The quest for love, connection, and companionship has found a new ally in the form of dating apps. While digital dating apps have revolutionized how we look for love, their significance goes beyond convenience. For queer women seeking meaningful connections, the best lesbian dating apps are safe spaces to explore, connect, and build relationships.
The growing popularity and relevance of lesbian dating apps show that they are powerful tools for connections. As societal acceptance and inclusivity progress, these platforms are empowering tools. With a swipe or a tap, WLW can now access a vast network of potential partners. It helps to expand their chances of meeting like-minded people.
At DoubleList, we understand the importance of having a vibrant and welcoming space for queer women. That’s why we’ve put together this guide to the best lesbian dating apps for you to try.
Get ready to dive into the exciting world of lesbian dating apps, where love may just be a swipe away.
The Landscape of the Best Lesbian Dating Apps
Over the years, the landscape of lesbian dating apps has undergone a remarkable transformation. This reflects the changing needs and preferences of queer women, both on and offline. From niche platforms to mainstream apps, this evolution occurred due to a commitment to inclusivity, safety, and user-friendly experiences.
Inclusivity stands as a cornerstone of the best lesbian dating apps available. These apps recognize the diversity within the queer community. Most have taken strides to ensure that users from all backgrounds feel welcome and represented. Many offer an array of gender and orientation options to ensure everyone can express themselves authentically.
When selecting the best app, safety features also play a crucial role. Online dating poses several risks, from romance scams to catfishes. For LGBTQIA+ apps, these dangers escalate. According to recent research, 69% of LGBT daters have experienced online harassment while dating. In comparison, only 52% of straight singles said the same.
It’s not all doom and gloom, though. The same study found that 65% of lesbian, gay, and bi daters have a positive experience. In comparison, only 56% of straight daters say their experience dating online is positive overall.
When selecting the best apps for lesbians, we considered these factors and more. We also took into account user-friendly interfaces, subscription costs, and more. The good news is that the lesbian dating scene is blooming. There are dozens of sites and apps available, which means finding one to suit your needs is more than possible.
8 Best Lesbian Dating Apps of 2023
Whether you’re seeking romance, companionship, or casual encounters, you can find it online. We have compiled a list of the eight best lesbian dating apps to try. We selected these apps based on their features, reviews, and experience.
It’s almost impossible to crown the official Best Lesbian Dating App 2023. The ‘best’ one depends on the features you require. However, there is something for everyone on this list. No matter what you need, you’ll find what you’re looking for here. Each app offers a unique approach to connecting queer women.
There is a mixture of lesbian dating apps and those that cater to gay and straight relationships alike. Keep reading to discover the perfect dating app for you.
1. Best Lesbian Dating Apps for Meaningful Connections: Hinge
If you’re tired of swiping left and right but never finding something special, try Hinge. This app is all about meaningful conversations and forging deeper connections. Users answer questions to display on their profile and can ‘Like’ the responses from others.
Although open to everyone, Hinge is one of the best lesbian dating apps because it has a large LGBT community. It’s supportive and open, with 50% of Hinge lesbians open to being someone’s first WLW experience.
The app only matches users with friends of friends, adding a layer of trust and authenticity. If you’re seeking more meaningful, genuine connections, it’s worth giving this a shot. Note, however, that there are limited photo-sharing capabilities. Also, it can be tricky to find what people seek before chatting.
Hinge is great at setting the stage for real-life potential. With helpful prompts, it’s easy to get the conversation flowing.
Price: Free; Premium Membership from $34.99
2. Best Lesbian Dating Apps for Girls Only: HER
HER is one of the best women-only dating apps, with over 10 million users worldwide. HER introduces local members of the queer community, providing a lesbian dating app coupled with social media.
Alongside seeking dates, WLW can check out the community feed to join virtual hangouts, find nearby LGBT events, and more.
This app caters to a diverse range of women. It carries the option to add profile features like pronouns, sexuality, and more. You can also specify the kind of relationship you’re looking for in your bio.
Some user experiences are negative, though. A surprising number of straight couples are using this app to look for a third. This can be frustrating for many lesbians seeking a genuine connection.
That said, for others, this is the ideal scenario. Overall, HER makes it into the list of best lesbian dating apps because it caters to such a diverse audience.
Price: Free; Premium Membership from $14.99
3. Best Lesbian Dating App From Reddit: Bumble
Reddit users hold Bumble in high regard. Redditers in r/LesbianActually and r/actuallesbians praise this app for its friendliness. Like Hinge, Bumble is open to all. Its main feature is a women-message-first requirement. Obviously, this is redundant in woman-woman matches, but it’s still a popular option for lesbians.
Another key feature is that users have just 24 hours to respond to messages. This added sense of urgency is ideal for those bored of waiting around. It filters out inactive matches. The conversation options are wide, and users can send GIFs, photos, and voice messages.
In terms of UX, Bumble closely resembles Tinder, but the backtrack feature prevents accidental swipes. It’s a reliable choice for lesbians seeking connections. As one of the best lesbian dating apps on Reddit, you know it’s good.
Overall, Bumble is one of the best lesbian dating apps for women looking for connections of all kinds.
Price: Free; Premium Membership from $3.49 for one day, or Boosts from $1.99
4. Best Free Lesbian Dating Apps: DoubleList
DoubleList stands out as the best free lesbian dating app. It provides a platform for queer women to connect with each other. What sets DoubleList apart is the emphasis on user autonomy and the freedom to search for matches independently.
As a free site, DoubleList allows users to explore and discover potential connections without financial commitments. Users have the opportunity to post personal ads that precisely describe what they are seeking. This enables them to find like-minded queer communities.
With a location-based approach, DoubleList facilitates the discovery of local matches. This makes it much easier for queer women to connect with others in their area. This feature enhances the chances of forming meaningful connections or meeting the hookup of your dreams.
DoubleList is one of the best lesbian dating apps because it’s an inclusive environment where individuals can express their preferences. With a user-driven experience, you can take control of your dating journey and pursue connections that align with your needs.
Whether you’re looking for casual encounters, friendships, or something more serious, DoubleList has the tools you need.
Price: Free; Hookup plan from $10 per month
5. Best Lesbian Dating Apps for Swiping: Zoe
Zoe is a top contender among the best lesbian dating apps. Like Tinder, it has a swiping interface but caters specifically to lesbian, bisexual, and queer women worldwide.
Zoe’s free version contains many essential features, including searching, chatting, and receiving messages. However, the paid version ($15.99 a month) is very much worth it. You can see a list of lesbian women who have “liked” your profile or undo accidental swipes with Second Chance.
With a user-friendly interface and a vibrant community, Zoe is a great app for lesbian, bisexual, and queer women. However, as a newer app, it has a smaller user base than some other communities.
Price: Free; Premium Membership from $15.99
6. Best Lesbian Dating Apps for Hookups: Scissr
Scissr is the go-to option for lesbian hookups. People call it the lesbian Grindr, as it is almost exclusively for no-strings-attached encounters.
Like other dating apps, Scissr lets users create a profile with a short bio and a few pictures. You need to set your preferences and intentions so that the algorithm can match you with compatible partners.
You can choose between a few options, from meeting up for chats to hooking up for casual sex. So, while Scissr has a reputation as a hookup app, there are more things to use it for.
Scissr is free to use and is undoubtedly one of the best lesbian dating apps for casual experiences. However, not everybody has a positive experience depending on what they’re looking for.
Price: Free
7. Best Lesbian Dating Apps for Video Chats: Fem
Do you often find yourself scrolling TikTok for hours? If so, Fem is the dating app for you. This app focuses on videos, which offers a unique approach to dating. It also helps to weed out fake profiles.
Fem is one of the best lesbian dating apps if you’re seeking genuine connections. It’s a community app where you can go beyond one-on-one conversations to enter group chats. Coupled with the video focus, Fem is a fantastic app if you’re looking to meet real people for deep conversations.
Despite the name, Fem is not exclusively for femmes. It welcomes individuals from across the queer spectrum, creating an inclusive space for women to find compatible matches.
And don’t worry if you’re not a video person. You can still use photos on Fem if that’s your preference. Nevertheless, be aware of the visually oriented approach.
Price: Free; Premium Membership from $4.99 per month
8. Best Lesbian Dating Apps for Queer Folks: Lex
Lex stands out as one of the most unique apps. It’s super inclusive, designed for queer, trans, gender non-conforming, two-spirit, and non-binary people. The text-based approach is reminiscent of newspaper personal ads, giving a nod to the queer erotica magazines of the 90s.
The app is for meeting “lovers and friends” in a safe space. The platform has a zero-tolerance policy for any creepy or discriminatory behavior. It works to foster a positive and fun space to meet other people.
With the text-based ads approach, Lex puts personality at the forefront. This encourages meaningful connections that spark conversations. As a fun, inclusive space, Lex goes down as one of the best lesbian dating apps for cool queer communities.
Price: Free
Are You Looking for WLW Love? Try DoubleList!
Among all the best lesbian dating apps, some platforms are open to everyone. DoubleList is one such space catering to all sexual identities and orientations. For lesbians, DoubleList provides an inclusive space to find what you’re looking for.
DoubleList combines the excitement of dating and hookup experiences. The text-based personal ads approach offers space for individuals who want to showcase their personalities.
Advanced search filters allow you to find exactly what you’re looking for. Whether you have preferences regarding age, location, interests, or relationship goals, you can find them on DoubleList.
What are you waiting for? Sign up for DoubleList today!
