I once wrote a review about dating Indonesian girls and where to meet them. You can still read it here: Where to meet Indonesian girls? Most of the information on the review is still valid, but it certainly needs an update on the world of online dating through websites or social apps such as Badoo, Indonesian Cupid, Tinder, WeChat, Skout, Beetalk, etc.
New Article: 10 Best Countries in Asia to Meet Girls and 15 Best Dating Apps and Websites in Asia.
New Article: 10 Best Countries in Asia to Meet Girls and 15 Best Dating Apps and Websites in Asia.
If you are looking for a great girl in Jakarta, online dating is by far your best chance. 90% of the girls there are looking for a stable relationship. Another 9% is looking for money. And maybe less than 1 percent is looking for a one night stand (not the hottest girls usually).
The fact that they are looking for a stable relationship does not mean they want to get married straight away. It means they want to feel a long-term relationship is possible. For this reason, it may be more difficult for you to find a date if you are not staying in Indonesia and if you do not speak Indonesian.
The fact that they are looking for a stable relationship does not mean they want to get married straight away. It means they want to feel a long-term relationship is possible. For this reason, it may be more difficult for you to find a date if you are not staying in Indonesia and if you do not speak Indonesian.
Depending on which website or which app you use, you can pretty much chat with any type of woman you could think of: Students, employees, executives, single moms, etc from any ethnicity or religion. There is such a diversity that it would be hard to generalize. To give you a better understanding, I will describe the specificities of each dating app or website below:
Bumble: To find the most educated girls
Bumble has been called the "feminist" dating app because girls have to message guys first (They have 24 hours to do so).
It is currently my favorite app in Jakarta because, even though it doesn't have thousands of profiles like Tinder, most girls using it are educated and they have good jobs. There are also many foreign girls using it, especially in Bali.
Pros:
➝ Smart and educated girls
➝ High proportion of foreign girls (especially in Bali)
➝ No need to message the girls first (great feature for those who hate having to make the first move)
➝ There is a video call feature within the app
Cons:
➝ Only a mobile app so you have to type your messages on your mobile
➝ Not more than a couple hundred profiles in Jakarta, many of which are already on Tinder
Bumble: To find the most educated girls
Bumble has been called the "feminist" dating app because girls have to message guys first (They have 24 hours to do so).
It is currently my favorite app in Jakarta because, even though it doesn't have thousands of profiles like Tinder, most girls using it are educated and they have good jobs. There are also many foreign girls using it, especially in Bali.
Pros:
➝ Smart and educated girls
➝ High proportion of foreign girls (especially in Bali)
➝ No need to message the girls first (great feature for those who hate having to make the first move)
➝ There is a video call feature within the app
Cons:
➝ Only a mobile app so you have to type your messages on your mobile
➝ Not more than a couple hundred profiles in Jakarta, many of which are already on Tinder
IndonesianCupid.com: For guys who are just visiting Indonesia
Indonesia Cupid is a more traditional dating website that is part of a large network. Its sister websites include FilipinoCupid, Muslima (for dating Muslim girls), Thai Cupid, Vietnam Cupid, etc. It is an excellent site for those who are not in Indonesia but who are interested in chatting with local girls.
Most Indonesian girls on IndonesianCupid are looking to meet foreigners, even if they are not living in Indonesia. Because of this, they won't turn you down if you say you are currently in the US, in Europe or in Australia.
Girls on IndonesianCupid are mostly from the middle class. Typically, you'll chat with employees, teachers, nurses, etc.
Since it is a website and not a mobile phone app, I find it much easier to write messages or browse profiles compared to Bumble. Even if you use it for a month or two, it is still easy to see which girls are online among those you've chatted with before.Most Indonesian girls on IndonesianCupid are looking to meet foreigners, even if they are not living in Indonesia. Because of this, they won't turn you down if you say you are currently in the US, in Europe or in Australia.
Girls on IndonesianCupid are mostly from the middle class. Typically, you'll chat with employees, teachers, nurses, etc.
You can register here: Sign-Up to Indonesian Cupid for Free. I recommend you to update to the premium version though (only 25$ per month) as it will allow you to send an unlimited number of messages. It will also give you the edge compared to the other guys in terms of visibility.
Pros:
➝ The best dating site in Indonesia if you are a tourist. Ideal for arranging dates prior to visiting the country. Girls won't mind if you are not living in Indonesia and if you are older than them.
➝ Between 500-1000 Indonesian girls online at any time, but thousands more who were active in the past week or month (you have filters to do that).
➝ Possibility to look for girls in other countries (Thailand, Philippines, etc)
➝ Good website interface, easy to use and fast.
➝ Fast chatting application
➝ Mostly serious girls who are interested in relationships
➝ Detailed profiles
Cons:
➝ The free version is too restricted (not a problem if you can afford 25$)
➝ No mobile app
➝ Many girls have limited English proficiency (especially outside Jakarta)
Tinder: For younger guys living in Jakarta
Tinder used to be the best dating app in Indonesia, but this is no longer the case. There are so many things I hate about it now that I wouldn't know where to start.
The biggest misconception about Tinder is that it is a free app. While this is technically true, in fact, its whole business model revolves around making you pay as much as possible.
One of the ways they can do that is with their "Boost" feature:
A boost costs around US$4 and it can be addictive. You will get more matches at first, but as soon as you stop, you will get nothing. So you'll keep boosting your profile, again and again, matching with girls who are often not really interested to chat.
If you don't use any boost from the start, your profile will only be shown to usually less-attractive girls who swipe right/left a lot (because first, they will see hundreds of guys who boosted their profiles).
Pros:
➝ You can "like" (swipe right) up to 50 profiles per day for free
➝ Easy to get several matches every day (but they won't meet you if you are a tourist)
➝ Thousands of Indonesian girls are using it
Cons:
➝ Too many girls just looking for attention (or who are advertising their Instagram account)
➝ You cannot see which girls are online
➝ You cannot chat with a girl if you haven't matched with her already
➝ You cannot like more than 50 girls per day (or you must pay)
➝ You can only see girls around you (unless you pay). If you stay abroad, this means you cannot chat with any girl in Indonesia before you arrive.
Read my article: 10 Reasons You Are Failing at Tinder
The biggest misconception about Tinder is that it is a free app. While this is technically true, in fact, its whole business model revolves around making you pay as much as possible.
One of the ways they can do that is with their "Boost" feature:
A "boost" allows you to be the top profile in an area for 30 minutes |
If you don't use any boost from the start, your profile will only be shown to usually less-attractive girls who swipe right/left a lot (because first, they will see hundreds of guys who boosted their profiles).
Pros:
➝ You can "like" (swipe right) up to 50 profiles per day for free
➝ Easy to get several matches every day (but they won't meet you if you are a tourist)
➝ Thousands of Indonesian girls are using it
Cons:
➝ Too many girls just looking for attention (or who are advertising their Instagram account)
➝ You cannot see which girls are online
➝ You cannot chat with a girl if you haven't matched with her already
➝ You cannot like more than 50 girls per day (or you must pay)
➝ You can only see girls around you (unless you pay). If you stay abroad, this means you cannot chat with any girl in Indonesia before you arrive.
Read my article: 10 Reasons You Are Failing at Tinder
Badoo: For guys who can speak Indonesian
Badoo used to be the best dating website in Indonesia but it is clearly not as popular as it used to be. It still has a large number of users though: I checked on 15 December 2016 at 7pm and there were 522 women online in Jakarta (vs 537 on Indonesian Cupid). They also have a mobile app (called "Hot or Not").
Badoo attracts 99,9% of Indonesian girls, from all backgrounds. You can filter girls by age, location, status, body type, etc. More than half the girls can speak English and many are interested in meeting foreigners. Online prostitution on Badoo is, unfortunately, a problem. Many "girls" on Badoo are in fact pimp looking for clients.
Pros:
➝ Lots of girls online
➝ Fun, colorful website interface with large photos (but also more slow to load)
➝ Both a website and an app with geo-localization
➝ You can send messages to 5 girls per day for free and you "like" as many as you want
➝ Cheaper than other websites
Cons:
➝ Privacy concern (they sent advertising emails to all my contact on my behalf saying I was inviting them to join Badoo)
➝ Many, many prostitutes and fake accounts
➝ Many girls can't speak English well
➝ Because it is cheaper, there are more guys on Badoo. This means it is harder to get girls' attention and your messages may be ignored. You can get seen/read before other guys but you need to pay extra money (even if you are already a premium user).
SeekingArrangement: For rich guys who want to easily date younger Indonesian girls
This dating site is quite unique and controversial. All girls are considered "sugar babies" who are willing to go on a date in exchange for gifts, money, travels or dinners. All guys are "sugar daddies" (not necessarily old) who are willing to sponsor the girls.
I met a few Indonesian girls, all students, who were using it. They told me the thing they liked the most was free travels so they could flood their Instagram accounts with pictures.
This site is good for guys who want to have a younger and beautiful mistress in Asia. Since money is involved, it is also not hard for a wealthy guy to find the perfect match.
Pros:
➝ Much more girls than guys so you are guaranteed to meet someone
➝ Many upper-class and classy girls
➝ Girls are easy to talk to, friendly, and they will often accept going on a date
➝ Straight-forward
Cons:
➝ A bit expensive. It is probably cheaper to try Indonesian Cupid first.
➝ There are some real sugar babies looking for chemistry, but also some prostitutes
Pros:
➝ Lots of girls online
➝ Fun, colorful website interface with large photos (but also more slow to load)
➝ Both a website and an app with geo-localization
➝ You can send messages to 5 girls per day for free and you "like" as many as you want
➝ Cheaper than other websites
Cons:
➝ Privacy concern (they sent advertising emails to all my contact on my behalf saying I was inviting them to join Badoo)
➝ Many, many prostitutes and fake accounts
➝ Many girls can't speak English well
➝ Because it is cheaper, there are more guys on Badoo. This means it is harder to get girls' attention and your messages may be ignored. You can get seen/read before other guys but you need to pay extra money (even if you are already a premium user).
SeekingArrangement: For rich guys who want to easily date younger Indonesian girls
This dating site is quite unique and controversial. All girls are considered "sugar babies" who are willing to go on a date in exchange for gifts, money, travels or dinners. All guys are "sugar daddies" (not necessarily old) who are willing to sponsor the girls.
I met a few Indonesian girls, all students, who were using it. They told me the thing they liked the most was free travels so they could flood their Instagram accounts with pictures.
This site is good for guys who want to have a younger and beautiful mistress in Asia. Since money is involved, it is also not hard for a wealthy guy to find the perfect match.
Pros:
➝ Much more girls than guys so you are guaranteed to meet someone
➝ Many upper-class and classy girls
➝ Girls are easy to talk to, friendly, and they will often accept going on a date
➝ Straight-forward
Cons:
➝ A bit expensive. It is probably cheaper to try Indonesian Cupid first.
➝ There are some real sugar babies looking for chemistry, but also some prostitutes
Instagram: For guys who have an interesting life
Yes, Instagram can be considered a dating website in Indonesia. I know some guys who've met dozens of girls using it.
Of course, you need to create an Instagram account and to upload interesting pictures regularly. If you are an expat who visits nice restaurants and hotels, it shouldn't be too hard to add at least a great photo every two days.
You can then follow some Instagram accounts of girls you like and write comments on their pictures.
Pros:
➝ Free
➝ There are more girls on Instagram than on any other dating websites (especially in Indonesia)
➝ You can search for girls who have special interests using the location or tags (for instance, if you want to find a girl who went to the Djakarta Warehouse Festival, you can search the tag "DWP 2016").
➝ It is easy to find a topic to start a conversation (just comment a photo)
Cons:
➝ You need to create and maintain an interesting Instagram account
➝ Many girls are not single or not actively looking for a boyfriend
➝ Time consuming
Yes, Instagram can be considered a dating website in Indonesia. I know some guys who've met dozens of girls using it.
Of course, you need to create an Instagram account and to upload interesting pictures regularly. If you are an expat who visits nice restaurants and hotels, it shouldn't be too hard to add at least a great photo every two days.
You can then follow some Instagram accounts of girls you like and write comments on their pictures.
Pros:
➝ Free
➝ There are more girls on Instagram than on any other dating websites (especially in Indonesia)
➝ You can search for girls who have special interests using the location or tags (for instance, if you want to find a girl who went to the Djakarta Warehouse Festival, you can search the tag "DWP 2016").
➝ It is easy to find a topic to start a conversation (just comment a photo)
Cons:
➝ You need to create and maintain an interesting Instagram account
➝ Many girls are not single or not actively looking for a boyfriend
➝ Time consuming
Skout (Mobile app and dating site)
Skout is similar to Badoo but it does not have as many girls online. The ads are quite annoying so I didn't like using it.
WeChat (Lots of prostitutes)
WeChat has a "look around" feature which allows you to add girls located within a few kilometers from you. If they accept your invitation, you can start chatting with them.
Many ladyboys and prostitutes use that feature so it can be quite annoying if this is not what you are looking for. You will also probably receive a lot of invitations from other guys. Girls using this feature do not always speak English very well. It is popular with the Chinese community but your chances of getting a reply is low unless you speak Chinese.
Pros:
➝ Free
➝ Location based
Cons:
➝ I don't think you can meet a normal girl using it.
Pros:
➝ Free
➝ Location based
Cons:
➝ I don't think you can meet a normal girl using it.
Beetalk(Only if you speak Indonesian)
Beetalk users are mostly Indonesian and young. It has a "look around" feature as well which is quite invasive as it tells you the exact position of the people around you. If you use it in popular malls like Grand Indonesia or Central Park, it will probably tell you a list of persons within a very close range, sometimes a few meters only.
Few girls using Beetalk speak good English so it is more appropriate for those with a basic knowledge of Indonesian. It is a good app but not the most effective for foreigners.
Pros:
➝ Free
➝ Location-based
➝ No competition from other Westerners
Cons:
➝ Very few girls who can speak English
Pros:
➝ Free
➝ Location-based
➝ No competition from other Westerners
Cons:
➝ Very few girls who can speak English
➝ Not many replies from girls
➝ A lot of prostitutes
➝ A lot of prostitutes
Tagged / Hi5 (Mobile app and website)
Tagged and Hi5 are the same service since they merged in 2011. It used to be one of the most popular social networks in Indonesia but it is struggling now. It is still a relatively interesting website to try as the number of Indonesian users is quite large. I would say that girls on Tagged are usually a bit older: They made their Hi5 account 10 years ago and they haven't closed it yet.
Adult Friend Finder
This is a paying hook-up website popular with swingers and those looking for one-night stands. I never used it but a friend of mine did and he met several open-minded couples. He also managed to meet a few single girls but it is rarer.
Note that the website is currently blocked by the government so you'll need to download a VPN to access it. I've written an article here Best VPN in Indonesia to help you with it.
Pros:
➝ If you are not looking for dating but for sex, this is the best website to use
➝ Number 1 hooking website in the World
Cons:
➝ 90% guys and 10% girls so you need to make a really neat profile to succeed. Being handsome would help.
➝ You won't get very far with the Free Version so you'll need to buy a premium membership
Adult Friend Finder
This is a paying hook-up website popular with swingers and those looking for one-night stands. I never used it but a friend of mine did and he met several open-minded couples. He also managed to meet a few single girls but it is rarer.
Note that the website is currently blocked by the government so you'll need to download a VPN to access it. I've written an article here Best VPN in Indonesia to help you with it.
Pros:
➝ If you are not looking for dating but for sex, this is the best website to use
➝ Number 1 hooking website in the World
Cons:
➝ 90% guys and 10% girls so you need to make a really neat profile to succeed. Being handsome would help.
➝ You won't get very far with the Free Version so you'll need to buy a premium membership
➝ Blocked in Indonesia: You must use a VPN to access it freely.
Paktor (Works best if you are young, rich and Asian-Chinese)
Paktor is one of the happening apps among younger Indonesians and particularly Indo-Chinese. Originally from Singapore, it is quite similar to Tinder with a few additional features.
Paktor (Works best if you are young, rich and Asian-Chinese)
Paktor is one of the happening apps among younger Indonesians and particularly Indo-Chinese. Originally from Singapore, it is quite similar to Tinder with a few additional features.
Pros:
➝ You know the exact distance between you and another user
➝ A lot of interesting profiles (upper-class girls, students)
➝ Fun interface
➝ You can hide some Facebook friends to find you
Cons:
➝ The free version sucks
➝ You know the exact distance between you and another user
➝ A lot of interesting profiles (upper-class girls, students)
➝ Fun interface
➝ You can hide some Facebook friends to find you
Cons:
➝ The free version sucks
➝ If you are an older guy, you will have a relatively low rate of success
Conclusion
All these dating apps and websites are free but you have to pay if you want to get some VIP features. For instance, becoming a paid member will generally entitle you to send more messages, to see who clicked on your profile or to be seen first by girls.
There are probably some scammers too so you should naturally always make sure the person you are talking to is real. I would recommend asking for the girl's facebook or skype.
There are other services that I haven't tried but they might work well. If you have used one of the followings to find a date in Jakarta, it would be nice if you could write a comment about it below:
OK Cupid: Popular dating website (same group with Match.com and Tinder) with a few hundred girls in Indonesia
Happn: This app will tell you if you've crossed paths with girls during your day. It works well, but almost all girls there are already on Tinder/IndonesianCupid. It's fun to have, though.
Happn: This app will tell you if you've crossed paths with girls during your day. It works well, but almost all girls there are already on Tinder/IndonesianCupid. It's fun to have, though.
Zoosk: One of the most popular dating apps in the world but I read some negative reviews about their privacy policy so I did not want to try it.
Ask.fm: Very popular social media in Indonesia, mostly with the younger crowd. It is not a real dating website but it is used as such by many Indonesians to make friends or get a date.
Wavoo is an Indonesian dating app that just started. It does not have a very large database of users at the moment.
Setipe is an Indonesian dating website that could be promising but it is still new and I encountered some problems to register.
Photo Credit: The photos are from Kucluk Oye.