# Dating API: full text

> Dating API is a white label dating platform and app backend from High Intent Media. It runs the technology under established dating apps (members, matching, messaging, moderation, ID checks and payments) and can connect them to a shared network of verified members.

# Romance Scam Prevention Act: what dating apps must build to comply

Published 2026-10-19. Updated 2026-10-19. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/romance-scam-prevention-act-dating-apps

**In short:** The Romance Scam Prevention Act (H.R. 2481) requires dating services to notify every member who received a message from an account banned for money fraud. The notice is due within 24 hours, by email or text, with set contents. The FTC and state attorneys general enforce it. It takes effect one year after enactment.

The Romance Scam Prevention Act (H.R. 2481, with S.841 as the Senate companion) puts a new duty on every US dating service. If you ban or suspend an account because you judge it is likely to try to get money from members by fraud, you must tell every member who received a message from that account. You have 24 hours, with set contents, sent by email or text unless the member has agreed to another channel [1]. The FTC enforces the Act, and state attorneys general can sue as well [1]. The duty starts one year after enactment [1]. You can't do this with a message template alone. You need a link between banned accounts and the people they messaged, clear ban reason codes, and records that show the FTC you met the deadline.

## Where the bill stands, and when the clock starts

The House passed H.R. 2481 on 23 June 2025 [3]. The Senate passed the same text without amendment by unanimous consent on 23 September 2026 [2][4]. LegiScan records the bill as presented to the President on 14 October 2026 [2]. The sources don't fully agree on timing. A Pettersen office post dated 6 October said the bill would become law that day unless vetoed [6], but the formal record shows it was presented eight days later [2]. Treat the bill as enrolled and awaiting enactment as of 19 October 2026.

The effective date is "1 year after the date of the enactment" [1], so the deadline will most likely fall in autumn 2027. Count the year from the enactment date, not from Senate passage. Federal law also takes over from state rules here. No state can require, ban or otherwise regulate how dating services notify members about fraud-banned contacts [1]. CBO noted that some states already require similar notices and that most large services already send them nationally [3]. If you only built for one state, you'll need to rebuild to the federal standard.

## What triggers a notice, and who gets it

Three definitions set the scope, and each one is narrower or wider than teams tend to assume.

- **Fraud ban.** This means terminating or suspending an account because, in your judgement, there is "a significant risk" the member will try to get cash or other currency from another member by fraud [1]. Bans for harassment, spam, underage accounts or fake photos alone don't count unless the reason is money fraud. A temporary suspension does count.
- **Who must be told.** Only members who *received* a message from the banned member [1]. Members who matched but never got a message, and members who messaged the banned account but got no reply, aren't covered by the text.
- **Online dating service.** Any website or app that offers members dating or romantic relationships by arranging or facilitating introductions [1]. There is no size threshold, so a niche app with a small member base is covered in the same way as Tinder.

The Act sets no lookback window. In the text, any message received from the banned member triggers a notice, however old it is [1]. That has a direct effect on how long you keep message records.

## What the notice must say, how and when

Table 1 maps each statutory requirement to the work it creates.

| Requirement | What the Act says | What to build |
|---|---|---|
| Identify the account | Username or profile identifier of the banned member [1] | Store the display handle at ban time, even if the profile is later wiped |
| Last contact time | Most recent time the recipient sent or received a message to or from the banned member [1] | A per-pair "last message" timestamp, in both directions |
| Fraud warning | Statement, as applicable, that the banned member may have used a false identity or tried to defraud members [1] | Approved template wording, versioned |
| Money warning | Statement not to send cash, other currency or personal financial information [1] | Fixed template block |
| Safety guidance | Best practices to avoid online fraud, which may be a link [1] | A maintained safety page |
| Support contact | Customer service contact details [1] | A monitored inbox or form linked from the notice |
| Channel | Clear and conspicuous, by email or text, or another means if the member consented [1] | A verified email or phone number per member, plus a consent record for push or in-app |
| Deadline | 24 hours from ban initiation, or up to 3 days if the provider judges the circumstances require it [1] | A queue with a service level clock and alerting |
| Law enforcement hold | No notice before a requested delay ends, then send within 3 days [1] | A hold flag with request records and an automatic release |

Source: Romance Scam Prevention Act enrolled text [1].

The channel rule causes the most product work. An in-app inbox message or push notification only qualifies if the member has consented to that channel [1]. Apps that sign members up with social login, or that never verify an email address, need a consent step at onboarding or a verified contact field. The safe harbour helps here. You aren't liable to a member, banned member or former member for a claim based on action taken to comply [1].

## Turning the law into backend work

The core job is a graph question: for a given banned account, who did it send messages to, and when was the last exchange? Most teams can answer it from existing data, but not within 24 hours at scale unless they plan for it.

1. **Conversation edge table.** Keep a slim record for each sender and recipient pair: first message, last message in each direction, and the conversation ID. You don't need message content to meet the notice duty. Keeping only this metadata means your retention policy for message content can stay short while the notice duty is still met. Our [backend checklist](/insights/dating-app-tech-stack) covers where this sits.
2. **Ban reason codes.** Split "fraud ban" from every other ban type in your moderation tooling. Moderators and models must record the reason when they act, because the reason decides whether the 24 hour clock starts.
3. **Snapshot at ban time.** When a fraud ban fires, freeze the recipient list, the banned handle and the per-pair timestamps. Later profile deletion or member clean-up mustn't change what you can prove.
4. **Notice pipeline.** Run a queue that resolves each recipient's contact channel, renders the versioned template, sends it, and records delivery and bounces. Recipients who later deleted their accounts are a grey area in the text, so ask counsel how to treat them.
5. **Reversals.** The Act says nothing about bans that are overturned. If a ban is reversed before notices go out, cancel the pending notices and log why. If notices have already gone out, decide in advance whether to send a correction. Get legal advice on both cases, since a false fraud warning about a real member carries its own risk.
6. **Compliance log.** For each fraud ban, keep: ban ID, initiation timestamp, reason code, decision source (model version and score, or reviewer ID), recipient snapshot, the reason for any delay past 24 hours, any law enforcement request with dates, and the send time, channel, template version and delivery status for each notice.

If you run several brands on one [shared member network](/glossary/shared-member-network), check which service each conversation happened on. The duty attaches to "the online dating service" through which the message was received [1].

## How automated scam detection sets your notice volume

The law leaves the ban decision to "the judgment of the online dating service provider" [1]. So your detection settings decide how many notices go out. A simple way to plan:

- **Notices per period = fraud bans in the period × average distinct members who received a message from each banned account.**

Both parts of that sum depend on choices you make. If you catch scammers earlier, at sign-up or before their first message, they will have messaged fewer members by the time you ban them, so you send fewer notices. Pre-message detection therefore cuts notice volume as well as fraud losses. A loose threshold that bans many genuine members creates notices about innocent people and makes reversals more likely. The 3 day window exists for cases where "the circumstances require" more time [1]. It is not a general review buffer, so document the reason every time you use it.

Expect more people to look at these numbers. Reported romance scam losses in the US were $1.14 billion in 2024, with a median loss of $4,000, according to FTC data reported by Dating Industry Insights [5]. For a wider look at prevention, see [romance scams on dating apps](/insights/romance-scams-operators).

## How the FTC is likely to enforce it

A breach counts as a breach of an FTC rule defining an unfair or deceptive act or practice [1]. Because of that, CBO notes that companies that fail to comply "could face civil penalties" [3]. CBO also said it was unclear whether the FTC would seek penalties or other remedies, and that it expected most companies to comply [3]. CBO estimated the FTC would spend $4 million over 2025 to 2030 on guidance, monitoring and enforcement [3]. Expect FTC guidance before the effective date, not a full rulemaking. Then expect early cases that test missed deadlines and incomplete notices.

States can enforce the Act too. A state attorney general must notify the FTC before suing, and the FTC can intervene. No state action can run against a defendant while an FTC case on the same breach is pending [1]. Your timestamped log is your evidence in either forum.

## Effort by operator size

These are Dating API's own planning estimates, not sourced figures. The method: we added up the six build items above, assuming an existing moderation tool and email or SMS provider. We then adjusted for the number of brands, the age of the data model and whether ban reasons already exist.

| Operator profile | Main work | Rough effort |
|---|---|---|
| Small, one app, one codebase | Reason codes, edge table, template, simple queue, log | 3 to 6 engineer-weeks, plus legal review of wording |
| Mid-size, several apps or legacy messaging | Backfill of pair timestamps, consent capture, delivery tracking, reversal flow | 8 to 14 engineer-weeks, plus a trust and safety process owner |
| Large, multi-brand or shared network | Cross-brand attribution, high-volume queue, audit tooling, law enforcement hold workflow | 20 engineer-weeks or more across several teams |

Source: Dating API estimate based on the obligations in the enrolled text [1].

If the work exposes deeper gaps, such as messages you can't attribute or ban reasons that were never recorded, read [signs your dating app needs a rebuild](/insights/signs-dating-app-needs-rebuild).

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Separate fraud bans now.** Without a distinct reason code you can't tell when the 24 hour clock started [1], and every other part of compliance depends on it.
- **Keep metadata, not content.** A sender and recipient table with last-message timestamps meets the notice duty without keeping message bodies longer than you need to.
- **Fix the contact channel.** Collect verified email or phone numbers, or record consent for push and in-app notices, before the effective date [1].
- **Tune detection with notices in mind.** Catching scammers before their first message cuts both losses and notice volume. Loose thresholds raise false notices and reversals.
- **Log for the FTC from day one.** Timestamps, delay reasons, law enforcement holds and delivery records are what you'll need if an investigation or state action arrives [1][3]. Our [US market guide](/insights/dating-app-market-us) tracks the other federal and state rules that sit alongside this one.

## Questions

**Is the Romance Scam Prevention Act law yet?**

Both chambers have passed it. The Senate passed H.R. 2481 without amendment on 23 September 2026, and the bill went to the President on 14 October 2026 [2][4]. The duty starts one year after enactment [1].

**What is a fraud ban notification?**

It is a notice a dating service must send to a member who received a message from an account it banned or suspended because it judged there was a significant risk of money fraud. The notice has to name the banned profile, give the time of the last message between them, warn against sending money and give a customer service contact [1].

**How quickly must a dating app send the notice?**

Within 24 hours of the ban. The provider can extend this to 3 days if it judges the circumstances require it, and law enforcement can ask for a longer delay during an investigation [1].

**Who enforces the Romance Scam Prevention Act?**

The FTC, which treats a breach as an unfair or deceptive act or practice. State attorneys general and authorised state consumer protection officers can also bring civil actions [1]. CBO estimated the FTC's costs for guidance, monitoring and enforcement at $4 million over 2025 to 2030 [3].

**Does the law apply to small dating apps?**

Yes. It applies to anyone in the business of offering a dating website or app that introduces members to each other, and the text sets no size threshold [1].

## Sources

1. H.R. 2481 (ENR), Romance Scam Prevention Act, enrolled bill text, U.S. Government Publishing Office (govinfo), 2026-09-29. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hr2481enr/html/BILLS-119hr2481enr.htm
2. US HB2481, Romance Scam Prevention Act: bill history, LegiScan, 2026-10-14. https://legiscan.com/US/bill/HB2481/2025?guid=2AV8g3UdypCKzevdCH1MDS
3. S. 841, Romance Scam Prevention Act: cost estimate, Congressional Budget Office, 2025-08-05. https://www.cbo.gov/publication/61615
4. Senate clears Blackburn-backed bill requiring dating app fraud alerts, WZTV Fox 17, 2026-09-24. https://fox17.com/news/local/senate-clears-blackburn-backed-bill-requiring-dating-app-fraud-alerts
5. Romance Scam Prevention Act: a compliance burden or a trust opportunity?, Dating Industry Insights, 2026-09-25. https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/us-senate-bill-dating-apps-scammers
6. Congress passes landmark law to protect online daters from romance scams, Office of Rep. Brittany Pettersen, 2026-10-06. https://pettersen.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1963
7. US Senate passes bill requiring dating apps to warn users about scammers, Global Dating Insights, 2026-09-25. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/regulation-compliance/romance-scam-prevention-act-dating-apps/


---

# AI dating app features: what Tinder, Hinge, Bumble and Grindr built

Published 2026-10-18. Updated 2026-10-18. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/dating-app-ai-features

**In short:** 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, Bumble and Grindr all use AI in the same four places: helping members write better profiles, choosing who they see, helping them start conversations, and catching bad actors. Tinder's main bet is Chemistry, an AI-curated daily recommendation, which expanded to the US and Canada in March 2026 [1]. Hinge has the longest list of shipped tools, including Prompt Feedback and Convo Starters [6][7]. Bumble added AI profile and photo feedback in February 2026 and is piloting Bee, an AI matchmaker [8][9]. Grindr has gone furthest on charging for AI, with a premium tier built entirely on its gAI system [12]. Safety tools are the only area where these companies have published clear results.

We compiled the table below from company announcements and filings. Features are only included where the company itself describes them as AI, machine learning, deep learning or LLM-based.

## The AI feature map

| App | Feature | Area | What it does | Status at source date | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tinder | Chemistry | Matching | Daily curated recommendation built from a Q&A and optional camera roll data | Expanded from Australia and New Zealand to US and Canada, March 2026 | [1] |
| Tinder | Learning Mode | Matching | Real-time recommendations that adapt to in-app activity | Announced March 2026 | [1] |
| Tinder | Camera Roll Scan | Profile | Opt-in "photo insights" on interests and personality | Part of Chemistry, March 2026 | [1] |
| Tinder | Photo Enhance | Profile | AI tool to make profile photos clearer | Announced as coming soon, March 2026 | [1] |
| Tinder | AI-powered profile building | Profile | Reworked profile creation | Testing, August 2026 | [3] |
| Tinder | Are You Sure? and Does This Bother You? | Safety | LLM-based detection of harmful messages, with auto-blur | Upgrades announced March 2026 | [1] |
| Hinge | Prompt Feedback | Profile | Guidance on making prompt answers more specific | Launched January 2025 | [7] |
| Hinge | Deep-learning recommendations | Matching | Predicts mutual compatibility | Rolled out globally in 2025 | [7] |
| Hinge | Convo Starters | Messaging and coaching | Three generative AI tips per photo or prompt | US, December 2025 | [6] |
| Hinge | Reinforcement-learning nudges | Messaging and coaching | Decides when a member needs a nudge or tip | In development, August 2026 | [3] |
| Bumble | Deception Detector | Safety | Machine learning model for spam, scam and fake profiles | Launched February 2024 | [11] |
| Bumble | AI-suggested Profile Guidance | Profile | Feedback on bio and prompts during set-up | Rolling out globally, February 2026 | [8] |
| Bumble | AI Photo Feedback | Profile | Real-time photo suggestions | US, February 2026 | [8] |
| Bumble | Bee and Dates | Matching | AI assistant learns goals in a private chat, then proposes matches | Internal pilot, March 2026 | [9] |
| Grindr | More of Your Type | Matching | Shows similar profiles to one being viewed | 2026 roadmap | [12] |
| Grindr | Wingman | Matching | Member describes what they want and gets matching profiles | 2026 roadmap | [12] |
| Grindr | Smart Inbox | Messaging and coaching | Puts the most promising chats first | 2026 roadmap | [12] |
| Grindr | EDGE | Paid tier | Premium tier built on gAI: Discover, Profile Insights, A-List chat summaries | Beta in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and some US cities, March 2026 | [12] |
| Grindr | In-house AI and ML moderation | Safety | Detects and suppresses illegal behaviour | In use, Q2 2026 | [13] |

Source: Tinder [1], Match Group [3], Hinge [6][7], Bumble [8][11], TechCrunch [9], Grindr [12][13].

Our count from the table: 19 features. Six are profile tools, six are matching, three are messaging and coaching, three are safety and one is a paid tier. Profile coaching and AI matching make up most of the work, and almost everything launched since late 2025.

## Tinder: AI as the matching layer

Tinder showed most of its AI work at its Sparks keynote in March 2026. Chemistry replaces endless liking with a daily curated recommendation, based on a Q&A and an optional scan of the member's camera roll [1]. Tinder says parts of Chemistry will spread beyond a single feature into the whole app over time [1]. It says Learning Mode, its real-time recommendation system, is linked to new women being more likely to come back in their first week [1].

On safety, Tinder moved its message-checking prompts from keyword matching to LLM-based reading of tone and context [1]. Face Check, its mandatory face liveness check, launched in the UK and Singapore in the first quarter of 2026 [2]. At Hinge, which uses the same technology, Match Group said Face Check cut interactions with bad actors by 20% to 30% in launch markets, with minimal impact on revenue, in the three months to March 2026 [2].

Behind the product, Match Group moved its Seoul-based AI team of more than 20 data scientists and machine learning engineers to report to Tinder's CTO, working on AI photo uploading and recommendation algorithms [2]. In August 2026 it said Tinder was testing AI-powered profile building [3].

## Hinge: small tools, written in the member's own words

Hinge has been the most careful. Prompt Feedback, launched in January 2025, coaches members on their prompt answers [7]. Its 2025 move to a deep-learning recommendation model contributed to a double-digit rise in matches, according to Hinge [7].

Convo Starters, launched in the US in December 2025, shows three tips based on someone's photo or prompt when a member sends a like [6]. Hinge says its generative AI tools do not give members pre-written text to copy and paste [6]. Its case for the feature: likes sent with a comment are twice as likely to lead to a date, and 35% of testers said Convo Starters made them more confident reaching out [6]. In August 2026 Match Group said Hinge was building its first reinforcement-learning model to decide when a member needs a nudge or tip [3].

## Bumble: from profile help to an AI matchmaker

Bumble was early on AI safety. Deception Detector, launched in February 2024, cut member reports of spam, scam and fake accounts by 45% in its first two months, and helped block 95% of identified spam and scam accounts automatically in testing [11].

In February 2026 Bumble added AI-suggested Profile Guidance globally and AI Photo Feedback in the US [8]. The bigger change is Bee. Announced with fourth-quarter results in March 2026, it learns a member's values, goals and dating intentions through a private chat, then proposes two-person matches in a new experience called Dates [9]. At that point it was in an internal pilot, and Bumble said it would test removing the swipe in some markets [9]. For the wider story, see [Bumble's rebuild](/insights/bumble-rebuild-2027).

## Grindr: AI across the app, and a paid tier

Grindr describes gAI as an intelligence layer across the whole app rather than a single feature [12]. Its 2026 roadmap lists More of Your Type, Wingman search and a Smart Inbox, plus EDGE, its first premium tier built entirely on gAI [12]. EDGE includes AI summaries of past conversations in its A-List feature [12]. In August 2026 Grindr said it expects EDGE to be one of its main revenue growth drivers in 2027 and beyond, and that it was still refining the branding and packaging [13]. Of the four companies, Grindr is the only one that has made AI a paid tier rather than a free feature.

## The less visible use: AI in engineering

Both public groups say AI is changing how fast they build. Match Group launched an AI enablement programme for all staff and planned to slow headcount growth for the rest of 2026 [2]. Its CFO told analysts the tools are expensive and slower hiring would help pay for them [5]. Match Group says AI helped Tinder's Missed Connections team go from idea to finished product in a few weeks [3].

Grindr estimates its engineering output rose about 2.5 times between July 2025 and April 2026, while its technical team grew 15% [13]. It says getting the same output without AI would have taken about 200 more engineers and about $60 million a year [13]. These are the company's own estimates and have not been independently checked.

## Is it showing up in results?

These results cover the three months to June 2026. They show where each business stands, but they do not show that AI caused any of it.

| Brand | Revenue, Q2 2026 | Change year on year | Paying members |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tinder (direct revenue) | $457.5 million | down 1% | payers down 5% |
| Hinge (direct revenue) | $203.5 million | up 22% | payers up 17% |
| Bumble Inc. (all apps) | $210.5 million | down 15.2% | 3.2 million, down 16.4% |
| Grindr (total revenue) | $138 million | up 33% | 1.4 million on average, up 16% |

Source: Match Group [4], Bumble Inc. [10], Grindr [13].

Hinge's growth started before most of its AI tools launched, and Match Group puts it down mainly to European expansion [4]. Grindr points to stronger conversion and AI-driven engineering productivity among its reasons [13]. No company has published revenue figures for a single AI feature.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Start with safety.** It is the only area with published results: 45% fewer reports at Bumble [11] and 20% to 30% fewer bad-actor interactions at Hinge [2]. Machine learning that screens for scams is also something members notice. See [romance scams: what operators can do](/insights/romance-scams-operators) and our [trust and safety](/glossary/trust-and-safety) entry.
- **Profile coaching is the cheapest copy.** Tinder, Hinge and Bumble all ship it [1][7][8]. Follow Hinge and coach members in their own words rather than writing text for them [6].
- **AI matching needs a big pool.** Chemistry and Bee depend on detailed data about each member and on enough members to choose from [1][9]. With a small pool, a better algorithm still has few people to suggest. Read [dating app liquidity](/insights/dating-app-liquidity) before you build this.
- **Keep it optional.** Tinder's Camera Roll Scan is opt-in and Hinge lets members switch off Convo Starters [1][6]. That matters for privacy rules and for trust.
- **Be cautious about charging for AI.** Grindr is still testing how to package EDGE [13]. For most apps, AI should support the existing subscription. Compare with our [business models guide](/insights/dating-app-business-models).

## Questions

**What AI features does Tinder have?**

Tinder's main AI feature is Chemistry, a daily curated recommendation built from a Q&A and an optional Camera Roll Scan. In March 2026 it expanded from Australia and New Zealand to the US and Canada [1]. Tinder also announced Learning Mode recommendations and LLM upgrades to its Are You Sure? and Does This Bother You? safety prompts [1].

**Does Hinge use AI?**

Yes. Hinge launched Prompt Feedback in January 2025 and moved its recommendations to a deep-learning model in 2025 [7]. It launched Convo Starters, a generative AI tool for first messages, in the US in December 2025 [6].

**What is Bumble's Bee?**

Bee is an AI assistant that learns about a member through a private chat and then suggests matches in a new experience called Dates. In March 2026 it was in an internal pilot, with a beta planned [9].

**What is Grindr gAI?**

gAI is Grindr's own AI, which the company is building into discovery, search and its inbox. EDGE is Grindr's first premium tier built entirely on gAI, and it was in beta in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and some US cities as of March 2026 [12].

**Can smaller dating apps add AI features?**

The cheapest options are profile coaching and moderation. Curated matching like Tinder's Chemistry or Bumble's Bee needs a large member pool and plenty of data on each member to work well [1][9].

## Sources

1. Tinder Debuts Inaugural Product Keynote Tinder Sparks 2026: Start Something New, Tinder, 2026-03-12. https://www.tinderpressroom.com/2026-03-12-Tinder-Debuts-Inaugural-Product-Keynote-Tinder-Sparks-2026-Start-Something-New
2. Match Group Q1 2026 shareholder letter (Form 8-K, Exhibit 99.2), Match Group, 2026-05-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000072/mtch8-k20260505ex992.htm
3. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter (Form 8-K, Exhibit 99.2), Match Group, 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
4. Match Group Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, Match Group, 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000130/mtch-20260630.htm
5. Tinder owner Match Group is slowing hiring to pay for its increased use of AI tools, TechCrunch, 2026-05-06. https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/06/tinder-owner-match-group-is-slowing-hiring-to-pay-for-its-increased-use-of-ai-tools/
6. Hinge Launches Convo Starters to Help Daters Write Thoughtful First Messages, Hinge, 2025-12-08. https://hinge.co/newsroom/convo-starters
7. Evolving Together: How Daters Helped Shape Hinge in 2025, Hinge, 2025-11-10. https://hinge.co/newsroom/hinge-2025-product-evolution
8. Bumble Announces Two New Features For Confidence and Clarity in Dating, Bumble Inc., 2026-02-26. https://ir.bumble.com/news/news-details/2026/Bumble-Announces-Two-New-Features-For-Confidence-and-Clarity-in-Dating-2026-36eaJ_omGR/default.aspx
9. Bumble introduces an AI dating assistant, 'Bee', TechCrunch, 2026-03-12. https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/12/bumble-introduces-an-ai-dating-assistant-bee/
10. Bumble Inc. Announces Second Quarter 2026 Results (Form 8-K, Exhibit 99.1), Bumble Inc., 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000099/bmbl-ex991prxq22026.htm
11. Bumble Inc. Launches Deception Detector: An AI-Powered Shield Against Spam, Scam and Fake Profiles, Business Wire, 2024-02-06. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240206911584/en/Bumble-Inc.-Launches-Deception-Detector-An-AI-Powered-Shield-Against-Spam-Scam-and-Fake-Profiles
12. Grindr 2026 Product Roadmap, Grindr, 2026-03-16. https://www.grindr.com/2026-product-roadmap
13. Grindr Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Grindr, 2026-08-06. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1820144/000182014426000023/shl_q2x2026xfinal.htm


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# French dating app market 2026: top apps, owners and rules

Published 2026-10-18. Updated 2026-10-18. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/dating-app-market-france

**In short:** France's dating app market is led by Match Group, which owns Hinge, Tinder, Meetic and DisonsDemain. happn, the best-known French-founded app, now belongs to China's Hello Group, and Fruitz is back with its founders. Operators face EU platform rules enforced by Arcom, three-click cancellation and tighter age checks.

US-owned brands lead the French dating app market. On Similarweb's usage ranking of Android dating apps in France for 11 October 2026, Hinge was first and Tinder second, both owned by Match Group, with the French-founded happn third [1]. Match Group also owns Meetic, the brand that started French online dating in 2001 [5]. happn has belonged to China's Hello Group since September 2025 [2], and Fruitz is back with its founders after Bumble sold it [3]. For operators, the French rules that matter most are EU platform rules enforced by Arcom, three-click cancellation for online subscriptions and tighter expectations on age checks.

This is the fourth page in our market series, after the [UK](/insights/dating-app-market-uk), the [US](/insights/dating-app-market-us) and [Germany](/insights/dating-app-market-germany).

## The top dating apps in France

The table shows the top Android dating apps in France by usage, with the owner or listed publisher of each. We added the ownership column ourselves.

| Usage rank (Android, France) | App | Owner or listed publisher | Owner base |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Hinge | Match Group | US |
| 2 | Tinder | Match Group | US |
| 3 | happn | Hello Group | China |
| 4 | Badoo | Bumble Inc. | US |
| 5 | Meetic | Match Group | US |
| 6 | Feeld | Feeld Ltd (publisher) | UK |
| 7 | Heavn | Heavn (publisher) | Not stated |
| 8 | Bumble | Bumble Inc. | US |
| 9 | adopte | GEB AdoptAGuy (publisher) | France |
| 10 | Pure | Online Classifieds AG (publisher) | Not stated |
| 12 | DisonsDemain | Match Group (via Meetic) | US |
| 13 | OkCupid | Match Group | US |
| 20 | Fruitz | Flashgap (publisher) | France |

Source: usage ranks and publishers from Similarweb, 11 October 2026 [1]; Meetic and DisonsDemain ownership from Meetic [5]; happn ownership from Hello Group [2]; Fruitz from CFNEWS [3].

There are three caveats. The ranking covers Google Play only, it is a snapshot of a single day and it measures usage, not revenue. Even so, the pattern is clear. Match Group brands hold 3 of the top 5 places and 5 of the top 13 [1]. A French-founded app that keeps its own identity can still rank highly, as happn (third) and adopte (ninth) show [1]. Niche apps also make the list: Heavn and Theotokos for Christian dating, bpm for sport and DisonsDemain for over-50s all appear in the top 20 [1].

For the global ownership picture, see [who owns which dating app](/insights/who-owns-dating-apps).

## Who owns the French dating market

### Match Group: Meetic and the global brands

Meetic launched in France and 12 other European countries in 2001 and joined Match Group in 2011 [5]. Since then it has added DisonsDemain for over-50s in 2017 and Even, an app for single parents, in 2023 [5]. In France, this gives Match Group a portfolio built by life stage. Tinder and Hinge cover younger members, Meetic covers people looking for a serious relationship and DisonsDemain covers over-50s. Our [Hinge profile](/insights/hinge-business-profile) explains why Hinge's rise in European markets matters.

### happn: from venture-backed to Hello Group

happn launched in 2014 and was mostly owned by funds including Alven, DN Capital, Eurazeo and Havas Participations before the sale [4]. Hello Group's annual report sets out the deal:

- Hello Group bought 100% of happn on 2 September 2025 for a cash consideration of RMB537.7m [2]. At the RMB6.9931 to $1 rate used in the report, that is about $76.9m [2].
- Goodwill of RMB359.3m made up about 67% of the price, which tells you the buyer paid mainly for growth and the team, not for assets on the balance sheet [2].
- From 2 September to 31 December 2025, happn added RMB106.7m of revenue (about $15.3m) and RMB14.5m of net income (about $2.1m) to Hello Group's results [2].
- Our rough run rate: RMB106.7m across those 121 days, scaled to 365 days, comes to about RMB322m, or roughly $46m a year. This ignores seasonality and is only a guide.
- CFNEWS reported that happn's revenue was above €40m in 2024 and its EBITDA margin was 10 to 20%, figures the companies did not publish [3].
- happn says it has 170 million registered members worldwide, of whom 16 million are in France [4].

Hello Group calls happn part of a group of dating products aimed mainly at developed markets [2]. In 2025, revenue from outside mainland China made up 19.3% of Hello Group's net revenue [2].

### Bumble, Fruitz and Once

Bumble Inc. owns Badoo and Bumble, both in the French top 10 [1]. See our [Badoo profile](/insights/badoo-business-profile) and [Bumble profile](/insights/bumble-business-profile). CFNEWS reports that Bumble bought Fruitz, another French app, for €65m and later sold it back to its founders because it was not profitable [3]. Once, the slow-dating app with a strong French following, was bought by Dating Group in 2021 for $18m (€14.8m) [7]. By September 2026 it had moved from one match a day to a chat and creator platform built on subscriptions and virtual currency [8]. Our [deals tracker](/insights/dating-app-deals-tracker) logs the wider run of sales and closures.

## Demand: how French singles see dating apps

Recent public data on demand in France is thin, so be careful with market-size estimates that do not show how they were calculated. The most solid survey we found is by Ifop for DisonsDemain, which polled 3,003 single people aged 15 and over in January 2023 [6]. It found that 39% of singles could see themselves signing up to a dating app, up from 18% in 2004 [6]. It also found that 70% saw these platforms as somewhere a lasting relationship could start, 25 points more than in 2005 [6].

For operators, this means the French audience is not new to dating apps, and plenty of members are open to a serious relationship. The fight is over [liquidity](/glossary/liquidity) and trust, not about teaching people what dating apps are.

## The rules: what applies in France

French operators answer to EU law, enforced through national authorities, plus some rules that are specific to France.

- **Digital Services Act (DSA).** The law to secure and regulate the digital space (loi SREN), promulgated on 21 March 2024, made Arcom France's digital services coordinator, alongside the CNIL (data protection) and the DGCCRF (consumer protection) [9]. In practice, notice-and-action, transparency and protection of minors are checked by the same small group of regulators.
- **Three-click cancellation.** Since 1 June 2023, contracts sold online must be easy to cancel online, under law no. 2022-1158 of 16 August 2022 [10]. Any dating subscription sold on the web in France needs a clear, easy-to-find way to cancel.
- **Personalised pricing.** After an EU consumer authority dialogue that began in July 2022, Tinder committed to tell consumers when discounts are personalised by automated means, and on what criteria, by mid-April 2024 [11]. Any operator that tests prices for each member in France should expect the same standard. See our [subscription price comparison](/insights/dating-app-subscription-prices).
- **Age.** On 21 July 2026, Parliament adopted a law banning social networks for under-15s, applying to new accounts from 1 September 2026 [12]. Dating apps are already for adults only. The direction is clear, though: French regulators expect real [age assurance](/glossary/age-assurance), not a tick-box. Our [age verification guide](/insights/age-verification-dating-apps) compares the methods.

## Payments

France follows the EU pattern on app stores. Payments inside iOS and Android apps go through Apple and Google, and in the EU the [Digital Markets Act](/insights/app-store-fees-dating-apps) has opened the door to [alternative payments](/glossary/alternative-payments) and links out to web checkout. Each route brings its own obligations. A web subscription gives you a better margin and a direct relationship with the member. It also makes you responsible for three-click cancellation, clear renewal terms and [chargebacks](/glossary/chargeback). A store subscription hands cancellation and refunds to Apple or Google, but costs more. Whichever route you take, show prices in euros including VAT, and make sure any personalised discount is disclosed in the way the Tinder commitments describe [11].

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Plan for Match Group in every segment.** It ranks in the top 5 with Hinge, Tinder and Meetic, and has a dedicated over-50s brand [1][5]. A newcomer needs a niche that no Match Group brand serves well, by faith, sport, region or relationship style, which is where the smaller apps on the list sit [1].
- **French origin no longer means French ownership.** happn is Chinese-owned and Once belongs to Dating Group [2][7]. Partners, advertisers and regulators will look at who controls your member data, so be ready to explain it.
- **The happn price is a useful benchmark.** About $76.9m for a profitable app ranked in the top 3 in France, at roughly 1.7 times our estimated run-rate revenue (76.9 divided by 46), shows what buyers pay for a profitable app, not a fast-growing one [1][2].
- **Build cancellation and pricing disclosure into the product.** Three-click cancellation and the Tinder commitments are cheaper to design in from the start than to retrofit after a DGCCRF check [10][11].
- **Treat age assurance as a cost of doing business.** With the under-15 law in force for new social accounts, expect French regulators to ask how you keep minors out [12].

## Questions

**What is the most popular dating app in France?**

On Similarweb's usage ranking of Android dating apps in France for 11 October 2026, Hinge was first, Tinder second and happn third [1]. That is a usage ranking on one store, not a revenue ranking.

**Who owns Meetic?**

Meetic was founded in France in 2001 and joined Match Group in 2011 [5]. Match Group also owns Tinder, Hinge, OkCupid and the over-50s brand DisonsDemain, which Meetic launched in 2017 [5].

**Who owns happn?**

Hello Group, the Nasdaq-listed owner of Momo and Tantan, bought 100% of happn on 2 September 2025 for a cash consideration of RMB537.7m, about $76.9m at the rate used in its annual report [2].

**Do French dating apps have to let members cancel online?**

Yes. Since 1 June 2023, French law has required businesses that sell contracts online to let consumers cancel online in a few clicks, known as résiliation en trois clics [10].

## Sources

1. Top Rencontres Android apps ranking in France, Similarweb, 2026-10-11. https://www.similarweb.com/fr/top-apps/google/france/dating/top-free/
2. Hello Group Inc. Form 20-F for the fiscal year 2025, Hello Group Inc. (SEC filing), 2026-04-28. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001610601/000119312526183444/d13143d20f.htm
3. Happn trouve son match en Chine, CFNEWS, 2025-09-24. https://www.cfnews.net/L-actualite/International/Operations/M-A/Happn-trouve-son-match-en-Chine-542210
4. L'app française de dating Happn est désormais chinoise, Maddyness, 2025-09-19. https://www.maddyness.com/2025/09/19/lapp-francaise-de-dating-happn-est-desormais-chinoise/
5. A propos de nous, Meetic, 2026-02-10. https://www.meetic.fr/p/actualite/a-propos-de-nous/
6. Enquête auprès de 3 000 célibataires français : y a-t-il un gap générationnel dans le rapport aux rencontres ?, Ifop, 2025-08-30. https://www.ifopgroup.com/article/enquete-aupres-de-3-000-celibataires-francais-y-a-t-il-un-gap-generationnel-dans-le-rapport-aux-rencontres-et-aux-choix-du-conjoint/
7. Dating Group fait une rencontre, CFNEWS, 2021-01-22. https://www.cfnews.net/L-actualite/International/Operations/M-A/Dating-Group-fait-une-rencontre-353408
8. Once was built for dating. Now it is selling chat, Global Dating Insights, 2026-09-24. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/once-dating-app-chat-platform/
9. Digital Services Regulation or DSA: obligations and services concerned, Arcom, 2025-04-07. https://www.arcom.fr/en/professional-space/regulations-on-digital-services-or-dsa-obligations-and-concerned-services
10. La résiliation en 3 clics : nouvel outil au service des consommateurs, Deloitte Société d'Avocats, 2023-09-06. https://blog.avocats.deloitte.fr/la-resiliation-en-3-clics-nouvel-outil-au-service-des-consommateurs/
11. Market places and digital services: coordinated actions, European Commission, 2025-05-27. https://commission.europa.eu/topics/consumers/consumer-rights-and-complaints/enforcement-consumer-protection/coordinated-actions/market-places-and-digital-services_en
12. Les députés et sénateurs français approuvent l'interdiction de l'accès aux réseaux sociaux pour les moins de 15 ans, Touteleurope.eu, 2026-07-22. https://www.touteleurope.eu/societe/les-deputes-et-senateurs-francais-approuvent-l-interdiction-de-l-acces-aux-reseaux-sociaux-pour-les-moins-de-15-ans-une-premiere-en-europe/


---

# Age verification for dating apps: methods and costs

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/age-verification-dating-apps

**In short:** Dating apps need age checks that actually work. In the UK, Ofcom accepts seven kinds of method, including photo ID matching, facial age estimation and credit card checks, but not a date-of-birth box. Published prices run from about $0.10 for a selfie age estimate to $0.80 to $1.35 for a full ID and selfie check.

Age verification for dating apps has moved from a nice-to-have to a legal requirement in the UK, and it is heading the same way in parts of the US and the EU. Ofcom accepts seven kinds of method as capable of being "highly effective", from photo ID matching to facial age estimation, but not a date-of-birth box [1]. Where vendors publish prices, a selfie age estimate costs about $0.10 [6], and a full ID document and selfie check costs $0.80 to $1.35, before monthly minimums [4][5]. The bigger cost for most operators is not the check itself but the members who drop out during it.

This guide compares the methods, sets out what regulators accept and gives the published prices we could find as of 16 October 2026.

## Why dating apps need real age checks

In the UK, a dating app can only treat itself as closed to children if age verification or estimation stops them getting in. Otherwise it must follow Ofcom's children's safety codes. Our [Online Safety Act checklist](/insights/online-safety-act-dating-apps) covers that in detail. Ofcom also says any service that allows pornographic content, including in profiles or private messages, must use highly effective [age assurance](/glossary/age-assurance) [3].

The big UK apps moved before the July 2025 deadline. Feeld offered a phone number check or a selfie age estimate through Yoti, Tinder and Hinge used face scans, and Grindr matched a selfie video to photo ID [9].

## The methods compared

Ofcom asked 32 services, including four dating services, how they checked age in the second half of 2025 [2]. The table combines that data with what each method involves.

| Method | How it works | Ofcom says capable of being highly effective? | Share of Ofcom's sample offering it | Share of checks ending 18 or over |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Facial age estimation | Selfie analysed to estimate age | Yes | 91% | 58% |
| Photo ID matching | ID document scanned and matched to a live selfie | Yes | 84% | 73% |
| Digital identity services | Reusable ID app or wallet shares an "over 18" attribute | Yes | 38% | 51% |
| Credit card check | Checks the member holds a valid credit card | Yes | 34% | 40% |
| Email-based age estimation | Email address checked against data on where it has been used | Yes | 22% | 56% |
| Mobile network operator check | Operator confirms whether the number has an age restriction | Yes | 9% | 44% |
| Open banking | Member logs into their bank to confirm age | Yes | Not clear in Ofcom's data | 96% |
| Self-declaration | Member types a date of birth | No | Not counted | Not counted |

Source: Ofcom [1][2]. Ofcom's sample is not representative, and it warns the last column "is not a direct indicator of effectiveness" because it also reflects who tries each method and how easy it is [2].

Two things stand out. Facial age estimation and photo ID matching dominate, offered by 91% and 84% of the services Ofcom looked at, because both run inside a phone's camera flow [2]. And the low completion rates for card and mobile operator checks suggest they lose more people along the way, though Ofcom is careful not to draw firm conclusions [2].

Ofcom requires methods to be "technically accurate, robust, reliable and fair", and has not set a numeric accuracy threshold [1]. In practice its July 2026 report pushed dating services towards two extra controls: a challenge age (for example, sending anyone estimated under 25 to a stronger check) and liveness detection to stop photos and deepfakes [2].

## What it costs

Most age assurance vendors quote prices privately. These are the published list prices we found on 16 October 2026.

| Vendor and plan | What is included | Price per check | Monthly minimum |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Didit age estimation | Selfie age estimate | $0.10 | None on free tier |
| Didit ID check | Document check, with passive liveness $0.10 and face match $0.05 extra | $0.15 | None on free tier |
| Veriff Essential | ID document, selfie, liveness | $0.80 | $49 |
| Veriff Plus | As above, hybrid automated and human review | $1.39 | $99 |
| Sumsub Basic | ID document, liveness and face match | $1.35 | $149 |

Source: vendor pricing pages [4][5][6]. Didit's free tier includes 500 full verifications a month [6]. Enterprise prices are not published.

To put that in context, here is our own calculation for 10,000 new sign-ups a month, using list prices only:

- **Selfie age estimate for everyone:** 10,000 × $0.10 = $1,000 [6].
- **Full ID and selfie check for everyone:** 10,000 × $0.80 = $8,000 on Veriff Essential, or 10,000 × $1.35 = $13,500 on Sumsub Basic [4][5].
- **Layered approach:** if 80% clear a selfie estimate and the other 20% go on to a full ID check, the cost is (10,000 × $0.10) + (2,000 × $0.80) = $2,600 using Didit and Veriff list prices, where the 80% is our assumption for illustration, not a benchmark [4][6].

Ofcom's overall view, after a year of checks, is that "the direct costs of age assurance are not prohibitively high" [2].

## The conversion trade-off

The real cost is the members who give up. Every extra step at sign-up loses some genuine adults, and stronger methods tend to lose more. Ofcom found that one adult service removed a digital identity option after a week because the flow was too long and people abandoned it [2].

There is also an upside that is easier to measure than drop-off. Match Group says that after Tinder made Face Check, a video selfie matched to profile photos, mandatory for new members in some markets, exposure to potential bad actors fell by over 60% and reports of bad actors by over 40% [12]. Face Check is a liveness and photo match rather than an age check, but it shows the same flow can do both jobs.

Practical ways to limit the drop-off:

- start with the lowest-friction method, usually a selfie estimate, and only escalate when the result is close to 18 or risk signals appear
- offer at least two methods, so people without a passport or a credit card can still join
- explain why you are asking, in one line, before the camera opens
- reuse the same selfie for profile photo verification, so members see one step, not two

## US and EU rules

**United States.** There is no federal age verification law for dating apps. In June 2025 the Supreme Court upheld Texas's age verification law for sexually explicit websites by six votes to three, applying intermediate scrutiny [8]. More relevant to dating apps are the new app store laws. Texas's App Store Accountability Act took effect on 1 January 2026 and Utah's developer duties on 6 May 2026 [10]. Under these laws developers must request age and parental consent data from the app store and use it to apply protections [10]. The Texas law was blocked in December 2025, but after the Fifth Circuit stayed that injunction on 1 June 2026, Apple began enforcing it for new Texas accounts from 4 June 2026 [11]. California's Digital Age Assurance Act follows on 1 January 2027, with fines of up to $7,500 for wilful violations [10]. See our guide to [App Store and Google Play rules](/insights/app-store-rules-dating-apps) for the developer side.

**European Union.** In July 2025 the European Commission published guidelines on protecting minors under the Digital Services Act. They recommend age verification for adult content platforms and other high-risk services, using methods that are "accurate, reliable, robust, non-intrusive and non-discriminatory" [7]. The Commission is piloting an age verification app with Denmark, Greece, Spain, France and Italy, built to the same specifications as the EU Digital Identity Wallets due before the end of 2026 [7]. For dating operators, that points to digital ID becoming a cheaper, lower-friction option in Europe over the next two years.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Pick from Ofcom's list, then add liveness and a challenge age.** That is what Ofcom is now asking dating services to do [1][2].
- **Budget per sign-up, not per member.** At list prices, a layered approach can cost a fraction of a full ID check for everyone, as our calculation shows [4][6].
- **Measure drop-off by method.** Ofcom's data shows big differences in completion between methods [2]. Track your own and remove options that lose genuine adults.
- **Plan for app store age signals.** Texas and Utah have already shifted part of the job to Apple and Google, and California follows in 2027 [10][11].

If you want age checks and photo verification built into one sign-up flow, see [how a Dating API build works](/how-it-works).

## Questions

**Which age verification methods does Ofcom accept?**

Ofcom lists open banking, photo ID matching, facial age estimation, mobile network operator checks, credit card checks, digital identity services and email-based age estimation as capable of being highly effective [1]. Self-declaration is not [1].

**How much does age verification cost per check?**

Where vendors publish prices, a selfie age estimate costs about $0.10 [6], and a full ID document and selfie check costs $0.80 to $1.35, with monthly minimums [4][5].

**Do US dating apps have to verify age?**

There is no federal rule for dating apps. Texas and Utah now require app stores to verify age and pass age signals to developers, and Apple began enforcing the Texas rules for new accounts on 4 June 2026 [10][11].

**Does the EU require age verification for dating apps?**

The European Commission's July 2025 guidelines under the Digital Services Act recommend age verification for adult content platforms and other services that pose high risks to minors, and it is piloting an age verification app with five countries [7].

## Sources

1. Age checks to protect children online, Ofcom, 2025-01-16. https://ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/protecting-children/age-checks-to-protect-children-online
2. Report on the use of age assurance, Ofcom, 2026-07-15. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/online-safety/information-for-industry/age-assurance-report-2026/report-on-the-use-of-age-assurance.pdf
3. Dating and social discovery: know the online safety risks, rules and how to comply, Ofcom, 2026-05-18. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/dating-and-social-discovery-know-the-online-safety-risks-rules-and-how-to-comply
4. Pricing and plans, Veriff, 2026-10-16. https://www.veriff.com/pricing
5. Pricing and plans, Sumsub, 2026-10-16. https://sumsub.com/pricing/
6. Pricing, Didit, 2026-10-16. https://didit.me/pricing
7. Commission presents guidelines and age verification app prototype for a safer online space for children, European Commission, 2025-07-14. https://cyprus.representation.ec.europa.eu/news/joint-press-release-commission-presents-guidelines-and-age-verification-app-prototype-safer-online-2025-07-14_en
8. Supreme Court decides Free Speech Coalition, Inc. v. Paxton, Faegre Drinker, 2025-06-27. https://www.faegredrinker.com/en/insights/publications/2025/6/supreme-court-decides-free-speech-coalition-inc-v-paxton
9. UK dating apps adopt age verification ahead of Online Safety law, Global Dating Insights, 2025-07-24. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/uk-dating-apps-adopt-age-verification-ahead-of-online-safety-law/
10. Age verification laws: what app developers need to know, McNees Wallace & Nurick, 2025-11-19. https://www.mcneeslaw.com/age-verification-laws-app-developers-compliance/
11. Age verification now mandatory for App Store users in Texas, AppleInsider, 2026-06-03. https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/06/03/age-verification-now-mandatory-for-app-store-users-in-texas
12. Tinder to expand facial verification feature across the U.S., setting a new standard for dating safety, Match Group, 2025-10-22. https://mtch.com/?p=3758


---

# App Store and Google Play rules for dating apps

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/app-store-rules-dating-apps

**In short:** Both stores let dating apps in, but with conditions. Apple requires content filtering, reporting, blocking and contact details, in-app account deletion and honest age ratings, and says new dating apps must be meaningfully different. Google requires dating apps to block minors, publish child safety standards, offer account deletion in-app and on the web, and target Android 16 from 31 August 2026.

Apple and Google both accept dating apps, but each has a set of rules that dating apps trip over more than most. On Apple, the big ones are the moderation requirements in guideline 1.2, the warning in guideline 4.3 that new dating apps must offer "a meaningfully different or improved experience", in-app account deletion and honest age ratings [1]. On Google Play, dating apps must block minors using Play Console tools, meet the Child Safety Standards policy, offer account deletion both in the app and on the web, and target Android 16 for new releases from 31 August 2026 [5][6][7].

This guide lists the rules that matter for dating apps as of 16 October 2026, with links to the official pages, how to comply and where submissions most often go wrong.

## Apple's rules for dating apps

Apple's App Review Guidelines were last updated on 8 June 2026 [1]. These are the sections that matter most for a dating app.

**Guideline 1.2: content posted by members.** Any app with member-posted content or social features must include a way to filter objectionable material, a way to report offensive content with "timely responses to concerns", the ability to block abusive members and published contact details [1]. The same guideline says apps used mainly for pornographic content, "Chatroulette-style experiences, random or anonymous chat" or "hot-or-not" voting do not belong on the App Store [1].

**Guideline 1.1.4: hookup apps.** Apple treats overtly sexual material as objectionable, and the definition explicitly includes "hookup" apps that may include pornography or be used to facilitate prostitution or trafficking [1]. Mainstream dating apps are fine, but store copy, screenshots and default content need to stay clear of anything that reads as explicit.

**Guideline 4.3(b): spam.** Apple names dating as a category that is "well established on the App Store" and says it will not accept new submissions unless they offer "a meaningfully different or improved experience" [1]. This is the rule most likely to stop a new white label or template dating app.

**Guideline 2.3.6: age ratings.** Answer the age rating questions honestly, because a mis-rated app "could trigger an inquiry from government regulators" [1]. In July 2025 Apple moved to five ratings, 4+, 9+, 13+, 16+ and 18+, and gave developers until 31 January 2026 to answer the new questions or have update submissions interrupted [4].

**Guideline 3.1.2: subscriptions.** Auto-renewing subscriptions must provide ongoing value and last at least seven days, and you must clearly describe what members get for the price before asking them to subscribe [1]. Apps that "trick users into purchasing a subscription under false pretenses" will be removed [1].

**Guideline 5.1.1: privacy and accounts.** You need a privacy policy linked in App Store Connect and inside the app, covering what data you collect, who you share it with and how members can delete it [1]. If members can create an account, they must be able to delete it in the app [1]. Apple's guidance says deactivation alone is not enough, deletion should cover content shared with others such as photos, and apps outside highly regulated industries should not force members to call or email to delete [2]. The requirement has applied since 30 June 2022 [3].

**Guideline 4.8: login.** If you offer Google, Facebook or another third-party login for the main account, you must also offer an equivalent option that limits data to name and email and lets people hide their email address [1].

## Google Play's rules for dating apps

Google's current developer policy took effect on 15 July 2026 and is more explicit about dating than Apple's [5].

**Blocking minors.** Apps "whose core functionality is to facilitate matchmaking or dating" must use Play Console tools to block minors [5]. Apps where dating is only an incidental feature do not have to block minors from the whole app, but must age-gate the dating features [5].

**Child Safety Standards.** Google requires social and dating apps to comply with its Child Safety Standards policy [5]. That means publishing standards that explicitly prohibit child sexual abuse and exploitation, having an in-app way for members to give feedback, acting on abuse material, complying with child safety laws and naming a point of contact for Google [5].

**Content posted by members.** Google's policy requires members to accept your terms before posting, a definition of objectionable content, in-app reporting and blocking, and "robust, effective, and ongoing" moderation [8]. Apps that may contain sexual content must keep children out with an age screen [8].

**Sugar dating.** Google's sexual content rules ban "compensated dating or sexual arrangements" where one person is expected to provide money to another [5].

**Account deletion.** Apps that let members create an account must offer deletion both in the app and through a web page that loads without errors and names the app as it appears on Google Play, and must delete the associated data [5][6]. Every developer had to answer the Data safety form's data deletion questions by 7 December 2023, with extensions to 31 May 2024 [6].

**Target API level.** From 31 August 2026, new apps and updates must target Android 16 (API level 36) [7]. Existing apps must target Android 15 (API level 35) to stay available to new members on newer devices, and developers can request an extension to 1 November 2026 [7].

## The rules side by side

| Area | Apple | Google Play | How to comply |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Moderation | Filter, report, block, contact details (1.2) [1] | Terms acceptance, reporting, blocking, ongoing moderation [8] | Ship all four tools in version one, and document response times |
| Minors | Honest age rating; five-tier ratings since 2025 [1][4] | Dating apps must block minors with Play Console tools [5] | Rate 18+ and run your own age checks at sign-up |
| Child safety | Covered by 1.1 and 1.2 [1] | Published Child Safety Standards and a contact point [5] | Publish a child safety page and link it in both listings |
| New dating apps | Must be meaningfully different (4.3) [1] | No equivalent rule [5] | Explain what is different in review notes |
| Privacy | Privacy policy in app and listing (5.1.1) [1] | Data safety form [6] | Keep both in sync with your actual data flows |
| Account deletion | In app, full deletion, since 30 June 2022 [2][3] | In app and on the web [6] | One deletion flow used by app and web |
| Subscriptions | Clear value, at least seven days (3.1.2) [1] | Check Google's payments and subscriptions policies | Show price, period and renewal terms before purchase |
| Login | Equivalent private login if using social login (4.8) [1] | No equivalent rule | Add a private email login option |
| Technical | Declared Age Range API for new Texas accounts [9] | Target API level 36 from 31 August 2026 [7] | Plan an annual platform update |

Source: Apple [1][2][3][4][9] and Google [5][6][7][8].

## Common reasons dating apps get rejected

Apple and Google do not publish rejection rates by category. From the guideline text, these are the issues that catch dating apps most often:

- **No working demo account.** Apple asks for an active demo account or a full demo mode for any app with a login, and for the backend to be switched on [1]. Dating apps that need a selfie check or phone verification to get in must give the reviewer a way around it.
- **Missing moderation tools.** A report or block button that is hard to find, or no published contact details, fails guideline 1.2 [1].
- **Too close to existing apps.** A template app with a new name and logo is exactly what guideline 4.3 is written to stop [1].
- **Account deletion that is really deactivation.** Apple and Google both say temporary deactivation does not count [2][5].
- **Explicit store assets.** Screenshots or copy that suggest hookups or sexual content risk guideline 1.1.4 [1].
- **Unclear subscription screens.** Missing renewal terms or a hidden price breaks guideline 3.1.2 [1].
- **Age signals ignored.** Since 4 June 2026 Apple has required apps to use its Declared Age Range API to handle new Texas accounts, with parental consent flows for minors [9]. A dating app that does not handle these signals is exposed in that state.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Design for review, not just for members.** Build a reviewer path through verification steps, and keep demo accounts working [1].
- **Write your differentiation down.** Under guideline 4.3, "it is a dating app" is not enough; your review notes should say what is new [1].
- **Put safety tools where reviewers will look.** Both stores require reporting, blocking and deletion [1][5]. In our view they should be reachable in two or three taps from a profile or settings screen.
- **Budget for the yearly platform cycle.** Google's API deadline moves every August, and Apple's SDK and age rating changes arrive just as regularly [4][7].

Store submissions and releases are part of what a Dating API build covers. See [how it works](/how-it-works) for the release process.

## Questions

**Why do dating apps get rejected by Apple?**

The most common dating-specific issues are missing moderation tools under guideline 1.2, being too similar to existing dating apps under guideline 4.3, no in-app account deletion under 5.1.1(v), and no working demo account for the reviewer under 2.1 [1].

**Does Google Play require dating apps to block minors?**

Yes. Apps whose core function is matchmaking or dating must use Play Console tools to block minors, and social and dating apps must meet Google's Child Safety Standards policy [5].

**Do dating apps have to offer account deletion?**

Yes, on both stores. Apple has required in-app account deletion for apps with account creation since 30 June 2022 [2][3]. Google requires deletion both in the app and through a web link [6].

**What target API level does Google Play require in 2026?**

From 31 August 2026, new apps and updates must target Android 16 (API level 36), with extensions available to 1 November 2026 [7].

## Sources

1. App Review Guidelines, Apple, 2026-06-08. https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/
2. Offering account deletion in your app (guideline 5.1.1(v)), Apple, 2026-10-16. https://developer.apple.com/help/app-review/guideline-reference/5-1-1-account-deletion
3. Apple reminds developers to add account deletion option for apps by June 30, iPhone in Canada, 2022-05-25. https://www.iphoneincanada.ca/2022/05/25/apple-reminds-developers-to-add-account-deletion-option-for-apps-by-june-30/
4. Apple updates App Store age ratings system with granular controls, PPC Land, 2025-07-24. https://ppc.land/apple-updates-app-store-age-ratings-system-with-granular-controls/
5. Developer Program Policy (effective 15 July 2026), Google Play Console Help, 2026-07-15. https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/17190352
6. Understanding Google Play's app account deletion requirements, Google Play Console Help, 2026-10-16. https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/13327111
7. Meet Google Play's target API level requirement, Android Developers, 2026-10-16. https://developer.android.com/google/play/requirements/target-sdk
8. User generated content policy, Google Play Console Help, 2026-10-16. https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9876937?hl=en
9. Age verification now mandatory for App Store users in Texas, AppleInsider, 2026-06-03. https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/06/03/age-verification-now-mandatory-for-app-store-users-in-texas


---

# App store fees for dating apps: US, EU and UK rules in 2026

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/app-store-fees-dating-apps

**In short:** 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.

As of 16 October 2026, a dating app in the US can send iPhone members to its own web checkout and pay Apple nothing on those sales, while the courts decide what fee, if any, Apple may charge [3][4]. Match Group says this will save it about $130 million in 2026 [15]. In the EU, Apple's new terms from 1 October 2026 charge 15% on sales made through a link out of the App Store [9]. In the UK, Apple still does not allow steering at all, and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is deciding whether to require it [13].

Google's rules changed in all three markets in 2026, and its fees for payments outside Google Play billing are now set out market by market [6][7][8]. The rules move fast, so every point below carries a date.

## The rules by market, 16 October 2026

| Market | Apple: in-app purchase | Apple: link out to the web | Google Play |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| US | Standard commission, generally 30%; 15% for small developers [1][2] | Allowed, no commission until a court approves one [3][4] | Links and alternative billing allowed since 29 October 2025; alternative billing fees of 10% on subscriptions and 20% to 25% on other purchases, payable from 1 October 2026 [5][6] |
| EU | 26% standard; 15% for small developers and subscriptions after year one, from 1 October 2026 [9] | Allowed, 15% (10% reduced) on sales within 7 days of the tap, from 1 October 2026 [9][10] | Billing choice from 30 June 2026: 10% on subscriptions; extra 5% billing fee only if using Google Play billing [7][8] |
| UK | Standard commission, generally 30%; 15% for small developers [1][2] | Steering banned by Apple; CMA decision due later in 2026 [13] | Billing choice from 30 June 2026 on the same fee table as the EU [7][8] |

Source: court rulings [3], Apple [2][9][10], Google [5][6][7][8], the CMA [13] and Bumble's description of the standard Apple rate [1]. Small developer rates apply to developers earning up to $1 million a year [2].

## United States: no Apple fee on link-outs, for now

The US position comes from Epic Games' case against Apple.

- **30 April 2025:** the district court ordered Apple to stop charging any commission on purchases made through links out of apps, and to stop restricting how those links look [3][4]. Apple had wanted 27% on linked-out purchases [4].
- **11 December 2025:** the Ninth Circuit upheld the finding that Apple was in contempt. It said a blanket ban on commissions was not right in its current form, and that Apple may in future charge a reasonable commission, but none until the district court approves a fee [3].
- **30 June 2026:** the Supreme Court agreed to review the contempt finding, with argument expected in the term starting in October 2026 [4].
- **August 2026:** the district judge refused Apple's request to pause the case and is working out what commission would be appropriate [4].

Match Group's finance chief said on its August 2026 results call that it was "still 0% commissions on alternative payments" with Apple, and that it expected more clarity late in 2026 or early 2027 [15].

### Google in the US

Google has allowed US developers to link out and use other billing since 29 October 2025, under a separate court order in Epic's case against Google [5]. It launched formal programmes on 9 December 2025 and reached a new settlement with Epic on 4 March 2026 [5]. Developers using alternative billing must pay Google's service fee from 1 October 2026: 10% on auto-renewing subscriptions and on the first $1 million of yearly earnings, then 20% on other purchases for new installs and 25% for existing installs [6]. The deadline for developers using external links was moved to 1 December 2026 [5].

Sources differ on the timing of Google's wider fee cut in the US. Google announced separated service and billing fees for the US, EU and UK from 30 June 2026 [7]. Its billing choice page lists only the UK and EU from that date and says the existing US programmes apply with no changes [8]. Match said in August 2026 that the US change had been held up by the courts, would cut à la carte fees from 30% to 25% for new installs only, and would be worth only about $5 million to it in 2027 [15].

## European Union: lower Apple rates and a fee on link-outs

The EU rules flow from the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

- **23 April 2025:** the European Commission fined Apple €500 million for breaching the DMA's anti-steering obligation [11].
- **18 August 2026:** Apple announced new EU terms, taking effect on 1 October 2026 [9].
- **1 October 2026:** Apple's EU commission became 26% on in-app purchases, 20% with alternative payment processing and 15% on linked-out sales, with reduced rates of 15%, 10% and 10% for small developers and for subscriptions after their first year [9]. Only sales within 7 days of tapping the link count [10]. Developers must keep their chosen payment options for 12 months [9].

On Google Play, EU developers can offer billing choice from 30 June 2026 [8]. The service fee is 10% on auto-renewing subscriptions, and a separate 5% billing fee applies only to transactions through Google Play billing [7].

## United Kingdom: still waiting on Apple

- **22 October 2025:** the CMA designated Apple's mobile platform as having strategic market status [12].
- **1 April 2026:** the CMA published Apple's commitments on app review, ranking and data. Steering was not included [12].
- **30 June 2026:** the CMA consulted on a steering requirement for Apple and Google. It said steering was banned by Apple and restricted by Google in the UK, and that it would expect steering fees to be lower than current app store charges [13].
- **30 June 2026:** Google's changes took effect in the UK, allowing steering with some restrictions and changing its fees [8][13].
- **14 August 2026:** the CMA published consultation responses, with a decision expected later in 2026 [12][13].

## What dating companies have reported

**Match Group** is the most open about the savings.

- In the fourth quarter of 2025, its cost of revenue fell by two points as a share of revenue, which it put down to alternative payment savings [16].
- For 2026, it said its plan reinvests savings from alternative payments and job cuts into Tinder and Hinge product and marketing, and that Hinge would reinvest only a third of its expected savings [16].
- In the second quarter of 2026, cost of revenue fell 16% and was 24% of total revenue, mainly because of alternative payment savings [14].
- In August 2026 it said alternative payments would contribute about $130 million of savings in 2026, about $20 million more than it expected at the start of the year [15].

**Bumble** does not discuss alternative payments in its results. Its cost of revenue fell from $74.3 million to $54.0 million in the year to the second quarter of 2026, while revenue fell 15.2%, but it did not say why [17].

**Grindr** says Apple and Google process substantially all of its direct payments [18].

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Model the US web checkout now.** With no Apple fee on linked-out sales as of 16 October 2026, the gap against a 30% commission is large [1][3]. Match's $130 million shows the scale at volume [15].
- **Plan for the fee to change.** The Ninth Circuit allows Apple to seek a reasonable commission in future, and the Supreme Court will rule on the contempt finding [3][4]. Build the web flow so it still pays at a lower, non-zero fee.
- **Count payment processing costs.** Card fees, fraud, refunds and [chargebacks](/glossary/chargeback) move to you when members pay on the web. Match said Google's new fee structure offers little benefit for alternative payments once card processing fees are counted [15].
- **Treat each market separately.** The US, EU and UK now have different Apple rates, link-out rules and Google fee tables [5][7][9][13]. Pricing and checkout flows need country logic. See [alternative payments](/glossary/alternative-payments) and [merchant of record](/glossary/merchant-of-record).
- **Check what your platform supports.** Web checkout, store billing and country-specific flows all need to run side by side. [How it works](/how-it-works) explains how we handle payments and store releases for operators.

## Questions

**Can US dating apps link to web payments without paying Apple?**

Yes, as of 16 October 2026. Since the court order of 30 April 2025, Apple cannot charge a commission on purchases made through links out of US apps until a court approves a fee [3][4]. The Supreme Court agreed on 30 June 2026 to review part of the case [4].

**How much has Match Group saved from alternative payments?**

Match said in August 2026 that alternative payments would contribute about $130 million of savings in 2026, about $20 million more than it expected at the start of the year [15].

**What does Apple charge in the EU in 2026?**

From 1 October 2026, Apple charges 26% on standard in-app purchases, 20% with alternative payment processing and 15% on purchases made through a link out, with lower rates for small developers and subscriptions after their first year [9].

**Can UK apps link to cheaper web payments?**

Not on iPhone as of 16 October 2026. The CMA said in June 2026 that steering is banned by Apple and restricted by Google in the UK, and it is consulting on requiring both to allow it [13].

## Sources

1. Bumble Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for 2020, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2021-03-15. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1830043/000156459021013176/bmbl-10k_20201231.htm
2. App Store Small Business Program, Apple Developer, 2026-10-16. https://developer.apple.com/app-store/small-business-program/
3. Epic Games, Inc. v. Apple Inc., No. 25-2935 (9th Cir. 2025), US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit via Justia, 2025-12-11. https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appellate-courts/ca9/25-2935/25-2935-2025-12-11.html
4. Apple's fight over commissions for linked-out App Store purchases continues in federal court, Courthouse News Service, 2026-08-11. https://www.courthousenews.com/apples-fight-over-commissions-for-linked-out-app-store-purchases-continues-in-federal-court/
5. Changes to Google Play in the United States, Google Play Console Help, 2026-09-17. https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/15582165?hl=en
6. Offering an alternative billing system for users in the United States, Google Play Console Help, 2026-07-22. https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/16497028
7. Expanded billing choice and lower fees on Google Play, Android Developers Blog, 2026-06-24. https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2026/06/play-expanded-billing.html
8. Enrolling in the billing choice program, Google Play Console Help, 2026-10-16. https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/17161464
9. Apple announces changes for apps in the European Union, Apple Newsroom, 2026-08-18. https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/08/apple-announces-changes-for-apps-in-the-european-union/
10. Changes for apps in the European Union, Apple Developer, 2026-10-16. https://developer-mdn.apple.com/support/apps-in-the-eu/
11. Commission finds Apple and Meta in breach of the Digital Markets Act, European Commission, 2025-04-23. https://digital-markets-act.ec.europa.eu/commission-finds-apple-and-meta-breach-digital-markets-act-2025-04-23_en
12. Apple's mobile platform: case page, Competition and Markets Authority, 2026-08-14. https://www.gov.uk/cma-cases/apples-mobile-platform
13. CMA consults on new requirements for Apple and Google's mobile platforms, Competition and Markets Authority, 2026-06-30. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-consults-on-new-requirements-for-apple-and-googles-mobile-platforms
14. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
15. Earnings call transcript: Match Group Q2 2026, Investing.com, 2026-08-04. https://www.investing.com/news/transcripts/earnings-call-transcript-match-group-posts-q2-2026-eps-beat-shares-tumble-after-hours-93CH-4836126
16. Match Group (MTCH) Q4 2025 earnings call transcript, The Motley Fool, 2026-02-03. https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2026/02/03/match-group-mtch-q4-2025-earnings-transcript/
17. Bumble Inc. second quarter 2026 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000099/bmbl-ex991prxq22026.htm
18. Grindr Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for 2025, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-03-02. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1820144/000182014426000007/grnd-20251231.htm


---

# Badoo business profile: who owns it and how it earns

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/badoo-business-profile

**In short:** Badoo is owned by Bumble Inc and reported with its smaller apps as Badoo App and Other. That line earned $38.8 million in the three months to June 2026, down 17.1%, from 1.08 million paying members at $11.21 a month each. Founded by Andrey Andreev in 2006, it now earns far less per payer than Bumble.

Badoo is owned by Bumble Inc, which reports it together with its other small apps and advertising income as "Badoo App and Other". That line earned $38.8 million in the three months to June 2026, down 17.1% on a year earlier, from 1.08 million paying members who paid an average of $11.21 a month [1]. In 2025 it earned $182.6 million, down 11.1% [2].

Badoo is older than Bumble and was the business that funded it. Today it is the smaller, cheaper and shrinking half of the group, and from late 2026 it will sit inside a private company. This profile pulls together its history, numbers and features from Bumble's filings.

## Owner and launch history

Bumble Inc owns Badoo, Bumble and the friendship app BFF [7]. The company describes Badoo as "one of the pioneers of web and mobile dating products", founded in 2006 [7].

| Date | Event |
| --- | --- |
| 2006 | Andrey Andreev founds the group behind Badoo; Badoo launches [4][6] |
| 2014 | Bumble launches as a separate brand [4] |
| 2016 | Badoo adds Selfie Request, letting women ask a match for a live selfie [9] |
| November 2019 | Blackstone agrees to take a majority stake in MagicLab, owner of Bumble and Badoo, at a $3 billion valuation; Andreev sells his stake and steps down [6] |
| January 2020 | Blackstone funds complete the majority purchase [4] |
| February 2021 | Bumble Inc completes its stock market listing [4] |
| 2025 | Bumble cuts about 30% of its global workforce; Official shut in May and Fruitz sold in July [4] |
| 13 October 2026 | Bumble Inc agrees to be taken private by Ithaca Holdings at $6.05 a share [7] |

Source: Bumble Inc filings [4][7], Blackstone [6] and Global Dating Insights [9].

## Business model

Badoo is a free app with paid extras. Bumble's 10-K lists two subscriptions, Badoo Premium and Badoo Extra, with features such as seeing who liked you and Invisible Mode, plus Badoo Credits sold in bundles and spent on one-off features such as popularity boosts [4]. Unlike Bumble, Badoo members can message anyone without a mutual match [4].

UK App Store prices on 16 October 2026 included Badoo Premium at £4.49 and £6.99, seven days of Premium at £9.99, and 550 credits at £7.99, with prices varying by country [5].

The "Badoo App and Other" line is wider than Badoo itself. It includes Bumble's other owned apps, third-party apps that use Bumble's technology, and advertising, partnership and affiliate income [2]. Its paying member and revenue per payer figures exclude advertising, partnerships, affiliates and the Official app, so they do not reconcile exactly with revenue [2].

## Revenue and payers, 2024 to Q2 2026

| Period | Badoo App and Other revenue | Change on a year | Paying members | Reported revenue per payer, per month | Revenue divided by payers, per month (our calc) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2024 | $205.4m | n/a | 1,342,000 | $11.85 | $12.75 |
| 2025 | $182.6m | down 11.1% | 1,237,700 | $11.48 | $12.29 |
| Q2 2025 | $46.8m | n/a | 1,277,400 | $11.57 | $12.21 |
| Q4 2025 | $43.2m | down 12.4% | 1,136,200 | $11.80 | $12.67 |
| Q1 2026 | $39.7m | down 12.4% (our calc) | 1,084,300 | $11.26 | $12.20 |
| Q2 2026 | $38.8m | down 17.1% | 1,080,100 | $11.21 | $11.97 |

Source: Bumble Inc results for Q4 and full year 2025 [2], Q1 2026 [3] and Q2 2026 [1]. The Q1 2026 change is our calculation against $45.3 million a year earlier [3].

**How we calculated the last column:** revenue divided by paying members, divided by the number of months. For 2025 that is $182.6 million divided by 1,237,700 divided by 12, or $12.29 [2]. It runs above Bumble's reported figure because revenue includes advertising and other income that the reported figure leaves out [2]. See [revenue per payer](/glossary/arppu) for the standard definition.

Our calculations from the same reports show:

- **Payers are falling faster than in 2025.** Paying members fell 7.8% between 2024 and 2025, then 15.4% between the second quarters of 2025 and 2026 [1][2].
- **Revenue per payer is flat.** It has stayed between $11.21 and $11.85 a month across the period [1][2][3]. Unlike Tinder or Grindr, Badoo is not offsetting fewer payers with higher prices.
- **Badoo earns well under half what Bumble does per payer.** In the second quarter of 2026 the Bumble app averaged $27.55 a month, so Badoo's $11.21 was about 41% of that [1].
- **Its share of the group is steady.** Badoo App and Other was about 19% of Bumble Inc revenue in 2024 and 2025 and about 18% in the second quarter of 2026 [1][2].

## Safety and verification

Badoo was early to several safety tools. In 2016 it added Selfie Request, so women could ask a match to prove they matched their photos [9]. In 2020 it introduced Private Detector, which blurs images in chat that may contain nudity and lets the recipient choose whether to view them [8]. Bumble's 10-K also describes a Rude Message Detector that flags potentially abusive messages and lets members dismiss them [4].

Badoo's App Store listing describes a three-step photo verification process, an option to talk only to verified profiles, and a Deception Detector that aims to block fake, scam and spam accounts [5]. The listing is rated 18+ and lists age assurance among its controls [5]. For the regulatory side, see [age assurance](/glossary/age-assurance) and [ID verification](/glossary/id-verification).

## Recent changes and the Ithaca deal

Badoo has had little separate attention in Bumble's recent reports. The second quarter 2026 release gives Badoo's numbers but no Badoo-specific strategy, while Bumble's chief executive talks about completing a platform migration and rebuilding matching for the Bumble app [1]. Group marketing spend fell to $56.2 million in the first half of 2026 from $91.8 million a year earlier [1]. Bumble booked a $169.3 million impairment charge in the second quarter of 2026, after $404.9 million a year earlier [1].

The Ithaca Holdings deal values Bumble Inc at $1.3 billion, and Ithaca's co-founders will become co-chief executives on closing [7]. The announcement does not say what the deal means for Badoo [7]. A private owner will not have to publish Badoo's numbers, so the Q3 2026 results, due in November, may be among the last public figures for the app.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Flat prices plus falling payers is a slow squeeze.** Badoo held revenue per payer steady while losing about 15% of payers in a year [1]. If your payer base is shrinking, decide early whether price, product or audience is the lever, because standing still does not hold revenue.
- **Free messaging changes what members pay for.** Badoo lets anyone message anyone, so paid features centre on visibility and attention, sold as subscriptions and credits [4]. Credits suit members who will not commit to a subscription, which matters in lower-income markets.
- **Early safety features age.** Selfie Request and Private Detector were early moves [8][9]. Members now expect photo verification and scam filtering as standard, so audit your safety tools against today's market, not the year you built them.
- **Second brands need their own plan.** Inside a group focused on its lead app, a second brand can drift [1]. If you run a portfolio, give each app its own roadmap and numbers. [Who it's for](/who-its-for) covers how we work with operators that run more than one brand.

See also the [Bumble business profile](/insights/bumble-business-profile) and our [Q2 2026 revenue scorecard](/insights/top-dating-apps-by-revenue).

## Questions

**Who owns Badoo?**

Bumble Inc, which also owns Bumble and BFF [2]. On 13 October 2026 Bumble Inc agreed to be taken private by Ithaca Holdings for $6.05 a share, valuing it at $1.3 billion [7].

**How much money does Badoo make?**

Bumble reports Badoo with its other apps and advertising. That line earned $182.6 million in 2025, down 11.1%, and $38.8 million in the second quarter of 2026 [2][1].

**How many people pay for Badoo?**

Badoo and Bumble's other apps had 1.08 million paying members in the three months to June 2026, against 1.28 million a year earlier [1].

**Who founded Badoo?**

Andrey Andreev, who founded the group behind Badoo in 2006 and sold his stake to Blackstone in a deal announced in November 2019 [6].

## Sources

1. Bumble Inc. second quarter 2026 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000099/bmbl-ex991prxq22026.htm
2. Bumble Inc. fourth quarter and full year 2025 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-03-11. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1830043/000183004326000018/bmbl-ex991prxq42025.htm
3. Bumble Inc. announces first quarter 2026 results, Bumble Inc via Nasdaq, 2026-05-05. https://www.nasdaq.com/press-release/bumble-inc-announces-first-quarter-2026-results-2026-05-05
4. Bumble Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for 2025, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-03-16. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1830043/000183004326000027/bmbl-20251231.htm
5. Badoo Dating App: Meet and Date, Apple App Store (UK), 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/badoo-dating-app-meet-date/id351331194
6. Blackstone to take majority stake in MagicLab, owner of Bumble and Badoo, at $3 billion valuation, Blackstone, 2019-11-08. https://www.blackstone.com/news/press/blackstone-to-take-majority-stake-in-magiclab-owner-of-bumble-and-badoo-at-3-billion-valuation/
7. Bumble to be acquired by Ithaca Holdings, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-10-13. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000095010326015480/dp254907_ex9901.htm
8. Private Detector AI software released on Badoo, Global Dating Insights, 2020-07-01. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/private-detector-ai-software-released-on-badoo/
9. Badoo introduces selfie request to improve user safety, Global Dating Insights, 2016-07-13. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/news/badoo-introduces-selfie-request-to-improve-user-safety/


---

# Build, buy or join a platform: how to choose for a dating app

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/build-vs-buy-dating-app

**In short:** There are three routes to a dating app. Building gives full control but costs the most and takes months. A white label script is cheap upfront but leaves you running and fixing it. A managed platform runs the backend, safety and releases for a fee. Match Group and Bumble both run their brands on shared platforms.

There are three ways to get a dating app live. You can build it, in-house or with an agency. You can buy a white label script and customise it. Or you can join a managed platform that runs the backend, moderation, ID checks, payments and app releases while you keep the brand. Building gives the most control and costs the most: agency guides put a niche first version at $35,000 to $70,000 and fuller products well above $100,000 [3][4]. Scripts cost a few thousand dollars upfront but leave the running to you [4]. Platforms trade some control for a fee and a faster start. The largest groups have chosen a version of the third route for their own brands [6][8].

This guide compares the three on cost, time, control, risk and who does the work, then lists the questions to ask any provider.

## The three routes

**Build.** You own the code and the roadmap. You hire a team or an agency, design every system, and run it after launch. This suits operators with a distinctive product idea, money for at least two years of running costs, and the patience to recruit engineers who understand dating. Our [cost guide](/insights/dating-app-development-cost) shows that running costs quickly outgrow the build.

**Buy a white label script.** You license existing dating software, add your branding and host it yourself or with the vendor. It is the cheapest way to get screens in front of members. The catch is what comes after: you or a contractor must fix bugs, keep up with Apple and Google changes, add moderation and ID checks, and scale the system if it grows. White label website software is a broad topic in its own right; here we cover it only as one of the three routes. For the term itself, see [white label dating platform](/glossary/white-label-dating-platform).

**Join a managed platform.** A provider runs the backend and the operational work: moderation, ID checks, payments, releases and store submissions. You keep the brand, the members and decisions on product and marketing. Some platforms also let brands share a member pool, a model explained in [shared member network](/glossary/shared-member-network). This suits operators who want to spend their time on growth and community rather than infrastructure.

## The decision table

| | Build | White label script | Managed platform |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Upfront cost | $35,000 to $300,000+ for agency builds | $399 to $5,000 for the licence | Usually a setup fee or none; varies by provider |
| Ongoing cost | Your team, hosting, safety vendors, store fees | Fixes and customisation, plus all running costs | Platform fee or revenue share, plus store fees |
| Time to launch | 12 weeks to 12 months | Weeks, if the store accepts it | Weeks to a few months |
| Control | Full | High over code you can change, limited by script design | Brand, pricing and marketing; core systems shared |
| Main risk | Overrun, key staff leaving, running costs | Store rejection, security gaps, vendor abandons script | Dependence on provider, exit terms |
| Who runs releases | You | You | Provider |
| Who runs moderation and ID checks | You | You | Provider, under your policies |

Source: build costs and times from agency guides [1][2][3][4]; script costs from RaftLabs [4]. Platform terms are not published consistently, so we describe common models rather than prices.

A note on in-house teams: the US median wage for a software developer was $135,980 in May 2025 [11]. A team of four is over half a million dollars a year in salary alone, before benefits (our calculation from [11]).

## The App Store problem with scripts

Apple's rules make the script route harder than it looks. Guideline 4.2.6 says apps created from a commercial template or app generation service "will be rejected unless they are submitted directly by the provider of the app's content" [5]. Guideline 4.3(b) names dating as a well-established category and says Apple will not accept new submissions "unless they offer a meaningfully different or improved experience" [5]. Guideline 4.3(a) warns against submitting multiple copies of the same app [5].

In practice this means a script-based app needs to be submitted from your own developer account, look and work differently from other apps built on the same code, and show Apple a reason to exist. A managed platform that builds and submits apps for operators faces the same rules, so ask how it handles them.

## What the big groups did

The largest operators build technology once and run many brands on it.

- **Match Group** said in February 2025 that Salams, Plenty of Fish and Meetic were on track to move to its shared technology platform by the end of 2025, "which is expected to continue unlocking efficiencies and operational benefits" [6]. In its second quarter 2026 letter it said "the major platform migrations" were complete, and that its smaller brands benefit from shared capabilities including trust and safety, recommendation algorithms and centralised marketing [7].
- **Bumble Inc** says in its 2025 annual report that its apps "share some common infrastructure", and cites content moderation as an example of capability it can reuse across apps [8]. On its second quarter 2026 call, chief executive Whitney Wolfe Herd said the company was "porting core features and functionality to the new tech stack" [9]. Bumble agreed in October 2026 to be taken private by Ithaca Holdings [10].

The lesson for smaller operators is not that they should copy Match. It is that even the largest groups decided running a separate backend for every brand was not worth it.

## Questions to ask any provider

Whether you are talking to an agency, a script vendor or a platform, these questions separate the options quickly.

1. **Who owns the code, the data and the member relationship?** Get it in writing, including what happens if the contract ends.
2. **Can I export my members and their data, in what format, and how fast?** See our guide to [migrating without losing members](/insights/migrate-dating-app-without-losing-members).
3. **Who submits the apps to Apple and Google, and from whose developer account?** This decides who controls the listing and the reviews.
4. **Which of the ten backend systems are included?** Use our [backend checklist](/insights/dating-app-tech-stack) and ask for a yes, partly or no against each.
5. **Who does moderation and ID checks, to what standard, and with what records?** Ask how they would answer an Ofcom or store request.
6. **How are payments handled across iOS, Android and web, and who handles refunds and chargebacks?**
7. **How often do you release, and what happens when Apple or Google changes a rule?**
8. **What does the provider see of my members, and can it market to them?**
9. **What are the exit terms?** Notice period, data handover, app transfer and any fees.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Decide what you want to own.** Brand, members and roadmap matter most to most operators. Servers and moderation queues usually do not.
- **Compare two-year totals.** A cheap script and an expensive build can cost similar amounts by year two once running costs are counted [4].
- **Check store risk before you commit.** Apple's template and saturated category rules apply to every route, but hit scripts hardest [5].
- **Get exit terms before entry terms.** Whatever route you choose, make sure you can leave with your members. If you are weighing a managed platform, [who it's for](/who-its-for) sets out where one fits.

## Questions

**Is it cheaper to buy a dating app script than build one?**

Upfront, yes. RaftLabs puts clone scripts at $399 to $5,000, against $35,000 to $70,000 for a custom niche first version [4]. It also estimates a realistic two-year cost for a script at $15,000 to $40,000 once customisation and fixes are added, and that still excludes moderation staff and ID checks [4].

**Can a white label dating app get onto the App Store?**

It can, but Apple rejects apps made from a commercial template unless the content provider submits them directly [5]. Apple also says dating is a well-established category and it will not accept new dating apps unless they offer a meaningfully different or improved experience [5].

**Do big dating companies build their own technology?**

They build it once and share it. Match Group moved several brands onto a shared technology platform and says its major platform migrations are complete [6][7]. Bumble says its apps share common infrastructure, including content moderation [8].

**How long does it take to launch each way?**

Agency guides give 12 to 16 weeks for a niche custom first version and 6 to 12 months for fuller builds [2][3][4]. Scripts and managed platforms are faster because the backend already exists, though store review, branding and seeding members still take time.

## Sources

1. How much does it cost to create a dating app?, Purrweb, 2026-04-30. https://www.purrweb.com/blog/how-much-does-it-cost-to-create-a-dating-app/
2. How to build a dating app in 2026, Chop Dawg, 2026-07-29. https://www.chopdawg.com/how-to-build-a-dating-app-in-2026/
3. Dating app development cost like Tinder, F22 Labs, 2026-06-29. https://www.f22labs.com/blogs/dating-app-development-cost-like-tinder/
4. Cost to build an app like Tinder: timeline and what works for niche platforms, RaftLabs, 2026-10-12. https://www.raftlabs.com/blog/cost-to-build-app-like-tinder
5. App Review Guidelines, Apple Developer, 2026-10-16. https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/
6. Match Group fourth quarter 2024 results, Match Group (SEC filing), 2025-02-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110325000018/mtch8-k20250204ex991.htm
7. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
8. Bumble Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for 2025, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-03-16. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1830043/000183004326000027/bmbl-20251231.htm
9. Bumble (BMBL) Q2 2026 earnings call transcript, The Motley Fool, 2026-08-13. https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2026/08/13/bumble-bmbl-q2-2026-earnings-call-transcript/
10. Bumble to be acquired by Ithaca Holdings, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-10-13. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000095010326015480/dp254907_ex9901.htm
11. Software developers, quality assurance analysts and testers: Occupational Outlook Handbook, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026-10-16. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/Computer-and-Information-Technology/software-developers.htm


---

# Bumble in 2026: revenue, payers and the Ithaca deal

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/bumble-business-profile

**In short:** The Bumble app earned $171.7 million from 2.08 million paying members in the three months to June 2026, both down about 15% on a year. Bumble deliberately shrank its member base to raise quality, lifting revenue per payer to $27.55 a month. On 13 October 2026 it agreed to be taken private by Ithaca Holdings for about $1.3 billion.

The Bumble app is in the middle of a deliberate reset. In the three months to June 2026 it earned $171.7 million, down 14.7% on a year earlier, from 2.08 million paying members, down from 2.50 million [1]. Revenue per paying member rose to $27.55 a month [1]. Bumble says it chose to shrink its member base to improve quality, and on 13 October 2026 it agreed to be taken private by Ithaca Holdings for about $1.3 billion [3][11].

This profile covers the Bumble app itself. Bumble Inc also owns Badoo, which we cover separately in the [Badoo business profile](/insights/badoo-business-profile), so here Badoo appears only where it affects the group picture.

## Owner and launch history

Bumble launched in 2014 as a women-first dating app, where features such as Opening Moves give women a way to start conversations [7]. Its owner, Bumble Inc, also runs Badoo, launched in 2006, and the friendship app BFF [7].

The ownership story in brief, from the company's filings:

- **29 January 2020:** funds managed by Blackstone buy a majority stake in Worldwide Vision Limited, the group that owned Bumble and Badoo [7].
- **16 February 2021:** Bumble Inc completes its stock market listing [7].
- **1 July 2024:** Bumble acquires Geneva, a groups and communities app [7].
- **Mid-March 2025:** founder Whitney Wolfe Herd returns as CEO after Lidiane Jones resigns for personal reasons, as announced on 17 January 2025 [8][6].
- **May to July 2025:** Bumble shuts down Official and sells Fruitz [7].
- **September 2025:** Bumble For Friends is relaunched in the US as BFF [7].
- **13 October 2026:** Bumble agrees to be acquired by Ithaca Holdings for $6.05 a share in cash, a premium of about 138% to the unaffected share price on 9 October 2026 [11].

The Ithaca deal is already approved by shareholders: affiliates of Blackstone and Wolfe Herd signed a written consent, and the board approved it with Wolfe Herd recused [11]. Ithaca's co-founders and co-CEOs, Ravi Gupta and John Hegeman, will become Bumble's co-CEOs at closing, and Wolfe Herd says she will stay actively involved [11]. Bumble will not hold an earnings call for the third quarter of 2026 and expects to file its quarterly report by 9 November 2026 [11].

## Business model and tiers

Bumble is freemium. Members can use the core app for free and pay for a subscription or for single in-app purchases [7]. Bumble's subscriptions are Bumble Boost, Premium and Premium+, while Badoo sells Badoo Premium and Extra [7].

Bumble defines a paying member as someone who bought or renewed a subscription or made an in-app purchase in a given month, averaged across the months of the period [1]. BFF earned no revenue as of the end of 2025 and is excluded from the figures [3].

The Bumble app carries the group. It produced $783.0 million of Bumble Inc's $965.7 million revenue in 2025, about 81% [3]. In the second quarter of 2026 the share was about 82% ($171.7 million of $210.5 million) [1]. Both shares are our calculation.

## Revenue and paying members, quarter by quarter

| Quarter | Bumble app revenue | Change on a year | Paying members | Change on a year | ARPPU, per month |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Q1 2024 | $215.8m | not shown | 2.73m | not shown | $26.34 |
| Q2 2024 | $218.0m | not shown | 2.82m | not shown | $25.79 |
| Q3 2024 | $220.2m | not shown | 2.87m | not shown | $25.58 |
| Q4 2024 | $212.4m | not shown | 2.81m | not shown | $25.17 |
| Q1 2025 | $201.8m | down 6.5% | 2.71m | down 0.8% | $24.84 |
| Q2 2025 | $201.4m | down 7.6% | 2.50m | down 11.3% | $26.85 |
| Q3 2025 | $198.8m | down 9.7% | 2.34m | down 18.3% | $28.27 |
| Q4 2025 | $181.0m | down 14.8% | 2.19m | down 22.3% | $27.61 |
| Q1 2026 | $172.7m | down 14.4% | 2.08m | down 23.1% | $27.65 |
| Q2 2026 | $171.7m | down 14.7% | 2.08m | down 16.9% | $27.55 |

Source: Bumble Inc quarterly results, which report each quarter alongside the same quarter a year earlier [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Changes on a year are our calculation from the reported figures, so they may differ slightly from Bumble's own rounding.

What the table shows:

**Paying members fell by more than a quarter.** From a peak of 2.87 million in the third quarter of 2024 to 2.08 million in the second quarter of 2026 is a fall of about 792,000, or 28% [4][1]. That is our calculation.

**The fall may be levelling off.** The Bumble app had 2.082 million paying members in the first quarter of 2026 and 2.077 million in the second, almost flat [2][1]. Bumble said in March 2026 that its member base reset was largely behind it [3].

**ARPPU rose as lower-value payers left.** Revenue per paying member went from $24.84 a month in the first quarter of 2025 to $27.55 in the second quarter of 2026, up about 11% [6][1]. At the latest rate, that is about $331 a year per paying member (our calculation: $27.55 times 12) [1].

## How ARPPU is calculated

Bumble defines ARPPU as revenue divided by paying members, divided by the number of months in the period [1]. You can check it: $171.7 million divided by 2.0771 million paying members, divided by three months, gives $27.55, matching the reported figure [1]. Match Group calculates revenue per payer the same way, so the Bumble app's $27.55 sits between Tinder's $17.90 and Hinge's $33.11 for the same quarter [10]. See [ARPPU](/glossary/arppu) and [payer](/glossary/payer) for the definitions.

For the group, the Badoo app and other apps averaged $11.21 a month from 1.08 million paying members in the second quarter of 2026 [1]. The detail is in the [Badoo profile](/insights/badoo-business-profile).

## Safety and verification

Bumble has built its brand on women's safety, and its filings and launches describe several layers:

- **Photo verification** and machine-learning safety monitoring that flags harmful behaviour [7].
- **ID verification**, launched in March 2025 in 11 countries including the US, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand and Spain. Members upload a government ID to earn a badge, can ask matches to verify and can choose to see only ID-verified profiles [9].
- **Share Date**, which sends who, when and where a member is meeting to trusted contacts [9].
- **Review Before You Send**, which flags messages that may break the guidelines and lets the sender edit them first [9][7].

In March 2026 Wolfe Herd described the strategy as "raising the bar on trust and authenticity" [3]. For background, see [ID verification](/glossary/id-verification) and the [Online Safety Act](/glossary/online-safety-act).

## Recent product and leadership changes

Since Wolfe Herd's return, Bumble has cut hard and refocused. It reduced its global workforce by about 30% during 2025 and made significant senior management changes [7]. It ended 2025 with about 580 full-time employees [7].

The financial picture is mixed. The business is still cash generative: adjusted EBITDA was $72.9 million in the second quarter of 2026, a 34.6% margin [1]. But write-downs have been large. Bumble booked impairment charges of $1,039.0 million in 2025 and a net loss of $906.6 million [3], and a further $169.3 million impairment in the second quarter of 2026, giving a quarterly net loss of $127.9 million [1]. It settled its tax receivable agreement with Blackstone for about $186 million in late 2025 [4] and refinanced its debt in April 2026, extending maturities to 2030 [2].

On product, Bumble said in May 2026 that it planned to launch a "fully reimagined Bumble experience on our rebuilt, AI-enabled platform later this year" [2]. In August it described work on the platform migration, matching changes, conversation-starter tools, more in-person options and planned group experiences [1]. Its guidance for the third quarter of 2026 was Bumble app revenue of $167 million to $173 million [1]. What Ithaca does with that roadmap is the open question; see [Bumble's rebuild and 2027](/insights/bumble-rebuild-2027).

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Cutting low-quality members costs revenue first.** Bumble lost about 28% of its paying members while raising ARPPU about 11% [4][6][1]. If you plan a quality reset, model at least a year of lower revenue before engagement improves.
- **A platform rebuild is a multi-year project, even at scale.** Bumble has been migrating to a rebuilt platform while shrinking its workforce by about 30% [1][7]. Smaller operators rarely have that runway. [Build vs buy](/insights/build-vs-buy-dating-app) sets out the options.
- **Verification is now a brand feature.** Letting members filter to ID-verified profiles turns a compliance cost into something members can see [9]. Plan how verification shows up in the product, not just in the back end.
- **Public markets have been hard on shrinking dating apps.** Bumble chose to go private after years of falling payers and large write-downs [11][3]. A smaller, profitable, privately run app can make choices that a listed one struggles to.

If you are weighing a rebuild of your own app on an existing platform, [how it works](/how-it-works) explains the steps.

## Questions

**How much money does Bumble make?**

The Bumble app made $171.7 million in the three months to June 2026, down 14.7% on a year earlier. Bumble Inc, including Badoo and other apps, made $210.5 million [1].

**How many people pay for Bumble?**

The Bumble app had 2.08 million paying members on average in the second quarter of 2026, down from 2.50 million a year earlier [1]. Its peak in the period we tracked was 2.87 million, in the third quarter of 2024 [4].

**Who is buying Bumble?**

Ithaca Holdings agreed on 13 October 2026 to take Bumble private for $6.05 a share in cash, valuing it at about $1.3 billion [11]. Ithaca's co-CEOs, Ravi Gupta and John Hegeman, will become Bumble's co-CEOs when the deal closes [11].

**Does Bumble have ID verification?**

Yes. Since March 2025 members in 11 countries, including the US and UK, can upload a government ID to earn a verified badge, and can choose to see only ID-verified profiles [9].

## Sources

1. Bumble Inc. announces second quarter 2026 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000099/bmbl-ex991prxq22026.htm
2. Bumble Inc. announces first quarter 2026 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-05-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000046/bmbl-ex991prxq12026.htm
3. Bumble Inc. announces fourth quarter and full year 2025 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-03-11. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1830043/000183004326000018/bmbl-ex991prxq42025.htm
4. Bumble Inc. announces third quarter 2025 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2025-11-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1830043/000183004325000039/bmbl-ex991prxq32025.htm
5. Bumble Inc. announces second quarter 2025 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2025-08-06. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1830043/000162828025038334/bmbl-ex991prxq22025.htm
6. Bumble Inc. announces first quarter 2025 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2025-05-07. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1830043/000095017025065679/bmbl-ex99_1.htm
7. Bumble Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for 2025, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-03-16. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1830043/000183004326000027/bmbl-20251231.htm
8. Bumble Inc. announces leadership transition to drive its next phase of transformation, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2025-01-17. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1830043/000119312525008082/d926132dex991.htm
9. Bumble heightens safety measures with new ID verification feature, TechCrunch, 2025-03-17. https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/17/bumble-heightens-safety-measures-with-new-id-verification-feature/
10. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
11. Bumble to be acquired by Ithaca Holdings, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-10-13. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000095010326015480/dp254907_ex9901.htm


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# Bumble's rebuild: what the 2027 relaunch means for the market

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/bumble-rebuild-2027

**In short:** Bumble is moving its app off its own data centres onto a new cloud platform. It first aimed for the second quarter of 2026, then said the new matching experience would roll out in very early 2027. Paying members have fallen by a quarter since late 2024, and Ithaca Holdings agreed in October 2026 to buy Bumble for $6.05 a share.

Bumble is rebuilding its app on a new platform, and the visible relaunch is now due in early 2027. In August 2026 its chief executive, Whitney Wolfe Herd, said the company was porting core features to a new technology stack and moving critical data from its own data centres onto cloud infrastructure, and that this had taken a couple of months longer than expected [4]. As a result, Bumble now expects to begin rolling out its new way of matching, which moves away from the swipe, in "very early 2027" [4]. Two months later, on 13 October 2026, Bumble announced it had agreed to be taken private by Ithaca Holdings for $6.05 a share in cash [1].

So the relaunch will happen under new owners, after a period in which the Bumble app lost about a quarter of its paying members [3][7].

## What Bumble has said about the rebuild

Bumble's own descriptions of the work have become more specific over 18 months.

- In June 2025 it cut about 240 roles, around 30% of staff, and said it would reinvest most of the expected savings of up to $40 million a year in "product and technology development" [8].
- In August 2025 Wolfe Herd spoke of "accelerating innovation across AI, product, and technology" and of a member base with "higher quality and more intentional members" [10].
- On the call for the fourth quarter of 2025, in March 2026, management described a move from its legacy systems to a cloud-based platform it called Tech Stack 2.0, targeted for the second quarter of 2026, and flagged duplicate costs in 2026 from running old data centres alongside the new cloud set-up [6].
- In May 2026 Wolfe Herd said Bumble would launch "a fully reimagined Bumble experience on our rebuilt, AI-enabled platform later this year" [5].
- In August 2026 she said the old recommendation engine meant "it could have taken us months to make very marginal changes", and that once fully migrated Bumble would be able to ship products faster than ever [4].

The March 2026 detail comes from a summary of the call, not a transcript, so treat the exact wording with care [6].

## Dated timeline

| Date | Event |
| --- | --- |
| 17 January 2025 | Bumble says Whitney Wolfe Herd will return as CEO from mid-March 2025, succeeding Lidiane Jones [9] |
| 23 to 25 June 2025 | Board approves cutting about 240 roles, around 30% of staff; savings to go mainly into product and technology [8] |
| September 2025 | Bumble For Friends relaunched as BFF in the US [11] |
| 11 March 2026 | Q4 2025 results; new cloud platform targeted for Q2 2026, with duplicate data centre costs during 2026 [6][7] |
| 5 May 2026 | Q1 2026 results; "fully reimagined" Bumble promised "later this year" [5] |
| 5 August 2026 | Q2 2026 call; data migration delayed by a couple of months; new interaction model to roll out in "very early 2027" [4] |
| 12 October 2026 | Merger agreement with Ithaca signed [2] |
| 13 October 2026 | Deal announced; majority holders approve by written consent; no Q3 release or call [1] |
| By 9 November 2026 | Q3 2026 Form 10-Q due [1] |
| 12 July 2027 | End date in the merger agreement [2] |

Source: Bumble Inc filings and results [1][2][5][7][8][9][11], call transcript [4] and call summary [6].

## The paying member decline

The Bumble app had 2.81 million paying members in the fourth quarter of 2024 and 2.08 million in the second quarter of 2026 [7][3]. That is a fall of 26% on our calculation [3][7]. Bumble Inc as a whole, including Badoo, fell from 4.18 million to 3.16 million over the same period [7][3].

| Quarter | Bumble app paying members | Bumble app revenue |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Q4 2024 | 2,812.6k | $212.4m |
| Q1 2025 | 2,708.4k | $201.8m |
| Q2 2025 | 2,499.8k | $201.4m |
| Q3 2025 | 2,344.1k | $198.8m |
| Q4 2025 | 2,185.2k | $181.0m |
| Q1 2026 | 2,082.0k | $172.7m |
| Q2 2026 | 2,077.1k | $171.7m |

Source: Bumble Inc results [3][5][7][11]. Paying members are monthly averages for the quarter.

Part of this was deliberate. Bumble has said it was working to improve the quality of its member base, expected that work to create near-term headwinds, and kept marketing well below historical levels through the second quarter of 2026 [4][11]. The decline also slowed sharply in 2026: the Bumble app lost about 5,000 paying members between the first and second quarters, against about 160,000 between the third and fourth quarters of 2025 [3][5][7]. Revenue per payer rose over the period, which kept revenue falling more slowly than payers: the Bumble app's monthly average revenue per paying member was $27.55 in the second quarter of 2026, against $26.85 a year earlier [3].

## The Ithaca Holdings deal

The terms, from Bumble's announcement and its Form 8-K:

- **Price:** $6.05 a share in cash for Class A shares, a premium of about 138% to the unaffected close on 9 October 2026 and about 119% to the 30-day average price, valuing Bumble at about $1.3 billion [1].
- **Buyer:** Ithaca Holdco, which describes itself as a holding company for market-leading technology businesses. Its co-founders and co-CEOs, Ravi Gupta and John Hegeman, will become Bumble's co-CEOs at closing [1][2].
- **Approval:** affiliates of Blackstone and Wolfe Herd approved the deal by written consent, so no further shareholder vote is needed [1][2].
- **Rollover:** Wolfe Herd and Beehive Holdings III, LP signed a rollover agreement to swap Class A shares for equity in the new parent company rather than take cash [2].
- **Financing:** no financing condition; an equity commitment letter from Greenoaks Prime Radiant LP [2].
- **Break fees:** $29 million payable by Bumble and $102 million by Ithaca in specified circumstances [2].
- **Conditions and timing:** US antitrust clearance and other approvals, an information statement to shareholders, and an end date of 12 July 2027 [2].

Wolfe Herd recused herself from the board's vote and said she will "remain actively involved with Bumble" [1]. Ithaca says its mission is to "apply frontier technology to renew and accelerate businesses" [1].

## What it means for competitors

- **A quieter Bumble for a while.** With no Q3 call and a private future, rivals will see less of Bumble's thinking in public [1]. Its product changes will be the main signal.
- **A better funded Bumble in 2027.** The relaunch, a brand marketing push that Wolfe Herd called "a big focus for us in 2027", and owners who do not report quarterly could make Bumble a stronger competitor than its recent numbers suggest [4].
- **Others are rebuilding too.** Match Group is testing new matching, search and in-person events on Tinder, and redesigning Azar, and it guided to a $15 million revenue hit in Q3 2026 from the Azar redesign alone [12]. Large incumbents are paying to change their core products at the same time.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **The data move is the hard part.** Bumble's delay came from moving data, not writing features [4]. Plan the migration of member records, photos and messages first, and allow for it to run long. Our guide to [migrating without losing members](/insights/migrate-dating-app-without-losing-members) covers the order of work.
- **Budget for double running costs.** Bumble expected duplicate costs in 2026 from keeping old data centres alive while building the new platform [6]. Any rebuild has a period where you pay for both.
- **Slow systems cost more than money.** Months to make small changes to matching is a product problem as much as a technical one [4]. If your team waits weeks for simple changes, see the [signs your app needs a rebuild](/insights/signs-dating-app-needs-rebuild).
- **A clean-up shrinks payers before it helps.** Bumble chose to lose paying members to improve quality, and the decline only slowed after more than a year [3][7]. Plan cash for that gap.
- **You do not have to build the platform yourself.** Bumble's route was a full in-house rebuild under a public company's budget. Smaller operators can move onto a platform that already exists; [the platform page](/platform) explains what that includes.

## Questions

**When is Bumble relaunching?**

On its August 2026 call Bumble said it would start shipping product improvements to close out 2026 and begin rolling out its new way of matching in very early 2027, after a delay in moving data to the cloud [4].

**Who is buying Bumble?**

Ithaca Holdings, a holding company for technology businesses. It agreed to pay $6.05 a share in cash, valuing Bumble at about $1.3 billion [1].

**Why is Bumble's relaunch delayed?**

Bumble said moving critical data from its own data centres to cloud infrastructure took longer than expected because of the volume and complexity of the data, delaying the work by a couple of months [4].

**How many paying members has Bumble lost?**

The Bumble app had 2.08 million paying members in the second quarter of 2026, against 2.81 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, a fall of 26% on our calculation [3][7].

## Sources

1. Bumble to be acquired by Ithaca Holdings, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-10-13. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000095010326015480/dp254907_ex9901.htm
2. Bumble Inc. Form 8-K: entry into a material definitive agreement, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-10-13. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000095010326015480/dp254907_8k.htm
3. Bumble Inc. second quarter 2026 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000099/bmbl-ex991prxq22026.htm
4. Bumble (BMBL) Q2 2026 earnings call transcript, The Motley Fool, 2026-08-13. https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2026/08/13/bumble-bmbl-q2-2026-earnings-call-transcript/
5. Bumble Inc. announces first quarter 2026 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-05-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000046/bmbl-ex991prxq12026.htm
6. Bumble Inc. Q4 2025 earnings call summary, Yahoo Finance, 2026-03-11. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/bumble-inc-q4-2025-earnings-001508073.html
7. Bumble Inc. announces fourth quarter and full year 2025 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-03-11. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1830043/000183004326000018/bmbl-ex991prxq42025.htm
8. Bumble Inc. Form 8-K: workforce reduction, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2025-06-25. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1830043/000119312525146199/d915271d8k.htm
9. Bumble Inc. announces leadership transition to drive its next phase of transformation, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2025-01-17. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1830043/000119312525008082/d926132dex991.htm
10. Bumble Inc. announces second quarter 2025 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2025-08-06. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1830043/000162828025038334/bmbl-ex991prxq22025.htm
11. Bumble Inc. announces third quarter 2025 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2025-11-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1830043/000183004325000039/bmbl-ex991prxq32025.htm
12. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm


---

# Dating app business models: how the major apps make money

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/dating-app-business-models

**In short:** 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.

Dating apps make most of their money from members paying directly, through subscriptions and single purchases. Match Group earned $839.9 million of its $853.1 million revenue in the second quarter of 2026 from members, about 98.5% by our calculation [1]. Grindr is the main exception among Western apps, earning $25 million of its $138 million quarterly revenue from advertising, about 18% [4]. Live and social apps such as Momo work differently again: they earn mainly from virtual gifts that members buy with coins [8][9].

There are four building blocks. Most apps combine two or three of them.

## The four models

| Model | How it works | Typical items | Who leans on it |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Subscriptions | Members pay weekly, monthly or for longer for a better version of the app | Plus, Gold, Premium, XTRA, Unlimited | Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, Grindr, Match, eharmony |
| À la carte | One-off purchases of a single feature | Boosts, Super Likes, Roses, SuperSwipes | Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, Plenty of Fish |
| Coins and virtual gifts | Members buy credits, then spend them on gifts, live streams or features | Credits, coins, diamonds, gifts | MeetMe, Tagged, Skout, Momo, Badoo |
| Advertising | Third parties pay to show ads to members, usually free ones | Banner, video and native ads | Grindr, plus small amounts at Match and Bumble |

Source: Match Group 10-K [3], Bumble Inc 10-K [7], Grindr results [4][5], Hello Group results [9] and App Store listings [10][11][12][13].

Match Group describes most of its brands as freemium: free to use, with premium features that need a subscription lasting from about a week to six months, plus some features sold on a pay-per-use, or à la carte, basis [3]. Bumble describes the same model for Bumble and Badoo, with subscriptions most commonly of 7, 30 or 90 days, single features such as SuperSwipe and Spotlight, and Badoo Credits bought in bundles [7].

## Revenue mix where it is disclosed

| Company | Period | Paid by members | Advertising and other | Share from members (our calculation) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Match Group | Q2 2026 | $839.9m direct revenue | $13m indirect revenue | 98.5% |
| Match Group | 2025 | $3,415m direct revenue | $72m (total less direct) | 97.9% |
| Grindr | Q2 2026 | $113m app-based revenue | $25m advertising | 81.9% |
| Grindr | Q2 2025 | $87m app-based revenue | $17m advertising | 83.7% |
| Hello Group | Q2 2026 | RMB2,439.6m value-added services | RMB46.4m other services | 98.1% |
| Bumble Inc | Q2 2026 | Not split out | Included in Badoo and other revenue | Not published |

Source: Match Group results for Q2 2026 [1] and 2025 [2], Grindr Q2 2026 shareholder letter [4], Hello Group Q2 2026 results [8], Bumble Inc Q2 2026 results [6]. Shares are our calculation: member-paid revenue divided by total revenue.

Three points stand out.

**Match barely relies on ads.** Its indirect revenue, which comes from advertising, fell 28% on a year to $13 million in the second quarter of 2026 [1]. The company calls it a much smaller part of revenue than direct revenue [3].

**Grindr is the outlier.** Its advertising revenue grew from $17 million to $25 million on a year, faster than its app revenue, lifting ads from about 16% of revenue to about 18% [4]. Grindr defines indirect revenue as money from third parties who pay to advertise to its members [5].

**Bumble does not split ads out.** It folds advertising, partnerships and affiliate income into Badoo and other revenue, which was $38.8 million in the second quarter of 2026 [6].

## Subscriptions plus single purchases: the Western default

Tinder, Hinge and Bumble all sell tiered subscriptions with single purchases on top. On 16 October 2026 the US App Store listed Tinder Plus and Gold alongside Boosts and Super Likes [11], Hinge subscriptions alongside Roses and Boosts [12], and Bumble Premium alongside BumbleCoins [13]. See [dating app subscription prices](/insights/dating-app-subscription-prices) for the full price points.

The subscription carries most of the revenue. Single purchases do two jobs: they let members who will not commit to a plan spend a little, and they give subscribers something more to buy. Hinge earned $33.11 a month per payer in the second quarter of 2026, the highest of any app that reports it [1].

Grindr's model is similar, with XTRA and Unlimited subscription tiers and consumables [4]. It is also testing Edge, which it calls an AI-native premium tier and expects to be a main driver of revenue growth from 2027 [4]. Grindr has added a separate telehealth subscription, Woodwork, launched in May 2025 [5].

## Coins and virtual gifts: the live and social model

Apps built around live video and social discovery earn differently. MeetMe's US App Store listing is led by credit packs, from 200 credits for $1.99 to 13,000 for $99.99, and describes members sending and receiving gifts during live streams [10]. Subscriptions such as MeetMe+ exist, but they are not the centre of the model [10].

Hello Group, owner of Momo and Tantan, reports almost all its revenue as value-added services: RMB2,439.6 million of RMB2,486.0 million in the second quarter of 2026 [8]. It says these are mainly virtual gift revenues from audio, video and text-based features, with membership subscriptions second [9].

The economics of gifting are different from subscriptions. A small number of heavy spenders can account for a large share of revenue, revenue often depends on broadcasters and agencies, and conversion looks low on a payers-per-member basis. Hello Group linked part of its second-quarter revenue decline to a smaller member base at Tantan [8]. See [payer conversion benchmarks](/insights/payer-conversion-benchmarks) for how this shows up in the numbers.

## Advertising: useful, rarely central

Advertising suits apps with large free audiences and frequent sessions. Grindr fits that profile, with 15 million average monthly active members in 2025 [5]. For most subscription apps, ads compete with the paid upgrade: removing ads is often one of the reasons to pay, and ads can make a dating app feel less safe. That helps explain why Match's ad income is small and shrinking [1].

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Build for direct revenue first.** Members paying directly is where nearly all the money is: 98.5% at Match and 98.1% at Hello Group in the second quarter of 2026 [1][8].
- **Pair a subscription with single purchases.** Every large Western app does it [11][12]. If your app only sells a subscription, you are leaving spenders who will not commit with nothing to buy.
- **Choose gifting only if you have live content.** The coins and gifts model needs broadcasters, moderation of live streams and an audience that watches. Without those it rarely works.
- **Treat advertising as a bonus.** Only Grindr earns a meaningful share from ads, and it has an unusually active audience [4][5]. Most apps should not plan around ad income.
- **Know what each model costs to run.** Subscriptions need billing, renewals and refunds across stores and the web; gifting needs wallets and live moderation. If you are weighing which to support, [the platform page](/platform) sets out what we run for operators.

For how app store fees cut into each of these models, see [app store fees for dating apps](/insights/app-store-fees-dating-apps).

## Questions

**How do dating apps make money?**

Mainly from members paying for subscriptions and single features such as Boosts or Super Likes. Match Group earned $839.9 million of its $853.1 million revenue in the second quarter of 2026 directly from members [1]. Advertising and virtual gifts make up the rest of the market.

**Do dating apps make money from advertising?**

A little, with one exception. Advertising was about 1.5% of Match Group's revenue in the second quarter of 2026 by our calculation [1], but $25 million of Grindr's $138 million, about 18% [4].

**What is the freemium model in dating apps?**

The app is free to use and a minority of members pay for extra features. Match Group and Bumble both describe their apps this way [3][7].

**How do live streaming dating apps make money?**

Mostly from virtual gifts that members buy with coins or credits and send to broadcasters or other members. Hello Group says virtual gifts are the main part of its value-added services revenue, which was 98% of its total in the second quarter of 2026 [8][9].

## Sources

1. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
2. Match Group announces fourth quarter and full year 2025 results, Match Group, 2026-02-03. https://ir.mtch.com/investor-relations/news-events/news-events/news-details/2026/Match-Group-Announces-Fourth-Quarter-and-Full-Year-Results
3. Match Group annual report on Form 10-K for 2025, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-02-26. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110326000025/mtch-20251231.htm
4. Grindr Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-06. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001820144/000182014426000023/shl_q2x2026xfinal.htm
5. Grindr Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for 2025, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-03-02. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1820144/000182014426000007/grnd-20251231.htm
6. Bumble Inc. second quarter 2026 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000099/bmbl-ex991prxq22026.htm
7. Bumble Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for 2020, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2021-03-15. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1830043/000156459021013176/bmbl-10k_20201231.htm
8. Hello Group announces unaudited financial results for the second quarter of 2026, Hello Group via PR Newswire, 2026-09-03. https://finviz.com/news/388434/hello-group-inc-announces-unaudited-financial-results-for-the-second-quarter-of-2026
9. Hello Group announces unaudited financial results for the second quarter of 2025, Hello Group via PR Newswire Asia, 2025-09-09. https://technode.global/prnasia/hello-group-inc-announces-unaudited-financial-results-for-the-second-quarter-of-2025/
10. MeetMe: Go Live & Meet People on the App Store (US), Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/meetme-go-live-meet-people/id372648912
11. Tinder Dating App: Date & Chat on the App Store (US), Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tinder-dating-app-date-chat/id547702041
12. Hinge Dating App: Match & Date on the App Store (US), Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hinge-dating-app-match-date/id595287172
13. Bumble Dating App: Meet & Date on the App Store (US), Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bumble-dating-app-meet-date/id930441707


---

# Dating app deals tracker: sales, closures, insolvencies 2024 to 2026

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/dating-app-deals-tracker

**In short:** Between 2024 and October 2026 the dating industry saw a take-private of Bumble, the insolvency of Spark Networks' operating company, the closure and relaunch of EliteSingles, failed and successful buyouts, and a run of small app closures. Big groups are pruning brands, while specialists buy niche apps cheaply.

From January 2024 to October 2026, ownership in dating apps changed faster than at any time since the pandemic. Bumble agreed to be taken private for about $1.3 billion [1]. Spark Networks restructured in 2024 [24], then its Berlin operating company went into preliminary insolvency in January 2026 [3]. EliteSingles closed on 30 April 2026 and came back under a new owner four months later [5][6]. Match Group and Bumble closed apps they no longer wanted [8][14], while specialists such as Perry Street Software and CatholicMatch bought niche brands [18][19].

This tracker lists every deal, closure and insolvency in that period that we could confirm from a filing, a company statement or named trade press. Where a price was not published, we say so.

## The tracker

| Date | Company or app | Event | Counterparty | Price |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 30 Jul 2024 | Hakuna, Plenty of Fish live streaming | Match exits live streaming and sunsets Hakuna | None | Not a sale; about $60m of annual revenue lost [13] |
| 17 May 2024 | Spark Networks SE | German StaRUG restructuring recognised in the US; MGG becomes sole equity holder | MGG Investment Group | Over $100m of funded debt restructured [24] |
| 9 Jan 2025 | Thursday | Closes its dating app to focus on events | None | Not applicable [21] |
| 18 Feb 2025 | Fruitz, Official | Bumble decides to discontinue both apps | None | Not applicable [14] |
| 20 Mar 2025 | ParshipMeet Group | ProSiebenSat.1 agrees to buy General Atlantic's minority stake and become sole owner | General Atlantic | €10m cash, shares and a €50m exit payment [15] |
| 27 Jun 2025 | Meet Kinksters | Web platform closes after app assets sold | BeeDee | Not disclosed [22] |
| 19 Sep 2025 | happn | Acquired | Hello Group | Not disclosed [2] |
| 23 Oct 2025 | ProSiebenSat.1 | MFE holds over 75% and plans to sell side businesses including dating | MFE-MediaForEurope | Deal valued at €1.8bn [16] |
| 24 Oct 2025 | Grindr | Take-private proposal from its largest shareholders | Ray Zage and James Lu | $18.00 a share [10] |
| Nov 2025 | Grindr | Special committee ends talks over financing | Ray Zage and James Lu | About $3.46bn proposed [11] |
| 19 Nov 2025 | Aisle | Info Edge buys the last 3.65% and owns it outright | Info Edge (Jeevansathi) | Rs 5.50 crore [20] |
| 16 Jan 2026 | Spark Networks Services GmbH | Preliminary insolvency, Berlin | Court-appointed administrator | Not applicable [3] |
| Q1 2026 | Azar | Removed from Apple's App Store after a guideline change | Apple | $25.2m trade name impairment [23] |
| 30 Mar 2026 | Spark Networks Services GmbH | Seeks US Chapter 15 recognition and plans asset sales | MGG pulled funding in January | Not disclosed [4] |
| 23 Apr 2026 | Sniffies | Minority investment | Match Group | $100m [8] |
| 30 Apr 2026 | EliteSingles | Closes; accounts and conversations deleted | Spark Networks | Not applicable [5] |
| 17 Jun 2026 | Archer | Match Group closes the app | None | About $10m annual cost saving [8][9] |
| 1 Sep 2026 | EliteSingles | Relaunches with a new member database | SuccessfulMatch | Not disclosed [6] |
| 30 Sep 2026 | Freddie (PurposeMed) | Grindr agrees to acquire | Grindr | $250m plus up to $70m earn-out [12] |
| 2 Oct 2026 | Ágape | Acquired | CatholicMatch | Not disclosed [19] |
| 6 Oct 2026 | GROWLr | Acquired from The Meet Group | Perry Street Software | Not disclosed [18] |
| 13 Oct 2026 | Bumble, Badoo | Agreed take-private | Ithaca Holdings | $6.05 a share, about $1.3bn [1] |
| By Oct 2026 | Zoosk, JDate, JSwipe, Christian Mingle | Now listed as Black Cap brands | Black Cap | Date and price not published [7] |

Source: company filings and statements [1][8][10][12][13][14][15][23][24], court and legal reporting [3][4] and trade press [2][5][6][9][11][16][18][19][20][21][22]. Black Cap's portfolio is taken from its own help page [7].

## The three big stories

### Bumble goes private

Ithaca Holdings is paying $6.05 a share, a premium of about 138% to Bumble's closing price on 9 October 2026 [1]. Blackstone's affiliates and Whitney Wolfe Herd approved the deal by written consent, so no shareholder vote is needed [1]. Ithaca's co-chief executives, Ravi Gupta and John Hegeman, will run Bumble after closing [1]. Bumble said it will file its third quarter 10-Q but not publish an earnings release or hold a call [1].

For scale: Bumble's revenue in the three months to June 2026 was $210.5 million [25]. Multiplying that by four gives about $842 million a year, so the $1.3 billion price is roughly 1.5 times annualised revenue (our calculation from [1] and [25]).

### Spark Networks unwinds

Spark's problems started well before 2026. Its 2024 restructuring under Germany's StaRUG law dealt with over $100 million of funded debt and left lender MGG Investment Group as sole owner [24]. In January 2026 MGG pulled funding [4], and a Berlin court put Spark Networks Services GmbH, which ran key operations for Zoosk, EliteSingles, SilverSingles, Christian Mingle, JDate and JSwipe, under preliminary insolvency administration [3]. By the end of March it was seeking US recognition and planning to sell assets while trading [4].

The brands then went separate ways. EliteSingles closed with two days' notice to members [5] and was relaunched by SuccessfulMatch on a new database [6]. Zoosk, JDate, JSwipe and Christian Mingle now appear in Black Cap's portfolio [7]. We could not find a published date or price for that transfer. We cover the EliteSingles case in detail in [relaunching a dating brand](/insights/relaunching-a-dating-brand).

### Grindr: a buyout that didn't happen, and one that did

In October 2025 Grindr's two largest shareholders, who together own more than 60% of the company, proposed taking it private at $18.00 a share [10][11]. The special committee stopped talks in November, saying the buyers had not explained how the deal would be funded [11]. Global Dating Insights put the value of the proposal at about $3.46 billion [11]. That is more than two and a half times the price Ithaca agreed for Bumble a year later [1], even though Bumble had the larger revenue in the second quarter of 2026 [25].

Instead, Grindr became a buyer. On 30 September 2026 it agreed to pay $250 million for PurposeMed, the parent of the PrEP telehealth service Freddie, with up to $70 million more tied to 2027 targets [12]. Freddie expects 2026 revenue above $80 million [12].

## The patterns

- **Big groups are pruning.** Match left live streaming and closed Hakuna in 2024 [13], folded its Asia unit into its Everyone Everywhere business and closed Archer in 2026 [8]. Bumble shut Fruitz and Official [14]. Both are concentrating money on fewer apps.
- **Investing beats building for new audiences.** Match closed its own gay men's app, Archer, within weeks of putting $100 million into Sniffies [8][9]. Buying a stake in an app that already has members proved more attractive than growing one from scratch.
- **Specialists are buying niche brands.** Perry Street added GROWLr to SCRUFF and Jack'd [18]. CatholicMatch bought Brazil's largest Catholic app, according to CatholicMatch [19]. Black Cap built a faith-focused portfolio [7]. Prices in these deals were not disclosed.
- **Valuations are low for shrinking apps.** Bumble sold at about 1.5 times annualised revenue (our calculation, above) after paying members fell 16.4% in a year [25]. ProSiebenSat.1 decided to keep ParshipMeet for now, with one source pointing to its depressed valuation [17].
- **Insolvency hits members first.** EliteSingles members lost their accounts and conversations [5]. The relaunched brand started with an independent member database [6].

## What to watch next

- **Bumble's closing.** The deal has the shareholder approval it needs [1]. Bumble's third quarter 10-Q is due by 9 November 2026 [1].
- **ParshipMeet.** MFE wants ProSiebenSat.1 to sell side businesses including dating [16], but a sale is described as a longer-term goal [17]. ParshipMeet has already sold GROWLr [18].
- **Grindr's Freddie deal**, expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2026 [12].
- **App store risk as a deal factor.** Match recorded a $25.2 million impairment after Apple removed Azar following a February 2026 change to its guidelines [23]. Store status now belongs on every buyer's checklist.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **If you are buying, price the platform as well as the brand.** Many of these assets come with old technology and teams that have shrunk. The cost of keeping the app running and compliant after closing often decides whether a deal works. Our [build vs buy guide](/insights/build-vs-buy-dating-app) covers the options.
- **If you are selling, know what transfers.** Store listings, subscriptions and member data move in different ways. A buyer will pay more for a clean handover plan.
- **Plan for the worst case.** Spark's brands show that a funding decision by one lender can close an app within months [4][5]. Run-off terms, data portability and who holds the store accounts belong in every contract.
- **Expect fewer public numbers.** With Bumble going private, investors and operators will have one fewer set of quarterly results to benchmark against [1]. Our [revenue scorecard](/insights/top-dating-apps-by-revenue) will track what remains.

We update this tracker as deals close. If we have missed one you can source, tell us through the [contact page](/contact).

## Questions

**Who is buying Bumble?**

Ithaca Holdings agreed on 13 October 2026 to buy Bumble for $6.05 a share in cash, about $1.3 billion in total. Affiliates of Blackstone and Whitney Wolfe Herd approved the deal by written consent [1].

**What happened to Spark Networks?**

Its Berlin operating company, Spark Networks Services GmbH, was placed in preliminary insolvency on 16 January 2026 [3]. It sought US recognition of the German case in March 2026 and aimed to sell assets while continuing to operate [4].

**Did Grindr go private?**

No. Its two largest shareholders proposed $18.00 a share in October 2025 [10], but the board's special committee stopped talks in November 2025, citing uncertainty over financing [11].

**Who owns happn?**

Hello Group, the Beijing owner of Momo and Tantan. The acquisition was announced in September 2025 and the price was not disclosed [2].

## Sources

1. Bumble to be acquired by Ithaca Holdings, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-10-13. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000095010326015480/dp254907_ex9901.htm
2. happn acquired by Hello Group as CEO calls for industry reinvention, Global Dating Insights, 2025-09-19. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/happn-acquired-by-hello-group-as-ceo-calls-for-industry-reinvention/
3. Dating provider Spark Networks enters preliminary insolvency, Global Dating Insights, 2026-01-21. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/dating-provider-spark-networks-enters-preliminary-insolvency/
4. Christian Mingle, JDate owner brings German insolvency to US, Bloomberg Law, 2026-03-31. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/christian-mingle-jdate-owner-brings-german-insolvency-to-us
5. EliteSingles to suddenly shut down on April 30, Global Dating Insights, 2026-04-30. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/elitesingles-to-suddenly-shut-down-on-april-30/
6. EliteSingles relaunches under new ownership, Global Dating Insights, 2026-09-01. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/elitesingles-relaunches-under-new-ownership/
7. About Black Cap, JSwipe help centre, 2026-10-16. https://support.jswipeapp.com/hc/en-us/articles/51209753777556-About-Black-Cap
8. Match Group Q1 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-05-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000072/mtch8-k20260505ex991.htm
9. Match Group prepares to shut down gay dating app Archer, Global Dating Insights, 2026-06-10. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/match-group-prepares-to-shut-down-gay-dating-app-archer/
10. Grindr special committee confirms receipt of take-private proposal from large shareholders, Grindr Inc via Business Wire, 2025-10-24. https://www.01net.it/grindr-special-committee-confirms-receipt-of-take-private-proposal-from-large-shareholders
11. Grindr walks from proposed $3.46 billion take-private deal, Global Dating Insights, 2025-11-25. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/grindr-walks-from-proposed-3-46-billion-take-private-deal/
12. Grindr to acquire PurposeMed, parent of Freddie, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-09-30. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001820144/000182014426000033/exhibit991-pressreleasedat.htm
13. Match Group Q2 2024 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2024-07-30. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110324000093/mtch8-k20240730ex991.htm
14. Bumble Inc. announces fourth quarter and full year 2024 results, Bumble Inc via Business Wire, 2025-02-18. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250218678439/en/Bumble-Inc.-Announces-Fourth-Quarter-and-Full-Year-2024-Results
15. ProSiebenSat.1 approves proposed agreement with General Atlantic on the acquisition of its minority stakes in NuCom Group and ParshipMeet Group, ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, 2025-03-20. https://www.prosiebensat1.com/en/newsroom/prosiebensat1-approves-proposed-agreement-with-general-atlantic-on-the-acquisition-of-its-minority-stakes-in-nucom-group-and-parshipmeet-group-together-with-an-intended-sale-of-verivox-513729
16. ProSiebenSat.1 plans sale of dating platforms after takeover, Global Dating Insights, 2025-10-23. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/from-the-web/prosiebensat-1-plans-sale-of-dating-platforms-after-takeover/
17. ProSieben keeps ParshipMeet, Flaconi as it explores sale of other digital units, sources say, Reuters via Global Banking & Finance Review, 2026-03-10. https://www.globalbankingandfinance.com/prosieben-keeps-parshipmeet-flaconi-explores-sale-digital/
18. Perry Street Software acquires gay bear dating app GROWLr from The Meet Group, Global Dating Insights, 2026-10-06. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/perry-street-software-acquires-growlr/
19. CatholicMatch acquires Brazil's Ágape dating app, Global Dating Insights, 2026-10-02. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/uncategorised/catholicmatch-acquires-agape-brazil-dating-app/
20. Info Edge finalises acquisition of dating app operator Aisle, Global Dating Insights, 2025-11-19. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/info-edge-finalizes-acquisition-of-dating-app-operator-aisle/
21. Thursday: Tinder and Hinge rival to shut app amid rapidly declining interest, City AM, 2025-01-09. https://www.cityam.com/?p=2296926
22. Meet Kinksters shuts down following BeeDee acquisition, Global Dating Insights, 2025-06-27. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/meet-kinksters-shuts-down-following-beedee-acquisition/
23. Match Group Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110326000130/mtch-20260630.htm
24. Spark Networks: German StaRUG plan confirmed in first-ever cross-border restructuring, Jones Day, 2024-05-17. https://www.jonesday.com/en/practices/experience/2024/01/spark-networks-german-starug-plan-confirmed-in-firstever-crossborder-restructuring-under-german-starug-and-us-chapter-15
25. Bumble Inc. second quarter 2026 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000099/bmbl-ex991prxq22026.htm


---

# Dating app launch checklist: from build to App Store approval

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/dating-app-launch-checklist

**In short:** Before a dating app launches it needs a privacy policy and terms, age gating, UK and EU safety processes, filtering, reporting and blocking for Apple and Google, in-app account deletion, store billing, a staffed moderation queue, enough members in launch areas, and a short list of metrics. This checklist sets out each step with its source, checked on 16 October 2026.

A dating app is ready to launch when five things are in place: legal documents and age gating, UK and EU safety processes, the features Apple and Google require for apps with member content, working store billing, and enough members in your launch areas to make the first week feel alive. Apple's guideline 1.2 alone requires filtering, reporting, blocking and published contact details [1], and Google Play requires in-app reporting and blocking [7]. Miss one and the app is rejected, or approved and then empty.

We checked every item below against its source on 16 October 2026. Store rules change often, so recheck the links before you submit.

## The checklist

| Stage | Task | Requirement or source | Timing to allow |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Accounts | Apple developer membership, as an organisation | $99 a year [4] | Allow time for identity checks |
| Accounts | Google Play developer account | $25 one-time, ID verification [5] | Days |
| Legal | Privacy policy, terms, community guidelines | Apple 5.1.1(i) [1], Google UGC policy [7] | Before build freeze |
| Legal | Age gating and age assurance | Ofcom children's codes in force since 25 July 2025 [10] | Before beta |
| Legal | Online Safety Act risk assessments | Illegal content and children's risk assessments [10] | Before UK launch |
| Legal | DSA processes for EU members | Applies to all online platforms since 17 February 2024 [11] | Before EU launch |
| Product | Filtering, reporting, blocking, contact details | Apple 1.2 [1], Google UGC policy [7] | In the first build |
| Product | In-app account deletion, plus web link for Google | Apple 5.1.1(v) [1], Google [8] | In the first build |
| Payments | In-app purchase for digital features | Apple 3.1.1 [1], store fees [14][15] | Agreements and tax forms first |
| Testing | Google closed test for new personal accounts | 12 testers for 14 consecutive days [6] | At least two weeks |
| Review | App Store review | 50% in under 24 hours, 90% in under 48 hours [2] | Allow for one rejection |
| Operations | Moderation queue staffed from day one | Apple 1.2 "timely responses" [1] | Before first member signs up |

Source: Apple [1][2][4], Google Play [5][6][7][8], Ofcom [10], Lewis Silkin on the DSA [11] and store fee schedules [14][15], checked 16 October 2026.

## Legal and age gating

**Privacy policy and terms.** Apple requires a privacy policy link both in App Store Connect and inside the app, and the policy must say what data you collect, who you share it with and how members can request deletion [1]. Google requires members to accept your terms before they can post content, and the terms must define and prohibit objectionable content [7]. Dating apps also process sensitive data: information about a person's sex life or sexual orientation is special category data under UK GDPR, which needs an Article 9 condition [13].

**Age gating.** Asking for a date of birth is a start, not an answer. Ofcom's protection of children codes came into force on 25 July 2025 [10], and Ofcom said in March 2026 that more services were introducing age checks across social media, dating, gaming and messaging [16]. Google Play expects apps with incidental sexual content to keep children out through age screening [9]. Decide which [age assurance](/glossary/age-assurance) method you will use, how you will handle appeals, and what records you will keep. See our guide to [age verification](/insights/age-verification-dating-apps).

**Online Safety Act.** UK services needed an illegal content risk assessment by 16 March 2025, a children's access assessment by 16 April 2025, and a children's risk assessment by 24 July 2025 [10]. A new app must complete these before it launches to UK members, not after. Our [Online Safety Act guide](/insights/online-safety-act-dating-apps) covers what dating apps need in detail.

**Digital Services Act.** If you serve EU members, the DSA has applied to all online platforms since 17 February 2024 [11]. Duties include a notice and action route for illegal content, a statement of reasons when you remove content or restrict an account, and an internal complaints system [12].

## App Store and Google Play rules for dating apps

**Guideline 1.2.** Apple requires four things of apps with member content: "A method for filtering objectionable material from being posted to the app", a way to report offensive content "and timely responses to concerns", the ability to block abusive members, and published contact information [1]. Apple also says apps used mainly for "random or anonymous chat" or "hot-or-not" voting do not belong on the App Store [1].

**Saturated category.** Guideline 4.3(b) names dating as a well-established category and says Apple will not accept new dating apps "unless they offer a meaningfully different or improved experience" [1]. Write your review notes to explain what is different.

**Demo account.** Guideline 2.1 asks for demo account details and a working backend at review time [1]. For a dating app, give the reviewer an account in an area with real or test profiles, so they can see matching, chat, reporting and blocking work.

**Account deletion and login.** Apple requires account deletion inside the app [1]. Google requires an in-app path and a web link for deletion requests [8]. If social login is your main sign-in, Apple requires an equivalent privacy-focused login option as well [1].

**Age rating.** Apple added 13+, 16+ and 18+ ratings and asked developers to answer an updated age rating questionnaire by 31 January 2026, after which updates are blocked until it is completed [3]. Answer honestly: guideline 2.3.6 warns that mis-rated apps can trigger regulator inquiries [1].

**Google closed testing.** Personal developer accounts created after 13 November 2023 must run a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in for 14 consecutive days before going to production [6]. Organisation accounts avoid this, and an organisation account is the right choice for a dating business anyway.

For a fuller treatment, see our guide to [app store rules for dating apps](/insights/app-store-rules-dating-apps).

## Payments setup

Subscriptions and boosts sold inside the app must use the stores' in-app purchase systems [1]. Before you can sell, sign the paid apps agreements and complete tax and banking details in App Store Connect and Google Play Console. Set up server notifications from both stores so your backend knows when a member subscribes, renews, cancels or gets a refund.

Know the fees when you set prices. Apple keeps 30% of a subscription in its first year and 15% after a year of paid service [14]. Google charges 10% plus a 5% billing fee on subscriptions in the UK, US, EEA, Australia and Japan [15]. Our guide to [app store fees](/insights/app-store-fees-dating-apps) compares the options, including web billing.

## Moderation and seeding members

**Moderation from the first sign-up.** Automated scanning of photos and messages should be live before launch, and a person should be watching the report queue from day one. Apple's "timely responses" wording [1] means a backlog of unread reports in launch week is a store risk as well as a safety one. Write down your response times and escalation steps for threats, scams and suspected under-18s.

**Seeding.** A dating app with nobody nearby fails no matter how good the build is. This is [liquidity](/glossary/liquidity): enough active members of the right type in each area that new members find someone worth messaging. Practical steps:

- Launch in a small number of areas rather than everywhere at once. See [launching city by city](/insights/launching-dating-app-city-by-city).
- Build a waiting list and open areas when they reach a threshold you set in advance.
- Balance the member mix: check the ratio of the groups who are looking for each other, not just total sign-ups.
- Never seed with fake profiles. It misleads members and destroys trust when they notice.

More in our guide to [dating app liquidity](/insights/dating-app-liquidity).

## Launch metrics

Track a short list from day one, by area and by member group:

- **Sign-up completion:** share of installs that finish a profile with photos.
- **Verification pass rate:** share of new members who pass ID or age checks.
- **First match time:** how long a new member waits for their first match.
- **Reply rate:** share of matches where both people send a message.
- **Day 1, day 7 and day 30 retention.**
- **Reports per thousand active members** and median time to action a report.
- **[Payer conversion](/glossary/payer-conversion)** once you switch on paid features.

Matching and safety metrics come first. Revenue metrics mean little until members are finding each other.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Build the store requirements in, not on.** Filtering, reporting, blocking and in-app deletion should be in the first build that goes to review [1][7][8].
- **Finish the UK and EU paperwork before launch.** Risk assessments and DSA processes are launch tasks, not post-launch tasks [10][11].
- **Plan for at least one rejection.** Apple names dating as a saturated category [1]. Write clear review notes and give the reviewer a working demo account.
- **Launch small and dense.** A few well-seeded areas beat a national launch with empty feeds.
- **Decide who owns releases after launch.** Store rules keep changing. If your team will not be resubmitting both apps every few weeks, see [how it works](/how-it-works) for one way to hand that off.

## Questions

**What does Apple require from a dating app?**

Under guideline 1.2, apps with member content must filter objectionable material, let members report content with timely responses, let them block abusive accounts, and publish contact details. Apple also requires in-app account deletion and a privacy policy link in the app and in App Store Connect [1].

**How long does App Store review take?**

Apple says it typically reviews at least 50% of submissions in under 24 hours and 90% in under 48 hours [2]. Dating apps are often asked follow-up questions, so allow time for at least one rejection and resubmission.

**How many testers do I need to launch on Google Play?**

Personal developer accounts created after 13 November 2023 must run a closed test with at least 12 testers opted in for 14 consecutive days before publishing to production [6].

**Do dating apps need age verification in the UK?**

Ofcom's protection of children codes have been in force since 25 July 2025 [10], and Ofcom reported more services introducing age checks across social media, dating, gaming and messaging in March 2026 [16]. A dating app that bans under-18s needs a way to keep them out that stands up to scrutiny.

## Sources

1. App Review Guidelines, Apple Developer, 2026-10-16. https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/
2. App Review, Apple Developer, 2026-10-16. https://developer.apple.com/distribute/app-review
3. Apple notifies developers of new App Store age rating system, 9to5Mac, 2025-07-24. https://9to5mac.com/2025/07/24/apple-notifies-developers-of-new-app-store-age-rating-system/
4. Choosing a membership, Apple Developer, 2026-10-16. https://developer.apple.com/support/compare-memberships
5. Get started with Play Console, Google Play Console Help, 2026-10-16. https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6112435?hl=en
6. App testing requirements for new personal developer accounts, Google Play Console Help, 2026-10-16. https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/14151465?hl=en-GB
7. User Generated Content policy, Google Play Console Help, 2026-10-16. https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9876937?hl=en-GB
8. Understanding Google Play's app account deletion requirements, Google Play Console Help, 2026-10-16. https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/13327111?hl=en-GB
9. Understanding moderation requirements and incidental sexual content in UGC apps, Google Play Console Help, 2026-10-16. https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/12923286?hl=en-EN
10. Important dates for Online Safety Act compliance, Ofcom, 2026-08-24. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/important-dates-for-online-safety-compliance
11. DSA applies to all online platforms in the EU, Lewis Silkin, 2024-02-17. https://www.lewissilkin.com/insights/2024/02/17/dsa-applies-to-all-online-platforms-in-the-eu-102j0fj
12. Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (Digital Services Act), EUR-Lex, 2022-10-27. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2065/oj/eng
13. What is special category data?, Information Commissioner's Office, 2026-10-16. https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/lawful-basis/special-category-data/what-is-special-category-data
14. Auto-renewable subscriptions, Apple Developer, 2026-10-16. https://www.developer.apple.com/app-store/subscriptions/
15. Service fees, Google Play Console Help, 2026-10-16. https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/112622?hl=en-GB
16. Online safety industry bulletin: March 2026, Ofcom, 2026-03-17. https://ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/online-safety-industry-bulletins/online-safety-industry-bulletin-march-2026


---

# Dating app liquidity: why pool size decides retention

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/dating-app-liquidity

**In short:** 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.

[Liquidity](/glossary/liquidity) is whether a member can find enough relevant, active people nearby. It decides retention because the product of a dating app is other people. When a member opens the app and sees the same faces, people too far away or nobody new at all, they stop opening it. Apps manage liquidity by quietly widening distance and age ranges when members run out of people [4][5], launching one city or community at a time, focusing on a niche, and drawing on a wider pool when the local one runs thin.

Size is not the whole story. Research published in Marketing Science in 2024 found that members became more selective when they believed the pool was bigger, and that a bigger market slightly reduced participation [1]. What matters is enough relevant people, not the biggest possible number.

## What liquidity means in practice

A dating app is a two-sided marketplace where both sides have to say yes. For a single member, liquidity is the answer to three questions:

- **Is there anyone to see?** Enough profiles within their distance, age range and preferences.
- **Are they active?** Profiles of people who have opened the app recently and will reply.
- **Is it mutual?** Enough of those people would also be interested in them.

The public companies describe the same thing in their own terms. Grindr's annual report says "the size of our user base and our users' level of engagement are critical to our success", and warns that because of "the network effects of our platform", any fall in retention or engagement could make the product "less attractive to users" [7]. That is the liquidity loop: fewer active people makes the app worse, which makes more people leave.

## Why small towns and niche apps run thin

Liquidity is local. A national member count means little to someone in a market town who can only meet people within half an hour's drive.

Pew Research found that about 3 in 10 US adults had ever used a dating site or app in its July 2022 survey, rising to 53% of those aged 18 to 29 [3]. It also found that adults in urban areas were more likely to have used one than those in suburban or rural areas, although it did not publish the breakdown in figures [3]. Fewer people, and a smaller share of them using apps, compounds quickly once you filter by age, gender and preferences.

Niche apps face the same arithmetic from the other side. A faith, age or interest-based app starts from a smaller share of the population, so it reaches thin pools in more places. The upside is that each profile is more likely to be relevant, which is exactly what the research suggests members value.

## What the research says about pool size

The most useful public evidence comes from field experiments run with a dating platform by Jessica Fong (published earlier as Jessica Yu).

- **Bigger pools make members pickier.** In the experiment, a 50% increase in the market size members believed they faced made them 2.8% more likely to like the most attractive profiles and about 3% less likely to like the least [2]. Believing there was more competition had the opposite effect [2].
- **Bigger is not automatically better for participation.** The published study found that a 50% increase in market size lowered the probability that a member went on to participate by 1% [1].
- **Growth hurts small markets most when it is unbalanced.** In the working paper's simulations, a 25% increase in both men and women reduced matches for men in small markets by 12% and for women by 18%, while in large markets men gained 0.4% and women lost 6% [2]. The author found that platform rules, such as how many likes members can send, could offset part of this [2].

The operator view: liquidity is about the right density of relevant, active people, and about design choices that keep members from becoming so selective that nobody matches.

## How apps manage liquidity

| Lever | How it works | Public example | Trade-off |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Widen radius when members run out | Show people slightly beyond the distance setting | Tinder and Bumble both offer this as a setting [4][5] | Matches are further away and harder to meet |
| Loosen age and preference ranges | Show people slightly outside age settings | Tinder may show people outside age preferences when you run out [4] | Lower relevance, more left swipes |
| Travel and location features | Let members browse another location | Tinder's Passport feature lets people check out potential matches in another location [6] | Adds people who may not be local |
| Launch city by city | Concentrate members in one place before expanding | Tinder seeded its early pool through college sororities and fraternities [9] | Slower national growth |
| Enter countries in waves | Add markets where marketing can build density | Hinge entered six new European countries in Q2 2026 [8] | Thin pools in each new market at first |
| Focus activity in time and place | Events and features that bring members together | Tinder Events planned to reach 26 cities by end of September 2026 [8] | Works in cities, less so in rural areas |
| Narrow the niche | Smaller pool, higher relevance | Faith, age and interest-based apps | Thin pools in more places |
| Backfill | Show own members first, then fill gaps from a wider network | See [backfill](/glossary/backfill) | Needs consistent verification and clear rules |

Source: company help pages and filings [4][5][6][8], Texas Monthly [9].

Every lever trades distance, relevance or exclusivity for volume. The best apps apply them selectively, by place and by member, rather than switching them on everywhere.

## Radius: the most used lever, and its limits

Widening the radius is powerful because area grows with the square of the distance. Using the formula for the area of a circle, doubling a search radius roughly quadruples the area it covers.

| Search radius | Area compared with a 5 mile radius |
| --- | --- |
| 5 miles | 1 times |
| 10 miles | 4 times |
| 25 miles | 25 times |
| 50 miles | 100 times |

Source: Dating API calculation (area equals pi times radius squared). This shows area, not members: population is not spread evenly.

In a rural area, going from 10 to 25 miles can turn an empty screen into a usable one. But members mostly want to meet someone nearby. Bumble's help centre makes the point from the other direction: "the more filters you apply, the less people you're likely to see" [5]. Every widening of radius or preferences should be measured against whether matches actually turn into conversations.

## How to measure liquidity

There is no single public standard, so pick a few local measures and track them by town or postcode area:

- **Fresh profiles per session:** how many new, eligible profiles a member sees before the app starts repeating or widening.
- **Run-out rate:** the share of sessions where a member exhausts their settings and the app has to widen.
- **Reply rate on first messages:** a mutual match with no reply is a liquidity failure too.
- **Active people within the default radius:** counted by age band and preference, not in total.
- **Retention by area:** compare early retention in dense and thin areas to see what liquidity is worth.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Measure liquidity locally.** National member counts hide the towns where members run out of people. Track run-out rate and fresh profiles per session by area.
- **Relevance beats raw size.** The research shows bigger pools make members pickier [1][2]. Invest in matching quality and verification, not just volume.
- **Use levers selectively.** Radius and preference widening help in thin areas but cost relevance in dense ones. Apply them where the data says they are needed.
- **Concentrate before you spread.** City or community launches build density that national campaigns cannot. See our guide to [launching city by city](/insights/launching-dating-app-city-by-city).
- **Plan for thin areas from day one.** Decide early how you will handle them: wider radius, travel features, events or [backfill](/glossary/backfill) with clear rules on verification.

## Questions

**What is liquidity in a dating app?**

It is whether a typical member can find enough relevant, active people within their distance, age and preference settings. Good liquidity means there is always someone new and suitable to see, and a fair chance of a reply.

**Why do dating apps show people outside my distance setting?**

To keep the pool from running dry. Tinder says it may show matches outside your distance and age preferences, mostly when you run out of people within them, and Bumble has a similar setting [4][5].

**Is a bigger dating pool always better?**

Not always. A 2024 study in Marketing Science found members became more selective when they believed the pool was bigger, and that a bigger market slightly reduced participation [1].

**How do dating apps work in small towns?**

Mostly by widening the radius and preferences, encouraging travel features, and drawing on wider networks. The underlying problem is fewer relevant people per square mile, so every lever trades distance or fit for volume.

## Sources

1. Online dating sites: the size of the potential dating pool makes all the difference, INFORMS (Marketing Science), 2024-09-11. https://www.informs.org/News-Room/INFORMS-Releases/News-Releases/Online-Dating-Sites-The-Size-of-the-Potential-Dating-Pool-Makes-all-the-Difference
2. Search, selectivity, and market thickness in two-sided markets (working paper), Jessica Yu (Fong), Stanford Graduate School of Business, 2018-09-10. https://marketing.wharton.upenn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/10.18.2018-Yu-Jessica-PAPER-JMP.pdf
3. The who, where and why of online dating in the U.S., Pew Research Center, 2023-02-02. https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2023/02/02/the-who-where-and-why-of-online-dating/
4. Update your Discovery preferences, Tinder help centre, 2026-10-16. https://www.help.tinder.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003340963-Discovery-Settings
5. Using filters to set your preferences, Bumble help centre, 2026-10-16. https://support.bumble.com/hc/en-us/articles/28423691289629
6. The profiles I see are far away, Tinder help centre, 2026-10-16. https://www.help.tinder.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003498223-The-profiles-I-see-are-far-away
7. Grindr Inc annual report on Form 10-K for 2025, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-02-26. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1820144/000182014426000007/grnd-20251231.htm
8. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
9. How Whitney Wolfe Herd changed the dating game, Texas Monthly, 2018-01-18. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/how-whitney-wolfe-herd-changed-the-dating-game/


---

# Dating app Q3 2026 results: what to watch

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/dating-app-q3-2026-results-preview

**In short:** Match Group, Bumble and Grindr report the July to September 2026 quarter in early November. Match guided to revenue down 2% to 3%, Bumble to a drop of roughly 13% to 17% with no call, and Grindr to about $540 million for the year. Watch Tinder payers, Hinge growth, Bumble's filing and Grindr's pace.

This is a preview, written on 16 October 2026, before any of the results are out. Match Group, Bumble and Grindr will report the third quarter of 2026 (July to September) in early November. On their own guidance, Match expects total revenue of $885 million to $895 million, down 2% to 3% [1]. Bumble expects $205 million to $213 million, which is 13% to 17% below a year earlier on our calculation [3][8]. Grindr does not guide by quarter, but expects about $540 million for the full year [5].

Bumble's quarter will look different from the other two. Because it has agreed to be taken private by Ithaca Holdings, it will not publish an earnings release or hold a call [11].

## When the results are due

None of the three had announced a Q3 2026 date by 16 October 2026. Last year's timing is the best guide.

- **Match Group** reported Q3 2025 on 4 November 2025, after the market closed, having announced the date on 14 October [6][12].
- **Bumble** reported Q3 2025 on 5 November 2025 [8]. This year it plans only to file its quarterly report (Form 10-Q) by 9 November 2026, with no release and no call [11].
- **Grindr** reported Q3 2025 on 6 November 2025 [9].

We will update this page with the actual numbers once they are published.

## Where each company stood after Q2 2026

In the three months to June 2026, Match Group's total revenue was $853.1 million, down 1%, from 13.3 million payers, down 6% [1]. Tinder's direct revenue was $457.5 million, down 1%, with 8.5 million payers, down 5% [1]. Hinge grew direct revenue 22% to $203.5 million, with 2.0 million payers, up 17% [1].

Bumble Inc's revenue fell 15.2% to $210.5 million, and paying members fell 16.4% to 3.16 million [3]. The Bumble app alone earned $171.7 million, down 14.7% [3]. Adjusted EBITDA was $72.9 million, a 34.6% margin [3].

Grindr grew revenue 33% to $138 million, with 1.4 million average paying members, up 16%, and an adjusted EBITDA margin of 42% [5].

## Guidance against last year

The table sets each company's own guidance, taken from its Q2 2026 results, against what it actually reported for the same period of 2025.

| Company and measure | Q3 2025 actual | Q3 2026 guidance | Change |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Match Group total revenue | $914m | $885m to $895m | down 2% to 3% |
| Match Group adjusted EBITDA | $301m | $330m to $335m | up 10% at midpoint |
| Bumble Inc total revenue | $246.2m | $205m to $213m | down 13% to 17% |
| Bumble app revenue | $198.8m | $167m to $173m | down 13% to 16% |
| Bumble Inc adjusted EBITDA | $83.1m | $56m to $60m | down 28% to 33% |
| Grindr revenue, full year | $439.9m (2025) | about $540m (2026) | up about 23% |
| Grindr adjusted EBITDA, full year | $195.6m (2025) | about $232m (2026) | up about 19% |

Source: Match Group [1][6], Bumble Inc [3][8] and Grindr [5][13] results. Match's changes are the company's own. Bumble and Grindr changes are our calculation: guidance divided by the prior-year actual, minus one.

Two notes on the comparisons. Match's Q3 2025 adjusted EBITDA of $301 million included a $61 million legal settlement and $2 million of restructuring; excluding them it was $364 million [6]. So the guided rise of about 10% flatters the underlying trend [1][6]. And Match's Q3 2026 guidance already includes a $10 million hit from Tinder product tests and $15 million from lower Azar revenue during an app redesign [1].

For the full year, Match said in August that revenue would land near the midpoint of its February range of $3,410 million to $3,535 million, and adjusted EBITDA at or above the top of its $1,280 million to $1,325 million range [1][15].

## The four questions that matter

### 1. Is Tinder's payer decline flattening?

Tinder had 9.3 million payers in Q3 2025, down 7% on the year before [7]. By Q2 2026 it had 8.5 million, down 5% [1]. Match called that "consistent with our expectations" and said Tinder's daily active members fell 4%, its best result in ten quarters [1]. Match expects Tinder direct revenue to fall by a low single digit percentage in 2026, including a $30 million to $40 million cost from product tests [1]. The thing to watch is whether payers are still falling at around 5%, or whether the new matching changes and in-person events are starting to slow the decline [1].

### 2. Can Hinge keep growing above 20%?

Hinge's Q3 2025 direct revenue was $185 million, with 1.9 million payers and revenue per payer of $32.87 a month [7]. In February 2026 Match guided Hinge to growth "in the low to mid-20 percents" for the year, and in August it said Hinge was in line with that guidance [14][1]. Match says Hinge will reach $1 billion of revenue in 2027 [1]. Watch the European expansion markets, where Hinge's direct revenue grew 86% in Q2 2026, and the extra subscription tier Hinge planned to test in Q3 [1].

### 3. What does Bumble's 10-Q show, with nobody on a call?

Bumble's quarter will arrive as a filing only [11]. The questions it can still answer: did paying members keep falling, and by how much did marketing spend rise? Management said on the Q2 call that marketing would ramp in Q3 and Q4 and that margins would return to historical levels in the second half [4]. It also said the new way of matching that replaces the swipe would start rolling out in "very early 2027", after a delay in moving data to the cloud [4]. See [Bumble's rebuild](/insights/bumble-rebuild-2027) for the full timeline.

### 4. Is Grindr's growth holding up?

Grindr's Q3 2025 revenue was $115.8 million, with direct revenue of $96 million, 1.3 million average paying members and revenue per payer of $24.70 a month [9][10]. Its full-year guidance of about $540 million implies growth of roughly 23% on 2025 [5][13]. Advertising is expected to be in the mid to high teens as a share of revenue [5]. Watch whether paying members are still growing at around 16% and whether advertising keeps outpacing subscriptions [5].

## What we will add when results land

- Revenue, payers and revenue per payer for Tinder, Hinge, Match's other brands, the Bumble app, Badoo and Grindr.
- Each company's result against its own guidance in the table above.
- Any update to Match's and Grindr's full-year guidance.
- Bumble's paying member numbers from its 10-Q.

Our [Q2 2026 scorecard](/insights/top-dating-apps-by-revenue) has the full app-by-app table.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **The market is still paying more per head, not more heads.** Match's payers fell 6% while revenue per payer rose 6% in Q2 2026 [2]. If Q3 shows the same, price is still carrying revenue across the industry.
- **Positioning keeps winning.** Hinge and Grindr, the two apps with the clearest audiences, are the only big apps adding [payers](/glossary/payer) [1][5]. A broad, undifferentiated app is the hardest place to be.
- **Product tests cost money in the short term.** Match is budgeting tens of millions of dollars of lost revenue to change how Tinder works [1]. Any operator changing its core experience should plan for a dip before the gain.
- **A rebuild has a long tail.** Bumble's new way of matching has been pushed into very early 2027 because moving its data to the cloud took longer than expected [4]. If you are planning your own, assume the data migration takes longer than the code. Our [how it works](/how-it-works) page explains how we approach that step.

## Questions

**When does Match Group report Q3 2026 results?**

As of 16 October 2026 Match Group had not announced a date. It reported the third quarter of 2025 on 4 November 2025, after the market closed [6][12].

**Will Bumble hold a Q3 2026 earnings call?**

No. Because of the Ithaca Holdings deal, Bumble said it does not plan to issue an earnings release or hold a call, but still plans to file its quarterly report by 9 November 2026 [11].

**What did Match Group guide for Q3 2026?**

Total revenue of $885 million to $895 million, down 2% to 3% on a year earlier, and adjusted EBITDA of $330 million to $335 million [1].

**What is Grindr's 2026 revenue guidance?**

About $540 million for the full year, raised from $535 million in August 2026 [5]. Grindr does not give quarterly guidance.

## Sources

1. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
2. Match Group announces second quarter results, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex991.htm
3. Bumble Inc. second quarter 2026 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000099/bmbl-ex991prxq22026.htm
4. Bumble (BMBL) Q2 2026 earnings call transcript, The Motley Fool, 2026-08-13. https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2026/08/13/bumble-bmbl-q2-2026-earnings-call-transcript/
5. Grindr Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-06. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001820144/000182014426000023/shl_q2x2026xfinal.htm
6. Match Group announces third quarter 2025 results, Match Group (SEC filing), 2025-11-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110325000179/mtch8-k20251104ex991.htm
7. Match Group Q3 2025 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2025-11-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110325000179/mtch8-k20251104ex992.htm
8. Bumble Inc. announces third quarter 2025 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2025-11-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1830043/000183004325000039/bmbl-ex991prxq32025.htm
9. Grindr Inc. reports third quarter 2025 results, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2025-11-06. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1820144/000182014425000037/exhibit991-q32025earningsr.htm
10. Grindr Q3 2025 shareholder letter, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2025-11-06. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1820144/000182014425000037/grnd_q3xshlxvf.htm
11. Bumble to be acquired by Ithaca Holdings, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-10-13. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000095010326015480/dp254907_ex9901.htm
12. Match Group to announce third quarter 2025 results, Match Group, 2025-10-14. https://ir.matchgroup.com/investor-relations/news-events/news-events/news-details/2025/Match-Group-to-Announce-Third-Quarter-2025-Results/default.aspx
13. Grindr Inc. delivers 28% full year 2025 revenue growth, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-02-26. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1820144/000182014426000004/exhibit991-fy25earningsrel.htm
14. Match Group (MTCH) Q4 2025 earnings call transcript, The Motley Fool via Finviz, 2026-02-03. https://finviz.com/news/298343/match-group-mtch-q4-2025-earnings-transcript
15. Match Group announces fourth quarter and full-year 2025 results, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-02-03. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110326000020/mtch8-k20260203ex991.htm


---

# Dating app ratings index: App Store ratings for 30 dating apps

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/dating-app-ratings-index

**In short:** On 16 October 2026 most major dating apps scored between 4.0 and 4.6 stars on the US App Store. Plenty of Fish, Bumble and Tinder each had around 1.8 million US ratings. Badoo, BLK and Jaumo scored highest among large apps, while Match, OurTime and Jack'd were under 3.9. UK scores were lower for almost every app.

On 16 October 2026, most major dating apps scored between 4.0 and 4.6 stars on the US App Store. The three most-rated apps, Plenty of Fish, Bumble and Tinder, each had around 1.8 million US ratings, with scores of 4.29, 4.32 and 4.20 [1][2][10]. Badoo and BLK were the highest-rated large apps at 4.58 and 4.57 [2][9]. Match, OurTime and Jack'd scored below 3.9 [2][5][10]. In the UK, almost every app scored lower than in the US.

We compiled this index from Apple's own store data for 30 dating apps, on one day, in two stores. It is the only side-by-side US and UK view we know of. Below is the table, how we built it, and what operators should and should not read into it.

## The ratings index

| App | Owner or seller on the listing | US rating | US ratings count | UK rating | UK ratings count |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Plenty of Fish | Plentyoffish Media | 4.29 | 1,808,989 | 4.09 | 274,518 |
| Bumble | Bumble Holding | 4.32 | 1,766,891 | 4.21 | 275,863 |
| Tinder | Tinder LLC | 4.20 | 1,755,150 | 4.18 | 273,591 |
| Hinge | Hinge, Inc. | 4.41 | 1,130,192 | 4.34 | 196,919 |
| BLK | Affinity Apps | 4.57 | 555,941 | 4.46 | 1,291 |
| Tagged | Ifwe Inc. | 4.48 | 461,191 | 4.28 | 17,103 |
| Grindr | Grindr LLC | 4.45 | 388,816 | 4.28 | 56,130 |
| Hily | Hily Corp. | 4.40 | 380,642 | 4.32 | 21,165 |
| MeetMe | The Meet Group | 4.29 | 373,767 | 4.20 | 16,301 |
| OkCupid | Match Group Americas | 4.32 | 289,241 | 4.20 | 16,878 |
| Match | Match Group Americas (US); Match.com International (UK) | 3.87 | 241,974 | 3.81 | 41,325 |
| Taimi | Social Impact Inc. | 4.42 | 214,614 | 4.24 | 10,060 |
| Skout | Skout, Inc. | 4.37 | 188,704 | 4.21 | 9,734 |
| Upward | Affinity Apps | 4.34 | 162,463 | 4.38 | 497 |
| Badoo | Badoo Software | 4.58 | 149,443 | 4.45 | 40,445 |
| Zoosk | Zoosk, Inc. | 4.16 | 105,229 | Not listed | Not listed |
| Feeld | Feeld Ltd | 4.30 | 101,646 | 4.04 | 21,951 |
| Mingle2 | NextC LLC | 4.41 | 78,511 | 4.23 | 6,694 |
| OurTime | Match Group Americas (US); Match.com International (UK) | 3.86 | 70,285 | 3.93 | 9,218 |
| HER | Bloomer Inc | 4.42 | 65,430 | 4.29 | 6,712 |
| The League | The League App | 4.21 | 56,034 | 4.10 | 3,489 |
| eharmony | eHarmony.com | 4.06 | 49,323 | 3.81 | 5,519 |
| happn | HAPPN SAS | 4.35 | 48,740 | 4.09 | 30,399 |
| SCRUFF | Perry Street Software | 4.36 | 29,364 | 4.32 | 3,593 |
| Coffee Meets Bagel | Coffee Meets Bagel, Inc. | 4.34 | 22,026 | Not listed | Not listed |
| Jaumo | Joyride GmbH | 4.75 | 18,136 | 4.67 | 1,079 |
| Raya | Raya App Inc | 4.04 | 16,424 | 3.90 | 3,534 |
| LOVOO | PE Digital GmbH | 4.55 | 11,215 | Not listed | Not listed |
| Jack'd | Perry Street Software | 3.70 | 6,069 | 3.34 | 101 |
| Hornet | Queer Networks Inc. | 3.84 | 3,200 | 2.72 | 610 |

Source: Apple App Store data for the US [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11] and UK [12][13][14][15][16][17][18] stores, retrieved 16 October 2026. Ratings are the all-time average shown to two decimal places; the App Store app rounds to one. "Not listed" means the listing returned no UK result on that date. Match and OurTime are separate apps with separate listings in the US and UK [5][17][18].

## How we built the index

- **Source:** Apple's public lookup service, which returns the same rating and rating count that each App Store listing shows [1][12].
- **Date:** all figures were retrieved on 16 October 2026. Counts move daily, so small differences between apps will change within weeks.
- **Selection:** 30 apps that are widely known, owned by the groups in our [ownership map](/insights/who-owns-dating-apps), or popular in a niche (LGBTQ+, faith, age, ethnicity). Where a brand runs separate US and UK apps, such as Match and OurTime, we show each country's own listing.
- **Not included:** Google Play ratings, ratings for the current version only, and review text.

## What the ratings show

### A narrow band at the top

Of the 30 apps, 25 scored between 4.0 and 4.6 in the US [1] to [11]. The spread between Hinge (4.41) and Tinder (4.20) is small on a star scale, though it is consistent in both countries [1][10][12].

### Volume follows scale and age

Plenty of Fish, Bumble and Tinder lead on count because they are large and have been on the store for many years [1][2][10]. Counts also reflect how hard an app asks for ratings. BLK and Upward, both run by Affinity Apps, have more US ratings than Badoo, Feeld or eharmony [2][3][8][9][10].

### The UK is harder on almost everyone

Of the 27 apps listed in both stores, 25 scored lower in the UK than in the US [1] to [18]. The exceptions were Upward and OurTime, whose UK scores rest on 497 and 9,218 ratings [18]. eharmony fell from 4.06 to 3.81, and Feeld from 4.30 to 4.04 [3][8][13]. Hornet's UK score of 2.72 came from just 610 ratings [16].

### Relationship-focused paid services score lower

Match, OurTime and eharmony, which all lean on paid plans for longer-term relationships, sit near the bottom in both stores [2][5][8][13][17][18]. Higher prices raise expectations, and members who pay a lot and do not meet someone are more likely to leave a low score.

## What ratings tell operators, and what they don't

### What they tell you

- **The store's first impression.** The star rating sits next to your name in search results and on your listing, so it shapes whether a store visit becomes a download.
- **Trends after releases.** A sudden fall after an update usually means a bug, a confusing change or a new paywall.
- **Where you stand against your nearest rivals.** Within a niche, a gap of 0.3 stars or more is a signal worth acting on, for example SCRUFF at 4.36 against Jack'd at 3.70 in the US, both from the same seller [9][10].

### What they don't tell you

- **Revenue.** Tinder had the lowest rating of the three biggest swipe apps and earned $457.5 million of direct revenue in the second quarter of 2026, more than Hinge and the Bumble app combined [10][19][20].
- **Growth.** Grindr's revenue grew 33% on a year in the second quarter of 2026, while its ratings sit in the same band as apps whose revenue is shrinking [1][21].
- **Safety and trust.** Ratings rarely capture scams, fake profiles or moderation quality until something goes wrong publicly.
- **Today's product.** The figure is an all-time average. An app with millions of old ratings changes slowly even after a major rebuild.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Track your rating weekly in each key store.** The US and UK can differ by a quarter of a star or more for the same app, as eharmony and Feeld show [3][8][13].
- **Ask for ratings at good moments.** A match, a first message or a successful date is a better prompt than app launch. Apps with large counts relative to their size, such as BLK, show what consistent prompting does [9].
- **Fix the low-rating causes first.** Login problems, billing confusion and crashes drive one-star reviews more than missing features. Read the reviews behind any drop.
- **Do not chase stars at the expense of revenue.** Tinder's figures show a 4.2 can support the industry's largest business [10][19]. Aim to stay in the band, not to top it.
- **Expect a rebuild to show slowly.** Because the rating is an all-time average, a better app takes months to move it. If your rating is weighed down by an old product, see [signs a dating app needs a rebuild](/insights/signs-dating-app-needs-rebuild).

For revenue and payers behind these apps, see [top dating apps by revenue](/insights/top-dating-apps-by-revenue). For what they charge, see [dating app subscription prices](/insights/dating-app-subscription-prices).

## Questions

**Which dating app has the highest App Store rating?**

Among apps with at least 100,000 US ratings, Badoo (4.58) and BLK (4.57) scored highest on 16 October 2026 [2][9]. Jaumo scored 4.75, but from about 18,000 ratings [9].

**What is Tinder's App Store rating?**

Tinder had 4.20 stars from about 1.76 million ratings on the US App Store and 4.18 from about 274,000 ratings on the UK store on 16 October 2026 [10][12].

**Is Hinge rated higher than Bumble and Tinder?**

Yes on the App Store. Hinge scored 4.41 in the US and 4.34 in the UK, against 4.32 and 4.21 for Bumble and 4.20 and 4.18 for Tinder [1][10][12].

**Do App Store ratings predict dating app revenue?**

Not on their own. Tinder had the lowest rating of the big three swipe apps and by far the most revenue: $457.5 million of direct revenue in the second quarter of 2026 [10][19].

## Sources

1. App Store lookup, US: Bumble, Hinge, Grindr, Apple (iTunes Search API), 2026-10-16. https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=930441707,595287172,319881193&country=us
2. App Store lookup, US: Badoo, Match, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish, Apple (iTunes Search API), 2026-10-16. https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=351331194,305939712,338701294,389638243&country=us
3. App Store lookup, US: Feeld, HER, happn, The League, Apple (iTunes Search API), 2026-10-16. https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=887914690,573328837,489185828,893653132&country=us
4. App Store lookup, US: LOVOO, Apple (iTunes Search API), 2026-10-16. https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=445338486,861891048&country=us
5. App Store lookup, US: apps by Match Group Americas, Apple (iTunes Search API), 2026-10-16. https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=305939715&entity=software&country=us&limit=50
6. App Store lookup, US: Skout, Apple (iTunes Search API), 2026-10-16. https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=383418279,302324249,931185066,642666262&country=us
7. App Store lookup, US: Zoosk, Apple (iTunes Search API), 2026-10-16. https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=349160522&country=us
8. App Store lookup, US: eharmony, Hily, Coffee Meets Bagel, MeetMe, Tagged, Apple (iTunes Search API), 2026-10-16. https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=458272450,1250946975,6502307144,372648912,358899126&country=us
9. App Store lookup, US: BLK, Jaumo, Taimi, SCRUFF, Apple (iTunes Search API), 2026-10-16. https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1253586891,522681493,1282966364,380015247&country=us
10. App Store lookup, US: Hornet, Jack'd, Upward, Tinder, Apple (iTunes Search API), 2026-10-16. https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=462678375,350426804,1499137942,547702041&country=us
11. App Store lookup, US: Raya, Mingle2, Coffee Meets Bagel, Apple (iTunes Search API), 2026-10-16. https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=957215308,1265035248,6502307144&country=us
12. App Store lookup, UK: Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, Grindr, Badoo, Apple (iTunes Search API), 2026-10-16. https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=547702041,930441707,595287172,319881193,351331194&country=gb
13. App Store lookup, UK: OkCupid, Plenty of Fish, eharmony, Feeld, Apple (iTunes Search API), 2026-10-16. https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=305939712,338701294,389638243,458272450,887914690&country=gb
14. App Store lookup, UK: HER, happn, The League, Apple (iTunes Search API), 2026-10-16. https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=573328837,489185828,893653132,445338486,349160522&country=gb
15. App Store lookup, UK: Skout, Hily, MeetMe, Tagged, Apple (iTunes Search API), 2026-10-16. https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=302324249,1250946975,6502307144,372648912,358899126&country=gb
16. App Store lookup, UK: BLK, Jaumo, Taimi, SCRUFF, Hornet, Apple (iTunes Search API), 2026-10-16. https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1253586891,522681493,1282966364,380015247,462678375&country=gb
17. App Store lookup, UK: Match (UK app), Raya, Mingle2, Apple (iTunes Search API), 2026-10-16. https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=444823469,957215308,1009499048,1265035248&country=gb
18. App Store lookup, UK: Upward, Jack'd, OurTime (UK app), Apple (iTunes Search API), 2026-10-16. https://itunes.apple.com/lookup?id=1499137942,350426804,1447263334&country=gb
19. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
20. Bumble Inc. second quarter 2026 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000099/bmbl-ex991prxq22026.htm
21. Grindr Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-06. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001820144/000182014426000023/shl_q2x2026xfinal.htm


---

# Dating app subscription prices compared, 2026

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/dating-app-subscription-prices

**In short:** On 16 October 2026 the US App Store listed Tinder Gold at $13.99 to $24.99, Hinge subscriptions at $14.99 to $34.99, Bumble Premium at $17.99 to $32.99 and Grindr Unlimited at $27.99 to $44.99. eharmony and Match list the highest prices because they sell multi-month plans. UK prices are mostly lower in pounds than in dollars.

On 16 October 2026, the US App Store listed Tinder Gold at $13.99 to $24.99, Hinge subscriptions at $14.99 to $34.99, Bumble Premium at $17.99 to $32.99 and Grindr Unlimited at $27.99 to $44.99 [1][2][3][4]. Relationship services that sell longer plans list far higher prices: eharmony's ran up to $349.99 and Match's up to $129.99 [6][7]. In the UK, the same tiers were mostly cheaper in pounds than in dollars, with Tinder Gold at £7.49 to £14.99 [11].

These are list prices as the App Store showed them on that date. Each listing shows up to ten in-app purchases and does not say which plan length, country offer or member each price applies to. Prices can differ by location, plan length and promotion, and apps may also price differently for different members, for example by age. Treat the table as a snapshot of the price points on offer, not what any one member pays.

## US App Store prices, 16 October 2026

| App | Main subscription tiers listed | Price range for those tiers | Single purchases listed |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Tinder | Plus, Gold | Plus $9.99; Gold $13.99 to $24.99 | Boost $3.99 to $7.99; 5 Super Likes $4.99 |
| Hinge | Hinge+, Hinge Subscription, Membership | Hinge+ $16.99 to $19.99; Hinge Subscription $14.99 to $34.99 | 3 Roses $9.99; 12 Roses $29.99; Boost $9.99 to $19.99 |
| Bumble | Premium, Boost | Premium $17.99 to $32.99; Boost $2.99 to $12.99 | 1 BumbleCoin $1.99 |
| Grindr | XTRA, Unlimited | XTRA $14.99 to $22.99; Unlimited $27.99 to $44.99 | Unlimited Day Pass $9.99; Boost $11.99 |
| Badoo | Premium | $5.99 to $8.99; 7 days $13.99 | Super Powers $2.99 to $11.99; 100 credits $1.99 to $3.99 |
| Match | Standard, Basic, bundles | 1 month Standard or Basic $44.99; 6 month bundle $129.99 | Top Spot $2.99; Boost $5.99 |
| eharmony | Basic, Premium light | Basic $59.99 to $179.99; Premium light $179.99 to $349.99 | None listed |
| OkCupid | Premium, A-List | Premium $7.99 to $59.99; A-List $9.99 | Boost $0.99 to $8.99 |
| Plenty of Fish | Upgrade, Premium | Upgrade $19.99 to $38.99; 1 month $29.99 | 1 token $1.99; 10 tokens $17.99 |
| MeetMe | MeetMe+, Premium | MeetMe+ $7.99; Premium $9.99 | 200 credits $1.99 to 13,000 credits $99.99 |

Source: US App Store listings for each app, viewed 16 October 2026 [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. Names are as listed. The store does not show plan lengths for most items, so a higher price may be a longer plan rather than a dearer tier.

## UK App Store prices, 16 October 2026

| App | Main subscription tiers listed | Price range for those tiers | Single purchases listed |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Tinder | Plus, Gold | Plus £3.99; Gold £7.49 to £14.99 | 1 Boost £3.99 to £7.99; 5 Super Likes £4.99 |
| Hinge | Hinge+, Hinge Subscription | Hinge+ £12.99 to £14.99; Hinge Subscription £14.99 to £29.49 | 3 Roses £9.99 to £11.99; Boost £9.99 |
| Bumble | Premium, Boost | Premium £13.99 to £16.99; 7 days £9.99 to £24.99; Boost £2.49 to £10.99 | 1 BumbleCoin £1.99 |
| Grindr | XTRA, Unlimited | XTRA £9.99 to £15.99; Unlimited £24.99 to £39.99 | Right Now £1.99; Boost £11.99 |
| Badoo | Premium | £4.49 to £6.99; 7 days £9.99 | Super Powers £2.29 to £8.99; 250 credits £0.99 |
| Match (UK app) | Premium, Pass | Premium 1 week £19.99; Premium or Pass 1 month £39.99 | Other items £4.99 to £59.99 |
| eharmony | Basic, Premium light, Premium PLUS | Basic £44.99 to £139.99; Premium light £189.99 to £289.99; Premium PLUS £149.99 to £349.99 | None listed |
| OkCupid | Premium, A-List | Premium £5.99 to £44.99; A-List £7.99 | Boost £0.99 to £6.99 |

Source: UK App Store listings for each app, viewed 16 October 2026 [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]. Match in the UK is a separate app from Match.com International Limited [17].

## What the list prices show

### Three price bands

The apps fall into three groups.

- **Swipe and social apps with low entry prices.** Badoo, OkCupid and Tinder all list entry tiers under $10 in the US [1][5][8]. Badoo's Premium started at $5.99 [5].
- **Mid-priced subscriptions around $15 to $45.** Hinge, Bumble and Grindr cluster here, with their top tiers at $34.99, $32.99 and $44.99 respectively [2][3][4].
- **Relationship services with long plans.** eharmony and Match list multi-month plans, so their headline prices run into the hundreds [6][7].

### Single purchases are everywhere

Every app we checked except eharmony sells one-off items alongside subscriptions: Boosts, Super Likes, Roses, tokens, coins or credits [1][2][3][4][5][6][8][9][10]. MeetMe's listing is dominated by credit packs, from 200 credits for $1.99 to 13,000 for $99.99 [10]. That reflects a live and social model where members buy credits to send gifts, which we cover in [dating app business models](/insights/dating-app-business-models).

### UK prices are lower in local currency

For the same tiers, UK price points were mostly lower in pounds than the US ones were in dollars. Tinder Plus was £3.99 against $9.99, and Grindr Unlimited topped out at £39.99 against $44.99 [1][4][11][14]. We have not converted currencies. The point is that apps set prices market by market rather than translating one price list.

## List price against what members actually pay

Revenue per payer, which companies report, is a better guide to what members actually spend than any list price.

| App | Revenue per payer, per month, Q2 2026 | Lowest and highest main tier listed in the US |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tinder | $17.90 | $9.99 to $24.99 |
| Hinge | $33.11 | $14.99 to $34.99 |
| Bumble app | $27.55 | $17.99 to $32.99 |
| Grindr | $26.51 | $14.99 to $44.99 |
| Badoo and other Bumble apps | $11.21 | $5.99 to $8.99 |

Source: Match Group [19], Bumble Inc [20] and Grindr [21] results for the three months to June 2026; US App Store listings [1][2][3][4][5]. Revenue per payer covers all countries and includes single purchases, so it will not match any one list price.

Hinge members spend close to the top of its listed range each month, while Tinder's average payer spends far below the top Gold price [1][2][19]. Tinder's revenue per payer still rose 4% on a year in the second quarter of 2026 [19]. Revenue per payer is a global average, so lower-priced markets and cheaper tiers pull it below the US list prices.

## How we compiled this

- **Date:** every listing was viewed on 16 October 2026 in the US and UK App Stores [1][11].
- **What the store shows:** each listing shows up to ten in-app purchases with a name and price, chosen by Apple, with no plan length. We grouped them by the tier names as written.
- **Not included:** Google Play prices, web prices and in-app offers, which can be lower. Plan lengths, taxes and introductory discounts are not shown on the listing.
- **Comparisons:** a higher price may be a longer plan rather than a dearer tier, so compare ranges, not single numbers.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Your price list is public and easy to compare.** Anyone can line up your App Store prices against Hinge or Bumble in minutes, as we did here [2][3]. Make sure your tiers are easy to understand at a glance.
- **Price for the market.** The leading apps use different price points in the UK and the US, not one list in two currencies [1][11]. Price testing by country is a basic tool, not an extra.
- **Sell single purchases as well as subscriptions.** Nearly every major app pairs a subscription with one-off boosts, likes or credits [1][2][3][4]. They catch members who will not commit to a plan.
- **Watch revenue per payer more than list price.** The gap between Tinder's $17.90 a month and its top listed tier shows how far realised prices sit below headline ones [1][19].
- **Store fees shape your margin on every price point.** See [app store fees for dating apps](/insights/app-store-fees-dating-apps) for what Apple and Google take in the US, EU and UK, and [payer conversion benchmarks](/insights/payer-conversion-benchmarks) for how many members pay at all.

## Questions

**How much is Tinder Gold?**

On 16 October 2026 the US App Store listed Tinder Gold at prices from $13.99 to $24.99, and the UK store from £7.49 to £14.99 [1][11]. The listing does not say which plan length each price is for.

**How much does Hinge cost?**

The US App Store listed Hinge+ at $16.99 to $19.99 and items called Hinge Subscription at $14.99 to $34.99 on 16 October 2026 [2]. The UK store listed Hinge+ at £12.99 to £14.99 [12].

**Which dating app is the most expensive?**

Of the apps we checked, eharmony listed the highest prices, with Premium light plans up to $349.99 in the US and Premium PLUS up to £349.99 in the UK [7][16]. These are multi-month plans, so they are not directly comparable with weekly or monthly subscriptions.

**Why do dating app prices vary so much?**

Apps sell several plan lengths and tiers, run offers and can set different prices by country and for different members. Each App Store listing shows a sample of products and prices without saying who pays which.

## Sources

1. Tinder Dating App: Date & Chat on the App Store (US), Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tinder-dating-app-date-chat/id547702041
2. Hinge Dating App: Match & Date on the App Store (US), Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/hinge-dating-app-match-date/id595287172
3. Bumble Dating App: Meet & Date on the App Store (US), Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bumble-dating-app-meet-date/id930441707
4. Grindr on the App Store (US), Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/grindr-gay-dating-chat/id319881193
5. Badoo Dating: Meet New People on the App Store (US), Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/badoo-dating-meet-new-people/id351331194
6. Match Dating App: Chat & Meet on the App Store (US), Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/match-dating-app-chat-meet/id305939712
7. eharmony: dating & real love on the App Store (US), Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/eharmony-dating-real-love/id458272450
8. OkCupid Dating on the App Store (US), Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/okcupid-dating-date-singles/id338701294
9. Plenty of Fish on the App Store (US), Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/plenty-of-fish-dating-app/id389638243
10. MeetMe: Go Live & Meet People on the App Store (US), Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/meetme-go-live-meet-people/id372648912
11. Tinder on the App Store (UK), Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/tinder-dating-app-meet-date/id547702041
12. Hinge on the App Store (UK), Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/hinge-dating-app-meet-date/id595287172
13. Bumble on the App Store (UK), Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/bumble-dating-app-chat-date/id930441707
14. Grindr on the App Store (UK), Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/grindr-gay-dating-chat/id319881193
15. Badoo on the App Store (UK), Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/badoo-dating-app-friends/id351331194
16. eharmony on the App Store (UK), Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/eharmony-dating-real-love/id458272450
17. MATCH Dating App on the App Store (UK), Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/match-dating-app/id444823469
18. OkCupid on the App Store (UK), Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/okcupid-online-dating-app/id338701294
19. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
20. Bumble Inc. second quarter 2026 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000099/bmbl-ex991prxq22026.htm
21. Grindr Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-06. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001820144/000182014426000023/shl_q2x2026xfinal.htm


---

# Grindr: how it makes money in 2026

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/grindr-business-profile

**In short:** Grindr makes most of its money from members who pay for subscriptions and add-ons: $366.3 million of direct revenue in 2025, 83% of the total. Paying members rose from 1.1 million in 2024 to 1.4 million by mid-2026, and it earns about $26.51 a month from each. Advertising makes up the rest.

Grindr makes most of its money from members who pay. In 2025 its direct revenue, from subscriptions and add-ons, was $366.3 million out of total revenue of $439.9 million, or 83%, with the rest coming from advertising [1]. Paying members averaged 1.3 million in 2025, up from 1.1 million in 2024 [2], and reached 1.4 million in the three months to June 2026, when each paid an average of $26.51 a month [3].

It is one of the few dating apps where both payers and revenue per payer are rising at the same time. This profile sets out who owns it, how it got here and what other operators can take from it, using Grindr's own SEC filings wherever possible.

## Owner and launch history

Grindr is run by Grindr Inc, listed on the New York Stock Exchange under GRND [2]. Ray Zage and James Lu, together with affiliated entities, own more than 60% of its shares [6]. George Arison is chairman and chief executive [3].

| Date | Event |
| --- | --- |
| 2009 | Founded by Joel Simkhai; first incorporated in California in February 2009 [2][12] |
| 2016 | Beijing Kunlun Tech buys a majority stake for $93 million [11] |
| 2018 | Kunlun buys the rest of the company [11] |
| March 2020 | Under US national security review, Kunlun agrees to sell to San Vicente Acquisition for about $608.5 million [11] |
| November 2022 | Merger with the listed shell company Tiga closes, and Grindr Inc starts trading on the NYSE [2] |
| May 2025 | Launches Woodwork, a telehealth subscription service [2] |
| October 2025 | Ray Zage and James Lu propose taking Grindr private at $18.00 a share [6] |
| November 2025 | Special committee ends talks; the proposal is withdrawn [7][8] |
| February 2026 | Ray Zage signs an 18-month standstill on going-private deals [9] |

Source: Grindr filings and announcements [2][6][7][8][9], with press reports for the Kunlun years [11][12].

## Business model

Grindr reports two revenue lines. Direct revenue is "generated by our users who pay for subscriptions or add-ons to access premium features", and indirect revenue is "generated by third parties who pay to advertise to our users" [2]. Its quarterly filings now label these app-based and advertising revenue [4].

The free app is usable but limited, and paid tiers lift those limits [2]. In 2025 Grindr started testing Edge, which it describes as an AI-native premium tier, and its Q1 2026 letter said Edge "should be our largest driver of revenue growth in 2027" [2][5]. Higher subscription prices began rolling out in the third quarter of 2025 [5].

Advertising was 17% of revenue in 2025 (our calculation from $73.6 million of $439.9 million) [1]. Grindr expects advertising to run in the mid to high teens as a share of 2026 revenue and about 15% over the medium term, and it has cut back ad formats members dislike in some markets [5].

The business is also lean. Grindr had 165 employees at the end of 2025, plus 29 contract engineers in Colombia [2]. Its adjusted EBITDA margin was 44.5% in 2025 [10].

## Revenue and payers, 2024 to Q2 2026

| Period | Total revenue | Direct (app) revenue | Advertising | Average paying members | Average monthly active members | Revenue per payer, per month |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2024 | $344.6m | $290.9m | $53.7m | 1.1m | 14.2m | $22.04 (our calc) |
| 2025 | $439.9m | $366.3m | $73.6m | 1.3m | 15.0m | $23.48 (our calc) |
| Q2 2025 | $104.2m | $86.9m | $17.3m | not in our sources | not reported | not in our sources |
| Q1 2026 | $130m | $107m | $23m | 1.4m | 15m (company figure, not quarterly) | $25.63 |
| Q2 2026 | $138.1m | $113.3m | $24.9m | 1.4m | 15m (company figure, not quarterly) | $26.51 |

Source: Grindr 10-K for 2025 [1][2], Q1 2026 letter [5], Q2 2026 letter [3] and Q2 2026 10-Q [4]. Quarterly revenue per payer is as reported. Annual figures are our calculation.

**How we calculated annual revenue per payer:** direct revenue divided by average paying members, divided by 12. For 2025 that is $366.3 million divided by 1.3 million divided by 12, or $23.48 [1][2]. Grindr rounds paying members to one decimal place, so treat these as approximate.

Three things stand out. Revenue rose 28% in 2025 [10] and 33% in the second quarter of 2026 [3]. Paying members as a share of monthly active members rose from about 7.7% in 2024 to about 8.7% in 2025 (our calculation from the 10-K figures) [2]. And reported revenue per payer rose 12% in the second quarter of 2026 [3], helped by the price rises [5]. See [payer conversion](/glossary/payer-conversion) and [revenue per payer](/glossary/arppu) for how these measures work.

Profit swung too. Grindr made a net loss of $131.0 million in 2024 and net income of $94.8 million in 2025 [10]. It raised its 2026 guidance to about $540 million of revenue and about $232 million of adjusted EBITDA [3].

## Safety and verification

Grindr's 10-K describes moderation on three pillars: automated review, manual review and community reports [2]. In the UK, members cannot use the app until they complete a one-time age check, either a video selfie or a selfie with photo ID, supplied through FaceTec, and Grindr says it does not keep the documents or videos [13]. It added similar checks in Australia in December 2025 and Brazil in March 2026 [14].

Those checks have a measurable cost. Grindr said age assurance rules in the UK, Australia and Brazil cut its monthly active member growth by about 100,000 in the first quarter of 2026, and that it prefers age checks at app store or device level [5]. Malaysia also forced Apple to remove Grindr from its App Store, which Grindr said has had no material financial impact so far [5]. For the wider rules, see [age verification for dating apps](/insights/age-verification-dating-apps) and [age assurance](/glossary/age-assurance).

## Recent changes

- **Take-private bid and standstill.** The $18.00 proposal came from shareholders who already held more than 60% of the stock [6]. The special committee said it could not get "satisfactory information about definitive financing" and stopped talks on 24 November 2025 [7]. Two days later the shareholders withdrew it and said Ray Zage would keep buying shares in the market [8]. In February 2026 he agreed not to seek a going-private deal for 18 months unless invited by the board, and any invited proposal would need approval from a majority of disinterested shareholders [9].
- **Buybacks instead.** Grindr carried out $450 million of share repurchases in 2025 [5], and in February 2026 the board added up to $400 million to the programme and extended it to March 2029 [9].
- **AI and new products.** Edge is being rolled out globally in 2026, and a discreet Right Now profile lets members appear without linking to their main profile [5].
- **Health.** Woodwork, launched in May 2025, uses OpenLoop Health for clinical support [2].

## What it means for dating app operators

- **A clear audience supports price rises.** Grindr raised prices in 2025 and still added payers [3][5]. Price rises work best where members have few real substitutes, so know honestly how many yours have.
- **Watch conversion, not just revenue.** The share of active members who pay rose by about a percentage point in a year [2]. That is the number that shows whether premium features are worth paying for.
- **Keep advertising in its place.** Grindr caps ads at about 15% of revenue over time and is removing formats members dislike [5]. Ads that annoy payers can cost more than they earn.
- **Price in age checks.** App-level checks cost Grindr about 100,000 active members of growth in one quarter [5]. Budget for that drop in your forecasts and make the check as quick as possible. Our [platform page](/platform) explains how ID and age checks fit into a rebuilt app.
- **Small teams can run big apps.** 165 employees supported $439.9 million of revenue in 2025 [2][10]. Focus on the product members pay for and keep fixed costs low.

## Questions

**How does Grindr make money?**

Mostly from members paying for subscriptions and add-ons, which Grindr calls direct revenue. In 2025 that was $366.3 million of its $439.9 million total, with the rest from advertising [1].

**How many people pay for Grindr?**

Grindr averaged 1.4 million paying members in the three months to June 2026, up 16% on a year earlier [3]. It averaged 1.3 million in 2025 and 1.1 million in 2024 [2].

**Who owns Grindr?**

Grindr Inc is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Ray Zage and James Lu, with affiliated entities, own more than 60% of its shares [6].

**Is Grindr being taken private?**

Not now. Its two largest shareholders proposed $18.00 a share in October 2025, but the board's special committee ended talks over financing and the offer was withdrawn [6][7][8]. In February 2026 Ray Zage agreed not to pursue a going-private deal for 18 months unless the board invites one [9].

## Sources

1. Grindr Inc. Form 10-K 2025: schedule of disaggregation of revenues, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-02-26. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1820144/000182014426000007/R45.htm
2. Grindr Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for 2025, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-02-26. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1820144/000182014426000007/grnd-20251231.htm
3. Grindr Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-06. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001820144/000182014426000023/shl_q2x2026xfinal.htm
4. Grindr Inc. quarterly report on Form 10-Q, quarter to 30 June 2026, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-06. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001820144/000182014426000025/grnd-20260630.htm
5. Grindr Q1 2026 shareholder letter, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-05-07. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001820144/000182014426000009/shl_q1x2026xv5726.htm
6. Grindr special committee confirms receipt of take-private proposal from large shareholders, Grindr Inc, 2025-10-24. https://investors.grindr.com/news/news-details/2025/Grindr-Special-Committee-Confirms-Receipt-of-Take-Private-Proposal-from-Large-Shareholders/default.aspx
7. Grindr special committee ceases engagement with respect to unsolicited take-private proposal, Grindr Inc, 2025-11-24. https://investors.grindr.com/news/news-details/2025/Grindr-Special-Committee-Ceases-Engagement-with-Respect-to-Unsolicited-Take-Private-Proposal-from-Large-Shareholders/
8. George Raymond Zage III and James Fu Bin Lu respond to Grindr special committee decision, PR Newswire via Finviz, 2025-11-26. https://finviz.com/news/239505/george-raymond-zage-ill-and-james-fu-bin-lu-respond-to-grindr-special-committee-decision-to-cease-engagement-on-proposed-take-private-transaction
9. Grindr Inc. Form 8-K: cooperation agreement and full year 2025 results, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-02-26. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1820144/000182014426000004/grnd-20260226.htm
10. Grindr Inc. delivers 28% full year 2025 revenue growth, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-02-26. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1820144/000182014426000004/exhibit991-fy25earningsrel.htm
11. Grindr's Chinese owner says to sell social media app for $608 million, CNBC (Reuters), 2020-03-06. https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/06/grindrs-chinese-owner-says-to-sell-social-media-app-for-608-million.html
12. Grindr founder Joel Simkhai launches new app, Gizmodo, 2022-11-01. https://gizmodo.com/grindr-gay-dating-app-motto-joel-simkhai-launches-1849707010
13. Age assurance in the UK, Grindr, 2025-06-25. https://www.grindr.com/blog/age-assurance-in-the-uk
14. Age assurance on Grindr, Grindr help centre, 2026-10-16. https://help.grindr.com/hc/en-us/articles/47133656615827-Age-Assurance-on-Grindr


---

# Hinge vs Bumble: two business models, two directions

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/hinge-vs-bumble-business

**In short:** Hinge overtook the Bumble app on quarterly revenue at the end of 2025 and earned $203.5 million against $171.7 million in the second quarter of 2026. Both charge similar amounts per payer, with Hinge about 20% higher throughout. The real difference is direction: Hinge keeps adding payers while Bumble's have fallen by a quarter.

Hinge and the Bumble app now earn similar sums from similar numbers of paying members, but they are heading in opposite directions. In the second quarter of 2026 Hinge's direct revenue was $203.5 million, up 22%, from 2.0 million payers, up 17% [1]. The Bumble app's revenue was $171.7 million, down 14.7%, from 2.08 million paying members, down from 2.50 million a year earlier [7]. Hinge first earned more than the Bumble app in a quarter at the end of 2025 [3][9].

The surprise in the numbers is pricing. Across six quarters Hinge has earned roughly 20% more per payer than the Bumble app, and that gap has barely moved [1][6][7][9]. The difference between the two businesses is almost entirely about whether paying members are arriving or leaving.

## Revenue and payers, quarter by quarter

| Quarter | Hinge direct revenue | Hinge payers | Bumble app revenue | Bumble app paying members |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Q4 2024 | $148m | 1.6m | $212.4m | 2.81m |
| Q1 2025 | $152.2m | not stated | $201.8m | 2.71m |
| Q2 2025 | $168m | 1.7m | $201.4m | 2.50m |
| Q3 2025 | $185m | 1.9m | $198.8m | 2.34m |
| Q4 2025 | $186m | 1.9m | $181.0m | 2.19m |
| Q1 2026 | $194m | 2.0m | $172.7m | 2.08m |
| Q2 2026 | $203.5m | 2.0m | $171.7m | 2.08m |

Source: Match Group [1][2][3][4][5][6] and Bumble Inc [7][8][9][10] results. Hinge Q1 2025 revenue is from the reconciliation in Match's Q1 2026 letter, which does not give that quarter's payers [2].

Over these six quarters Hinge's quarterly revenue rose 37.5% and its payers 25%, on our calculation from the first and last rows [1][6]. The Bumble app's revenue fell 19.2% and its paying members 26.2% [7][9].

For full years, Hinge's direct revenue was $550 million in 2024 and $691 million in 2025, up 26% [6][3]. The Bumble app's revenue was $866.3 million in 2024 and $783.0 million in 2025, down 9.6% [9]. Its average paying members fell from 2.81 million to 2.43 million [9].

## Revenue per payer, with the method

Both companies publish a monthly revenue per paying member. Match calls it RPP, Bumble calls it ARPPU, and both work it out the same way: revenue for the period divided by the average number of paying members, divided by the number of months (see [ARPPU](/glossary/arppu)). Where a figure was not published, we have used the same method.

| Quarter | Hinge revenue per payer, monthly | Bumble app revenue per payer, monthly | Hinge premium |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Q4 2024 | $30.42 | $25.17 (our calculation) | 21% |
| Q2 2025 | $31.96 | $26.85 | 19% |
| Q3 2025 | $32.87 | $28.27 | 16% |
| Q4 2025 | $32.96 | $27.61 (our calculation) | 19% |
| Q1 2026 | $33.13 | $27.65 | 20% |
| Q2 2026 | $33.11 | $27.55 | 20% |

Source: Match Group [1][2][3][4][5][6] and Bumble Inc [7][8][9][10]. Our calculations: Q4 2024, $212.4 million divided by 2.8126 million paying members divided by three months; Q4 2025, $181.0 million divided by 2.1852 million divided by three [9]. The method reproduces Bumble's published Q2 2026 figure of $27.55 exactly [7]. Premium is Hinge divided by Bumble, minus one.

Two cautions. Match reports Hinge's payers rounded to one decimal place, so dividing its revenue by 2.0 million will not match its published RPP; use the published figure [1]. And Hinge's figure is direct revenue, while Bumble's app line is total revenue for the app, so the two are close but not identical definitions [1][7].

## Two product strategies

**Hinge: add features for serious daters, then expand abroad.** Match describes Hinge's growth as coming from product, international expansion and monetisation, and says Hinge will reach $1 billion of revenue in 2027 [1]. Recent features include Friend's Take, which lets friends and family add notes to a profile, a badge called Signals for thoughtful participation, and work on its first reinforcement learning model to spot when a member might need help [1]. Hinge rolled out Face Check across key markets, which Match says cut interactions with bad actors by 20% to 30% [2]. Abroad, direct revenue in its European expansion markets grew 86% in the second quarter of 2026, Mexico and Brazil launched in 2025, and Argentina, Chile, Peru and India were planned for 2026 [1][3]. It planned to test an additional subscription tier in the third quarter [1].

**Bumble: clean up the base, rebuild the platform, change the core mechanic.** Bumble spent 2025 and 2026 trying to improve the quality of its member base, and says complaints about bots, spammers and low-quality profiles have in many respects been addressed [11]. It is moving to a new cloud platform and plans to start rolling out a new interaction model that moves away from the swipe in very early 2027 [11]. Nearer term it lets members send one opening message until the other person replies, has extended the 24-hour reply window, is testing an AI assistant called B, a standalone in-person events app called Plans, simpler subscription tiers and limited free access to Likes You [11]. All of this will now continue under Ithaca Holdings, which agreed on 13 October 2026 to buy Bumble for about $1.3 billion [12].

## Where they stand in late 2026

| Measure | Hinge | Bumble app |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Owner | Match Group | Bumble Inc, being bought by Ithaca Holdings |
| Revenue, Q2 2026 | $203.5m, up 22% | $171.7m, down 14.7% |
| Payers, Q2 2026 | 2.0m, up 17% | 2.08m, down 17% |
| Revenue per payer, Q2 2026 | $33.11 | $27.55 |
| Stated goal | $1bn revenue in 2027 | Relaunch on new platform from early 2027 |
| Growth lever | New markets and new paid tiers | Fixing the core product and member quality |

Source: Match Group [1], Bumble Inc [7][12] and Bumble's Q2 2026 call [11]. Bumble app payer change is our calculation from 2.08 million against 2.50 million [7].

At current trends Hinge is likely to pass the Bumble app on paying members too: the gap was 0.08 million in the second quarter of 2026, down from 1.2 million at the end of 2024 [1][6][7][9]. Hinge's payer count is rounded, so the true gap could be a little wider or narrower. That is our reading of the trend, not a forecast either company has made.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Price is not the differentiator here.** A stable premium of around 20% per payer did not stop Hinge growing or Bumble shrinking [1][7]. Members pay for an app that works for them, and growth comes from more of them deciding to pay.
- **A clear purpose supports a higher price.** Hinge's positioning around relationships lets it charge more than a broad app while still adding payers [1]. If you cannot say in a sentence who your app is for, fix that before raising prices.
- **Expansion only works on a strong base.** Hinge expanded abroad from a growing home business; Bumble is fixing its core first [1][11]. Launching in new markets while payers fall at home spreads a weak product further.
- **Trust features can be cheap.** Match says Hinge cut bad-actor interactions by 20% to 30% with Face Check [2]. Investment in [trust and safety](/glossary/trust-and-safety) can protect payers rather than cost them.
- **Rebuilds take longer than plans say.** Bumble's timeline moved into 2027 [11]. If your platform slows product changes, plan the move early; [how it works](/how-it-works) sets out how we approach it.

## Questions

**Is Hinge bigger than Bumble?**

On quarterly revenue, yes. Hinge's direct revenue was $203.5 million in the second quarter of 2026, against $171.7 million for the Bumble app [1][7]. For the full year 2025 the Bumble app was still larger, at $783.0 million against Hinge's $691 million [3][9].

**How many paying members do Hinge and Bumble have?**

In the second quarter of 2026 Hinge had 2.0 million payers and the Bumble app had 2.08 million paying members [1][7].

**Which earns more per paying member, Hinge or Bumble?**

Hinge. Its revenue per payer was $33.11 a month in the second quarter of 2026, against $27.55 for the Bumble app [1][7].

**Who owns Hinge and Bumble?**

Hinge belongs to Match Group [1]. Bumble Inc owns Bumble and Badoo and agreed in October 2026 to be taken private by Ithaca Holdings [12].

## Sources

1. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
2. Match Group Q1 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-05-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000072/mtch8-k20260505ex992.htm
3. Match Group (MTCH) Q4 2025 earnings call transcript, The Motley Fool via Finviz, 2026-02-03. https://finviz.com/news/298343/match-group-mtch-q4-2025-earnings-transcript
4. Match Group Q3 2025 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2025-11-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110325000179/mtch8-k20251104ex992.htm
5. Match Group Q2 2025 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2025-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110325000122/mtch8-k20250805ex992.htm
6. Match Group Q4 2024 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2025-02-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110325000018/mtch8-k20250204ex992.htm
7. Bumble Inc. second quarter 2026 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000099/bmbl-ex991prxq22026.htm
8. Bumble Inc. announces first quarter 2026 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-05-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000046/bmbl-ex991prxq12026.htm
9. Bumble Inc. announces fourth quarter and full year 2025 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-03-11. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1830043/000183004326000018/bmbl-ex991prxq42025.htm
10. Bumble Inc. announces third quarter 2025 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2025-11-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1830043/000183004325000039/bmbl-ex991prxq32025.htm
11. Bumble (BMBL) Q2 2026 earnings call transcript, The Motley Fool, 2026-08-13. https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2026/08/13/bumble-bmbl-q2-2026-earnings-call-transcript/
12. Bumble to be acquired by Ithaca Holdings, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-10-13. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000095010326015480/dp254907_ex9901.htm


---

# Hinge: revenue, payers and growth strategy in 2026

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/hinge-business-profile

**In short:** Hinge earned $203.5 million of direct revenue from 2.0 million payers in the three months to June 2026, up 22% on a year earlier. It earns $33.11 a month per payer, the most of any big dating app. Match Group expects Hinge to reach $1 billion of revenue in 2027, driven by Europe, Latin America and India.

Hinge is the fastest-growing large dating app that publishes its numbers. In the three months to June 2026 it earned $203.5 million of direct revenue, up 22% on a year earlier, from 2.0 million payers, up 17% [1]. Each payer brought in $33.11 a month, almost twice Tinder's $17.90 [1]. Match Group expects Hinge to reach $1 billion of revenue in 2027 [1].

This profile compiles every Hinge figure Match Group has reported since the start of 2024 and sets out how the app makes money, how it keeps members safe and what changed in its leadership.

## Owner and launch history

Hinge is owned by Match Group, which also owns Tinder, Match, OkCupid and other brands. Match Group's annual report says Hinge launched in 2012 [11]. Match bought a 51% stake in June 2018, with the right to buy the rest within 12 months [12], and announced it owned all of Hinge in February 2019 [13]. Match now reports Hinge as one of its four business units [11].

Key dates since 2024:

- **By May 2024:** Hidden Words launches, letting members filter words, phrases or emojis out of incoming messages [10].
- **September 2024:** Your Turn Limits goes global. It asks members to close out conversations before starting new ones once they reach a limit [8].
- **March 2025:** a new AI recommendation algorithm launches [5].
- **December 2025:** founder Justin McLeod steps down as CEO to start Overtone, and president and chief marketing officer Jackie Jantos is named his successor [14].
- **Early 2026:** Face Check is fully rolled out in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Brazil and Mexico [2].
- **Q2 2026:** Hinge enters six new European countries and four new Latin American countries [1].
- **Mid-July 2026:** Friend's Take launches, letting friends and family add reflections to a member's profile [1].

## Business model and tiers

Hinge is freemium, like Tinder [11]. Members can build a profile and browse for free, and pay for one of two subscriptions: Hinge+ and HingeX [11]. Match planned to test a third subscription tier in the third quarter of 2026 [1].

Almost all of Hinge's money comes straight from members. Its direct revenue equals its total revenue in Match's segment tables: $203.5 million in the second quarter of 2026 [1]. Like the rest of the group, it sells mainly through Apple and Google, which take "a meaningful share" of in-app revenue [11].

Hinge's positioning is relationships rather than casual swiping. Its fifth "Designed to be Deleted" campaign ran in 2024 [10], and its 2026 campaign in the US was "Can't Believe We Met On Hinge" [1]. The high revenue per payer suggests members will pay more for an app with a clear purpose.

## Revenue and payers, quarter by quarter

| Quarter | Direct revenue | Change on a year | Payers | Change on a year | Revenue per payer, per month |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Q1 2024 | $123.8m | up 50% | 1.4m | up 31% | $28.96 |
| Q2 2024 | $133.6m | up 48% | nearly 1.5m | up 24% | about $30 |
| Q3 2024 | $145.4m | up 36% | 1.6m | up 21% | $30.26 |
| Q4 2024 | $147.7m | up 27% | 1.6m | up 19% | $30.42 |
| Q1 2025 | $152.2m | up 23% | 1.7m | up 19% | $29.90 |
| Q2 2025 | $167.5m | up 25% | 1.7m | up 18% | $31.96 |
| Q3 2025 | $184.7m | up 27% | 1.9m | up 17% | $32.87 |
| Q4 2025 | $186m | up 26% | 1.9m | up 17% | $32.96 |
| Q1 2026 | $194m | up 28% | 2.0m | up 15% | $33.13 |
| Q2 2026 | $203.5m | up 22% | 2.0m | up 17% | $33.11 |

Source: Match Group shareholder letters and prepared remarks for each quarter [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. Changes on a year are as reported, not adjusted for currency. Match gave the Q2 2024 revenue per payer only as a rounded figure [9].

What the table shows:

**Payers up by about 43% in just over two years.** From 1.4 million in the first quarter of 2024 to 2.0 million in the second quarter of 2026 is a rise of roughly 43%, on Match's rounded figures [10][1]. That is our calculation. Over the same period, Tinder's payers fell from just under 10 million to 8.5 million [10][1].

**Price rose too.** Revenue per payer went from $28.96 to $33.11 a month, about 14% higher [10][1]. At the latest rate, a Hinge payer is worth about $397 a year (our calculation: $33.11 times 12).

**Hinge is catching up with Tinder.** In the first quarter of 2024, Hinge's direct revenue was about 26% of Tinder's ($123.8 million against $481.5 million) [10]. By the second quarter of 2026 it was about 44% ($203.5 million against $457.5 million) [1]. Both ratios are our calculation.

Hinge's direct revenue for 2024 was $550.4 million, up 39% [7], and for 2025 $691 million, up 26% [3]. Match expected growth in the low to mid 20s per cent in 2026 [3] and said in August that Hinge was in line with that guidance [1].

Hinge is also profitable. Its adjusted EBITDA in the second quarter of 2026 was $79 million, up 48%, a 39% margin [1].

## How revenue per payer is calculated

Match Group defines revenue per payer as direct revenue for the period, divided by payers in the period, divided by the number of months [1]. A payer is a unique member, in a given month, from whom Match earned direct revenue [1].

If you divide $203.5 million by 2.0 million payers and three months you get about $33.92, not the $33.11 Match reports [1]. The gap is because Match rounds Hinge's payer count to one decimal place. Working backwards from the reported figure [1] suggests the unrounded count was just over 2.0 million, so use Match's own revenue per payer rather than recalculating it. See [ARPPU](/glossary/arppu) for how other companies define the same measure.

## Safety and verification

Hinge's safety work has focused on behaviour as much as identity:

- **Hidden Words** filters unwanted words and emojis from incoming messages [10].
- **Your Turn Limits** tackles ghosting. Match said tests showed about a 20% increase in members responding [8].
- **Face Check**, the facial verification step first used at Tinder, was fully rolled out on Hinge in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Brazil and Mexico by the first quarter of 2026, with more markets planned [2].
- **Signals** is a badge for thoughtful participation that subscribers can filter on. In tests, selfie verification by existing members rose 15% [1].

For the wider picture, see [ID verification](/glossary/id-verification) and [trust and safety](/glossary/trust-and-safety) in the glossary.

## Recent product and leadership changes

The biggest change is at the top. Justin McLeod, who founded Hinge, stepped down as CEO in December 2025 to launch Overtone, an early-stage dating service built on AI and voice tools that was incubated inside Hinge [14]. Match is providing pre-seed funding and plans to take a substantial stake [14]. Jackie Jantos, Hinge's president and chief marketing officer, was named CEO, and McLeod stayed on as an adviser through March [14].

Product changes lean on AI to improve matches and conversations:

- **AI recommendation algorithm**, launched March 2025, which Match said drove a more than 15% increase in matches and contact exchanges [6][5].
- **Prompt Feedback**, AI help with writing profile prompts, rolled out from January 2025 [7][5].
- **Conversation Starters**, which drove about 10% more likes with comments in testing and launched in the US in December 2025 [4][3].
- **Warm Intros** was tested and dropped because it "did not resonate" [4].
- **Friend's Take**, launched mid-July 2026, plus tests of Your Type Lately and Date Ideas [1][2].

Growth is increasingly international. Direct revenue in Hinge's European expansion markets rose 86% in the second quarter of 2026 [1]. Match expected more than $100 million of direct revenue from those markets in 2026, and named Argentina, Chile, Peru and India as next [3]. India is Hinge's first major push into Asia [1].

## What it means for dating app operators

- **A clear purpose supports a higher price.** Hinge earns almost twice as much per payer as Tinder while still adding payers [1]. If your app has a distinct audience or intent, price for it.
- **Safety features can be about behaviour, not only identity.** Your Turn Limits and Hidden Words target ghosting and abuse, and Match reports a measurable lift in responses [8]. These are cheaper to build than full verification and members notice them.
- **Kill features that do not work.** Hinge tested Warm Intros and dropped it [4]. A platform that lets you test and roll back quickly matters as much as the ideas.
- **Expansion works best market by market.** Hinge has grown by entering a few countries at a time and investing in each [1][3]. See [launching a dating app city by city](/insights/launching-dating-app-city-by-city) for the liquidity side of that.

For a direct comparison with Hinge's closest rival, see [Hinge vs Bumble](/insights/hinge-vs-bumble-business), and for its sister brand, the [Tinder business profile](/insights/tinder-business-profile).

## Questions

**How much money does Hinge make?**

Hinge had $203.5 million of direct revenue in the three months to June 2026, up 22% on a year earlier [1]. Its direct revenue for 2025 was $691 million, up 26% [3].

**How many people pay for Hinge?**

Hinge had 2.0 million payers in the second quarter of 2026, up 17% on a year earlier [1]. It had 1.4 million in the first quarter of 2024 [10].

**Who owns Hinge?**

Match Group. It bought 51% of Hinge in June 2018 and the rest by early 2019 [12][13].

**Who is the CEO of Hinge?**

Jackie Jantos, previously Hinge's president and chief marketing officer. She was named to succeed founder Justin McLeod in December 2025, when he left to start Overtone, an AI dating service Match is backing [14].

**What are Hinge's subscription tiers?**

Hinge+ and HingeX [11]. Match Group planned to test a third tier in the third quarter of 2026 [1].

## Sources

1. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
2. Match Group Q1 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-05-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000072/mtch8-k20260505ex992.htm
3. Match Group Q4 2025 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-02-03. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110326000020/mtch8-k20260203ex992.htm
4. Match Group Q3 2025 prepared remarks, Match Group (SEC filing), 2025-11-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110325000179/mtch8-k20251104ex992.htm
5. Match Group Q2 2025 prepared remarks, Match Group (SEC filing), 2025-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110325000122/mtch8-k20250805ex992.htm
6. Match Group Q1 2025 prepared remarks, Match Group (SEC filing), 2025-05-08. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110325000074/mtch8-k20250508ex992.htm
7. Match Group Q4 2024 executive commentary, Match Group (SEC filing), 2025-02-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110325000018/mtch8-k20250204ex992.htm
8. Match Group Q3 2024 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2024-11-06. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110324000111/mtch8-k20241106ex991.htm
9. Match Group Q2 2024 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2024-07-30. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110324000093/mtch8-k20240730ex991.htm
10. Match Group Q1 2024 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2024-05-07. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110324000054/mtch8-k20240507ex991.htm
11. Match Group annual report on Form 10-K for 2025, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-02-26. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110326000025/mtch-20251231.htm
12. Match Group expands portfolio with dating app Hinge, Match Group, 2018-06-20. https://mtch.com/?p=1984
13. Match Group acquires 100% of Hinge, Global Dating Insights, 2019-02-07. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/news/match-group-acquires-100-of-hinge/
14. Hinge CEO steps down to launch Overtone, an AI dating app, TechCrunch, 2025-12-09. https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/09/hinge-ceo-steps-down-to-launch-overtone-an-ai-dating-app


---

# How much does it cost to build a dating app in 2026?

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/dating-app-development-cost

**In short:** Published agency estimates put a dating app build at roughly $15,000 to $80,000 for a basic first version and $150,000 to $600,000 for a Tinder-scale product. The bigger number is running it: in our illustrative example, a 300,000-member app costs about $107,000 a month before app store fees.

Building a dating app costs somewhere between $15,000 and $600,000, depending on whose estimate you read and what you ask for [2][4]. Six agency guides published or updated in 2026 cluster around $25,000 to $80,000 for a basic first version and $150,000 to $300,000 or more for a Tinder-style product [1][3][4][5][6]. Those quotes mostly stop at launch. Running the app is the larger bill: moderation, ID checks, payments, hosting, releases and a team. In our illustrative example below, an app with 300,000 monthly active members costs about $107,000 a month before app store fees and $164,000 to $220,000 after them, using published vendor prices, store fee schedules and US median wages [7][8][9][11][12][14][15].

This guide compiles the published build estimates, shows what they leave out, and works through the running costs with method shown.

## What agencies say a build costs

We collected six cost guides from development agencies, all published or updated between April and October 2026. Each agency sells builds, so treat the numbers as sales material, but the spread is still useful.

| Agency (updated) | Basic or first version | Full or Tinder-style | Time quoted |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Purrweb (Apr 2026) | $45,000 to $70,000 | $157,000 to $200,000 (Tinder estimate) | 4 to 6 months |
| Groovy Web (Jun 2026) | $30,000 to $80,000 | $200,000 to $600,000+ (complex) | Not stated |
| F22 Labs (Jun 2026) | $15,000 to $25,000 (lean) | $150,000 to $300,000+ | 3 to 4 months lean, 9 to 12+ months full |
| Chop Dawg (Jul 2026) | $25,000 to $60,000 | $75,000 to $150,000+ | 6 to 8 months, 8 to 12 complex |
| TechAhead (Sep 2026) | $80,000 to $150,000 | $250,000+ | Not stated |
| RaftLabs (Oct 2026) | $35,000 to $70,000 | $120,000 to $200,000 (scaled) | 12 to 16 weeks, 24 to 40 scaled |

Source: agency guides [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Purrweb's lower figure is its cross-platform version without video, billing, admin dashboard or advanced moderation [1].

Three things stand out. First, the low end is low because it excludes the features a dating app cannot launch without. Purrweb's cheapest option leaves out subscription billing, an admin dashboard and advanced moderation [1]. RaftLabs prices selfie verification at $10,000 to $18,000 and a human moderation review queue at $15,000 to $30,000 as add-ons [5].

Second, rates drive the spread more than scope does. Purrweb contrasts US and EU agency rates of $150 to $200 an hour with its own Eastern European rates of $45 to $55 [1].

Third, most guides put maintenance at a share of the build: 15% to 20% a year at Groovy Web and TechAhead [2][6], and 15% to 25% at F22 Labs [4]. On a $150,000 build that is $22,500 to $37,500 a year (our calculation from [4]). As the next section shows, that covers code upkeep, not running a dating service.

## What the quotes leave out

A dating app is a service, not a one-off piece of software. The costs that matter after launch fall into six groups. For what each part of the backend does, see our [backend checklist](/insights/dating-app-tech-stack).

- **Moderation.** Every photo, bio and message is a risk. Automated scanning is cheap: Amazon Rekognition's image moderation starts at $0.001 per image for the first million each month [8], and OpenAI says its moderation model is free to use within rate limits [10]. Human review is not cheap. Match Group told CBS News in 2024 that it spends $125 million a year on [trust and safety](/glossary/trust-and-safety) [16].
- **ID and age checks.** Veriff publishes self-serve prices of $0.80, $1.39 and $1.89 per verification, with monthly minimums of $49 to $209 [7]. Its self-serve plans cap out at 10,000 sessions a month, and volumes above 5,000 a month move to custom enterprise pricing [7]. Amazon Rekognition's face liveness check costs $0.015 per check for the first 500,000 in US East [8]. Phone verification adds more: Twilio Verify charges $0.05 per successful verification plus $0.0083 per SMS in the US [9]. See our guide to [age verification for dating apps](/insights/age-verification-dating-apps).
- **Payments operations.** Apple keeps 30% of a subscription in the first year and 15% after a subscriber has a year of paid service [11]. Google Play charges 10% plus a 5% billing fee on subscriptions in the UK, US, EEA, Australia and Japan [12]. Web payments are cheaper per transaction but bring [chargebacks](/glossary/chargeback): Stripe charges 1.5% plus 20p on standard UK cards and £20 for each dispute received [13]. More in our guide to [app store fees](/insights/app-store-fees-dating-apps).
- **Hosting.** Groovy Web puts cloud infrastructure at $400 to $5,000 a month [2]. RaftLabs puts all ongoing costs, including hosting, SMS, photo scanning and moderation, at $3,000 to $12,000 a month [5].
- **Releases.** Apple and Google change their rules and operating systems every year, and each change means testing and resubmitting both apps. This is engineering time that agency maintenance budgets rarely cover in full.
- **Team.** Someone has to run all of the above every day. That is usually the largest line.

## A worked example: 300,000 monthly active members

The table below estimates monthly running costs for a hypothetical app with 300,000 [monthly active members](/glossary/mau), using the vendor prices and wage data cited in each row [7][8][9][14][15]. It is illustrative, not a benchmark. Every input is either a published list price or an assumption we state, so you can swap in your own numbers.

| Cost line | Assumption | Monthly cost |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Engineering and QA team | 4 engineers at the US median of $135,980 a year, 1 tester at $104,300 [14] | $54,018 |
| Human moderation | 6 moderators at $44,770 a year, the US customer service median, used as a proxy [15] | $22,385 |
| ID verification | 30,000 new members a month (10% of the base), all verified at $0.80 list price [7] | $24,000 |
| Phone verification | 30,000 SMS verifications at $0.0583 each (US rate) [9] | $1,749 |
| Photo scanning | 300,000 images at $0.001 each [8] | $300 |
| Text moderation | Free moderation model, within rate limits [10] | $0 |
| Hosting | Top of one agency's published range [2] | $5,000 |
| **Subtotal before store fees** | | **$107,452** |
| App store fees | 5% of members pay $25 a month: $375,000 gross, at 15% to 30% [11][12] | $56,250 to $112,500 |
| **Total** | | **$163,702 to $219,952** |

Source: our calculation using vendor list prices [7][8][9][10], store fee schedules [11][12], BLS median wages for May 2025 [14][15] and an agency hosting estimate [2]. Payer share, price and new member volume are assumptions, not published figures.

How to read it:

- **The team is half the pre-fee cost.** Salaries are US medians before employer costs such as benefits and payroll tax, so the real figure is higher [14]. A UK or Eastern European team would cost less; a San Francisco team would cost more.
- **ID checks scale with sign-ups, not members.** If you verify every new member, a growth push raises this line straight away. At 30,000 checks a month you are well past Veriff's self-serve cap, so the real price is negotiated [7].
- **Store fees can exceed everything else.** At the assumed revenue, Apple and Google take between half and all of the subtotal again [11][12]. Moving payers to web billing changes this line more than any engineering saving. See our [payer conversion benchmarks](/insights/payer-conversion-benchmarks) for realistic payer shares.
- **Annualised, the example runs to roughly $1.3 million before store fees** ($107,452 times 12, our calculation from the table above, which draws on [7][8][14][15]). That is more than double the top of the highest agency build range in the table above [1][2][3][4][5][6].

## The alternative: buy or join a platform

Not every operator needs to own a backend. There are three routes: build in-house or with an agency, buy a white label script, or join a managed platform that runs the backend, moderation, ID checks, payments and releases for you. Clone scripts look cheap: RaftLabs puts their upfront cost at $399 to $5,000, but a realistic two-year cost at $15,000 to $40,000 once customisation and fixes are added [5].

Large groups have moved the same way. Match Group said in February 2025 that Salams, Plenty of Fish and Meetic were on track to move to its shared technology platform by the end of 2025 [17]. The logic is the one in the worked example: the fixed cost of running a dating backend is shared across brands.

We compare the three routes in [build, buy or join a platform](/insights/build-vs-buy-dating-app). If you want to see how a managed platform splits the work between you and the provider, [how it works](/how-it-works) sets it out.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Budget for year two, not launch day.** A build quote is the smallest number you will see. Ask any agency what its maintenance estimate excludes.
- **Price the safety stack early.** ID checks, photo scanning and human moderation are per-member costs that grow with sign-ups. Model them before you set your marketing budget.
- **Treat payment routing as a cost decision.** The gap between 30% and 15% store fees, or web billing, can be worth more than the whole engineering team [11][12][13].
- **Compare total cost, not build cost.** Put an agency build plus two years of running costs next to a platform fee. The comparison is only fair when both include moderation, ID checks, payments and releases.

## Questions

**How much does it cost to build a dating app?**

Six agency guides published or updated in 2026 put a basic first version at between $15,000 and $150,000, and a full Tinder-style product at $150,000 to $300,000 or more, with one guide going up to $600,000 [1][2][3][4][5][6].

**How long does it take to build a dating app?**

Agency guides give 12 to 16 weeks for a niche first version at the fast end and 6 to 8 months at the slower end, with complex builds taking 8 to 12 months or more [3][4][5].

**How much does a dating app cost to run each month?**

One agency puts ongoing costs at $3,000 to $12,000 a month for hosting, SMS, photo scanning and moderation [5]. That excludes the team. Our illustrative example for an app with 300,000 monthly active members comes to about $107,000 a month before app store fees, using published vendor prices and US median wages [7][8][9][14][15].

**How much does ID verification cost for a dating app?**

Veriff's self-serve list prices run from $0.80 to $1.89 per verification, with monthly minimums of $49 to $209 [7]. Amazon Rekognition's face liveness check starts at $0.015 per check in US East [8]. Larger volumes are priced by negotiation.

## Sources

1. How much does it cost to create a dating app?, Purrweb, 2026-04-30. https://www.purrweb.com/blog/how-much-does-it-cost-to-create-a-dating-app/
2. Dating app development cost 2026, Groovy Web, 2026-06-23. https://www.groovyweb.co/blog/dating-app-development-cost-2026
3. How to build a dating app in 2026, Chop Dawg, 2026-07-29. https://www.chopdawg.com/how-to-build-a-dating-app-in-2026/
4. Dating app development cost like Tinder, F22 Labs, 2026-06-29. https://www.f22labs.com/blogs/dating-app-development-cost-like-tinder/
5. Cost to build an app like Tinder: timeline and what works for niche platforms, RaftLabs, 2026-10-12. https://www.raftlabs.com/blog/cost-to-build-app-like-tinder
6. How much does it cost to develop an app like Tinder?, TechAhead, 2026-09-25. https://www.techaheadcorp.com/blog/how-much-does-it-cost-to-develop-an-app-like-tinder/
7. Pricing and plans, Veriff, 2026-10-16. https://www.veriff.com/pricing
8. Amazon Rekognition pricing, Amazon Web Services, 2026-10-16. https://aws.amazon.com/rekognition/pricing/
9. Verify pricing, Twilio, 2026-10-16. https://twilio.com/verify/pricing
10. Omni moderation: information for developers, OpenAI, 2026-06-02. https://cdn.openai.com/API/docs/omni_moderation_information_for_developers.pdf
11. Auto-renewable subscriptions, Apple Developer, 2026-10-16. https://www.developer.apple.com/app-store/subscriptions/
12. Service fees, Google Play Console Help, 2026-10-16. https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/112622?hl=en-GB
13. Stripe pricing (United Kingdom), Stripe, 2026-10-16. https://stripe.com/gb/pricing
14. Software developers, quality assurance analysts and testers: Occupational Outlook Handbook, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026-10-16. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/Computer-and-Information-Technology/software-developers.htm
15. Customer service representatives: Occupational Outlook Handbook, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2026-10-16. https://www.bls.gov/OOH/office-and-administrative-support/customer-service-representatives.htm
16. Is the online dating industry investing enough in trust and safety?, Global Dating Insights, 2024-04-24. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/news/is-the-online-dating-industry-investing-enough-in-trust-safety/
17. Match Group fourth quarter 2024 results, Match Group (SEC filing), 2025-02-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110325000018/mtch8-k20250204ex991.htm


---

# How to migrate a dating app without losing members

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/migrate-dating-app-without-losing-members

**In short:** To migrate a dating app without losing members, keep the same App Store and Google Play listing, carry over every profile, photo, match, message, block and report, and keep subscriptions inside the same app record. Release in stages, keep the old backend running until the new one is proven, and tell members what is changing before they see it.

A dating app can move to new technology without losing members, but only if members barely notice the move. That means three things. Ship the new app as an update to the same App Store and Google Play listing, so reviews, ratings and installs stay put [1][2]. Carry over everything a member has built: profile, photos, matches, conversations, and the blocks and reports that keep them safe. And keep subscriptions inside the same app and subscription products, so renewals continue without anyone being asked to pay again [3].

Everything else in a migration is risk management: release in stages, keep a way back, and tell members what is changing before they see it. This guide sets out the rules from Apple's and Google's developer documentation, what the big groups have said about their own platform moves, and a checklist you can work through.

## Keep the same listing and app identity

The single most expensive mistake is publishing the rebuilt app as a new app. A new listing starts with no ratings, no reviews and no installed base, and every existing member has to find it, download it and log in again.

The store rules make the case for staying put:

- **Apple:** the bundle ID "can't be changed once a build has been uploaded for the app" [1]. If the app moves between Apple developer accounts, for example to a new operating company, it keeps its bundle ID and "retains its reviews and ratings", and members keep receiving updates [1].
- **Google:** the package name is, in Google's words, "the unique identity of the application forever more", and an update signed with a different key is treated as a different application [6]. When an app moves between Play developer accounts, its members, ratings, reviews and subscriptions move with it, though orders created before the transfer stay in the original account [2].
- **Sign in with Apple:** member identifiers are tied to the developer team. If the app changes Apple account, you must generate a transfer identifier for each member through Apple's endpoint before the transfer, or those members cannot log back in to the same account [1].

So the rebuilt app should be a new version of the old one: same bundle ID, same package name, same signing key on Android, and the same login methods working on day one.

## The data that must carry over

Members judge a migration by whether their stuff is still there. In dating, "stuff" is more than a profile.

| Data | Why members care | What to test before launch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Account and login | No re-registration, no new password | Every login method works: email, phone, Apple, Google |
| Profile and prompts | Hours of effort, often written carefully | Field mapping, character limits, emoji and other languages |
| Photos and their order | The first thing other members see | Order, cropping, verified photo badges kept |
| Verification status | Members paid for or worked for it | ID and photo verification flags carried, not reset |
| Matches and likes | The current pipeline of people | Counts match old system per member |
| Conversations | Ongoing chats and shared history | Full history, read status, media in messages |
| Blocks | Safety: blocked people must stay blocked | Zero blocked pairs able to see each other |
| Reports and moderation history | Bans and warnings must persist | Banned accounts stay banned, notes kept for moderators |
| Preferences and settings | Distance, age range, notifications | Defaults not silently reset |
| Subscription and purchase state | Paying members keep what they paid for | Entitlements match store records for every payer |

Blocks and reports deserve special care. A migration that drops a block list can put a member back in front of someone they blocked for a reason. Treat any mismatch in blocks or bans as a launch blocker, not a bug to fix later.

A practical method is to run a full copy of the data into the new system weeks before launch, then reconcile counts per member: matches, messages, blocks and entitlements. Repeat until the numbers agree, then run a final incremental sync at cutover.

## Subscriptions: the continuity rules

Subscriptions are where a migration can lose money quietly. The rules differ slightly by store.

On the App Store, subscriptions belong to subscription groups inside an app, and "days of paid service are specific to each subscription group" [3]. That matters because Apple's proceeds rate rises to 85% after a subscriber has a year of paid service [3]. If you keep the same app and the same group, renewals carry on and that year of paid service keeps counting. If you create a new group, or a new app, members who resubscribe start again: Apple notes that cancelling in one group and buying in another resets the renewal date and the days of paid service [3].

Apple has no button that moves a live subscriber from one app to another. Its own guidance for an app you are sunsetting is to "distribute one-time-use codes" in the old app to move subscribers across to the new one [3]. That is a workaround, and every member who has to act is a member who might not.

Two other Apple rules are worth building around. Failed renewals are retried for 60 days, and you can turn on a billing grace period so members keep access while a payment issue is fixed [3]. And if the migration includes a price rise, some increases require subscribers to opt in, and those who do not agree lapse at the end of their billing period [3]. Do not combine a platform migration with a price change.

On Google Play, subscriptions are tied to the app, and they move with it in an account transfer [2]. Keep the same subscription product IDs in the new app so existing purchases are recognised.

The test before launch is simple: for every paying member, the new backend's view of their entitlement must match what Apple and Google report.

## Staged rollout and a way back

Both stores let you release an update to a share of members first.

| | App Store phased release | Google Play staged rollout |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Who gets it | Random sample with automatic updates on | Random share of devices |
| Schedule | 1%, 2%, 5%, 10%, 20%, 50%, then 100% over seven days | Percentage you set, raised by hand |
| Pause or halt | Pause up to 30 days in total | Halt: no further devices get it |
| Catches | Anyone can still download it manually | Can't remove countries once started; updated devices keep the version |

Source: Apple [4], Google [5].

Neither store has a true rollback. Devices that already updated keep the new version, and Google's advice is to fix forward with a new release [5]. So the real way back has to live on your side:

- **Run old and new backends in parallel** until the new one is proven. Bumble's chief financial officer said its move to a new platform meant "some duplication of costs for a portion of 2026" [9]. Budget for it.
- **Keep the API backward-compatible**, so the old app version keeps working if you need to slow down.
- **Put risky features behind server-side switches**, so you can turn them off without a store release.
- **Watch the right numbers daily during rollout:** crash rate, login failures, messages sent per active member, purchase success and support tickets.

## What the big groups have said

Platform migrations are now routine at the largest operators, which gives a useful reference point for timing.

- **Match Group** said in February 2025 that its E&E brands, the group of brands outside Tinder and Hinge, planned to complete "platform consolidation efforts in 2025", with Salams due to migrate to the shared platform by the end of the second quarter and Plenty of Fish and Meetic later in the year [7]. By August 2026 it reported: "With the major platform migrations now complete, the portfolio has a stronger foundation to execute from" [8].
- **Bumble** said in March 2026 that it was "rearchitecting the entire Bumble experience" on "a fully new platform", and that rolling the new version out to all members would be "a multi-week thing, not a multi-month thing" [9]. In August 2026 its chief executive said it was "completing our platform migration" [10].
- **EliteSingles** is the counter-example. After it closed and relaunched under a new owner, the new service ran on "an independent member database", so members could not necessarily carry over accounts or connections [11]. That is what a migration without data continuity looks like from the member's side.

## Tell members before they see it

Members tolerate change much better when they are told about it first.

- **Two weeks before:** an in-app message and email saying a new version is coming, what stays the same (matches, chats, subscription) and what will look different.
- **On update:** a short first-run screen in the new app, not a long tour.
- **For payers:** a separate note confirming their subscription continues with nothing to do.
- **For support:** a script and a known-issues list, and extra staff for the first two weeks.

Keep a feedback route in the app during rollout. Early complaints are the cheapest warning you will get.

## Migration checklist

| Stage | Check | Done when |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plan | Same bundle ID, package name and signing key | Confirmed in App Store Connect and Play Console |
| Plan | Sign in with Apple transfer plan, if changing accounts | Transfer identifiers generated |
| Data | Full trial migration | Per-member counts reconcile |
| Data | Blocks, bans and reports | Zero mismatches |
| Payments | Same subscription groups and product IDs | Entitlements match store records |
| Payments | Billing grace period on, no price change | Settings checked |
| Release | Phased release and staged rollout set up | First stage live to a small share |
| Release | Old backend running, API backward-compatible | Old app version still works |
| Release | Server-side switches for new features | Tested on and off |
| Members | Pre-launch messages and payer note | Sent |
| After | Daily dashboard for crashes, logins, messages, purchases | Stable for two weeks after full release |

## What it means for dating app operators

- **The listing is an asset.** Ratings, reviews and installs take years to build. Ship the rebuild as an update, never as a new app.
- **Safety data is member data.** Blocks, bans and reports must move with the same care as messages and photos.
- **Subscriptions follow the app record.** Keep the same app and subscription products, and keep price changes out of the migration window.
- **Plan for parallel running.** The stores give you staged release, not rollback. The way back is an old backend that still works.
- **Measure before you scale.** Widen each release stage only when crashes, logins and purchases look as good as before.

If you are weighing whether a rebuild is needed at all, see [signs your dating app needs a rebuild](/insights/signs-dating-app-needs-rebuild). For how we run a rebuild and release on an operator's own store listings, see [how it works](/how-it-works).

## Questions

**Can I keep my App Store listing when I rebuild my dating app?**

Yes, if you ship the new app as an update to the existing app record. The bundle ID can't be changed once a build has been uploaded, and an app transferred between Apple accounts keeps its bundle ID, reviews and ratings [1].

**Do subscriptions carry over when a dating app is rebuilt?**

They do when the rebuilt app is an update to the same app and uses the same subscription products. Apple's own guidance for an app being sunset is to give subscribers offer codes to move them to the new app, which shows a separate app does not inherit them [3].

**How long does an App Store phased release take?**

Seven days, rising from 1% of automatic-update members on day one to 100% on day seven. You can pause for up to 30 days in total [4].

**Can I roll back a Google Play release?**

You can halt a staged rollout so no more devices receive it, but devices that already updated stay on that version. Google advises a new release with a fixed bundle [5].

## Sources

1. Overview of app transfer, Apple (App Store Connect Help), 2026-10-16. https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/transfer-an-app/overview-of-app-transfer
2. Transfer apps to a different developer account, Google (Play Console Help), 2026-10-16. https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6230247?hl=en-GB
3. Auto-renewable subscriptions, Apple Developer, 2026-10-16. https://developer.apple.com/app-store/subscriptions/
4. Release a version update in phases, Apple (App Store Connect Help), 2026-10-16. https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/update-your-app/release-a-version-update-in-phases
5. Release app updates with staged roll-outs, Google (Play Console Help), 2026-10-16. https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6346149?hl=en-GB
6. Things that cannot change, Android Developers Blog, 2011-06-20. https://android-developers.googleblog.com/2011/06/things-that-cannot-change.html
7. Match Group Q4 2024 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2025-02-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110325000018/mtch8-k20250204ex992.htm
8. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
9. Bumble Inc Q4 2025 earnings call transcript, ROIC.ai, 2026-03-11. https://www.roic.ai/quote/BMBL/transcripts/2025-year/4-quarter
10. Bumble Inc. second quarter 2026 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000099/bmbl-ex991prxq22026.htm
11. EliteSingles relaunches under new ownership, Global Dating Insights, 2026-09-01. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/elitesingles-relaunches-under-new-ownership/


---

# Launching a dating app city by city: the empty app problem

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/launching-dating-app-city-by-city

**In short:** 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.

A new dating app has a problem no other app has in quite the same way: on day one it is empty, and an empty dating app fails every member who opens it. The apps that broke through did not solve this with national advertising. They concentrated. Tinder and Bumble seeded college campuses through sororities and fraternities [1]. Hinge relaunched with a single party in Washington DC [2]. The League admitted members selectively, one city at a time [4]. The common move is to pick one place or community, reach enough density there that a new member sees relevant people on their first visit, and only then expand.

This is the cold-start problem, and it is the most practical form of [liquidity](/glossary/liquidity): not how many members you have, but whether there are enough relevant people in the place a member opens the app.

## Why an empty dating app loses everyone

Most apps are useful to the first person who downloads them. A dating app is not. Its value is other people nearby who might say yes, so the first members in any area get the worst experience. If a new member sees a handful of profiles and no replies, they leave, and the next person sees even fewer.

National marketing makes this worse. Spreading the same budget across a whole country produces a few members in every town and density in none. Concentrating it produces a working app in one place, word of mouth, and a template for the next.

Research suggests the goal is relevant density, not the biggest possible pool. A 2024 study in Marketing Science found that members became more selective as the pool they believed they faced grew, and that a bigger market slightly reduced participation [8]. A tight, relevant community can beat a large, scattered one.

## How the big apps started: a dated timeline

| Date | App | What they did | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| May 2012 | Hinge | Launched a version at Harvard and in Washington DC; neither took off | [2] |
| September 2012 | Tinder | Launched; flyers at Southern Methodist University, pitches to sororities, then fraternities | [1] |
| 7 February 2013 | Hinge | Relaunch party in DC; at least 3,000 guests, about $25,000 spent | [2] |
| November 2014 | Hinge | Expanded to 20 US cities, matching friends of Facebook friends | [2] |
| December 2014 | Bumble | Launched; founder returned to sorority and fraternity houses, then let word of mouth spread | [1] |
| December 2015 | Bumble | First anniversary: 80 million matches and 15 million conversations | [5] |
| January 2017 | The League | Six US cities; accepting 10 to 20% of sign-ups | [4] |
| Q2 2026 | Hinge | Entered six new European countries | [7] |

Source: Texas Monthly [1], Inc. [2], TechCrunch [4], The Washington Post [5], Match Group [7].

## Four documented approaches

### Campus seeding: Tinder and Bumble

Tinder launched in September 2012. Whitney Wolfe Herd, then at Tinder, "papered her alma mater with flyers", crashed sorority meetings to get women to sign up, then went to fraternity houses to tell the men the women were already there [1]. When she launched Bumble in December 2014, she went back to the same playbook, returning to sorority and fraternity houses and then staying "under the radar" while word of mouth spread [1].

Campuses work because they are dense, socially connected and full of single people in one age band. One social group joining pulls in the next.

### One city, one big moment: Hinge

Hinge's first attempts did not work. In May 2012 it launched at Harvard and in Washington DC, and neither went well [2]. Before its relaunch it had made only "a few hundred" matches, with about 50 people using it daily [2]. The team then spent about $25,000 on a launch party in DC on 7 February 2013 that drew at least 3,000 people, and Hinge made more matches afterwards than in its whole history combined [2]. By November 2014 it had expanded to 20 US cities [2].

Hinge's early product also leaned on social density: it matched people with friends of their Facebook friends, up to three degrees away [3]. It dropped the Facebook login requirement in 2018 [3].

### Selective admission, city by city: The League

The League built density and demand by screening. In January 2017 it said it was accepting only 10 to 20% of people who signed up, and it operated in San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and Washington DC [4]. Each city's pool was curated before it opened, so early members found people who fitted the brand. Match Group now owns The League [7].

Raya takes a similar approach on a global scale, describing itself as "a private, membership based community" [6]. These models trade speed for quality and suit brands where exclusivity is part of the appeal.

### Community before geography: niche apps

Some apps concentrate on a community rather than a city. Feeld, which began as 3nder and took its current name in August 2016 [9], is defined by what members are looking for rather than where they live. Faith, age and interest-based apps work the same way. The density they need is within the community, which lets them launch more widely, but each town's pool is thinner.

## Launch playbook for new dating apps

| Stage | What to do | Measure before moving on |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Choose the beachhead | One city, campus or community where your audience is dense and connected | Enough addressable people within a short travel time |
| Seed before launch | Waitlist, invitations, partners, ambassadors, events | Sign-ups per target area before opening |
| Balance the pool | Recruit both sides in the right ratio for your audience | Ratio within your target range by age band |
| Open with a moment | A launch event or local campaign that brings people on in the same week | New members active in their first week |
| Protect the first sessions | Verification and quality controls from day one | Reply rate on first messages |
| Watch liquidity | Track fresh profiles per session and how often members run out | Run-out rate falling, not rising |
| Expand to the next place | Copy what worked to a nearby or similar area | First market stable without heavy spend |

Source: Dating API playbook, drawing on the launches above [1][2][4].

Two warnings. First, do not open nationally and hope; a few members everywhere is worse than many in one place. Second, plan how you will handle members outside your launch area: a waitlist that tells them when their area opens is better than letting them join an empty app.

For the technical side of launching, see our [dating app launch checklist](/insights/dating-app-launch-checklist). If you are deciding how to get the app built in the first place, [who it's for](/who-its-for) explains which operators we work with.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Density beats reach.** Concentrate marketing until one place works. The early histories of Tinder, Bumble and Hinge all started narrow [1][2].
- **Moments create density.** Hinge's single launch party did more than months of slow growth [2]. Plan launches as events, not just store releases.
- **Selective admission is a tool, not a brand requirement.** Waitlists and invitations build pools before opening, even if you never position as exclusive.
- **Expansion is a repeatable process.** Match Group still enters markets in waves: Hinge entered six new European countries in one quarter of 2026 [7].
- **Relaunches face the same problem.** A brand coming back after a closure or rebuild should treat each market as a new launch and rebuild density before spending on reach.

## Questions

**How did Tinder get its first members?**

Through college campuses. Whitney Wolfe Herd, then at Tinder, papered her old university, Southern Methodist University, with flyers, pitched sorority meetings and then told fraternities the women were already on the app [1].

**Why do dating apps launch city by city?**

Because members only value people they can actually meet. Concentrating marketing in one place builds enough local density that new members find someone relevant on their first visit.

**How did Hinge launch?**

After early versions struggled at Harvard and in Washington DC, Hinge threw a launch party in DC on 7 February 2013 that drew at least 3,000 people, and made more matches that night than in its whole history before [2].

**Do invite-only dating apps work?**

They can create density and demand. The League accepted only 10 to 20% of people who signed up in 2017 and operated in six US cities at the time [4]. The trade-off is slower growth and a perception of exclusivity that not every brand wants.

## Sources

1. How Whitney Wolfe Herd changed the dating game, Texas Monthly, 2018-01-18. https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/how-whitney-wolfe-herd-changed-the-dating-game/
2. Hinge: a party to save the dating world, Inc., 2014-11-10. https://www.inc.com/will-yakowicz/hinge-a-party-to-save-the-dating-world.html
3. Dating app Hinge is ditching the Facebook login requirement, TechCrunch, 2018-06-01. https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/01/dating-app-hinge-is-ditching-the-facebook-login-requirement/
4. The League brings its picky dating app to Android, TechCrunch, 2017-01-26. https://techcrunch.com/2017/01/26/the-league-brings-its-picky-dating-app-to-android/
5. Whitney Wolfe, founder of dating app Bumble, has had quite the year, The Washington Post, 2015-12-02. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2015/12/02/whitney-wolfe-founder-of-dating-app-bumble-has-had-quite-the-year-she-just-cant-discuss-parts-of-it/
6. Raya, Raya, 2026-10-16. https://www.rayatheapp.com
7. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
8. Online dating sites: the size of the potential dating pool makes all the difference, INFORMS (Marketing Science), 2024-09-11. https://www.informs.org/News-Room/INFORMS-Releases/News-Releases/Online-Dating-Sites-The-Size-of-the-Potential-Dating-Pool-Makes-all-the-Difference
9. 3nder becomes Feeld, TechCrunch, 2016-08-02. https://techcrunch.com/2016/08/02/3nder-becomes-feeld/


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# MeetMe and The Meet Group: a business profile

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/meetme-business-profile

**In short:** MeetMe, Skout and Tagged belong to The Meet Group, part of ParshipMeet, which ProSiebenSat.1 has fully owned since 2025. They earn mainly from live video, where viewers buy credits to send virtual gifts. Its last public accounts, for 2019, showed $211.7 million of revenue. ProSiebenSat.1 no longer reports the apps separately and says video dating weakened in 2026.

MeetMe is a social discovery app owned by The Meet Group, which is now a subsidiary of ParshipMeet Group alongside eharmony [4][3]. ProSiebenSat.1 became the sole owner of ParshipMeet in 2025 [7][8]. MeetMe and its sister apps Skout and Tagged earn mainly from live video, where viewers buy credits and send virtual gifts to broadcasters [2]. The group's last public accounts, for 2019, showed revenue of $211.7 million, of which $84.1 million came from video [1].

Since the 2020 takeover, the apps' numbers have disappeared into ProSiebenSat.1's accounts. This profile pulls together the history, the last published figures and what ProSiebenSat.1 still says about the business.

## Owner and launch history

The Meet Group began as Quepasa Corporation and became a live video and dating group through a run of mergers and acquisitions.

| Date | Event |
| --- | --- |
| June 1997 | Quepasa Corporation incorporated in Nevada [2] |
| 2004 to 2007 | Tagged (2004), MeetMe, originally myYearbook (2005), and Skout (2007) launch [4] |
| November 2011 | Quepasa merges with Insider Guides, the owner of myYearbook [2] |
| June 2012 | Company renamed MeetMe, Inc. [2] |
| October 2016 | Buys Skout [2] |
| April 2017 | Buys if(we); Tagged and hi5 are among the brands it lists [2] |
| 2017 | Renamed The Meet Group; buys LOVOO in October [2] |
| March 2019 | Buys Initech, owner of GROWLr [2] |
| March 2020 | Agrees to be bought by eharmony's parent for $6.30 a share in cash [1][2] |
| September 2020 | Deal closes at an enterprise value of about $500 million, forming ParshipMeet Group [3] |
| March 2023 | ProSiebenSat.1 says the dating unit is for sale and no longer core [9] |
| March 2025 | ProSiebenSat.1 agrees to buy General Atlantic's minority stake and become sole owner [7][8] |
| March 2026 | Reuters reports ProSiebenSat.1 will keep ParshipMeet for now [10] |

Source: The Meet Group filings and announcements [1][2][3][4], ProSiebenSat.1 [7][8], Global Dating Insights [9] and Reuters [10].

## Business model: live video and virtual gifts

The Meet Group's 2019 10-K was plain about how live video makes money: "Monetization of Live is done primarily through virtual gifting" [2]. Viewers buy virtual credits through the Apple App Store or Google Play and send gifts to broadcasters, and broadcasters can earn cash rewards for engaging content and time spent streaming [2]. The 10-K did not publish the share paid to broadcasters [2].

The model shifted fast. Video revenue more than doubled from $39.3 million in 2018 to $84.1 million in 2019, while subscription and other in-app revenue fell from $68.0 million to $61.7 million [1]. Advertising, once a large part of the business, fell from 39.9% of revenue to 31.1% [1].

The Meet Group now also sells Livebox, a platform that lets partner apps add live streaming and share the revenue it generates [4]. That turns its live video technology into a second product alongside its own apps.

## Revenue and payers: what is published

| Period | Business | Revenue | Video revenue | Advertising | Adjusted EBITDA |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2018 | The Meet Group | $178.6m | $39.3m | $71.3m | $32.0m |
| 2019 | The Meet Group | $211.7m | $84.1m | $65.9m | $42.2m |
| 2020 to 2026 | MeetMe, Skout, Tagged, LOVOO | Not published separately | Not published | Not published | Not published |
| Q2 2025 | ProSiebenSat.1 Commerce & Dating segment | €320m | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Q2 2026 | ProSiebenSat.1 Commerce & Dating segment | €269m | n/a | n/a | n/a |

Source: The Meet Group 2019 results [1] and ProSiebenSat.1 first half 2026 results [6]. The segment figures are external revenues and include the beauty retailer flaconi as well as dating, so they are not app figures.

ProSiebenSat.1 reported Commerce & Dating revenue of €591 million for the first half of 2026, down 14%, or up 5% after adjusting for currency and portfolio changes [6]. It said the dating and video portfolio was "significantly impacted by consumer restraint in Germany and the US" and that revenue from the video social dating business "developed significantly weaker than in the previous year" [6]. It gave no figure for the decline [6].

**Revenue per payer.** The Meet Group never published a count of paying members, so revenue per payer cannot be worked out. Instead we can divide revenue by daily active members. In the last quarter of 2019, more than 4.8 million people used its apps on an average day [2]. Dividing 2019 revenue of $211.7 million by 4.8 million gives about $44 a year, or $3.68 a month, per daily active member (our calculation) [1][2]. Because the daily figure is for the fourth quarter only, treat this as a rough guide.

## Safety and moderation

Live video and gifting carry particular risks, and The Meet Group has long run a large moderation team. At the end of 2019 it had about 50 member services staff in the US and Germany and about 500 contractors in India reviewing images and content and handling abuse reports [2].

Its safety page now says its safety and moderation team has more than 350 people, more than half of its workforce, and that 50 million images a day are reviewed by machine learning and human moderators [5]. It says all live broadcasts are monitored proactively, members must accept a three-step safety pledge before using the apps, and banned members are kept off using device checks [5]. It also describes an age detection engine used to help identify child predators, and work with partners on member verification and age estimation [5]. The 2019 10-K noted that dating services were "not currently required to verify the age or identity of their members" [2], which no longer holds in the UK. See [age assurance](/glossary/age-assurance) and the [Online Safety Act](/glossary/online-safety-act).

## Recent changes

- **Ownership simplified.** ParshipMeet was set up jointly by ProSiebenSat.1 and General Atlantic [3]. Under the 2025 deal, ProSiebenSat.1 became sole owner, and General Atlantic keeps a fixed €50 million payment due when ProSiebenSat.1 exits ParshipMeet [7][8].
- **Sale on hold.** ProSiebenSat.1's chief executive said in 2023 the dating business was for sale [9]. In March 2026 Reuters reported it would keep ParshipMeet for now, with one source citing a depressed valuation as a reason to wait [10]. The same report said MFE, the Berlusconi-backed media group, now owns more than 75% of ProSiebenSat.1 [10].
- **Weaker video revenue.** ProSiebenSat.1's August 2026 results flagged video social dating as notably weaker than a year earlier [6].
- **Management.** In 2023 co-chief executive Geoff Cook, The Meet Group's long-time leader, left and Marc Schachtel became chief executive of ParshipMeet [9].

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Gifting can grow fast, but it is a different business.** Video revenue doubled in a year at The Meet Group [1]. It also needs creator payouts, round-the-clock live moderation and strong anti-fraud controls. Price those in before adding live video.
- **Moderation scales with live content.** More than half of The Meet Group's workforce works on safety [5]. If live features are on your roadmap, plan the moderation cost as a share of revenue, not a fixed line.
- **Buyers value clear numbers.** Once inside a larger group, MeetMe's figures stopped being visible, and a sale was delayed partly over valuation [10]. Keep clean app-level accounts of revenue, payers and margin, whoever owns you.
- **Technology can be a product.** Livebox licenses The Meet Group's live video stack to other apps [4]. Shared technology is one way to spread fixed costs, which is the idea behind our [platform](/platform).

See [who owns which dating app](/insights/who-owns-dating-apps) for the rest of ParshipMeet's brands.

## Questions

**Who owns MeetMe?**

The Meet Group, a subsidiary of ParshipMeet Group [4]. ProSiebenSat.1 became sole owner of ParshipMeet when it bought General Atlantic's minority stake in a deal agreed in March 2025 [7][8].

**How does MeetMe make money?**

Mainly from live video. Viewers buy credits through the app stores and send virtual gifts to broadcasters, who can earn cash rewards [2]. In 2019 video was 39.7% of The Meet Group's revenue [1].

**How much revenue does The Meet Group make?**

Its last published full year was 2019, when revenue was $211.7 million and adjusted EBITDA $42.2 million [1]. Since the 2020 takeover its numbers sit inside ProSiebenSat.1's accounts and are not published separately.

**Is ParshipMeet for sale?**

ProSiebenSat.1 said in 2023 the dating unit was for sale [9]. In March 2026 Reuters reported it would keep ParshipMeet for now, with a sale a longer-term goal [10].

## Sources

1. The Meet Group reports fourth quarter and full year 2019 results, The Meet Group (SEC filing), 2020-03-11. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1078099/000107809920000009/earningsrelease-ye2019.htm
2. The Meet Group annual report on Form 10-K for 2019, The Meet Group (SEC filing), 2020-03-11. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1078099/000107809920000011/a10k-ye2019.htm
3. The Meet Group announces closing of acquisition by eharmony parent company Parship Group, The Meet Group, 2020-09-04. https://www.themeetgroup.com/the-meet-group-announces-closing-of-acquisition-by-eharmony-parent-company-parship-group/
4. The Meet Group home page, The Meet Group, 2026-10-16. https://www.themeetgroup.com/
5. Safety at The Meet Group, The Meet Group, 2026-10-16. https://www.themeetgroup.com/safety-meet-group/
6. ProSiebenSat.1 reports strong EBITDA growth of EUR 152 million in the first half of 2026, ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, 2026-08-06. https://www.prosiebensat1.com/en/newsroom/prosiebensat1-reports-strong-ebitda-growth-of-eur152-million-in-the-first-half-of2026-608029
7. ProSiebenSat.1 approves proposed agreement with General Atlantic on the acquisition of its minority stakes in NuCom Group and ParshipMeet Group, ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, 2025-03-20. https://www.prosiebensat1.com/en/newsroom/prosiebensat1-approves-proposed-agreement-with-general-atlantic-on-the-acquisition-of-its-minority-stakes-in-nucom-group-and-parshipmeet-group-together-with-an-intended-sale-of-verivox-513729
8. ProSiebenSat.1 sells Verivox to Moltiply and simplifies its group structure, ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, 2025-03-21. https://www.prosiebensat1.com/en/newsroom/prosiebensat1-sells-verivox-to-moltiply-and-simplifies-its-group-structure-514115
9. ParshipMeet Group put up for sale, Global Dating Insights, 2023-03-29. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/news/parshipmeet-group-put-up-for-sale/
10. ProSieben keeps ParshipMeet, Flaconi as it explores sale of other digital units, sources say, Reuters via MnA Critique, 2026-03-11. https://mnacritique.mergersindia.com/news/prosieben-keeps-parshipmeet-flaconi-as-it-explores-sale-of-other-digital-units-sources-say/


---

# Payer conversion benchmarks for dating apps, 2026

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/payer-conversion-benchmarks

**In short:** Only a few dating companies publish both active members and payers. From those that do, about 9% of Grindr's monthly active members paid in the second quarter of 2026, up from under 7% in 2023, and about 7% of Tantan's paid in mid 2025. Match Group, Bumble and Momo publish payers but not member counts.

Most dating companies tell investors how many people pay, but very few also say how many people use the app. Where both numbers are public, payer conversion sits in the high single digits. About 9.3% of Grindr's average monthly active members paid in the second quarter of 2026, up from about 6.8% in 2023 [1][2]. About 6.9% of Tantan's monthly active members paid in the second quarter of 2025, down from about 7.8% a year earlier [3].

Match Group, Bumble and Hello Group's Momo app publish payer numbers without matching member counts, so their conversion cannot be calculated from public data [4][5][6]. This page compiles what can be calculated, shows the method, and explains why conversion differs so much between apps.

## The benchmark table

| App | Period | Payers | Monthly active members | Payer conversion (our calculation) | Range allowing for rounding |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Grindr | 2023 average | 0.9m | 13.3m | 6.8% | 6.4% to 7.1% |
| Grindr | 2024 average | 1.1m | 14.2m | 7.7% | 7.4% to 8.1% |
| Grindr | 2025 average | 1.3m | 15.0m | 8.7% | 8.3% to 9.0% |
| Grindr | Q2 2026 average | 1.4m | 15m | 9.3% | 9.0% to 9.7% |
| Tantan | Q2 2024 | 1.0m | 12.9m (June) | 7.8% | 7.4% to 8.1% |
| Tantan | Q2 2025 | 0.7m | 10.2m (June) | 6.9% | 6.4% to 7.4% |

Source: Grindr 10-K for 2025 [2] and Q2 2026 shareholder letter [1]; Hello Group Q2 2025 results [3]. Payer conversion is payers divided by monthly active members. Companies round payers to one decimal place in millions [2][3], so the range column shows the lowest and highest result the rounded figures allow.

### How we calculated it

- **Formula:** payers divided by monthly active members for the same period, as a percentage. See [payer conversion](/glossary/payer-conversion).
- **Grindr:** average paying members divided by average monthly active members, both as Grindr reports them [2]. For the second quarter of 2026 we used the 1.4 million average paying members and the 15 million average monthly active members given in the shareholder letter [1].
- **Tantan:** Hello Group reported Tantan's paying members for the quarter and its monthly active members for June of the same year [3]. Mixing a quarterly payer count with a single month's members is the best match the disclosures allow.
- **Rounding:** with payers given to one decimal place, Grindr's reported 1.3 million paying members for 2025 could be anything from 1.25 million to 1.35 million [2]. That is why we show a range.

## Who publishes payers but not members

| Group or app | Payers, Q2 2026 | What is published about members |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Match Group (all brands) | 13.3m | No absolute member numbers [4] |
| Tinder | 8.5m | Monthly active members down 7% on a year; payer penetration up [4] |
| Hinge | 2.0m | Global monthly active members up 13% on a year [4] |
| Bumble Inc (all apps) | 3.16m | No member numbers in quarterly results [5] |
| Momo app | 3.9m | No member numbers in the Q2 2026 release [6] |
| Tantan | 0.5m | Member numbers were not in the Q2 2026 release [6] |

Source: Match Group [4], Bumble Inc [5] and Hello Group [6] results for the three months to June 2026.

Match Group does track conversion. It defines payer penetration as the share of monthly active members paying for a subscription or an à la carte feature, and said Tinder's was up on a year earlier in the second quarter of 2026, both globally and across its top five revenue countries [4]. It did not give the percentage.

Bumble's most recent statement on overall audience size that we found is from its first annual report, which said over 40 million people came to its apps each month [7]. That is too old and too loose to set against today's 3.16 million paying members [5].

## Why conversion differs between apps

### The model

Subscription apps charge for a better version of the core product: more likes, seeing who liked you, better filters. Live and social apps such as Momo earn mostly from virtual gifts sent to broadcasters and other members, with membership subscriptions second [3]. Gifting apps can have a small share of members paying but a few paying a lot, so conversion alone can understate them. Grindr and Tantan sit in between, with subscriptions plus single purchases [1][3].

### The audience

Grindr is built around who is nearby right now, which makes paid features such as seeing more profiles and fewer limits easy for members to value. Its conversion has risen every year in our table, from about 6.8% in 2023 to about 9.3% in the second quarter of 2026 [1][2].

### The market

Tantan's conversion fell as its audience shrank: monthly active members dropped from 12.9 million to 10.2 million in the year to June 2025, and payers from 1.0 million to 0.7 million [3]. Hello Group has linked Tantan's revenue decline to a smaller member base [6]. When an app loses members, the most engaged often stay, but here payers fell faster than members.

### How generous the free tier is

Every app chooses how much to give away. A generous free tier helps [liquidity](/glossary/liquidity), the number of active members a person can meet, but lowers the share who need to pay. Restrictive free tiers raise conversion and can shrink the pool. Hinge is a useful example: Match said its members in core markets were roughly flat on a year while revenue grew by double digits, which means more revenue from the same people [4].

## Conversion, revenue per payer and revenue per member

Conversion is one half of the picture. Revenue per active member equals conversion multiplied by revenue per payer.

For Grindr in the second quarter of 2026: about 9.3% conversion multiplied by $26.51 a month per payer gives about $2.47 a month per active member [1]. That is our calculation. Grindr's own direct revenue of $113 million over three months, divided by 15 million members, gives about $2.51 a month, close to the same answer [1].

Match Group reported that direct revenue per monthly active member rose 6% on a year in the second quarter of 2026, while revenue per payer also rose 6% [4]. If both rose by about the same amount, conversion was roughly steady on that measure, though Match's wording leaves it unclear whether the first figure covers the whole group or only Tinder.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Measure conversion the same way every month.** Use payers divided by monthly active members, with the same definition of active. The public benchmarks above only work as a guide if your own number is built the same way.
- **Use high single digits as a reference point, not a target.** Grindr's 9.3% and Tantan's 6.9% are the public reference points [1][3]. A niche subscription app may do better, a gifting app may look worse on this measure and still earn well.
- **Watch conversion alongside members.** Tantan shows that falling members and falling conversion can arrive together [3]. A rising conversion rate on a shrinking base can also hide trouble.
- **Track revenue per active member as your headline.** It combines conversion and price into one number and is harder to flatter with discounts. See [ARPU](/glossary/arpu) and [ARPPU](/glossary/arppu).
- **Know what your platform lets you test.** Paywall placement, trial lengths and pricing tests are the main levers on conversion. If you cannot run them quickly, that is a platform question as much as a product one; [how it works](/how-it-works) explains how we approach it.

For revenue and payers by brand, see [top dating apps by revenue](/insights/top-dating-apps-by-revenue). For how each app earns its money, see [dating app business models](/insights/dating-app-business-models).

## Questions

**What percentage of dating app members pay?**

Among companies that publish both numbers, it is high single digits. About 9.3% of Grindr's average monthly active members paid in the second quarter of 2026 [1], and about 6.9% of Tantan's paid in the second quarter of 2025 [3]. Our calculations are shown in the table.

**What is Tinder's payer conversion?**

Match Group does not publish Tinder's member numbers, so it cannot be calculated from public data. It reported 8.5 million Tinder payers in the second quarter of 2026 and said payer penetration was up on a year earlier [4].

**How do you calculate payer conversion?**

Divide payers by monthly active members for the same period. Grindr's 1.3 million average paying members in 2025 against 15.0 million average monthly active members gives about 8.7% [2].

**Why don't Bumble and Match publish conversion?**

Neither publishes absolute member numbers. Bumble's results give paying members only [5], and Match gives payers plus year-on-year changes in active members [4].

## Sources

1. Grindr Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-06. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001820144/000182014426000023/shl_q2x2026xfinal.htm
2. Grindr Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for 2025, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-03-02. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1820144/000182014426000007/grnd-20251231.htm
3. Hello Group announces unaudited financial results for the second quarter of 2025, Hello Group via PR Newswire Asia, 2025-09-09. https://technode.global/prnasia/hello-group-inc-announces-unaudited-financial-results-for-the-second-quarter-of-2025/
4. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
5. Bumble Inc. second quarter 2026 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000099/bmbl-ex991prxq22026.htm
6. Hello Group announces unaudited financial results for the second quarter of 2026, Hello Group via PR Newswire, 2026-09-03. https://finviz.com/news/388434/hello-group-inc-announces-unaudited-financial-results-for-the-second-quarter-of-2026
7. Bumble Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for 2020, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2021-03-15. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1830043/000156459021013176/bmbl-10k_20201231.htm


---

# Relaunching a dating brand: lessons from EliteSingles

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/relaunching-a-dating-brand

**In short:** EliteSingles closed on 30 April 2026 after its operator, Spark Networks, went into insolvency, and members lost their accounts and messages. It relaunched in September under SuccessfulMatch with a new member database. The lesson for buyers: the domain and name transfer easily, but members, store listings and subscriptions only survive if you plan for them.

EliteSingles closed on 30 April 2026 and came back under a new owner about four months later. Its operator, Spark Networks, had been in financial trouble for years, and its Berlin operating company entered preliminary insolvency in January 2026 [3]. Members were told two days before the closure that their accounts and conversations would go [5]. In September 2026 SuccessfulMatch relaunched the brand with a new design and an independent member database, so old accounts did not necessarily carry over [6].

The name survived. The members, as a working community, did not. This article sets out what happened, in order, and then what anyone buying, rescuing or relaunching a dating brand should learn from it.

## Timeline: from Affinitas to SuccessfulMatch

| Date | Event |
| --- | --- |
| 2013 | Affinitas launches EliteSingles in the UK, Canada and Australia, and in the US in late 2015 [1] |
| Nov 2017 | Affinitas and Spark Networks Inc merge to form Spark Networks SE [1] |
| Jul 2019 | Spark buys Zoosk [1] |
| Nov 2023 | Spark files restructuring plans in Germany to avoid insolvency, and plans to cut 200 jobs and outsource parts of engineering and customer service [7] |
| 4 Jan 2024 | Berlin court confirms the StaRUG plan; MGG Investment Group becomes sole owner [2] |
| 17 May 2024 | US court recognises the German restructuring [2] |
| Jan 2026 | MGG pulls funding [4] |
| 16 Jan 2026 | Spark Networks Services GmbH placed in preliminary insolvency by the Charlottenburg court [3] |
| 30 Mar 2026 | Spark seeks US Chapter 15 recognition and aims to sell assets while operating [4] |
| 28 Apr 2026 | Members emailed that accounts and conversations will no longer be available [5] |
| 30 Apr 2026 | EliteSingles closes; data and conversations to be permanently deleted [5] |
| 1 Sep 2026 | EliteSingles relaunches under SuccessfulMatch with an independent member database [6] |

Source: Spark Networks [1], Jones Day [2], Global Dating Insights [3][5][6][7] and Bloomberg Law [4].

Three details stand out. First, the warning signs were public for more than two years: Spark said in 2023 that without its restructuring plan it "would have to file for insolvency without undue delay" [7]. Second, the end was fast once funding stopped, roughly three and a half months from insolvency to closure [3][5]. Third, the relaunch kept the brand's positioning, aimed at "educated, ambitious and relationship-focused singles", but changed product, prices and membership structure [6].

## What the relaunch kept and what it lost

| Asset | Kept by the new owner? | What we know |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Domain and brand name | Yes | SuccessfulMatch operates the EliteSingles domain [6] |
| Positioning | Yes | Still aimed at relationship-focused, educated singles [6] |
| Matching approach | Largely | Personality questionnaire kept, with daily matches, profile verification and voice introductions added [6] |
| Member accounts and history | No | Independent member database; old accounts may not carry over [6] |
| Paid subscriptions | Handled separately | Subscriptions were tied to old accounts and the new FAQ explains how to deal with them [6] |
| Prices | Changed | One month at $64.99, three months at $34.99 a month [6] |

Source: Global Dating Insights [6].

Other brands from the same portfolio took a different route. Zoosk, JDate, JSwipe and Christian Mingle now appear as Black Cap brands, running on shared company infrastructure [13]. We could not find a published date or price for that transfer.

## Lessons for anyone buying or relaunching a dating brand

### 1. Members are the asset, and they decay fast

A dating app is only worth joining if there are people to meet. Once members have been told their accounts are gone, most will have moved to another app before a relaunch arrives. The EliteSingles relaunch had to rebuild its community from scratch [6]. If you are buying a brand in distress, the single most valuable thing you can do is keep it running through the sale. Our guide to [migrating without losing members](/insights/migrate-dating-app-without-losing-members) covers how.

### 2. Store listings can move, but only if someone moves them

Apple lets one developer transfer an app to another. The app keeps its bundle ID, its reviews and ratings, and members keep receiving updates [8]. Apps with auto-renewable subscriptions must share an app-specific shared secret so the new owner can verify subscriptions [8]. The transfer is blocked if the app is in review or pre-order, or if its in-app purchase product IDs clash with the buyer's [9].

Google Play transfers members, download statistics, ratings and reviews, store listing information and subscriptions [10]. Orders placed before the transfer stay with the old account, which must handle their refunds, and earnings reports must be downloaded first [10].

Both stores need the seller's account to be active: Apple requires accounts that are not in a pending or changing state, with current agreements accepted [9], and Google requires the account and apps to comply with its policies [10]. In an insolvency, that means agreeing the transfer with the administrator before accounts lapse.

### 3. Store status is part of the deal

A listing can disappear for reasons unrelated to the sale. Match Group recorded a $25.2 million impairment on the Azar trade name after Apple removed the app from the App Store following a February 2026 change to its guidelines [11]. That change clarified that apps with random or anonymous chat fall under Apple's rules for content created by members [12]. Before buying, check the app's review history, any warnings and whether its features sit close to a rule that is changing.

### 4. Subscriptions need a plan for both sides

Members who paid for time they could not use will look for refunds, through the store or their bank. On Google Play, refunds for orders before a transfer stay with the original account [10]. If the old operator is insolvent, those members may end up blaming the brand you just bought. Decide before launch whether to honour remaining time, offer credit or explain clearly why you cannot. Read about [chargebacks](/glossary/chargeback) if you plan to sell on the web.

### 5. Data decides whether a relaunch is a rescue or a restart

EliteSingles members were told their data and conversations would be permanently deleted [5]. Deletion protects members, but it also means the new owner starts with an empty database [6]. Whether a buyer can lawfully take over member data depends on what members were told when they joined and on the privacy law where they live. Take legal advice early, and write down what members will be told.

### 6. A new owner inherits old technology

Spark had already outsourced parts of engineering and maintenance and cut staff before its insolvency [7]. Any buyer of a brand like that takes on a platform that a shrinking team has run for years. Perry Street Software, which bought GROWLr from The Meet Group in October 2026, announced a major overhaul for early 2027 [14]. Budget for a rebuild from the start rather than discovering the need after launch. Our [build vs buy guide](/insights/build-vs-buy-dating-app) compares the options.

## Checklist before you buy or relaunch

- Is the app still live, and can it stay live until completion?
- Who holds the Apple and Google developer accounts, and are they active and in good standing [9][10]?
- Do the app's in-app purchase product IDs clash with any in your own account [9]?
- How many active subscriptions are there, and who handles refunds for orders before the transfer [10]?
- What did members agree to about their data, and can it lawfully move?
- What is the store review history, and is any feature near a rule that is changing [11][12]?
- Who runs the platform today, and what would it cost to rebuild it?
- What will members be told, by whom, and when?

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Act before the closure email.** The difference between a rescue and a restart is whether members ever see a shutdown notice [5][6].
- **Treat store accounts as assets in every contract.** Who owns the developer accounts decides whether a buyer can move the listing, its ratings and its subscriptions [8][10].
- **Have a run-off plan even if you never sell.** Spark's brands went from lender decision to closure in months [4][5]. Data export, store transfer and member communication plans should already exist.
- **Expect to rebuild.** Buyers of distressed brands usually inherit old platforms [7][14]. If you want a partner to run the rebuild, the backend, moderation and store releases while you keep the brand, see [how it works](/how-it-works).

## Questions

**Why did EliteSingles shut down?**

Its operator, Spark Networks, was in financial trouble. Spark Networks Services GmbH entered preliminary insolvency in Berlin in January 2026 [3], and its lender had pulled funding [4]. EliteSingles closed on 30 April 2026 [5].

**Who owns EliteSingles now?**

SuccessfulMatch, which relaunched the brand in September 2026 on an independent member database [6].

**Can old EliteSingles members log in to the new site?**

Not necessarily. The relaunched site uses a new member database, so old accounts and connections may not carry over [6].

**Do ratings and subscribers move when an app is transferred?**

On Apple's App Store, a transferred app keeps its reviews and ratings and members keep receiving updates [8]. On Google Play, members, ratings, reviews and subscriptions transfer, but orders placed before the transfer stay with the old account [10].

## Sources

1. Our story, Spark Networks, 2026-10-16. https://www.spark.net/our-story
2. Spark Networks: German StaRUG plan confirmed in first-ever cross-border restructuring, Jones Day, 2024-05-17. https://www.jonesday.com/en/practices/experience/2024/01/spark-networks-german-starug-plan-confirmed-in-firstever-crossborder-restructuring-under-german-starug-and-us-chapter-15
3. Dating provider Spark Networks enters preliminary insolvency, Global Dating Insights, 2026-01-21. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/dating-provider-spark-networks-enters-preliminary-insolvency/
4. Christian Mingle, JDate owner brings German insolvency to US, Bloomberg Law, 2026-03-31. https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/christian-mingle-jdate-owner-brings-german-insolvency-to-us
5. EliteSingles to suddenly shut down on April 30, Global Dating Insights, 2026-04-30. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/elitesingles-to-suddenly-shut-down-on-april-30/
6. EliteSingles relaunches under new ownership, Global Dating Insights, 2026-09-01. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/elitesingles-relaunches-under-new-ownership/
7. Spark Networks shares restructuring plans, Global Dating Insights, 2023-11-22. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/news/spark-networks-shares-restructuring-plans/
8. Overview of app transfer, Apple Developer, 2026-10-16. https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/transfer-an-app/overview-of-app-transfer/
9. App transfer criteria, Apple Developer, 2026-10-16. https://developer.apple.com/help/app-store-connect/transfer-an-app/app-transfer-criteria
10. Transfer apps to a different developer account, Google Play Console Help, 2026-10-16. https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/6230247?hl=en
11. Match Group Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110326000130/mtch-20260630.htm
12. Updated App Review Guidelines now available, Apple Developer, 2026-02-06. https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=d75yllv4
13. About Black Cap, JSwipe help centre, 2026-10-16. https://support.jswipeapp.com/hc/en-us/articles/51209753777556-About-Black-Cap
14. Perry Street Software acquires gay bear dating app GROWLr from The Meet Group, Global Dating Insights, 2026-10-06. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/perry-street-software-acquires-growlr/


---

# Romance scams on dating apps: what operators can do

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/romance-scams-operators

**In short:** Romance scams are rising. UK victims reported losses of more than £102 million in 2025, with reports up 29%, and US victims reported over $1.16 billion in the first nine months of 2025. Operators cut exposure with photo and liveness checks, ID options, fast reporting and warning members who chatted to banned scammers, which a new US law would require.

Romance scams are getting bigger, and regulators now expect dating operators to do something about them. UK victims reported losses of more than £102 million in 2025, with reports up 29% on 2024 [1]. In the US, the FTC recorded over $1.16 billion in reported romance scam losses in just the first nine months of 2025 [3]. The controls that work are well understood: check that profiles belong to real, live people, keep banned scammers out, make reporting fast and warn members who were talking to a scammer. In the UK the Online Safety Act already makes fraud a risk you must assess [4], and in the US a law requiring those warnings has passed both houses of Congress [8][9].

This guide sets out the latest official figures, how scammers operate, the controls operators use and the industry and legal changes to plan for.

## The latest figures

| Measure | Figure | Period | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| UK romance fraud losses reported to police | More than £102m | 2025 | Report Fraud [1] |
| UK romance fraud reports | 10,784, up 29% | 2025 | Report Fraud [1] |
| UK average loss per victim | About £9,500 | 2025 | Report Fraud [1] |
| US romance scam losses reported to the FTC | Over $1.16bn | January to September 2025 | FTC data via GDI [3] |
| US romance scam reports | 55,604, up 22% | January to September 2025 | FTC data via GDI [3] |
| US fraud losses of all kinds reported to the FTC | $15.9bn | 2025 | FTC [2] |
| UK adults online who have experienced romance or dating scams | 29% | Ofcom research | Ofcom [4] |

Source: Report Fraud [1], FTC [2][3], Ofcom [4].

These are reported losses only. Police say part of the UK rise reflects more victims coming forward [1], and most scams are never reported at all. People aged 55 to 74 suffered nearly half of UK losses in 2025 [1], so a dating app with an older audience faces a higher risk than one aimed at students.

## How the scams work

The pattern has not changed much, but the tools have. City of London Police describe offenders building convincing fake identities on social media and dating platforms, using AI-generated images and messages to make them more believable, then building trust over weeks or months before asking for money [1]. Many schemes now end in a fake investment, often in cryptocurrency, rather than a simple request for cash [1].

The warning signs police give members are useful to operators too, because each one is something a platform can detect [1]:

- a relationship that moves very fast, with strong emotions early on
- excuses for not meeting in person or not joining a live video call
- requests for money, crypto or gift cards
- requests linked to investments, emergencies or travel costs

Ofcom's guidance for dating services adds that fraudsters create fake personas [4], and it lists fraud and romance scams first among the harms dating services must assess under the Online Safety Act [4].

## The controls operators use

| Control | What it stops | Who expects it | Evidence it works |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Photo and liveness check at sign-up | Fake and stolen photos, duplicate accounts | Tinder requires it for new members in its rollout markets [5] | Tinder reported over 60% less exposure to bad actors [5] |
| Optional ID verification | Lets members talk only to verified people | UK Online Fraud Charter [6] | Not published |
| Block banned fraudsters from re-registering | Scammers returning under a new name | UK Online Fraud Charter [6] | Not published |
| Fraud reporting within two clicks | Slow or missing reports | UK Online Fraud Charter [6] | Not published |
| Warn members who chatted to a banned account | Losses after the scammer is removed | Online Fraud Charter [6], US bill [8] | Not published |
| Message scanning for money and off-platform requests | Payment requests, links, moves to other apps | Our view: high value, but must respect privacy law | Not published |
| Fraud in the illegal harms risk assessment | Gaps in your controls | Online Safety Act, via Ofcom [4] | Not applicable |

Source: Match Group [5], Home Office [6], US House of Representatives [8], Ofcom [4].

A few points on making these work in practice:

- **Photo and liveness checks do the most work for the least friction.** Match Group says Tinder's Face Check, a video selfie matched to profile photos, cut exposure to potential bad actors by over 60% and bad actor reports by over 40% [5]. These are company figures, not independently audited, but they are the clearest published evidence for any single control. The same step can also handle [age assurance](/glossary/age-assurance).
- **Re-registration is where scammers win.** A ban is only useful if the same face, device and payment card cannot open a new account the next day. The Online Fraud Charter asks signatories to block people removed for fraud from coming back [6].
- **Warnings protect members after the fact.** Banning a scammer does not help a member who has already shared contact details and moved to another app. The Charter asks dating services to alert members who exchanged details with someone likely involved in financial crime [6].
- **Scanning should target behaviour, not read everything.** The useful signals are narrow: money, crypto, gift cards, investment talk and early pushes to move to another app. Flagging those for review is far more defensible than broad monitoring.

For how these controls fit a wider [trust and safety](/glossary/trust-and-safety) setup, see our [Online Safety Act checklist](/insights/online-safety-act-dating-apps).

## Industry initiatives

**UK Online Fraud Charter.** Signed in November 2023 by Match Group alongside Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Google, Instagram, LinkedIn, Microsoft, Snap, TikTok, X and YouTube [6]. It is voluntary, but it is the clearest statement of what the UK government expects from a dating service: an option to verify identity, reporting within two clicks, immediate takedown of fraudulent content and warnings to affected members [6]. Match Group was the only dating company among the signatories [6].

**Tech Against Scams.** A coalition announced in May 2024 by Match Group, Meta, Coinbase, Kraken, Ripple, Gemini and others [7]. Its members share information about scam tactics, work on consumer education and cooperate with law enforcement, with a focus on romance scams and crypto "pig butchering" schemes [7]. The link between dating platforms and crypto exchanges matters because so many romance scams now end in a fake investment [1].

## New laws to plan for

**US Romance Scam Prevention Act.** The bill would require online dating services to notify any member who received a message from an account banned for fraud [8]. The notice must name the banned profile, say when the member last messaged it, warn against sending money or financial details and give customer service contact details [8]. It must go out within 24 hours of the ban, or within three days where the provider decides that is necessary, with a delay allowed if law enforcement asks [8]. The FTC and state attorneys general would enforce it, and it would take effect one year after becoming law [8]. The House passed it in June 2025 and the Senate in September 2026 [8][9]. As of 16 October 2026 we had not seen confirmation that it had been signed.

**UK Online Safety Act.** Fraud is already one of the illegal harms every dating service must assess and reduce [4]. Further duties are coming for the largest services: Ofcom planned consultations running from July to the end of September 2026 on fraudulent advertising duties for Category 1 and 2A services, and on Category 1 duties including identity verification [10]. Most dating apps will not be categorised, but the direction is clear.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Build the notification flow now.** If the US bill becomes law you will have a year to send fraud ban warnings within 24 hours [8]. That needs a reliable record of who messaged whom and a tested way to reach them.
- **Make liveness checks standard at sign-up.** It is the control with the strongest published evidence [5], and it can share a step with age checks.
- **Treat re-registration as a fraud problem, not a support problem.** Link bans to faces, devices and payment details, as the Online Fraud Charter expects [6].
- **Put fraud at the centre of your risk assessment.** Ofcom names romance scams first for dating services [4], and your records need to show what you did about it.

If you are rebuilding an app and want these controls designed in from the start, our [platform page](/platform) explains what a Dating API build includes.

## Questions

**How much do people lose to romance scams?**

In the UK, victims reported losses of more than £102 million in 2025, an average of about £9,500 each [1]. In the US, the FTC recorded over $1.16 billion in reported romance scam losses in the first nine months of 2025 [3].

**What is the Romance Scam Prevention Act?**

A US bill that would require online dating services to notify members who received messages from an account banned for fraud, usually within 24 hours [8]. It passed the House in June 2025 and the Senate in September 2026 [8][9].

**What can dating apps do to stop romance scams?**

The most effective controls are checking that profile photos belong to a real, live person, blocking banned scammers from coming back, making reporting quick and warning members who were in contact with a removed account [5][6].

**Do UK laws require dating apps to tackle fraud?**

Yes. Fraud is one of the illegal harms dating services must assess and reduce under the Online Safety Act, and Ofcom's guidance for dating services names romance scams specifically [4].

## Sources

1. Romance fraud costs UK victims £102 million as cases rise sharply, Report Fraud (City of London Police), 2026-05-04. https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/romance-fraud-costs-uk-victims-102-million/
2. FTC testimony before the Joint Economic Committee on the rising scam economy, Federal Trade Commission, 2026-03-25. https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/ftc_gov/pdf/ftc-testimony-jec-hearing-on-the-rising-scam-economy.pdf
3. Romance scams outpace other fraud types at $1.16 billion, Global Dating Insights, 2026-02-26. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/romance-scams-outpace-other-fraud-types-at-1-16-billion/
4. Dating and social discovery: know the online safety risks, rules and how to comply, Ofcom, 2026-05-18. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/dating-and-social-discovery-know-the-online-safety-risks-rules-and-how-to-comply
5. Tinder to expand facial verification feature across the U.S., setting a new standard for dating safety, Match Group, 2025-10-22. https://mtch.com/?p=3758
6. Online Fraud Charter, Home Office, GOV.UK, 2023-11-30. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/online-fraud-charter-2023/online-fraud-charter-2023-accessible
7. Meta, Match, Coinbase and others team up to fight online fraud and crypto scams, TechCrunch, 2024-05-21. https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/21/meta-match-coinbase-and-others-team-up-to-fight-online-fraud-and-crypto-scams
8. H.R. 2481, Romance Scam Prevention Act (engrossed in House), US Government Publishing Office, 2025-06-23. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hr2481eh/html/BILLS-119hr2481eh.htm
9. Senate passes romance scam prevention bill, ICBA, 2026-09-29. https://www.icba.org/w/senate-passes-romance-scam-prevention-bill
10. Online Safety industry bulletin, June 2026, Ofcom, 2026-06-29. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/online-safety-industry-bulletins/online-safety-industry-bulletin-june-2026


---

# Signs your dating app needs a rebuild

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/signs-dating-app-needs-rebuild

**In short:** A dating app needs a rebuild when its technology stops it doing the basics: shipping updates every few weeks, passing store review, keeping crashes under Google Play's thresholds, adding verification, taking payments reliably and meeting new law. One sign can be fixed. Several at once, plus dependence on one or two engineers, usually means the platform itself is the problem.

A dating app needs a rebuild when its technology, not its team or its marketing, is what stops it improving. The signs are practical and measurable: updates take months instead of weeks, store submissions keep getting rejected, crash rates creep towards Google Play's thresholds [6], ratings slide, verification or new safety features can't be added, payments fail in ways nobody can explain, only one or two people understand the system, and a new law or store deadline arrives that the app cannot meet [3][8].

Any one of these can usually be fixed in place. Several together usually mean the platform is the problem. Even the largest operators reach this point: in March 2026 Bumble's chief executive told investors "we cannot deliver the innovations we are creating on our legacy tech stack" [1].

## Why rebuilds happen even at scale

Bumble is the clearest public example. On its fourth quarter 2025 call it said it was "rearchitecting the entire Bumble experience from start to finish", describing "a fully new platform that will transform how we build and ship product" [1]. Its chief financial officer warned of "some duplication of costs for a portion of 2026" while old and new systems ran side by side [1]. By its second quarter 2026 results, the company said it was "completing our platform migration" [2].

Match Group took a different route to the same place, moving its smaller brands onto shared systems. In August 2026 it said these brands were "benefitting from shared Match Group capabilities, including Trust and Safety", and that "the major platform migrations" were complete [10].

The lesson for smaller operators is not that every app needs rebuilding. It is that the decision is a normal part of running a dating app, and the cost of delaying it compounds.

## The eight signs, and how to measure each

### 1. Releases have slowed to a crawl

Measure the time between store releases over the past year, and the time from a finished change to it reaching members. If a small change, such as a new profile prompt, takes a month or more to ship because every release risks breaking something, the codebase is slowing you down. Look at how many releases were hotfixes for problems the previous release caused.

### 2. Store submissions keep getting rejected

Apple reviewed 7,771,599 app submissions in 2024 and rejected 1,931,400 of them [7]. By our calculation that is about 24.9% of submissions (1,931,400 divided by 7,771,599) [7]. The biggest single reason was performance, cited in 1,235,471 rejections [7]. Track your own rejection rate per submission and the reasons. Repeated rejections for crashes, broken flows or missing account deletion point to an app that is hard to keep compliant.

### 3. Platform deadlines keep arriving faster than you can meet them

Both stores raise their minimum technical requirements every year:

- **Google Play target API level:** from 31 August 2026, new apps and updates must target Android 16 (API level 36), with extensions available to 1 November 2026 [3]. Existing apps that target Android 14 or lower are only available to new members on devices running that version or older [3].
- **Google Play Billing Library:** by 31 August 2026, all new apps and updates must use version 8 or later [4].
- **Apple SDK:** since 28 April 2026, apps uploaded to App Store Connect must be built with Xcode 26 using an iOS 26 SDK [5].
- **Apple age ratings:** developers had to answer updated age rating questions by 31 January 2026 to avoid interruptions when submitting updates [5].

If each of these turns into a multi-month project, or depends on an outdated library nobody maintains, that is a sign.

### 4. Crash rates are rising

Google publishes the line. Its overall bad behaviour threshold is a 1.09% "user-perceived crash rate" and a 0.47% "user-perceived ANR rate" (app not responding), with a per-phone-model threshold of 8% for each [6]. Above those, "Play may reduce the visibility of your title" and may show a warning on the store listing [6]. Check Android vitals and your iOS crash reporting monthly, and watch the trend, not just the level.

### 5. Ratings are falling

Compare your rating over the past 90 days with your lifetime rating, on both stores. Then read the one and two star reviews and tag them. If most complaints are about bugs, freezes, lost messages or login failures rather than the dating pool or pricing, the problem is technical.

### 6. You can't add verification or safety features

Photo verification, [ID verification](/glossary/id-verification), [age assurance](/glossary/age-assurance), better reporting and moderation tooling are now expected. Measure how long the last safety feature took from decision to launch. If adding one means touching code nobody understands, or the moderation team works across several disconnected tools, the platform is holding back trust and safety.

### 7. Payments are unreliable

Measure renewal success, refunds, chargebacks and support tickets about missing purchases. Check how often a member's entitlement in your database disagrees with Apple's or Google's records. Apple retries failed renewals for 60 days and offers a billing grace period so members keep access while a payment issue is resolved [9]. If your backend can't handle those states correctly, paying members lose access or keep it for free.

### 8. Everything depends on one or two people

Count how many people can deploy the backend, restore a database, or release to the stores without help. If the answer is one, or if a contractor who left holds the knowledge, you have key-person risk. Ask what happens to releases if that person is unavailable for a month.

### And a ninth: a new law you can't meet

In the UK, Ofcom's illegal content codes of practice came into force on 17 March 2025, and its protection of children codes on 25 July 2025 [8]. Similar age rules are spreading, as our [age verification guide](/insights/age-verification-dating-apps) sets out. Measure it simply: list each obligation that applies to you and ask whether the app can meet it today. If the honest answer is "not without a rebuild", that settles it. See also our [Online Safety Act checklist](/insights/online-safety-act-dating-apps).

## Self-assessment table

Score each line 0, 1 or 2.

| Sign | 0: healthy | 1: watch | 2: act |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Release cadence | Every two to four weeks | Every one to two months | Quarterly or slower |
| Store rejections | Rare, quickly fixed | Recurring for the same reasons | Blocking releases |
| Store deadlines | Met with time to spare | Met late or with extensions | Missed or at risk |
| Crash rate | Well under Google's thresholds | Close to a threshold | Over a threshold |
| Ratings trend | Stable or rising | Slipping | Falling, with bug complaints |
| Safety features | Added in weeks | Added in months | Can't be added |
| Payments | Entitlements match store records | Occasional mismatches | Regular lost or free access |
| Key people | Three or more can release | Two can release | One person or an ex-contractor |
| New law | Can meet it now | Can meet it with work | Can't meet it |

Source: Dating API framework, using Google Play thresholds [6] and store deadlines [3][4][5].

How to read it: a total of 0 to 4 points to fixes in place; 5 to 9 calls for a plan, starting with the lines that scored 2; 10 or more, or a 2 on store deadlines or new law, usually means a rebuild or a move to a different platform. These bands are our judgement, not an industry standard.

## Rebuild, replatform or patch

A rebuild does not have to mean starting from nothing. The options are:

- **Patch:** fix the worst lines in the table and buy a year. Right when only one or two signs score 2.
- **Rebuild in house:** right if you have a strong technical team and the time. Budget for running old and new systems in parallel, as Bumble did [1].
- **Move to a managed platform:** right if the app's value is the brand and the members, not the code. Our [build vs buy guide](/insights/build-vs-buy-dating-app) sets out the trade-offs, and [app build](/app-build) explains how we rebuild an app on an operator's own store listings.

Whichever route you take, the move itself is a separate risk. Our guide to [migrating a dating app without losing members](/insights/migrate-dating-app-without-losing-members) covers keeping the listing, data and subscriptions intact.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Measure before deciding.** Release cadence, rejection reasons, crash rates and payment mismatches are all available today. Score the table honestly.
- **Store deadlines are fixed dates.** The 31 August 2026 Google Play requirements and Apple's April 2026 SDK rule show the pace [3][4][5]. An app that struggles with each one will keep struggling.
- **Safety is now a technical capability.** If verification and moderation can't be added quickly, regulation will force the issue.
- **Key-person risk is a business risk.** It affects valuations and sale processes, not just engineering.
- **Plan for parallel running.** A rebuild costs more for a period before it costs less.

## Questions

**How do I know if my dating app needs a rebuild or just fixes?**

Count the signs. A single problem, such as a crash spike, can usually be fixed in place. When releases are slow, store deadlines keep slipping, verification can't be added and only one or two people understand the system, the cost of patching usually exceeds the cost of rebuilding.

**What is the Google Play target API level deadline in 2026?**

From 31 August 2026, new apps and app updates must target Android 16 (API level 36), with extensions available to 1 November 2026. Existing apps must target Android 15 or higher to stay available to new members on newer Android devices [3].

**What crash rate does Google Play treat as bad?**

Google's overall bad behaviour threshold is a 1.09% crash rate as perceived by people using the app, and 8% on any single phone model. Above it, Play may reduce the app's visibility and show a warning on the listing [6].

**Did Bumble rebuild its app?**

Yes. In March 2026 Bumble's chief executive said it could not deliver its plans on its legacy tech stack and was building a fully new platform [1]. In August 2026 she said Bumble was completing its platform migration [2].

## Sources

1. Bumble Inc Q4 2025 earnings call transcript, ROIC.ai, 2026-03-11. https://www.roic.ai/quote/BMBL/transcripts/2025-year/4-quarter
2. Bumble Inc. second quarter 2026 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000099/bmbl-ex991prxq22026.htm
3. Meet Google Play's target API level requirement, Android Developers, 2026-10-16. https://developer.android.com/google/play/requirements/target-sdk
4. Play Billing Library version deprecation FAQ, Android Developers, 2026-10-16. https://developer.android.com/google/play/billing/deprecation-faq
5. Upcoming requirements, Apple Developer, 2026-10-16. https://developer.apple.com/news/upcoming-requirements/
6. Android vitals, Android Developers, 2026-10-16. https://developer.android.com/google/play/vitals
7. 2024 App Store Transparency Report, Apple, 2025-05-30. https://www.apple.com/legal/more-resources/docs/2024-App-Store-Transparency-Report.pdf
8. Important dates for Online Safety Act compliance, Ofcom, 2026-10-16. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/important-dates-for-online-safety-compliance
9. Auto-renewable subscriptions, Apple Developer, 2026-10-16. https://developer.apple.com/app-store/subscriptions/
10. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm


---

# The German dating app market in 2026: ParshipMeet, Hinge and Spark

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/dating-app-market-germany

**In short:** Germany's dating market is shaped by a home-grown group, ParshipMeet, now wholly owned by ProSiebenSat.1 and up for eventual sale, and by US apps led by Tinder and a fast-expanding Hinge. Berlin-based Spark Networks' operating company went insolvent in 2026. The EU Digital Services Act and new Apple terms set the rules.

Germany's dating app market has two halves. One is a German group, ParshipMeet, which runs Parship, ElitePartner and LOVOO alongside eharmony and MeetMe [3]. ProSiebenSat.1 became its sole owner in 2025 [4], and ProSieben's new controlling shareholder wants dating sold, though not yet [5][6]. The other half is the US apps, with Match Group's Hinge expanding fast in Germany and other European markets [12]. In between, Berlin's Spark Networks, the company that grew out of eDarling and EliteSingles, saw its operating company enter insolvency in January 2026 [9][10]. All of them work under the EU Digital Services Act, which has applied to every online platform since 17 February 2024 [13].

Germany has no public audience survey for dating apps like Ofcom's in the UK that we could open and cite, so this guide relies on company reports and regulators.

## Who runs dating apps in Germany

| Group | Brands relevant to Germany | Owner | What changed recently |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ParshipMeet Group | Parship, ElitePartner, LOVOO, plus eharmony, MeetMe, Tagged, Skout | ProSiebenSat.1, sole owner | Sold GROWLr in October 2026; dating revenue under pressure |
| Match Group | Tinder, Hinge, plus Match Group's other brands | Public, US listed | Hinge expanding in Germany and other European markets |
| Bumble Inc | Bumble, Badoo | Agreed to go private | Ithaca Holdings deal agreed October 2026 |
| Spark Networks | Formerly EliteSingles, Zoosk and others | MGG Investment Group since 2024 | Operating company insolvent since January 2026 |

Source: The Meet Group [3], ProSiebenSat.1 [1][4], Global Dating Insights [8][9], Match Group [12], Jones Day [17].

## ParshipMeet: a German group waiting for a buyer

ParshipMeet Group was formed in September 2020 when Parship Group, owner of eharmony, Parship and ElitePartner, bought The Meet Group, owner of MeetMe, LOVOO, Tagged, Skout and GROWLr, for $6.30 a share, an enterprise value of about $500 million [3]. At the time it employed more than 1,100 people in eight offices [3].

Its ownership has been in play ever since.

| Date | Event |
| --- | --- |
| 4 Sep 2020 | ParshipMeet formed, jointly owned by ProSiebenSat.1 and General Atlantic [3] |
| 28 Mar 2023 | ProSiebenSat.1 says dating is "no longer part of the core business" and looks for an owner [7] |
| 20 Mar 2025 | ProSiebenSat.1 agrees to buy General Atlantic's stake and become sole owner, paying €10m in cash, shares and a €50m payment on exit [4] |
| 23 Oct 2025 | MFE-MediaForEurope holds over 75% of ProSiebenSat.1 and plans to sell side businesses, including dating [5] |
| 10 Mar 2026 | Sources tell Reuters ParshipMeet will be kept for now, partly because of its depressed valuation [6] |
| 6 Aug 2026 | ProSiebenSat.1 says dating was hit by consumer restraint in Germany and the US [1] |
| 6 Oct 2026 | GROWLr sold to Perry Street Software [8] |

Source: company statements and reporting as cited [1][3][4][5][6][7][8].

ProSiebenSat.1 does not publish ParshipMeet's revenue in its quarterly release. It reports dating inside a Commerce & Dating segment with the beauty retailer flaconi [2]. That segment's revenue was €269 million in the three months to June 2026, down 16% as reported, or up 3% after removing currency and portfolio effects [2]. ProSieben said its Dating & Video portfolio was "significantly impacted" by consumer restraint in Germany and the US and by strong competition, with video social dating much weaker than a year earlier, and that flaconi drove the segment's growth [1][2].

## Spark Networks: the Berlin story

Spark Networks has deep German roots. Its predecessor Affinitas launched eDarling in Germany in 2009, and EliteSingles in the UK, Canada and Australia in 2013 [10]. Affinitas merged with the US company Spark Networks in November 2017 to form Spark Networks SE, which bought Zoosk in July 2019 [10].

The decline came in two steps. In January 2024 a Berlin restructuring court confirmed a plan under Germany's StaRUG law that dealt with over $100 million of funded debt and left lender MGG Investment Group as sole owner [17]. Then on 16 January 2026 the Charlottenburg local court placed Spark Networks Services GmbH, which ran key operations for its brands, under preliminary insolvency administration [9]. EliteSingles closed on 30 April 2026 [11]. We cover what followed in [relaunching a dating brand](/insights/relaunching-a-dating-brand) and the wider list of deals in our [deals tracker](/insights/dating-app-deals-tracker).

## The US apps: Tinder and a fast-growing Hinge

Match Group does not publish German figures, but its second quarter 2026 letter lists Germany among Hinge's European expansion markets [12]. Across those markets, Hinge's direct revenue grew 86% on a year earlier, and Hinge was the most downloaded dating app in aggregate [12]. Bumble, the other big US group, is being taken private by Ithaca Holdings and does not split out German revenue in its results.

For a German operator, Hinge's push matters most. It competes directly with Parship and ElitePartner for members who want a relationship, but with a free entry point.

## Rules: the DSA, German enforcement and app store terms

The EU Digital Services Act has applied to all online platforms since 17 February 2024, with fines of up to 6% of a provider's global annual turnover [13]. For dating apps, the main duties are:

- **Notice and action.** Members must be able to flag illegal content, and platforms must respond and offer appeals [14].
- **Protecting minors.** Platforms must take measures to keep minors safe, and targeted advertising to children is banned [14].
- **Advertising transparency.** Ads must be labelled [14].

National Digital Services Coordinators supervise platforms established in their country, while the European Commission handles the largest platforms [14]. In Germany, the Bundesnetzagentur said it would take on the coordinator role once the German Digital Services Act (Digitale-Dienste-Gesetz) came into force [15].

App store terms are also changing. Apple moved every developer distributing apps in the EU to a single set of business terms from 1 October 2026, including a 5% Core Technology Commission on digital sales in apps distributed outside the App Store, and allows alternative payments alongside Apple's in-app purchase [16]. Check the current rates for your own setup before modelling margins.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **ParshipMeet is the asset to watch.** Its owner has wanted to sell since 2023 [7], and MFE's control makes a sale more likely once valuations recover [5][6]. A change of owner could reshape relationship dating in Germany.
- **Relationship dating is getting more competitive.** Hinge's growth in Europe [12] puts pressure on paid matchmaking brands that charge from day one.
- **Insolvency risk is real for mid-sized groups.** Spark's path from restructuring in 2024 to insolvency in 2026 [9][17] shows how quickly a lender's decision can end a brand.
- **EU rules are now an operating cost.** DSA notice and action, appeals and minors' protections apply to every platform [13][14]. Building them into the platform once, as described on our [how it works](/how-it-works) page, is cheaper than retrofitting each app.

## Questions

**Who owns Parship and ElitePartner?**

ParshipMeet Group, which also owns eharmony, MeetMe, LOVOO, Tagged and Skout [3]. ProSiebenSat.1 agreed in March 2025 to buy out General Atlantic and become its sole owner [4].

**Is ParshipMeet for sale?**

Eventually. MFE, which controls ProSiebenSat.1, wants side businesses including dating sold [5], but in March 2026 sources told Reuters ProSieben would keep ParshipMeet for now, partly because of its depressed valuation [6].

**What happened to Spark Networks in Germany?**

Its Berlin operating company, Spark Networks Services GmbH, was placed in preliminary insolvency by the Charlottenburg court on 16 January 2026 [9]. EliteSingles, which began as a product of Berlin's Affinitas, closed on 30 April 2026 [10][11].

**Which EU rules apply to dating apps in Germany?**

The Digital Services Act, which has applied to all online platforms since 17 February 2024 and allows fines of up to 6% of global annual turnover [13]. It requires notice and action systems and measures to protect minors [14].

## Sources

1. ProSiebenSat.1 reports strong EBITDA growth of EUR 152 million in the first half of 2026, ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, 2026-08-06. https://www.prosiebensat1.com/en/newsroom/prosiebensat1-reports-strong-ebitda-growth-of-eur152-million-in-the-first-half-of2026-608029
2. ProSiebenSat.1 Q2 2026 press release (PDF), ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, 2026-08-05. https://www.prosiebensat1.com/files/2026/08/05/1b64e7c0-0790-4643-af78-bafd9db9fd21.pdf
3. The Meet Group announces closing of acquisition by eharmony parent company Parship Group, The Meet Group, 2020-09-04. https://themeetgroup.com/?p=755
4. ProSiebenSat.1 approves proposed agreement with General Atlantic on the acquisition of its minority stakes in NuCom Group and ParshipMeet Group, ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, 2025-03-20. https://www.prosiebensat1.com/en/newsroom/prosiebensat1-approves-proposed-agreement-with-general-atlantic-on-the-acquisition-of-its-minority-stakes-in-nucom-group-and-parshipmeet-group-together-with-an-intended-sale-of-verivox-513729
5. ProSiebenSat.1 plans sale of dating platforms after takeover, Global Dating Insights, 2025-10-23. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/from-the-web/prosiebensat-1-plans-sale-of-dating-platforms-after-takeover/
6. ProSieben keeps ParshipMeet, Flaconi as it explores sale of other digital units, sources say, Reuters via Global Banking & Finance Review, 2026-03-10. https://www.globalbankingandfinance.com/prosieben-keeps-parshipmeet-flaconi-explores-sale-digital/
7. ProSiebenSat.1 to cut jobs, seeks buyer for dating business, Reuters via Kitco, 2023-03-28. https://www.kitco.com/news/off-the-wire/2023-03-28/update-1-prosiebensat1-cut-jobs-seeks-buyer-dating-business
8. Perry Street Software acquires gay bear dating app GROWLr from The Meet Group, Global Dating Insights, 2026-10-06. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/perry-street-software-acquires-growlr/
9. Dating provider Spark Networks enters preliminary insolvency, Global Dating Insights, 2026-01-21. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/dating-provider-spark-networks-enters-preliminary-insolvency/
10. Our story, Spark Networks, 2026-10-16. https://www.spark.net/our-story
11. EliteSingles to suddenly shut down on April 30, Global Dating Insights, 2026-04-30. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/elitesingles-to-suddenly-shut-down-on-april-30/
12. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
13. DSA enforcement, European Commission, 2026-10-16. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/dsa-enforcement
14. The Digital Services Act, European Commission, 2026-10-16. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/digital-services-act
15. Digital Services Coordinator, Bundesnetzagentur, 2026-10-16. https://www.bundesnetzagentur.de/EN/Areas/Digitalisation/DSA/start.html
16. Changes for apps in the European Union, Apple Developer, 2026-08-18. https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=gmws0jgp
17. Spark Networks: German StaRUG plan confirmed in first-ever cross-border restructuring, Jones Day, 2024-05-17. https://www.jonesday.com/en/practices/experience/2024/01/spark-networks-german-starug-plan-confirmed-in-firstever-crossborder-restructuring-under-german-starug-and-us-chapter-15


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# The Online Safety Act for dating apps: a practical checklist

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/online-safety-act-dating-apps

**In short:** Any dating app with UK members is covered by the Online Safety Act. Since March 2025 it must assess and reduce illegal harms such as fraud. Since July 2025 it must either keep children out with highly effective age checks or apply Ofcom's children's codes. It also needs reporting tools, a complaints process and written records. Fines reach £18 million or 10% of worldwide revenue.

If your dating app has members in the UK, the Online Safety Act applies to you, wherever the company is based [2]. Since 17 March 2025 you have had to assess and reduce the risk of illegal harms, including fraud [1]. Since 25 July 2025 you have had to either keep children out with highly effective age assurance or follow Ofcom's children's safety codes [1][5]. On top of that you need reporting tools, a complaints process and written records that Ofcom can ask for at short notice [5][6]. Getting it wrong can cost up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater [4].

This guide sets out what that means in practice as of 16 October 2026, with the dates, Ofcom's dating-specific guidance and a checklist you can work through with your team.

## Who is covered

Ofcom published a guide for dating and social discovery services in May 2026. It says the Act applies to services with UK links where members share profiles, messages, images or video, or are matched with strangers [2]. In the Act's terms, that makes a dating app a "user-to-user" service. Size does not matter for the core duties: a small niche app has the same baseline obligations as a large one, scaled to its risks.

Ofcom's guide names the harms it expects dating services to think about [2]:

- **Fraud and romance scams.** Ofcom's research found 29% of adults online have experienced romance or dating scams, and 6% have come across fraud on a dating site or app [2].
- **Intimate image abuse and sextortion.** In a Thorn survey cited by Ofcom, 11% of perpetrators first contacted young victims through an online dating service [2].
- **Harassment and stalking**, including new fake profiles set up to keep contacting someone after being blocked [2].
- **Gender-based harms** such as misogynistic abuse and coercive control [2].

For a deeper look at the fraud side, see our guide to [romance scams and what operators can do](/insights/romance-scams-operators).

## The dates that matter

| Date | What happened or is due | Status in October 2026 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 16 March 2025 | Illegal content risk assessments due | In force, review at least yearly |
| 17 March 2025 | Illegal content codes of practice in force | In force |
| 16 April 2025 | Children's access assessments due | In force |
| 24 July 2025 | Children's risk assessments due, where children are likely to access | In force |
| 25 July 2025 | Protection of Children Codes in force | In force |
| 7 April 2026 | Duty to report child sexual exploitation and abuse content to the National Crime Agency | In force |
| 11 April 2026 | Fee notifications due for providers at or above the revenue threshold | Passed |
| 31 July 2026 | Risk assessment records due from providers Ofcom served notices on | Passed |
| Autumn 2026 | New priority offences (serious self-harm, cyberflashing) and image hash matching measures | Expected, subject to Parliament |
| October to November 2026 | Category 1 and 2A services file records and publish risk assessment summaries | Depends on the register |

Source: Ofcom [1][7][10].

Two points stand out. First, the fee regime only applies to providers with qualifying worldwide revenue of £250 million or more, so most independent dating apps are outside it [10]. Second, Ofcom's June 2026 bulletin says illegal content risk assessments must be updated "as soon as practical" after its 25 June 2026 statement adding cyberflashing and serious self-harm as priority offences [7]. Cyberflashing is a real risk on dating apps, so that update should already be on your list.

## Illegal harms: the duties since March 2025

Every in-scope service had to complete an illegal content risk assessment by 16 March 2025, covering 17 kinds of illegal content [1][2]. The codes of practice that set out recommended measures came into force the next day [1].

Ofcom's baseline measures for all in-scope services are [2]:

- terms and conditions that are easy to find and understand
- a complaints tool for reporting illegal or harmful material, backed by a process for handling those complaints
- the ability to review content and take it down quickly when there is reason to believe it is illegal

For dating services, Ofcom also points to nine practical actions to protect women and girls, including safer default settings, reducing the spread of content that promotes gender-based harm, trusted flagger programmes and routes for reporting incidents that happened off the service [2].

You do not have to adopt every code measure. But if you choose an alternative, you must record what you did instead, when it took effect and how it meets the duty [6].

## Children: access assessments and age checks

This is where dating apps differ from many other services. Under the Act, a provider can only conclude that children cannot access its service if it uses age verification or age estimation that means children are not normally able to get in [5]. A date-of-birth box does not count: Ofcom says self-declaration of age is not highly effective [3].

That leaves two routes:

1. **Keep children out.** Use highly effective age assurance at sign-up. Ofcom lists open banking, photo ID matching, facial age estimation, mobile network operator checks, credit card checks, digital identity services and email-based age estimation as methods capable of meeting the bar [3]. Whatever you use must be "technically accurate, robust, reliable and fair" [3].
2. **Accept children may be present.** Then you must complete a children's risk assessment and follow the Protection of Children Codes, which have applied since 25 July 2025 [1].

For most dating apps the first route is the only sensible one. And if your service allows pornographic content, including content members post in profiles or private messages, Ofcom says highly effective age assurance is required [2]. Our guide to [age verification methods and costs](/insights/age-verification-dating-apps) compares the options.

Ofcom is watching how well this works. Its July 2026 report on age assurance looked at four dating services [8]. On average, 70% of people who completed an age check on those services were found to be 18 or over, with a range of 57% to 82% [8]. More pointedly, Ofcom found that around one in ten 15 to 17-year-olds were spending time on dating services with age assurance in place in December 2025, and concluded that "the presence of age checks seems to have had little impact" on older teens' use [8]. It says dating services are now adding challenge ages and liveness detection in response [8]. Expect closer scrutiny of dating in 2027.

## Reporting, complaints and records

The complaints duty is set out in section 21 of the Act. The procedure must be "easy to access, easy to use (including by children) and transparent", and your terms of service must explain how complaints are handled [5]. Where children may use the service, members must also be able to complain if they were wrongly blocked by an age check [5].

Records are the part operators most often underestimate. Ofcom's record-keeping guidance asks for [6]:

- each risk assessment, with the evidence used, the risk level for each kind of priority illegal content and who approved it
- every code measure you have taken, with the date it took effect
- any alternative measures and how they meet the duty
- earlier versions kept for at least three years

Reviews must happen at least once a year and after any significant change to the service [6]. In April 2026 Ofcom used its powers to demand risk assessment records from selected providers, with a 31 July 2026 deadline [7]. Ofcom's August 2026 open letter repeated that these duties apply now, whatever future rules are announced [9].

## Fines and enforcement so far

The maximum penalty is the greater of £18 million or 10% of a provider's qualifying worldwide revenue for its most recent complete accounting period [4].

As of its June 2026 bulletin, Ofcom had not announced enforcement against a dating service. That bulletin listed four fines totalling £2.17 million: £600,000 for Youngtek Solutions and £80,000 for First Time Videos for failing to use highly effective age assurance, £540,000 for 4chan and £950,000 for an online suicide forum provider [7]. Earlier in 2026 it fined 8579 LLC £1.35 million and Kick Online Entertainment £800,000 over missing age checks [10]. The pattern is clear: age assurance failures and ignored information requests are what Ofcom has acted on first.

## The checklist

| Duty | What good looks like | Evidence to keep |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Illegal content risk assessment | Covers all 17 kinds of illegal content, with fraud, intimate image abuse, harassment and cyberflashing assessed in detail | Dated assessment, evidence, sign-off |
| Code measures | Clear terms, reporting tool, fast takedown | List of measures and dates |
| Children's access assessment | Concludes children cannot access, based on highly effective age assurance | Method, vendor due diligence, test results |
| Age assurance | An Ofcom-listed method, with liveness and a challenge age | Pass rates, appeals, fixes made |
| Complaints | Easy to use, covers wrongful age-check blocks | Complaint logs and response times |
| Women and girls | Safer defaults, off-service incident reporting | Product decisions and dates |
| Annual review | At least yearly and after major changes | Review notes, version history |
| Records | Kept at least three years, ready to send to Ofcom | Records register |

Source: Ofcom [2][3][6][8] and the Act [5].

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Treat age assurance as a core sign-up step, not an add-on.** It is the only way to stay outside the children's codes, and it is where Ofcom has fined services first [5][7].
- **Update your risk assessment now.** The new cyberflashing and self-harm offences triggered a required update, and Ofcom has already shown it will demand records [7].
- **Write things down as you go.** If you cannot show Ofcom a dated record of a measure, assume it will be treated as missing [6].
- **Plan for more scrutiny of dating.** Ofcom has named the sector in its guidance and its age assurance report, and found teenagers still getting through [2][8].

If you are rebuilding or relaunching an app, these controls are far cheaper to design in than to bolt on. Our [platform page](/platform) explains how moderation and ID checks sit inside a Dating API build.

## Questions

**Does the Online Safety Act apply to dating apps?**

Yes. Ofcom says the Act covers dating and social discovery services where members share profiles, messages, images or video, or are matched with strangers, including services based outside the UK that have UK members [2].

**Do UK dating apps have to verify age?**

A dating app can only treat itself as closed to children if it uses age verification or age estimation that stops children normally getting in [5]. Ofcom says services that allow pornographic content, including content members post, must use highly effective age assurance [2].

**What are the fines under the Online Safety Act?**

Ofcom can fine a provider up to £18 million or 10% of its qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater [4].

**Has Ofcom fined a dating app?**

Not as far as Ofcom's published bulletins show. Its fines so far have mainly hit pornography sites, 4chan and a suicide forum, totalling £2.17 million in its June 2026 bulletin alone [7].

**How often must a dating app update its risk assessment?**

Ofcom expects reviews at least once a year and after any significant change to how the service is designed or run [6].

## Sources

1. Important dates for Online Safety compliance, Ofcom, 2026-08-24. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/important-dates-for-online-safety-compliance
2. Dating and social discovery: know the online safety risks, rules and how to comply, Ofcom, 2026-05-18. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/dating-and-social-discovery-know-the-online-safety-risks-rules-and-how-to-comply
3. Age checks to protect children online, Ofcom, 2025-01-16. https://ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/protecting-children/age-checks-to-protect-children-online
4. Online Safety Act 2023, Schedule 13: Penalties imposed by Ofcom, legislation.gov.uk, 2023-10-26. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50/schedule/13
5. Online Safety Act 2023, section 21: Duties about complaints procedures, legislation.gov.uk, 2023-10-26. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50/section/21/enacted
6. Record-keeping and review guidance (version 3.0), Ofcom, 2026-06-25. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/online-safety/information-for-industry/illegal-harms/updates/record-keeping-and-review-guidance.pdf
7. Online Safety industry bulletin, June 2026, Ofcom, 2026-06-29. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/online-safety-industry-bulletins/online-safety-industry-bulletin-june-2026
8. Report on the use of age assurance, Ofcom, 2026-07-15. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/online-safety/information-for-industry/age-assurance-report-2026/report-on-the-use-of-age-assurance.pdf
9. Open letter reminding services of their duties under the Online Safety Act, Ofcom, 2026-08-28. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/about-ofcom/public-correspondence/2026/open-letter-on-reminding-services-of-their-duties-under-the-osa-28-august-2026.pdf
10. Online Safety industry bulletin, March 2026, Ofcom, 2026-03-17. https://ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/online-safety-industry-bulletins/online-safety-industry-bulletin-march-2026


---

# The UK dating app market in 2026: apps, owners, rules and payments

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/dating-app-market-uk

**In short:** About 11% of UK online adults visited a dating service in May 2025, a share that has barely moved in four years. Hinge has caught Tinder, both reaching 3.1%. Match Group and Bumble Inc own most of the top ten. The Online Safety Act now sets risk, reporting and age check duties, with fines up to 10% of worldwide revenue.

The UK dating app market is large, stable in size and changing underneath. Ofcom found that 11% of UK online adults visited a dating site or app in May 2025, about the same share as in each of the three years before [1]. Within that, Hinge has caught up with Tinder: both reached 3.1% of UK online adults, around 1.5 million people each [1]. Match Group owns both, and with Bumble Inc it owns most of the ten most visited services [1][7][13]. The rules have changed too: the Online Safety Act now requires every dating service to assess and reduce the risk of illegal content and harm to children, and some must check ages [3][4].

This guide pulls together Ofcom's audience data, the owners behind each app, and the regulation and payment rules that apply in 2026.

## The top ten dating services in the UK

| Rank | Service | Owner | Audience, May 2025 | Change on a year | Reach of UK online adults | Time per visitor in the month |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Tinder | Match Group | 1.5m | down 0.4m | 3.1% | 1h 30m |
| 2 | Hinge | Match Group | 1.5m | up 0.2m | 3.1% | 2h 10m |
| 3 | Bumble | Bumble Inc | 1.1m | no change | 2.3% | 1h 51m |
| 4 | Grindr | Grindr Inc | 0.9m | no change | 1.9% | 6h 27m |
| 5 | Squirt | Not covered here | 0.5m | up 0.1m | 1.1% | 0h 05m |
| 6 | Badoo | Bumble Inc | 0.5m | down 0.1m | 1.0% | 1h 30m |
| 7 | PURE | Not covered here | 0.4m | up 0.3m | 0.9% | 0h 06m |
| 8 | Plenty of Fish | Match Group | 0.4m | no change | 0.8% | 1h 49m |
| 9 | Ourtime | Not covered here | 0.3m | up 0.2m | 0.5% | 0h 03m |
| 10 | Match | Match Group | 0.2m | no change | 0.5% | 0h 22m |

Source: Ofcom Online Nation 2025, using Ipsos iris audience measurement for UK adults online aged 18 and over, May 2025 [1]. Owners from Match Group [7] and Bumble Inc [13] filings. Ofcom rounds audiences, so some changes do not match the rounded figures.

Three groups stand out. Match Group owns four of the top ten: Tinder, Hinge, Plenty of Fish and Match [1][7]. Bumble Inc owns two, Bumble and Badoo, and runs one of its offices in London [8][13]. Grindr has a smaller audience than the leaders but much deeper use: its visitors spent 6 hours 27 minutes on it in May 2025, against 1 hour 30 minutes for Tinder [1].

## What changed: Tinder down, Hinge up, more men

Three trends in Ofcom's data matter for anyone running an app in the UK.

- **Tinder is shrinking.** Its UK audience fell from 2.5 million in May 2023 to 1.5 million in May 2025 [1]. That is a fall of about 40% in two years (our calculation from Ofcom's figures).
- **Women have moved to Hinge and Bumble.** Tinder's female audience fell from 735,000 to 384,000 between May 2023 and May 2025, and men now outnumber women on it by about three to one [1]. Among women, Hinge reached 2.7% and Bumble 1.6%, both ahead of Tinder at 1.5% [1].
- **The audience is getting more male.** Men made up 68% of visitors to dating services in May 2025, about 3.6 million people, up from 65% a year earlier [1]. Average time spent on dating services fell from 3 hours 57 minutes in May 2023 to 3 hours in May 2025 [1].

A market where the overall reach is flat but the gender balance tilts towards men is harder to run. The members every app most needs to keep, women looking for relationships, are concentrating on fewer apps. See [dating app liquidity](/insights/dating-app-liquidity) for why that balance decides whether an app works.

## Regulation: the Online Safety Act

The Online Safety Act 2023 applies to services that let people share content and message each other, which includes dating apps, and sets duties on illegal content, protecting children and age checks [6]. Ofcom is the regulator. Its key dates so far [2]:

| Date | What came into force or was due |
| --- | --- |
| 16 Mar 2025 | Illegal content risk assessments due |
| 17 Mar 2025 | Illegal content codes of practice in force |
| 16 Apr 2025 | Children's access assessments due |
| 24 Jul 2025 | Children's risk assessments due |
| 25 Jul 2025 | Protection of Children Codes in force for services likely to be used by children |
| 7 Apr 2026 | Duty to report child sexual abuse content to the National Crime Agency |
| 11 Apr 2026 | Deadline for revenue returns used to set Ofcom's fees for 2026/27 |
| Sep 2026 | Invoices issued for the 2026/27 charging year, payable by March 2027 |

Source: Ofcom [2]. Ofcom says these dates can change.

In May 2026 Ofcom published guidance written for dating and social discovery services [3]. It names romance fraud, intimate image abuse and sextortion, and harassment and stalking as the main risks [3]. It cites research that 6% of people had encountered fraud on a dating site or app, and a survey in which 11% of sextortion cases began with contact through a dating service [3].

What dating apps must do, in short:

- **Assess risks** of illegal content using Ofcom's list of 17 kinds, and of content harmful to children [3].
- **Run the basics:** clear terms, a complaints tool and a way to review and remove illegal content quickly [3].
- **Assess whether children are likely to use the service**, and if so carry out a children's risk assessment and apply the children's safety duties [3].
- **Check ages where pornographic content is allowed.** A service that allows pornographic content, including in private messages, must use highly effective [age assurance](/glossary/age-assurance) to stop under-18s seeing it [3].

Ofcom lists the methods it considers capable of being highly effective: photo ID matching, facial age estimation, open banking, credit card checks, mobile network operator checks, digital identity services and email-based age estimation [4]. Ticking a box to say you are over 18 does not count, and nor do debit cards or terms that simply ban children [4]. The penalty for breaching the Act is up to 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue or £18 million, whichever is greater [5]. Our [Online Safety Act guide](/insights/online-safety-act-dating-apps) covers the duties in detail.

The industry is also organising. The Online Dating and Discovery Association set up a consumer safety panel of 12 to 16 people, including fraud survivors, at its London conference in October 2026 [12].

## Payments and app store fees

UK dating apps pay app store commission on in-app subscriptions. Apple charges 15% to developers with up to $1 million of proceeds a year under its small business scheme, and the standard rate above that [10]. Outside the US, Apple's guidelines still bar apps from including buttons or links that send members to other ways to pay [11].

That rule is being tested in court. The Competition Appeal Tribunal found in 2025 that Apple abused its dominant position by charging commission of around 30% [9]. A separate claim against Google, seeking more than £1 billion for about 20 million UK consumers and businesses, reached the tribunal in October 2026 [9]. Google had already agreed to pay £260 million to settle a claim brought for UK app developers [9].

The upside of cheaper payments is visible in the US, where linking out is allowed: Match Group's cost of revenue fell 16% in the second quarter of 2026, mainly from savings on alternative payments [7]. UK operators do not yet have the same option inside Apple's store.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **The UK is a mature, flat market.** Overall reach has sat at 10% to 11% of online adults for four years [1]. Growth comes from taking share or serving a niche, not from new people arriving.
- **Win women and you win the market.** Hinge's rise and Tinder's fall among women are the clearest shifts in Ofcom's data [1]. Safety, verification and product design aimed at women are commercial priorities, not just compliance.
- **Budget for Online Safety Act compliance as a running cost.** Risk assessments, records, complaints handling and, for some apps, age checks are permanent duties, and Ofcom now charges fees to providers that meet its thresholds [2][3]. A platform that builds these in, as described on our [platform page](/platform), costs less than adding them app by app.
- **Watch the payment cases.** If the tribunal cases or regulation open up linking out in the UK, apps that are ready to offer web payments will keep more of each subscription [7][9].

## Questions

**What is the most popular dating app in the UK?**

Tinder and Hinge are level. Each reached 3.1% of UK online adults, about 1.5 million people, in May 2025, according to Ofcom's Online Nation report [1].

**How many people in the UK use dating apps?**

Ofcom found that 11% of UK online adults visited a dating site or app in May 2025, roughly the same share as in each of the three previous years [1].

**Do UK dating apps have to check ages?**

Every dating service has to assess whether children are likely to use it. Services that allow pornographic content, including in private messages, must use highly effective age assurance, and Ofcom's children's codes have applied since 25 July 2025 [2][3].

**What are the fines under the Online Safety Act?**

Up to 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue or £18 million, whichever is greater [5].

## Sources

1. Online Nation 2025 report, Ofcom, 2025-12-10. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/research-and-data/online-research/online-nation/2025/online-nations-report-2025.pdf
2. Important dates for online safety compliance, Ofcom, 2026-10-16. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/important-dates-for-online-safety-compliance
3. Dating and social discovery: know the online safety risks, rules and how to comply, Ofcom, 2026-05-18. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/dating-and-social-discovery-know-the-online-safety-risks-rules-and-how-to-comply
4. Age assurance, Ofcom, 2026-10-16. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/protecting-children/age-assurance
5. Guide for services: complying with the Online Safety Act, Ofcom, 2026-10-16. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/guide-for-services
6. Online Safety Act 2023, legislation.gov.uk, 2023-10-26. https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/50/contents
7. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
8. Bumble to be acquired by Ithaca Holdings, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-10-13. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000095010326015480/dp254907_ex9901.htm
9. Google to fight hidden app charges claim seeking £1bn damages, The Irish News (PA), 2026-10-05. https://www.irishnews.com/news/uk/google-to-fight-hidden-app-charges-claim-seeking-1bn-damages-QG6IDDXAWBMGDHMS3JTFRXSN7E/
10. App Store Small Business Program, Apple Developer, 2026-10-16. https://developer.apple.com/app-store/small-business-program/
11. App Review Guidelines, Apple Developer, 2026-10-16. https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/
12. ODDA launches consumer safety panel to shape dating app standards, Global Dating Insights, 2026-10-09. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/odda-consumer-safety-panel-dating-apps/
13. Bumble Inc. second quarter 2026 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000099/bmbl-ex991prxq22026.htm


---

# The US dating app market in 2026: owners, numbers and new laws

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/dating-app-market-us

**In short:** The US is the world's biggest dating app market and home to Match Group, Bumble and Grindr. Only Grindr splits out US revenue: $78.8 million in the second quarter of 2026, up 30%. App age laws in Texas, Utah and Louisiana, an FTC settlement with Match and a Senate scam report are reshaping the rules.

The US is the largest dating app market in the world and the home market of the three biggest listed dating companies: Match Group, Bumble Inc and Grindr. Only Grindr reports its US revenue separately: $78.8 million in the three months to June 2026, up 30% on a year earlier and about 57% of its total [1]. Pew Research found that about 30% of US adults had used a dating site or app by 2022, as reported by Global Dating Insights [6]. The rules are changing fast, with app store age laws in Texas, Utah and Louisiana [9][10], a $14 million FTC settlement with Match [8] and a Senate report on romance scams [7].

This guide sets out who owns what, what the companies disclose about the US, how Americans use dating apps, and the legal changes operators need to plan for.

## Who owns the big US apps

| Owner | Main US apps | Revenue, Q2 2026 | Change on a year | Status |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Match Group | Tinder, Hinge, Match, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish, BLK, Chispa, The League, Upward | $853.1m | down 1% | Public |
| Bumble Inc | Bumble, Badoo, BFF | $210.5m | down 15.2% | Agreed to go private |
| Grindr Inc | Grindr | $138.1m | up 33% | Public |

Source: Match Group [2][3], Bumble Inc [4][5] and Grindr [1] filings for the three months to June 2026. Revenue is worldwide; only Grindr splits out the US.

Match Group's second quarter letter names its brands but does not split revenue by country [2]. Bumble's results split revenue by app, not by country [4]. Bumble expects to remain based in Austin after Ithaca Holdings takes it private [5].

## What the companies say about the US

Even without country figures, the filings show which way the US market is moving.

- **Tinder is still losing members in the US, but more slowly.** Match said Tinder's US monthly active member declines improved by about 2.5 percentage points in the second quarter compared with the first [2].
- **Hinge is growing on campaigns aimed at women.** Match said Hinge's US campaign lifted registrations, particularly among young women, and that Hinge's core markets had roughly flat monthly active members with revenue up double digits [2].
- **Grindr's US business is growing faster than its international one.** US revenue rose from $60.4 million to $78.8 million in the second quarter, while international revenue rose from $43.8 million to $59.4 million [1]. Across the first half of 2026, US revenue was $152.8 million out of $268.1 million [1].
- **Grindr is moving into US health services.** It agreed to buy PurposeMed, parent of the PrEP telehealth service Freddie, for $250 million, citing about 650,000 people using PrEP in the US against an estimated 2.2 million who could benefit [12].

For the full revenue and payer comparison, see our [Q2 2026 revenue scorecard](/insights/top-dating-apps-by-revenue).

## How Americans use dating apps

The most cited figure comes from Pew Research: about 30% of US adults had used a dating site or app by 2022, with younger and LGBTQ adults much more likely to have done so [6]. We could not open Pew's own page for this article, so the figure here is as reported by Global Dating Insights.

Dating apps also shape how couples form. The Knot's 2025 Real Weddings Study, which surveyed nearly 17,000 US couples, found about 27% of couples marrying in 2025 first met through a dating site or app, with Hinge the most common app among them [6]. The sample is couples using a wedding planning site, so it is not a national figure [6].

## The new rules: age checks, scams and subscriptions

### App store age laws

Three states now make app stores and developers handle age. Apple began applying Texas SB 2420 to new Apple Accounts in Texas from 4 June 2026, after a court lifted an injunction [9]. The law requires age assurance and parent or guardian consent for under-18s for downloads, in-app purchases and significant app changes, and parents can withdraw consent [9]. Apple applies similar tools to new accounts in Utah from 6 May 2026 and in Louisiana from 1 July 2026 [10].

| State | Applies to new Apple Accounts from | What developers get from Apple |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Utah | 6 May 2026 | Age category through the Declared Age Range API; parental permission signals for significant updates |
| Texas | 4 June 2026 | Age category, consent for significant changes, a notice when a parent withdraws consent |
| Louisiana | 1 July 2026 | Age category and parental permission signals |

Source: Apple Developer news [9][10].

Dating apps are adult services, but these laws still matter. Apple's tools tell developers which age band an account is in [9]. An app that ignores that signal and lets an account flagged as a minor sign up will struggle to argue it took reasonable steps. See our guide to [age verification for dating apps](/insights/age-verification-dating-apps).

### Romance scams

In October 2026 Senator Maggie Hassan released the results of a year-long investigation into scams on Match Group's apps [7]. It found that in the first nine months of 2025, nearly 1.5 million scammers and other bad actors on Tinder and Hinge matched with at least one US member, and nearly 500,000 exchanged contact details [7]. The report cites FTC data showing nearly $1.5 billion of US romance scam losses in 2025 [7]. Match pointed to Face Check, a mandatory video selfie for new US Tinder members since December 2025, which it said cut interactions with bad actors by 70% [7].

### The FTC and subscriptions

The FTC sued Match Group in September 2019 over ads triggered by messages from accounts Match had flagged as likely fraudulent, a guarantee with undisclosed conditions, banning members who disputed charges and a hard cancellation process [13]. A proposed settlement was filed on 12 August 2025: Match pays $14 million, stops misrepresenting guarantees, stops locking out members who have paid and simplifies cancellation on Match.com [8].

### Payments

The US is the one Apple storefront where apps may include buttons and links to pay outside the app [11]. Match's cost of revenue fell 16% in the second quarter of 2026, mainly because of savings from alternative payments [2]. For an app paying full commission, moving even part of its subscriptions to the web is now one of the largest margin levers available.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **The US rewards focus.** The two growing businesses, Hinge and Grindr, both serve a clear audience [1][2]. A broad app with no clear audience is fighting Tinder on its home ground.
- **Treat age signals as part of sign-up.** With Texas, Utah and Louisiana in force, an app should read the age band the store provides and block accounts flagged as minors [9][10].
- **Scam prevention is now a public test.** The Senate report sets out what a large operator was asked to show: model updates, detection rules and verification results [7]. Smaller apps will be asked the same questions by partners and regulators.
- **Make cancelling easy and guarantees plain.** The Match case shows the FTC treats cancellation flows and offer terms as enforcement targets [8][13].
- **Set up web payments in the US.** It is the one Apple market where you can link out today [11]. If you are planning that work alongside a rebuild, our [app build page](/app-build) explains what is involved.

## Questions

**How many Americans use dating apps?**

Pew Research found about 30% of US adults had used a dating site or app by 2022, as reported by Global Dating Insights [6]. Use was higher among younger and LGBTQ adults [6].

**How much of Grindr's revenue comes from the US?**

In the three months to June 2026, $78.8 million of Grindr's $138.1 million revenue came from the US, about 57% [1].

**What is the Texas app store age law?**

Texas SB 2420 requires app stores and developers to apply age checks and get parental consent for under-18s. Apple began applying it to new Texas accounts from 4 June 2026, after a court lifted an injunction [9].

**Did the FTC settle with Match Group?**

Yes. A proposed settlement filed on 12 August 2025 has Match paying $14 million and changing its guarantee, billing dispute and cancellation practices [8].

## Sources

1. Grindr Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-06. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1820144/000182014426000025/grnd-20260630.htm
2. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
3. Match Group Inc. Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110326000130/mtch-20260630.htm
4. Bumble Inc. second quarter 2026 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000099/bmbl-ex991prxq22026.htm
5. Bumble to be acquired by Ithaca Holdings, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-10-13. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000095010326015480/dp254907_ex9901.htm
6. Dating apps account for over a quarter of US marriages in 2025, Global Dating Insights, 2025-11-19. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/dating-apps-account-for-over-a-quarter-of-u-s-marriages-in-2025/
7. US Senate releases romance scam investigation report, finds gaps in Tinder's fraud detection, Global Dating Insights, 2026-10-13. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/us-senate-tinder-romance-scam-investigation-report/
8. FTC v. Match Group, Inc. case page, Federal Trade Commission, 2025-08-12. https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/cases-proceedings/172-3013-match-group-inc
9. Update for apps distributed in Texas, Apple Developer, 2026-06-03. https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=sg176nne
10. Age requirements for apps distributed in Brazil, Australia, Singapore, Utah, and Louisiana, Apple Developer, 2026-02-24. https://developer.apple.com/news/?id=f5zj08ey
11. App Review Guidelines, Apple Developer, 2026-10-16. https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/
12. Grindr to acquire PurposeMed, parent of Freddie, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-09-30. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001820144/000182014426000033/exhibit991-pressreleasedat.htm
13. FTC sues owner of online dating service Match.com for using fake love interest ads, Federal Trade Commission, 2019-09-25. https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2019/09/ftc-sues-owner-online-dating-service-matchcom-using-fake-love


---

# Tinder: revenue, payers and strategy in 2026

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/tinder-business-profile

**In short:** Tinder earned $457.5 million of direct revenue from 8.5 million payers in the three months to June 2026. Payers have fallen every quarter since 2024, while revenue per payer rose to $17.90 a month. Match Group's CEO now runs Tinder directly and is betting on Face Check, new ways to meet and better recommendations.

Tinder is still the largest dating app by revenue, with $457.5 million of direct revenue in the three months to June 2026 [1]. But it is a business in managed decline that is trying to turn around. It had 8.5 million payers in that quarter, down 5% on a year earlier and down from just under 10 million in early 2024 [1][10]. Revenue has held up because each payer spends more: revenue per payer rose 4% to $17.90 a month [1].

This profile pulls together every Tinder number Match Group has published since the start of 2024, so the trend is in one place, and sets out what the company is changing.

## Owner and launch history

Tinder belongs to Match Group, the listed US company that also owns Hinge, Match, Meetic, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish and other brands. Match Group's annual report says Tinder launched in 2012 and "rose to scale and popularity faster than any other service in the online dating category" [11]. It reports Tinder as one of four business units, alongside Hinge, Evergreen and Emerging, and Match Group Asia [11].

Key dates since 2024:

- **By May 2024:** Tinder has launched Share My Date, letting members send date plans to friends or family [10].
- **4 February 2025:** Spencer Rascoff becomes Match Group CEO, replacing Bernard Kim [12].
- **May 2025:** Match Group announces a 13% cut to its workforce and more than $100 million of annual savings [6].
- **June 2025:** Double Date launches globally [5].
- **July 2025:** Tinder CEO Faye Iosotaluno steps down and Rascoff takes direct charge of Tinder [13]. Match says more than 20% of Tinder's managers were removed as the structure was flattened [5].
- **2025 to 2026:** Face Check, a facial verification step, rolls out market by market [4][3][2].
- **Q2 2026:** a new logo, colours and visual identity go live worldwide [1].

## Business model and tiers

Tinder is freemium. Members can use most core features for free, and pay for a subscription or for single features [11]. Subscribers choose between Tinder Plus, Tinder Gold and Tinder Platinum, and anyone can buy features such as Super Likes and Boosts on a pay-per-use basis [11]. Match calls this "direct revenue", meaning money received from members, including both subscriptions and one-off purchases [1]. Advertising is small and reported separately [11].

Most of that money passes through Apple and Google. Match Group says it pays them "a meaningful share of the revenue we receive from in-app transactions" [11]. See our guide to [app store fees for dating apps](/insights/app-store-fees-dating-apps) for what that means in practice.

Pay-per-use is a double-edged tool. In late 2024 Match said one-off purchases of Passport, Likes You and First Impressions were well received but took more away from subscription revenue than expected [8].

## Revenue and payers, quarter by quarter

| Quarter | Direct revenue | Change on a year | Payers | Change on a year | Revenue per payer, per month |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Q1 2024 | $481.5m | up 9% | just under 10.0m | down 9% | $16.52 |
| Q2 2024 | $479.9m | up 1% | 9.6m | down 8% | $16.61 |
| Q3 2024 | $503.2m | down 1% | 9.9m | down 4% | $16.87 |
| Q4 2024 | $476.0m | down 3% | 9.5m | down 5% | $16.72 |
| Q1 2025 | $447.4m | down 7% | 9.1m | down 6% | $16.38 |
| Q2 2025 | $461.2m | down 4% | 9.0m | down 7% | $17.14 |
| Q3 2025 | $490.6m | down 3% | 9.3m | down 7% | $17.66 |
| Q4 2025 | $463.8m | down 3% | 8.8m | down 8% | $17.63 |
| Q1 2026 | $454.7m | up 2% | 8.6m | down 5% | $17.56 |
| Q2 2026 | $457.5m | down 1% | 8.5m | down 5% | $17.90 |

Source: Match Group shareholder letters and prepared remarks for each quarter [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. Changes on a year are as reported, not adjusted for currency.

Three things stand out.

**Payers have fallen in every quarter shown.** Comparing the third quarter of 2024 (9.9 million) with the second quarter of 2026 (8.5 million), Tinder has about 1.4 million fewer payers, a fall of roughly 15% [8][1]. That is our calculation from the rounded figures Match reports.

**Revenue per payer did the work.** It rose from $16.52 a month in early 2024 to $17.90 in the second quarter of 2026, about 8% higher [10][1]. Over a year, that is about $215 per payer at the latest rate (our calculation: $17.90 times 12).

**The fall is slowing.** Payer declines eased from 8% in the fourth quarter of 2025 to 5% in each of the first two quarters of 2026 [3][2][1]. Tinder's monthly active members were down 7% in the second quarter of 2026, against 8% in the first, and daily active members were down 4%, against about 10% a year earlier [1].

For the whole of 2024 Tinder's direct revenue was $1.94 billion, up 1% [7]. For 2025 it was $1.9 billion, down 4% [3]. Match expects 2026 direct revenue to fall by a low single-digit percentage, an improvement on its February guidance [1].

## How revenue per payer is calculated

Match Group defines revenue per payer as direct revenue for a period, divided by the payers in the period, divided by the number of months [1]. A payer is a unique member in a given month from whom Match earned direct revenue [1].

You can check the latest quarter yourself: $457.5 million divided by 8.5 million payers, divided by three months, gives about $17.94 [1]. Match reports $17.90 [1], and the small gap comes from rounding of the payer figure. Bumble uses the same method for its ARPPU, so the two companies' per-payer numbers are broadly comparable. See [ARPPU](/glossary/arppu) and [payer](/glossary/payer) in the glossary.

Tinder's revenue per payer is well below Hinge's $33.11 a month in the same quarter [1]. Tinder has far more payers, but each pays roughly half as much.

## Safety and verification

Tinder's main safety bet is Face Check, a facial liveness check that confirms a member is a real person [5][11]. The timeline in Match's filings:

- **2024:** Tinder tests requiring a face photo before members can send likes, and tests profile authenticity technology in one small market [8].
- **Q2 2025:** Face Check expands to new markets including California, and bot detection is improved to cut false positives [5].
- **Q3 2025:** Face Check is required for new members in California, Colombia, Canada, India, Australia and South East Asia. Match reports a 60% fall in views of profiles later found to be bad actors and a 40% fall in bad actor reports [4].
- **Q4 2025:** Match says Face Check cut interactions with bad actors by more than 50% where rolled out, with minimal revenue impact, and expects a global launch in most markets by the end of the first quarter of 2026 [3].
- **Q1 2026:** Face Check launches in the UK and Singapore [2].

Match built a cost into its plan: its 2026 Tinder guidance included about one percentage point of revenue headwind from Face Check [3]. For background on the methods, see [ID verification](/glossary/id-verification) and [age assurance](/glossary/age-assurance).

## Recent product and leadership changes

The turnaround is now run from the top. Match's CEO took direct ownership of Tinder in 2025, and in early 2026 one executive was put in charge of both Tinder and the Evergreen and Emerging brands, with the Seoul AI team reporting to Tinder's chief technology officer [13][5][2].

Product changes in 2025 and 2026 aim at Gen Z members and at lower-pressure ways to meet:

- **Double Date**, launched globally in June 2025 [5].
- **Chemistry**, an AI matching feature, live in New Zealand and Australia by late 2025 [4].
- **Modes**, including Astrology Mode and Music Mode, launched in March 2026 [2].
- **Events**, piloted in Los Angeles from March 2026 and live in nine more US and European cities by August, with a target of 26 by the end of September [1].
- **Tests** of Missed Connections in Canada and Australia, and text-based search in Canada [1].
- **Recommendation changes** that improved results for straight women in early 2026, now being extended to other groups [1].

These tests cost money in the short term. Match said product tests and changes took about $8 million off Tinder's direct revenue in the second quarter of 2026, and expects $30 million to $40 million for the full year [1].

Tinder is still very profitable. Its adjusted EBITDA was $233 million in the second quarter of 2026, a margin of 50% [1].

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Scale does not protect you from churn.** Even the biggest app in the category lost about 15% of its payers in under two years [8][1]. Track payers and payer penetration, not just revenue.
- **Price can carry revenue for a while, not forever.** Tinder held revenue roughly flat by lifting revenue per payer, but Match's own plan is to win back active members first [1]. If your revenue is up only because of price, find out why members are leaving.
- **Verification has a cost and a payoff.** Match planned for a revenue hit from Face Check and reported large falls in bad actor activity [3][4]. Budget for both when you add verification, and measure the effect on members' experience, not only on fraud.
- **Shipping speed is a strategy.** Much of Tinder's 2026 story is about releasing and testing more features, faster [1]. For a smaller app, that depends on a platform that can ship to both app stores quickly. If yours cannot, see [how a rebuild works](/how-it-works).

For how Tinder compares with its sister brand, see the [Hinge business profile](/insights/hinge-business-profile), and for the full market, the [dating app revenue scorecard](/insights/top-dating-apps-by-revenue).

## Questions

**How much money does Tinder make?**

Tinder had $457.5 million of direct revenue in the three months to June 2026, down 1% on a year earlier [1]. Its direct revenue for the whole of 2025 was $1.9 billion, down 4% [3].

**How many people pay for Tinder?**

Tinder had 8.5 million payers in the second quarter of 2026, down 5% on a year earlier [1]. It had just under 10 million in the first quarter of 2024 [10].

**Who runs Tinder now?**

Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff, who took over Tinder when its CEO Faye Iosotaluno stepped down in July 2025 [13]. Rascoff became Match Group CEO on 4 February 2025 [12].

**What is Tinder Face Check?**

A facial verification step that checks a member is a real person. Match Group says it cut interactions with bad actors by more than 50% where it was rolled out, with minimal revenue impact [3].

**What are Tinder's subscription tiers?**

Tinder Plus, Tinder Gold and Tinder Platinum, plus pay-per-use features such as Super Likes and Boosts [11].

## Sources

1. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
2. Match Group Q1 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-05-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000072/mtch8-k20260505ex992.htm
3. Match Group Q4 2025 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-02-03. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110326000020/mtch8-k20260203ex992.htm
4. Match Group Q3 2025 prepared remarks, Match Group (SEC filing), 2025-11-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110325000179/mtch8-k20251104ex992.htm
5. Match Group Q2 2025 prepared remarks, Match Group (SEC filing), 2025-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110325000122/mtch8-k20250805ex992.htm
6. Match Group Q1 2025 prepared remarks, Match Group (SEC filing), 2025-05-08. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110325000074/mtch8-k20250508ex992.htm
7. Match Group Q4 2024 executive commentary, Match Group (SEC filing), 2025-02-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110325000018/mtch8-k20250204ex992.htm
8. Match Group Q3 2024 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2024-11-06. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110324000111/mtch8-k20241106ex991.htm
9. Match Group Q2 2024 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2024-07-30. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110324000093/mtch8-k20240730ex991.htm
10. Match Group Q1 2024 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2024-05-07. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110324000054/mtch8-k20240507ex991.htm
11. Match Group annual report on Form 10-K for 2025, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-02-26. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089110326000025/mtch-20251231.htm
12. Match Group Form 8-K: appointment of Spencer Rascoff as CEO, Match Group (SEC filing), 2025-02-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/891103/000089882225000002/mtch8k020325.htm
13. Tinder CEO to step down in July, TechCrunch, 2025-05-22. https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/22/tinder-ceo-to-step-down-in-july


---

# Top dating apps by revenue and paying members, Q2 2026

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/top-dating-apps-by-revenue

**In short:** Tinder is still the biggest earner, with $457.5 million of direct revenue and 8.5 million payers in the second quarter of 2026, but both fell. Hinge and Grindr grew fast, while Bumble, Badoo and Match's smaller brands shrank. Hinge earns the most per payer, at about $33 a month.

Tinder remains the dating app that earns the most, with $457.5 million of direct revenue in the three months to June 2026 [1]. But the growth in the industry is elsewhere. Hinge's revenue rose 22% and Grindr's 33%, while Tinder, Bumble, Badoo and Match Group's smaller brands all had fewer paying members than a year earlier [1][2][3].

This scorecard ranks the dating apps and groups that publish their numbers, for the second quarter of 2026 (April to June). We will update it each quarter.

## The scorecard

| App or group | Revenue, Q2 2026 | Change on a year | Payers | Change on a year | Revenue per payer, per month |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Tinder | $457.5m | down 1% | 8.5m | down 5% | $17.90 |
| Hinge | $203.5m | up 22% | 2.0m | up 17% | $33.11 |
| Match Group E&E brands | $178.9m | down 17% | 2.7m | down 21% | $22.24 |
| Bumble app | $171.7m | down 14.7% | 2.08m | down 16.9% | $27.55 |
| Grindr (direct revenue) | $113m | up 30% | 1.4m | up 16% | $26.51 |
| Badoo and other Bumble apps | $38.8m | down 17.1% | 1.08m | down 15.4% | $11.21 |

Source: Match Group [1], Bumble Inc [2] and Grindr [3] results for the three months to June 2026. Match figures are direct revenue. Payer changes for the Bumble app and Badoo are our calculation from the paying member numbers Bumble reports for both years [2].

At group level, Match Group earned $853.1 million, down 1%, from 13.3 million payers, down 6% [1]. Bumble Inc earned $210.5 million, down 15.2%, from 3.16 million paying members, down 16.4% [2]. Grindr's total revenue, including advertising, was $138 million, up 33% [3].

## Tinder: biggest, but shrinking slowly

Tinder's direct revenue of $457.5 million was down 1% on a year earlier, and its 8.5 million payers were down 5% [1]. It kept revenue almost flat by earning more from each payer: revenue per payer rose 4% to $17.90 a month [1].

That is the pattern across much of the industry in 2026: fewer people paying, each paying a little more. It can hold revenue up for a while, but it narrows the base.

## Hinge and Grindr: where the growth is

Hinge grew direct revenue by 22% to $203.5 million, with payers up 17% to 2.0 million [1]. It also earns the most from each payer of any app in the table, at $33.11 a month [1]. Hinge has positioned itself around relationships rather than casual swiping, and its numbers suggest members will pay more for that.

Grindr grew revenue by 33% to $138 million, including $25 million from advertising, up 44% [3]. Average paying members rose 16% to 1.4 million, and revenue per payer rose 12% to $26.51 a month [3]. It also reported 15 million average monthly active members and an adjusted EBITDA margin of 42% [3].

## Bumble, Badoo and Match's smaller brands: the squeeze

The Bumble app's revenue fell 14.7% to $171.7 million, and Badoo and Bumble's other apps fell 17.1% to $38.8 million [2]. Paying members fell by a similar amount: the Bumble app had 2.08 million against 2.50 million a year earlier, and Badoo and other apps 1.08 million against 1.28 million [2].

Bumble's net loss for the quarter was $127.9 million, including a $169.3 million impairment charge [2]. Two months later, Bumble agreed to be taken private by Ithaca Holdings for about $1.3 billion [5].

Match Group's E&E segment, which includes Match, Meetic, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish, Pairs and Azar, lost 21% of its payers in a year, down to 2.7 million, and 17% of its revenue, down to $178.9 million [1].

## Outside the US: Hello Group

Hello Group, which owns Momo, Tantan and happn, reports in Chinese renminbi and mixes dating with live video and social apps, so it is not directly comparable [4]. Its total net revenues for the second quarter of 2026 were RMB2,486.0 million (US$366.4 million), down 5.1% [4]. Tantan's paying members fell to 0.5 million from 0.7 million a year earlier, while overseas revenue grew 52% to RMB672.7 million [4].

## How we built this table

- **Period:** the three months to 30 June 2026 for every company [1][2][3].
- **Revenue:** direct revenue (what members pay) for Match brands and Grindr, total revenue for the Bumble and Badoo lines. Advertising is excluded except where noted.
- **Payers:** each company's own definition. Match and Bumble report payers for the quarter, Grindr reports average paying members, so treat small differences with care.
- **Revenue per payer:** as reported by each company, per month.
- **Missing:** ParshipMeet (eharmony, MeetMe), Black Cap (Zoosk) and other private groups do not publish app-level revenue and payers.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Payers are falling across most of the market.** Only Hinge and Grindr added payers in the table [1][3]. Any plan that depends on growing payer numbers needs a clear reason why your app is the exception.
- **Price rises are doing the heavy lifting.** Revenue per payer rose at Tinder, Hinge and Grindr [1][3]. That only works if members feel they get more for it.
- **Positioning pays.** The two apps with the clearest audience, Hinge for relationships and Grindr for its community, grew while broad apps shrank [1][3].
- **Fixed costs hurt more when revenue falls.** A 15% drop in revenue, like Bumble's, lands straight on margins if the cost of running the platform stays the same [2]. Moving fixed technology costs to costs that scale with members is one way to protect margins.

See [who owns which dating app](/insights/who-owns-dating-apps) for the groups behind each brand, and the glossary for [payers](/glossary/payer) and [revenue per payer](/glossary/arppu).

## Questions

**Which dating app makes the most money?**

Tinder. It had $457.5 million of direct revenue in the three months to June 2026, more than twice Hinge's $203.5 million [1].

**How many people pay for Tinder?**

Tinder had 8.5 million payers in the second quarter of 2026, down 5% on a year earlier [1].

**Which dating apps are growing?**

Hinge and Grindr. Hinge's direct revenue rose 22% and its payers 17% [1]. Grindr's revenue rose 33% and its average paying members 16% [3].

**How much does Bumble make from each paying member?**

The Bumble app averaged $27.55 a month per paying member in the second quarter of 2026, against $11.21 for Badoo and Bumble's other apps [2].

## Sources

1. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
2. Bumble Inc. second quarter 2026 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000099/bmbl-ex991prxq22026.htm
3. Grindr Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-06. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001820144/000182014426000023/shl_q2x2026xfinal.htm
4. Hello Group announces unaudited financial results for the second quarter of 2026, Hello Group via PR Newswire, 2026-09-03. https://finviz.com/news/388434/hello-group-inc-announces-unaudited-financial-results-for-the-second-quarter-of-2026
5. Bumble to be acquired by Ithaca Holdings, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-10-13. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000095010326015480/dp254907_ex9901.htm


---

# What it takes to run a dating app: the backend checklist

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/dating-app-tech-stack

**In short:** A dating app needs ten backend systems working together: accounts, profiles and photos, discovery and matching, messaging, moderation, ID and age checks, payments, notifications, analytics and compliance. The app screens are the visible part. Most launch delays, store rejections and safety failures trace back to one of these systems being missing or thin.

Running a dating app takes ten backend systems working together: accounts, profiles and photos, discovery and matching, messaging, moderation, ID and age checks, payments, notifications, analytics and compliance. The app screens members see sit on top of these. Apple and Google will reject a dating app that lacks filtering, reporting and blocking [1][2], regulators in the UK and EU expect working safety processes [4][6], and members leave when matching or messaging is unreliable.

This checklist sets out what each system does, what goes wrong without it, and the questions to ask whoever builds or runs it.

## The checklist at a glance

| System | What it does | What goes wrong without it |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Accounts | Sign-up, login, sessions, deletion | Store rejection, account takeovers, duplicate and banned members returning |
| Profiles and photos | Stores profiles, resizes and serves images | Slow loading, unmoderated photos going live |
| Discovery and matching | Decides who sees whom | Empty feeds, the same faces repeated, members leaving |
| Messaging | Real-time chat between matches | Lost messages, no evidence when a report comes in |
| Moderation | Scans and reviews photos, bios, messages and reports | Scams, abuse and store removal |
| ID and age checks | Confirms members are real and adult | Under-18s on the app, fake profiles, regulatory action |
| Payments | Subscriptions, one-off purchases, refunds | Lost revenue, members charged wrongly, chargebacks |
| Notifications | Push, email and in-app alerts | Matches and messages go unseen |
| Analytics | Measures funnels, matching health and revenue | Decisions made blind |
| Compliance | Privacy, deletion, data export, regulatory records | Fines, store rejection, failed due diligence |

Source: our checklist, with store and regulatory requirements from Apple [1], Google Play [2][3], Ofcom [4] and the EU Digital Services Act [6][7].

## Accounts, profiles and photos

**Accounts** handle sign-up, login and sessions. Phone verification is the usual first barrier against fake accounts. Twilio Verify, a common choice, charges $0.05 per successful verification plus $0.0083 per SMS in the US [10]. If you offer social login such as Google or Facebook as the main sign-in, Apple requires an equivalent privacy-focused option that limits data to name and email [1]. Both stores require account deletion: Apple inside the app [1], Google inside the app and through a web link [3]. Without good account controls, banned members simply sign up again.

**Profiles and photos** store member details and images, generate resized versions and serve them quickly. Photos are the product in a dating app. Without a proper pipeline, images load slowly on mobile networks and, worse, go live before moderation has seen them. Profile fields also carry legal weight: data about a person's sex life or sexual orientation is special category data under UK GDPR and needs an extra legal condition to process [5].

## Discovery, matching and messaging

**Discovery and matching** decides which profiles each member sees. At its simplest it filters by distance, age and preference. Larger operators invest heavily here: Match Group lists recommendation algorithms among the shared capabilities its smaller brands draw on [11]. Without a working ranking system, members in thin areas see empty feeds, members in busy areas see the same few profiles, and the most attractive profiles get flooded. All three drive churn. See our guide to [liquidity](/glossary/liquidity) for why this matters more than features.

**Messaging** delivers chat in real time, stores history, and handles read receipts, photos and sometimes voice or video. It is also your evidence store. When a member reports abuse, moderators need the conversation. Without reliable messaging, matches go cold and reports cannot be investigated.

## Moderation and ID checks

**Moderation** is the system most often underbuilt. Apple's guideline 1.2 requires apps with member content to filter objectionable material, offer a way to report it with timely responses, let members block abusive accounts, and publish contact details [1]. Google Play requires in-app reporting and blocking and moderation "as is reasonable and consistent with the type of UGC hosted by the app" [2]. Google also says incidental sexual content must be hidden by default behind filters that take at least two actions to remove [16].

A working moderation stack has three layers: automated scanning of every photo and message, a review queue where people act on reports, and an audit trail of decisions. Automated image scanning is inexpensive, at $0.001 per image for the first million each month on Amazon Rekognition [9]. The human layer is the cost. Match Group told CBS News in 2024 that it spends $125 million a year on [trust and safety](/glossary/trust-and-safety) [13].

**ID and age checks** confirm members are real people and adults. In the UK, Ofcom's protection of children codes came into force on 25 July 2025 [4], which pushes dating apps towards [age assurance](/glossary/age-assurance) that actually keeps under-18s out. Published prices give a sense of scale: Veriff's self-serve plans cost $0.80 to $1.89 per verification [8], and Amazon's face liveness check costs $0.015 per check for the first 500,000 in US East [9]. Without these checks, fake profiles and scammers move in, and you have no defence when a regulator asks how you keep children off the service. More in our guide to [age verification](/insights/age-verification-dating-apps).

## Payments, notifications and analytics

**Payments** cover subscriptions, one-off purchases such as boosts, renewals, refunds and entitlements across iOS, Android and web. Apple requires in-app purchase to unlock features in the app [1], and keeps 30% of a subscription in the first year and 15% after a year of paid service [15]. Web billing has its own costs: Stripe charges £20 for each dispute received in the UK [14]. The backend must reconcile all three channels so a member who pays on the web is premium on their phone. When this breaks, members are charged without getting features, and support and [chargebacks](/glossary/chargeback) follow.

**Notifications** tell members about new matches, messages and likes through push, email and in-app alerts. Dating is time-sensitive. A message seen a day late often gets no reply. Without a notification system with sensible limits, matches go unseen, or members get so many alerts they turn them off.

**Analytics** measures sign-up funnels, matching health (likes, matches, replies), retention, [payer conversion](/glossary/payer-conversion) and moderation volumes. Without it, you cannot tell whether a drop in revenue comes from fewer sign-ups, worse matching or a pricing change.

## Releases and compliance

**Compliance** covers privacy notices, consent, account deletion, data export, retention rules and regulatory records. In the UK, Ofcom required illegal content risk assessments by 16 March 2025 and children's risk assessments by 24 July 2025 [4]. In the EU, the Digital Services Act has applied to all online platforms since 17 February 2024 [6], with duties including notice and action for illegal content and statements of reasons when content is removed [7]. Without records, you fail regulator requests, store reviews and buyer due diligence.

**Releases** sit across everything. Bumble says it often releases updates once a week to its mobile app and twice a day to its server backend [12]. Each app update goes through Apple and Google review, and both stores change rules every year. An app nobody is actively releasing slowly falls out of compliance. See our [launch checklist](/insights/dating-app-launch-checklist) for the store submission steps.

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Audit the ten systems, not the screens.** When you assess a build quote, a script or a platform, ask which of the ten it covers fully, which partly, and which you must add yourself.
- **Moderation and ID checks are not optional extras.** They are store requirements and regulatory expectations [1][2][4]. Budget for them as running costs. Our [cost guide](/insights/dating-app-development-cost) works through the numbers.
- **Keep an audit trail from day one.** Reports, decisions, deletions and age checks all need records that you can show a regulator, a store reviewer or a buyer.
- **Decide who runs releases.** Someone has to ship and resubmit both apps every time Apple or Google changes the rules. If that is not your team, it needs to be in a contract. Our comparison of [build, buy or join a platform](/insights/build-vs-buy-dating-app) covers who does what under each route, and [the platform page](/platform) shows how one managed platform splits it.

## Questions

**What features does a dating app backend need?**

At minimum: accounts, profiles and photo storage, discovery and matching, messaging, moderation, ID and age checks, payments, notifications, analytics, and compliance tooling such as account deletion and data export. Apple and Google both require filtering, reporting and blocking in apps with member content [1][2].

**Do dating apps have to let members delete their account?**

Yes. Apple requires apps that support account creation to offer account deletion inside the app [1]. Google Play requires an in-app deletion path and a web link where members can request deletion of their account and data [3].

**How often do dating apps release updates?**

Bumble says it often releases updates once a week to its mobile app and twice a day to its server backend [12]. Smaller operators release less often, but still need a team that can ship and resubmit to both stores.

**What does it cost to verify a dating app member's ID?**

Veriff's published self-serve prices run from $0.80 to $1.89 per verification [8]. Amazon Rekognition's face liveness check starts at $0.015 per check [9]. Phone verification through Twilio costs $0.05 per successful verification plus SMS fees [10].

## Sources

1. App Review Guidelines, Apple Developer, 2026-10-16. https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/
2. User Generated Content policy, Google Play Console Help, 2026-10-16. https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/9876937?hl=en-GB
3. Understanding Google Play's app account deletion requirements, Google Play Console Help, 2026-10-16. https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/13327111?hl=en-GB
4. Important dates for Online Safety Act compliance, Ofcom, 2026-08-24. https://www.ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/illegal-and-harmful-content/important-dates-for-online-safety-compliance
5. What is special category data?, Information Commissioner's Office, 2026-10-16. https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/lawful-basis/special-category-data/what-is-special-category-data
6. DSA applies to all online platforms in the EU, Lewis Silkin, 2024-02-17. https://www.lewissilkin.com/insights/2024/02/17/dsa-applies-to-all-online-platforms-in-the-eu-102j0fj
7. Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (Digital Services Act), EUR-Lex, 2022-10-27. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2022/2065/oj/eng
8. Pricing and plans, Veriff, 2026-10-16. https://www.veriff.com/pricing
9. Amazon Rekognition pricing, Amazon Web Services, 2026-10-16. https://aws.amazon.com/rekognition/pricing/
10. Verify pricing, Twilio, 2026-10-16. https://twilio.com/verify/pricing
11. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
12. Bumble Inc. annual report on Form 10-K for 2025, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-03-16. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1830043/000183004326000027/bmbl-20251231.htm
13. Is the online dating industry investing enough in trust and safety?, Global Dating Insights, 2024-04-24. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/news/is-the-online-dating-industry-investing-enough-in-trust-safety/
14. Stripe pricing (United Kingdom), Stripe, 2026-10-16. https://stripe.com/gb/pricing
15. Auto-renewable subscriptions, Apple Developer, 2026-10-16. https://www.developer.apple.com/app-store/subscriptions/
16. Understanding moderation requirements and incidental sexual content in UGC apps, Google Play Console Help, 2026-10-16. https://support.google.com/googleplay/android-developer/answer/12923286?hl=en-EN


---

# Who owns which dating app? The 2026 ownership map

Published 2026-10-16. Updated 2026-10-16. https://www.datingapi.io/insights/who-owns-dating-apps

**In short:** Most big dating apps belong to a handful of groups. Match Group owns Tinder, Hinge and over a dozen other brands. Bumble Inc owns Bumble and Badoo and agreed in October 2026 to be taken private by Ithaca Holdings. ParshipMeet runs eharmony and MeetMe, Hello Group owns happn, and Black Cap now runs Zoosk and Christian Mingle.

A small number of companies own most of the dating apps people have heard of. Match Group alone runs Tinder, Hinge and more than a dozen other brands [1]. Bumble Inc owns Bumble and Badoo, and in October 2026 agreed to be taken private [3]. Beyond those two, ownership has shifted fast: Spark Networks' brands have new operators after its insolvency [11], happn now belongs to Hello Group [7], and EliteSingles closed and came back under a new owner within months [12][13].

This map lists who owns what as of 16 October 2026, using company filings and the companies' own pages wherever possible.

## The ownership map

| Owner | Main apps and brands | Status | What changed recently |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Match Group | Tinder, Hinge, Match, Meetic, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish, Pairs, Azar, BLK, Chispa, The League, Upward, Salams, HER | Public, files results with the SEC | Smaller brands grouped as "Everyone Everywhere" |
| Bumble Inc | Bumble, Badoo, BFF | Public, agreed to go private | Ithaca Holdings deal agreed 13 October 2026 |
| Grindr Inc | Grindr | Public, files results with the SEC | Growing revenue and payers in 2026 |
| ParshipMeet Group | eharmony, Parship, ElitePartner, MeetMe, LOVOO, Tagged, Skout | Owned by ProSiebenSat.1 (sole owner since 2025) | Formed in 2020 |
| Hello Group | Momo, Tantan, happn, Soulchill, Hertz | Public, publishes quarterly results | Bought happn in 2025 |
| Black Cap Holdings | Zoosk, JDate, JSwipe, Christian Mingle, LDS Dating | Private | Now runs brands Spark Networks operated |
| SuccessfulMatch | EliteSingles | Private | Relaunched EliteSingles in September 2026 |

Source: company filings and pages [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][13].

## Match Group: the biggest portfolio

Match Group reports Tinder and Hinge as their own segments and groups everything else under a segment it now calls E&E, short for "Everyone Everywhere" [1]. Its second quarter 2026 letter names Match, Meetic, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish, Pairs, Azar, BLK, Chispa, The League, Upward, Salams and HER as E&E brands, alongside "other smaller brands" [1].

The structure matters because Match runs these brands on shared group services. The letter says E&E brands benefit from "shared Match Group capabilities", including trust and safety, recommendation algorithms and centralised marketing [1]. That is the model other groups are now trying to copy: many brands, one platform underneath.

## Bumble Inc and the Ithaca deal

Bumble Inc operates Bumble (dating), Badoo and BFF, its friendship app [2]. Its second quarter results said two smaller apps, Fruitz and Official, were being discontinued [2].

On 13 October 2026 Bumble agreed to be acquired by Ithaca Holdings for $6.05 a share in cash, valuing it at about $1.3 billion, a premium of about 138% to the share price before the announcement [3]. After the deal closes, Ithaca's co-chief executives Ravi Gupta and John Hegeman will lead Bumble, with founder Whitney Wolfe Herd staying involved, and Bumble will operate as a private company [3].

## ParshipMeet, Grindr and Hello Group

ParshipMeet Group was created in September 2020 when Parship Group, the parent of eharmony, bought The Meet Group [5]. It brings together relationship brands (eharmony, Parship, ElitePartner) and social and live video apps (MeetMe, LOVOO, Tagged and Skout), and was set up by ProSiebenSat.1 and General Atlantic [5]. In March 2025 ProSiebenSat.1 agreed to buy General Atlantic's minority stake, making it the sole owner [14]. In October 2026 The Meet Group sold GROWLr to Perry Street Software, owner of SCRUFF and Jack'd [15].

Grindr Inc runs one main app, Grindr, and its second quarter 2026 letter mentions no other dating brands [4]. Hello Group, based in Beijing, owns Momo and Tantan and describes adding apps "such as Hertz, Soulchill, and Happn" through acquisitions and incubation [6]. The happn deal was announced on 19 September 2025, with happn's chief executive pointing to expansion in Asia [7].

## Spark Networks' brands: a new set of owners

Spark Networks once ran Zoosk, EliteSingles, SilverSingles, Christian Mingle, JDate and JSwipe [11]. Its operating company, Spark Networks Services GmbH, was placed under preliminary insolvency administration by a Berlin court on 16 January 2026 [11].

What followed split the portfolio:

- **EliteSingles** closed on 30 April 2026. Members were emailed two days before, and accounts, matches and conversations were deleted [12].
- **EliteSingles relaunched** in September 2026 under SuccessfulMatch, with a new member database, so old accounts did not carry over [13].
- **Zoosk, JDate, JSwipe and Christian Mingle** now sit with Black Cap Holdings LLC. Black Cap describes itself as powering "religious affinity dating" and lists JDate, JSwipe, Christian Mingle, Zoosk and LDS Dating as its brands [8]. Zoosk's App Store listing carries a Black Cap Holdings copyright line [10], and Christian Mingle's help centre says it "is part of Black Cap" [9].

## What it means for dating app operators

- **Scale is consolidating around shared platforms.** Match's group-wide services for its smaller brands show where the economics are heading: one technology stack, many brands [1].
- **Ownership changes put members at risk.** The EliteSingles closure and relaunch shows what happens when an operator fails: members lost their accounts and history [12][13]. Data portability and run-off terms deserve a place in any platform contract.
- **New owners inherit old technology.** Groups that buy brands out of insolvency, like Black Cap, take on platforms that previous teams built and ran. Their first job is usually to keep the apps running and stable.
- **Private ownership will make data scarcer.** Once the Ithaca deal closes, Bumble will stop publishing public results as a listed company [3], leaving fewer public benchmarks for the industry.

We update this map when ownership changes. If you spot something out of date, tell us through the contact page.

## Questions

**Who owns Tinder and Hinge?**

Both belong to Match Group, which also owns Match, Meetic, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish, Pairs, Azar, The League and several smaller brands [1].

**Who owns Bumble?**

Bumble Inc owns Bumble and Badoo. On 13 October 2026 it agreed to be taken private by Ithaca Holdings for $6.05 a share in cash, about $1.3 billion in total [3].

**Who owns Zoosk and Christian Mingle now?**

Black Cap Holdings LLC. Its help pages list JDate, JSwipe, Christian Mingle, Zoosk and LDS Dating in its portfolio [8][9].

**Who owns eharmony?**

eharmony is part of ParshipMeet Group, which was formed in 2020 when eharmony's parent bought The Meet Group. ParshipMeet was set up by ProSiebenSat.1 and General Atlantic, and ProSiebenSat.1 became sole owner after agreeing in March 2025 to buy General Atlantic's stake [5][14].

**Who owns happn?**

Hello Group, the Beijing company behind Momo and Tantan. The deal was announced in September 2025 [7].

## Sources

1. Match Group Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Match Group (SEC filing), 2026-08-04. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex992.htm
2. Bumble Inc. second quarter 2026 results, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-05. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000183004326000099/bmbl-ex991prxq22026.htm
3. Bumble to be acquired by Ithaca Holdings, Bumble Inc (SEC filing), 2026-10-13. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001830043/000095010326015480/dp254907_ex9901.htm
4. Grindr Q2 2026 shareholder letter, Grindr Inc (SEC filing), 2026-08-06. https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0001820144/000182014426000023/shl_q2x2026xfinal.htm
5. The Meet Group announces closing of acquisition by eharmony parent company Parship Group, The Meet Group, 2020-09-04. https://www.themeetgroup.com/the-meet-group-announces-closing-of-acquisition-by-eharmony-parent-company-parship-group/
6. Hello Group announces unaudited financial results for the second quarter of 2026, Hello Group via PR Newswire, 2026-09-03. https://finviz.com/news/388434/hello-group-inc-announces-unaudited-financial-results-for-the-second-quarter-of-2026
7. happn acquired by Hello Group as CEO calls for industry reinvention, Global Dating Insights, 2025-09-19. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/happn-acquired-by-hello-group-as-ceo-calls-for-industry-reinvention/
8. About Black Cap, JSwipe help centre, 2026-10-16. https://support.jswipeapp.com/hc/en-us/articles/51209753777556-About-Black-Cap
9. About Christian Mingle, Christian Mingle help centre, 2026-08-25. https://support.christianmingle.com/hc/en-us/articles/52183650243348-About-Christian-Mingle
10. Zoosk on the App Store, Apple App Store, 2026-10-16. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/zoosk-social-dating-app/id349160522
11. Dating provider Spark Networks enters preliminary insolvency, Global Dating Insights, 2026-01-21. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/dating-provider-spark-networks-enters-preliminary-insolvency/
12. EliteSingles to suddenly shut down on April 30, Global Dating Insights, 2026-04-30. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/elitesingles-to-suddenly-shut-down-on-april-30/
13. EliteSingles relaunches under new ownership, Global Dating Insights, 2026-09-01. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/elitesingles-relaunches-under-new-ownership/
14. ProSiebenSat.1 approves proposed agreement with General Atlantic on the acquisition of its minority stakes in NuCom Group and ParshipMeet Group, ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, 2025-03-20. https://www.prosiebensat1.com/en/newsroom/prosiebensat1-approves-proposed-agreement-with-general-atlantic-on-the-acquisition-of-its-minority-stakes-in-nucom-group-and-parshipmeet-group-together-with-an-intended-sale-of-verivox-513729
15. Perry Street Software acquires gay bear dating app GROWLr from The Meet Group, Global Dating Insights, 2026-10-06. https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/perry-street-software-acquires-growlr/


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# Glossary

## Age assurance

Age assurance is the umbrella term for checking that someone is old enough to use a service, from ID document checks to facial age estimation.

Regulators increasingly require dating services to keep under-18s out using methods that are reliable, not just a date-of-birth box. Common methods include checking a government ID document, estimating age from a selfie, credit card checks and digital identity apps.

Each method trades accuracy against cost and sign-up friction. Operators usually combine a low-friction check at sign-up with stronger checks when risk signals appear.

## Alternative payments

Alternative payments means letting app members pay outside Apple's or Google's in-app billing, for example on the web or through another billing provider, where rules allow it.

App stores have traditionally required in-app purchases through their own billing, taking a commission. Court rulings and regulation in the US, the EU and elsewhere have opened options such as linking out to web checkout or using alternative billing in some markets.

The rules differ by country and change often, so every claim about them needs a date. For dating companies with large subscription revenue, moving even part of it to lower-cost payment routes can make a material difference to profit.

## ARPPU

ARPPU (average revenue per paying user) is revenue divided by the number of payers in a period. In this industry it is often called revenue per payer.

ARPPU shows how much each paying member is worth. It is calculated as revenue for a period divided by the average number of payers in that period. Companies usually report it per month or per quarter.

A rising ARPPU with falling payers is a common pattern when an app raises prices or pushes members towards premium tiers. It can hide a shrinking base, so read it next to the payer count.

We use the term revenue per payer in our articles, and say "members" rather than "users", but ARPPU is the abbreviation the companies use in their results.

## ARPU

ARPU (average revenue per user) is revenue divided by all active members, paying or not. It measures how well an app earns from its whole audience.

ARPU spreads revenue across every active member, not just payers. It is useful for apps that earn from advertising or virtual goods as well as subscriptions, where non-paying members still create revenue.

For subscription-led dating apps, ARPPU and payer conversion usually tell you more. ARPU is roughly payer conversion multiplied by ARPPU, so a change in either moves it.

When comparing apps, check whether ARPU is quoted per month, per quarter or per year, and whether advertising revenue is included. Companies are not consistent, and a quarterly figure can look three times larger than a monthly one.

## Backfill

Backfill means showing an app's own members first, then filling gaps with real members from a shared network when the local pool runs thin.

Backfill is a way to fix liquidity without merging two apps. Members see people from their own app first. Only when there are too few fresh people nearby does the app add members from a shared network, usually within the same filters for distance, age and preferences.

Good backfill is controlled by the operator: when it starts, which countries or age bands it applies to, whether only ID-verified members are shown, and whether the app's own members are shown back to the network.

Members who join through one brand normally keep paying that brand. The network only changes who they can see.

## Chargeback

A chargeback is when a bank reverses a card payment after the cardholder disputes it. The merchant loses the money and pays a fee unless it wins the dispute.

Members dispute payments for many reasons: forgotten renewals, unrecognised descriptors, or genuine fraud. Each chargeback costs the merchant the sale plus a fee, and too many can lead card networks to place the merchant in a monitoring programme or end its ability to take cards.

Dating companies reduce chargebacks with clear billing descriptors, renewal reminders, easy cancellation, fraud screening and sending evidence to banks automatically when a dispute is raised.

## Churn

Churn is the share of members or payers who leave in a period. For subscriptions it usually means payers who cancel or fail to renew.

Dating apps have unusual churn because success means leaving: a member who finds a partner stops using the app. That makes retention harder to read than in other subscription businesses.

Operators track payer churn monthly, separate voluntary cancellations from failed payments, and work on both: better matches and features for the first, renewal reminders and payment recovery for the second.

## ID verification

ID verification confirms that a member is a real person who matches their photos, usually by checking a government ID and a live selfie.

ID verification answers two questions: does this person exist, and is it the same person as in the profile photos. Most systems ask for a photo of an ID document and a short selfie video, then compare the face and check the document for signs of tampering.

Verified badges increase trust and can reduce scams, but the check adds a step at sign-up. Many apps make it optional with incentives, or require it only for certain features or risk signals.

## Liquidity

Liquidity is whether members can find enough relevant, active people nearby. A dating app with good liquidity always has someone new to show.

Dating apps are two-sided marketplaces, and the product is other people. Liquidity measures how full that marketplace is for a typical member: enough people within the right distance, age range and preferences, who are active and likely to reply.

Low liquidity shows up as empty or repetitive discovery screens, few replies and high uninstall rates. It hits small towns, niche apps and new countries first.

Apps manage liquidity by widening search radius, launching city by city, focusing marketing on dense areas, or filling gaps from a shared member network (backfill).

## Merchant of record

The merchant of record is the company that legally sells to the customer: it takes the payment, handles tax and refunds, and carries chargeback risk.

When a member buys a subscription, someone has to be the seller on the card statement. That company is the merchant of record. It is responsible for collecting and paying sales tax or VAT, handling refunds, and dealing with disputes from banks.

In app stores, Apple and Google act as merchant of record and take a commission. On the web, a dating company can be its own merchant or use a provider that takes that role and the risk that comes with it.

Dating is often classed as high risk by payment providers because of chargeback rates, which makes payments operations a specialist job.

## Monthly active members (MAU)

Monthly active members, often written MAU, is the number of people who open an app or website at least once in a calendar month.

MAU is the standard measure of reach. Companies define "active" differently: some count any app open, others need a login or a swipe. Always check the definition before comparing apps.

For a dating app, MAU in a given town matters more than the global total. A member only benefits from people they could realistically meet, which is why liquidity is measured locally.

Pricing for many platforms, including per-member fees, is based on monthly active members, so dormant accounts usually cost nothing.

## Online Safety Act

The Online Safety Act is the UK law that requires online services, including dating apps, to protect members from illegal content and keep children off adult services.

The Act is enforced by Ofcom, which publishes codes of practice and guidance that services are expected to follow. For dating services the key duties include assessing and reducing the risk of illegal harms such as fraud and abuse, offering reporting and complaints routes, and using highly effective age assurance to stop children accessing the service.

Ofcom can fine services that fail to comply. Check Ofcom's current guidance for exact dates, duties and penalty levels before relying on any summary, including this one.

## Payer

A payer is a member who paid for a subscription, feature or virtual item during a period. Listed dating companies report payers alongside active members because payers drive revenue.

Dating companies count a member as a payer if they paid at least once in the period being reported, usually a quarter. Match Group, Bumble and Grindr all publish payer numbers alongside revenue.

Payers matter more than downloads or monthly active members because most dating apps make most of their money from a small share of members. A fall in payers usually shows up in revenue a quarter or two later.

Watch the definition. Some companies report average payers across the quarter, others a figure at the end of it, and treatment of one-off purchases varies. Compare like with like.

## Payer conversion

Payer conversion is the share of active members who pay in a period: payers divided by monthly active members.

Payer conversion tells you how well an app turns attention into revenue. It is calculated as payers divided by active members for the same period and expressed as a percentage.

Conversion depends on the model. Subscription apps aimed at relationships often convert a higher share of members than free, social or swipe-led apps that rely on advertising or occasional purchases.

Small changes matter. On a large base, a fraction of a percentage point of conversion can be worth more than a big marketing campaign.

## Shared member network

A shared member network is a pool of members that several dating brands can show to each other, with rules on who sees whom.

Many dating groups run several brands on one platform and let members of one brand appear in another. A shared member network makes this explicit: brands can join the pool fully, use it only for backfill, or stay private.

The main benefits are liquidity on day one for new apps and new countries, and fuller discovery for apps whose local pool is shrinking. The main questions are consent, data protection, fairness between brands and how revenue is shared, which should all be set out in writing.

## Trust and safety

Trust and safety is the work of keeping members safe and the service honest: moderation, scam and fraud prevention, reporting, ID checks and enforcement.

In dating, trust and safety covers reviewing profiles and photos, detecting fake and scam accounts, scanning for harmful messages, handling reports, verifying identity and age, and working with law enforcement when needed.

It combines automated tools with human reviewers. Automation catches volume, people make the judgement calls. Poor trust and safety shows up quickly in app store reviews, chargebacks and regulatory risk.

## White label dating platform

A white label dating platform is technology that runs a dating site or app under another company's brand, so the brand owner does not build or run the backend.

White label platforms supply the parts every dating product needs: accounts and profiles, discovery and matching, messaging, moderation, payments and emails. The brand owner sets the design, name, prices and marketing.

They range from template sites aimed at affiliates and small businesses to backend platforms that run native apps for established brands. Some also offer a shared member network.

Questions to ask any provider: who owns the member data and app code, how you leave, what happens if they fail, what is included in the price, and whether they take a share of revenue.