Finally, dating in real life has become an option again (if still a nerve-wracking one). The pandemic may have changed dating forever, but one thing that hasn't is that meeting people can be really hard.

Any person who's been single and looking for love at some point (read: basically everyone) knows that finding someone who actively wants a long-term relationship versus a hookup or situationship can feel next to impossible and minorly destroy your faith in love. Though dating apps offer a place to meet people, actually meeting that person who wants the same sort of relationship you do and clicks with you makes the whole needle-in-the-haystack search look like a cinch.

All of this to say, apps or otherwise, finding your person takes some time. However, there's hope — dating apps and sites are not the strictly casual dating space they're sometimes made out to be. Over the past year, people have been "prioridating," which means they're caring less about superficial characteristics and more about finding genuine connection and compatibility. This shift is reflected in dating apps, too — more and more include dedicated sections about intentions right on your profile — including on the ever-hookup-friendly Tinder.

So, if you're ready for some commitment and don't know where to find these daters, or simply just need the breakdown of what apps are best for whom, know that you have more options out there than eharmony and Match.

Until a smarter AI can read minds and simply ban hookup seekers from serious sites, these are the best datings sites for serious relationships: