In India, going on a date with a stranger you met online was considered as a strange concept -- frowned upon, even today. But, millennials are now embracing internet more than ever and with the rise of smartphones, the young generation in India is now leading the charge on transforming the dating industry and are making online dating universally accepted. While matchmaking is one of the oldest industries in existence, online matchmaking is now creating a momentum of its own. According to a recent report from Google, dating related searches in India are growing much faster than matrimony queries. While there are plenty of dating apps looking to draw men and women together and to match them with one another, here, we bring 5 best dating apps in India.

Tinder

Available on iOS and Android.

With over 30 billion matches, Tinder is one of the best dating apps landed in India. The main USP of the app is its unique algorithm that matches you with a person in less than a minute. The app uses Facebook to log in and to build a user profile with photos that have already been uploaded on the Facebook. The app then gathers basic information and analyses the users' social graph. Then, users who are compatible based on geographical location, number of mutual friends, and common interests are then revealed as a list of matches.

The users can like (by swiping right) or dislike (by swiping left). And if both the parties like each other, a match is made. Users can write about themselves a short bio, or link an Instagram or Spotify account. You can also change your search results on the basis of age, distance – but this option is only available for Premium users.

The app also includes features such as mutual friends and the super-like option. In June of 2017, Tinder launched Tinder Gold which is a members-only service, offering users access to its most exclusive features including Passport, Rewind, Unlimited Likes, five Super Likes per day and one Boost/month, among other profile controls. With a wide user base and a high rate of matching users, it’s no wonder Tinder tops the list of best dating apps in India.

Truly Madly

Available on iOS and Android.

India’s own dating app, Truly Madly has also created waves in the online dating industry thanks to its popular advertising campaign and is considered as an alternative to Tinder. Unlike Tinder, the app helps you find a match based on common interests, rather than just populating searches using just distance and age. The app also has a great security built-in and keeps your images safe. You can also ask your friends to endorse you for a better trust score that leads to a higher number of conversations with your matches.

The main difference between Truly Madly and Tinder is that Truly Madly uses trust-based scores to verify its users. The app uses Facebook profile to login and you can also verify yourself with other platforms, your phone number and even upload offline photo-ID to get more points. The app’s algorithm first checks that you are single and active on social networks, and your score further increases. The features and the match rate, the app offers makes it in our list of best dating apps.

Azar

Available on iOS and Android.

With over 100 million downloads, another online dating app Azar has till now made 30 billion matches till date, making it another best dating app in India. Azar works on the idea of face-to-face and is focused towards video chatting with your matches.

The app rides on its video chatting service. According to Azar, many people in India are still too shy and avoid showing their physical selves to others. Thus, the people at Azar has come with a solution -- you swipe and video chat. And, the app is bigger and bigger with each passing day.

Aisle

Available on iOS and Android.

Aisle stands out from this list as the app requires the user to pay in order to connect with a match. While this might disappoint few users, the feature helps the app to make sure people are coming to it for a serious relationship. That being said, if you have received an invite from another user, you can connect for free.

Unlike Tinder, the app might take some time before it generates some matches as creating a profile on this otherwise user-friendly app, is a tedious task. The app asks for partner preferences such as do you want your partner to be ‘Passive or Aggressive’, which might not always fit the fill. But, if you fill out specifically, the app has the ability to match you with a high prospect, making it one of the best dating apps for users looking for a serious relationship.

­Happn

Available on iOS and Android.

Happn is another location-based online dating app with an interesting match making concept similar to ‘Love at first sight.’ The app allows you to struck a match with people you have crossed path in real life. If you have crossed someone attractive, you can instantly check if he or she is on Happn. If there is profile of the desired person, you can send the secret like. And if the other person also does the same, you are matched to talk. Thus, on Happn you are likely to meet a someone you liked with the in the first look and have the courage to talk in person.

While you can also use basic profile and photos, but the idea of crossing someone at a random place at a random time and then having a chance to date him/her, is what makes Happn different from other dating apps.