Best dating apps in Singapore (2026): who each one suits
By Vincent Emmanuel Lee, founder of Steade · Last reviewed 26/Oct/2026
There’s no single best dating app in Singapore. Tinder, Bumble and Hinge suit people who want lots of choice and to start talking today. Coffee Meets Bagel and PerfectPairing add Singpass checks. FirstDate is a government pilot for public officers. Kopi Date and matchmaking agencies arrange dates for a fee. Steade sends one free, identity-checked introduction twice a week. The table below shows who each one suits.
Steade runs this page, and Steade is on the list. We’ve tried to be fair: every fact about another service comes from its own website, help centre or Singapore App Store listing, or from Singapore press, and links to the source. We say where Steade is the wrong choice. Prices and features were checked on 17 to 26 October 2026 and change often, so check the app before you pay. If something here is wrong, email hello@steade.app.
At a glance
| App | How you meet people | Cost | Identity check | Suits you if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tinder | Swipe; match when you both like each other | Free, with paid Plus, Gold and Platinum | Video selfie required for new users in Singapore since April 2026 | You want the most choice and to start talking today |
| Hinge | Like or comment on a photo or prompt | Free, with paid Hinge+ and HingeX | Optional selfie verification | You want to browse, and to open with something specific |
| Bumble | Swipe; one opening message each after a match | Free, with paid Boost, Premium and Premium+ | Optional ID verification | You like swiping and want to meet people of any gender |
| Coffee Meets Bagel | A daily batch of about 20 curated profiles | Free, with paid Premium and Beans | Optional Singpass badge | You want a short daily list of profiles |
| PerfectPairing | Swipe, filtering by MRT line or area | Swiping free; Premium S$19.90 a month | Singpass and a selfie for everyone | You want to swipe, with everyone verified |
| FirstDate | One match per cycle, no photos | Not stated | Singpass | You’re an unmarried public officer aged 21 to 45 |
| Kopi Date | Its team picks your match and books a café date | Memberships from S$80 a date | Members screened; no ID check described | You want someone to arrange a coffee date for you |
| Matchmaking agencies | A consultant picks matches and arranges the date | Packages; reported prices run into the thousands | Varies by agency | You want a person to choose for you, and will pay |
| Steade | At most one introduction, Tuesday and Friday at 8 pm, with up to three reasons | Free; no paid tier | Required for everyone: Singpass, or NRIC or Singapore pass plus a selfie | You want one considered introduction at a time |
Swipe apps: Tinder, Bumble and Hinge
These three give you the most people to choose from, and you can start talking the same day. The cost is time: you do the filtering yourself.
Tinder is built on swiping: set your preferences, swipe, and if you both like each other, it’s a match (Tinder). Since April 2026, new users in Singapore must record a video selfie that is checked against their photos (AsiaOne). Unlimited likes need a paid plan; the Singapore App Store lists Tinder Plus from S$4.48 and Gold from S$6.98 (App Store).
Hinge shows a feed of profiles. You like or comment on a specific photo or prompt, and you match if the other person accepts (Hinge). Free members get a limited number of likes a day; Hinge+ and HingeX remove the limit (Hinge). Selfie verification is optional (Hinge).
Bumble is a swipe app where, after a match, each of you gets one opening message within 72 hours; the chat opens when the other replies (Bumble). It describes itself as for “straight, gay, lesbian, queer, and beyond” (App Store). ID verification is optional and adds a badge (Bumble).
Curated and verified apps: Coffee Meets Bagel and PerfectPairing
Coffee Meets Bagel sends a daily batch of about 20 curated profiles to choose from, and chats last seven days (App Store). Since 2025, Singapore members can verify with Singpass for a badge and filter to verified profiles (The Straits Times). It sells Premium and an in-app currency, Beans.
PerfectPairing is a Singapore swipe app where everyone logs in with Singpass and takes a selfie. You can filter by MRT line or neighbourhood. Swiping is free, and Premium costs S$19.90 a month (PerfectPairing).
One match at a time: FirstDate and Steade
FirstDate is a GovTech pilot for unmarried public officers aged 21 to 45. It uses the Gale-Shapley stable matching algorithm to give each person one match per cycle, without photos, and shares contact details if you both accept within 72 hours (FirstDate, MS News). If you’re not a public officer, you can’t join. Our guide to how FirstDate works has the details. Our guide to how Gale-Shapley stable matching works explains the method.
Steade works on a similar idea, for any adult living in Singapore. You set your preferences and up to three dealbreakers. Every Tuesday and Friday at 8 pm, a matching round looks for one person who fits what you both said matters, and sends at most one introduction with up to three reasons, such as “You both want children”. You have 48 hours to accept or pass, and chat opens only if you both accept. Every member’s identity is checked before they can meet anyone. Steade is free, with no paid tier.
Steade is the wrong choice if you want to browse, want same-sex introductions (Steade introduces men and women only), or want to meet someone this week: introductions come at most twice a week, and only when there’s someone who fits.
Arranged dates: Kopi Date and matchmaking agencies
Kopi Date describes itself as “not a dating app” and “not a matchmaking agency”. Its team hand-picks your match, with “no AI, robots, or secret algorithms”, and books a table at a partner café, revealing the venue two to three days before. Memberships of 3, 6 or 12 dates start from S$80 a date and cover one date a month. Plans are non-refundable once paid, and a no-show costs S$140 (Kopi Date). Kopi Date also publishes its own list of the best dating apps in Singapore, which puts Kopi Date first. See Steade vs Kopi Date.
A matchmaking agency gives you a consultant who meets you, chooses your matches and arranges the date. At Lunch Actually, a consultant learns what you want, matches you and asks for feedback after each date (Lunch Actually). Agencies rarely publish prices. Mothership reported a three-date package at S$2,939 in 2020 (Mothership). Our guide to dating agencies in Singapore covers prices, refunds and what to ask. See also Steade vs matchmaking agencies.
Other apps people in Singapore use
- Muzz is a Muslim marriage app. Every profile is verified with a selfie, ID verification is optional, and you can add a chaperone (wali) to chats. Chatting is free once you both like each other; the Singapore App Store lists Gold from S$17.48 (App Store).
- Paktor is a Singapore swipe app, open to all orientations, with a paid Gold subscription from S$39.98 (App Store). It merged with Lunch Actually in 2024 and still runs as a separate app (Vulcan Post).
- Boo matches on personality type, for dating and friendship, and lets verified users filter to other verified users. Its paid tier, Boo Infinity, starts from S$7.58 a week (App Store).
- Tantan is a swipe app that shows nearby people first and has built-in translation. Premium starts from S$8.98 a week (App Store).
Which dating apps in Singapore are free?
Almost every app is free to start. What differs is what you pay for later.
- Free to start, paid extras: Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, Coffee Meets Bagel, Muzz, Paktor, Boo and Tantan sell subscriptions or in-app purchases for things like unlimited likes, seeing who liked you, or more profiles.
- Free swiping, paid Premium: PerfectPairing charges S$19.90 a month for Premium.
- No paid tier: Steade is free for everyone, with nothing to unlock. FirstDate hasn’t published a price.
- Paid from the start: Kopi Date charges per date in memberships, and matchmaking agencies charge for packages.
If you want to stay on a free plan, check what the free plan limits before you invest time in it. Our guide to what dating apps cost in Singapore lists the paid tiers and prices.
Which dating apps check identity?
Coffee Meets Bagel and PerfectPairing offer Singpass verification; PerfectPairing requires it for everyone. Tinder requires a video selfie from new users in Singapore. Hinge and Bumble offer optional checks. Steade requires every member to verify with Singpass, or with an NRIC or Singapore pass and a selfie reviewed by a moderator, before they can meet anyone. Our guide to Singpass-verified dating explains what a check tells you and what it doesn’t.
How to choose
- Do you want to choose, or be introduced? If you enjoy browsing, use a swipe app. If browsing wears you out, try a curated app, a one-at-a-time service or an agency.
- How much time do you have? Swipe apps take the most time each week. Introductions take the least, but you wait between them.
- Does everyone need to be verified? If fake profiles worry you, pick an app that checks every member, not only those who opt in.
- What will you pay? Read the price list before you rely on any feature.
Whichever you choose, learn the signs of a dating scam in Singapore. The Singapore Police Force recorded 917 internet love scam cases in 2025.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best dating app in Singapore?
There isn’t one best app for everyone. Tinder, Bumble and Hinge suit people who want lots of choice. Coffee Meets Bagel and PerfectPairing suit people who want Singpass-verified profiles. Muzz is built for Muslims looking for marriage. Steade suits people who want one free, identity-checked introduction at a time, and Kopi Date or an agency suits people who want someone to arrange dates for them.
What is the most popular dating app in Singapore?
No app publishes its number of Singapore users. Google search data gives a rough guide: in 2026, “tinder” was searched about 10,000 to 12,000 times a month in Singapore and “coffee meets bagel” about 2,400 times (DataForSEO, October 2026). Google doesn’t report a figure for Bumble.
What is the best dating app in Singapore for a serious relationship?
Look for one that lets you state what you want and filters on it, checks identity, and doesn’t reward endless browsing. Coffee Meets Bagel and PerfectPairing verify with Singpass. Steade was built for people who want something lasting: it matches on dealbreakers both people must meet and sends one introduction at a time.
Is there a free dating app in Singapore without payment?
Yes. Steade is free with no paid tier and none planned. Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, Coffee Meets Bagel and PerfectPairing are free to start but sell paid plans or extras.
Which dating apps in Singapore use Singpass?
PerfectPairing requires Singpass for every user. Coffee Meets Bagel offers it for a verified badge. FirstDate verifies with Singpass. Steade lets members verify with Singpass, or with an NRIC or Singapore pass and a selfie reviewed by a moderator.
Related guides
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Takes about 10 minutes. Have your NRIC or Singapore pass ready.