Best dating sites & Dating apps in Switzerland

As internationals, we often find it hard to make connections in new countries, especially in the world of dating. Thankfully in the age of the internet, there are many apps and websites that can help you with that first interaction. Here is our one-stop guide to dating and dating apps in Switzerland:

Dating apps in Switzerland

If you’re looking for ways to connect with people at any time and in any place, dating apps are the place to go. You can swipe, scroll and message at your convenience, and since there are many different dating apps that are popular in Switzerland, there’s sure to be something that will target your needs.

Tinder in Switzerland

Tinder, one of the most popular dating apps in the world, is unsurprisingly the most popular dating app in Switzerland. As soon as you’ve downloaded the app and created a profile, you can swipe left and right to your heart’s content and hopefully find a good match!

Badoo

With over 554 million users looking for love worldwide, Badoo has a tried-and-tested formula of showing you nearby users who share similar interests to you and allows you to choose your matches by swiping left or right making it easy to find good potential romantic interests in your specific Swiss city. 

Bumble Switzerland

Bumble allows women to make the first move when it comes to sending that first, possibly quite awkward message. After making a match, female users have 24 hours to send a message to their potential romantic partners, meaning men have to watch and wait to find out if it’s a true match. Unlike traditional apps that are restricted to dating only, Bumble allows users to make connections for friendships and business too.

Gay dating apps

While there are not many Swiss-specific gay dating apps available, many large dating app companies have settings that target matches towards your specific interests. There are also a number of internationally available gay dating apps such as Romeo - which specialises in finding matches for gay, bisexual and trans people - as well as HER - which focuses on lesbian, queer, bisexual and straight women, non-binary people and transgender people who are looking for love.

Best dating sites in Switzerland

Don’t fancy an app? No need to worry, there are plenty of great dating websites out there in Switzerland that you can try. Most dating websites are quite straightforward to use, just make a profile and start making connections!

OkCupid Switzerland

OkCupid is pretty popular in Switzerland, despite its origins as an American social media site. The website focuses on meaningful interactions through conversations rather than using photographs as other apps and websites tend to do. 

Facebook Dating Switzerland

Facebook Dating was launched in Europe in 2020. Despite being a relatively new service, the app has gained traction quite quickly as it allows users to connect with others seeking romance on Facebook's social media platform. Users can filter results based on location, number of children, religion, age or height and can match with other users within a 100-kilometre range.

Match

Match is another internationally popular dating website that offers services in multiple languages which makes it the perfect site for online dating in Switzerland. Match has been providing online dating services for more than 27 years and therefore boasts itself as one of the longest-running dating websites in the world.

Free dating sites in Switzerland

Unfortunately, even love doesn’t show up for free online. Many apps and websites charge users registration fees and offer better opportunities for potential matches if you pay for extra features. Thankfully there are still a number of free dating apps and websites available such as Tinder, Bumble, Match and Badoo, but some may offer extra features with a payment.

Tips on dating in Switzerland

The idea of jumping into dating in another country where you don’t speak the language or know many of the local customs can be daunting for us expats, but don’t let it stop you from getting out there and meeting some potential matches. These are our top tips to help get you started on the Swiss dating scene!

Swiss dating culture

Swiss dating culture is similar to that of many other Western European countries - think Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, etc. This means that very often men and women will both choose to split the check after a date, and both partners are usually a little reserved until they get to know each other a little better. 

On a first date, good chatter usually revolves around trying to get to know one another without asking probing or personal questions and instead taking a general interest in that person’s hobbies or career, etc. It is not unusual for women to make the first move in Switzerland, but it is not customary to date a number of people at the same time in Switzerland, as may be the case in other countries.

Swiss men and Swiss women

Both Swiss men and women can be a little reserved and are not known to have an especially romantic reputation like the French or Italians do. But, once Swiss men and women open up, they can be fun to date! Initial interactions can give the impression that the Swiss are cold, but they are merely a little reserved and want to wait before opening themselves up to new people - although these observations are by their very nature over generalisations.

Swiss men and women are a reflection of the country itself and come in all shapes and sizes. Thanks to the diversity of Switzerland, its men and women are a truly great showcase of what the different cantons, regions, languages and cultures of the country have to offer. 

Try out these dating apps & sites

Now you know what to look for and how you should expect a date in Switzerland to go, it’s time to pick a dating app or website and get going. Good luck with your matches!