- Dating Advice
- Artist Dating Apps
Let us paint a picture for you. You just organized your first solo exhibition. You are displaying your work for the world to see and you couldn’t be happier, except—who will be attending with you? Who will hold your hand and champion you and build you up when you are nervous? Every great artist has a great love, and we want to help you find yours.
There are a lot of nuances that come with dating an artist, and we know you want to find a partner who understands that and supports you. That’s why we curated this list of the best dating apps for artists. Whether you paint, draw, play music, or are just a creative-type, these apps can help you find your muse.
1. eHarmony – Best Artist Dating App Overall
For creative types, connecting on a deeper level is arguably way more important than it is for everyone else. Finding people who are complementary to the things that make us unique is an absolute must. This is why we love eHarmony as a dating app for artists.
The matches on eHarmony are selected based on your answers to the personality matching questionnaire and how they compare with those of other people. During this process, eHarmony asks a lot of questions where they show you different designs, artwork, and abstract creations to see which you’re most drawn to. As far as we know, this is the only matching questionnaire out there that takes your artistic preferences and stylistic likes into consideration!
Here’s an example:
Additionally, there are several questions and profile fields where you can share your artistic interests, likes and dislikes, and your deal breakers.
Bear in mind that eHarmony will do its best to match you with similar artistic types, but that can be a challenging process that they (understandably) won’t always get right. Be okay with the fact that eHarmony isn’t only for artistic types, but is an environment where singles like you can thrive.
Here’s the big deal. With over 2 million people from all different creative disciplines finding love through the app, it’s no wonder that eHarmony tops the charts for dating apps for artistic singles.
➤ Try eHarmony
2. Hinge – Best Artist Dating App for a Creative Experience
Not only does Hinge have some of the most artistically creative commercials out there, but the entire app is designed on the premise of doing things a little differently than any other app out there. This starts with the profiles on Hinge where you can design the flow and structure of your profile to showcase what’s most important to you. It’s basically a dating profile that doesn’t force you to color in-between the lines, which is probably exciting to a lot of creative types.
Now, the cost of a Hinge membership has gone up as of recent as they added a new tier of membership. This is also on top of the fact that the membership doesn’t get you every available feature, but there are additional things available as premium addons. When you start to add up what it might cost you, it can get pretty expensive pretty quickly.
But, can you really put a price on love? Maybe. We’ll leave that up to you. Either way, we think Hinge is certainly a good artistic dating app worth considering. Much like eHarmony, though, it is also not exclusively for artists, so don’t go in with those expectations.
3. Zoosk – Artist Dating App With Over 35 Million Options
There is not many truer statements than the fact that no two artists are created equally. What this also means is that when it comes to the people who artists connect with and ultimately date romantically, they’re going to be pretty unique as well. That’s why we love Zoosk (and it’s 35 million+ members) for single artists.
Thanks to a suite of robust search filters and expansive user profiles, you’ll be able to search one of the largest databases of singles in the entire world to find the exact person you’re looking for. And what’s neat is that if you just want to date someone who has a creative spirit but isn’t an artist like you, they’re going to be there too.
Maybe the only thing we don’t like about Zoosk for artistic singles is that it might be too many options that could make it hard for you to decide. Still, though, with the filtering abilities, as long as you have a general idea of the realm of singles you’re interested in—this is a great thing.
And since Zoosk is available in over 80 countries and 25 different languages, if your special someone is actually international—you’re still going to be able to find them.
➤ Try Zoosk
4. Love Arts – One of the Few Artist-Only Dating Site Options
The last artist dating app on our list happens to be the only one that is exclusively built for artistic singles. The dating site (not an app) says it’s presented by “The Stage”, which is a UK-based theater website. While it’s neat that the app is created by someone in the arts industry, it’s pretty clear to us that they didn’t include someone with dating app experience on the team as there are several things that are misses for us.
First, Love Arts shows user profiles publicly to people without even the need to create an account. This is a huge red flag for privacy and security. Second, while Love Arts shares some success stories, they seem a little sus to us. Hard to validate the authenticity of these and there are no images and a lot of very generic information. We’re not saying they aren’t real; we’re just saying they don’t sit too well with us.
Ultimately, if you only want to date other artists and don’t even want to be potentially messages by someone who is not an artist, Love Arts could be for you. However, we still think that the more mainstream options with great filters and millions of artists are going to be a better fit than this option. We included it, though, because we wanted you to see the quality you get if you look for an artist-only dating option.
Reasons These Art Dating Sites are the Best
We’ve talked about why eHarmony tops our list of the best options, but we also provided several other options for consideration. And here’s something we think is important.
We never want you just to take our suggestions just because we say so! We always want to make sure you understand why we chose the options we did. On top of the normal reasons we love these dating apps (safety, security, track record, user experience, etc.), here are some art-specific or creative person-specific reasons we love these options.
- There are artists and creative people from all areas of the art spectrum. When we see the word artist, we think that encompasses all creative singles. Just because you do watercolors doesn’t mean you’re not going to jive with a musician or someone who does murals. Each of the art dating sites we’ve shared has these options for you.
- There is adequate space to express yourself. As you already know, artists love to express themselves. This becomes especially important in the dating context when you’re looking for someone who may end up being an influence on your art. The best dating apps for artists have space for you to share who you are, what drives you, and why your art is important to you. This may be as simple as text areas or even spaces where you can share examples of your art.
- They create a safe space. Yes, this is something that’s important for any dating app we recommend. However, it feels to us as it’s extra important when it comes to dating apps for artists because your emotions can have a major effect on your ability to perform or be creative. If an app isn’t safe or set up to support your creative mind, it could have a negative impact on your work, and we aren’t cool with that.
- You can color outside the lines. Most creatives love the ability to free flow through processes. When things are too rigid, it can feel stifling and really put a damper on a process. This holds true when it comes to online dating apps. While we understand some structure is required for things to work, we still want some freedom to handle the process how we want. For that reason, you won’t see dating apps with rigid communications processes, inflexible profiles, or unnecessary rules and guidelines.
- Options. If we had to identify one group of singles with the most eclectic and unique tastes, it would probably be artistic singles (which is awesome)! Because of this, it’s imperative that a dating app ideal for artists has lots and lots of options. That way, the chances of finding someone who fits exactly what you’re looking for is much higher. There’s a reason Zoosk is number on our list with over 35 million singles.
Should I Use a Traditional Dating App or One Made Just for Artists?
If you look around on the internet for more than two seconds, you will find a few niche dating apps and websites for artists (like Love Art that we mentioned above). You might be tempted to hop onto one of those trains for quick access to love, but you should probably hold off. Those apps might seem like a good idea, but they often attract the exact singles you don’t want – groupies, fetishists, and clout chasers.
Mainstream dating apps are far better alternatives for artists. The user bases are far larger and allow you to base your initial matches on your personality, then whittle them down with search filters to find your absolute best match.
Curious about those other niche dating apps? Of course you are. Creatives are always the most curious, and we love that. While we don’t really recommend many of them, here are some of the niche artist dating apps out there.
- Venn Social – With only 92 ratings and a 2.8 out of 5.0, Venn Social doesn’t seem to be too popular or too well liked. Technically, the app targets friends, dating, and business connections, which really makes it a bit muddy if you have a specific goal in mind. If you just want to connect with a few artists, maybe worth checking out. But if you’re serious about dating or want lots of options, this does not seem like a winner.
- DeviantArt – This is a strange one that we’re not totally sure if they’re a dating app or not. On parts of their site, they say that they are. However, when you go to their main link, it forwards to an artist portfolio type website. In all honesty, we’re just confused. We are pretty certain though this is not an effective platform for meeting artistic singles.
- Artfol – Again, not actually a dedicated dating app (and they don’t pretend to be), Artfol aims to be a social media network for artists. Definitely a cool concept, but it looks like adoption has been quite slow and certainly not a real option for scoring a date.
Artist Dating App FAQ
Should I Only Date Other Artists?
Of course not! The best partner is one that both matches and deviates from you. You need someone that understands your quirks, but is just different enough to help smooth out your rough edges. Sure, maybe a partner that gets annoyed at your hate for a schedule isn’t ideal, but one that helps motivate you to meet deadlines isn’t so bad.
When trying to find your true love, don’t think about someone’s labels – whether they are an artist or something else. Instead, focus on how their personality matches your and whether you can be truly happy together.
Should I avoid dating fans?
Often, when you start a relationship with someone who is a big fan of your work, you can find yourself constantly wondering if they truly love you. It is a shaky basis on which to begin your relationship. Now, that isn’t to say your partner shouldn’t be a fan of your work, but you will be able to tell the difference between a supportive partner and an obsessive fan. Here are some signs to watch out for that might mean your partner is too big of a fan:
- The first thing they say to you is about how big of a fan they are.
- They constantly introduce you with your credentials as an artist
- They use your status as an artist as a defining factor of their personality
- They ask you to stay in character or only refer to you by your stage name
What if my match hates my art?
We believe that a good partner is a supportive partner. They don’t need to love your artwork on a personal level. If they straight up tell you they hate your work, they are being disrespectful. We would recommend avoiding getting too close to someone who isn’t willing to treat you with more respect than that.
Is there a Tinder for artists?
When it comes to dating, no, there is not. However, there are art buying apps that have described themselves that way (like Fair Art Fair), but they have absolutely nothing to do with dating. It’s merely to connect collectors and artists.
Are there specific dating apps for musicians?
Yes, there are quite a few dating apps specifically designed for musicians, as well as dating apps that work well for musicians. We recommend checking out our musicians dating app guide for more information and specific examples.
Written By: Matthew J. Seymour, MSF
Matthew J. Seymour is a dating industry expert with over a decade of experience coaching singles, reviewing dating apps, and analyzing trends within the industry. Matt is a published author with his most recent work “Get More Dates: How to Master Online Dating Apps” that hit shelves in 2023. With a Masters of Science in Finance (MSF) degree from the University of Florida and extensive knowledge of the innerworkings of the online dating industry, Matt frequently serves in an advisory role to some of the largest dating apps on the market. In Matt’s current role with Healthy Framework, he leads the interview team that regularly interviews key dating industry leaders, and leverages his financial knowledge and dating app experience to review and share what singles need to know to get the most out of dating online.
Reviewed By: Grady Shumway, LCSW
Grady Shumway, LCSW is a licensed social worker with specialized training in the mental health areas of depression, anxiety, trauma, psychotic disorders, and various other diagnoses. Trained in cognitive behavioral interventions, motivational interviewing, and moral recognition therapy, and holding a Masters of Social Work from Arizona State University, Grady has extensive experience working with individuals and families through various life challenges. At Healthy Framework, Grady serves as a mental health and counseling expert assisting the editorial team in ensuring that dating advice articles, dating app recommendations, and other resources are inline with best practices and provide information in the most helpful manner possible to readers.
