Although their fundamentals are similar, these two applications have some significant differences. However, over the years, Bumble and Tinder have begun to adopt each other's features and improvements to the point where they are almost the same. Tinder came first, but took some ideas from Bumble once it took off.
You may have seen the avobe graphic somewhere else, showing that Tinder has more searches than Bumble, but that graphic is telling you nothing about the demographics, which is what you really want to hear about. If you're a straight male, for example, you'd like as much straight females as possible, even if the overall headcount is lower. And Bumble has some features that may attract more straght females into it.
In general, Bumble seems to be more attractive for female users, as it gives them more control, but as none of this companies publish detailed demographics, the only way to know is by try and error.
Usability
Mobile apps are pretty similar. If you used Tinder before, you'll find that bumble is pretty is almost a copy. It looks like Bumble developers tried to be a bit more creative with their web versions, but in my humble opinion the result is poor. Tinder web is basically a copy of the mobile version, without any graphic designer trying to flex his skills, which in the end looks more intuitive and consistent.
Tinder vs. Bumble Algorithm
While Tinder argues that ELO algorithm has been deprecated, the fact is that most users find a very similar behavior, if not identical.
There's not much information about the Bumble algorithm, but it seems to have a similar behavior. I leave you here a little hint or testimony:
Therefore, the same tricks and considerations that apply to Tinder also apply to bumble.
Key differences
The fundamental difference between Tinder and Bumble is that the latter only allows women to start the conversation, men can only match and wait for them to take the first step.
If there is no conversation during the first 24 hours, the match is automatically undone. You'll see later on that Bumble's payment options allow you to extend this time.
Membership options
| Tinder Plus | Bumble Boost | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99/month for users aged 18-29; $19.99/month for users 30 and over | $9.99/month (no age restrictions) |
| Unlimited swipes | Yes | Yes |
| Undo | Yes (only back to the previous profile) | Yes (up to 3 profiles back; each “Backtrack” restores after 3 hours) |
| Control Who You See? | Yes (you can filter your list based on how recently they used the app) | No |
| Control Who Sees You? | Yes (only people you’ve already liked can see your profile) | No |
| Change location | Yes (“Passport” lets you search for matches in any location) | No |
| Show Liked You? | No | Yes |
| Other | Extends your matches by 24 hours |
Summary
As a general rule, you'll always have control if you're a woman [2], that's the hard truth that man have to swallow.
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If you're a woman, bumble definitely allows you to manage incoming messages better. It also requires you to take the initiative.
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If you're a man, you'll probably have a better chance with Tinder, since it has more users and, for man, it's a numbers game. Bumble is cheaper if you're over 29 though, and Bumble will filter out all those matches of woman seeking validation, since they have to take the initiative.