So many singles, so little time. But if it feels like there aren't any single women in your area, then you might not be looking in all the right places. Not everyone has the time to go out and meet new people anymore. This is why it can feel like there's no one to date in your area. But when you try out the top South Carolina dating apps in our list, you'll see just how many people are available!
Online dating has become such a huge part of many people's social lives. More traditional types usually prefer to meet people via friends or when they go out. But these days, you should be using all the avenues available to you. This is why online dating has experienced such a huge boom, especially with dating apps becoming more popular.
Before you read further, let us give you a quick summary of the South Carolina dating apps that have consistently worked for us:
| Site | Our Experience | Our Rating | Free Trial Link |
|---|---|---|---|
Best For Relationships  | Experience Highlights
| 9 | Try eHarmony |
Best For Casual Fun  | Experience Highlights
| 9 | Try AFF For Free |
Great If You're Handsome  | Tinder Highlights
| 8 | Try Tinder |
If you're not sure which dating apps and sites in South Carolina you should be using, let us be your guide.
There are a ton of singles using dating apps in South Carolina
South Carolina has over 5.3 million people, and almost 29% of them are single. We did the math and found that there are more single women than men by about 48,000. That's a lot of single women you can meet when you're looking in all the right places. You can meet some of them at bars and clubs in your area. You can even travel to Charleston or Columbia (whichever's closer to you) to meet women. But by far, the most convenient and cost-effective method we've found for meeting women is through dating apps.
So which ones should you be using? Here's our list of the best ones.
The 5 Best Dating Apps and Sites in South Carolina Right Now
Meeting women online can be tricky. The online dating scene is more crowded today than it was ten years ago with almost 1,500 dating apps and sites on the market, all claiming they can set you up with hot women in a blink of an eye.
In today's article, I'll share with you the five best dating sites in South Carolina. We tested these apps for quite some time and reviewed them below so you can use them with confidence. If you want to spice up your dating life and meet with as many South Carolina singles as you can, then keep reading.
#1 - eHarmony (Android, iOS) is the only app you need for relationships in South Carolina
We can't argue with this one. It's the only dating site founded by a clinical psychologist and a marriage consultant. This means the whole matchmaking process on eHarmony is based largely on compatibility. Even though it's not as popular as Tinder, eHarmony scores higher when it counts for long-term relationships.
Want proof? Here are the numbers:
- eHarmony generates 4% of America's marriages every year (this equals 219 marriages every single day)
- 25% of married couples who met online said they met on eHarmony
- 70% of eHarmony users find love within the first year of using the app
- By analyzing thousands of American couples who married between 2005 and 2012, those who met on eHarmony are significantly less likely to break up
In our experience, no one knows the dating landscape better than eHarmony, which is why you should definitely check it out today!
What we liked about eHarmony
- Attracts plenty of educated users
- Has a unique matchmaking process
- In-depth profiles and good matching
What we didn't like about eHarmony
- The sign-up process is a bit lengthy
- You can’t choose who you match with
#2 - Match (Android, iOS) is still hot in South Carolina
Match is probably the oldest dating app on this list. It was once the go-to app in the country and remained like this for years until it got outranked by the likes of Tinder, OkCupid, and Hinge, which - in case you didn't know - are found by the same company, Match Group.
Don't be surprised to see many older people using Match out of habit. These are the first generation to use online dating for matchmaking and many of them have good memories with the app. However, the app also tends to attract more relationship-minded type of users, mainly because that's what most singles look for in all conservative states, including South Carolina.
What makes Match a great dating app in South Carolina
- You’re almost guaranteed to find a partner on Match if you give the app enough time
- Good for those who want to date older ladies
What we didn't like about the app
- You need a paid membership to
- Many users are between 35 and 44
#3 - AFF is the best casual dating site in South Carolina right now (try it free)
AFF is the world's largest hookup site with more than 80 million users across the globe. It's also one of the most-used dating apps during the pandemic because, well, quarantine was too damn boring to pass it alone. Whether you're bored and want some quick (but steamy) connections, want to warm up your dating skills after years of settling down, or just want a sexting buddy, you can find what you want on AFF.
Give AFF's free trial a shot and you could be setting up a hot date in no time!
What we liked about AFF in South Carolina
- Has a ton of users
- Discreet
- Cuts to the chase – You don’t need to text her for a week to take her out
What we didn't like
- It doesn’t have an app, so you can only access AFF through your browser
- Some users can be extremely forward, which is off-putting for some people
#4 - Tinder (Android, iOS) is the go-to for most singles
The best thing about Tinder is that you can absolutely use it anywhere. The app became so popular, even before the pandemic, that people now associate the name with "online dating". People now ask "are you on Tinder?" instead of "are you on some dating app?" because almost everyone is on it.
What we liked about Tinder is that you can use it whether you're searching for something fun or something long-term. It also tends to attract a wide range of users, not just the young and hot.
The only drawback is that it's a bit crowded. A typical hot Tinder girl will have no less than 500 matches depending on when she started using the app and finding your way through such high attention can be tricky, hard, and time-consuming. But overall, it's worth the shot.
What we liked about Tinder
- Easy to use
- Everyone seems to use it
- It’s free, but you can buy membership upgrades
What we didn't like about the app
- Very few filters beyond “age” and “location”
- Guys who aren’t in the top 10% in looks usually have a hard time finding a match
#5 - Looking for someone of the same faith? Try Christian Mingle (Android; iOS)
The name says it all: Christian Mingle is a big community of Christian singles looking for same-faith partners who want to settle down. It's the most trusted Christian dating app and is very reliable when it comes to finding a like-minded partner whose religion plays a huge role in their life. The app has more than 15 million users, many of which are conservatives located in the Midwest and Southern states.
To connect you with a perfect match, the app will ask you to keep your profile as detailed as possible. This means it should include your basic information (age, education, occupation, etc), in addition to your marital status, denomination of Christianity (Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox), and favorite church.
Completing or skipping this process will make or break your chance of finding someone whose faith and life path align with yours.
What makes Christian Mingle one of the best dating apps in South Carolina
- Very popular in South Carolina
- Few spammy accounts
- Easy to use
What we didn't like about the app
- You can’t get by with their free account
The Best Dating Sites in South Carolina for Long-Term Relationships
Now that we arranged the best dating sites in South Carolina by popularity, it's time to categorize them by type. We know that we all have different preferences. Some guys want to stay free as a bird and only seek casual hookups for pleasure while others are in the dating scene just until they find the perfect partner, be it a spouse or girlfriend.
And we're not here to judge you. Regardless of what you want, it stays your choice, and we're here to help you. That's why we dedicated the following sections to sharing our recommendations for the best dating apps in South Carolina for both relationships and hookups, and these are our favorite two dating apps for the former:
eHarmony helps 438 Americans marry every single day
When searching for the best dating app in South Carolina we didn't find anything better than eHarmony. Despite ranking fourth among the country's top dating sites, eHarmony remains the go-to dating app in South Carolina and the Bible Belt states where the age of the first marriage is fairly low compared to busier states like New York, Washington, and California.
But, why exactly do South Carolina singles prefer eHarmony over the likes of Tinder, Hinge and OkCupid?
Because it's common for Southern singles to want to settle down early and eHarmony is the best relationship app in America for three reasons:
- Popularity: With more than 12 million active users, you're more likely to meet your future partner here than on most other dating apps
- Compatibility: The app uses several metrics such as filters and personal questions to filter your suggested matches based on compatibility
Bumble - Where 85% of users are pro-commitment
Bumble is the youngest among all the dating apps on our list. Yet, it's the second-most-popular dating app today (12.3 million active users) and is expected in the next few years to outrank Tinder as the big daddy of the online dating scene. But why is Bumble great for relationships? Many reasons:
- Plenty of active female users - Bumble has a higher female-male ratio compared to the rest of the apps in the market. Most dating apps play within 2:8 to 3:7 (i.e., two women for every 8 guys) unlike Bumble whose ratio is almost 4 men to 6 women.
- Very few Bumble users want hookups - Most Bumble fans use the app to look for long-term relationships. According to a recent Bumble report, only 4% of male users and 1% of female users seek casual flings while using the app.
- Has a female-friendly atmosphere - The only client a dating app can't afford to lose are hot women. Why? Because, they're the reason men flock to the app in the first place. So Bumble's mission is to help women find a safe place to date online without being bombarded by tens of messages from random creepy dudes.
That's how it marketed itself from day one: they'll offer you many filters to use while looking for your perfect partner, and they won't let women get turned off by the app after receiving a ton of thirsty messages. This form of marketing brought Bumble tons of attractive, but serious users who want to settle down and find a caring, long-term partner.
The Best Hookup Sites in South Carolina
Now that we covered the best relationship apps in The Palmetto State, it's time to share our top selections for the best hookup apps in South Carolina. And in case you were wondering, it wasn't that easy because the hookup dating scene tends to be a bit scammy. There are a lot of fake apps out there that will use a guy's loneliness or introversion to milk him out of money using cam girls, nude photos and fake profiles.
Many South Carolina hookup sites are absolute garbage for regular guys, but luckily, a few do actually work. Like the ones below:
AFF is for casuals and casuals only
AFF is one of the most popular dating sites for finding hookups of any kind. For casuals and casuals only, that's their motto. Whether you want to use it for sexting or real-time bedroom meetups, you'll find a way to get what you want on AFF. While testing AFF - which lasted for quite some time - we noticed two major things:
- Users are less picky here than on Tinder - Women are less judgmental on AFF than probably any other app we tested. It's not like Tinder, where you get ignored by women if you're not in shape. You don't need to be prime Chris Evans to meet women on AFF. All you need is just look decent and fun.
- You will meet some fake accounts along the way - Unfortunately, there's no hookup site without plenty of fake accounts and girls who'll ask for money as soon as you meet up in person. Thankfully, AFF does its best to prevent scammers from creating an account on the site.
But regardless, AFF is fun to use, especially when you feel lonely or bored. Give it a try by signing up for a free trial here.
Tinder is also a good place to search for hookups
In case you didn't know, Tinder initially started as a hookup app more than a decade ago before it developed into the all-around dating app we know today. The best thing about Tinder is that everybody uses it which increases your odds of finding a fun, like-minded hookup buddy who's down to bang at a moment's notice. The two main problems (and they're quite huge) are:
- You'll need to watch your language: Gone are the days when you could've started a Tinder chat with an eggplant emoji and gotten away with it. Today, it's a bit aggressive since most women don't leave a sign telling whether they're down to bang on the first date or not. You'll need to calibrate your language on Tinder and set up your profile with a certain tone that only attracts those who want quick flings.
- You need to look really good: Tinder has an 8:2 male-to-female ratio, which means that for every girl on the app, you got at least four other dudes competing for her attention. So, unless you look really hot, you won't get as many matches as you want.
Either way, Tinder is still the busiest dating app on the planet, and no matter what you want, you'll always find someone wanting the same thing.
The Best Free Dating Sites in South Carolina
Can you find success on a free dating site?
The short answer is: Partially.
Even though you can always meet women on free dating sites - assuming you look good enough - paying extra will expose you to more women and increase your odds of getting dates. Even better is creating an account on a paid dating app that has more features to help you find dates.
So, what should you do?
If you can afford to upgrade, then do it immediately as long as it won't hurt your wallet. However, if you're new to online dating or if you're short on cash, then we suggest that you use free apps like Tinder or Bumble for a while until you:
- Get better at texting women and setting up dates
- Improve your looks if you need to (I.e., lose weight, gain muscle, upgrade your wardrobe...etc)
If you can’t afford to use a paid dating site right now, here are the best free dating sites in South Caroline worth looking at:
- Tinder
- Bumble
- Hinge
Try these out and see how many dates you can find. If they don't work, consider a premium upgrade. If you're still not satisfied, your best bet is to check out at least one paid dating app where you can pay to make finding a date easier.
