It's no secret that San Francisco is chock full of tech types and singles. So what are the best dating apps in San Francisco? Though people seem to be universally embracing online dating from sea to shining sea (and everywhere in between), a super tech-tastic spot like San Fran is even more likely to be full of people madly swiping, matching, and messaging away. Though dating apps are ubiquitous, the sometimes sunny, sometimes foggy city (wear layers) seems to be fully on board with the search of love online, and that trend can only increase as time goes on and more and more people join the trend.
I did some research on the best, most popular dating apps in the Bay Area, and one thing is for certain: It doesn't seem like the the Golden Gate City is slowing down on its app intake anytime soon, especially not when it comes to apps of the dating variety. Whether you live there and you are hoping to expand your horizons, plan to visit and want to know which apps to try while you're in the city, or you're just wanderlusting and thinking about a potential move there someday, here are 10 apps all single San Franciscans should try.
1. Once
I came across Once via one San Fran dude's experience of sampling 13 dating apps in 30 days, and it seems fun, and simple. It just matches you with one person, once a day. Very zen. Very Cali.
2. Hinge
Hinge is a popular choice across the board, but SFGate reported about a Hinge study that looked at San Franciscans' opening lines and tried to predict how likely someone might be to reply, depending on what someone kicked things off with. "The best performing opening lines in the Bay Area focus on nostalgia or youth, while the worst ones involve the entertainment industry," they found, so be sure to ask about your match's first concert when you get the chance.
3. The League
This exclusive dating app launched in San Fran, so this is an obvious choice. The League's acceptance rate in this city is about 25 percent, just over New York's paltry 20 percent yes rate. Want to cut the line? Have a friend who's already in put in a good word with the app's concierge.
4. BeLinked
This app is most popular in San Francisco, London and New York, according to founder Max Fischer. BeLinked gets your info directly from LinkedIn, which means that "users are getting that true sense of who someone is through a highly accountable and trustworthy network," he tells Business Insider. If you say so.
5. Happn
San Francisco is a rambling city — big enough that 70 percent of the population have cars. In a single day, a lot of ground can be covered. Happn links users who have crossed paths over the course of a day, taking some of the guesswork out of the equation — if you see a cute girl at a coffeeshop, you can open your app and see if she has Happn too.
6. Clover
Clover "would be the offspring of OkCupid and Tinder if they had a one-night stand and forgot to use a condom," says SF Weekly. Sounds intriguing, if nothing else. Clover is all about "swiping less, dating more," and incorporates "on-demand dating."
7. The Dating Ring
This site is all about connecting people for actual relationships. The Dating Ring, writes SF Weekly, is for "those who are looking for a serious relationship and aren’t meeting the right people at bars or through friends," or "the anti-Tinder."
8. Tinder
I mean, obviously. It's a big city, lots of people, lots of matches. Beyond that, I can't promise anything. But I'd be leaving something out if I didn't include Tinder as an option in a big city at this point.
9. Sway
A piece in Venture Beat about two single San Franciscans (one guy, one girl) sampling different dating apps had the girl give Sway (formerly "Let's Date") 3 out of 5 stars, which was actually a pretty high score. She chatted with a network engineer at a gaming company, an investment banker and a bartender. Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke.
10. Coffee Meets Bagel
Turns out that New York doesn't have the corner on the coffee and bagel market. Coffee Meets Bagel also got high marks in the Venture Beat piece. It apparently does a great job filtering your matches, and yielded a date right away. Not bad.
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Images: Fotolia; iTunes (9); The Dating Ring
