Dating in Cardiff: Best Free Sites & Apps

Cardiff’s singles scene

Wales’s capital is small enough to feel friendly but big enough to keep life interesting. Cardiff University, Cardiff Metropolitan University and the University of South Wales bring a large student population, and the Senedd, BBC Cymru Wales, financial services and the public sector employ many young professionals. People are warm and chatty, and it is common to bump into friends of friends.

Welsh is heard more and more in the city, and some people like to mention it on their profile, but English is the everyday language for most. On big rugby weekends, when the Principality Stadium fills up in the centre, the whole city becomes one party.

Choosing a dating site

All services in our United Kingdom ranking work in Cardiff and South Wales:

• Match: serious dating for 25+. Free profile, filters and likes, paid messaging.
• eharmony: long-term relationships, mostly 30+, with a free compatibility quiz and match suggestions.
• Ourtime: for over 50s, with free profile, browsing and likes.
• Loveat50: simple dating over 50, with free registration and browsing.

For free dating, Tinder and Bumble offer free matching and chat, Hinge offers limited daily likes and free chat, and Plenty of Fish lets you message for free. Cathays, the student area, keeps the free apps busy in term time.

Neighbourhoods and date ideas

Pontcanna and Canton, west of the River Taff, are the city’s foodie neighbourhoods, with cafés, wine bars and restaurants along Cowbridge Road East and Pontcanna Street. Roath, around Albany Road and City Road, is diverse, lively and full of independent places. In the centre, the Victorian and Edwardian arcades have coffee shops and small bars, and Womanby Street is known for live music.

Cardiff Bay, with the Wales Millennium Centre and the barrage walk to Penarth, is great for a waterfront date. Bute Park, right next to the castle, is a huge free green space, and Roath Park lake is perfect for a stroll. Rugby clubs, running clubs, choirs, Welsh classes and Meetup groups are good ways to meet people, and the Brecon Beacons and the Gower are within reach for weekend walks.

Dating tips for Cardiff

• Avoid big match days for a quiet first date unless you both love rugby.
• A walk across the barrage from the Bay to Penarth makes an easy, free date.
• Meet in public, tell a friend and check your bus or train home.
• Never send money to someone you have only met online.

Which site fits you in Cardiff?

Rhys, 28, civil servant living in Canton

Rhys wants to meet someone serious who shares his love of rugby. Match lets him filter by age and area. Free tip: a coffee in Pontcanna followed by a walk in Bute Park is ideal.

Amira, 21, Cardiff University student in Cathays

Bumble and Hinge let her chat with matches for free. Free tip: Roath Park lake is a pretty and safe place for a first walk.

Gareth, 42, divorced IT manager in Penarth

eharmony suits his search for a long-term partner. Free tip: he can complete the quiz and see suggestions for free; the barrage walk is right on his doorstep.

Glenys, 64, retired nurse in Llandaff

Ourtime and Loveat50 are both made for over 50s. Free tip: a stroll by Llandaff Cathedral and along the Taff is calm and free.

Dating in Cardiff: FAQ

Is Cardiff a good city for dating?

Yes. It is friendly, compact and young, with lots of students and professionals and plenty of places to go out.

Which dating site is best in Cardiff?

Match is our top pick for serious dating, eharmony suits long-term relationships, and Ourtime or Loveat50 are for over 50s.

Where should I take a first date in Cardiff?

Pontcanna, the arcades, Roath, or Cardiff Bay for a waterfront walk.