How to Create a Dating App Like Tinder: What to Notice for Development

Apps that have become especially popular often make people wonder how to replicate their success or, even better, how to outperform them. Building applications like Tinder may seem complex and unattainable at first glance, if it’s not divided into simple and understandable sections that comprise the creation of an effective dating app.

This article will explain how to create an app like Tinder in detail, clarifying key factors of success, the functionalities that a dating app must have, and what types of specialists are needed for this work. We will also provide additional information on the costs of developing a dating app and how to monetize it for maximum profit.

Success Factors for Dating Apps Like Tinder

Several factors make dating apps preferable to frequently awkward and inconvenient real-life attempts for almost anyone trying to find their soulmate.

• The simplicity of initiating a conversation

Most singles would not still be unsuccessfully looking for a partner if not for their natural shyness preventing them from initiating a conversation with a person they like. A dating app completely removes this complication and ensures that the interest is mutual.

• Reduce the chances to get into the friendzone

Individuals are less likely to be rejected after their profile was liked once. Moreover, profiles usually contain information needed to determine if a user is searching for a friend or a partner, making misunderstandings less likely.

• Safety for users

People are often unsure of initiating a conversation with a stranger. Applications like Tinder enable safe interaction before planning an actual meeting. Such apps typically have social media integrated, allowing for a better understanding of a person.

• Saves money on unsuccessful dating

Men tend to spend money on expensive restaurants and entertainment before even knowing if a girl is into them. However, dating apps can make a successful match, preventing initially unproductive meetings.

• More opportunities for dating

Dating apps like Tinder make people who otherwise would have never met find each other. Not many people know where to find singles. Now, all of them can be gathered in one app.

• Change in young generation’s preferences and behavior

Nowadays, dating apps are not that criticized for their concept as previously. More and more people are beginning to consider internet dating to be safer and more convenient than a real-life one. It is most likely that young people will be initiating conversations on the streets only on rare occasions in a few years.

Basic Functionalities that Must be Created in a Dating App

User-Friendly Interface

Applications like Tinder usually have a simple and intuitive interface that helps you feel more comfortable. It includes an understandable panel providing quick access to common features or commands and the convenience of inserting messages, push notifications that do not distract, and a design that is both functional and aesthetic.

Personalized Profiles

A well-functioning instrument for creating luxury profiles helps to show your individuality and stand out from other users. Profile editing should enable individuals to add photographs and data such as gender, bio, and preferences to make each client’s page unique and assist in matching. It is useful to provide users with a few tips on how to build a dating profile, as it would help them overcome writer’s block while showing care and support.

Geolocation

Geolocation is one of the key features of dating apps like Tinder needed to find people near you. It is done by correlating a user’s IP address with the physical geographic location. Most users also find the option to set a search area manually helpful. This way, they can choose whether they want to see profiles of people nearby or far away.

Clients should be given an option to show their location or not, as forcing them to share their IP address can be considered a privacy and security issue. 

Advanced Matchmaking

A superior matching algorithm ensures that you see profiles that suit your preferences the best. An application that intends to help people find their soulmates should precisely correlate users’ bios with other profiles. 

Another core functionality of applications like Tinder is based on selecting, which is done by swiping right if a user is interested in a profile or left if not. Swiping should work smoothly, and profiles of users that liked a client should be shown first. 

Integration of Social Media

Integrating social media platforms while developing a dating app is essential to improve its functionality and convenience. The opportunity to log in via the Facebook authorization engine or by using the phone number should be equally accessible. At the same time, enabling users to freely share their other contacts only enhances their experience from using a dating app. 

Privacy and Security

A high level of privacy and the opportunity to block and report accounts is paramount to enhance your experience using a dating app. Although location-based apps are intended to let others know your location, enabling users to change precise coordinates manually may improve clients’ confidence in the app. 

However, you should prevent any other privacy and security violations, such as not using encryption while transferring data, sharing data with third-party services, or mailing users with their passwords in plain text. At the same time, the option to ban and report another user can significantly improve the app’s community.

What Kind of Developers are Needed to Create a Dating App?

If you want to learn how to code an app like Tinder, it is vital to understand first what developers should be in a successful project team. 

• Mobile developer. These specialists are responsible for ensuring the users’ interactions with the page through the means of technology and programming. 
• Back-end developer. They are needed to build and maintain technological bounds that connect the server, application, and database. 
• Designer. An attractive appearance of an app is impossible without designers.
• Quality assurance specialist. They are responsible for ensuring that the final application complies with established quality standards. 
• Project manager. They play a vital role in planning, executing, monitoring, and maintaining communication between other specialists and clients. 

Developing a dating app is a process that requires a complex approach, which can be ensured only by a carefully organized team.

How Much Does It Cost to Create an App Like Tinder?

The cost of building a dating application like Tinder depends on the hours spent by specialists. Assuming that the hourly pay of U.S. application developers is approximately $50, the following estimation can be made.

Type of operation	Total Hours	Price/Functionality
Design	90	$4,500
Mobile app development [Android or iOS]	452	$22,600
Backend development	238	$11,900
DevOps	25	$1,250
Testing	36	$1,800
Release	20	$1,000

It is possible to create an app similar to Tinder at a lower cost by hiring a dev team from other regions without compromising the quality. See the comparative table of developers’ hourly pay rates in other regions in the image below.

Weelorum provides first-rate full-stack location-based app development services for various industries that may require such a digital platform. We are highly attentive to each project’s details and aim to make competitive and outstanding applications. 

Find more details here.

How to Monetize a Dating App Like Tinder Did

It is vital to pay close attention to the means of monetizing while answering the question of how to make an app like Tinder.

• Freemium. This concept implies that users do not have access to premium options, but can buy, for instance, paid boosts and purchase custom emojis or GIFs.
• Paid subscription. Membership can be bought for a certain period, commonly a month, quarter, or year. It enables users to access premium options, such as unlimited swipes, super likes, taking last swipe back, and others.
• VIP membership. It is a more advanced type of membership that usually provides a client with a VIP band and some other exclusive options.
• In-app purchases. They are paid features, such as super-likes or profile boosts, that can be bought multiple times.
• Affiliate marketing. It is similar to traditional advertising, but you can join affiliate networks to show their ads in your app instead of partnering with a product owner.
• Advertising. It is usually integrated into the freemium model and implies showing users digital advertisements that they can get rid of after purchasing a membership.
• Virtual gifting. Users can send paid gifts to people whose profiles they like to encourage their matches.

Features of dating apps like Tinder do not only include benefits to its users but also to owners due to many ways to monetize a similar project.

Consider Weelorum Your Trusted Partner in Developing Your Mobile App

Weelorum is a team of expert developers who specialize in location-based apps. We provide full-cycle app development services. We start with a strong plan, follow up with UI/UX design, web and mobile development, QA testing, and Ruby/cloud backend, and finish with thorough analytics and support.

We are dedicated experts who care about the final product. Here are the many benefits you can expect from working with Weelorum.

• We have a complete team of experienced specialists covering any application development activity. We know exactly how to build a mobile dating app.
• We highly respect your privacy and security and never share your data with third parties.
• We regularly monitor the newest trends, so you can be confident that your application is the most innovative on the market. 
• We always aim to outperform our competitors by ensuring the highest quality of our services.
• We do not like to leave our clients uncertain: you will receive support on each partnering stage and will be able to monitor the whole development process.  
• We have extensive experience creating digital applications. We know how to code a dating app that will attract millions of users.

Partnering with Weelorum, you receive first-rate quality for your project and the closest attention to detail possible.

Final Thoughts

Creating a mobile dating app is a complex developmental process requiring the collaborative efforts of a complete team of dev professionals. Despite the initially considerable expenses that efficient and well-prepared dating apps require, they provide an owner with many options to monetize them in return.

Consider Weelorum your trusted partner in developing a location-based app that will outperform Tinder, Happn, Badoo, and other competitors. We pay close attention to factors of success of dating applications and put significant effort into the development of their functionalities on the advanced level.

FAQ

• What is the development time for apps like Tinder?

A basic one-platform version of a location-based app may take up to 5 months, while an advanced multiplatform version may require up to one year of development.

• How do you evaluate how successful your applications are?

We pay great attention to a project’s details in the planning stage to ensure it complies with the client’s requirements, the latest trends, and quality standards. After the development process is over, we rely on users’ feedback and keep an eye on any issues reported. Finally, we believe that the success of our application equals the satisfaction of its users.

• How do you find a middle-ground solution between making an app profitable and making an app convenient?

We understand the need to integrate such means of monetization as advertisements, which usually deteriorate users’ experience. However, we try to make them less unexpected and annoying and always recommend that clients balance means of monetizing and advertise products that are likely to interest their app users.