In the startup landscape, dating apps have emerged as a significant trend, revolutionising the way individuals connect, interact, and find companionship. This article delves into the standout dating apps that have captured the attention of the UK market and offer something different to some of the most well-known apps out there.

Grazer

Grazer, the "meatless matchmaker," is a dating and friend-finding app that is exclusively for the vegan and vegetarian community. The platform serves as a gathering place for individuals committed to a plant-based lifestyle, facilitating what it playfully dubs "meatless matches." The app’s interface encourages users to 'graze' through profiles, allowing mutual interests to initiate conversations.

Beyond its role in sparking romantic connections, Grazer also aims to nurture friendships among its users. Approximately 20% of users leverage the platform for finding like-minded friends, highlighting the app's success in fostering a sense of community and shared values among those who prioritise plant-based living.

OurTime

OurTime is a senior dating platform designed specifically for singles over 50, offering a mix of matchmaking and social networking services. It strives to create an inviting and user-friendly space for older adults in pursuit of companionship, be it through friendship, romance, or marriage.

A key highlight of OurTime is its matchmaking functionality, which allows users to sift through potential partners based on a wide array of criteria, including age, location, religious beliefs, ethnicity, and even zodiac signs. This filtering mechanism is designed to enhance the likelihood of matching users with partners have a high degree of compatibility.

Playdate

Playdate is the UK's first dating app specifically designed for single parents. It offers a platform for individuals who understand the challenges and joys of parenting solo to find romance. Acknowledging the challenges single parents face in finding partners who understand their unique situation, Nevine Coutry, herself a single mother and marketing entrepreneur, established Playdate. The app is designed to help single parents forge meaningful connections with others in similar circumstances.

Playdate sets itself apart from conventional dating platforms by honing in on the unique needs and situations of single parents. Instead of the common, surface-level swiping features prevalent in many dating apps, Playdate promotes more meaningful interactions. It enables users to initiate conversations based on common interests and shared parenting experiences, moving beyond mere physical attraction. A standout aspect of Playdate is its collaboration with Bubble, a childcare app, providing users with reduced rates for babysitting services.

So Syncd

So Syncd stands out in the dating app landscape by leveraging Myers-Briggs personality types to match users, aiming for deeper, more compatible connections. It was built on the belief that, alongside physical attraction, personality compatibility is key to enduring relationships. Sisters Louella and Jessica Anderson co-founded the app, drawing from their own experiences and an exploration into how personality types influence relationships.

The app assigns users one of the 16 personality types after they complete a brief quiz resembling the Myers-Briggs assessment. It then suggests potential matches with complementary personality types, fostering a more thoughtful approach to finding a partner.

Thursday

Thursday is a dating app co-founded by George Rawlings and Matt McNeill Love, which stands out by being active only one day a week – take a wild guess which day that is! The app encourages users to meet up with their matches in real life on the day they match online, aiming to transform Thursdays into a buzzing city-wide speed dating scene. The goal is to inject some excitement back into dating, turning it from a daily slog into a weekly highlight.

The idea for the app was born from the founders' ambition to shake up the dating world and tackle the issue of ‘dating app fatigue’ by limiting its availability to Thursdays only. This approach is intended to shift the perception of dating to something to look forward to, fostering spontaneity and encouraging face-to-face meetups instead of endless messaging. Beyond its unique availability, Thursday also stands out by organising AfterParty events every week in various bars around London and New York City, creating a physical venue for singles to connect.

ToDate

ToDate is a dating app that focuses on facilitating same-day dates, designed to help users move beyond the virtual small talk and into real-life connections more quickly. This approach is particularly appealing for those looking to skip extended phase of online messaging in favour of direct encounters, whether for a laid-back coffee, a romantic dinner, or just companionship. Currently, the app is only accessible in London and leverages location-based technology to suggest potential matches nearby, simplifying the process of arranging to meet up on the same day​.

What sets ToDate apart? It's got an easy sign-up and a smart ID verification to ensure user safety and authenticity. Users can select from a variety of activities they're interested in doing that day and choose available time slots to meet, which helps in finding a match with similar interests and schedules.