We do not have an honest figure that ranks online dating against every other way people meet, and any number without a named source deserves doubt. What can be said is that it is very common. a dating coach says almost every man and woman will spend part of their dating life on these apps, and many marriages and relationships now start online. For a man, the better question is whether it is the best use of his evenings.

What we can say, and what we cannot

The one claim we can stand behind is that online dating has changed the dating situation, and a large share of it has moved onto apps. a dating coach says it is amazing how many marriages and relationships now start online, and that a man who ignores the apps is being inefficient.

That is a statement about how common it is, not a count. Whether it is first, second or fifth among all the ways people meet depends on the age group, the country and who is asked. Nobody on this side of the screen has a clean number, so we do not offer one.

Which apps are the most used

Popularity differs by place. Tinder has a very large user base, which tends to mean quick answers in bigger cities. Hinge is built around written prompts and suits men who want something longer lasting. Each is popular somewhere and thin somewhere else.

a dating coach says the picture changes by region. In a lot of places in Europe he says Tinder is quite good and nearly the only app people use, while in the United States he says Hinge tends to be better in big cities. That is one experienced man's read, not a measurement.

So when you ask where online dating is most popular, the useful answer is which app is popular in your own city. A national popularity list will not tell you that.

Hinge's own help page lists the countries where it runs, including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, India and Mexico. A list like that tells you where an app is available. It does not tell you how many people use it near you, so check the app in your own town before you trust any ranking.

Popular does not mean easy

A crowded place is not a friendly place. On the apps, a few men do very well and a lot of men struggle. a dating coach says the average man gets an average result, which is very few matches.

That is not a reason to avoid them. It is a reason to be good at them. He also says online dating has been one of the easiest ways to meet a lot of good women in your area on a regular basis, as long as your photos and your page are doing their job.

The question that matters

Most popular does not mean best for you. What matters is how many dates you get for the time you spend.

Try this. Over two weeks, use one app steadily and write down how many conversations you started, how many became a plan, and how many dates happened. Compare that with an equal stretch of meeting women another way, such as friends, events or talking to a woman in person.

Your own numbers settle it better than any survey.

Why the apps are still worth using

Even if apps are not first among all methods, they hold a few quiet advantages for a busy man. They are open all evening and every weekend. They let you see a woman's photos and a few written lines before you spend any effort. And they let you filter by what you want.

They also have a cost. They are crowded with other men, and women have many options. A man who treats them as a lottery gets lottery results.

Activity matters too. a dating coach says that on a day he gets on and spends half an hour, he gets some matches, and on a day he does not log in he might get none. An app that sees you rarely has little reason to show you to women, so a popular app rewards the man who actually turns up.

Do both

The strongest position is not to pick. Run your apps well and still meet women in the rest of your life, so one does not depend on the other.

Work on your photos, keep your page honest, be picky about whom you like, and move quickly toward a plan. Then spend the rest of the week out in the world.