Tinder and Happn are among the top dating apps, but which one should you use? Although the two have the same purpose —locating and connecting geographically close people—each has its own peculiarities and, overall, they are considerably different.
What is the best, Tinder or Happn?
Read below the differences between the main points of the two applications.
Platforms
Tinder can be used by the Android and iOS mobile app (iPhone and iPad) and also on the web version, by computer. Meanwhile, Happn is only available from the app.
Winner: Tinder.
Geolocation
Happn:
Happn and Tinder are very different in this. At Happn, you only meet people who have crossed your path. This restriction is one of the main features of the application and can be useful for those who have no interest in knowing someone who lives far away, for example.
This may even be good for those who live in a populated place, but it may not be the best option for those who live in a small town —most of the time, you’ll end up seeing the same people in the app. Therefore, this “cross paths” feature being a pro or con depends on who is using the application and what the goals are.
Tinder:
Now let’s go to Tinder. Although I let you delimit lightning, it’s common for Tinder to show people who are further away than you expected. On the other hand, this means that you will rarely find the same people in the app — if you gave “no” to a profile, it will take time to see it again.
In addition, Tinder Premium lets you change your location and access the app from around the world —you can choose other cities and countries no matter how far away you are. At Happn, it’s limited to where you’ve been.
Winner: Tinder.
Chat and profile features
They’re both very similar in that part. They rely on video calling, GIFs in the conversation, and the option to report and block the person for inappropriate content.
On Tinder, you can send a quick “card” with your social networks or your phone number to those you’re chatting with. Still, Happn is a little ahead by offering voice messages in chat, which is not present on Tinder.
Both allow the profile to be associated with other apps such as Spotify and Instagram. That way, other users will be able to see part of your photos on social networks (by the app itself, without knowing your @) and musical taste.
Winner: Happn
Presentation of profiles
Tinder displays profiles in a kind of catalog and forces you to take action —either swipe right and like it, or slide left. If you gave someone the “no” card, you probably won’t see the card from the person from there-if that happens, it’s going to take a while.
Happn’s interface is a bit more user-friendly for those who don’t want to make an immediate decision. You can even see profiles in the same Tinder presentation, but there’s also an option to view them in grid, without having to choose whether it will be like or not. You don’t have to take any hastily action, so you end up analyzing people’s profiles more calmly.
You can also see the profile of who you gave like, which doesn’t happen on Tinder unless you and the person have a match. In addition, people you haven’t interacted with (didn’t like or dislike) will continue to appear on the Happn grid.
Winner: Happn.
Privacy
On both Happn and Tinder, you can associate your profile with your Gmail and Facebook account or, if you prefer, sign up with your phone number only.
Winner: Draw.
Customization
Both apps allow users to choose the age range of people who will appear.
Happn, however, lets you go further – you can filter people by height, what they’re looking for in the app (a relationship, nothing serious, nothing specific), whether they’re smokers or not, whether they like parties and want to have kids.
Winner: Happn.
Flexibility
Both give you the option to choose whether you prefer to see only men, only women or both, no matter your gender.
Winner: Draw
Free resources x Paid resources
Paid resources
| Tinder | Happn | |
|---|---|---|
| See who liked you | Yes | Yes |
| No advertisements | Yes | Yes |
| Messages before match/crush | No | Yes (10 per day) |
| Boost in profile (appear in front of others) | Yes | No |
| Back to previous profile | Yes | – |
| Change location to other cities/countries | Yes | No |
| Top Picks (most liked profiles of the day) | Yes | No |
| Hide some of the profile information | Yes | Yes |
| Like unlimited | Yes | Yes |
Free features
| Tinder | Happn | |
|---|---|---|
| Verified profile | Yes | No |
| Invisible mode | Whenever you activate | Available for 8hours, then you need to activate again |
| Video link | Yes | Yes |
| Send message without having given match/crush | No | Yes |
| Superlike | Yes | No |
Tinder Premium offers more attractive features than Happn, such as the ability to move location anywhere in the world. The free version also gives you more privacy than Happn, as it lets you hide your profile for as long as you want.
Winner: Tinder.
Conclusion: Tinder
For the whole of the work, Tinder is a more interesting option. As much as the app reserves much of the interesting features for the paid version, it’s still pretty consistent in the free version.
But of course you also need to consider your interests —if you want to find only people who are nearby, Happn might be the best alternative.
