Dating apps & Dating sites in the Netherlands

These days, more and more people are turning to online platforms in order to find love or companionship. Whether you’re looking for a serious relationship or just want to meet new people after moving to a new country or city, there are plenty of dating apps and sites in the Netherlands for you to choose from.

Best dating apps in the Netherlands

If you’re tempted to dip your toe into the world of online dating, you may be a little overwhelmed by all the options available out there. Here’s a rundown of some of the best and most popular free and paid dating apps that you can download on your smartphone.

Free dating apps

You don’t have to pay loads of money in order to find The One; there are a number of dating apps out there that you can use for free.

Tinder

Tinder is easily the most famous dating app around the world, and thanks to this platform terms like “swiping right” have become a part of everyday vernacular. With over 75 million active users globally, it’s unsurprising that Tinder is a popular choice for singles in the Netherlands too. Download the app, start swiping, and then go ahead and message any matches that pique your interest.

Bumble

Bumble is another dating app that’s been around for a while. The platform also allows users to swipe right and left on potential matches to indicate their interest, but the app is unique in the sense that it also has settings for users who are only looking to make platonic or professional connections. Another unique feature is that for heterosexual matches, women make the first move, and have 24 hours to secure the match.

happn

Launched in 2014, happn has recently seen its popularity in the Netherlands soar. The location-based platform allows users to connect with people who they cross paths with and who catch their eye. So far, the app has around 100 million users around the world. happn hopes to capitalise on the hundreds of brief interactions that we all experience every day of our lives.

Feeld

Unlike many other mainstream platforms, Feeld has a key focus, marketing itself as a “dating app for the curious”. You can sign up on your own or with a partner, and connect with other like-minded people who are interested in ethical non-monogamy, polyamory, swinging, and more. It’s been called the “spiciest dating app in town” by Time Out magazine.

Hinge

Hinge is an extremely popular dating app in many countries around the world, although in the Netherlands it isn’t as widely used as you might expect. Profiles on this platform are more detailed than on apps like Tinder, and Hinge uses an algorithm to suggest matches based on the content on each profile. 

Badoo

Badoo is a fairly widely-used dating app, active in 190 countries and available in 47 different languages. While the platform can be used for dating, it also has options for users who are looking to make new friends and has a number of features to confirm and verify the identity of its users. For example, women can request that the man they’re messaging sends them a selfie in order to prove they match the person in the photos on their profile.

Breeze

Finally, Breeze is the new kid on the block: launched in January 2020, the platform is the result of a successful pitch on the TV show Dragons’ Den. Breeze aims to “humanise online dating” by promoting and arranging face-to-face dates, instead of encouraging online messaging and swiping.

Paid dating apps

Any online dating veteran will know that most free platforms also offer paid subscriptions with additional features and added perks. For example, while Breeze is free, users do have to pay for the company to organise the dates, and Tinder offers numerous subscription tiers for different prices; the most comprehensive package, Tinder Platinum, provides users with unlimited likes and rewinds, as well as the ability to message potential matches before matching with them.

Most popular dating apps in the Netherlands

Data shows that, here in the Netherlands, there are certain apps and websites that prove especially popular among singles looking for a match. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Tinder stands head and shoulders above the rest, and remains the number one dating app in the Netherlands. 

Other platforms that are popular among users looking to meet new people are Bumble, Badoo and happn.

Dating apps for people looking for love

If you’re fed up with casual dating and are looking to settle down, get married or start a family, then you’ll likely want to sign up for a platform that is geared towards establishing serious relationships and love connections. 

Those looking for love should probably steer clear of Tinder, and instead try Bumble, Hinge or Breeze.

Hookup apps in the Netherlands

If you’re not keen to settle down and are instead after something a little more casual with fewer strings attached, then there are many platforms out there for you to choose from. Tinder is of course the most famous, but other more low-key dating apps include happn, Badoo and Feeld. 

Dating sites

Dating via an app on your mobile phone is extremely popular these days, but even today there are still many that prefer a dating site over a dating app. While similar in concept, the usability of dating sites is generally slightly different; for example, users may have to input more information about themselves in order to set up a profile, and the algorithms used to set up matches are generally less location-based and more reliant on personal information and personality tests.

Paid Dutch dating sites

If you’re happy to invest a little bit of money to make sure you're signing up for the right platform and perhaps increase your chances of finding love, try one of these paid dating sites.

e-Matching

If you’re after a Dutch dating site, then e-Matching is the way to go. The website is only available in Dutch, and for over 25 years has catered to those who have completed higher education and are looking for a serious relationship. Users who pay for a subscription have access to all profiles on the platform, as well as speed dating events and an e-Matching dating coach.

EliteDating

EliteDating is another platform for professionals looking for a serious relationship, and says that it uses “scientific matchmaking” in order to ensure that those on the website are presented with three to seven of their most compatible potential matches every day. Profile photos on this site can only be viewed by paying members - so if you’re interested in signing up, it's definitely worth taking out a paid subscription!

Free dating sites in the Netherlands

Similarly to dating apps, there are also some popular dating sites operating in the Netherlands that offer users the chance to make the most of their services without having to pay a penny. Of course, even the free platforms also offer users the chance to upgrade to a paid subscription.

Lexa

Lexa is one of the top online dating platforms in the Netherlands and has been popular since its launch all the way back in 2002. While you can sign up for a free account, paying for full membership gives users access to chat functions, as well as a number of different singles-only events across the country. It's worth noting, however, that if you haven't learnt Dutch yet, this might not be the one for you, as Lexa's website is only available in Dutch.

Parship

Based in Hamburg, Parship focuses primarily on enabling long-term relationships and serious connections between its highly educated users. With this in mind, setting up a profile is a fairly rigorous process, and involves a comprehensive personality test including 80 questions. The site is free to use, but if you opt for a paid membership, you’ll also get an “extensive personality report” based on the results of the personality quiz, as well as other perks.

50 Plus Match

As the name suggests, 50 Plus Match is a dating site designed with singles over the age of 50 in mind. You’re never too old to find love, and that's certainly what this platform believes! You can sign up for free, but paid users get access to all of the platform’s functions from day one, including the ability to message or video call with singles who you think could be a good match for you.

LGBTQ+ dating sites & Apps in the Netherlands

Finally, while many of these platforms also cater to LGBTQ+ daters, there are of course some platforms that were designed specifically with these users in mind, and they remain popular among many members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Grindr

What Tinder is for dating apps, Grindr is for LGBTQ+ dating; it’s easily the most well-known dating platform for gay, bisexual and transgender singles and, since its launch in 2009, has become the largest dating app for queer users. The app is location-based, allowing users to browse through and chat with other singles who are nearby.

HER

HER is specifically a platform designed for lesbian, bisexual and transgender women looking to connect with other like-minded people in their area, whether that be as a potential partner or as a new friend. The app markets itself as a queer space where “all lesbian, bi, queer, non-binary, trans, and gender non-conforming folks” can “find their family”.

Romeo

Romeo - previously known as GayRomeo and PlanetRomeo - is a social network launched by a German company in Berlin back in 2002, and has since become a huge network for over 2 million LGBTQ+ people across dozens of countries around the world. The platform is unique as, not only does it allow users to set up personal profiles (which are also available to sex workers and escorts looking to advertise their services), but different clubs can also set up groups that members can sign up to join. 

Dating in the Netherlands

No matter the kind of relationship you’re looking for, these platforms are a surefire way to get the ball rolling and help you meet people here in the Netherlands, all without you even having to leave your sofa. Just remember to be safe and, most importantly, to have fun!

Thumb: Prathankarnpap via Shutterstock.com.