Online Dating Application Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Revenue Generation (Subscription, Advertisement), By Region (North America, Europe, Asia Pacific), And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028

Report Overview 

The global online dating application market size was valued at USD 7.05 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.6% from 2021 to 2028. The growth of the market can be attributed to the proliferation of smartphones and the rising internet penetration. The growing adult population and rising usage of the internet, which is facilitating access to various online services, also bodes well for the growth of the market over the forecast period. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic is driving the popularity of online dating applications. Restrictions on the movement of people and lockdowns imposed in various parts of the world as part of the efforts to restrain the spread of the coronavirus have led to a significant rise in the subscriptions on various dating applications. For instance, according to a survey conducted in March 2020, Tinder reported 3 billion swipes in a day. Moreover, dates registered on OkCupid increased by 700% between March 2020 and May 2020. Bumble’s video calls also grew by 70%.

Advances in technology and the growing popularity of social media have induced a paradigm shift in the way people connect. On the other hand, dating websites have particularly changed the way people engage in personal relationships. Smartphones have transformed almost every aspect of life and personal relationships are not an exception to that. Online dating is particularly gaining popularity among the young population, which spends a large amount of time on the internet.

At this juncture, online dating applications are also maturing rapidly and working aggressively toward establishing credibility and trust. Online dating has particularly overturned stigmatic attitudes. Online dating is no more limited only to the young generation; adults across all age groups are exploring online dating. Hence, these apps have started marketing their services through various social media platforms to target new users. Moreover, these apps are also publishing blogs on their websites as part of the efforts to generate interest in online dating.

However, the growing popularity of these apps has also triggered instances of online scams through fake accounts. Online scams reportedly tripled in 2020. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in 2019, victims of online scams lost approximately USD 201 million in total after being swindled by their dates. Fake accounts typically look appealing and scam artists wait for victims to reach out and initiate conversation. According to research by Arkose Labs, around 4 million online dating frauds and abuse-related issues were registered in 2020, with most of them attributed to fake accounts.

Revenue Generation Insights

The subscription segment dominated the market in 2020 and accounted for a revenue share of more than 61.0%. The segment is also anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR over the forecast period. While several dating apps are offering most of their features for free, many others offer limited features for free usage and charge a subscription fee for premium features. The subscription fees can vary depending upon the apps and their features. The subscription segment has been sub-segmented into age, gender, and type.

The 18 - 25 years age segment dominated the market in 2020 with a revenue share of more than 57.0%. Registrations of individuals belonging to the age group of 18-25 years on free dating apps have been growing, as these individuals spend a large amount of their time on the internet. According to SurveyMonkey Intelligence, Tinder was ranked 2nd behind Bumble for the age group of 18-25 years. The female segment is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR over the forecast period.

The outbreak of the pandemic has particularly induced a change in the attitude toward dating among women. The number of female users in India increased by 12% in 2020, according to the dating platform QuackQuack. Women are getting much more confident and comfortable while using dating apps. It was also revealed that around 52% of women were keen on dating men from other cities while 48% of women preferred dating men from the same city. Online dating service companies are trying to encourage women to make the first move while establishing a connection. Bumble is one of the dating apps, wherein women make the first move.

The monthly subscription sub-segment is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR over the forecast period. Monthly subscriptions allow users to try out the premium features before they can go for quarterly or annual subscriptions. For instance, Truly Madly allows users to add up to 5 adjectives in their user profile to describe themselves. Users can also add their favorite TV shows, movies, restaurants, etc. to their profiles.

Regional Insights

North America dominated the global market in 2020 with a revenue share of over 35%. The proliferation of smartphones and the growing usage of the internet in the region is emerging as the key factor driving the market growth. Busy schedules have also contributed to the growing popularity of dating services. Tinder, followed by Bumble and PlentyOfFish, were among the popular dating platforms in the U.S. in 2019. The Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as the fastest-growing regional market over the forecast period.

Although in several Asia Pacific countries, a casual approach to dating through dating apps is frowned upon; the popularity of these apps is growing in line with the increasing internet penetration and the rising usage of smartphones. The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns and restrictions imposed by the governments in the region have also contributed to the growing preference for online dating. According to the Chinese dating app Tantan, the average time spent on the app increased by more than 30% during the pandemic as compared to the pre-pandemic levels.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The market is highly fragmented. The market players are focused on enhancing their service offerings to stay competitive and better cater to the changing needs of the users. For instance, in June 2021, Tinder launched several new features to enhance the user experience. The suite of features includes an introduction video within Tinder profiles, and the new explore section to allow members to navigate by content type, activity, and interest. Some of the prominent players in the global online dating application market are:

• Tinder

• Bumble

• Plentyoffish

• OkCupid

• Badoo

• Grindr LLC

• eHarmony, Inc.

• Spark Networks, Inc.

• The Meet Group, Inc.

• rsvp.com.au Pty Ltd.

• Zoosk, Inc.

• The League

• Coffee Meets Bagel

Online Dating Application Market Report Scope

Segments Covered in the Report

The report forecasts revenue growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2016 to 2028. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global online dating application market report on the basis of revenue generation and region:

• Revenue Generation Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

  • Subscription

    • Age

      • 18-25 years

      • 26-34 years

      • 35-50 years

      • Above 50 years

    • Gender

      • Male

      • Female

    • Type

      • Annually

      • Quarterly

      • Monthly

  • Advertisement

• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028)

  • North America

    • U.S.

    • Canada

  • Europe

    • U.K.

    • Germany

    • France

    • Italy

    • Rest of Europe

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

    • Rest of Asia Pacific

  • Latin America

    • Brazil

    • Mexico

    • Rest of Latin America

  • Middle East & Africa

    • South Africa

    • Rest of Middle East & Africa