Low-pressure dating apps for introverts to try this January

Read our full review of OkCupid.

If you're an introvert who leans left politically and wants to find a partner who shares your progressive values, OkCupid might just be the dating app you've been waiting for. This app is known for its inclusive community and its focus on social justice issues, so you can be upfront about your beliefs and find someone who aligns with you on a more serious level. It's a community (we found a lot of 25-to-34-year-olds) where you can wear your heart on your sleeve, share your passions, and find someone who gets you, not just your photos.

OkCupid is by far one of the most popular liberal dating sites that isn't actually marketed as such (other political apps like Lefty, caniDate, and Liberal Hearts are pretty upfront about that). It stands out among dating platforms for its algorithms, formulas, and user-generated responses, making it a great option for introverts.

Unlike the fast-paced, swipe-centric dating apps (read: Tinder) that can feel draining for introverts, OkCupid encourages a more deliberate and thoughtful approach to online dating. You can take your time browsing profiles, engaging in meaningful conversations, and discovering shared interests before deciding whether or not you want to hop into bed with someone. It's a space where you can be yourself, find your people, and build relationships that matter.

Read our full review of AdultFriendFinder.

Read our full review of Match.

Match is the best dating app for introverts who want to take it slow and meet real adults. Most users are between 30 and 49, so you're likely to find people who are established in their careers, have a clear sense of who they are, and are looking for something meaningful. Plus, with the 50+ age group being the fastest-growing demographic on the app, Match offers a diverse pool of potential partners.

We chose Match as the top paid dating app for introverts because it understands that finding the right person takes time. It's all about quality over quantity, with in-depth profiles that let you get to know someone before even saying "hello." And with its advanced search filters, you can connect with people who genuinely share your interests, whether it's books, board games, or obscure indie bands. That means you can skip the awkward small talk and have conversations that matter from the get-go.

Another introvert-friendly feature we love? Incognito Mode. This premium feature (it's not available for free users, unfortunately) lets you browse profiles without anyone knowing you've checked them out. It's a great way to get a feel for the community and see who sparks your interest before putting yourself out there.

Match even has Jay Shetty, the renowned author and podcast host, as their relationship advisor, so you can get extra guidance on finding your ideal partner and building the perfect profile. But even without Shetty's wisdom, Match is still a winner for introverts.

Read our full review of eharmony

eharmony is for introverts who are done with the dating games and ready to settle down with someone who gets them. It's basically the anti-Tinder: a place where you can talk about your hopes, dreams, and whether pineapple belongs on pizza without judgment.

While eharmony has a history of catering to a more traditional audience, they've finally entered the 21st century and become more inclusive. They now allow same-sex matches and have even partnered with GLAAD on National Coming Out Day to see how dating apps can support the LGBTQ+ community.

We chose eharmony as the best dating app for marriage because it's made for singles who are ready to find a partner who's in it for the long haul. Their compatibility matching system analyzes 32 different dimensions of your personality and values to connect you with potential matches. All you have to do is fill out their questionnaire, and boom, you'll start getting matches based on something more than superficial attraction.

The RelyID feature makes sure everyone on the app is legit, so you can breathe easy knowing you're not talking to bots or catfishers. Plus, their privacy settings keep your profile hidden from anyone you're not compatible with, which means you're less likely to get creepy messages from randos.

SilverSingles is for introverts 50 who know that love doesn't have an expiration date. It's specifically designed for people who are ready to make a mature connection with someone who appreciates their life story, wrinkles and all.

Whether you're re-entering the dating scene after a long break or looking for marriage, SilverSingles can help you write the next chapter of your love story, proving that age is just a number when it comes to matters of the heart.

SilverSingles (a sister site of EliteSingles and Mashable's top pick for the best dating app for seniors) is designed for people over 50 looking for serious, meaningful relationships. It places a strong emphasis on compatibility and only shows three to five matches per day. This helps reduce stress and makes it easier to focus on the matches that are most likely to be a good fit.

Each SilverSingles profile includes a wealth of information, such as your personality type, interests, and relationship goals. This gives you a good understanding of each potential match before starting a conversation.

Read our full review of Bumble.

Bumble is designed for women and non-binary individuals who want to take control of their dating experience. It empowers them to make the first move, providing a refreshing alternative to traditional dating apps.

With Bumble, women and non-binary folks can avoid the frustration of receiving spam messages or encountering inactive matches commonly found on other platforms. (And, if you're an introverted man, it takes the pressure off of having to come up with conversation starters.)

We chose Bumble because it flips the script on traditional dating dynamics, giving women and non-binary users the power to make the first move. This is a major win for introverts, as it takes the pressure off initiating conversations and allows for a more comfortable and controlled dating experience.

Bumble relaunched its "First Move" feature in April 2024, giving users new ways to break the ice. Women and non-binary people now have the option to set (or create) "Opening Moves," a question that all their matches can answer. That means no more awkward "hey..." messages.

Bumble works similarly to other dating apps but with some key differences. Matches expire after 24 hours, so you don't have to worry about a million unread messages piling up. This keeps things moving and prevents that overwhelming feeling of having too many options. Plus, with its new AI photo detector, you can feel more confident that the people you're chatting with are showing their true selves, too.

And for those times when you're not necessarily looking for romance, Bumble's got you covered. You can also try Bumble BFF for finding platonic friends and Bumble Bizz for networking.

Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB) is a dating app for busy singles looking to build real connections with little to no effort. Most users are genuinely looking for something serious, so combining those factors means you'll find a lot of the young professional crowd in their late 20s and early 30s on this app. (It's kind of like EliteSingles for millennials.)

CMB uses an algorithm that considers factors from basic information (like location and age) to more nuanced criteria (like social network and interests) to match you with potential partners who align with your preferences. This thoughtful matching process helps introverts by reducing the need for extensive browsing and swiping, saving time and energy.

Instead of overwhelming users with endless choices, CMB curates a single match for each user daily. This approach allows for a more focused and deliberate dating experience, giving users time to fully consider each potential connection. Additionally, CMB provides icebreaker questions to facilitate a smooth initial conversation, and the chat room expires after seven days, encouraging users to move beyond the app and meet in person.

Read our comparison of eharmony vs. EliteSingles.

If you're a workaholic introvert, EliteSingles is the dating app for you. The platform is particularly popular among educated and relatively affluent adults aged 30 to 55. With a gender breakdown of 56 percent women and 44 percent men, EliteSingles offers a diverse user base of over 12 million individuals. In big cities like New York, you'll find up to 800,000 users — at least, according to EliteSingles itself.

If you're too career-focused and introverted to find a date offline, this is a decent place to start.

We chose EliteSingles as the best dating app for working professionals because it caters to people who value intelligence, ambition, and finding a partner who understands the hustle. But it's not just for career-driven folks – it's also a great fit for introverts looking for a deeper connection.

EliteSingles favors compatibility over swiping. After you sign up, you'll take a (surprisingly interesting) personality test that matches you with people who share your values, interests, and even your quirky sense of humor.

Since everyone on EliteSingles is looking for something a bit more substantial, you're less likely to encounter those dreaded one-word responses or endless small talk. Instead, you can connect with other professionals who understand your need for quiet nights after a long week at work. Plus, with a user base full of successful individuals from a variety of fields, you're more likely to find someone who gets the ups and downs of your career, too.

Boo is ideal for introverts who are looking for a dating app that feels like a social networking experience. This platform understands that introverts thrive in intimate settings and value deeper connections over surface-level small talk. It goes the extra mile by matching you with compatible individuals based on your personality type. Through an in-depth personality test, Boo delves into the depths of your character, ensuring you're connected with people who truly understand you.

If Twitter and Mastodon had a baby (and used Snapchat as its logo inspiration), it'd be Boo. This online dating site combines the best elements of both worlds, offering a unique blend of social networking and microblogging features.

Boo provides a more intimate and curated experience for those who thrive with quieter, more meaningful interactions. By joining themed communities, known as "universes," you can immerse yourself in topics and discussions that resonate with your passions.

Whether you're a bookworm seeking fellow literary enthusiasts, a gaming aficionado looking for teammates, or an art lover eager to connect with fellow creatives, Boo has a universe waiting for you.

Lex is a social networking platform that welcomes anyone who identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community (though the user base does tend to skew towards lesbian and non-binary folks). It provides a platform for queer friendship and community building and expanding your social circle.

Instead of relying on swiping or selfies, the app encourages users to express themselves through personal "ads" and notes about their personality, interests, and the type of partner they're looking for.

Lex isn't your average dating app – it's more like a chill hangout spot for LGBTQ+ folks to connect and build community. There's no need to worry about perfect profile pics or witty opening lines. Just be yourself and see who you vibe with.

You can post, edit, and delete personal ads whenever you want while sharing your thoughts, interests, and desires. The environment is low-key, perfect for introverts who feel overwhelmed by the typical dating scene. And though some folks were bummed when Lex shifted its focus from dating to friendship and community-building in early 2023, the founder promises there's still plenty of room for raunchy posts.

“We encourage Lexers looking for dates and hookups to continue horny posting on Lex! It’s their space to connect for love, friendship, and more," Lex founder Kell Rakowski told TechCrunch.

In more recent news, Lex was acquired by 9count (a company that specializes in building social networks for niche communities) in September. We're hoping this means Lex will have more resources to develop new features, improve the app, and strengthen its content moderation.

Is the thought of approaching someone in a bar enough to send you into a full-blown panic attack? Does the idea of swiping through endless profiles fill you with existential dread? If so, an AI dating app like Iris might be worth trying.

This AI app takes the pressure off by using artificial intelligence to do the heavy lifting for you. It guides you through a series of "tests" to determine which facial features you find most attractive, then uses that information to handpick potential matches.

Unlike traditional dating apps, Iris considers your preferences by learning what you like before you even start. And, in a creepy but cool way, it lets you upload photos of people you find attractive to create a more personalized matching experience (but only if you want to). And, to get to know you even better, it gives you the option to specify why you passed or liked someone's profile to refine your matches further.

But it's not all about looks. Iris also tries to get into your interests through fill-in-the-blank prompts and offers "flavors," essentially tags that let your profile speak for itself. It also introduces a TrustRating system, where the more complete your profile is, the higher your rating. Additionally, all users must undergo selfie verification to ensure authenticity.

We didn't like the geolocation feature, as it may show you matches way outside of your distance, but the creators believe that distance shouldn't be a barrier to finding true connections.

Happn is like that one coffee shop where you always seem to bump into interesting people (but without the awkward "should I say hello or pretend I'm busy on my phone?" dance). It's the perfect app for hopelessly romantic introverts who believe in fate, serendipity, and the possibility of finding love in unexpected places.

The app attracts a younger, swiping-oriented crowd, similar to other popular dating apps like Tinder. With around 70 million users and consistent monthly growth, happn has created a sizable user base that provides ample opportunities to discover and connect with people you've crossed paths with in the real world.

Imagine a dating app that turns your everyday life into a rom-com, where every commute, grocery store run, and dog walk becomes a potential meet-cute. That's Happn. It uses your location to connect you with people you've crossed paths with in real life, giving you a second chance to say hello to that intriguing someone who caught your eye (or maybe even that person you accidentally bumped into while rushing for the train).

If you want to find love in your community (and with people who potentially share similar hobbies and schedules), this is the app to start with.

Read our full review of Zoosk.

Zoosk caters to a wide range of individuals, but it's far from a decent dating site. If you really feel like you're out of options, it works as a last-choice option for introverts who want to explore the world of online dating.

The idea behind Zoosk is it starts to understand you more and more as time goes on to help introduce you to the person you can spend the night or the rest of your life with, as the site's unique algorithm recognizes your preferences through the actions you take. The only problem is there doesn't seem to be a bunch of humans actually using the website. Once you log on, you'll realize that while Zoosk may have been a great place to meet people in the past, it's now a shadow of its former self. 

Features like SuperSend, which blasts out a message to a ton of users at once, may technically start a conversation but are basically Zoosk's built-in version of a spam message. We can't imagine the introvert who'd want a bunch of people responding to them when they don't even know if they want to be talking to them in the first place. Zoosk's features, including messaging, are behind their sky-high subscription fees. For a site that doesn't feel current, we have a hard time recommending it.