No unicorn hunters allowed: The best dating apps for bi people

Dating as a bisexual person is more than checking off men, women, and people beyond the binary in your "Show Me" settings on Tinder. Especially when it comes to dating apps, it can involve speaking with people who believe stereotypes about bisexual people (such as that they can't be monogamous), or people who fetishize them (like unicorn hunters — more on them below). While the assumption is that bisexual people have double — or more! — the options of monosexual (straight and gay) folks, the reality is that if someone's match doesn't understand their sexuality, they face rejection. 

As bisexual Reddit users will tell you, if anyone on a dating app has a problem with your bisexuality, they're telling you who they are from the get-go — and that's the beauty of dating apps. There's no need to go on several dates before the truth comes out; you can figure it out from the safety of your home.

Not all is lost, though. You can find plenty of open and accepting people on dating apps, as well, and many of them — from Hinge to HER — allow users to specify whether they're bisexual. But which dating app to choose?

What is the best bisexual dating site?

It depends. There's no doubt that the most mainstream dating apps like Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble cater to a heterosexual audience. If you don't mind that — or, as a bisexual, you're more into dating other genders at the current moment anyway — you might enjoy those apps more. As those apps have a more general appeal and are well-known, they also have more users than apps that cater to the queer community. (Then again, that could be because the queer community is smaller than the straight one.)

You may, however, want an app that is more LGBTQ-focused. There's HER which is for the sapphic community (women who love women), and Archer which is more focused on men who love men, to name a couple. 

There are a handful of smaller dating apps that are purely for bisexual daters: BiCupid and Bindr (if this isn't your first dating app rodeo, you can tell where they got their names). The former boasts over three million downloads on its website, but the App Store reviews don't paint the best picture. The latest complaints are about getting suspended once downloading the app, not enjoying the user experience, and not thinking the $30/month subscription is worth it. 

In an email to Mashable, BiCupid confirmed that it offers numerous features to free users like browsing profiles, sending likes and "winks," setting basic filters, and responding to private messages. Any member can share daily activities with "Moments," and comment, like, and reply to posts without restrictions.

BiCupid also acknowledged that finding nearby matches can be a challenge in less-populated areas, and the app is working to expand its user base and improve the matching algorithm. In terms of fraud accounts, reported activities are reviewed manually by a team.

Bindr has more positive reviews on the App Store, but these reviews are fewer and far between. Bindr's CEO and co-founder Mary Richardson told Mashable in an email that they have hundreds of thousands of users and millions of unique visitors/downloads. Due to Redditors saying that there aren't many people on Bindr, however, it's not on our list at this time. 

Consider whether you're looking for something more long or short term, as well. Hinge has a reputation for being a relationship-focused app, for example, while Tinder is more well-known for hookups. Of course, that's not always the case (people have found their spouses on Tinder and hookups on Hinge), but adjust your expectations accordingly. 

Dating as an out bisexual person

If you fear being "queer enough" to put "bisexual" in your dating app bio, don't. Dating apps can be a way to explore your sexuality, and it can feel lower-key than going to a gay club or coming out to your loved ones. As executive director of the Kinsey Institute, Justin R. Garcia, told Mashable in a story about women discovering their queerness using these apps, dating apps "allow people to dream" in an "unprecedented" way, offering "a window into a world of possibility." This possibility could be dating as an out and proud bisexual person!

Know about the risks going into it: stereotypes, fetishization, and the overall safety precautions every dating app user should take. If you're aware of these factors ahead of time, dating as someone who likes multiple genders can be fun. 

With that being said, here are the best dating apps for bisexual people.