What are the best dating apps in Des Moines, Iowa? With all the dating apps available, it’s important to know which ones will help you get the results you want—wherever you might be in the country.
The recent pandemic has caused a shift in the dating game. Now, more and more people are trying—and realizing the value of—dating apps. And the people of Des Moines, Iowa, are no different.
Des Moines has the distinction of being the third-largest “insurance capital” of the world, and if you work in the finance industry, there are plenty of busy singles to meet here. Regardless, you’ll still meet more locals through the right dating app in much less time.
The 5 Best Dating Sites in Des Moines Right Now
Again, the most important consideration to make is the most basic one: What do you want out of the Des Moines dating scene? Do you want short-term fun, flings, and casual relationships? Or do you want to find “the one” to spend the rest of your life with?
We picked our recommendations based on how well they helped us achieve our goals on both sides of the spectrum. And while no app can claim to be the best at everything, here are the ones we found to be extremely good at their target slice of the dating scene.
#1 - eHarmony (Android, iOS) is the best app for those looking for “the one”
eHarmony is, without a doubt, the best app you can get if you’re looking for true love in Des Moines. It has earned a reputation nationwide for finding high-quality matches.
To date, eHarmony has matched 600,000 happy couples—an impressive feat by any standard. And with over 33 million users (and growing), chances are you’ll find your happy ending here, as well.
Why eHarmony is great
- Unbeatable track record of successful matches
- Has a rigorous screening process that discourages and weeds out the troublemakers
- The best matching algorithms among all apps we’ve tried
What we don't like about it
- The signup process takes time—lots of it
- If you’re after a casual relationship, you’ll waste your time here
#2 - Coffee Meets Bagel (Android, iOS) is great if your career comes first
If your work is your first priority, then Coffee Meets Bagel should be a good fit for your busy schedule. Every day at noon, it gives you a shortlist of Des Moines locals you match with—and no more.
That means you can make your dating life a structured part of your day, setting aside a set amount of time to look through your matches. This frees you from the trap of endless swiping and searching.
Why Coffee Meets Bagel is great
- Most of your matches will be like you—busy, ambitious, and with their lives together
- Popular in busy cities like Des Moines
- The short daily list lets you do other things with your day
What we don't like about it
- As handy as the daily lists are, it may take several days before you find a match you really like
- Not quite as diverse as other apps
- Might get spotty the further away from downtown you get
#3 - AFF is your best choice for short-term sexy fun (try it free here)
If you’re not looking for “the one”—just “the one for tonight”—then AFF is your best choice. It’s the app that prides itself on focusing on one thing, and that’s to match people for one-night stands and casual flings. It has become the best option for most guys that are just looking for something casual or physical.
You might think Tinder is the best app on this side of the spectrum, but we’ve noticed AFF is easier and more rewarding to use in Des Moines. It’s all because while Tinder is more popular with the younger daters, all the age ranges are well-represented on AFF.
Why AFF is great
- It’s the best at what it does—matching you with people who want short-term, sexy fun too
- You’ll get enough matches no matter your age range
- Super-easy to use
What we don't like about it
- You’ll need to do your due diligence when digging through the dozens of matches you get
- Design can stand some updating
#4 - Hinge (Android, iOS) is a solid choice
Hinge is a “dating app you’re meant to delete,” suggesting it’s in the same category as eHarmony. And so far, so good—it delivers on its promise to match you with potential long-term partners. (And the signup is much quicker, too.)
Des Moines—and Iowa in general—is somewhat more religious than the national average. That means you’ll find a healthy userbase looking for a commitment on Hinge, as we did.
Why Hinge is great
- It’s easy to set your profile up and get going
- Many young users
- Tied to your Facebook, so you’ll find matches with fewer degrees of separation between you
What we don't like about it
- If your Facebook friends are unattractive, you might not have such a good time on Hinge
- Few older users
- You’re at a disadvantage if you don’t have good, attractive, professional photos
#5 - Christian Mingle (Android, iOS) is a niche service that might be relevant to you
If you’re Christian, single, and in Des Moines, then you might want to try Christian Mingle as well. As the name implies, it’s a dating app designed for Christians looking for long-term relationships. If having the same beliefs as your partner is important to you, this is the app you should be using.
Why Christian Mingle is great
- Perfect for Christians who only want to date other Christians
- Near-guaranteed good matches
What we don't like about it
- If you’re not Christian or if you’re after casual relationships, you’ll have a tough time here
- Slightly more expensive than other apps
The Best Hookup Sites in Des Moines
Let’s say you’re firmly in the AFF space—you’re after short-term fun, nothing serious, and with no strings attached. You’ll have the most fun in Des Moines if you used AdultFriendFinder and Tinder.
AFF makes finding hookup easy
AFF is the champion of all Des Moines hookup sites, and it looks like it’ll stay that way for a while. Its reputation for reliability and ease of use attracts more and more new users, so you’ll likely find a few good dates here.
Perhaps the best part about AFF is the free trial. You can sign up for it, try it out, and see how many dates you score during the trial period. If you taste some success while it’s free, imagine the fun you’ll have with the premium features.
Tinder is arguably the most popular hookup app
Meanwhile, Tinder is still going strong. While it has since become a more general dating service (more and more couples are getting into committed relationships after meeting on Tinder), it was still the premier hookup app. And based on the results we got, we can safely say it’s still one of the best casual dating sites in Des Moines.
The Best Dating Sites in Des Moines
On the other hand, if you’re 100% sure you want to date for keeps, then these are the two best Des Moines dating sites/apps: eHarmony and Plenty of Fish.
eHarmony is full of singles looking for long-term relationships
As you already know, eHarmony is the #1 app for finding true love on the Internet, owing solely to its track record. If you’re willing to use eHarmony for a year, there’s a 70% chance you’ll get into a committed relationship—and that’s a good deal.
eHarmony also has a free trial, and we recommend you try it out (at least to get the long signup process out of the way). Test the waters and see why we think it’s one of the best dating sites/apps in Des Moines.
Plenty of Fish is still a popular app for finding relationships
Our other recommendation is good old Plenty of Fish. One of the oldest dating services still around, it attracts people of all ages, all looking for the same thing you are—a strong, happy, long-term relationship. Just keep in mind that some folks use PoF as a hookup app. So make sure you read those profiles before trying to set up a date.
The Best Free Dating Sites in Des Moines
Can you find good matches by using free apps? The answer is “yes,” although you might save time in the long run by going the paid route from the get-go. Paid apps in general are more trustworthy and reliable, and that goes double for dating apps.
With so many free dating apps going around, it’s all too easy to spend too much time and get too few good results. Our advice is simple: If you want to go the free app route, we suggest you stick to the best free dating sites in Des Moines:
We hope our guide to Des Moines’s best dating apps will help you, too, find happiness and success—no matter what it is you’re after. Good luck!
