How we compare

Most dating apps make money while you stay single. That is not a slight, it is their business model. These pages set out what each one is built to do, and where that leaves someone looking for a spouse.

• The Tinder alternative for marriage

  Tinder was not built for marriage. What changes when the app is.

• The Hinge alternative for marriage

  Hinge says it is designed to be deleted. Whether it is actually built for marriage is a different question.

• The matrimonial app alternative

  Marriage intent and family kept; caste filters, biodata and parent-run profiles left behind.

• The eHarmony alternative

  eHarmony pioneered compatibility matching. What it got right, what it got wrong, and what a modern version looks like.

• Muzz alternative

  The largest Muslim marriage app in the world, compared honestly. Two answers to two different questions.

• Shaadi.com alternative

  A love marriage with the same seriousness — no caste field, no gotra, no horoscope, no income column.

• Otterly alternative

  Two marriage-first apps compared honestly: how each introduces people, how members are verified, and what happens after the match.