To be honest, neither of them is especially likely to lead to a relationship. Tinder and Badoo are level on seriousness in our ratings, both with two points out of five. Both are built for meeting people quickly, and both have users with very mixed intentions. Choosing between them isn’t choosing the more serious app, it is choosing the reach that fits you better.
This head-to-head is still useful. Both apps have lots of people, and among lots of people there are some who want something lasting. So the question is: where will you find them more easily, and when is it better not to search on either of these at all?
Scores by criterion
The scores come from our comparison of all six apps, on a scale of 1 to 5. How we rate
| Scores by criterion |  Tinder |  Badoo |
|---|---|---|
| Seriousness | ||
| Fair pricing | ||
| Gender balance | ||
| Albanian fit | ||
| Verification | ||
| Usability | ||
| Privacy | ||
| Reach | ||
| Overall | 2.8 / 5 | 2.6 / 5 |
Intent: two apps with a casual reputation
Tinder is one of the best-known dating apps there is. You see a photo, decide with a swipe, and if you both say yes, you match. Many people are there without a fixed plan, some want something casual, others a relationship.
Badoo is one of the oldest dating apps and is used in many countries. Besides browsing individual profiles, it shows you people near you. There too, intentions are mixed, from chatting and casual dates to a relationship.
On both, it is up to you to make your intent clear. Put it in your profile in plain words, not tucked away in a half-sentence, and ask early what the other person is looking for. On these apps that isn’t rude, it saves you both time.
The road to a first conversation
On Tinder the conversation starts after the match, and anyone can go first. The chat often stays empty because both people wait. If you are serious, write first and pick up on something specific, a photo or a line from the bio.
Badoo gives you several ways to come across someone: individual profiles one after another, and a view of people nearby. That brings plenty of contacts fast, but little reason for a good first line. Here too, the only fix is to find one yourself.
Neither Tinder nor Badoo ties first contact to a particular part of the profile. That is why so many conversations on both end after three messages. There is no reason to talk, and so no direction.
Cost: tight on both
Both apps are free to use, and both make money from paid subscriptions and from one-off extras that make your profile more visible. If you want to see who has already liked you, you need a subscription on either. In our ratings they are level and near the bottom on fair pricing.
If you use them for free, you soon notice on both that much of what makes everyday use easier is tied to the subscription. That is no secret, it is the business model. For you it simply means the free version is enough to meet people, but not to search comfortably.
For a serious search, money is rarely well spent on these two. More visibility gets you more eyes, not more people who want what you want. If you pay at all, wait until you feel a real bottleneck.
Safety and privacy
Tinder and Badoo both offer optional selfie verification and mark the profiles that pass. In our ratings they are level and mid-table on verification. Since the check isn’t mandatory, you will meet unverified profiles on both.
On privacy both score poorly in our ratings. So take time over the settings: what is linked to other accounts, how precisely your location is shown, what is public in your profile. On big, open apps your profile is seen by many people you will never meet.
The bigger an app is, the more attractive it is to people with bad intentions. Stay in the app’s chat at first, never send money, and meet somewhere public the first time. Anyone who soon tells you about an emergency or pushes you straight onto another messenger isn’t looking for a relationship.
Where the two differ
On reach and usability Tinder is one point ahead on each in our ratings. Tinder is used practically everywhere, has the biggest user pool in our comparison and makes sense without explanation. Badoo is big too, but offers more paths through the app, which makes it feel busier.
On Albanian fit Badoo is one point ahead. Neither has a cultural focus, but Badoo is widely used in the Balkans. If you live there or spend a lot of time there, Badoo may show you more people nearby.
On everything else they are level: intent, cost, gender balance, verification and privacy. So choosing between them is mostly a question of where you are. Try which one shows more people around you who suit you.
What both are good for, and when neither is
Both apps are good at showing you who is out there at all. After a move, in a small town or while travelling, that can be worth a lot. A relationship can start this way too, if you say clearly what you want and move conversations towards a date fairly quickly.
Neither is the right choice if you are set on a committed relationship and live in a city where relationship-minded apps show enough people. Then sifting through Tinder or Badoo costs you more time than it gives back. In our comparison Hinge and embla lead on seriousness.
If swiping has worn you out, switching between these two won’t help much either. The mechanics stay the same, only the faces change. Then it is worth trying an app that ties contact to something specific rather than to a quick glance.
Verdict
For a serious relationship we recommend neither as a first choice. On intent, cost, verification and privacy they are level in our ratings, and rather weak across the board.
If it has to be one of them, take Tinder for the biggest choice and the simpler design. Take Badoo if you live in the Balkans or spend a lot of time there and Tinder shows fewer people there.
If you live in a city with enough choice and want a committed relationship, you are better off starting with a relationship-minded app like Hinge. If you are specifically looking for an Albanian partner, start with an app with a cultural focus. Tinder and Badoo then become the backup for places where hardly anyone else is around.