Dating as a millennial is tough for everybody, but if you’re a young Black professional who has explored the avenue of online dating, then more than likely you’ve felt the pangs of frustration while looking for love online. This is partially due to the lack of quality brown-skinned men and women on traditional dating sites.

Finding a potential mate can be hard when a majority of online users don’t look like you do.So to help you all out a bit, I’ve listed the best Black dating app alternatives to popular online dating apps, in hopes that we will cease being the generation that just can’t get dating right.

Soulswipe

User: Looking for friends with benefits, maybe more.

Android and IOS

If there’s one thing online daters can agree on it’s that traditional online dating sites are severely lacking in soul. Soulswipe, an urban alternative to Tinder, aims to change that. In my experience on Tinder, hot Black men with a genuine interest in dating were few and far between, which meant way too much thumb time swiping left. On SoulSwipe, you still have to weed out people looking for genuine connections from those men and women who are only down for the physical aspect of dating, but, you can get to the right person faster due to the fact that the users are all black. If you are looking for someone of any race to date, then more power to you, but, for those of us who have committed ourselves to the idea of finding a hot black mate, SoulSwipe might be the way to snag them.

Meld

User: Open to possibilities

Android and IOS

Another pitfall of online dating is that it can be hard to find somebody who meets your expectations. I think we can all agree that having a decent job or education are things that people naturally might look for in somebody they would like to date. Meld helps weed out potential bums by ensuring that every user has a LinkedIn account and a bachelor’s degree. Not having a degree or a LinkedIn does not mean you’re a bum, but in the world of online dating, one can never be too careful. Meld is geared toward the Black professional community in the same way Christian Mingle caters to Christians. If dating or being a professional is not your thing, then Meld is not the app for you. To get started, all a user has to do is verify their LinkedIn and Facebook, and create their dating criteria. Once this is done, you can begin the process of liking user profiles. Once a mutual like is attained by two users, they can use the app to send each other messages. Keep in mind, if you block a user on Meld it’s for life, so block carefully.

Real Black Love

User: Looking for a lasting relationship

Android and IOS

Real Black love is the go-to app for those of us who are seeking a real relationship. It offers a refreshing alternative to the pervasive hook up culture that seems to have taken over the dating lives of most 20, 30, and even 40-year-olds. What’s cool about Real Black Love is that it’s not just about the app, but the brand experience.  Their website contains relationship advice, memes, quotes, and even a couple of the month. The fact that this is a paid app where every profile is monitored, and that people’s interests are genuinely put on display through the use of profile questions, you can rest assured that you will find serious people who want a relationship and not just a hook up.

How many of you have tried online dating? Share your experiences below!

Elizabeth Aguirre is a technology professional with more than 8 years experience working in the software industry. Currently, Elizabeth is pursuing an M.S. in E-commerce at DePaul University and works as a consultant for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing in Chicago. She is on a one-woman mission to empower small business owners through the use of technology. When she’s not being a cool mom to her daughter Esther, she enjoys tweeting and mediation.