There are a few dating apps that allow you to message for free.

My favorite free app right now is Hinge. While it is a swipe app, it isn’t a mutually reliant swipe app like Tinder or Bumble. That means you don’t have to wait for someone to swipe back on you before you can message them.

Tinder and Bumble can both be used without having to pay, but be careful about how you use them. Mutually reliant swipe apps are video games designed to keep you chasing the dopamine hit you get whenever “It’s a Match!” pops up on your screen. It is very easy to fall into a trap where you swipe indiscriminately trying to get more matches, instead of focusing in on reading the profiles and only swiping on people you think you may actually get along with.

If you are looking for something that is more of a traditional dating app experience (longer profiles, a little higher level of relationship intent) OKCupid and POF are going to be the best ones available to you. OKCupid is technically free, but free members have to like someone’s profile to find out if they’ve been sent a message by them. That can be a frustrating experience for a lot of people. POF is similar to Match, but without the paywall. I find that the database is a little lower quality than on Match, but you can still find great people.

I hope this helps