3 Surprising alternatives to Tinder and why you should use them
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that in the world of online dating Tinder is king.
But If you’re a one-trick pony and Tinder is your only dating app, your should definitely check the alternatives in this article. Otherwise you will be minimizing your chances of finding the perfect match.
Tinder’s popularity is both its biggest strength and its weakness. Sure, you’ll find thousands of women on Tinder, but equally, you’ll be little more than a lone face in a very big crowd— you’ll have thousands of guys vying for her attention. Dating on Tinder is like shouting at a girl across a crowded room, only everyone else is doing the same!
Tinder is also brimming with scammers, gold-diggers, Instagram junkies, fake accounts and catfish. While it’s certainly a useful tool, it’s also a mess!
Even when you do match with a real woman, more often than not you’ll be fighting for attention in her inbox. We’ve certainly all experienced having a lovely conversation only for her to suddenly dry up or vanish. Why? Because a better option came along!
Tinder is huge and that’s the problem.
Tinder has become so synonymous with online match-making that it’s now a household name—it’s a brand even your mother will recognise, although not always for the right reasons!
There are few singles out there who haven’t had an awkward conversation with a parent or older relative regarding Tinder. It can be tricky to convince the pre-tech generation that you’re not a pervert for using online dating apps, or that Tinder is not some kind of magical new-fangled sex-crazed hook-up app that promotes promiscuity and undermines the very fabric of society!. Well, at least that’s not what it’s always about!
Whichever way you look at it, Tinder is big and it’s everywhere. Much how Google monopolised the search engine market, becoming the standard verb for web search, Tinder has become the go-to app for dating.
But fortunately for us, there’s a world beyond Tinder!
In the same way that you can become limited by Google’s search results, possibly missing information that sites such as Bing may provide. Tinder is not the only dating app in town, and there are women you’ll meet elsewhere that you may not find on Tinder.
So, let’s take a look at three alternatives to Tinder that have the potential to transform your online dating experience. You might be surprised by the results!
Bumble - There’s a buzz in the hive
Making the first move is arguably the hardest aspect of online dating. Thinking up a witty, charming, and concise first message can make or break your chances with a woman. In a world of text-only communication, first impressions count.
Bizarrely, Bumble, under the sway of modern feminist philosophy, shouldered women with this burden. As odd as it may sound, on Bumble, the women break the ice. As a male, you’re unable to instigate a conversation without the women doing so first.
This can take much of the stress out of the first contact. Bumble’s choice to make women proactive in these regards also acts as a useful filter, stopping the “match collecting” that happens so often on Tinder. In other words, you can be reasonably certain that when a woman sends you a message you on Bumble that she’s genuinely interested in getting to know you. Tinder, on the other hand, is far more ripe for abuse and dead-matches; those women you connect with that never respond.
READ ALSO: 15 Online Dating App Tips - Why Girls Don't Answer You? Fix What You Are Doing Wrong NOW!
As a useful side-effect, Bumble takes the stress off women, allowing them to swipe more confidently, knowing they’re not going to be inundated with an army of horny guys.
Other than that, Bumble is almost an identical interface to Tinder, so it’s easy to adapt. It also has options to connect with new friends or potential business contacts, it’s really a rather versatile and pleasant alternative to Tinder!
Tantan - The Asian alternative
While Tinder holds a monopoly in the Western world, it’s not nearly as popular in the East. Tantan is one of the alternatives to Tinder and is the go-to app for those living in Asia. As a platform, it’s almost identical to Tinder in every way. One major difference is that Tantan’s pricing structure is considerably more appealing and far less ageist than Tinder, who increase the cost of their premium service the older you get.
You may feel that it’s a little strange to use an app that primarily focuses on an Eastern market, but In our global world, it’s wise to remember that you can date outside of your cultural comfort zone.
With the flow of people around the world, the increase in overseas study, and the growing popularity of migration, there are literally thousands of women in your city who are more familiar with Tantan than Tinder.
Better still Tantan is almost unheard of among Western men, so there is considerably less competition and you’ll stand out from the crowd.
You’ll find women of all different races and cultural backgrounds on Tantan. While you’ll have a smaller pool of potential matches, this works both ways, meaning that those who use Tantan as an alternative to Tinder are less likely to be overwhelmed and more inclined to spark up a conversation.
The Real World - The most immersive app of all
In the world of apps and instant dating, it’s sometimes easy to forget that the old ways are often the best. Dating apps, while useful, remove many of the non-verbal and natural aspects of attraction. Platforms that focus on text and photos can hinder and obscure the traits that women find attractive in men while magnifying and playing to the strengths of females. This creates an imbalance that doesn’t exist in real life. This can lead to men becoming desperate, increasing their appearance as needy and unattractive, while, conversely, women become overwhelmed with options leading to an inflated sense of self-worth.
Men are notoriously bad at selfies, and we make the common mistake of thinking women want to see, or will be impressed by, the things we’d like. Topless mirror selfies, photos of your car, or you holding a fish (yes, according to women Tinder is plagued with photos of men holding fish—very strange!) are all guaranteed to turn women off.
Equally, text messaging has no tone. There’s a very fine line between a joke and an insult, or confidence and arrogance. Dating apps are like trying to cook a meal with one hand tied behind your back—possible, but not ideal.
The real world lets you shine, it lets your natural masculinity do the hard work for you. The act of confidently and politely approaching a woman is something that, because of apps such as Tinder, is becoming such an increasingly rare occurrence that it’ll maximize your image as a strong and self-assured man.
When you meet a woman in the real world, you’ll have already established that you have a shared interest, or at the very least, a shared location. You’ll also side-step one of the most tricky manoeuvres of online dating, namely arranging a real-world meeting. Of course, the step from messaging to a real-world meeting is so much harder and fraught with worry when you’ve complete strangers.
A real smile from a confident and charming man is worth a thousand witty text messages.
So, while dating apps are a great tool, don’t forget that Tinder wasn’t the original means to start the fires of love, for millennia we have achieved this through the warmth of a smile, a smouldering look, and the spark of a charming personality.
Give The Real World a try here: Simply pocket your phone, look up, and engage with the women around you!
But If you’re a one-trick pony and Tinder is your only dating app, your should definitely check the alternatives in this article. Otherwise you will be minimizing your chances of finding the perfect match.
Tinder’s popularity is both its biggest strength and its weakness. Sure, you’ll find thousands of women on Tinder, but equally, you’ll be little more than a lone face in a very big crowd— you’ll have thousands of guys vying for her attention. Dating on Tinder is like shouting at a girl across a crowded room, only everyone else is doing the same!
Tinder is also brimming with scammers, gold-diggers, Instagram junkies, fake accounts and catfish. While it’s certainly a useful tool, it’s also a mess!
Even when you do match with a real woman, more often than not you’ll be fighting for attention in her inbox. We’ve certainly all experienced having a lovely conversation only for her to suddenly dry up or vanish. Why? Because a better option came along!
Tinder is huge and that’s the problem.
Tinder has become so synonymous with online match-making that it’s now a household name—it’s a brand even your mother will recognise, although not always for the right reasons!
There are few singles out there who haven’t had an awkward conversation with a parent or older relative regarding Tinder. It can be tricky to convince the pre-tech generation that you’re not a pervert for using online dating apps, or that Tinder is not some kind of magical new-fangled sex-crazed hook-up app that promotes promiscuity and undermines the very fabric of society!. Well, at least that’s not what it’s always about!
Whichever way you look at it, Tinder is big and it’s everywhere. Much how Google monopolised the search engine market, becoming the standard verb for web search, Tinder has become the go-to app for dating.
But fortunately for us, there’s a world beyond Tinder!
In the same way that you can become limited by Google’s search results, possibly missing information that sites such as Bing may provide. Tinder is not the only dating app in town, and there are women you’ll meet elsewhere that you may not find on Tinder.
So, let’s take a look at three alternatives to Tinder that have the potential to transform your online dating experience. You might be surprised by the results!
Bumble - There’s a buzz in the hive
Making the first move is arguably the hardest aspect of online dating. Thinking up a witty, charming, and concise first message can make or break your chances with a woman. In a world of text-only communication, first impressions count.
Bizarrely, Bumble, under the sway of modern feminist philosophy, shouldered women with this burden. As odd as it may sound, on Bumble, the women break the ice. As a male, you’re unable to instigate a conversation without the women doing so first.
This can take much of the stress out of the first contact. Bumble’s choice to make women proactive in these regards also acts as a useful filter, stopping the “match collecting” that happens so often on Tinder. In other words, you can be reasonably certain that when a woman sends you a message you on Bumble that she’s genuinely interested in getting to know you. Tinder, on the other hand, is far more ripe for abuse and dead-matches; those women you connect with that never respond.
READ ALSO: 15 Online Dating App Tips - Why Girls Don't Answer You? Fix What You Are Doing Wrong NOW!
As a useful side-effect, Bumble takes the stress off women, allowing them to swipe more confidently, knowing they’re not going to be inundated with an army of horny guys.
Other than that, Bumble is almost an identical interface to Tinder, so it’s easy to adapt. It also has options to connect with new friends or potential business contacts, it’s really a rather versatile and pleasant alternative to Tinder!
Tantan - The Asian alternative
While Tinder holds a monopoly in the Western world, it’s not nearly as popular in the East. Tantan is one of the alternatives to Tinder and is the go-to app for those living in Asia. As a platform, it’s almost identical to Tinder in every way. One major difference is that Tantan’s pricing structure is considerably more appealing and far less ageist than Tinder, who increase the cost of their premium service the older you get.
You may feel that it’s a little strange to use an app that primarily focuses on an Eastern market, but In our global world, it’s wise to remember that you can date outside of your cultural comfort zone.
With the flow of people around the world, the increase in overseas study, and the growing popularity of migration, there are literally thousands of women in your city who are more familiar with Tantan than Tinder.
Better still Tantan is almost unheard of among Western men, so there is considerably less competition and you’ll stand out from the crowd.
You’ll find women of all different races and cultural backgrounds on Tantan. While you’ll have a smaller pool of potential matches, this works both ways, meaning that those who use Tantan as an alternative to Tinder are less likely to be overwhelmed and more inclined to spark up a conversation.
The Real World - The most immersive app of all
In the world of apps and instant dating, it’s sometimes easy to forget that the old ways are often the best. Dating apps, while useful, remove many of the non-verbal and natural aspects of attraction. Platforms that focus on text and photos can hinder and obscure the traits that women find attractive in men while magnifying and playing to the strengths of females. This creates an imbalance that doesn’t exist in real life. This can lead to men becoming desperate, increasing their appearance as needy and unattractive, while, conversely, women become overwhelmed with options leading to an inflated sense of self-worth.
Men are notoriously bad at selfies, and we make the common mistake of thinking women want to see, or will be impressed by, the things we’d like. Topless mirror selfies, photos of your car, or you holding a fish (yes, according to women Tinder is plagued with photos of men holding fish—very strange!) are all guaranteed to turn women off.
Equally, text messaging has no tone. There’s a very fine line between a joke and an insult, or confidence and arrogance. Dating apps are like trying to cook a meal with one hand tied behind your back—possible, but not ideal.
The real world lets you shine, it lets your natural masculinity do the hard work for you. The act of confidently and politely approaching a woman is something that, because of apps such as Tinder, is becoming such an increasingly rare occurrence that it’ll maximize your image as a strong and self-assured man.
When you meet a woman in the real world, you’ll have already established that you have a shared interest, or at the very least, a shared location. You’ll also side-step one of the most tricky manoeuvres of online dating, namely arranging a real-world meeting. Of course, the step from messaging to a real-world meeting is so much harder and fraught with worry when you’ve complete strangers.
A real smile from a confident and charming man is worth a thousand witty text messages.
So, while dating apps are a great tool, don’t forget that Tinder wasn’t the original means to start the fires of love, for millennia we have achieved this through the warmth of a smile, a smouldering look, and the spark of a charming personality.
Give The Real World a try here: Simply pocket your phone, look up, and engage with the women around you!
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Dream specialist and psychological researcher. I'm the author of best-selling lucid dreaming guidebook, "Are You Dreaming?". I also work as a sleep science consultant and dabble in YouTube. It's my passion to share the subtleties, science, and psychology of the human experience. I also have a soft spot for dogs in hats.