a match. Once matched, either person can initiate the chat. There's no chat time limit. | Matching works in the same way as Tinder: if you both swipe right on each others’ profiles, it’s a match. Once connected, women have to initiate the conversation within 24 hours (for same-sex matches, either person can initiate). The match has to reply in 24 hours or the chat expires. |
| Key features | Simple "swipe right" interface (detailed bios are optional). My Move opt-in setting enables ladies to have to send the first message. Tinder Loops lets users create a two-second video to display on your profile. Tinder Places connects you to those who have visited the same public places (similar to the app Happn). Tinder Picks curates a top profiles list. Smart Photos auto-suggests which of your profile pics is the most attractive. | Also uses "swipe right" formula. Switch between three modes: Bumble Date, BFF and Networking to make friends and build career networks. Each has different profile badges you can display, such as: your star sign, exercise level, drinking and smoking frequency, ideal plans for children and pets. Move Makers lets you show Q&As on your profile. Snooze mode pauses your activity and hides your profile without losing active matches. |
| Popularity | Number 1 in Lifestyle on the App Store, more than 3 million users in Australia. | Number 6 in Lifestyle on the App Store, with 2 million Australian users. |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Premium features | Tinder Plus: Monthly, 6-monthly or yearly subscription available for $7.08–$14.49/month.
Tinder Gold: Monthly, 6-monthly or yearly subscription available for around $10–$21.99/month.
| Bumble Boost: Subscribe for a week, month, 3 months or lifetime for around $5.58–$13.99/week or $129.99 upfront.
Bumble Coins: Option to purchase 5, 15 or 30 Coins for $10.99, $29.99 or $52.99.
|
| Privacy and safety | Verification blue-tick is only for recognisable public figures. Tinder accesses your Facebook profile and in-app information (your contact details aren’t publicly displayed). | Verify your profile by taking a selfie to show you’re not a fake account. Photo moderation means no bathroom/mirror selfies in underwear/swimwear are allowed. No option to connect to Facebook. |
| Social media accounts | Can link to Spotify to show your top artists and Spotify Anthem. Link to your Instagram and Snapchat accounts. Tinder Feed shows your matches’ recent social media activity. | Can link to Spotify to show your top played artists and Instagram to show your most recent posts. |
| LGBTQ friendly | Can’t filter out opposite sex profiles or straight matches who are of the same sex. Gender identification limited to male, female or male and female. | Offers same-sex matching preferences. Gender identification limited to male, female or male and female. |
The lowdown
If you prefer a larger dating pool and a simple, no-fuss, swipe-right platform (or for those feeling the FOMO and want to give the iconic app a try), Tinder may be a better choice.
If Tinder's reputation as a casual hook-up app puts you off and you prefer a platform with more profile personalisation, the increasingly popular Bumble is probably a better match. Plus, if you're keen to make new friends or broaden your career networks, Bumble's multiple modes allow you to do this while Tinder doesn't offer any such feature.
We're all about helping you make better decisions. Do your own comparison by heading to the Finder home page to compare credit cards, savings accounts, shopping deals and much, much more. Go on, be a Finder.
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