How Many People Use Online Dating Services Worldwide?

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the way we communicate with each other. Getting to know new people and offline dating have become almost impossible due to the remote lifestyle. Research reveals that the dating app market is growing rapidly and becoming more competitive. Industry giants are losing users, and innovative apps are attracting more users using unique features and offers.

If you plan to introduce your custom dating app, now is a good time. But before you start building your product for online dating, you need to conduct thorough market research. You are probably interested to know how many people use dating apps in the world.

How many people used online dating services in 2021?

This is probably the very first question that pops up in your mind when considering building a dating app. According to the latest statistics, 270 million people used dating app services in 2020. Compared with the previous years, such an increase is caused by new mobile apps offering innovative approaches to online dating and a more personalized experience.
An insight into the stats clarifies the potential number of users and the sales forecasts. It is essential to know the size of your target audience before you decide on the monetization strategy. In this article, we are going to analyze the most popular dating apps and the market situation.

7 popular dating services online by usage

According to recent dating app statistics, Tinder (with 28.8% of the market share ) and Badoo (holding 31.41%) have the two largest market shares. In recent years, Tinder has become more popular, and Badoo has lost part of its users.

Tinder

This is a giant in the dating app industry. This app has revolutionized the mobile dating sector and introduced a completely new concept in online dating. It offers numerous paid features and pricing plans.

Badoo

This app was launched long before Tinder and Bumble. It had a more general idea than dating, but it changed to casual dating due to Facebook warnings.

Bumble

This is the main competitor of Tinder, especially in the North American market. It is famous for its approach that lets women make the first move in the relationship.

Hinge

Hinge is an app focused on interesting conversation and building friendships rather than just love relationships. It is famous for the opportunity to build long-lasting relationships, not one-time dates.

Happn

This solution offers location-based suggestions of people you may have seen before. It calculates how often you cross paths with other app users. The app helps make the first step towards the person you already like.

Grindr

This app focuses on the LGBTQ sector of the dating population. While more popular solutions have specialized settings, Grindr is designed for gay people.

Plenty of Fish

This app has been a player in the dating services industry for almost 18 years. Yet, it adjusted seamlessly to the mobile app trends. PoF is considered a widely used app among older people.

Top dating sites revenue

Having discussed the industry specifics and leading competitors, let’s move on to money matters. The online dating sector remains extremely perspective from the point of view of income. Stats show that global revenue is forecasted to reach $3.8 billion in 2021, Tinder (with 28.8% of the market share ). When it comes to valuations, Tinder is a leader with a $10 billion global value. Next comes Bumble with $8 billion. Tantan (Chinese analog of Tinder) and Bumble share third place with a company value of nearly $3 billion.

All the top apps use a freemium monetization strategy. According to it, users unlock enhanced functionality and access to features after buying a monthly plan or a premium account.

Market forecasts

With more users creating accounts, the market is projected to grow and expand to new locations. However, the competition in this market is severe, with giants like Tinder and Bumble holding the leading positions. Their audience varies from college students looking for one-time dates to middle-aged people interested in long-term relationships.
China and other Asian countries are going to become a new market with a huge perspective.

Dating app use in 2021 by country

Location is a crucial parameter of the target audience. While introducing your own app, you need to choose a market with lots of users and relatively low competition. This may sound unrealistic, but you need to find a middle ground and the most perspective market for the app’s further growth. These are the countries using dating apps most and share of population:

• China (19%)
• United States (17%)
• Canada (14%)
• United Kingdom (12%)
• Spain (11%)
• Germany (10%)

Summing Up

Dating apps help many people overcome shyness, social circumstances, and a fast-paced lifestyle to find their love. Especially with the social distancing we have to deal with, online dating has replaced the face-to-face communication we need every day. We hope that our article helped you understand the situation in the dating app market.