If you’re ready to explore the best dating apps in St. Paul, then we won’t keep you waiting. Our beautiful city with frigid winters and warm summers can be a great dating playground ― if you know where to look and which dating app to use.
Sure, they may be a lot of beautiful women at The Green Lantern or Parlour Bar. But are they looking for dates or just enjoying a night out with friends?
We notice that Casper’s and Runyon’s Nook is always packed with hungry, good-looking women. But who can really say if they’re also looking for a new guy friend or a potential date? The pandemic has also made it a bit more challenging to meet people in person, even at these hotspots, as people are more hesitant to go out and talk to strangers.
Bar hopping every weekend gets old pretty fast (not to mention expensive!), so why not let technology help you out? Charge that smartphone real quick because you will be pretty busy with these dating apps and sites.
#1 - Hinge is the dating app designed to be deleted (Android; iOS)
Hinge is one of our favorite dating apps because of how balanced it is. Users upload six pictures and answer three conversation prompts, so profiles aren’t overly detailed, but they don’t focus on appearance too much either. Matching with someone is almost like using social media as you like or comment on a specific picture or prompt.
This encourages users to actually look through a profile to find common ground or a specific area of interest, humanizing online dating much more than other apps do. It’s free, simple, and fun to use, and you can find whatever you’re looking for on Hinge, be it a long-term relationship or casual fling.
What we like about Hinge:
- Large userbase of over 6 million active users a month
- Conversation prompts make it easier to start talking to someone
- Receive a daily compatibility recommendation
What we don’t like about it:
- Anyone can message you so some women may get overwhelmed
- Limit of 10 likes a day with the free version
#2 - eHarmony (Android; iOS) is the best dating site in St. Paul if you want long-term relationships
eHarmony is the best dating site in St. Paul right now if you're the type of person who prefers long-term relationships over more casual dating. In fact, you're about 300% more likely to meet your future spouse on eHarmony than any other app. It's responsible for 75% of all marriages that start online, which is a pretty crazy record of success.
What has been really great about this site is that they do so much of the hard work for you. They find out what you want, find singles that match that looking for people like you and then help you actually get the conversation going. When the site you're using is helping you build chemistry with your potential partners you're going to find some success.
If you're serious about compatibility this is the absolute best option for you in St. Paul. We've seen great success on it and highly recommend it.
Why eHarmony is one of the best dating sites in St. Paul
- Incredibly high success rates compared to other relationship apps
- 70% of users find their future spouse within a year
- Takes a lot of the work off your plate
What we don’t like about it
- You have to answer a fair number of questions so they know what you want
- A little time consuming at first but after that it’s easy
#3 - Plenty of Fish (Android; iOS) is one of the best dating sites in St. Paul
Plenty of Fish is an older dating site as it started in 2003, but we still love it. It gets its name from the saying, “There’s plenty of fish in the sea,” and there is definitely plenty of fish on the site as it has over 150 million registered users. It is an older site, so not all these profiles are still active, but there are still 65,000 new fish joining daily.
When you sign up, you complete a fun personality quiz that asks questions about you and what you’re looking for in a partner. The site then uses your answers to match you with people you may actually have something in common with. You can even search for matches on your own if that’s what you prefer.
Why Plenty of Fish is one of the best St. Paul dating apps:
- Over 4 million people on Plenty of Fish every day
- Receive daily match recommendations based on compatibility
- You don’t need to match with someone first to message them
Why Plenty of Fish isn’t that amazing in St. Paul:
- Hard to find your own matches as search criteria are limited
- No verification when signing up leading to a lot of fake profiles
#4 - AFF is the best hookup app in St. Paul
AFF has become the best hookup app in St. Paul for the last few years. Once Tinder became more of a dating app there just wasn't any competition any longer. This is especially true for guys where Tinder can be absolutely BRUTAL to use.
AFF works so well because a ton of people in St. Paul are on it and it really is focused on being the best hookup site in town. Everyone on it is looking for fun in the bedroom and they aren't afraid to meet up.
If you're just looking for something casual and fun this should be your first choice, especially if you're a single guy. We've seen the best success here and their free trial below is the easiest way to get started. Too many casual relationships start online to skip it!
Why you should try AFF:
- 60 million users and really popular in St. Paul
- Very easy to use
- Men have had the best results here
What we don’t like about it:
- Many users can only access via web app
- Too many ads for our tastes
#5 - Elite Singles (Android; iOS) is one of the best dating sites in St. Paul for educated singles
You may think that the questions in Elite Singles’ personality test are general, but they’re actually quite targeted. This makes it one of the best dating apps in St. Paul because your scores pair you with the best potential picks (according to the site’s algorithm). You will also encounter questions about what you’re looking for in a partner (someone your age or maybe older?), where they’re located, and the like.
The app positions itself as geared for educated and wealthy singles. But don’t worry ― you won't get kicked out or rejected if you don’t meet the income requirements. Elite Singles works hard to review profiles and weed out inactive ones so that you only get real and quality matches.
You can receive 5 matches every day on a free account. See a potential match’s profile on the Have You Met feature. Or consider profiles you would otherwise ignore in the Wildcard section. And if you’re feeling a little adventurous, you can also check out the What If feature where you can search for any user.
Why Elite Singles is one of the best dating apps in St. Paul:
- Perfect for people who want serious and long-term commitment
- Very accurate and in-depth personality test
- User profiles are verified and checked for legitimacy
What we don’t like about it
- Time-consuming personality test
- Pricey
#6 - Tinder is one of the best St. Paul dating apps that’s so easy to use (Android; iOS)
Did you know that profiles on Tinder get millions of views, resulting in millions of matches? If you’ve been living under a rock, Tinder is one of the best St. Paul dating apps because it’s so easy and simple to use. We'd even go as far to say that if you just want to test out dating apps, Tinder is a great place to start.
Sure, some users are hyper-focused on looks and many users don't get to shine because their personalities are put on the back burner. But with so many users on the site, how can you pass it up?
What makes it one of the best St. Paul dating apps:
- Quick, fun and easy to use
- Location-based
- You can use the app without paying
What we don’t like about it:
- Photo verification is not required
- You can’t go back to profiles you rejected intentionally or by mistake
#7 - Lots of singles from all over the world fall in love on Zoosk (Android; iOS)
Looking for a dating app that’s easy and practical to use? Why not try one of the best dating sites in St. Paul called Zoosk? It’s available in over 80 countries with approximately 40 million members. This means you can find love outside the US or meet someone when you travel abroad.
Not too keen about filling up long and repetitive questionnaires about yourself and your dream partner? You will appreciate Zoosk’s ability to integrate information from your social media profiles. So no need to spend so much time creating an account.
With Zoosk’s Behavioral Matchmaking, you can also find better matches based on your activity on the app. More importantly, it’s free to join! You’ll achieve a lot even with just the free features. There are also security measures in place that can protect you from being catfished.
Why it’s worth a try:
- Millions of users that you can match with
- Verified dating profiles
- No lengthy personality tests or questionnaires
What we are not crazy about:
- Dubious profiles can still slip through
- Need to pay to unlock extra features
#8 - Hily (Android; iOS) can help you jumpstart a zero love life
Hily (acronym for Hey I Like You) is one of the best dating apps in St. Paul for singles who want to meet new friends or dates. This app analyzes your profile and swiping behavior, as well as your interests, lifestyle and personal background to match you with another Hily user. Easy peasy!
You can also take the Hily compatibility quiz if you want to be extra sure that you're matching with the right gal. Oh, and if you hate swiping through photos, you can choose to watch users' videos instead. This way you can better check if you'll be into someone.
What we love about Hily
- Creating a Hily account only requires a link to your Snapchat or Facebook
- Free to use
- Its AI technology blocks inappropriate messages
What we don’t like about it
- Anyone can send chat requests
- Designed for men and women matches only
The Best Dating Sites in St. Paul for Long-Term Relationships
Dating apps are often designed with a certain purpose, like helping people find a hookup. If you’re not using the right app, you won’t get the results you’re looking for. So, we wanted to discuss some of our favorite apps for different occasions. Here are two of the best dating sites for people who want a long-term relationship:
eHarmony is the best St. Paul dating site to find a relationship
Many people think of eHarmony as the best dating site out there, and we might agree. It has helped over 600,000 people in the United States alone get married, so the creators are obviously doing something right. If you’re looking for something serious, look no further than eHarmony.
It requires users to complete a detailed questionnaire that often puts people who aren’t serious about online dating off. This means people who complete the questionnaire to access the site are typically ready to settle down. eHarmony uses your answers to match you with people you may be compatible with, making talking and meeting up much easier.
Coffee Meets Bagel focuses on quality over quantity
Coffee Meets Bagel is a unique dating app as every day at noon, you receive a new match recommendation. This allows you to focus your time and attention on one person so your inbox isn’t flooded, overwhelming you. Your matches are based on your personality and dating preferences, so the likelihood that you’ll have something in common is high. With over 10 million users on Coffee Meets Bagel, it’s a good place to find something serious.
The Best Hookup Sites in St. Paul
If you’re not on dating apps to find something serious, don’t worry, there are plenty of other apps you can try. Here are some of our favorite St. Paul hookup sites for those looking for something a little more casual:
AFF is one of the best casual dating sites in St. Paul
AFF is kind of the opposite of what eHarmony is to the dating world. Instead of helping people get married, AFF helps people find hookups. The site has been around since 1996 and now has over 50 million users, so it’s one of the most popular places to find casual flings online.
It’s a paid site, which can put some people off, but it helps increase safety and allows you to connect with people who are actually down for a booty call. Most members are over 25, so it’s also a great alternative to other hookup apps that tend to have a younger user base.
Tinder is the best free hookup site in St. Paul
Tinder is one of the most popular dating apps in St. Paul and across the United States. It’s so easy to use; all you do is swipe right on a profile if you like the person or left if they’re not your type. Since it’s so easy to use, many people use it to find hookups. As it’s free with the option to pay for additional features, it’s a great alternative for people who want a little fun but don’t want to invest in a dating membership.
The Best Free Dating Sites in St. Paul
Everyone loves free things, like those free food samples at Costco. But, it’s important to remember that you get what you pay for, especially when it comes to dating apps. Free dating apps and sites are fun, but they don’t offer the same results that paid ones do.
People who pay for dating memberships tend to take the experience more seriously, so you have a better chance of matching with someone who’s actually going to put effort into meeting you. Paid apps also offer features that make meeting someone easier, like search filters or curated match recommendations.
If you’re not sure whether you’re ready to pay for a membership just yet, take advantage of a free trial or app instead. Just don’t expect too much from the free experience.
Here are some of the best free dating sites in St. Paul:
- Bumble
- Tinder
- Hinge
Each app is free and easy to use, so it’s a good way to test the waters. When you’re ready, you can upgrade to a paid membership to improve your online dating experience.
