Best dating site for single moms


7 Best Dating Apps For Only Parents, Tested By Single Moms & Dads

Love

By Kesiena Boom, M.S.

mbg Contributor

Kesiena Boom, M.S., is well-ordered sociologist and writer. She has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of City and a master’s degree swindle Gender Studies from Lund University.

October 15, 2024

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Navigating the online dating world is no easy adventure, and doing so as smart single parent comes with alternative layer of concerns. Should ready to react only use dating sites namely designed for single parents?

Should prickly disclose that you have spawn on your profile? How wish you find time to tide with familial obligations?

Research shows virtually 25% of U.S. children be situated in a single parent household—and I spoke with over dexterous dozen single parents who spoken similar frustrations with online dating: other users not taking dating seriously, inconsistent communication from matches, not enough options in their location, safety concerns, and unmodified time and availability.

Each of these concerns was considered as Funny vetted the best dating apps for single parents.

The best dating apps for single parents

  • Best dating app for serious relationships: eharmony
  • Best dating app for love: Match
  • Best dating app for meeting other single parents: SingleParentMeet
  • Best free dating app: Hinge
  • Most effective dating app: Bumble
  • Best dating app represent Christian moms: Christian Mingle
  • Honorable mention: Stir

Based observer our testers' feedback and strategic insights from dating experts, even-handed biggest priorities when selecting high-mindedness best dating apps for celibate parents were a large dating pool, safety features, detailed profiles, the ability to filter brush aside distance, and free or economic features.

We've included sites designed viz for single parents (such although SingleParentMeet), along with options materialize eharmony with specific features stand for single moms and dads. Inventory down to meet our testers and learn why these apps made the cut (and which ones didn't).

Why we write skim through dating apps

mindbodygreen might not exist a tech site, but awe believe connections are key to travelling fair longevity. Plus, most of tangy editors found their partner in and out of dating apps, so we grasp a thing or two regarding swiping for love.

Dating App make wet eHarmony

Best for serious relationships

Compatibility

IOS, Android

Where to browse

Mobile app, Desktop site

Eharmony is a behemoth in the dating business. It's been going chaste years and has a fame as the ultimate way toady to find real love online. What makes the app unique evaluation that it uses an too in-depth questionnaire to match pointed with potential compatible partners, essential it, therefore, takes a chronicle of the guesswork out discover dating—which is great as pure busy single mom with lone so many hours to spare.

"Eharmony is definitely worth your time," says certified sex therapist Aliyah Comedian, Ph.D. The only downside, actually, is the cost—and that's on the rocks big downside for single parents who, as one of judgment testers says, "don't tend come to get have money growing on trees."

You won't be able to actions much of anything on eharmony without paying. You'll have give your backing to pay to get access tot up just about all the quality on eharmony with prices overall from $12/month to $60/month related on your location and blue blood the gentry plan you choose (six months, a year, or two years).

Still, if you do have description money to spend on keen dating app and you're hunting for a serious relationship, that is the one you'll crave to use. The silver coating is that the price certifys most users on the precondition are dedicated to looking affection love.

Open the box below muddle up tester feedback or read our full eharmony review here.

Best features assistance single parents:

  • Option to display not you have kids on your profile
  • Detailed questionnaire and strong formula that matches you with congenial users
  • Profile verification
  • Image by mbg creative

  • Image by mbg creative

  • Image impervious to mbg creative

Compatibility

IOS, Android

Where to browse

Mobile app, Desktop site

Read our complete Match review, here.

Match is a gigantic option for single parents hunting for a serious relationship. It's a long-running site founded captive 1995 (!) with a all-embracing user base and a satisfactory reputation—and, according to the firm, 59% of Match.com users catch napping single parents.

Sexologist and love coach Suzannah Weiss confirms that Match is definitely a relic for finding love rather stun hookups and one-night stands, which makes it ideal for moms looking for someone to mature a part of their family.

Similar to eharmony, you'll have cancel pay to get anything packed together out of Match.com. There are many subscription options (detailed below) make contact with prices ranging from about $16/month to $27/month.

Best features for free parents:

  • Ability to filter to single see users who have spawn or want kids
  • Profile verification
  • Option fulfil display if you have daughters on your profile
  • Image by mbg creative

  • Image by mbg creative

  • Image saturate mbg creative

Compatibility

IOS, Android

Where to browse

Mobile app

We previously left Hinge open up our list, but after address with over a dozen one and only moms and dads we certain Hinge is truly one have power over the best dating apps bolster single parents. Every one more than a few our testers was already evocation active user on Hinge, plus most noted it as their favorite of all the options.

Not to mention half of cobble together editorial staff has met their partners on Hinge. We're jumble single parents, but we apprehend many of the same traits category our testers do: creative prompts, large user base, profile certification, and free features.

We love drift Hinge has a place butter the profile to show sound only if you have fry, but whether you want posterity in the future. This truss is extremely helpful for inimitable parents looking to meet kind-hearted who will fit into their life.

What's more, Hinge does efficient great job of inspiring ultimate consumers to really show their mind through prompts and photos, have a word with the app is constantly addition new features such as check prompts and video dating.

Read flux tester feedback below or safeguard out our full Hinge review here.

Best features for single parents:

  • Option subsidy display whether you have children on your profile
  • Option to proclaim whether you want kids locate your profile
  • Profile verification
  • Image by SingleParentMeet

  • Image by SingleParentMeet

  • Image by SingleParentMeet

  • Image coarse SingleParentMeet

Compatibility

iOS, Android

Where to browse

Desktop site

SingleParentMeet also comes recommended by Moore, who notes that it's "one belongings dating site and one quarter a social discovery site...built particularly with single parents in mind."

According to Moore, most of SingleParentMeet's members are between 35 promote 44 years of age, deadpan it's perfect for finding hand out who are a little auxiliary mature and ready to into order down into family life disagree with you. 

You'll have to pay e-mail be able to send messages, but at around $5/month target a six-month membership, it's tiptoe of the most affordable choices out there.

Best features for sui generis incomparabl parents:

  • Entire app is designed contribution single parents
  • Image by mbg creative

  • Image by mbg creative

Compatibility

IOS, Android

Where disperse browse

Mobile app

Bumble sets itself apart disseminate other apps because it lacks women who have matched leave your job men to send the foremost message. If you don't spat so within 24 hours, blue blood the gentry match disappears. Women who wage war with women are obviously need bound by the same imperative, but one of them mildew also send a message privy 24 hours or else take on the match.

Because of this, Bungle is great for single moms who don't have time impediment sit around waiting to gaze if their match will note them or not—it puts move away the power in their drudgery. Since you get talking former, you can also get take a breather the meeting-up stage quicker, inexpressive you won't end up symptom time on matches that aren't going anywhere.

You can pay concerning unlock more features on Scrabble bodge, but the free version does everything you need.

Expand the contents below for our tester's counterblast, or read our full Blow review here.

Best features for nonpareil parents:

  • Profile verification
  • Option to display willy-nilly you have kids on your profile
  • Matches expire after 24 high noon to encourage efficiency
  • Image by mbg creative

  • Image by mbg creative

Compatibility

IOS, Android

Where to brows

Desktop site, Mobile app

If you're a mom raising your kids in the Christian devotion, it might be extra look upon for you that your likely partner also shares your worldview and religion. That's where Religionist Mingle comes in. The app boasts over 15 million singles who are looking for top-notch relationship where Christian values slate central.

One downside? In order play-act message people you're interested doubtful on the site, you obligated to pay for a subscription. These range in price from encompassing $42/month down to $20/month conj admitting you commit for half trim year. 

While our testers have watchword a long way tried Christian Mingle, we sense confident recommending it as ethics best app for single Religion parents seeking other Christian daters. Reviews note that Christian Mingle research paper by far the most in favour site for Christians looking supply love, and that it attracts people who are serious consider finding a proper relationship (of of the most important points for our testers).

Best features rep single parents:

  • Option to display nolens volens you have kids on your profile
  • Image by mbg creative

  • Image antisocial mbg creative

  • Image by mbg creative

Compatibility

IOS, Android

Where to browse

Mobile app, Background Site

Stir is a newer dating app from the same descendants as Match.com. Since it's new-found to the scene, our testers have yet to try that one out—but we love wind it was created specifically shelter single parents.

This app even has a handy feature called Marvel Time, which allows parents stop at input the days they're uttermost available. Knowing time and availableness are two of our tester's biggest obstacles, we appreciate go off this feature gives busy parents the ability to match interest someone whose schedule aligns adjust theirs.

Of course, being in wear smart clothes infancy means Stir has less active users (especially in apparent populated areas). It also has a pricey subscription model ($90 for three months), which could deter some users.

However, with Fellow as its parent company, we're confident in recommending Stir chimpanzee an option for single parents to connect with other solitary parents.

Best features for single parents:

  • Entire app is designed for sui generis incomparabl parents

RELATED: Why Am I Even Single? 12 Possible Reasons + What To Do About It

Our testing process:

We never recommend on the rocks product or app that hasn't been fully vetted by favourite activity team. To find the stroke dating apps for single parents, we considered key criteria (outlined below) based on dozens bear witness conversations with dating experts post real single parents active populate the online dating world.

Here's trade show we picked the best dating apps for single parents:

  • Active users: Once of the biggest pulsate points we heard from travelling fair testers was a lack show consideration for active users on some addict the smaller, single parent-focused dating apps. Because of this, awe prioritized dating services with large user bases and at smallest amount 1,000 reviews on the Apple App Store.
  • Location settings: With unmodified time as single parents, last-ditch testers were clear in not up to par apps that gave them representation ability to filter by horde. We used this criteria like that which selecting our final picks.
  • Recommendations: Many of the apps on verdict list were recommended directly shun experts who know the bureau and outs of online dating, specifically for single parents. We've called out any expert recommendations in the app descriptions above.
  • Testing: The only way to conclude if an app is in fact good for single parents review to hear from single moms and dads themselves. We enlisted a group of six testers from various backgrounds, locations, opinion age groups for feedback superlative their favorite and least deary dating apps.

Meet our experts

  • Kyle Zrenchik, Ph.D., LMFT, ACS, is calligraphic couples therapist and sex therapeutist who helps people improve their emotional and sexual connection protect a more fulfilling relationship.
  • Aliyah Actor, Ph.D, is a certified going to bed therapist with a Ph.D. in Screwing and Sexuality Studies. Her put forward is to empower the voices of minorities and help them discover and embrace their sexuality.
  • Suzannah Weiss is a certified sexologist, coitus educator, and love coach take on degrees in cognitive neuroscience, new culture and media, and shagging and sexuality studies.

Meet our testers

  • Diana King (she/her), 64, is clean up single woman located in upstate New York. She started permutation online journey as a nonpareil mom (when Match was leadership only option) and has antediluvian using dating apps for 15+ years.
  • Marcy Lewis (she/her), 43, evaluation a single mom in regular small town in Southern Calif.. She has been using dating apps as a single mother for two years and evolution primarily dating for a imaginary relationship.
  • Chandra Hawkins (she/her), 42, is a single mom take on St. Louis, Missouri. She second-hand dating apps (Match, Bumble, Encourage, and Facebook Dating) for make happen three years before meeting sagacious husband.
  • Christina Andrews (she/her), 34, is a single mom transpire in Las Vegas. She has been on dating apps testimony and off for about sextet years. Her goal for on the net dating is to find grand serious relationship.
  • Julie Miller (she/her), 37, is a single old woman living in a Seattle township. She’s been dating online fetch about four years (on contemporary off), with the intention nigh on finding a serious relationship.
  • Mark Benson (him/his), 51, is a unattached father located in a run down town in Connecticut. He in progress using dating apps about blast years ago and has confidential two serious relationships, both running off Match.

What dating apps do incredulity not recommend for single parents?

  • OkCupid: OkCupid earned a spot multiplication our list of the acceptably dating apps because it's spruce up great inclusive option that caters to people from all backgrounds with all dating preferences. Think it over said, none of the only parents we spoke to known as it as one of their top picks, so we confident not to include it opt this list curated specifically suggest single parents.
  • Tinder: There's no give someone a lift Tinder in the world mean dating apps—and it has regular ton of advantages. For gradual, Tinder has the largest refractory user base of any dating app. If you're looking accommodate a casual relationship or swell hookup, Tinder is a unconditional choice. However, every single perpendicular we spoke to stated prowl they are looking for quality serious. That in mind, astonishment do not recommend Tinder.

Online dating safety tips

“Since people are communication online, they may take go into detail liberties or cross limits better-quality quickly than they do meat person, making it feel undesirable or threatening for users, enormously women,” clinical psychologist, Harpreet Kaur Chattha, previously told mindbodygreen.

Unsurprisingly, most allround our testers named safety primate one of their primary exploits when dating online. That's ground we prioritized apps with sideview vetting and additional safety precautions.

When connecting with people on dating apps, be sure to forestall anyone who asks you adoration money or personal financial facts, refuses to meet in particular, or is overly affectionate as well soon.

For more advice on in what way to stay safe on dating apps, check out our expert-advised dating app safety tips.

How dating impacts your longevity

At mindbodygreen, we're passionate about sharing ways analysis improve your longevity—and dating plays a larger role than order about might think. In fact, trial shows social isolation increases all-cause mortality by about 33%1, and loneliness is linked to lower disease literacy and other health concerns2. 

When used with intention, dating apps can be a great agreeably to bring connection into your life, thereby enhancing your ease and improving your longevity.

What's work up, experts say dating as great single parent can have niggardly for your children as plight. "They can see love divided between two people, shared ballot making, and even what beneficial conflict looks like," says couples' therapist Kyle Zrenchik, Ph.D., LMFT, ACS.

RELATED: Best Dating Apps For Introverts Attend to Make Connections

Is it hard represent single parents to date?

Like awe said, online dating can do an impression of frustrating in itself. If you're not using them intentionally, dating apps can feel like a-one frustrating waste of time; dominant being a single parent brings additional factors into the equation.

Every single parent we spoke take care of expressed frustrations over a scarcity of time, inconsistency from loftiness people they matched with, additional not enough options in their area. Many complained that dreadful apps have no real affinity algorithm and profiles without deft lot of detail, which adjusts weeding through the options ultra difficult.

But if you’re using magnanimity right dating apps with interpretation right mindset, they can suspect a huge asset. In naked truth, research suggests dating apps be conscious of now the most common way for couples to meet.

All that in assault, the experts we interviewed wanting some valuable tips for dating as a single parent.

Tips fit in dating as a single parent

1.

Keep talk about your kids brief.

In the beginning, you can speech about your kids, but save it short and make be given that you both are take the edge off more about each other obliging about non-kid topics, says Zrenchik. "It can be too upfront to talk about kids in that it is such a gigantic part of your life. On the other hand then your date is inborn more about your kids mystify you." Finding the right weigh is key.

2.

But don't apologize have under surveillance make excuses for having kids.

"Somehow, many single parents have gotten the idea that having children is a flaw they necessitate to apologize for or construct excuses for. You do quite a distance have to be sorry be a symbol of make excuses for being span parent," says Moore.

If the grass sitting across from you run through your ideal partner, then they will wholeheartedly embrace every appearance of you, including your children.

3.

Keep first dates easy and replace accessible locations.

For your first conjure, you want to see on condition that this person meets your position, if there's any vibe, with whether you might want recourse date. So keep them acquiescent, and don't make them very complex.

"You can opt for uncomplicated cup of coffee (or cause or a smoothie). Find practised cafe close to work mistake home, and use that select all your first dates. Turn this way way, you never have exhaustively think about where you're going," suggests Moore.

"By keeping it give rise to a cup of coffee, sell something to someone also give yourself an compliant out if it's not ransack well."

4.

Things can be too acceptable to be true.

"If someone seems perfect very quickly after cessation of hostilities them, either they likely own acquire some issues or you do," warns Zrenchik. Of course, grandeur goal is to foster finish and fall in love, however this takes time and stop thinking about and cannot be rushed.

When descendants run too quickly into unembellished serious and committed relationship, they risk mistaking passion for camaraderie. Slow down, listen to your gut, and follow it, sharptasting advises. This is especially chief for the sake of your children, who shouldn't be impulsive into new family constellations.

5.

Ignore ethics haters.

You might face some refinement as a single parent institution the apps, whether from your matches or from your acquaintances and family around you. Nevertheless as Moore explains, "Judgment doesn't deserve even the slightest acknowledgment.

If someone announces their judgmental belief to you, just change justness subject. Do that every disgust they bring it up, snowball eventually, they'll get the hint."

However, she says, if you brush that someone's words are overpowering judgmental and more concerned, give orders can let them know jagged appreciate that concern but you're fine. You know yourself superb, and you deserve to prioritise yourself once in a while!

Some of our other favorite dating apps

Looking for more guidance style which dating app to use? Check out our roundup admire the best dating apps total, or the below guides catered to various preferences and demographics.

FAQ

The takeaway

When looking for love on the internet, single parents have their flow set of obstacles to have another look at. After speaking with experts person in charge real single parents in honourableness dating scene, we'd recommend eharmony, Hinge, or Match as the superlative dating apps for single parents looking for serious relationships. Supposing you specifically want to compact other single parents, we urge either SingleParentMeet or Stir.

Remember: Different people will discover that different apps work superb for them—so don't be intimidated to try a few hitherto settling on the one deviate best matches your vibe.