Thanks to the explosion of technology, social media, and worldwide dating apps, dating internationally has never been easier. The abundance of dating apps makes it easier than ever to connect with beautiful women all over the world. However, due to the abundance of options to choose from, deciding on the best dating website for you, whether for casual or serious relationships, can be quite confusing.
That’s where I come in. I have been a worldwide travel for several years and have extensive dating experience in Colombia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, and many other countries. This article will provide an overview of the 10 best international dating apps based on my personal experiences and research. We’ll explore the unique features of each app, including whether they are free or paid, whether they target short or long-term relationships, and the size of their active user bases.
Factors like international usage, ease of use, interface, matching algorithms, communication features, and safety protections, were all considered in ranking these top apps. Whether looking for marriage prospects in Eastern Europe, casual dating in Asia, finding your Latina soulmate, or just cultural exchange and language practice, these are the top tools for international dating.
Also see: The Complete Guide to International Dating For Western Men
#10 – OkCupid
Categories: Free, Casual or Long-term Relationships
OkCupid is a popular free dating app and website that also offers paid upgrades for additional features. It has been around a long time, well before the emergence of Tinder and Bumble. I used it extensively in the early 2010s, along with Plenty of Fish. Remember?
It works by having users complete a detailed profile and answer a bunch of match questions to help users find compatible matches. Based off the choices to the questions, you get a match percentage number that is used to suggest highly compatible matches. Keep in mind that you can only begin messaging with another member after you have mutually matched.
Pros of OkCupid:
OkCupid has a large user base of over 50 million registered users and is designed for a range of relationship types, from casual dating to long-term relationships.
The basic app is free to use and includes messaging capabilities. Paid upgrades provide additional features like seeing who likes you before you match with them, more advanced search filters, no ads, and more.
Cons of OkCupid:
One of the drawbacks of OkCupid, however, is that for international dating it may not be the best choice. According to SimilarWeb.com, nearly 40% of the users are from the United States, which is more than the next five countries combined. I prefer other apps on this list, but OkCupid is free, which could be worth exploring for you.
The large user base and range of relationship types make OkCupid an okay option for international dating, although I prefer it for when I’m in my home country of the United States.
Also see: 5 Steps To Create A Great International Dating Profile
#9 – Match.com
Categories: Paid, Casual or Long-term Relationships
Match.com is one of the most well-known online dating platforms, launched in 1995. It requires a paid membership and is focused primarily on facilitating long-term relationships. According to SimilarWeb, Match has over 20 million users worldwide, which makes it one of the largest user bases of any dating site, especially of those that are specifically long-term oriented.
Match uses an extensive personality test to determine compatible singles based on your results. It is a great option for marriage-minded singles looking for something real. Also, compared to eHarmony, the users on Match tend to be slightly more open-minded to casual dating.
Match offers features to really get to know potential partners before meeting them in person. You can see their detailed profiles, exchange virtual winks and likes, chat online, and arrange in-app video dates.
Pros of Match.com:
The thing I like about Match.com is that the membership fee helps filter out those who aren’t serious about finding a partner. Because of that, there are very few time-wasters, catfish, and scammers on the website. If you’re serious about finding a lifetime partner, or exploring some casual dates, Match.com is a great option.
Cons of Match.com:
For me, it is a bit too much work. With a lengthy personality test, along with a not so cheap membership price, the user-base is not as large as I would like it to be, even in my home state in South Carolina. I prefer to have websites with a very large user base and many potential date options to consider.
In addition, if you are specifically looking to date outside of the United States, there are other websites with a much larger international presence. Although most users are looking for serious relationships, some users are open to casual dating, and for that, I think there are some free and cheaper options like Tinder and Bumble to consider.
Want to find a wife overseas? Check out: How To Find A Wife Overseas (For Western Men & Expats)
#8 – eHarmony
Categories: Paid, Long-term Relationships, Marriage-Oriented
eHarmony is a paid membership dating site that focuses on helping its users find long-term, serious relationships. Unlike some other dating apps that facilitate casual dating or short-term hookups, eHarmony aims to match singles who are truly compatible for the long haul. The main difference between eHarmony and Match, is that eHarmony is solely for long-term marriage oriented relationships.
To join eHarmony, users must complete a lengthy questionnaire that helps the site determine your personality traits, values, and interests. eHarmony’s matching algorithm then uses this information to recommend potential partners who have similar interests and are statistically more likely to have that elusive “spark.”
While an eHarmony membership is not cheap (plans start at $60+ per month), the site attracts relationship-minded singles who are willing to pay a premium to find a meaningful connection. With over 15 million members globally, eHarmony is especially popular in the Western countries like the United States, Canada, Australia, and the UK.
Pros of eHarmony.com:
If you are determined to find a lifelong partner, eHarmony is the most serious long-term dating website on the internet. The hefty membership price will weed out all the users that do not have serious intentions, along with eliminating users that are just seeking short-term hookups. If you’re completely serious about finding a lifetime partner, eHarmony is a great option.
Seeking a long-term relationship overseas? Check out: The 5 Best Countries For Looking For a Wife Overseas
Cons of eHarmony.com:
The international presence is not as abundant as many other options I will highlight further in this article. Also, similar to Match.com, eHarmony it is a bit too much work and a bit too expensive, for me personally. That work can definitely be worth it if you are in a place in life where you are determined to find a lifelong partner.
With a lengthy questionnaire test, along with robust profiles, users tend to spend a lot of time online before meeting in-person. I prefer to get into an in-person date as quickly as possible. Also, because of the seriousness of the marriage-oriented users on this website, many women are very picky about who they are willing to go on a date with.
#7 – Tagged
Categories: Free, Casual Dating, Long-Term Relationships, International
Tagged is a free dating app and website that offers basic features without a paid subscription. I first became aware of Tagged recently, when my world-traveling friend Wayne turned me onto the app. He started using it in the eastern African countries of Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda. He has since become a loyal user even after returning to Southeast Asia.
Although free, tagged offers premium upgrades like “Super Powers” to get more matches and stand out in search results. The app has a broad user base seeking all types of relationships from hookups to long-term dating and the demographics tend to be on the younger side.
Some unique features are the virtual gifts you can send matches and the “Meet Me” section to quickly like or pass on local users. There are also icebreakers and questions to get the conversation going.
Pros of Tagged:
Overall, Tagged provides a fun, casual dating experience. It is free to use for basic features and has a large international dating pool of prospects. Many of the women are young, beautiful, and have high interest in dating older foreign boyfriends. And they are open to dating travelers who may only be in a particular place for a short period of time.
Cons of Tagged:
Tagged is relatively new to the scene in popularity when compared to other free apps like Tinder, Bumble, Zoosk, and Badoo. Many people I have spoken to have never heard of it but it is growing in popularity. It’s not as popular in South America, but has grown a lot in Southeast Asia and Africa in particular.
#6 – Zoosk
Categories: Free-ish, Casual Dating, Long-Term Relationships, International
Zoosk is a popular international dating app with over 40 million members across 80 countries. It offers both a free membership and paid subscription options.
The free version of Zoosk allows you to create a profile, view and like other members, and send pre-written messages. However, you’ll need a paid subscription to send custom messages and access advanced features like boosting your profile visibility. Paid plans start at $29.95 per month.
Zoosk is a versatile dating app that is suitable for casual dating as well as those seeking long-term relationships. The app uses behavioral matchmaking technology to connect compatible singles based on their interactions within the platform.
One standout feature of Zoosk is their photo verification service. Members can verify their photos to show their profile is legitimate, giving other users more confidence and a sense of safety in connecting with them.
Pros of Zoosk:
I first started using Zoosk in Southeast Asia when I was dating in the Philippines and had some success. Zoosk has a strong international presence and a variety of prospects from all around the globe. There are many beautiful women on there from third-world countries that are looking for foreign boyfriends, whether for casual or long-term relationships.
Cons of Zoosk:
Although technically free, users will be nudged to pay for Zoosk to unlock important key features are limited. Zoosk gets lost in the shuffle a little as there are a variety of similar options. Still, the user base is strong and you can definitely find some hidden gems prospects on there.
#5 – Seeking
Categories: Paid, Sugar-Daddy/Sugar-Baby (SD/SB), International
Seeking is a paid membership dating app that specifically connects wealthy sugar daddies with younger sugar babies. The app has gained popularity as a place for mutually beneficial dating arrangements, rather than traditional romantic relationships. The transparency of the relationships made on this platform can lead to healthy connections when done responsibly.
With over 20 million members worldwide, Seeking has a truly international user base. The site attracts older and wealthy individuals who want to pamper and support beautiful young partners. In exchange, the sugar babies receive financial benefits, glamorous lifestyle, and sometimes vacations.
Also see: How To Be An International Sugar Daddy: A Helpful Guide
Seeking requires all sugar daddies to pay a monthly membership fee to send messages, although it is free to signup and browse profiles. This ensures only serious and real profiles are present on the app. For sugar daddies, membership plans start at $70+ per month. For sugar babies, membership is free with an option to upgrade.
The app has a reputation for facilitating relationships, rather than one night stands or short-term flings. Ideally, most sugar babies want a consistent relationship that provides support over time. You should establish clear communication on expectations and arrangements upfront. Once an agreement is reached, couples can enter long-term sugar relationships.
Also see: What Countries Have The Most Beautiful Women? My Top 10
Pros of Seeking.com
I was a paid member on Seeking.com for three months and found that they have the most beautiful women of any dating platform. The website is highly international, featuring gorgeous women from all over the world. The nature of the website is highly transparent, which can lead to clear expectations from both partners when engaging in a relationship. The website is free to signup and browse around if you want to check out the market.
Cons of Seeking.com
You need to be wealthy to use Seeking.com because setting up “arrangements” does not come cheap. I spoke to quite a few women, including one supermodel in Poland who wanted $1500 per date. Many other women wanted around $400 per date.
Although there are some “girl next door” types who would make for a great arrangement, the reality is that some of the women are clearly “professionals.” It’s best to be on guard for gold-diggers, especially if you don’t have an abundance of money to spend. Also, if you are looking for monogamy, seeking.com is probably not for you. Many women are seeking “no strings attached” arrangements, meaning they are probably dating other men on the website.
#4 – Badoo
Categories: Free, International, Casual or Long-Term Relationships
Badoo is a free dating app and website that allows users to connect with people locally and internationally. With over 400 million users across 190 countries, Badoo has one of the largest international user bases out of any dating platform. It is one of my favorite applications to use when I’m traveling and dating overseas.
The app itself is free to use, but offers premium paid features like seeing who has liked your profile before you match with them. The free features include uploading photos, browsing and matching with other users, chatting and video calling matches. Upgrading to premium allows more control over your visibility and connects you with more users.
Unlike apps that focus just on casual dating or serious relationships, Badoo is used for the full spectrum of dating from hookups to marriage. The large international user base means you can connect with people of many different nationalities and relationship goals.
Pros of Badoo:
Badoo’s popularity and huge international membership make it a great choice for dating internationally. I first started using it with success a few years ago while traveling in Southeast Asia in Thailand and the Philippines. You’re very likely to find matches who live abroad or who are open to long distance relationships. One of my favorite features of Badoo is the “People Nearby” feature that allows you to easily find matches close to your exact location.
Cons of Badoo:
Anecdotally, I experienced several flakes on Badoo while using the platform in Southeast Asia. By the way, a flake is someone who doesn’t show up to a pre-planned date. This is usually more common when using free apps, as the members are not as bought in.
#3 – Tinder
Categories: Free, International, Casual/Hookup Relationships
Tinder is one of the most popular dating apps worldwide, with tens of millions of users across 190 countries. The app is free to use, but offers premium paid upgrades like Tinder Plus and Tinder Gold that provide additional features.
If you’re dating internationally, you’ll definitely want to upgrade in order to get the “Passport” feature which allows you to select any location in the world and begin swiping.
The app is primarily used for casual dating and hookups, rather than long-term relationships. The easy signup process, instant matching, and emphasis on proximity and appearance makes Tinder ideal for quick and convenient meetups.
Tinder users tend to be young, single, and seeking adventure. With so many members, it’s easy to quickly meet new people for casual dates or one-night stands. Tinder’s reputation for hookups doesn’t mean relationships can’t blossom either. But users seeking more serious dating may want to try other apps first.
Pros of Tinder:
Tinder has by far the largest amount of users than any other dating platform in the world. When dating overseas, you will get a lot more matches than you would in your home country. It is well-known for its easy to use swipe-based matching system, where users swipe right on profiles they’re interested in, and swipe left to reject them.
Cons of Tinder:
Tinder has caught a lot of heat in Latin America, specifically Colombia, because of the rampant druggings and robberies that have taken place from matches on the platform. Please take extra precautions and consider only matching with profiles that have been verified. Also, I can’t guarantee your safety but here are 9 tips on staying safe while dating in Colombia.
Also, in Southeast Asia I got irritated with Tinder because of the abundance of ladyboys appearing in the women’s section. Deciphering between transgenders and real women is often difficult online, therefore I stopped using it there.
Tinder only has mobile app and often times I prefer using my laptop for browsing profiles. The free version does not include important features that you’ll want to have, specifically, it limits the number of swipes you can make by a significant amount. Also, it’s very tempting to upgrade in order to get the “Passport” feature as well as seeing who has liked you before you’ve matched.
#2 – Bumble
Categories: Free, International, Casual or Long-Term Relationships
Bumble is a dating app launched in 2014 that puts women in control. On Bumble, women make the first move and initiate conversations after a match is made. This sets Bumble apart and I have noticed that women tend to flake less because of this feature.
Bumble has a growing global user base of over 100 million users across 150 countries. The app is free to use, with optional paid features called Bumble Boost that include seeing people who have liked you, extending matches, and rematching expired connections.
Another one of my favorite features is the “Travel Mode” which I use often when traveling internationally. I like to set my location to a certain destination a few days in advance, and upon arriving I have a boatload of dating prospects already.
After a match, women have 24 hours to start chatting before the connection disappears. This flips traditional dating dynamics, empowering women and reducing unwanted messages.
Pros of Bumble:
The “women make the first move” feature is a unique and wonderful model that ensures that women are actually interested in you. In my experience, this has improved the quality of conversations and led to more dates than Tinder. Bumble has a significant and large presence internationally and is geared more for finding long-term relationships. Because of that, I find that the women are a little more high quality than on Tinder.
Cons of Bumble:
There are less women on Bumble than on Tinder internationally, although they seem to be of higher quality. If you are just looking for casual hookups then Bumble is not the best app for you.
#1 – International Cupid
Categories: Paid, International, Casual, Hookup, and Long-Term Relationships
I put International Cupid at number one because I think it is the best all around dating platform for international dating. As a loyal user for over five years, it is my go to dating app whenever I’m traveling abroad.
With over four million users and 248 countries represented, InternationalCupid has a large international presence. It is completely free to signup and browse profiles, but you’ll need to purchase a membership in order to send and read messages.
Although the amount of users is a lot lower than Tinder and Bumble, remember that this website is specifically geared for women that are looking for foreign boyfriends. On Tinder and Bumble, the number of users are inflated because of the humongous amount of users in the United States, United Kingdom, etc., and also will have you competing with local men in each foreign city that you are traveling too.
By the way InternationalCupid can be a useful tool for finding age-gap relationships: Top 10 Countries Where Age-Gap Relationships Are Normal
Pros of InternationalCupid:
InternationalCupid has a large, diverse amount of women that are specifically looking for foreign boyfriends like yourself. It has a robust filtering search feature that allows me to narrow down exactly to the type of woman that I am seeking. Here is an example of what I like to search for:
- No kids
- Body type: slim or petite
- English level: Good or higher
- Considers their appearance as: Attractive or Very Attractive
- No smoking
- No drinking
InternationalCupid also has both a website and a mobile app, something Tinder and Bumble cannot boast. I often prefer using my laptop to browse profiles when I am at home.
Cons of InternationalCupid:
InternationalCupid is not free, but you get what you pay for. Memberships start at around $29.99 for one month and default on auto-renew. You can turn it off hassle free and easy with one click in the billing section.
InternationalCupid is part of the Cupid Media Network which is a family of dating websites that include, LatinAmericanCupid, ColombianCupid, FilipinoCupid, ThaiCupid, and many more. Sometimes I wish they would combine apps/websites to make one large database because there are so many to choose from. Purchasing a membership at one of the sites does not give you access to the others.
I would recommend choosing one of websites that is more location specific if you are definitely set on traveling to one particular location. For example, if you are going to the Philippines, get a membership at FilipinoCupid instead of InternationalCupid. If you have broad travel plans or maybe undecided on where you are traveling to, then InternationalCupid is my top recommendation for you.
Also check out my article: Top Dating Apps For Expats Looking For Pretty Filipinas
*****
Thanks so much for reading and good luck on your international dating journey 🙂
Sincerely, Eric James