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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Plenty of Fish vs Hinge Dating App

Plenty of Fish 4.3★ · Free + IAP 40
Winner Hinge Dating App
Hinge Dating App 4.4★ · Free + IAP 65

Hinge Dating App is generally preferred for making real connections and has a better user experience, despite recent complaints about paywalls, while Plenty of Fish struggles with a high number of fake profiles and technical issues.

Full reviews: Plenty of Fish · Hinge Dating App

Hinge Dating App, with a higher lifetime rating, is praised for facilitating genuine connections and relationships, though users are increasingly frustrated by new paywalls and restricted free features. Plenty of Fish, despite its free options, faces significant criticism for an abundance of scammers, fake accounts, and persistent app glitches, making it a less reliable choice for many.

Head to head

Effectiveness in Finding Matches/Relationships edge: Hinge Dating AppR15R29R37R50
Plenty of Fish Plenty of Fish has helped some users find long-term partners and even spouses, with some describing it as a great place to meet someone special and find true love R29R50. However, many users report difficulty getting matches, feeling the algorithm doesn't connect them with people who like them, and that the app is a "waste of complete time" for swiping R15R37.
Hinge Dating App Hinge is highly effective for finding serious relationships, with many users reporting they met their husband or future spouse on the app . Users appreciate that it encourages engagement and is less superficial than other dating apps .
Prevalence of Fake Profiles/Scammers edge: Plenty of FishR2R3R4R10
Plenty of Fish Plenty of Fish is widely criticized for having a massive amount of scammers, bots, and fake accounts, with some users claiming 99% are scammers R2R3R4R10. Users often see bios with Telegram numbers, which are identified as red flags R13.
Hinge Dating App Hinge also has reports of fake profiles and bots, with users mentioning profiles using the same responses and having fake Instagram links . Some users feel that many women on the app are fake .
Ease of Use and Features edge: Hinge Dating AppR1R7R9R33
Plenty of Fish Plenty of Fish is described as confusing, with users not understanding the matching system and receiving messages from inappropriate age groups R1. The app is also reported to be glitchy, with messages not loading, requiring reinstallation, and sometimes not opening at all R7R33R39R49. Some users complain about not being able to delete liked profiles without blocking them R9.
Hinge Dating App Hinge is generally considered easy to use . However, users have requested features like the ability to specify the number of children , a search feature for conversations , and more political belief options . There are also complaints about not being able to filter by distance effectively .
Free vs. Paid Features and Value tieR3R5R15R18
Plenty of Fish Plenty of Fish offers some free options, but users often feel pressured to pay to see likes or get more communication R3R5R15R18. Many find the subscription expensive and feel it doesn't offer enough perks, with some being charged incorrectly or unable to message even after paying .
Hinge Dating App Hinge is increasingly criticized for moving previously free features behind a paywall, such as filtering options, the undo button, and the ability to like more profiles R66. Users feel it's becoming a "subscription only app" and a "cash grab," with expensive upgrades R66.
Account Issues and Moderation tieR1R4R19R34
Plenty of Fish Plenty of Fish has issues with account bans, with users reporting being banned for unknown reasons or after being reported by others R1R4R34. There are also complaints about poor moderation, with reported accounts not being watched and harassment issues . Some users experience login problems and unreceived password reset emails R19.
Hinge Dating App Hinge users also report being banned for no clear reason, sometimes due to revenge reports or after being inactive . Some users struggle with the biometric scan during account creation or find their phone number is already linked to another account .
Pick Plenty of Fish if

you are looking for a free dating app and are willing to navigate a high volume of potentially fake profiles and technical issues, hoping to find a genuine connection among them R5R29.

Pick Hinge Dating App if

you prioritize finding serious relationships and appreciate an app designed for deeper engagement, even if it means encountering more paywalls for advanced features .

Evidence note: Both apps have a significant number of positive reviews from users who found long-term partners, which balances out the negative experiences. However, the volume and consistency of complaints regarding scammers and technical issues on Plenty of Fish are considerably higher.

Frequently asked

Which app is better for avoiding scammers?
While both apps have reports of fake profiles and scammers, Plenty of Fish receives significantly more complaints about a high volume of scammers, bots, and unverified accounts, making Hinge a slightly better option for avoiding them R2R10R13R22.
Can I use these apps effectively for free?
Plenty of Fish offers some free options, but users often feel limited in messaging and seeing likes without paying R3R18R24. Hinge, while historically offering many free features, is increasingly moving them behind paywalls, making it harder to use effectively without a subscription R66.
Which app is more reliable in terms of technical performance?
Hinge generally has fewer complaints about technical issues, though some users report problems with biometric scans or message bugs . Plenty of Fish, however, is frequently described as glitchy, with issues like not loading, crashing, and messages not coming through, making it less reliable R7R33R39R49.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R15] Plenty of Fish 3/5 · US Likes but won’t match: The algorithm in plenty of fish is 🚮 they don’t match you ever with people that like you. In which enforces payment to purchase to see likes. I’m not doing that just to see results. I feel like this app is a waist of complete time. You can swipe for hours an still get nothing. Idk what is worse. This app or tinder 🤦🏽
  2. [R29] Plenty of Fish 5/5 · US I found true love: Against all odds, I find my soulmate on POF dating site
  3. [R37] Plenty of Fish 1/5 · US They don’t show you to your matches: Decided to test it out for the past few weeks. 30+ with more likes than views. Swiped on literally everyone and have yet to get a single match. Screw this shy
  4. [R50] Plenty of Fish 5/5 · US Amazing: After a few disappointing dates from this app, I met my husband. We've been together for 8 years and I've never been happier!
  5. [R2] Plenty of Fish 4/5 · US There are fake people here.: One conversation a few days the question became repetitious but he would deny they were. The questions seem as if they were program because looking back at his msgs they were exact same wording. Blocked! But in honesty; I did meet some nice interesting people
  6. [R3] Plenty of Fish 3/5 · US Offers verification but not required!: Cannot filter all unverified accounts. Saw alot of complaints of fake accounts and seemed to be many I believe to be fake. Just a breeding ground for scammers. Also subscribing does not open uou up to more communication. One message a day for free! Money Hungy!
  7. [R4] Plenty of Fish 1/5 · US Garbage: They ban real users while letting scammers and blackmailing extortionists thrive on here I made an account and the next morning i was banned for some reason
  8. [R10] Plenty of Fish 1/5 · US Plenty Of Scammers: 99% scammers
  9. [R1] Plenty of Fish 1/5 · US Confusing: I didn’t understand how the matching system worked and ended up gaining messages from men 40+. I am 20. I had no say on who could message me. I had got annoyed so I started trolling one of the old guys, I was reported and banned from the app right after. Catering to weird old men is wild and the matching + messaging system should be changed.
  10. [R7] Plenty of Fish 2/5 · US Not working: Tried to get it and is not opening
  11. [R9] Plenty of Fish 3/5 · US Upgrades: Allow us to delete someone we’ve liked without having to block them. If I contact women someone and they don’t respond I would like to be able to delete them without having to block them. Also I’m only interested in
  12. [R33] Plenty of Fish 3/5 · GB Glichy: this site is very glitchy, it’s not the first time I’ve been on Plenty of Fish, and it was better before it does not work unless you read a situation where you have Wi-Fi which is very annoying. This never used to be a problem a few years ago when I was on it before. sometimes messages don’t come on from other people straight away and the timeline makes you look inconsistent. This could af
  13. [R5] Plenty of Fish 4/5 · US Very good: Gives you options that you would otherwise have to pay for. Very good range of people, not huge on pressuring you to pay
  14. [R18] Plenty of Fish 3/5 · US No Limit: Stop limiting customers to one message in a 24hour. If you have not signed up with your service.
  15. [R19] Plenty of Fish 1/5 · US Poorly Made: Created an account last night, swiped for a few minutes and went to bed. I woke up this morning and I was logged out! Strange, but even stranger is the fact that PoF is NOT accepting my password (I saved it so I know it is correct). I clicked on reset password through both the app and a browser, and I still have received no password reset email. However, when I try to create a new acc
  16. [R34] Plenty of Fish 1/5 · US Not good: Signed and few minutes after I got removed for no reason after verification
  17. [R13] Plenty of Fish 1/5 · US A lot of scammers/bots: Plenty of Fish has many scammers and bots here; you can tell because their bios often include a Telegram number, which is a major red flag even in 2026. I still have to deal with that nonsense as if it were the Myspace days. Come on now. The development team should do better, the software should improve, the project manager should be doing a better job, and the product owne
  18. [R22] Plenty of Fish 1/5 · US Terrible: A massive amount of scammers and fake accounts. Do not use this app. Threats of blackmail, stalkers, etc. 0 stars. This should be illegal.
  19. [R24] Plenty of Fish 3/5 · US Ok for free: Can be very laggy & doesn’t make sense when you pay for the subscription service you don’t get unlimited messaging. I have no idea what perks I get for paying…
  20. [R66] Hinge Dating App 3/5 · US Slowly turning to a subscription only app.: Back a year ago, you could filter between what someone’s looking for ex. Short term, long term, etc. Now you can’t. That’s fine and all but they just removed the ability to reverse an accidental X / decline. I always thought this was the best dating app and always vouched for it and recommended it to everyone for the ability to do absolutely everything f
  21. [R39] Plenty of Fish 3/5 · GB It’s ok: I’ve used pof for years now on and off, recently signed up again and it’s very glitchy! I log in it won’t load properly I then have to uninstall and reinstall it thinking it’ll fix it, nope every time I open a message I have to close the app as it glitches and now every morning it tells my to upload photos and all my conversations are gone! Super annoying when u have to do that.
  22. [R49] Plenty of Fish 2/5 · US App is down: Not sure how great this dating app is since I just created an account last night. The app isn’t loading at all. Just a blank, light pink-salmon page.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store