How to Build a Successful Dating App- From Ideation to Creation

Let’s explore how to build and create a white label dating app!

In a world where everything has gone online, dating people online is no more an exception. People are so busy that they want an instant solution to know about people even before meeting them. Dating apps have also provided an advanced solution for meeting people online, solving modern-age users’ challenges.

In 2021, more than 49 million people preferred dating services to find their soul mate. Their global accessibility, ease of use, and interactive user interface make dating apps a great portion of the market. The global online dating market has shown remarkable growth and continues to expand at an impressive rate.

Thus, businesses want to make an app like Tinder and monetize it. But with top brands like Tinder, and Bumble leading the market, building a successful dating app and getting enough traction is challenging. 

However, you can unlock new opportunities to excel in the dating app market with the right expertise. Our experts who have built dating apps for brands have highlighted the mantra of a successful dating app that will help your business grow. 

Let’s start with the market need and dating app business proportion.

Dating App Market Landscape- 2024

The dating app market is huge and beyond expectations. Here are some key stats of the dating app market that every business should consider.

• Over 300 million people use dating apps worldwide.
• About 20 million pay for premium features
• Tinder was the most downloaded app in 2023, followed by Bumble
• Online dating is popular. About 30% of U.S. adults use dating apps, and over 40% find them helpful.
• Online Dating Industry To Have 452 Million+ Users by 2028
• iOS generates 80% of mobile revenue in the dating app industry. 
• 45% of people say dating apps are the best way to meet dates, while 33% prefer meeting through friends and 32% through events like concerts.
• Tinder has millions of daily users, spending 10-20 minutes per day, with Bumble and Badoo also seeing high daily use.

These numbers are amazing and have shown the rising popularity of dating apps among GenZ users. Thus businesses want to create a dating app like Tinder.

Top Dating Apps Leading the Market with Revenue 2024

Reasons to Build Your Own Dating App?

But what are the reasons that are driving the buzz around dating apps?

Dating apps are in high demand, and building one will help you cater to a large user base. Launching dating apps for iOS and Android devices will target a huge sector globally.

Here are some reasons that you should start your dating app today.

• The increasing use of smartphones and advanced technologies like AI/ML for better user experience in finding the right partner.
• Online dating is now common and accepted. More people of different ages and backgrounds are using it. Businesses are now launching LGBT dating apps, making it a new norm.
• The need for personalized dating experiences, catering to specialized demand.
• Enhanced security measures to keep your identity safe, such as verification and background checks build user trust.
• User-friendly designs make dating apps accessible to everyone at their fingertips.

These reasons are enough for any business to start its own dating app and cater to unique dating needs.

Top Features of a Successful Dating App

The mantra of a successful dating app lies in understanding your target audience and integrating features that provide them with an exceptional dating experience. 

Take a close look at the list of features that you must integrate. But, remember the more features you add, the more will be the dating app development cost. So choose the features wisely.

1.  Simple sign in

Making users fill out a long form to sign up can be annoying and time-consuming. Instead, offer a simple sign-up with social login options like Facebook, Google, or a verified phone number. Also, give new users a quick guide to your app’s main features. This makes their first experience easier and more enjoyable, helping you keep them engaged.

2. User profile and Seamless Settings

A complete user profile needs more than just a short bio from social media. To match users accurately, they should be able to add details about their dating preferences, hobbies, lifestyle, and values. So, let users provide this information when they create their profile. Profile pictures are also crucial for online dating. Allow users to upload photos from their devices or pick pictures from Instagram. Connecting your app with Spotify lets users share their music tastes, helping them find people with similar interests.

This feature lets users adjust their settings and preferences. It usually includes options to upgrade their subscription, manage data usage, and control notifications and payments. Users should also be able to change discovery settings like age, gender, and distance.

3. Match-making Algorithm

No match means no date. Users need to match before they can chat and decide if they want to meet in person.

There are many ways to match users, like by location or shared interests. The right matching algorithm is crucial, as it will help you target the right partner as per your interests. 

Your development team will help you create a good matching algorithm, but it’s important to understand the options available.

• Mathematical Algorithms- These match people based on mutual interests, values, and preferences.
• Behaviour-Based Matching- This uses Big Data and AI to analyze user behavior and activity on social networks and other apps.
• Geo-location-Based Rules- Many dating apps use geolocation to connect people who are nearby. People generally prefer to meet others who are close to them. So, let your users choose a city, region, or distance range to find matches in their preferred area.

4. Swiping features

In digital dating, swiping is a popular way to show interest or lack of interest. If a user swipes left, it means “no,” and if swipes right, it means “yes” to a potential date. If both people swipe right, the app matches them and lets them start chatting.

5. In-app chat and messaging

Chat is a key feature of a dating app. It lets matched users communicate and get to know each other better. In-app chat allows users to send text messages, stickers, videos, and other content. More ways to chat will help keep users engaged and express their intentions.

You can either create an in-app chat feature from scratch or you can integrate a chat app via API integration. Apart from chatting, you can also integrate a video calling option to give your relationship a next step.

6. Voice and Video calling

Video calling is becoming more popular because users want to feel closer and more comfortable before meeting in person. Seeing each other’s faces and hearing voices adds a personal touch, making conversations deeper and more meaningful than just texting.

7. Push Notifications

Make sure to add push notifications to your app. This will remind users to come back when they get a message from a match. For example, Bumble uses push notifications to alert users when someone shows interest in their profile, matches with them, or sends a message. We also have more examples and features that can boost user engagement in dating apps.

8. Admin Panel

The Admin panel stores and analyzes all user data and helps with marketing. It holds important information about users and lets admins remove those with inappropriate behavior to keep the app safe. Admins can also manage subscription packages, offers, discounts, and special deals. They review user feedback and use it to improve the app. You can add analytics dashboards to track user behavior and make better business and marketing decisions.

9. Security

One key step for a dating app’s security is using strong authentication and authorization methods. To protect privacy, manage sessions, handle identities, and secure devices, you need a solid authentication process. Multi-factor authentication is essential—don’t rely only on usernames and passwords.

10. Social Media Integration

Besides letting users sign up with social media, this integration can help them connect with people nearby. Many dating apps let users see friends of their social media connections, making dating safer since there’s a mutual friend involved.

Social media integration can also help users avoid past relationships. It allows users to filter out people they don’t want to see, like exes, colleagues, or relatives. Users can even block them using their phone numbers.

Make sure you choose the features wisely before you start developing a dating app. Now, let’s get you started with simple steps to build your own dating app in simple steps.

8 Simple Steps to Build Your Dating App in 2024

Now that you have decided what features you want for your app, you can start developing one. 

Step 1: Assess Market and Target Audience

You must start with understanding your target audience, and what type of dating app you want to develop. It requires assessing the market trends and potential competitors to stand out. As you can build different types of dating apps, understanding the audience will help you choose your niche and create a dating experience that suits the modern-age needs.

Step 2: Analyze Market Competition

Before launching your app, research the market. Many dating apps exist, some are very successful, and others have found specific niches. Study your competitors to see how you can stand out and benefit from their strategies.

Step 3: Choose the Right Development Team

Hire an expert mobile and web app development company to start your dating app. Look at the team’s experience and past work in dating app development. Check their portfolio, read reviews, and ask for references. Also check, if the dedicated company has the right skills and expertise to help you build your dream dating app.

You can either outsource or use an in-house dating app development team based on your budget and the skills required.

Step 4: Choose Features

We have already highlighted the crucial features of an amazing dating app. The choice of your features will affect the overall user experience.

You can consult a dating app development company to understand your need for basic features you must have as per your requirements. They will help you focus on necessary features that fit your type, goals, target audience, and budget.

Step 5: Define Your Dating App Tech Stack

When building your app, choose a tech stack that ensures high performance. Below is the tech stack to build an exceptional dating app.

Here is the technology stack for dating apps-

Step 6: Focus on an Intuitive UI/UX

Make sure your app looks and feels great. Good UI/UX design helps keep users engaged. Focus on smooth navigation, consistent fonts and colors, and seamless transitions.

Step 7: Test, Refine, and Launch

To make your dating app successful, follow these steps:

First, test your app thoroughly to find and fix any bugs or issues. Do both alpha and beta tests with different users to get feedback and make improvements. Once the app is polished, plan a strong launch. This should include marketing to build awareness, working with influencers, and creating a catchy website to encourage downloads. A careful approach to testing, refining, and launching will help your app succeed and provide a great platform for users.

Step 8: Post-Launch Maintenance

Your job is not finished with launching your dating app. To make it stand out and a step ahead of trends, it requires consistent support and maintenance. It is necessary to deliver a top-notch dating experience with changing user’s needs. From adding new features to fixing bugs, functionality issues, updates, or upgrades, it covers everything.

Cost of Developing A Dating App

Developing a mobile dating app is complex and involves many factors that affect the final cost. Key factors that influence the cost include:

• Design Complexity: How intricate the app’s design is.
• Functionality: The features and functions you want.
• Feature Set: The number and type of features included.
• User Base: The number of users you expect after launch.

We suggest setting aside 10% of the development cost for unexpected issues.

Designing a dating app usually takes about 1960 hours. Depending on where you outsource and the team’s skill level, hourly rates range from $30 to $100. So, a basic dating app development cost ranges between $40,800 and $200,000.

On average, the time to develop a dating app is as follows.

If you want to launch your dating app faster and at the right time, then a white-label dating app solution is your way.

Build A Dating App in Just $5K- The White-Label Solution

Yes, you heard it right. We can help you build your dream dating app in just 5K USD.

Choosing white-label dating app solutions rather than developing from scratch will save significant development costs and time. Instead, you get a ready-to-launch, high-quality app tailored to your brand. Focus on what truly matters – building a thriving community of engaged users.

Ready to transform your dating app vision into reality? Contact our experts.

Why Choose OnGraph for a dating app clone?

• AI-Powered
• Zero development cost
• Ready to launch
• Source code ownership
• Post-deployment support
• Fully signed NDA

Discover Our Unique AI Features – That NO other can offer 

• AI Companion: An AI companion integrated with the app to offer the users a unique experience chatting with human-like AI companions customized as per individual needs.
• AI Matchmaking: The app helps users match and shortlist interests based on their preferences, activities, and conversational history with the chatbot.
• Native Language: The App offers AI chatbots in the user’s native language or choice of language such as US English, British English, French, Spanish, or even Hindi for Hindi-speaking users.

Get the conversion started with the OnGraph white-label dating app.

FAQs

1. What is a dating app?

A dating app is a solution or platform that lets people connect and meet their soul mates online. In this growing online era, finding partners online has become a trend.

2. How much time will it take to develop a dating app?

Developing a dating app from scratch will take time between 3 to 6 months. The timeline depends on factors like-

• App’s complexity and features
• Developer’s location and skill
• Tech stack

But with a white-label dating app solution, you can launch your dating app in just a few hours.

3. What is the cost of developing a dating app?

If you want to develop a dating app from scratch, then it might cost between $48,800 to $200,000. But, you can save significant development costs by choosing a white-label dating app solution.

4. Benefits of developing a dating app?

• Revenue potential
• Growing market
• Custom features
• User Engagement

5. What are the benefits of white-label dating app solutions?

• Zero development cost
• Ready to launch
• Source code ownership
• Post-deployment support
• Fully signed NDA
• Instant brand visbility

6. Do you offer post-launch support?

Yes, we support one month of free post-launch support. You can connect with our experts to understand what our support includes.