Dating in your 30s will be awesome, they said. You have so much excitement to look forward to, they said. If our sarcasm isn’t oozing out of the screen right now, you may want to make sure your phone is working properly.
Okay, okay—we’re kidding, partly. Dating in your 30s may not be as amazing as some people might portray it, but it’s certainly not that bad. And if you know how to navigate the waters of where to meet people and what to expect, it can actually be quite enjoyable!
Dating sites for thirty somethings
In this guide, we’re going to do a few things. First, we’re going to share our picks for the best dating apps for your 30s. Spoiler alert—online dating is going to be a huge part of dating after 30. Second, we’re going to share some insight, tips, and resources to help you get the most out of this awesome decade in your life.
The Best Dating Apps for 30 Year Olds
| Rank | Site | Free Trial Link | |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | eHarmony | Free Trial | |
| #2 | Higher Bond | Free Trial | |
| #3 | Elite Singles | Free Trial | |
| #4 | Zoosk | Free Trial | |
| #5 | Christian Mingle | Free Trial | |
| #6 | The League | Free Trial |
1. eHarmony – Best for Relationships and Marriages
We can just hear the moms in the background asking, “When are you going to settle down?” “When are you going to get me some grandkids?” And even if that’s not the case, a lot of people decide in their 30s that they’d like to settle down with someone.
If that’s you, the dating app best suited to help you get there is eHarmony. The app is 100% focused on long-term relationships, committed dating, and marriages. In fact, over 2 million people to date have found love through the platform.
If finding that special someone or at least taking the next step in that direction is on your agenda, eHarmony is the best dating app for you in your 30s.
> Start a Free Trial Account Now!
2. Higher Bond – Best for Single Christians After 30
For some singles in their 30s, their faith is an important piece of the dating puzzle. If that’s you and you’re a Christian single, you’re really going to like one of the newest dating apps out there—Higher Bond.
Officially launched in August of 2022, the dating site really hones in on the things that are important to faith-focused singles. With an in-depth matching questionnaire, a batch-style matching process (to protect your time), and an incredibly high focus on quality members—it’s a must try.
Oh, and did we mention you’ll get three months for free just for signing up right now? You have got to check it out.
> Start a Free Trial Account Now!
3. Elite Singles – Best for Professionals and Career Focused Singles
For a lot of people in their 30s, they’re just hitting their stride with their career. Maybe you’ve moved up the corporate ladder, made some great strides toward your passion, or have solidified your spot as a mover and a shaker?
If that sounds like you or you’re interested in singles that fit that description, Elite Singles is ideal for you. This option makes our list of the best dating apps for 30 somethings for a lot of reason.
First, almost 90% of the user base is over the age of 30 (with most within their 30s). Second, the app is 100% targeted at people who are driven, focused, and masters of their craft.
And lastly, the site has a great track record of helping people dating after 30 find what they’re looking for. It’s a must check out.
> Start a Free Trial Account Now!
4. Zoosk – Best for 30 Somethings Looking for Casual or Serious Dating
Just because you’re in your 30s doesn’t mean you have to settle down. Sure, you may get pressure from friends and family, but so what? For this reason, we wanted to include a dating app that was not 100% casual, but also not 100% serious.
Enter Zoosk. The dating app has over 35 million users, comes with a very affordable price tag for premium, and offers the chance to connect with other 30 somethings who may be looking for casual, serious, or somewhere in the middle.
If you know you want casual or you’re not sure what you want, Zoosk is the right pick for you.
> Start a Free Trial Account Now!
5. Christian Mingle – Best for Singles That Share Your Religious Beliefs
For a lot of people, finding a mate revolves around their belief. And while this isn’t really any different from when you were in your 20s, it may be something a little higher up on the importance totem pole. This is especially true if you’re a Christian single in their 30s looking to settle down.
If that’s you, Christian Mingle is here to help. The dating app has been around for decades, boasts an impressive membership base of 15 million+, and is chalked full of singles in their 30s.
> Start a Free Trial Account Now!
6. The League – Best for Exclusive Dating and High Quality
Some people aren’t just hitting their stride at this age, they’ve gone to the moon and back. For the 30 year olds in this category, you might be looking to connect with other people that are #crushingit.
This is where The League dating app comes in. The app requires you to get on a waitlist, requires you to get voted in, and then comes with a slightly higher price tag. All of these things may seem like annoyances, but they do one thing—preserve the high caliber of singles on the app.
If you’re looking for the best of the best and the success Kings and Queens, check out The League. At the very minimum, why not at least get on the waitlist and decide later if it’s for you?
> Start a Free Trial Account Now!
Table of Contents
- Why We Love These Apps for Singles in Their 30s
- Is Dating Harder in Your 30s?
- Can You still Find Love in Your 30s?
- Pros and Cons of Dating in Your 30s
- Pros and Cons of Dating Online in Your 30s
- Should 30-Somethings Date Younger People?
- How Do Singles Meet in Their 30s?
- Is Online Dating Safe for Singles in Their 30s?
Why We Love These Apps for Singles in Their 30s
Not every dating app is ideal for singles in their 30s (we’re looking at you Tinder). In order to make our list, these apps need to meet certain criteria. There’s nothing wrong with apps that aren’t on this list, but when you’re dating after 30, you generally know what you want and don’t want to waste any time.
Here are a few reasons we think these are the best dating apps for 30s.
- Plenty of singles in the age bracket – There’s a reason you don’t see sites like SilverSingles or Tinder on this list. It’s because from our experience, the predominate userbase and target user is a different era. All of these apps have tons of singles in their 30s ready to meet and mingle.
- Slightly stronger focus on serious – As we mentioned, there’s nothing wrong with still wanting to keep it casual when you’re dating after 30. However, what we’ve found is that the larger majority of singles want more at this age. For that reason, these sites and apps are more targeted towards serious relationships.
- Safety and security – While this is important at any age, we tend to think the importance of your safety and security increase as you get older. You have more to protect, more to lose, and may be a bigger target to the unsavory. Because of this, we only select sites that pass our rigorous safety evaluations.
- Fun factor – For some terrible reason, people tend to think that dating after 30 has to be boring, dry, and no fun. Wrong. We make sure that we only recommend sites and apps that understand this. If the process of finding someone special feels like work, something is wrong.
Is Dating Harder in Your 30s?
Dating in your 30s is as easy (or as hard) as you make it. A lot of this depends on what your goals are and how you choose to get there. For example, if you’ve decided you want something serious but you continue your casual dating ways of your 20s, it’s going to feel impossible. On that same token, if you completely flip the switch to serious and strip out all the fun, you won’t have much luck.
Start by determining what you’re looking for and take an honest assessment of what you’re doing to get there. It’s like the cliché says, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.”
That all being said, there are some things that may make dating after 30 a bit more challenging. Here are a few of them:
- You may experience more pressure for results from friends and family.
- The singles you meet may have more baggage and life experience.
- Because of career and responsibilities, you may not have as much free time as you once did.
- If you work a job that requires you to be up early, going out to the bars or on dates mid-week may prove challenging.
- You may start to attract some attention from people who are significantly older (this may not be a bad thing, depending on what you’re looking for).
- A lot of people are already settled down, which does mean the pool of singles may feel a bit smaller.
Can You Still Find Love in Your 30s?
Absolutely. Sorry, we didn’t want to hold that answer from you for any longer because it frustrates us that people think this is a thing. And, no, we’re not upset at you if you thought that. It’s societies fault for making people feel like something magically shuts down once they hit the age of 30.
Here’s the reality. You can absolutely find love in your 30s. And if you don’t find it in your 30s, you can absolutely find it in your 40s. You can find love up until you take your last breath. End of discussion. Don’t let anyone discourage you and think there is any reason you can’t find true happiness and bliss just because you’re now in your 30s.
Pros and Cons of Dating in Your 30s
To continue our discussion on dating after 30, let’s talk about the romantic pros and cons of this decade. Not all of these will apply to everyone, but it’s a good primer into what dating is like at this age.
Pros – Dating As a 30 Something
- You’re most likely more established, both financially and in your life path. This can make the process of dating a lot easier.
- You’ve developed into you. One of the biggest challenges of dating when you’re younger is that you might not know what’s important to you or the kind of person you want to be. As you get into your 30s, though, you (and the people you’re dating) are generally further along that path.
- You have resources that can help. The best dating apps for 30-somethings are ready to help assist you in finding that special someone. No matter what you’re looking for or where you’re at in life, these online dating apps have your back.
Cons – Dating As a 30 Something
- As mentioned, expect more pressure from friends and family to “show results” and settle down.
- Time commitments and responsibilities are generally greater than they were in your 20s.
- Less people are single at this stage (don’t worry; there are still plenty of good ones left)
Pros and Cons of Dating Online in Your 30s
Now that we’ve talked about the ups and downs of dating in your 30s, let’s talk about the pros and cons of dating online at this age. We want to make sure you fully understand what you’re getting into if you choose to check out one of the top dating apps for 30s we recommended in this guide.
Pros – Dating Online in Your 30s
- It helps solve the issue of having limited time as it’s a much more efficient way to meet singles.
- It makes it easier to state your intentions and only date other 30 year olds looking for the same things.
- There are 30 something year old dating sites geared way more towards your age bracket and less towards the younger casual daters.
Cons – Dating Online in Your 30s
- Some people have become obsessed with all of the options before and let online dating monopolize their time.
- There’s a risk of getting too concerned about checking off your checklist of wants and needs because of all the options.
- Some people still think there’s a stigma around online dating after 30 that it shows you’re desperate (Spoiler alert: this is 100% false)
Should 30-Somethings Date Younger People?
Anyone that tells you a definitive yes or no to this question has no idea what they’re talking about. That being said, we can offer some insight that can help you to answer this question for yourself.
First, whether or not 30-somethings should date younger people is a personal choice. There are no hard and fast rules about whether it’s “allowed” or not. However, there are some certain situations where it might be more or less advised than others.
The first thing you need to look at is how much younger the guy or girl you’re looking to date is. If you’re in your early 30s and they’re in their late 20s, you’re basically the same age for all intents and purposes. However, if you’re in your late 30s and they’re in their early 20s, the question becomes more important to look at.
Ideally, what it comes down to is maturity and what your relationship goals are. Often, singles in their 30s are more interested in serious relationships. When it comes to singles in their 20s, it’s a mixed bag. If you’re talking to someone who is younger than you, you’ll want to have an honest conversation about what each of you is looking for. If it matches up, go for it. If it’s different, save yourself the heartache.
How Do Singles Meet in Their 30s?
Singles in their 30s are busy. You might work, have kids, take care of family, enjoy multiple hobbies—the list is endless. You are established in your life and may feel like your only chance at finding someone special is through sheer randomness or a miracle act of God.
Thankfully, these aren’t your only options. Here are a few places and ways that singles meet in their 30s.
- Dating apps for 30s – As we’ve already mentioned, online dating is the number one way that singles meet and date after 30. It’s efficient, convenient, and no longer high on the weird spectrum.
- Through friends and family – Remember that pressure we talked about coming from friends and family? Well, that also can come with recommendations and introductions. While we frame it as an annoyance (mostly in jest), it can actually be a great way to meet single men and single women who are already vetted by someone who knows you.
- At work – You’ll want to be careful dating coworkers depending on your work setup, but it’s still a viable option. This is especially true if you look outside your department or even outside your company with people you meet through networking or company events. Additionally, much of the world is remote now, which means even if you date someone you more closely work with, it won’t be that awkward if it doesn’t work out.
- Clubs, organizations, and meet-up groups – Finding a hobby is one of the best ways to meet other singles. You get to meet under a non-threating pretense and you already have a shared interest. Do some Googling to see what’s available and happening in your area, and get out there!
- Volunteering – This is one that people always mention but rarely take advantage of—and it’s awesome because it’s a two-fer. First, it gives you the chance to meet other singles who are out there doing good for the world. Second, it gives you an opportunity to give back and do something for the world. If you approach this with the mindset of the second part being your priority, you’ll love it. And then if the first part works out and you meet someone, what a cool added bonus.
- Speed dating – While we’re not sure where we personally stand on this one, it is quite popular in some of the bigger city areas. All you have to do is look up speed dating events in your area and you’ll go on a bunch of mini dates real fast in one night and then get to secretly find out if there is any mutual interest.
- Matchmakers – If you’re just over it and want the full help of a professional (and are ready to pay the hefty price tag), you could always enlist the help of a matchmaker. Yes, singles in their 30s do this, but not as often as those a bit older (40s and 50s).
Here’s the bottom line on how to meet singles in your 30s. You have to do something different. You can’t expect to do the same things you did in your 20s and somehow magically get different results. Don’t be afraid to take safe chances and put yourself out there.
Is Online Dating Safe for Singles in Their 30s?
Here’s what we tell every age bracket out there—online dating is as safe as you make it. The one perk that those in their 30s have over singles in their 20s is that you have more life experience, and you should be able to discern bad situations and questionable decisions a lot better.
When you use the best dating apps for 30 year olds, you take the first step in the right direction. These apps do their part to keep your information safe and secure. They work to guide you on the path to safely meeting singles in your area. However, they can’t do everything. A car dealer can give you the safest car on the lot, but if you drive it 100 mph around a wet curve, it’s not going to be that safe.
Here are a few things singles in their 30s can do to stay safe out there:
- Use safe dating apps. We just mentioned this above but wanted this to be a complete list for those skimming the article 🙂
- Protect your sensitive information. This isn’t just for text fields. Be careful not to upload photos that show where you work, where you live, or where you frequent.
- Don’t let the pressure get to you. As mentioned many times, your family and friends may be pressuring you to settle down. While they do this out of a position of love, don’t let it drive you to rush anything or make any rash decisions you wouldn’t normally make. And it goes without saying, don’t let them make you settle.
- Don’t share information you don’t need to. Yes, you should be vulnerable and let people get to know you. However, you have to be smart about this. First, only put enough information on your public profile to get attention to start conversations. After that, you can open up a bit more, but be careful with what you share. For example, if your dogs name is one of your security questions on your banking account, don’t have a picture of your dog sharing their name!
- Trust your gut. Here’s the bottom line. You’re in your 30s now. You’ve lived some life. You’re a lot wiser than you might give yourself credit for. Trust that intuition. If something feels wrong, it probably is. Where people dating after 30 get in trouble here is they are rushing to results and assume their intuition that kept them single in their 20s is probably wrong. Spo