Badoo vs Tinder – Which One Is Better?

Badoo and Tinder are known to be the most mainstream services for young people, as well as retirees, and overall citizens of all age groups from all over the world. These sites are equally made for casual dating, as well as for building long-term relationships. But why do users fight so much for these services? There have been hundreds of threads, thousands of articles, millions of testimonies about these sites and apps, yet we still don’t know which one is better.

Badoo is a free and publicly known dating app that is classified as “social media with the aim of uniting people.” It was created by a Russian entrepreneur Andrey Andreev back in 2006. Badoo wasn’t initially as popular as creators intended it to be, starting with Facebook apps and tests and making its way into the dating market. The company started to gain momentum in 2012 when over a million people had an account there. It was an instant hit among young Russians and then citizens of different countries, from Spain to Asia. At the present moment, Badoo has more than 250 million users in 190 countries, being an app, a dating site, and a brand of itself. But what about Tinder?

Tinder has been a major social media buzz, sparking conflict, along with praise, left and right. It also has been the most successful dating app since 2012. But why do many youngsters keep trashing a perfectly fine piece of social media, despite all the positive reviews? Is it the frustration connected to many choices? Is it the lack of desire to upgrade to Platinum or being too old for a teenage-driven dating service? What are the main points we all are missing while comparing the two?

What is the difference between Badoo and Tinder?

The main perk about Tinder everyone loves is its stylish and recognizable swipe system. Don’t you like the person? Just get rid of their face (sorry, contestant number 326) by swiping left. Want to smash or at least get the chance to meet them in person? Just swipe right to see if they like you back. Is it a match? Marvelous, now you can go on a date or discuss spicy topics. The main and the most genius idea about the dating world is the thought of reciprocity. Now you can avoid uncomfortable conversations, turning down someone’s offer. You can talk to someone who likes you back without the fear of going unnoticed. Additionally, you don’t have to bluff and fake interest. Of course, you can drop the connection after talking for a while, but with Tinder, you can at least be sure that both of you like each other physically.

Some individuals use this app to find true love and find it utterly disappointing to find out that most young people see this app as an opportunity for a one-night stand. However, just like in real life, you never know until you try. Those who are looking for a stable relationship say it’s alright to use Tinder since many dates turn out a total success, and there is a point in taking it one step further. Tinder is also a great way for a newbie in dating to explore all the fish in the sea because profiles have only basic information, so the portion of “seriousness” is taking down. The main swiping feature makes it seem like a game of chances. You don’t expect too much from the app; all you see is a gamble of photos. Connection comes further. Among other popular Tinder features are: Boost, Super Boost, Rewind to delete the like, Swipe Night, Tinder U, and many more.

On the other hand, Badoo looks like a high-profile but more traditional dating site. Although there is a swipe feature, it is limited. Badoo has stepped up the game recently, creating a real social media platform within a dating site. Here, you can watch live streams, visit profiles to read more detailed information, and even search for your lookalikes. On Badoo, you can see the normal, the more traditional version of a person’s profile with all the information including personal stuff, additional perks, and even quotes. You can also check visits to see who has been nosy on your profile, liking and lurking when you were absent. It has verification checkmarks and games, as well as the profile score. The latter can be a little intimidating as there is a low red bar of popularity which can look depressing at times. But you can boost your popularity by adding more information to the profile, being more active, and enhancing your account. Badoo gives us a broader vision of what a dating site should look like. This site and app also dwell on the idea of a strong relationship, mainly because the creator is Russian, so many visitors there look for a stable connection. However, hookups and casual dating are very much a thing here. But what is better, Badoo or Tinder? Let’s keep comparing the two.

Which one is better for men?

Men like to debate on the Tinder vs. Badoo topic for hours, thinking that a certain site is made with an idea of a hookup vs. a normal relationship. It is partially true, but not really. Let’s see.

Tinder is a site/app that was created to unite souls. There was no specified information about the purpose of its creation, neither was there any info on the “hookability.” But because of its policy of an instant swipe, the whole experience becomes more shallow. On average, we tend to perceive information within a second, so the overall choice is based solely on appearance. Men like the photo of a certain girl, then they proceed to swipe right. When they finally get a mutual swipe, they can talk to a woman and determine whether she has more to offer. However, Tinder has made the introduction part as short as possible, giving more space for second-guessing and taking away huge blocks of information on the profile page. It leads us to think that Tinder is a perfect place for hookups because the experience diminishes to seconds before you get a chance to talk. But despite the swipe system, we end up looking at the photo first anyway.

Badoo has a slightly different system. Here men can have a gallery of women that are in close proximity. They have hundreds of accounts to compare at the same time, scrolling and instantly connecting with the best choice. In some form, it saves a lot of time and makes the experience more selective. With Tinder, you see even a prettier choice after your last right swipe, but you might forget about the women you already picked. With Badoo, you have a display of all the girls at the same time. Tinder has a photo and video gallery, and Badoo has online streams, which is good mainly because people are presented as their un-photoshopped selves. Badoo lets you see an everyday automatic match, so this feature adds more spice to the user experience.

When it comes to finding a stable relationship, either Badoo or Tinder has a funky reputation. Both of these apps are known to have a one-night stand vibe, but Badoo has a diverse age range, leading us to believe older men are more into relationships while most Tinder users are under 30. The only major complaint about Badoo is its abundance of scammers who like to search for wealthy men, so that’s a no-no. Aside from these sad details, it’s safe to say that Tinder is great for hookups with younger girls, and Badoo can very well lead to a relationship, mainly because more older females are attending this app.

Which one is better for women?

On the other hand, women often complain that men use them for sex, so for most girls, quick hookups are instead an annoying disadvantage. Girls just want to have a good meal, chat in real life, and maybe opt for something better, like a night out or a relationship.

While Tinder is considered the safest app out there, men are indeed looking for sexual relationships here, making many girls unhappy. When it comes to the age range, Tinder presents many possibilities as the age gap between men and women progresses. It is likely to meet an older man on Tinder than a peer, which is the ultimate goal of many women. But because most users here are students and people under 30, women choose to migrate to Badoo to compare the age groups. What do we see there?

Many Badoo men are well over 30, so the defining concept and the dealbreaker for most girls are contingent. But because of safety reasons, they have to choose between finding a good catch and staying protected at all costs. Badoo is also great at giving women an opportunity to learn about the user. Since Tinder is more appearance-based, many girls stay confused about why they should talk to a certain mister. On Badoo, you can simply read all the information on a man’s page to determine if he qualifies for a connection.

Tinder vs Badoo – target audience

First, both Tinder and Badoo cater to mainly heterosexual young to middle-aged audiences from more than 190 countries. But every site/app has an exception, so here is the rundown of each site.

Tinder is an app mainly focused on heterosexuals, CIS-gendered men, and women. Tinder is popular in almost every country of the world. Therefore you cannot see the prevalence of Russians or Latinas, Americans or Europeans. It is a go-to app equally loved by all nationalities and races. When it comes to races and skincolors, Tinder loves all users: white, black, mixed, oriental, and every race possible.

Tinder is more accepting to the LGBTQ+ community. Here you can come across gays, lesbians, transgender people, as well as non-binary people. You can state your preference and there is no policy against it. As a user, you can search for both genders. The majority of users are males, but the percentage of men to women strives for equality.

Tinder caters to a younger audience. The legal age to begin dating on Tinder is over 18 years old, but you can choose to talk to any age group. Because this app has special features for students, it attracts many teens and youngsters.

On the other hand, Badoo is most prevalent in Russia, Latin America, North and Central America, and Europe, although it is available in most countries (over 190.)

Many users complain that Badoo is not a very queer-friendly site because moderators are blocking users, and the app won’t allow them to stream same-sex broadcasts to people. It is a place that does not allow you to search for the same-same connections as much as Tinder does which becomes the dealbreaker for most LGBTQ+ people. The majority of Badoo users are males.

When it comes to age groups, Badoo has a more diverse picture. Although most users are 19 to 30 years old, you can meet many 50+ members which is a good sign for users that strive for more mature connections. More senior members in search of a serious relationship may feel uncomfortable with fewer matching opportunities.

Interface and Usability

Because Badoo presents itself as a social media platform rather than a dating site, its interface is similar to Facebook-like media. However, comparing to Tinder, its design can be too bulky and complicated because of the interface. It has an older look due to all the messenger features not utilized or omitted. But again, Badoo creators wanted to leave all the user information intentionally to make connections less surface-level and more profound. When it comes to usability and interaction, Badoo is pretty user-friendly. You can log in within a second, access every panel in an instant, and interact with accounts intuitively. Badoo has a sidebar menu that lets users see all of their options. Unfortunately, the site doesn’t have many colors and interactive buttons, which makes it harder to get accustomed.

Tinder has a more modern take with all the interactive features like swipes and like buttons. However, you need to get acquainted with the swipe system before remembering what stands out for canceling, left or right swipe. Overall, Tinder has great interface. It is not bulky; all the features are nifty, hidden, or made with shortcuts. The layout is interactive, and most features will be understandable even for an older adult.

Pricing: which service is more affordable?

Although both Tinder and Badoo are a freemuim, which is a free app with premium features, most Badoo features are free. One month of Badoo premium will cost you 12.99 $. A three-months plan is 31.99 $. Finally, a half-year plan will be 47.99 $. Here, you can also buy credits for any paid feature you would like: