In the late 90s and early 00s, matchmaking sites eHarmony and Match.com dominated the world of online dating. They targeted love-seekers in their 30s and older – charging a membership of “$40 to $60 a month.”

Then Tinder came around in 2012 and turned the membership model on its head. Instead of having users pay a premium for a chance at love, Tinder launched a free app and relied on word of mouth for it to spread. With enough “swipes” later, a trend had begun. Tinder quickly grew a younger audience of daters, from “close-knit communities” to “nine million daily active users” and “one million new users a week,” according to the company.