Friend-making apps have really been increasing lately, haven’t they? They’re not for dating or marriage, but for people who are purely looking to find friends. Some are for working adults who want to expand their social circle, women who want to connect with others who share their hobbies, and apparently some people start looking for friends in their 40s and 50s too. But once you actually think about using them, you end up having tons of questions like, “Is it safe even if it’s free?” and “Are there really people whose purpose is to make friends?”

That’s why I thoroughly compared 15 popular friend-making apps using five key points: safety, how robust the search features are, how rich the free features are, how affordable the pricing is, and whether it’s easy to meet users who are actually looking to make friends.

The top app is “Favomatch.” It’s women-only and is specialized in finding friends centered around idol-support and otaku activities. Since you can search by your idol-support style or by holidays, it’s easier to find someone whose schedule matches yours. The second-ranked “Touch” prioritizes safety with a 24-hour monitoring system. Identity verification is required with a photo ID, so it feels reassuring. The third, “ドートマッチ,” is also women-only, and it’s well-regarded for having an easy-to-use timeline feature.

If you want an app that men can also use, “Bumble” is recommended. With BFF mode, you can switch the app to focus exclusively on making friends, and you can also look for friends of the opposite sex—what sets it apart from other apps. The pricing is also low. And then “Tantan” has more than 300 million members worldwide, and it also allows you to search for same-sex friends. There are no message limits, so you can use it casually.

If you’re targeting people 30 and above, “ソムリ” seems like a good option. It’s designed specifically for the middle generation, and it also lets you choose a mode for finding same-sex friends, with well-developed search features. However, men have to pay. If you want a women-only app that’s affordable, “tipsys” isn’t bad either. It has more than 300,000 users nationwide, and it also includes a group chat feature, so you can interact with multiple people.

No matter what, when choosing a friend-making app, it’s important to pick one that fits your age group and your purpose. I think it’s a good idea to check safety, search features, and also how many users there really are who are looking to make friends.