Raya vs Hinge and Happn vs Hinge: Which One Dating App is Better

Is there someone who has not tried their luck on online dating apps to find the love of their life? Well, maybe everyone. Dating apps can be your safe escape to not go through the endless lonely Valentine's Day.

So, in pursuit of the best dating apps for our next relationship, we came across two major dating apps, Raya and Hinge. Where one is one of the most exclusive dating apps catering to the needs of the elite, the other is a more mainstream platform with a larger user base and an entirely different dating scene in the UK for 2026.

Today we will compare everything from the user experience to matchmaking algorithms to help you decide which app is right for you.

So, whether you're looking for love, casual hookups, or serious relationships, join us as we explore the extraordinary worlds of Raya and Hinge dating apps.

How Does Raya Work?

Raya is an exclusive dating app for elite singles available on the App Store only. The app is considered a Soho House of dating, where you need a top-tier creative job and a sizeable Instagram following to get the highly scrutinised committee's acceptance.

Despite being a platform for Hollywood’s A-listers community, it is like any other dating app. However, getting into Raya requires a lengthy application procedure in which a committee considers many aspects, such as your “overall Instagram influence” and who nominated you, before making a final decision.

If you're deemed worthy of acceptance, you get to try your luck in the same dating pool as supermodels and celebrities in the entertainment industry.

The Raya profile has no "About" section, but you can upload a few photos, fill in a bio and connect your profile to your Instagram account. You can skip the bio, but an IG account is mandatory.

The major difference with a Raya profile is that it plays a slideshow of a user with a song of your choice. Once you have set up your account and liked someone, hit the like button, and if they like you back, you can start chatting with them.

Raya has the strictest privacy guidelines, where screenshots are strictly forbidden at all costs. Raya only offers paid membership which matches ambitious singletons with like-minded people working in similar creative fields.

Comparison of Raya and Hinge

Raya and Hinge are both popular dating apps, but they have some key differences in features, pricing, and user experience. Here's a comparison of the two:

Features

Raya is a more exclusive dating app than Hinge, as it is geared towards people in creative industries and has a more curated user base.

The app works by offering features such as “Community,” where members can connect and network with other creatives, “Concierge,” which allows users to get personalised matches, and a feature called “Explore,” where users can see profiles of users who are not necessarily in their immediate local vicinity but in other parts of the world.

Hinge, unlike other apps, is more geared towards people looking for a long-term relationship and offers features such as “We Met,” which allows users to provide feedback on their dates, and “Most Compatible,” which provides users with a daily match based on their preferences.

Hinge's free membership comprises filters, eight daily likes, messages with matches, and one rose a week.

Premium users receive unlimited likes, advanced filters, travel mode to see who's swiping in certain places, and unlimited backtracks in case you swipe the wrong way on someone, among many other features.

Pricing

Unless you're searching for something very particular, most applications provide a free, straightforward version to download and use. Raya is one of these applications that charges a subscription for all users.

Its subscription-based pricing model is one of the more unique in the market. In the UK for 2026, a standard Raya membership costs approximately £17.99 for one month, £84.99 for six months, and £114.99 for a full year.

Unlike Raya, Hinge offers a freemium model where users can access basic features for free but need to pay for premium features such as “Hinge+,” which allows paid users to see who likes them, and “HingeX,” which offers prioritized likes and enhanced recommendations.

In the UK for 2026, Hinge+ costs approximately £24.99 for one month, while HingeX costs around £44.99 for a single month. Discounts are available for longer-term commitments of three or six months.

User Experience

Raya and Hinge have user-friendly interfaces, but the user experience differs. Raya is an invite-only dating app with a more upscale feel, as users need to apply or get an invitation from current members.

It has a rigorous screening process that only admits a small percentage of applicants. Once accepted, users can view other members' profiles and swipe left or right to indicate interest.

On the other hand, Hinge is the perfect one to try if you're not into hookup culture. It emphasises conversation and connection-building. Users are encouraged to comment on specific parts of other users' profiles. They are limited in how many likes they can send daily, encouraging more thoughtful and intentional interactions.

Conclusion

If you are indecisive between the best dating apps out there, Hinge and Raya are two of the main options for online dating in the UK. Both offer dynamic features and opportunities to match with an ideal potential partner.

But both dating apps cater to different types of people. If you are frustrated with casual hook-ups and meaningless relationships, then Hinge is your best bet to explore endless options for dating. Hinge encourages users to create detailed profiles and connect with people based on shared interests and values.

However, join Raya if you want your potential partner to be from the creative industry. Raya focuses on quality over quantity, and its users typically seek serious relationships.

How Does Happn Work?

Happn is a dating app that works similarly to other apps like Tinder and Bumble, but with a unique twist. The dating site matches you with people you’ve passed or been in close distance to in real life. What sets it apart from other dating apps is that Happn uses GPS to track your location to find connections that live in your area, whether you're in London, Manchester, or a smaller UK town.

It's a dating app designed to track your location at all times, even when your app isn’t open, in order to connect you with matches that you pass by on the street. It works similarly to other dating apps where you can browse through profiles and swipe right on those you like and want to get to know better.

Features of Happn and Hinge

Happn and Hinge both have unique features that make the dating apps simple and beneficial to use when in search of a partner online.

Happn offers users a variety of features on its free version which include being able to find matches based on their location and using the geolocation feature to match with those closest to you.

Most dating apps rely on your location but don't use specific GPS features like Happn. Unlike other dating apps, you won't match with people too far out of your area and will find those you cross paths with regularly. You can easily match with users and start conversations and once you’re ready to meet, use the app’s video chat feature to chat with matches before getting together in real life.

The paid membership of Happn offers extra features like being able to see who liked you first and to program your invisibility, along with more features to help you find potential dates.

Hinge, on the other hand, allows you to use prompts to curate a solid Hinge profile that others can interact with and respond to when sparking up a conversation. The app encourages users to make meaningful connections and makes it easy to start conversations based on similar interests. The dating app also has a voice prompt feature, so you can record your voice and also listen to the voices of other profiles.

Prices of Happn and Hinge

Hinge and Happn both offer free versions of their online dating app that any user can use to find matches to get to know better. The apps both also have additional, exclusive features that users can pay for to boost their experience and find their potential partners quicker.

Happn offers a Premium version in the UK for 2026 that costs approximately £22.99 for 1 month, £65.99 for 6 months, and £109.99 for 12 months.

Hinge has two paid memberships you can opt for: Hinge+ and HingeX. Hinge+ is the less expensive option that offers unlimited daily likes, advanced match filters, and seeing everyone who has liked you. In the UK, this membership costs around £24.99 for 1 month, £49.99 for 3 months, and £74.99 for 6 months.

HingeX is the more expensive option that offers all the benefits of Hinge+, as well as a "Skip the Line" feature to boost your profile, prioritised likes, and enhanced recommendations. HingeX costs approximately £44.99 for 1 month, £89.99 for 3 months, and £129.99 for 6 months.

Experience of Happn and Hinge

Happn and Hinge both offer very different user experiences, which is what sets the two apps apart. Happn allows you to date closely to your location and find people based on GPS tracking. While you can meet those who you may have passed by in real life, if you live in a small village, you won’t have many matches compared to a major city like London.

There are generally fewer users on Happn than there are on Hinge in the UK, and Happn profiles tend to have less information and fewer prompts to use to start a conversation.

Hinge is easy to use and connects you with users based on your app activity, preferences, and the algorithm. The app allows users to have meaningful conversations based on prompts and pictures that make starting a conversation simple.

Verdict: Which App is Better?

Of the two dating apps, Hinge is a better app to use if you live in a smaller town, or want a long-term relationship. It's the best dating app if you want to find actual dates and want something more than casual dating or a hookup in the UK for 2026.

There are more active users on the app to connect with, and you’re not limited to matches that are based purely on your immediate geolocation.

With Hinge, you don’t have to worry as much about the intense tracking features of Happn and can start fun, easygoing conversations on the app based on the interesting prompts the app provides, or by commenting on someone’s photo.