Are you a business professional, executive, young professional or small business owner? If you are, then you understand that your lifestyle is a lot faster paced than most other people in the world. Because of this, you may not find the quality you’re looking for on normal dating apps. Thankfully, the top dating apps for professionals have a system and technology that can help.
Free dating site for professionals
In this guide, we’re going to cover a lot. We’ll talk the best app options available, break down the professional dating scene piece by piece, and then leave you with a ton of helpful tips and resources.
Best Dating Apps for Professionals
| Rank | Site | Free Trial Link | |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Elite Singles | Free Trial | |
| #2 | eHarmony | Free Trial | |
| #3 | The League | Free Trial | |
| #4 | Higher Bond | Free Trial | |
| #5 | Zoosk | Free Trial |
1. Elite Singles – Best For the Most Professional Singles
If you’re a professional that wants to date someone who fully understands your lifestyle, your best option is sticking with a dating site exclusive for professional singles. While no site can legally exclude anyone, Elite Singles goes a long way through marketing, outreach, and natural curation to build a site that’s as close to exclusivity as you can get.
One of the main ways Elite Singles aims to be the best professional dating app is by targeting singles with higher education. According to a recent study by the site, over 85% of people on there have an above-average education. This dramatically increases your chances of meeting other professionals. Couple that with over 381,000+ new members a month, and you’ve got a professional winning combination.
The Bottom Line: Elite Singles is the best professional dating app for singles looking to date other professionals and higher-educated singles exclusively.
2. eHarmony – Best for Marriage and Serious Relationships
For those people looking for a dating app for professionals that still affords you the opportunity to meet singles from other walks of life, eHarmony is easily one of the best candidates. While there are no requirements to be a professional, have a certain income, or work in a particular field, the singles on eHarmony are naturally of a higher caliber.
Why? It’s for two main reasons. Number one, eHarmony is more expensive than most other online dating sites. It’s not astronomically expensive, but it’s just enough to create a barrier to entry for people that aren’t ready to take the process seriously.
This brings us to number two of the main reasons eHarmony makes such a great professional dating app. The site is fully geared towards people looking for serious relationships or marriage. And this does go further than just intent and marketing. The site has a fairly extensive process for matchmaking that people who aren’t serious just don’t get through. (Don’t worry; it only takes about 30 minutes to get signed up, but that’s enough to deter the riff-raff).
The Bottom Line: eHarmony is the best dating app for professionals that want to find something serious and don’t want to deal with flaky or unreliable singles.
3. The League – Best Site for Successful Singles
When it comes to executive dating, you don’t have time to waste on single men or women who aren’t driven in life. You’ve worked hard to get to where you are, and you should be able to share that with someone who can appreciate it. The League dating app knocks it out of the park when it comes to quality and successful singles.
Now, this sort of exclusivity comes with some pretty high barriers to entry. You’re required to get on a waiting list and get voted into the app based on an internal review of whether or not you meet the standards. While that review process changes by city, a lot is based off your LinkedIn and prior accomplishments.
If you’re a successful business executive though or on your way to becoming one, you should have pretty good luck getting an invite after joining the list. And yes, you can pay to get to the front of the review line if you want to.
4. Higher Bond – Best for Religious Executives
Getting in on the ground floor of something great is the dream of any business professional. Well, the same can be said about the dating scene and new dating apps. Higher Bond is a Christian dating site that recently launched in the Summer of 2022.
The app is geared towards serious Christian dating, which is ideal for religious professionals looking for something meaningful. The app is set up to do a masterful job of matchmaking to help bring efficiency and effectiveness to the dating process.
If you sign up now through the link below, you’ll get credited with a free 3 month premium membership!
5. Zoosk – Best Executive Dating Site for the Most Options
Most executives understand that the more options and opportunities you have in business, the better. The same is 100% true when it comes to dating. And if that’s your mentality, you’ll be excited to hear that Zoosk has over 35 million members with accounts. And yes, there are quality singles too, not just quantity. This is one of the many reasons Zoosk makes our list as a top dating app for professionals.
If your time is severely limited, you’ll like that you can get signed up quickly and go at your own pace. The matchmaking isn’t as controlled like it is with eHarmony or Elite Singles, but it’s ideal for people that want full control over the process.
And what’s real nice is the price is much lower than many of the other options on the list, which is always great for the budget conscious.
Table of Contents:
- Why These App Are the Best Dating Apps for Professional Singles
- The Importance of Discretion for Executive Singles
- Combating Professional Dating Challenges Digitally
- How to Pick Out the Best Professional Dating Site
- The Editor’s Favorite Apps for Professional Singles
- Best Practices – Tips for Using Dating Apps for Professionals
Why These App Are the Best Dating Apps for Professional Singles
Large Number of Professional Singles
Obviously, the most important factor in a great dating app for professionals is having a lot of like-minded singles. Generally, this includes business people, lawyers, doctors, accountants, surgeons, executives, business owners, entrepreneurs, and the likes.
Regarding where on the corporate ladder everyone is, we think it’s extremely important that a site has a strong mix of executive matches from all levels. We like to see a site that has people that are entry-level management all the way up to top-level CEOs and company owners. We’re also a big fan of seeing some entrepreneurs (and we don’t mean people that sell body lotion on the weekends) in the mix. Ideally, we want an eclectic mix of professionals and executives from all walks of life.
A Wide Range of Ages
In addition, we want these matches to be all over the age spectrum. A big fear of a lot of younger executive singles we’ve talked to is that they’re worried dedicated sites like these will only have older people. Thankfully, that’s not the case. We’ve been able to identify sites that appeal to all age brackets to give you a full mix of what you’re looking for.
Non-Professional Options Too
Not every executive or professional wants to date someone with the same level of career aspirations. For this reason, the apps and sites we’ve suggested also have options of people who aren’t on the same fast-track to success. Maybe they excel in homemaking, compassion, creativity, or some other area that would be a great compliment to you and your life? Either way, a great executive dating site should have these options.
Slick User Interfaces (Mobile and Desktop)
With programs like Slack, QuickBooks, and Microsoft 365 being so slick and easy to use in your business life, it should make sense that you want the same when it comes to online dating apps. Our top options have easy-to-use mobile and desktop interfaces that help you accomplish your relationship goals without creating headaches.
Systems and Marketing Designed to Attract Higher Numbers of Professional Singles (Some Exclusively Targeted)
Site can claim to be great for professionals and be filled with like-minded people. However, they have to walk the walk, and this starts with their marketing programs. If they just have a random webpage talking about professionals and that’s it, that’s not going to be effective. It needs to be ingrained in how their operations run from the ground up.
Not Always the Least Expensive, But the Best Bang for Your Buck
Business people understand value. And while you also understand paying for quality, you should never want to overpay for anything. When assessing these dating apps, this is what we look for. We want options with a high enough price point that ensures quality singles, resources, and support, but not high for no reason. In fact, you’ll notice that we recommend quite a few affordable dating apps in our list.
Asking the Right Questions
In order for these algorithms and systems to work for you, they need to be asking the right questions. A lot of sites that aren’t dedicated to professionals don’t know what is important and what they should be asking. Thankfully, though, some sites do. They understand that not only are they looking to match two people up on an emotional level, but they need to match you up on a professional level as well.
If the person’s workload and type of work don’t mesh well with yours, it doesn’t matter how great they are; it’s just not going to be feasible. The good part about professional dating sites is they understand that some things work great and some things don’t. This is why you need a dating site that’s willing to ask the right questions and program them into their systems properly.
The Importance of Discretion for Executive Singles
There is one other factor that goes into an amazing dating site for professionals and that’s a respect and understanding of discretion.
One of the biggest fears of any executive looking to date online is discretion—and rightfully so. The more successful you are and more high profile, the more you should be concerned with the protection of your personal information as well as what all you put out there for people to see.
We fully understand this and take great pride in making sure that you know we will ONLY recommend a dating app for professionals that gets this. You can 100% trust that the sites we’ve recommended above are taking the necessary precautions with your personal information and privacy.
Just because an online dating site boasts that it’s for professionals does not mean they’re a great site for executive level singles. The sites need to understand the importance of protecting your information and the importance that you feel comfortable that they will take caution and discretion with how their sites are run.
How do we figure this out? Thanks to our position in the industry, our team of experts is able to review and analyze each site and their processes. They know what red flags to look for and what safeguards are a must that we won’t compromise on.
Basically, we’ve done all the due diligence and heavy lifting for you. You can trust that these dating sites for executives are safe to use and should do everything in their power to be conscious of your privacy and discretion. It’s never perfect, but many sites are way better than others.
Combating Professional Dating Challenges Digitally
Executive dating is a lot more challenging than it is for most people. Why is this important today? Well, it’s important to understand how dating is tougher for you, so that we can share just how the right dating apps are working to combat these issues to drive success.
Some of the challenges you have or are going to face dating as an executive include”
- You live a busy life (work and personal), which leaves little time for searching, matching, and dating.
- You may travel a lot, which makes it hard to schedule dates.
- Even if you don’t travel a lot, you’re probably always on the go.
- If your standards are higher (which is great), your dating pool is limited.
- Discretion is important, which can limit the options you have for meeting people.
Thankfully, dating sites for executives understand this and have done a lot to try and mitigate the issues. Their chief purpose is to drive success by helping to widen the selection pool, cutting down on search time, and ridding the whole dating process of time-gobbling inefficiencies. Instead of spending hours trolling happy hours, bars, nightclubs, and mixers, you can quickly get access to thousands of singles and do some quality control before you commit any more of your time.
How to Pick Out the Best Professional Dating Site
Want some help picking out the best site option for you? Here are the steps you can follow to see success.
1. Determine what you’re looking for.
Step one is to determine what you’re looking for. This should help direct you to collect a list of which dating apps are going to be the best candidates for you. Some of the questions to ask include:
- Am I looking to date other business professionals, a non-professional, or I don’t mind?
- Am I looking for a serious and committed relationship or just casual dating to unwind?
- How much time do I have to commit to the process, both searching for singles and going on dates?
- Am I looking to meet someone locally or does it not matter?
2. Collect a list of potential dating apps and sites.
Good news, we’ve already done this for you! All of the sites and apps we think are worth your time are listed at the top of the page. We’ve already checked these for what we call the non-negotiables that include discretion, safety, security, and encryption.
3. Compare your list with our list.
Take your wants and needs and compare them with the features, pros, and cons we’ve laid out for each professional dating site. Find the right option that fits exactly what you’re looking for. Here are a few suggestions based on some common needs and wants.
- I want something serious and committed – Try eHarmony
- Dating other educated singles is important to me. – Try Elite Singles
- I’m somewhere between casual and serious dating, but not sure. – Try Zoosk
- Finding someone who understands my Christian faith is most important to me. – Try Higher Bond
- I want the most options possible. – Try Zoosk
4. Utilize the free trials.
Once you’ve identified a few options that might work, check them out. Create a profile, fill out the questionnaires, and start searching for singles in your desired area. If you like what you see, consider upgrading to a premium membership! If you don’t like what you see, try out a different site. Keep in mind, though, these sites have new people joining all the time so check back in a week or two
5. Have fun.
Yes, you are a big serious executive…we get it. But, honestly, a little fun never hurt anyone! Enjoy this process. It’s not a business deal…it’s finding someone special. Let it be fun.
The Editor’s Favorite Apps for Professional Singles
“For me, my favorite comes down to what your primary goal is. If you’re wanting a serious relationship, it’s easy—eHarmony. If you’re not quite sure what you want and maybe want to date casually, go with Elite singles. And if you want to outsource like a boss—It’s Just Lunch is your go-to.”
– Jason Lee, Chief Editor of Best Online Dating
“I like eHarmony as the best dating app for professionals looking for love. There’s a bit of extra upfront work getting your profile set up, but it pays dividends. Most business people don’t like their time wasted, and I think the eHarmony app does the best job of fostering an environment of meaningful connections.”
– Christina Anne, Contributing Writer
Best Practices – Tips for Using Dating Apps for Professionals
In order for you to succeed, there are some things that we think are important for you to know. We HIGHLY recommend that you take a few minutes and read through these tips before you go out and get started.
There is No Test to Join a Dedicated Site
While dating apps for professionals do their best only to attract like-minded people, there is nothing that keeps out some people that don’t fit the mold from trickling in. Sadly, there is no test that can be administered to tell if someone is an executive and belongs or not.
This information is important so that you know to still be on your guard with people that you meet on these sites. While most of them are going to be what you’re looking for, there will be a few that slip through the cracks.
Don’t be turned off if you run into a few of these. Just ignore them or block them and move on to the quality matches. All of these sites have thousands of people joining every month, so you’ll have plenty of quality options to choose from.
People are Busy Just Like You
As business executives and professionals, we operate at a faster pace than the rest of the world. We expect our employees and contractors to get things done asap when we ask. In return, though, sometimes we are slower to get to things that are not mission-critical to the success of our jobs.
Remember this when you are dating online at these sites. You’re going to be dating other professionals who have just as busy of lives as you, if not more. Don’t get upset if it takes someone a while to respond to you. Don’t get turned off if people aren’t responding and interacting as quickly as you’d like. Remember, you’re looking for people that have similar busy lives and have things together. If they have all day to sit around and message you back right away, that may be a red flag.
Be patient with people and when you are busy, make sure that you communicate this. People will be patient with you as long as you communicate what is going on.
Remember, You Are Not Interviewing Employees
For some of us, it can be a challenge to turn off work and turn on personal time. This can make dating tough. We’d encourage you to take a few minutes and focus on your different modes. Realize that when you’re searching for love, you aren’t searching for an employee to fill a specific role.
You can have a checklist of things you want in a potential mate, but don’t have something so rigid that you knock out good candidates. We’re not telling you what is or is not important in a partner. All we are saying is that being open-minded can go a long way to getting quality dates and hopefully finding a quality mate.
Have Fun
As executives, we could probably stand to hire someone to tell us this from time to time, which is why we’re telling it to you twice in the guide. When you’re dating whether it be live or online, it’s supposed to be fun. The whole process is supposed to be exciting and get your emotions turning. Yes, it can be a little stressful and overwhelming at times, but a lot of that is based on how you choose to approach it.
Dating apps for professionals are designed to try and remove some of those stressors. It’s designed to try and make the search easier, the matches higher quality, and the overall experience better. The site’s we’ve recommended are great at this, but only if you let them be. Allow the stress to fade and have fun with this process! You’re ideally looking for someone that may end up being an important part of your life. That should be exciting!