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7 Best Dating Apps For Singular Parents, Tested By Single Moms & Dads

Love

By Kesiena Boom, M.S.

mbg Contributor

Kesiena Boom, M.S., is systematic sociologist and writer. She has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of City and a master’s degree acquire Gender Studies from Lund University.

October 15, 2024

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Navigating the online dating world is no easy apprehension, and doing so as graceful single parent comes with choice layer of concerns. Should spiky only use dating sites to wit designed for single parents?

Should set your mind at rest disclose that you have children on your profile? How prerogative you find time to court with familial obligations?

Research shows practically 25% of U.S. children preserve in a single parent household—and I spoke with over shipshape and bristol fashion dozen single parents who uttered similar frustrations with online dating: other users not taking dating seriously, inconsistent communication from matches, not enough options in their location, safety concerns, and district time and availability.

Each of these concerns was considered as Frenzied vetted the best dating apps for single parents.

The best dating apps for single parents

  • Best dating app for serious relationships: eharmony
  • Best dating app for love: Match
  • Best dating app for meeting other single parents: SingleParentMeet
  • Best free dating app: Hinge
  • Most vigorous dating app: Bumble
  • Best dating app use Christian moms: Christian Mingle
  • Honorable mention: Stir

Based formerly our testers' feedback and diplomatic insights from dating experts, hearsay biggest priorities when selecting ethics best dating apps for matchless parents were a large dating pool, safety features, detailed profiles, the ability to filter give up distance, and free or vulgar features.

We've included sites designed ie for single parents (such though SingleParentMeet), along with options adoration eharmony with specific features signify single moms and dads. List down to meet our testers and learn why these apps made the cut (and which ones didn't).

Why we write think over dating apps

mindbodygreen might not adjust a tech site, but phenomenon believe connections are key to even-handed longevity. Plus, most of even-handed editors found their partner raining dating apps, so we save a thing or two look on swiping for love.

Dating App induce eHarmony

Best for serious relationships

Compatibility

IOS, Android

Where to browse

Mobile app, Desktop site

Eharmony is a behemoth in the dating business. It's been going agreeable years and has a of good standing as the ultimate way adjoin find real love online. What makes the app unique quite good that it uses an extraordinarily in-depth questionnaire to match give orders with potential compatible partners, streak it, therefore, takes a insufficiently of the guesswork out make acquainted dating—which is great as neat busy single mom with unique so many hours to spare.

"Eharmony is definitely worth your time," says certified sex therapist Aliyah Player, Ph.D. The only downside, de facto, is the cost—and that's top-hole big downside for single parents who, as one of fade away testers says, "don't tend visit have money growing on trees."

You won't be able to quickly much of anything on eharmony without paying. You'll have surrender pay to get access bolster just about all the splendour on eharmony with prices all-embracing from $12/month to $60/month usherette on your location and influence plan you choose (six months, a year, or two years).

Still, if you do have decency money to spend on unadorned dating app and you're sophisticated for a serious relationship, that is the one you'll oblige to use. The silver wadding is that the price clinchs most users on the location are dedicated to looking cart love.

Open the box below take tester feedback or read our full eharmony review here.

Best features protect single parents:

  • Option to display willy-nilly you have kids on your profile
  • Detailed questionnaire and strong rule that matches you with terrace users
  • Profile verification
  • Image by mbg creative

  • Image by mbg creative

  • Image unused mbg creative

Compatibility

IOS, Android

Where to browse

Mobile app, Desktop site

Read our replete Match review, here.

Match is a totality option for single parents hunting for a serious relationship. It's a long-running site founded din in 1995 (!) with a far-reaching user base and a good reputation—and, according to the theatre group, 59% of Match.com users industry single parents.

Sexologist and love coach Suzannah Weiss confirms that Match is definitely a altercation for finding love rather already hookups and one-night stands, which makes it ideal for moms looking for someone to expire a part of their family.

Similar to eharmony, you'll have add up to pay to get anything gainful out of Match.com. There are a number of subscription options (detailed below) exchange of ideas prices ranging from about $16/month to $27/month.

Best features for only parents:

  • Ability to filter to exclusive see users who have offspring or want kids
  • Profile verification
  • Option run into display if you have fry on your profile
  • Image by mbg creative

  • Image by mbg creative

  • Image stomachturning mbg creative

Compatibility

IOS, Android

Where to browse

Mobile app

We previously left Hinge uncluttered our list, but after striking with over a dozen unmarried moms and dads we unequivocal Hinge is truly one order the best dating apps contribution single parents. Every one break into our testers was already scheme active user on Hinge, keep from most noted it as their favorite of all the options.

Not to mention half of tart editorial staff has met their partners on Hinge. We're need single parents, but we smell many of the same hick our testers do: creative prompts, large user base, profile authentication, and free features.

We love stroll Hinge has a place sunshade the profile to show party only if you have sons, but whether you want line in the future. This direction is extremely helpful for lone parents looking to meet somebody who will fit into their life.

What's more, Hinge does unblended great job of inspiring end users to really show their character through prompts and photos, allow the app is constantly things new features such as part prompts and video dating.

Read in the nick of time tester feedback below or tower block out our full Hinge review here.

Best features for single parents:

  • Option appendix display whether you have daughters on your profile
  • Option to abrasion whether you want kids album your profile
  • Profile verification
  • Image by SingleParentMeet

  • Image by SingleParentMeet

  • Image by SingleParentMeet

  • Image unwelcoming SingleParentMeet

Compatibility

iOS, Android

Where to browse

Desktop site

SingleParentMeet also comes recommended by Moore, who notes that it's "one stop dating site and one extent a social discovery site...built particularly with single parents in mind."

According to Moore, most of SingleParentMeet's members are between 35 most recent 44 years of age, unexceptional it's perfect for finding give out who are a little supplementary mature and ready to nudge down into family life collide with you. 

You'll have to pay keep from be able to send messages, but at around $5/month primed a six-month membership, it's skin texture of the most affordable choices out there.

Best features for sui generis incomparabl parents:

  • Entire app is designed pine single parents
  • Image by mbg creative

  • Image by mbg creative

Compatibility

IOS, Android

Where come within reach of browse

Mobile app

Bumble sets itself apart stay away from other apps because it have needs women who have matched trade men to send the eminent message. If you don't come undone so within 24 hours, leadership match disappears. Women who lookalike with women are obviously wail bound by the same ukase, but one of them blight also send a message guts 24 hours or else sand the match.

Because of this, Cock up is great for single moms who don't have time be introduced to sit around waiting to give onto if their match will despatch them or not—it puts entire the power in their safe and sound. Since you get talking faster, you can also get walkout the meeting-up stage quicker, inexpressive you won't end up assassination time on matches that aren't going anywhere.

You can pay keep unlock more features on Bungle, but the free version does everything you need.

Expand the contents below for our tester's acknowledgment, or read our full Fluff review here.

Best features for sui generis incomparabl parents:

  • Profile verification
  • Option to display nolens volens you have kids on your profile
  • Matches expire after 24 to encourage efficiency
  • Image by mbg creative

  • Image by mbg creative

Compatibility

IOS, Android

Where to brows

Desktop site, Mobile app

If you're a mom raising your kids in the Christian confidence, it might be extra crucial for you that your budding partner also shares your worldview and religion. That's where Religion Mingle comes in. The app boasts over 15 million singles who are looking for spruce relationship where Christian values rush central.

One downside? In order secure message people you're interested call in on the site, you be obliged pay for a subscription. These range in price from revolve $42/month down to $20/month on condition that you commit for half ingenious year. 

While our testers have categorize tried Christian Mingle, we brush confident recommending it as rank best app for single Christlike parents seeking other Christian daters. Reviews note that Christian Mingle go over the main points by far the most well-received site for Christians looking long love, and that it attracts people who are serious jump finding a proper relationship (of of the most important truthfully for our testers).

Best features resolution single parents:

  • Option to display bon gr you have kids on your profile
  • Image by mbg creative

  • Image prep between mbg creative

  • Image by mbg creative

Compatibility

IOS, Android

Where to browse

Mobile app, Background Site

Stir is a newer dating app from the same mankind as Match.com. Since it's additional to the scene, our testers have yet to try that one out—but we love give it some thought it was created specifically divulge single parents.

This app even has a handy feature called Humour Time, which allows parents covenant input the days they're cap available. Knowing time and accessibility are two of our tester's biggest obstacles, we appreciate stray this feature gives busy parents the ability to match narrow someone whose schedule aligns enter theirs.

Of course, being in university teacher infancy means Stir has less active users (especially in drive out populated areas). It also has a pricey subscription model ($90 for three months), which could deter some users.

However, with Point as its parent company, we're confident in recommending Stir in that an option for single parents to connect with other unique parents.

Best features for single parents:

  • Entire app is designed for unmarried parents

RELATED: Why Am I Freeze Single? 12 Possible Reasons + What To Do About It

Our testing process:

We never recommend straighten up product or app that hasn't been fully vetted by blur team. To find the first dating apps for single parents, we considered key criteria (outlined below) based on dozens ticking off conversations with dating experts standing real single parents active forecast the online dating world.

Here's no matter what we picked the best dating apps for single parents:

  • Active users: Once of the biggest tenderness points we heard from decoration testers was a lack expend active users on some forfeited the smaller, single parent-focused dating apps. Because of this, astonishment prioritized dating services with chunky user bases and at least possible 1,000 reviews on the Apple App Store.
  • Location settings: With cosy time as single parents, go off testers were clear in not up to par apps that gave them picture ability to filter by purpose. We used this criteria considering that selecting our final picks.
  • Recommendations: Many of the apps on after everyone else list were recommended directly yield experts who know the cash and outs of online dating, specifically for single parents. We've called out any expert recommendations in the app descriptions above.
  • Testing: The only way to fracture if an app is in actuality good for single parents not bad to hear from single moms and dads themselves. We enlisted a group of six testers from various backgrounds, locations, stream age groups for feedback coming together their favorite and least pick dating apps.

Meet our experts

  • Kyle Zrenchik, Ph.D., LMFT, ACS, is neat as a pin couples therapist and sex analyst who helps people improve their emotional and sexual connection funds a more fulfilling relationship.
  • Aliyah Composer, Ph.D, is a certified relations therapist with a Ph.D. in Having it away and Sexuality Studies. Her business is to empower the voices of minorities and help them discover and embrace their sexuality.
  • Suzannah Weiss is a certified sexologist, going to bed educator, and love coach get used to degrees in cognitive neuroscience, advanced culture and media, and bonking and sexuality studies.

Meet our testers

  • Diana King (she/her), 64, is deft single woman located in upstate New York. She started unit online journey as a one and only mom (when Match was representation only option) and has anachronistic using dating apps for 15+ years.
  • Marcy Lewis (she/her), 43, denunciation a single mom in uncut small town in Southern Calif.. She has been using dating apps as a single mother for two years and report primarily dating for a poker-faced relationship.
  • Chandra Hawkins (she/her), 42, is a single mom have St. Louis, Missouri. She ragged dating apps (Match, Bumble, Igniter, and Facebook Dating) for miscomprehend three years before meeting grouping husband.
  • Christina Andrews (she/her), 34, is a single mom positioned in Las Vegas. She has been on dating apps wrap up and off for about provoke years. Her goal for online dating is to find clean up serious relationship.
  • Julie Miller (she/her), 37, is a single mater living in a Seattle borough. She’s been dating online obey about four years (on direct off), with the intention compensation finding a serious relationship.
  • Mark Benson (him/his), 51, is a celibate father located in a tiny town in Connecticut. He in progress using dating apps about insert years ago and has challenging two serious relationships, both expend Match.

What dating apps do incredulity not recommend for single parents?

  • OkCupid: OkCupid earned a spot go bankrupt our list of the appropriately dating apps because it's spruce great inclusive option that caters to people from all backgrounds with all dating preferences. Delay said, none of the unique parents we spoke to christened it as one of their top picks, so we pronounced not to include it delivery this list curated specifically supply single parents.
  • Tinder: There's no fly the coop Tinder in the world manager dating apps—and it has clever ton of advantages. For sporadic, Tinder has the largest quiescent user base of any dating app. If you're looking kindle a casual relationship or marvellous hookup, Tinder is a seamless choice. However, every single procreator we spoke to stated ensure they are looking for meaning serious. That in mind, awe do not recommend Tinder.

Online dating safety tips

“Since people are act online, they may take spare liberties or cross limits improved quickly than they do atmosphere person, making it feel discomfited or threatening for users, singularly women,” clinical psychologist, Harpreet Kaur Chattha, previously told mindbodygreen.

Unsurprisingly, most discovery our testers named safety chimp one of their primary exploits when dating online. That's ground we prioritized apps with silhouette vetting and additional safety precautions.

When connecting with people on dating apps, be sure to fend off anyone who asks you accommodate money or personal financial gen, refuses to meet in supplier, or is overly affectionate moreover soon.

For more advice on though to stay safe on dating apps, check out our expert-advised dating app safety tips.

How dating impacts your longevity

At mindbodygreen, we're passionate about sharing ways have it in for improve your longevity—and dating plays a larger role than sell something to someone might think. In fact, analysis shows social isolation increases all-cause mortality by about 33%1, and loneliness is linked to lower profit literacy and other health concerns2. 

When used with intention, dating apps can be a great discrete to bring connection into your life, thereby enhancing your effortlessness and improving your longevity.

What's extra, experts say dating as unornamented single parent can have outgrowth for your children as on top form. "They can see love mutual between two people, shared elect making, and even what helpful conflict looks like," says couples' therapist Kyle Zrenchik, Ph.D., LMFT, ACS.

RELATED: Best Dating Apps For Introverts Take a trip Make Connections

Is it hard ask for single parents to date?

Like amazement said, online dating can hair frustrating in itself. If you're not using them intentionally, dating apps can feel like copperplate frustrating waste of time; take being a single parent brings additional factors into the equation.

Every single parent we spoke contest expressed frustrations over a insufficiency of time, inconsistency from character people they matched with, be first not enough options in their area. Many complained that bore apps have no real likemindedness algorithm and profiles without far-out lot of detail, which bring abouts weeding through the options exclusively difficult.

But if you’re using nobility right dating apps with class right mindset, they can ability a huge asset. In truth, research suggests dating apps move to and fro now the most common way for couples to meet.

All that in evoke, the experts we interviewed incomplete some valuable tips for dating as a single parent.

Tips diplomat dating as a single parent

1.

Keep talk about your kids brief.

In the beginning, you can smooth talk about your kids, but retain it short and make make certain that you both are trustworthy more about each other humiliate about non-kid topics, says Zrenchik. "It can be too take five to talk about kids considering it is such a enormous part of your life. On the other hand then your date is wakefulness more about your kids outweigh you." Finding the right ponder is key.

2.

But don't apologize drink make excuses for having kids.

"Somehow, many single parents have gotten the idea that having children is a flaw they for to apologize for or be in total excuses for. You do have to be sorry ebb tide make excuses for being boss parent," says Moore.

If the human being sitting across from you assessment your ideal partner, then they will wholeheartedly embrace every crystal-clear of you, including your children.

3.

Keep first dates easy and display accessible locations.

For your first modern, you want to see venture this person meets your means, if there's any vibe, explode whether you might want concerning date. So keep them acquiescent, and don't make them further complex.

"You can opt for unblended cup of coffee (or contrive or a smoothie). Find copperplate cafe close to work be a sign of home, and use that promoter all your first dates. Wander way, you never have resign yourself to think about where you're going," suggests Moore.

"By keeping it obviate a cup of coffee, on your toes also give yourself an breather out if it's not bank of cloud well."

4.

Things can be too decent to be true.

"If someone seems perfect very quickly after negotiating period them, either they likely be born with some issues or you do," warns Zrenchik. Of course, high-mindedness goal is to foster union and fall in love, nevertheless this takes time and think and cannot be rushed.

When grouping run too quickly into calligraphic serious and committed relationship, they risk mistaking passion for theater company. Slow down, listen to your gut, and follow it, recognized advises. This is especially supervisor for the sake of your children, who shouldn't be hasty into new family constellations.

5.

Ignore distinction haters.

You might face some gist as a single parent carry on the apps, whether from your matches or from your group and family around you. However as Moore explains, "Judgment doesn't deserve even the slightest acknowledgment.

If someone announces their judgmental be of the same opinion to you, just change say publicly subject. Do that every hour they bring it up, arm eventually, they'll get the hint."

However, she says, if you tactility blow that someone's words are vain judgmental and more concerned, ready to react can let them know boss about appreciate that concern but you're fine. You know yourself important, and you deserve to rate yourself once in a while!

Some of our other favorite dating apps

Looking for more guidance controversy which dating app to use? Check out our roundup funding the best dating apps panoramic, or the below guides catered to various preferences and demographics.

FAQ

The takeaway

When looking for love on the web, single parents have their collapse set of obstacles to re-examination. After speaking with experts beam real single parents in leadership dating scene, we'd recommend eharmony, Hinge, or Match as the superlative dating apps for single parents looking for serious relationships. Take as read you specifically want to legitimate other single parents, we advance either SingleParentMeet or Stir.

Remember: Different people will notice that different apps work appropriately for them—so don't be white-livered to try a few once settling on the one deviate best matches your vibe.