The 10 best free dating apps that wont charge you just to send a message

If you're on a budget, don't panic.

You don't need to shell out hundreds of dollars a year on dating apps to find a genuine connection.

Dating itself is already expensive enough, so why should the apps eat at your wallet, too? While some platforms roll out premium tiers that cost as much as a car payment (looking at you, Grindr ), you don't have to resort to buying credits or dating an AI bot just to save cash.

Some of the best dating apps are still free to download and use, and even though some have features that are only free for women, we found $0 options for everybody.

But you do have to be smart about which apps you download.

Some platforms claim to be "free" but immediately lock basic communication behind a paywall.

Take eharmony , for example — you can spend 20 minutes on their quiz only to realize you can't even unblur a match's photo or send a message without paying for a premium subscription.

Other niche options are disappearing entirely, like Match Group's queer dating app Archer, which shut down in June .

SEE ALSO: I had a Grindr sugar daddy for a day.

Then he tried to get a refund.

What dating apps are completely free? The good news is that mainstream staples like Tinder , OkCupid , and Hinge still have functional free tiers that let you match and chat without spending a dime.

Lex is also a great option for the queer community.

We tested out the best free dating apps to find the ones that really work.

Use them to find your forever partner , a casual encounter , or something in between — all without handing over any cash.