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Dating & Social · head to head

Happn vs Plenty of Fish

Happn logo

Happn

Dating & Social

Find the people you've crossed paths with

From
Free
Rated
-
Plenty of Fish logo

Plenty of Fish

Dating & Social

The largest dating site for singles

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Happn high volume of fake profiles, bots, and scammer accounts; Plenty of Fish high prevalence of fake profiles and bot accounts despite phone verification
  • They diverge on capability: Happn covers Crossed Paths, Plenty of Fish covers Free Messaging.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Happn and Plenty of Fish actually diverge.

Attributes where Happn and Plenty of Fish differ
AttributeHappnPlenty of Fish
PlatformsiOS, AndroidWeb, iOS, Android
Founded20142003

Identical on both: starting price (Free), pricing model (Unknown), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Dating & Social).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Happn

  • Crossed Paths
  • FlashNote
  • CrushTime
  • Video Call
  • Invisible Mode
  • Audio Messages
  • Spotify
  • Instagram

Only in Plenty of Fish

  • Free Messaging
  • Chemistry Test
  • Meet Me
  • Ultra Match
  • Live Streaming
  • Video Chat

Both cover

  • Ios support
  • Android support
  • Web support

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Happn

  • High volume of fake profiles, bots, and scammer accounts
  • Poor match quality and low likelihood of resulting in actual dates
  • Limited user base in smaller cities and non-urban areas
  • Security concerns with location-based technology revealing user movement patterns
  • Subscription and billing issues with poor customer service response

Plenty of Fish

  • High prevalence of fake profiles and bot accounts despite phone verification
  • Inconsistent moderation allows scammers to evade detection
  • Desktop website features advanced search not available in mobile app
  • No social media integrations for profile enrichment

Pricing, plan by plan

Happn

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Happn review.

Plenty of Fish

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Plenty of Fish review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Happn if

  • You need crossed paths.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on iOS, Android.
  • You also want flashnote.

Choose Plenty of Fish if

  • You need free messaging.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want chemistry test.

Questions people ask

Is Happn or Plenty of Fish better?
Neither clearly leads. Happn starts at Free and Plenty of Fish at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Happn or Plenty of Fish?
Happn starts at Free and Plenty of Fish at Free.
Does Happn or Plenty of Fish run on more platforms?
Happn runs on iOS, Android. Plenty of Fish runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Happn for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What can Happn do that Plenty of Fish cannot?
Happn covers Crossed Paths, FlashNote, CrushTime, Video Call. Plenty of Fish covers Free Messaging, Chemistry Test, Meet Me, Ultra Match. Both handle Ios support, Android support, Web support.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Happn: Is Happn free to use?

Yes, Happn is free to download and use. Premium membership is optional and unlocks features like seeing who has liked your profile and sending FlashNotes to people you haven't matched with.

Source
Plenty of Fish: Is Plenty of Fish completely free to use?

Yes, Plenty of Fish offers free account creation, profile search, and messaging. Premium subscriptions are optional and add features like ad removal and advanced filters.

Source
Happn: How does Happn's location matching work?

Happn shows you profiles of people you have crossed paths with in real life. The app uses GPS to detect when two users are near each other and displays their profiles when this happens. Your exact location remains hidden to other users.

Source
Plenty of Fish: What platforms does Plenty of Fish support?

Plenty of Fish is available on Web, iOS (17.0 or later), and Android. There is no native Windows desktop application.

Source
Happn: What is the cost of Happn Premium?

Happn Premium pricing varies by region. In the US, a one-month subscription costs approximately $29.99, while in Europe it ranges from €34.99 for one month to €94.99 for a 12-month subscription.

Source
Plenty of Fish: Does Plenty of Fish require phone verification?

Yes, Plenty of Fish requires phone number verification during signup to reduce fake profiles and improve security.

Source
Happn: What premium features does Happn offer?

Happn Premium allows you to see who has liked your profile, send up to 10 FlashNotes per day to people you haven't matched with, make audio and video calls within the app, and access other advanced features.

Source
Plenty of Fish: What does the free tier include?

The free tier allows users to create a profile, upload photos, search and browse profiles, send and receive messages, and view who likes them.

Source

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