CivicScience took a look at a quartet of popular dating apps – Tinder, Bumble, Match.com and eHarmony – to gauge how singles are navigating the dating world.

And when it comes to overall usage, there’s not much difference at the top in how many people have used, or intend to use, three of the sites. Tinder leads the pack with 17% of U.S. adults saying they’ve used or intend to use the app, with Bumble and Match.com close behind at 15%. eHarmony brings up the rear with only 10% giving it a whirl.

Youth Rules Tinder

One major reason Tinder is tops overall is simply due to the age of its users. Over half of Gen Z said they’ve tried, or intend to try, Tinder. That’s 60% more than Millennials. And Millennials? They use it or intend to use it 416% more than anyone 35 or over.

Match.com and eHarmony – both sites that have been around for a while and are also geared toward monogamy and marriage – see much less difference across age groups.

What We Know About Dating App Users

The biggest difference among genders happens on Tinder, where men outnumber women by a 38% margin. Bumble sees slightly more men using or intending to use the site, and Match.com and eHarmony both have nearly even numbers of male and female users and intenders.

Nearly a third of Americans who don’t identify as heterosexual have tried, or plan to try, Tinder. This is significantly higher than the other apps which see nearly even amounts of non-heterosexual users.

Going Steady

Of course, for many people, the whole point of online dating is, you know, dating. And all the dating sites or apps do a pretty good job getting people together. 

In fact, 61% of people who met their boyfriend or girlfriend on a dating app or website were Match.com users. The numbers drop to 41% for Tinder, and even lower for Bumble and eHarmony.

Clearly, online dating is a very popular way to meet someone in the 21st century, and when it comes to longer-term relationships, Match.com is the big leader. Tinder and Bumble would be wise to consider ways to draw in older customers, and eHarmony appears to be lagging behind in most metrics. One area all these sites – and others – should clearly be going after is the LGBTQ+ community.