--- title: "Dating Apps or Social Networks? The Monetisation Dilemma" description: "48% of users use dating apps to meet new people. Platforms must rethink monetisation as non-romantic use cases rise." lang: en-GB json-ld: | [ [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "NewsArticle", "headline": "Dating Apps or Social Networks? The Monetisation Dilemma", "description": "48% of users use dating apps to meet new people. Platforms must rethink monetisation as non-romantic use cases rise.", "abstract": "48% of users use dating apps to meet new people. 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[Home](/) 2. [News](/news) 3. [Data & Analytics](/news) 4. Dating Apps or Social Networks? The Monetisation Dilemma ![A person holding a mobile phone displaying a connection app interface with options for dating and platonic friendship.](https://images.pexels.com/photos/7339183/pexels-photo-7339183.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=1200&h=220&fit=crop&fm=webp&q=50&dpr=1) A person holding a mobile phone displaying a connection app interface with options for dating and platonic friendship. [Data & Analytics](/news?category=data-analytics) # Dating Apps or Social Networks? The Monetisation Dilemma By [DII Data Team](/author/data-analytics)· February 24, 2025· 6 min read [](https://x.com/intent/post?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.datingindustryinsights.com%2Fnews%2Fdating-apps-double-duty-social-hubs&text=Dating%20Apps%20or%20Social%20Networks%3F%20The%20Monetisation%20Dilemma)[](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.datingindustryinsights.com%2Fnews%2Fdating-apps-double-duty-social-hubs)[](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.datingindustryinsights.com%2Fnews%2Fdating-apps-double-duty-social-hubs) A A ## Key Points - • Kaspersky research from 2021 revealed that 48 per cent of dating app users accessed platforms simply to meet new people. - • Bumble introduced its dedicated BFF friendship mode in 2016, but the platform has not publicly disclosed specific revenue figures for this mode. - • Match Group maintains strict portfolio segmentation across Tinder and Hinge, whereas Grindr explicitly embraces non-romantic social functions for its core audience. - • The UK Online Safety Act and EU Digital Services Act require platform operators to assess safety risks associated with features like travel companionship. The dating industry faces an uncomfortable question: are operators still running dating platforms, or have they quietly become social networking utilities with romance as just one use case among many? That matters because the entire monetisation architecture rests on the presumption that users want romantic outcomes badly enough to pay for them. Friendship seekers operate under different psychological incentives, and the urgency that drives a subscriber to pay £29.99 per month for unlimited swipes may simply not exist. ![People using dating apps on mobile phones](https://images.pexels.com/photos/7341892/pexels-photo-7341892.jpeg) People using dating apps on mobile phones More recent behavioural data suggests the trend has sharpened. Gen Z members and LGBTQ+ users are leading a shift towards non-romantic applications: travel companionship, professional networking, even hobby-based friendships. The 'dating app' label, built on a foundation of romantic matchmaking, is starting to look like a category error. Premium subscriptions, boosts, SuperLikes—these are conversion tools designed to accelerate romantic matching. They're not necessarily in a hurry, and the psychological drivers that convert romantic seekers simply don't translate to platonic contexts. ### Create a free account Unlock unlimited access and get the weekly briefing delivered to your inbox. Register free No spam. No password. We'll send a one-time link to confirm your email. The DII Take > The platforms that fail to segment these use cases properly will watch [ARPU](/glossary/arpu) erode without understanding why. Bundling romantic dating, platonic friendship, and travel companionship into a single interface might look like user flexibility, but it's more likely to become a monetisation trap. Friendship doesn't convert like romance does, and operators who treat all connection types as fungible are building their pricing models on quicksand. ## [Bumble](/news/bumble-lawsuit-over-preventable-data-breach) Already Blinked Bumble's decision to spin out BFF mode as a separate product track was an early acknowledgment of this tension. Launched in 2016, BFF allows users to toggle into a friendship-seeking mode within the same app, complete with dedicated matching algorithms and a separate conversation interface. The company has framed this as product innovation, but the strategic read is more revealing: Bumble recognised that romantic daters and friendship seekers have fundamentally different expectations and usage rhythms. What Bumble hasn't publicly disclosed is how BFF mode monetises relative to its core dating product. The company doesn't break out BFF-specific revenue in earnings calls, which suggests either the numbers aren't material or they're not flattering. Investors on BMBL earnings calls have pushed [Whitney Wolfe Herd](/people/whitney-wolfe-herd) and [Lidiane Jones](/people/lidiane-jones) on this before, asking whether non-romantic features dilute focus or cannibalise paying subscribers. ![Friends meeting through social connection apps](https://images.pexels.com/photos/6848406/pexels-photo-6848406.jpeg) Friends meeting through social connection apps Other operators have made different choices. Match Group (MTCH) has largely kept its portfolio segmented by intent: Tinder and Hinge for dating, with no serious adjacency into friendship or networking. [Grindr](/news/Malaysia-blocks-grindr-blued-websites) (GRND), by contrast, has leaned into the reality that its platform has always served multiple social functions for gay and bisexual men—hookups, dates, friends, and community information. ## The Safeguarding Gap Nobody's Talking About Expanding use cases beyond romantic dating creates a trust and safety problem that few platforms have openly addressed. Verification systems, photo moderation, and behavioural fraud detection were designed with romantic and sexual contexts in mind. The risk model assumes users are meeting for dates, not sharing travel itineraries or meeting strangers in foreign cities. > Travel companionship is the sharp edge of this. A user seeking a local guide in Bangkok or a hiking partner in Reykjavik is engaging in a fundamentally different risk calculus than someone meeting for coffee in their home city. The safeguarding infrastructure—ID verification, post-date reporting tools, integration with local law enforcement—was not built for cross-border, multi-day interactions between strangers. Platforms that allow this behaviour without re-engineering their safety protocols are courting regulatory attention and worst-case liability. The Online Safety Act (OSA) in the UK and the Digital Services Act (DSA) in the EU both impose risk assessment obligations on user-to-user platforms. Those frameworks require operators to identify and mitigate foreseeable harms tied to platform design. If a dating app is de facto operating as a travel companion matching service, regulators will expect safeguards fit for that purpose. ## Who Wins If Romance Is Optional? The competitive implications cut in different directions depending on whether you're an incumbent or a challenger. For Match Group, the shift could validate its portfolio strategy: if users want different apps for different connection types, the conglomerate model wins. Hinge for serious relationships, [Tinder](/news/tinder-names-vccp-uk-social-agency) for casual dating, and hypothetically a future acquisition or build for friendship or networking. ![Travel companions meeting through apps](https://images.pexels.com/photos/6833569/pexels-photo-6833569.jpeg) Travel companions meeting through apps For Bumble, the risk is greater. The company's brand identity is built on reinventing dating for women, and its product expansion into friendship and professional networking (Bumble Bizz, which quietly disappeared from marketing materials) suggests uncertainty about where the core value proposition actually lies. If Bumble becomes a general-purpose connection platform, it competes with Facebook, Meetup, and LinkedIn—not exactly a compelling pitch to investors already skittish about BMBL's valuation. Challengers and niche platforms may find opportunity in vertical focus. A platform purpose-built for travel companionship, with safeguarding designed for that context and monetisation based on trip planning rather than match acceleration, could carve out defensible space. The question is whether these verticals are large enough to support venture-scale businesses or whether they remain features in search of a platform. ## What Operators Should Watch Usage pattern divergence is the leading indicator. If session frequency and duration among non-paying users is rising whilst conversion to paid subscriptions is falling, that's a signal that your platform is being used for lower-intent connections. Cohort analysis will show whether friendship seekers ever convert to romantic daters, or whether they represent a separate, less monetisable user base. Retention curves matter too. Romantic daters churn when they couple off—a [known](/news/known-raises-voice-ai-dating-offline) and accepted dynamic. Friendship seekers may exhibit entirely different retention behaviour, potentially longer tenures but lower lifetime value. Platforms that don't segment these cohorts in their unit economics are flying blind. The industry's identity crisis is ultimately a business model question. Dating apps were never just about technology; they were about monetising urgency, hope, and loneliness in the romantic context. Friendship and networking carry different emotional economics. Operators who assume the same playbook will work across all connection types are [facing growing user fatigue](https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/matchmakers-see-rising-demand-as-uk-dating-app-usage-drops/), especially as [platforms experiment with group dating features](https://www.ft.com/content/6d383cc2-0256-423e-8bf9-e85c20607e25) to counter declining engagement. The shift toward [apps serving as social lifelines beyond romance](https://www.globaldatinginsights.com/featured/uk-daters-embrace-apps-as-social-lifeline/) suggests the industry may need to fundamentally rethink what it's selling—and to whom. ## Key Takeaways - • Dating app operators bundling romantic matchmaking with platonic networking risk eroding average revenue per user due to lower conversion urgency among friendship seekers. - • Compliance teams expanding platforms into travel companionship must adapt safeguarding infrastructure to satisfy liability obligations under the UK Online Safety Act and EU Digital Services Act. - • Investors monitoring Bumble face uncertainty regarding whether non-romantic features cannibalise paying subscriptions while positioning the app against major utilities like LinkedIn and Facebook. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What proportion of users access dating apps for non-romantic reasons? ### How does Match Group approach platonic networking on its apps? ### Does Bumble disclose revenue generated from Bumble BFF? Cite this article [Funding & Investment](/tag/funding-investment)[Earnings & Results](/tag/earnings-results)[Monetisation](/tag/monetisation)[Regulation & Policy](/tag/regulation-policy) D [DII Data Team](/author/data-analytics) Data & Analytics Desk The DII Data Team maintains the publication's trackers, market data and analytical reference hubs for the online dating industry. [More articles by DII Data Team](/author/data-analytics) ### In this article - [Bumble Already Blinked](#section-1-bumble-already-blinked) - [The Safeguarding Gap Nobody's Talking About](#section-2-the-safeguarding-gap-nobody-s-talking-about) - [Who Wins If Romance Is Optional?](#section-3-who-wins-if-romance-is-optional) - [What Operators Should Watch](#section-4-what-operators-should-watch) ### Mentioned in This Article Companies [![Known logo](https://img.logo.dev/name/Known?token=pk_K6hdbPRcTQSnsRNEiZ-Ymg&size=64&format=png&fallback=monogram) Known Dating Platform ](/companies/known)[![Grindr logo](https://img.logo.dev/grindr.com?token=pk_K6hdbPRcTQSnsRNEiZ-Ymg&size=64&format=png&fallback=monogram) Grindr Dating Platform GRND $10.72 ▼-0.80% ](/companies/grindr)[![Seeking logo](https://img.logo.dev/seeking.com?token=pk_K6hdbPRcTQSnsRNEiZ-Ymg&size=64&format=png&fallback=monogram) Seeking Dating Platform ](/companies/seeking)[![Match Group logo](https://img.logo.dev/mtch.com?token=pk_K6hdbPRcTQSnsRNEiZ-Ymg&size=64&format=png&fallback=monogram) Match Group Dating Platform MTCH $31.42 ▼-1.20% ](/companies/match-group)[![Bumble logo](https://img.logo.dev/bumble.com?token=pk_K6hdbPRcTQSnsRNEiZ-Ymg&size=64&format=png&fallback=monogram) Bumble Dating Platform BMBL $4.87 ▲+3.40% ](/companies/bumble) People [![](https://wljexrfnabxcmtcyztnv.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/profile-images/51d07e8e-2265-41dc-acf5-1a16dc9c8c67.jpg)](/people/lidiane-jones) [Lidiane Jones Former CEO ](/people/lidiane-jones)[![Bumble logo](https://img.logo.dev/bumble.com?token=pk_K6hdbPRcTQSnsRNEiZ-Ymg&size=32&format=png&fallback=monogram)Bumble](/companies/bumble) [![](https://wljexrfnabxcmtcyztnv.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/profile-images/b7c19751-ec26-4013-bdbb-33be27e30ed1.jpg)](/people/whitney-wolfe-herd) [Whitney Wolfe Herd Founder & CEO ](/people/whitney-wolfe-herd)[![Bumble logo](https://img.logo.dev/bumble.com?token=pk_K6hdbPRcTQSnsRNEiZ-Ymg&size=32&format=png&fallback=monogram)Bumble](/companies/bumble) Products [![Tinder logo](https://img.logo.dev/tinder.com?token=pk_K6hdbPRcTQSnsRNEiZ-Ymg&size=64&format=png&fallback=monogram)Tinder ](/products/tinder)[![Hinge logo](https://img.logo.dev/hinge.co?token=pk_K6hdbPRcTQSnsRNEiZ-Ymg&size=64&format=png&fallback=monogram)Hinge ](/products/hinge)[![Grindr logo](https://img.logo.dev/grindr.com?token=pk_K6hdbPRcTQSnsRNEiZ-Ymg&size=64&format=png&fallback=monogram)Grindr ](/products/grindr-app) ## Trending in Dating Tech 1. 1 [![A man and woman with a noticeable age gap talking during a date.](https://images.pexels.com/photos/20026102/pexels-photo-20026102.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=96&h=96&fit=crop&fm=webp&q=50&dpr=1)](/news/women-men-open-to-older-dating) [Tawkify's Age Gap Data: A Quantified Double Standard in Dating](/news/women-men-open-to-older-dating) 2. 2 [![A young adult looking thoughtfully at a smartphone dating app profile while sitting at a brightly lit outdoor cafe.](https://images.pexels.com/photos/16959686/pexels-photo-16959686.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=96&h=96&fit=crop&fm=webp&q=50&dpr=1)](/news/tinder-thailand-campaign-challenges-performative-dating) [Tinder's Thailand Campaign Admits Swipe Model's Flaws. Retention Crisis Looms?](/news/tinder-thailand-campaign-challenges-performative-dating) 3. 3 [![A mobile phone displaying a dating app verification screen beside Japanese legal documents.](https://images.pexels.com/photos/7339183/pexels-photo-7339183.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=96&h=96&fit=crop&fm=webp&q=50&dpr=1)](/news/misleading-profiles-japan-dating-apps) [Japan Made Dating App Fraud Illegal. The Rest of the World Is Watching.](/news/misleading-profiles-japan-dating-apps) 4. 4 [![Sprite soft drink cans featuring the Tinder logo displayed on a retail shop shelf.](https://images.pexels.com/photos/29336185/pexels-photo-29336185.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=96&h=96&fit=crop&fm=webp&q=50&dpr=1)](/news/tinder-launches-sprite-packaging-promotion) [Tinder's Sprite Partnership Signals That Brand Revenue Is Plugging a Growth Gap](/news/tinder-launches-sprite-packaging-promotion) 5. 5 [![A concerned smartphone user reviewing a dating app notification on screen.](https://images.pexels.com/photos/16994607/pexels-photo-16994607.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=96&h=96&fit=crop&fm=webp&q=50&dpr=1)](/news/elitesingles-suddenly-shutting-down-april) [EliteSingles' Sudden Shutdown: A Grim Signal for Spark Networks](/news/elitesingles-suddenly-shutting-down-april) ### Create a free account Unlimited access — delivered weekly. Register free No spam. No password. 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[← Previous Article LELO's Age Filter Claim: Marketing Spin or Real User Shift? ](/news/survey-finds-dating-app-users-expanding)[Data & Analytics](/news?category=data-analytics)[Next Article → Mylo's AI Assistant: A Wake-Up Call for Bumble and Grindr ](/news/mylo-ai-wingman-dating-app-fatigue)[Technology & AI Lab](/news?category=technology-ai) ## More in Data & Analytics [View all →](/news?category=data-analytics) [ Daily News Wire ![A person holding a smartphone displaying a dating app profile alongside a professional film production camera setup.](https://images.pexels.com/photos/29763531/pexels-photo-29763531.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=600&h=340&fit=crop&fm=webp&q=50&dpr=1) ### Hulu's 'Swiped' Could Be Bumble's Unintentional Marketing Coup Bumble app revenue flat at $208M in Q1 2025, with paying users declining 3% to 3.8M Tinder generated $1.84B in 2023, rep… Friday 15th August · 1 min read Read → ](/news/hulu-releases-trailer-bumble-founder-biopic)[ Technology & AI Lab ![A smartphone user accessing a digital dating application next to abstract artificial intelligence networking graphics.](https://wljexrfnabxcmtcyztnv.supabase.co/storage/v1/render/image/public/media/posts/698f5511-5695-4962-94db-f09cf3a33f12.jpg?width=600&height=340&resize=cover&quality=75&format=origin) ### Grindr's AI Claims: Revenue Diversification or Genuine Innovation? Grindr CEO claims AI generates 70% of the company's codebase—a claim no other major dating platform has approached Premi… Friday 20th March · 1 min read Read → ](/news/grindr-2026-roadmap-focuses-gai)[ Financial & Investor ![A smartphone displaying the Tinder application interface alongside corporate branding for Match Group SPARKS 2025.](https://wljexrfnabxcmtcyztnv.supabase.co/storage/v1/render/image/public/media/posts/3b56da7d-6bc8-4f9e-8479-5b960d47abcc.png?width=600&height=340&resize=cover&quality=75&format=origin) ### Match Group's SPARKS 2025 Is a Structured Bet on Tinder's Relevance Match Group will host its first-ever standalone product event, SPARKS 2025, on 12 March 2025, focused exclusively on Tin… Thursday 5th March · 1 min read Read → ](/news/tinder-first-ever-product-event-march)[ Data & Analytics ![A person holding a smartphone displaying a dating app with options for profile boosts and digital purchases.](https://images.pexels.com/photos/29537773/pexels-photo-29537773.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=600&h=340&fit=crop&fm=webp&q=50&dpr=1) ### Dating Apps' Revenue Shift: Microtransactions Over Subscriptions 75.8% of dating app revenue now comes from one-time purchases rather than subscriptions, according to analytics firm Ada… Friday 21st March · 1 min read Read → ](/news/adapty-unveils-dating-app-monetisation-insights) ![](https://images.pexels.com/photos/29763531/pexels-photo-29763531.jpeg) Up next: [Hulu's 'Swiped' Could Be Bumble's Unintentional Marketing Coup](/news/hulu-releases-trailer-bumble-founder-biopic) [](/news/hulu-releases-trailer-bumble-founder-biopic) ![Dating Industry Insights](/assets/dii-logo-footer-B-hNTbau.webp) B2B intelligence for the online dating industry. 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