OkCupid vs Tinder – Which Is Better?

Is OkCupid better than Tinder? It’s a million-dollar question that doesn’t have a definite answer. It all depends on what criteria and factors you consider while comparing these two online dating platforms. For example, you should ask yourself qualifying questions like:

• What type of relationships am I looking for?
• Do I want to meet millennials or people in their mid-30s?
• Am I on budget, or can I pay as much as required?

Once you have answered these questions, you can easily choose which service best fits your interests. Both OkCupid and Tinder are popular dating apps with multi-million user bases. Despite some similarities, they have pretty different audiences with different purposes, expectations, and dating cultures.

Launched in 2004, OkCupid reached the peak of its fame already in 2007 and got listed in Time Magazine as one of the Top 10 Dating Websites. The platform’s community has been dynamically growing, and currently, it’s reported to have over 50 million users worldwide. These people are primarily interested in long-term relationships and meaningful communication. However, the percentage of users who are into casual encounters is also pretty high. With OkCupid’s interactive features, people can find compatible partners, initiate conversations, discuss exciting topics, flirt, and go on real-life dates. Match Group, the company that owns OkCupid, regularly upgrades the OkCupid website and app to make the members’ experience seamless and fun.

To decide who the winner in the OkCupid vs Tinder contest is, it’s essential to learn how Tinder works, what features it has, what algorithm it applies to match people, etc. The platform was founded in 2012 and currently belongs to Match Group, the same company that owns OkCupid. Though the app version is more popular, Tinder also has a website. The application is famous for its swipe feature that allows users to endlessly look through photos of potential matches until they meet someone attractive. Most people use it for hookups, while others hope to find new acquaintances and long-term commitments.

What’s the Difference Between OkCupid and Tinder?

Sign-up Process

No matter which platform you decide to go for, OkCupid or Tinder, you need to create a personal account. The registration processes on OkCupid and Tinder have little in common. Usually, on OkCupid, it takes longer than on Tinder because of the volume of the required information. To create an account, you should provide some basic information like your name, email address, date of birth. Next, you should take the personality test and answer questions about your religion, hobbies, interests, dislikes, relationship expectations, etc. You cannot skip this stage since the matching algorithm is based on it. In the end, you’ll be asked to upload pictures, or you can import them from your existing Facebook or Instagram accounts. The whole process takes 7-10 minutes.

Tinder is the winner of this Tinder vs OkCupid competition in terms of registration speed since the whole process takes 1-3 minutes. The platform offers three options for signing up – via Facebook, email address, and phone number. Once you provide your mobile number or email ID, you’ll receive a verification message. Open it and follow the steps to proceed with registration. Next, indicate your name, sex, birthday, and upload a profile picture. However, to avoid this data’s manual entry, you can choose the sign-up with Facebook, and all the necessary fields will be auto-filled.

Matchmaking Algorithm

The matching algorithms of OkCupid and Tinder are entirely different. OkCupid uses its members’ personal information and personality test results, analyzes them by comparing the results with the data of millions of other users, and suggests the profiles with higher compatibility rates. The percentage of compatibility with suggested users is shown on their profiles.

On the other hand, Tinder suggests matches based on users’ location, age, and gender. Members can endlessly swipe photos of singles without a clue about their compatibility and availability of mutual hobbies or interests with the suggested matches.

Messaging

Communication feature is another essential criterion that may affect your choice of OkCupid or Tinder. Here OkCupid and Tinder have similar functionalities. For example, both platforms allow free users to send and receive an unlimited number of messages. The only condition is that members should be in mutual matches. It means that on Tinder, you cannot message a user who has swiped left on your photo. The mechanism is a little bit different on OkCupid – you can text anyone, but they’ll see your message only when you create a match.

Pros and Cons

OkCupid vs Tinder: Audience Comparison

As mentioned before, OkCupid and Tinder have multi-million audiences. For successful matchmaking, you need to have at least a general idea of their member structures to understand which platform suits you best.

Different sources report different estimates on the size of OkCupid’s user base. According to some reliable stats, the platform has over 50 million members globally. The majority of them (about 10 million users) come from the United States. There is a good percentage of users from Canada, Australia, and European countries as well. The majority of visitors are young professionals, aged between 25 and 34, who explore the app hoping to find a suitable date. Though OkCupid also promotes itself as a platform where singles can find friends, short-term dating, and hookup partners, most participants here are interested in long-term relationships.

In this Tinder vs OkCupid rivalry, Tinder wins with its number of international users. According to the latest statistics, Tinder currently has over 60 million members from 190 countries worldwide. The highest percentage of users, which makes about 28 million people, are from the United States. Male users dominate the site with 63%. The app is primarily popular among the younger generation aged 25-34 years old. The percentage of visitors belonging to the 18-24 age category is 30%. The number of middle-aged and senior members drastically decreases to 12% for the 45-54 age range and 5% for 55+ users.

Who Has a Better App?

As mentioned previously, both OkCupid and Tinder have websites. OkCupid users feel more convenient logging into their accounts on the site, while the Tinder users prefer installing the app on their mobile devices. Both OkCupid and Tinder applications are compatible with iOS and Android devices. Users can download them from the Google Play Market and App Store free of charge. Additionally, the Tinder app is compatible with Blackberry devices.

Okcupid.com developed the OkCupid app in 2010. Since then, it has undergone regular upgrades and improvements. Though the platform has a massive international community, the application has been downloaded from the Google Play Market 10 million times. Among App Store apps in the Social Networking category, OkCupid has ranked 58th.

According to the app characteristics, OkCupid requires iOS 12.0 and Android 5.0 or upper versions, which is necessary for successful installation and seamless operation. The app’s size depends on the device, but it varies from 30Mb for Android to 122Mb for iOS phones. During installation, the app requests access to your phone contacts, storage, location, media files, and Internet connection. Over 450 thousand reviews left by Play Market customers with an average of 3.9 stars and more than 190 thousand reviews by iOS users with 4.3-stars prove that the customer satisfaction rate is pretty high. Users are primarily satisfied with the quality of the service.

Compared to OkCupid dating apps Tinder apps are more popular among the lovers of online dating. According to the statistics on the Play Market, the app has been installed over 100 million times. It’s the second most popular product on App Store in the Lifestyle category. It collects users’ data regarding their purchases, location, contacts, and data usage.

The Tinder app is compatible with any iOS device, including iPod touch and Apple TV, with iOS 12.0 or later versions. As for Android phones, the required version is 6.0 or later. Surprisingly, the overall satisfaction score is lower than expected. App Store users think that the app deserves a 3.8-star rating, while more than 4 million Play Market customer reviews form an average of 3.3 stars.

OkCupid vs Tinder: Interface and Usability – Who’s Better?

While thinking about OkCupid or Tinder interface, design, or usability, you should compare websites and apps separately. Overall, both platforms’ web and mobile versions are designed in the same colors and shades, but the layouts are different.

Both the OkCupid apps and website look modern and catchy. They are designed in pink and blue colors. All features are neatly organized and logically grouped for users to find and access necessary pages or sections easily. The main menu, which is divided into several tabs, is located at the top of each page. You can access all main areas from the icons at the bottom of the screen. The navigation is intuitive, mainly because of the colorful design.

Tinder is the favorite of millennials because of its functionality and vibrant design. The background is white, and important parts are highlighted in pink. Buttons and icons are red, blue, green, or yellow, depending on which page you are on. Though Tinder has many features, they aren’t overwhelming. Everything is classified and grouped into several sections, available from the tab at the bottom of your screen. It takes younger users a few minutes to get adapted and use the app confidently. It may take less tech-savvy and senior users a bit longer, but surely it doesn’t take an eternity to learn how to navigate the application.

OkCupid or Tinder: Pricing

Pricing is the most crucial factor which decides whether the potential users will choose OkCupid or Tinder. Both services offer a wide range of free features. For example, basic OkCupid users can send unlimited messages, apply basic search filters, browse user profiles, etc. As for free Tinder members, they can upload profile pictures, connect members nearby, etc. However, both apps have many additional functions available to premium subscribers only.

OkCupid offers two subscription packages – OkCupid A-List Basic and OkCupid A-List Premium. The first unlocks only a few advanced tools, while the OkCupid A-List Premium subscription makes all the platform’s functions available. Overall, by purchasing a subscription, users can:

• enjoy ad-free experience
• send unlimited likes
• see who likes your profile
• apply advanced search criteria
• set message priorities

As shown in this Tinder vs OkCupid comparison table, Tinder also has two subscription plans – Tinder Plus and Tinder Gold. However, each plan is divided into two packages for members over 30 and under 30. As a rule, users over 30 pay more.

The Tinder premium membership unlocks the following perks:

• instant matching
• unlimited right swipes and likes
• privacy settings
• no ads
• undo your last swipe
• find global members

Aside from premium membership plans, Tinder and OkCupid also offer Boost packages. With Tinder Gold or Plus subscriptions, you receive one Boost per month, but you can also buy them separately.

OkCupid and Tinder boosts work similarly. The functionality will increase your profile’s visibility, and it will be seen in 30 minutes by more people than in 24 hours.

And finally, it’s important to remember that once you’ve purchased a premium membership, the system will remember your credit card details. Close to the expiry date, the subscription will be automatically renewed. So, if you aren’t planning to prolong your membership, make sure to disable the auto-renew option beforehand.

What Is the Right Choice – OkCupid or Tinder?

OkCupid

9.6

/10

OkCupid

GOOD FOR flirting and finding a partner

SUPPORT RATE 4.5 of 5

SUCCESS RATE 4.7 of 5

9.6

/10

Visit Site Read full review

Tinder

9.5

/10

Tinder

GOOD FOR communicating, flirting, and finding a partner

SUPPORT RATE 4.6 of 5

SUCCESS RATE 4.9 of 5

9.5

/10

Visit Site Read full review

As you could see, OkCupid and Tinder have more differences than similarities. The apps are considered competitors because they provide quality services, have massive communities and eye-catching designs. However, the quality of audiences is different. For example, on OkCupid, most users are interested in long-term relationships, while on Tinder, the percentage of people seeking casual encounters is higher. Based on this and other factors, OkCupid is the champion in the OkCupid vs Tinder competition.