Niche dating apps: Here's our guide to the best with less Bumble and more beards

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With traditional dating app usage on the decline, is the future of love found in the most niche of places?

AS mainstream dating apps continue to see users leave them behind, the future of the digital dating scene might lie in services designed for the smallest of user bases.

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Popular apps that have dominated the dating industry for years, including Tinder, Bumble and Hinge have seen an exodus of users, with revenues falling year-on-year and refreshed features like Tinder’s ‘Swipe Surge’ mode receiving a lukewarm reception.

App downloads dropped by 50m from 2020 to 2024 according to the Economist, with users commonly reporting issues with the lack of real connections, the superficial feeling that dating apps now provide and little success in forming long term relationships.

The staple dating apps have even been forced into making massive changes - with Bumble even ditching its USP of having its female members make the first move.

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However, the future for dating apps might not be dead. While the large apps are struggling, a new wave of smaller, niche apps are on the rise, with users opting for services that focus directly on them and their dating desires.

To help your search for the one, we’ve collated some of the most interesting dating apps that you can find, giving you all the options you could ask for - no matter who your perfect match is.

  • For Music Fanatics - Tastebuds

Whether you’re looking for someone that has a love for industrial German techno or you simply can’t stand the fact that your last five dates can’t name the full lineup to the newest K-Pop sensation, Tastebuds has you covered.

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Users match via their taste in music, letting you find your next (and possibly forever) gig-partner either personally, or through the apps regular meet-ups and social events.

  • For Multiple Lovers - Feeld

While maybe a slightly different and newer trend in dating, Polyamory - the practice of dating multiple partners at once - isn’t going away anytime soon.

Indeed, more than half of adults younger than 30 surveyed by Pew Research in 2023 said that they’d find an open marriage to be acceptable, and the idea of polycules and throuples has been a rising trend in media, with smash hits like ‘Challengers’ catapulting the idea of the ‘third’ into the national consciousness.

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Feeld takes this idea and runs with it, marketing itself as the perfect platform for the non-traditional relationship. Whether you’re searching for a swinging session in your area or targeting a tryst that starts up your very own polycule, Feeld bridges the gap between the traditional swipe app and the open-minded lover to create a truly unique experience.

  • For Second Chances - Chapter 2

One of the more emotional apps on this list, Chapter 2 is a dating app with purpose.

Designed by Nicky Wake as a dating app exclusively for widows and widowers, Chapter 2 was founded after Nicky lost her husband to Covid in 2020 and her realisation that the traditional apps were woefully under equipped to meet the needs of widows and widowers.

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The app itself includes a huge network of support services, including information on legal and financial support, emotional support and grief advice and even a section on solo parenting, as well as offering dating options to its members. The service also offers group events for widows and widowers to connect with each other in real life.

Chapter 2 is the UK’s only app dedicated to widows and widowers, and it has grown a network of dedicated users that not only search for companionship, but also provide their support for the thousands of others going through a situation unimaginable to most of the nation.

  • For Sober Companions - Loosid

In 2024, sobriety has well and truly crossed over from ‘fad’ to reality. More people than ever are going drink-free, as they search for new and engaging experiences - and this has transferred over to the dating market too.

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With drinking forming such a recognised part of the traditional dating world, it’s unsurprising that an app like Loosid that is solely for sober daters has come to pass. Members trade traditional bar meetings for hikes and hot yoga, and the app also facilitates groups and sober meetings, as well as a support network for those trying to ditch the drink.

  • For Sci-Fi Singles - Trek Passions

Whether you’re team Star Trek or team Star Wars, every sci-fi fan will be happy to hear that there’s now a dating app just for you.

Another of the dating apps that focuses on matching people based on their interests rather than their looks or style, Trek Passions markets itself as a community for those interested in everything and anything sci-fi, from conventions to books, films or comics.

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Interactive chat functions and video calls, as well as user groups that give fans of different series a place to hang out make this a must-try for any single spacefarers.

  • For Plant-Based Partners - Veggly

Much like Loosid, Veggly caters to another group of potential romantics that view their lifestyle as a key part of their dating life. However, rather than sobriety, Veggly offers its services to those who are either vegetarian or vegan, allowing them to match with like-minded foodies that eschew the meat-eating masses.

With many vegans and vegetarians having strongly held beliefs about the value they place on animals' health and wellbeing, it makes sense that they’d look for the same ideals in their romantic matches. Veggly offers similar networking opportunities to Loosid too, giving the vegans and vegetarians of the world the chance to find their perfect plant-based partners.

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  • For Stubble Supporters - Bristlr

Definitely one of the more niche options out there, Bristlr is the top option for those looking for a man with a bit more going on in the facial hair department. Designed as a dating site for the alternative scene, the app has hit the headlines for its unique approach - namely uniting those with beards with those that love beards.

The app has a robust, intuitive UI and is heavily focused around matchmaking. If you’ve tried Tinder and found it not hairy-chested enough, then Bristlr might be for you.

The rise in alternative dating apps has continued over the past few years, with revenues for the Match Group, which has launched apps targeted at numerous niche markets including single parents, ethnic minorities and snobs growing by 17% year on year, in Q2 of 2024.

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Nicky Wake, Founder of Chapter 2, said: “With how the dating market is today, it’s actually unsurprising that we’re seeing daters move away from the traditional apps and toward specialist solutions.

“While the big boom of the app dating world saw almost everyone give them a go, people are now finding that they’re simply swamped by thousands of profiles, often full of people that they simply aren't interested in, or that the apps themselves don’t cater to their individual needs.

“Apps like Chapter 2 are designed with a specific purpose in mind. We want to bring together a community that will be able to understand the needs of each other, and make meaningful connections far more effectively than the scatter-shot approach you get with a regular app.

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“I try to speak to as many users of Chapter 2 as I can when we host our community groups, and the feedback is always the same. They’ve tried mainstream dating services, but they find that they’re never served effectively, and the thing that they value most about Chapter 2 is that they don’t have to struggle with a service that isn’t built for their needs. The platforms are designed for mass appeal, and people like widows or other groups with unique characteristics just aren’t catered for.

“Does the future of dating lie totally online? That I couldn’t say, but I can certainly tell you that what we’re all looking for now is a dating market that is full of the people we want to romance - rather than hundreds of people we’d not give a second thought to.”

Chapter 2 is the UK’s only app dedicated to widows and widowers with a community forum, dating and friendship platform. It is a subscription-based platform with two subscription levels; free with limited functionality, and premium. At the sign-up process people are given three options; those looking for friendship and companionship, those who are looking for casual dating or those seeking a serious relationship.

For more information on Chapter 2, please visit: https://www.chapter2dating.app/

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