How to Create a Dating App: Main Features, Budget, and Tech Stack

With the majority of our communication occurring online, it is no wonder that the dating world is also shifting from offline. In 2021, 49 million people in the US alone have chosen to use dating services to find either a partner or just a fun date. Especially in 2020, men and women switched to online dating amid the pandemic lockdowns and social distancing measures.

Today we will talk about making a dating app from scratch, the choice of technology, essential and not-so-essential features, and development costs. How to create a dating app that attracts a wide user base and generates revenue?

Keep reading to learn the key features of a dating application, suitable tech stack, costs of the development and how to identify the best practices of successful app development.

Tinder

Features: Swipe right and left, distance and age adjustments, in-app video calls, matches, messaging. UVP: In-app panic button for unsafe dates Pricing: Premium account $9.99 per month

Bumble

Features: Swipe right and left, detailed profile information, in-app messaging, options for romantic, friendship, and business relationships. UVP: Women have to text first within 24 hrs. Pricing: Premium account $ per month.

OkCupid

Features: In-app messaging, personality quizzes, profile booster, matching based on preferences and personality traits. UVP: One of the oldest apps on the market Pricing: Premium account $ per month.

Match

Features: In-app messaging, games to break the ice, comprehensive dating profiles, no free version. UVP: Offline Stir Events to help users meet up in real life. Pricing: $ per month with a free trial.

Grindr

Features: List of users nearby instead of swipes, location sharing, favorites, tribes to select a particular group of users. UVP: Strongly gears towards gay and bisexual men. Pricing: Premium account $5.00 per month.

Main features

Although most dating app users look for a genuine connection and romantic relationship, some simply want to kill time. The cornerstone of a successful app is the identification of the target audience and the best hookup bars in Buffalo implementation of essential features that your application requires. Let’s discover how to create a dating app with a basic set of features.

Registration and Sign-in

To make an app like Tinder, you need to implement fast and simple sign-in options. Provide several methods of account registration, via phone, email, and social media platforms. Do not forget to mention that the dating app account will not be displayed on their social media profiles. The most important part of the registration process is simplicity and a low amount of low effort. Getting an account on a dating service is usually an impulse decision and is triggered by curiosity or even boredom. Allow your users quick and effortless access to the pool of profiles to ensure high user retention.

Safety steps such as email and photo verification can occur a few moments later, after the user has had a chance to play around and get likes and matches. Give them a taste of the application before forcing users to go through the bureaucracy process of verification.

Profile Editing

How to make a dating app that is versatile and interactive? Start by offering a simple profile with age, location, name, and photo to let people immediately use the application. However, allowing fine-tuning is a good move that helps users find like-minded matches. You can allow users to fill out their profiles with as much information as they want, such as physical attributes, interests, hobbies, preferences, and more.

Geolocation

Geolocation is an essential feature for building a dating app. Such apps provide the nearest profiles based on the users’ location, which is why this feature is highly important. Although some dating services allow searching for potential matches in broader regions, the majority of users look for people in their local proximity. Ideally, you should enable accurate location detection, not just a city or zip code. Especially in large cities, different districts might mean tens of miles in distance. Adding an “available now” option will help users to find a date in a particular location and provide a unique value proposition.

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