> Growth and money: dating app guides and data | Dating API: https://www.datingapi.io/insights/topics/growth-and-money [Insights](https://www.datingapi.io/insights) Topics # Growth and money. How dating apps make money and grow. Business models, app store fees, liquidity and launching city by city, explained for people who run dating apps. Articles 5 Companies 11 Reading time 29 min Datasets 1 Updated 18 Oct 2026 ## Companies covered - Bumble - [Hinge](https://www.datingapi.io/insights/launching-dating-app-city-by-city) - [Tinder](https://www.datingapi.io/insights/dating-app-ai-features) - [Grindr](https://www.datingapi.io/insights/dating-app-business-models) - [Match Group](https://www.datingapi.io/insights/app-store-fees-dating-apps) - Match - The League - Badoo - Momo - Raya - Feeld [Dating App Index](https://www.datingapi.io/insights/topics/dating-app-data) [Ownership and markets](https://www.datingapi.io/insights/topics/ownership-and-markets) [Build, buy or rebuild](https://www.datingapi.io/insights/topics/build-buy-or-rebuild) [Trust, safety and compliance](https://www.datingapi.io/insights/topics/trust-safety-and-compliance) [Growth and money](https://www.datingapi.io/insights/topics/growth-and-money) [Analysis](https://www.datingapi.io/insights/topics/analysis) [App profiles](https://www.datingapi.io/insights/topics/app-profiles) [Glossary](https://www.datingapi.io/glossary) ## Latest 5 articles [Growth and money ### AI dating app features: what Tinder, Hinge, Bumble and Grindr built The four largest listed dating brands use AI in four places: profile coaching, curated matching, message help and safety. Tinder has Chemistry, Hinge has Prompt Feedback and Convo Starters, Bumble has profile tools and its Bee matchmaker pilot, and Grindr has gAI and its paid EDGE tier. Safety tools have the clearest published results. Tinder, Hinge, Grindr, Bumble, Match Group 18 October 2026 · 7 min read](https://www.datingapi.io/insights/dating-app-ai-features)[Growth and money Match Group, Bumble, Hinge, Match, Tinder, Grindr ### App store fees for dating apps: US, EU and UK rules in 2026 As of 16 October 2026, US dating apps can link members to web checkout with no Apple commission while the courts set a fee, and Match expects about $130 million of savings in 2026 from this. In the EU, Apple charges 15% on linked-out sales from 1 October 2026. In the UK, Apple still bans steering while the CMA decides. 16 October 2026 · 6 min read](https://www.datingapi.io/insights/app-store-fees-dating-apps)[Growth and money Grindr, Bumble, Match Group, Hinge, Badoo, Momo, Tinder, Match ### Dating app business models: how the major apps make money Most dating revenue comes from members paying directly. Match Group earned 98.5% of its second-quarter 2026 revenue from members, mostly subscriptions with single purchases on top. Grindr earns 18% from advertising, far more than its peers. Live and social apps such as Momo rely mainly on virtual gifts bought with coins. 16 October 2026 · 5 min read](https://www.datingapi.io/insights/dating-app-business-models)[Growth and money Tinder, Bumble, Grindr, Hinge ### Dating app liquidity: why pool size decides retention Liquidity is whether a member can find enough relevant, active people nearby. When the pool runs thin, discovery screens repeat, replies dry up and members leave. Apps manage it by widening radius and age ranges when members run out, launching city by city, focusing on a niche, and filling gaps from a wider network. Research shows relevance matters as much as raw size. 16 October 2026 · 6 min read](https://www.datingapi.io/insights/dating-app-liquidity)[Growth and money Hinge, Tinder, Bumble, The League, Match Group, Raya, Feeld ### Launching a dating app city by city: the empty app problem A new dating app is empty, and an empty dating app loses every member who opens it. The apps that broke through solved this by concentrating: Tinder and Bumble seeded college campuses, Hinge relaunched in Washington DC with a launch party, and The League admitted members selectively, city by city. New apps should pick one place or community and reach density there before expanding. 16 October 2026 · 5 min read](https://www.datingapi.io/insights/launching-dating-app-city-by-city) ## More topics [Dating App Index](https://www.datingapi.io/insights/topics/dating-app-data) [Ownership and markets](https://www.datingapi.io/insights/topics/ownership-and-markets) [Build, buy or rebuild](https://www.datingapi.io/insights/topics/build-buy-or-rebuild) [Trust, safety and compliance](https://www.datingapi.io/insights/topics/trust-safety-and-compliance) [Analysis](https://www.datingapi.io/insights/topics/analysis) [App profiles](https://www.datingapi.io/insights/topics/app-profiles) [Glossary](https://www.datingapi.io/glossary)