The best 420-friendly dating apps will spark up your love life

Who it's for:

If you're tired of seeing "not looking for anything serious" on Tinder or Bumble, Hinge offers a refreshing approach to online dating that's a little more in-depth than swiping aimlessly — that is, without making you answer a ton of corny questions like the older, more full-fledged dating sites do.

The app blew up after its redesign in 2016 and has stayed a staple for singles between 18 and 35 who want to connect on something past initial mutual attraction (and past their love of weed).

Why we picked this:

As the app that’s “designed to be deleted,” Hinge is definitely hoping the smoke sesh sparks a connection that leads to something more. 

While it still has users' photos and biographical info to swipe through, it goes the extra mile to make first impressions and initial engagements feel a little cozier than a right swipe. Unique profile prompts give users a chance to showcase their sense of humor or intentions without the pressure of having to write a bio from scratch. Viewers of your profile can also give a little taste of their own wit by being able to reply to any specific portion of your profile, whether it's one of your responses or a photo.

While plenty of more "classic" dating apps out there will work well for those in the cannabis community, Hinge separates itself from the bunch as the only "relationship app" that actively matches singles based on cannabis compatibility. In the case of 420 folks, stances on marijuana use (as well as harder drugs) are one of the advanced compatibility markers in the app, though applying those advanced filters to your search only comes with the paid version of the app.

Hinge has even looked into how disclosing your marijuana usage on your profile affects your prospects. On this score, we have good news and bad news for stoners. Revealing you’re a cannabis enthusiast might increase your chances of receiving matches by 10 percent — if you’re under 25 years old, according to a study performed by the app. If you’re over 25, your likes decrease by 25 percent. And a predilection for weed decreases likes by 35 percent for those 40 or older. The more you know!

The app's newer features, "Hidden Words" and "Your Turn Limits," also show how dedicated Hinge is to creating a more respectful space for online dating. "Hidden Words" lets you filter out comments and "likes" that contain certain words or emojis. You can set as many as you'd like, and if someone does use one of these words, their comment or "like" will be hidden. It's kind of like having a personal bouncer for your dating life, keeping out the negativity and letting in the good vibes. With "Your Turn Limits," Hinge helps keep conversations flowing. If you've got eight unanswered messages in your inbox, you'll need to reply or unmatch with someone to keep swiping. It's a clever way to encourage genuine connection and reduce ghosting.

Read our full review of OkCupid.

Who it's for:

OkCupid isn't the old-school dating site you're picturing. It's a dating app where you can search for matches using terms like "420" and find people who are open about their cannabis use. It's actually become one of the more modern, left-leaning dating apps, fostering a chill, inviting space where pot enthusiasts can filter potential matches based on smoking preferences. Other filters rooted in social justice, like a pro-choice profile badge, make OkCupid a pretty liberal atmosphere that's ideal for folks who prefer dating people who share their politics (or their love of weed).

Due to other inclusivity built-ins like a robust list of ways to identify, OkCupid is also one of the best dating apps for queer people that's not officially geared toward queer people. (And it's our top pick for the best free dating app, too)

Why we picked this:

OkCupid is a tried-and-true dating service that has 20 years of perfecting its matchmaking algorithm under its belt. Despite its household name that's reminiscent of the gushy dating sites of the early 2000s, OkCupid remains hugely popular after a 2019 rebrand began targeting a young, sex-positive audience with a chic interface redesign, a refreshed profile-building process, and witty, inclusive ads.

The platform has a questionnaire that asks about the expected stuff, like physical attributes and sexual preferences, then gets to know you with more fun questions about, say, your favorite type of movie, whether you're outdoorsy, and, of course, about your relationship with marijuana. With any of these answers, OkCupid also has you indicate which answers to these same questions you'd accept from a potential match. If you smoke but are fine with meeting someone who doesn't (as long as they're cool with you doing it), this is a convenient feature.

OkCupid earns major bonus points for offering a feature where you can search for keywords in people's profiles — try "420," "weed," and "cannabis" to easily find other smokers on the site.

Read our full review of AdultFriendFinder.

Who it's for:

Damn, Grindr would be a genius name for an app just for joint rollers and bong hitters. It's actually the best dating app for gay cannabis enthusiasts looking for like-minded guys. Particularly, men seeking no-strings-attached hookups will have no shortage of options, though gay folks, non-binary folks, and trans folks looking for anything from a platonic smoking buddy to a serious relationship are definitely on here, too. Just state your intentions and your 420 friendliness in your bio.

Why we picked this:

Consider this: The top response to a popular Reddit post from 2022 asking if there are any stoner dating apps simply states: "There is, it's called Grindr." Obviously, Grindr isn't a dedicated app for stoners, but the famously NSFW environment and highly open-minded user base are no strangers to inclusivity, including about drugs. In fact, you'll almost certainly encounter users looking to party and play with harder substances than marijuana.

As a location-based app, Grindr shows you other users looking for ASAP hookups in your area. And because it's the go-to hookup app for gay men, it has a large and active user base even outside of major cities, which isn't always the case with queer dating apps.

We've also heard that the fast-paced-ness could also be an easy way to find someone who sells in a pinch, especially while traveling. Speaking of travel, the new "Roam" feature lets you temporarily change your location to somewhere else (literally anywhere in the world) so you can chat and connect with locals before your trip.

Who it's for:

High There! is less of a dating site and more of a 420-friendly social network where people who really know their stuff can connect. (Generally, we recommend steering clear of so-called 420 dating apps.) If you're not so much looking for a stoner soulmate as you are to meet someone who can get into the weeds about weed, High There! could be a place to look.

However, a word of caution: High There! isn't nearly as developed of an app or a community as the other apps we've included in this guide. Anyone willing to give this niche service a try needs to be OK with potential app glitches, a not-so-saturated feed, or dead profiles.

Why we picked this:

Of the few (and mostly underdeveloped) marijuana-themed social apps, High There! is probably the most put together. Since there's no real matchmaking involved, getting started on High There! just requires answering a handful of questions about your personality and your type of cannabis consumption. From there, the mechanics are similar to a swiping app: You can scroll through nearby users' profiles and “say hi” to them, which means you’re interested in connecting.

Though the niche-ness is reason enough to include it in this list, High There! still needs a serious revamp before users stop giving up on it. Its buggy, basic interface and lack of name recognition often lead to dead feeds or people who are way too far away to hang out with.

Read our full review of Match.

Who it's for:

Match is a mainstream dating app that tends to appeal to a more left-leaning audience. While it's not specifically a 420-friendly dating site, Match gives you a space to express your views on cannabis and connect with folks who are open to the idea of enjoying it together, whether it's sharing a joint or visiting a marijuana dispensary on a first date.

Why we picked this:

Because of its large active user base and because weed preferences are built right into the matching system, we believe Match is the clear winner among the best 420-friendly dating apps. The Mashable team has also tested (and loved) Match.

Match combines the ease of Tinder with the compatibility-matching of eharmony. It's a site for people looking for deeper connections rather than casual hookups — in other words, it’s meant for relationships, not flings. With Match, it’s much easier to determine if your potential matches smoke weed ahead of time because the app factors it into your compatibility.

When signing up, you'll be asked about your stance on marijuana to help you match with others who get your lifestyle from the get-go. This means that you can find someone who shares your love of weed and wants the same kind of relationship that you do. Plus, the Top Picks feature makes it easy to start conversations with people who are already interested in what you have to say.

Who it's for:

Plenty of Fish (POF) is a dating sea teeming with opportunities for companionship, friendship, and a hookup here and there (if that's what you're looking for). Thanks to an interest search feature, you'll easily be able to find a date who would love to roll up a joint with you.

Why we picked this:

It might not have the cultural cachet of apps like Bumble or Tinder, but Plenty of Fish is one of the most popular dating sites among singles, with more than 100,000,000 members worldwide. And it’s not just for dating — if you’re looking for a new smoking buddy, this is a great way to meet less-than-romantic connections, too.

Plenty of Fish is a good alternative to OkCupid — in terms of dating apps, they’re both kind of in the same “tier.” 

While you can search by location, age, and gender, you can also search by interests like "420-friendly" and "cannabis." You’d be surprised how many people who use the dating site are regular smokers. Although Plenty of Fish wasn’t created with cannabis in mind, it was built in a broad way so that singles have developed a category for it based on their interests. Given how friendly Plenty of Fish is toward weed users and how big its member pool is, it makes for a better experience for some than the marijuana-specific sites and apps, which tend to have a much smaller user pool.