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Ever since Tinder and Bumble broke into the mainstream in the earlier part of the previous decade, dating apps have inched their way into becoming a massive part of popular culture.
Remember when online dating meant logging into some shady website with a cheesy interface? Back then, people who used such platforms faced a certain degree of judgment. Looking for someone to date online used to be seen as something that only desperate people did.
These days, however, things couldn’t be more different. Having a few dating apps on your smartphone is the norm, and it seems like everyone has tried their luck swiping left and right at least once in their lives.
Tinder undeniably played a significant role in shaping the age of instant hookups and app-based dating. But is it still the best dating app in 2020?
Tinder’s strengths and weaknesses
Without further ado, let’s look at the pros and cons of Tinder in 2020.
Pros
Signing up for and using Tinder is exceptionally easy.
In the age of the internet and instant-everything, offering an excellent user experience is crucial for any app to succeed. And while there are many other easy-to-use and intuitive dating apps, Tinder’s sign-up process is arguably the quickest and most straightforward of them all.
You can begin swiping left and right in mere minutes after creating an account using either your phone number or Facebook account. The interface itself is hard to beat, considering how clean and clutter-free it is.
Tinder remains to be one of the most used dating apps.
Tinder’s immense popularity means it boasts one of the largest user bases out there. This is a huge pro since any dating app’s success relies greatly on its member pool’s size and quality. The number of people you can potentially match with on Tinder is almost impossible to find elsewhere.
You don’t have to shell out money to have a great experience.
Sure, Tinder has a bunch of paid features that can give you extra perks like Tinder Passport, Rewind, and Boost. However, its array of free features is more than enough to provide you a good chance of succeeding on the app.
Finding your perfect match is undoubtedly possible even without paying a single cent. So if you’d rather not shell out cash when trying your hand at online dating, Tinder is one of your best options.
Cons
It’s not a specialized app.
Tinder’s large user base can be attributed mainly to the fact that it’s the first dating app to introduce the iconic swiping mechanism. But another reason Tinder has so many users is that it caters to various categories of online daters.
Are you strictly into hookups? Do you want someone to go with you on friendly dates? Or are you on a mission to find your future husband/wife? Whatever your goal is, you can use Tinder for it.
Of course, this is a double-edged sword. Specialized sites and apps like eHarmony (for serious relationships) and Ashley Madison (for hookups and affairs) may have a smaller user base, but they have a pool of members with a specific goal in mind. On Tinder, you have more options, but it can be harder to sift through hundreds of profiles to find the right people.
There’s gender imbalance on the platform.
Did you know that as of mid-2020, a whopping 72% of Tinder users are male? This means it’s a bit harder to find your perfect match if you’re a guy looking for a girl on Tinder. But worry not; you can counter this disadvantage by optimizing your Tinder profile and working on your messaging game.
The bottom line
Because of its large membership base and lineup of excellent features, Tinder remains to be one of the best dating apps in 2020. The gender imbalance prevailing on the app and the fact that it’s not a specialized platform may be unfortunate cons you have to deal with. Still, its large membership base, intuitive UI, and helpful features should be enough for you to have a fair chance of getting your desired results.
