If you're looking to create a dating app in 2023, it's essential to know how to make an app like Tinder. Here are some tips and costs to get you started.
Tinder is one of the most popular dating apps on the market today with an estimated 50 million users. Firstly released a decade ago, this app has changed the whole industry and the dating game itself. A simple, easy-to-use interface with location-based search filters and image-oriented content generated 1.65 billion dollars in 2021, and it's constantly growing every year. Even though you can not impress someone with a Tinder-like interface in a dating app, a swiping tool has become essential and familiar.
Tinder is one of the most popular dating apps on the market today with an estimated 50 million users.
Building a dating app today is not as challenging as it was a few years ago. But to make an app like Tinder, you need to consider some essential factors. Let's take a look at what they are.
Some other Tinder statistics
- The app is available in 190 countries and 40 languages.
- Tinder has made over 30 billion matches since it launched in 2012.
- On average, people spend 35 minutes a day on the app.
- Tinder is most popular with people aged 18-34.
How the Tinder algorithm works
To make an app like Tinder, you need to take into account how your algorithm is going to work. It's one of the most important aspects of any dating app. Even if it looks simple, Tinder's algorithm is not as primitive as you may seem. In fact, there is no detailed information in the open sources about how the algorithms work. However, according to Tinder's official blog, there are a couple of factors in their methodology that influence the matchmaking process. These factors are:
- User's activity in the app. The more time a user spends in the app, the more impressions he gets;
- User's location. The closer - the better;
- Profile's attractiveness. Even though Tinder claims not to use the Elo score - the attractiveness rating given by the algorithm - they are most likely still using a very similar system to rate users based on the level of their profile attractiveness;
- Likes and Dislikes history. Based on the user's actions - likes or dislikes - the system understands what kind of people he is interested in and, consequently, shows similar profiles;
There are only a few factors that influence the matches users get. However, these factors are essential for the app. Depending on your needs and wishes, you can customize your app's algorithm the way you want. However, it will require additional investments, so be prepared to come down with your money.
What are Tinder's features?
Even if the general idea of the most popular dating app seems pretty basic and clear, it's important to dive deep into the details and specifics.
Here are the essentials you want to have in your Tinder-like app:
- Registration options. Facebook, Google, or Apple accounts, email, or a phone number. Depending on the audience you are trying to target, the social media for login may vary. For example, if you are making a Tinder for gamers, you can add a login with Twitch or Discord accounts.
- Location-based search. It helps users find potential matches in their area. The app searches for users in a certain radius of the current location and shows potential matches. To make these features work, you obviously need to get a user's device location.
- User's account. Writing a short bio and adding photos are the basics that you definitely familiar with. But did you know that Tinder has a Smart photo feature? It reorders users' photos and places the one that gets the best reactions in the first place. Thus, the app helps its users to get more matches.
- Swiping feature. The most iconic feature of any dating app. It allows users to like or dislike other profiles by swiping right or left.
- Push notifications. You can use them to notify your users about new matches, messages, and other important events that are happening in the app.
- Messaging system. It should be fast and convenient as any other messenger we use daily. It's important to provide an opportunity to send not only text messages but also photos, videos, gifs, emojis, stickers etc. Tinder allows its users to make video calls, which is very handy and useful before a blind date with a stranger.
As with any other dating app, Tinder offers premium features as well. Access to them depends on the user's subscription plan: Tinder Plus, Tinder Gold, or Tinder Platinum.
Source - Tinder
One of the most interesting features is Messaging before Matching. Basically, a platinum subscriber can attach a note to a Super Like - a Like that can be seen before the match.
Another one is Boost and Super Boost. With this option selected, a profile moves to the top in the area for 30 minutes, therefore increasing its views and potential matches.
One more cool feature that Tinder is charging for is a Passport feature. It allows users to change their current location and search for matches in other cities or countries.
Of course, these are not the only features you can add to your app. I've tried to list the most essential and inspirational ones. Once you have these features in place, you can start thinking about other ways to make your app more engaging.
Now that we have covered all the basics, let's move on to the development process of a dating app like Tinder.
From what to start when you want to create a dating app like Tinder?
1. Come up with an idea and research the market
The first and most important thing you need to do is come up with the idea that stands out from other dating websites. It has to be unique and interesting enough to make users want to use it. If you want to survive in the market and compete with Tinder itself, you have to address your app to the specific niche or community, or cover needs that other dating apps can't offer.
To make an app like Tinder, you don't necessarily have to create a new interface or reinvent the wheel. You can take the existing solutions as an inspiration and create something new and improved. There are many examples of such apps on the market. Bumble is one of them. This app was created by Whitney Wolfe, one of Tinder's co-founders, after she left the company due to sexual harassment allegations. Despite the similar interface, Bumble has a different concept. On this app, only women can initiate conversations. This simple change has made Bumble more attractive to women and, as a result, increased the number of its users.
Another example is Hinge. This app was created for people who are looking for serious relationships instead of casual hookups. The interface and concept are quite similar to Tinder. However, there are some crucial differences. First of all, Hinge requires its users to link their Facebook or Instagram accounts to the app. This way, the app can show not only the user's pictures but also his interests and mutual friends. Secondly, Hinge provides its users with a limited number of potential matches per day. This number is usually around 10-15 people. The app wants its users to think about their choices and not just mindlessly swipe left or right.
Here are some more inspirational examples of Tinder-like dating apps:
- Coffee Meets Bagel. This app was created for people who want to find a soulmate and are ready to invest time and effort in building a relationship. The app sends its users one potential match per day. To see more matches, users have to buy beans (the app's virtual currency).
- OkCupid. This app is one of the oldest dating apps on the market. It has been around since 2004. OkCupid is a great example of how a dating app can evolve over time. The app used to be based on a questionnaire that helped users find matches with similar interests and values. Now, the app uses a different algorithm that takes into account not only the answers to the questionnaire but also the user's activity on the app.
- HER. This app is for queer, bisexual, and lesbian women. The app's concept is similar to Tinder. However, it also has some unique features that make it more attractive to its target audience. For example, users can see not only pictures of potential matches but also their favorite TV shows, movies, and books.
- Ship. This app was created for people who are looking for a serious relationship but don't want to waste time on dating apps. Ship allows its users to invite their friends, parents, or other trusted people to help them find a match.
- Meetme. This app was founded in 2005 and now has 50 million users from the USA alone and 50000 logins every day. The app is created for people who want to find new friends and expand their social circle.
- Meete. Don't confuse it with Meetme! This dating app helps its users find not only new friends but also potential dates. The app is famous for its main feature: men have to pay for each message they send to the girls, and the girls are rewarded for each message they get from men. The app went viral on TikTok when Gen Z young women started sharing their experiences with the app promoting it as a side hustle.
- Adam4Adam. It's not hard to guess what the app is about. Adam4Adam was the first dating website in its niche that has been helping gay and bisexual men to find their dates since 2003. The app has both a website and a mobile version. Being on the dating market for almost 20 years, Adam4Adam became a whole platform with special features like LiveCams, its own SexShop, pornographic movie streaming, an underwear club (sending every month a pair of designer underwear for signed-up users), trip and party announcements, and also health resources.
- Grindr. This app is also targeting the LGBT community. It was created in 2009 and is one of the most popular dating apps for gay men. The app has a very simple interface: users can see only pictures of potential matches and their distance from each other.
- Phrendly. This app is targeted at people who looking for online chatting only. Phrendly allows its female users to earn money by chatting with men and takes a commission for every virtual date that is arranged through the app. Unlike Meete it's not necessary to buy credits to chat, but men can buy a virtual "drink" for a woman they like and want to have a conversation with.
- Happn. This app is perfect for people who want to find their missed opportunities. Happn shows its users the profiles of other users they have crossed paths with in real life. If two users like each other, they can start chatting. The app also has a feature that allows users to see how many times they have crossed paths with a certain person.
In order to create an app that will be successful, you need to suggest coming up with something new and fresh. Research the market, find a gap, and fill it. Only then you'll be able to attract users to your app.
2. Finalise the Concept and features you need
After you've made some research and got ideas, it's time to finalize the list of features you want to see in your future application. If you are building a dating app like Tinder, you already know that you want to make it around a swiping feature.
Apart from all the basic functionality that I've listed previously, you may want to add something special, a feature that helps you to stand out in your niche. You don't need to reinvent the wheel to be able to have a unique offer. It's enough to have a few features that are not available in your competitor's app.
Here are some examples of such features:
- A feature for arranging offline dates. It can be a date organizer or a concierge service that helps users to find the perfect place and make all the arrangements for them. It also can be called a "first-date" suggestion, when the app recommends the idea of where to go for the first date and search the nearby places.
- A "travel" feature that allows users to find matches in other cities or countries. It can be very useful for people who travel a lot or for those who want to find someone to accompany them on their next trip.
- Sent message editing. This function will come in handy for those who want to change something in the message they've already sent. It can be a typo, a wrong emoji, or a simple "wrong chat" mistake.
- Dick pic automatic censorship. Make your female users feel safe by blurring too explicit photos they didn't ask for. You can add it as a setting that can be switched on and off, thus completely controlled by the user.
- Reward system. In case you want to make something similar to Phrendly or Meete and pay women for chatting with men, you need to think about the automated reward system upfront.
If you are making a dating app for a special community, for example, Muslims, LGBT, or anime lovers, you may want to add some additional services or options that might be useful for them.
- For example, in the Muzz dating app for Muslims, users can specify their search preferences by religious filters like "practicing", "usually praying", "eat halal" etc.
- In the HER dating app for lesbians, bisexual and queer women, users can choose from a wide range of sexual orientations like "homosexual", "pansexual", "lesbian", "bisexual" etc.
- On Maiotaku - a dating website for anime lovers - users can create and discuss anything on forums, and also check trading anime and manga.
These are just a few suggestions for possible features you can add to make your app special and loved by users. Of course, it all depends on your niche, target audience, and business goals.
3. Create an attractive design concept and user-friendly interface
You may have a great app idea and feature-rich software, but a challenging interface can ruin everything. Make sure that your design is simple, attractive, and engaging. It's important to make a good first impression on users as they will decide whether to stay or leave within seconds. Your app's interface should be intuitive and user-friendly. Don't let users struggle with labyrinthian navigation or too complex an account setup. People should figure out how the app works without any instructions.
To choose the right design for your app, you can look for inspiration from other presently popular dating apps or websites. However, I don't recommend you blindly steal the whole design pattern if you are planning to make a serious product. As was mentioned above, you want your app to stand out from the ocean of similar solutions. If you have designers on your development team, you can always consult them and ask for suggestions. Once you have an idea of what you want your app to look like, you can start working on the wireframes and then move on to the visual design.
You can save some time and money in the design stage if you use one of the ready-made UI kits for dating apps. They usually come with a set of premade templates that you can customize to fit your needs. The downside of this option is that you may hit the wall when you decide to customize or change something. Not all ready-made scripts and templates are flexible for change. So make sure that you are getting an open-ended solution.
4. Choose a team and start a development process
Whether you are not going to develop the app yourself, you need a reliable and flexible team of experts that can help you to bring your idea to life. Here are some tips that may help you to make the right decision about who you want to hire.
How to choose a development company?
You may ask yourself, why should I hire the entire company instead of one full-stuck developer? Well, the difference between the professional team and one-person-does-it-all is the working approach. If you really want to make an app like Tinder, you better have a team and a working process like Tinder.
Developing a dating app requires a variety of specialists: developers, designers, testers, and product managers. If you don't want to be lost in the process and see clearly the project's progress, you need a company that works based on Agile methodology - a flexible workflow where the whole process from the start to the end is divided into smaller iterations.
What are the other important factors you should take into consideration?
- First of all, on the company's expertise in the field. If you want to make an app like Tinder, look for companies with relevant experience and have already delivered similar projects.
- You may want to check if the company has a good portfolio. When looking at the company's website, take a close look at the projects they have. Make sure they are of high quality and have good reviews.
- Also, ensure that the company you want to work with is easy to communicate with. The development process is a long and complex one and you need to be able to rely on your team. It's essential to make sure that the company you choose is available and responsive when you need them.
If you want don't know where to start, reach out to the SkaDate team. The company has more than 15 years of extensive experience in building dating apps and will be happy to help you create a perfect app.
5. Test & Fix Bugs
Once the app is developed, it needs some time to be tested for bugs and errors. Even if you are very excited to launch your dating app as soon as possible and don't want to wait anymore, this is an important step that can not be skipped. Bugs can ruin the user experience and cause a lot of uninstalls and bad reviews.
If you are working with an Agile team, they should have a dedicated team of testers who will check the app's technical performance on all possible devices and platforms. The testers also cross-check how the app works in different scenarios.
In case you find any bugs, make sure you fix them as soon as possible. You don't want your users to encounter any glitches or problems when using the app.
It's important to note that bugs are impossible to avoid from the start if your project has a lot of customizations and uncommon solutions. At this stage, possess your mind and be patient.
6. Launch Your App
After you have the app ready, it's time to launch it. This is when marketing comes into play. You need to make sure people will find out about your app and want to use it.
There are a few ways to do that. The first one is through PR and media outreach. You can contact relevant publications and bloggers and try to get them to write about your app.
Another way to market your app is through paid user acquisition. This means that you will need to invest in advertising and promote your app through different channels.
Finally, you can also try to get featured on the App Store or Google Play. This will give you a boost in visibility and help you attract more users.
To sum up, if you want to make an app like Tinder in 2023, you need to:
- have a stand-out idea;
- research and finalize the features;
- prepare the design of the app;
- choose the right development team;
- develop your app;
- test and fix bugs;
- launch your app.
How much does it cost to make an app like Tinder?
The development cost of a dating app like Tinder depends on various factors.
The first and most important one is the features you want to implement in your app. Do you want to make a simple app with basic Tinder features or do you want to make a more sophisticated app with all the bells and whistles? Think about what exactly you want to copy and what you want to change. Create a list of must-haves and describe how you expect the app to work. The more specific you are about what you want, the more accurate result you will receive.
The second factor that influences the cost of development is the framework you want to use for building your app. Do you want to make a native app for iOS or Android? Or maybe you want to make a cross-platform app based on the Flutter framework, for example, that will work on both systems?
The third factor is the development team you hire and their experience. The size of the working team depends on the complexity of your project. However, if you are not sure who exactly needs it, it's always safe and in the end cheaper to turn to professionals.
And finally, the fourth factor is the country you hire your developers in. If you hire developers in the US or Western Europe, it will cost more than if you hire developers in Eastern Europe or Asia.
I hope this article was helpful and gave you some insights into how to make an app like Tinder. If you have any questions or need more information, feel free to contact us, and we'll be happy to help.
