Looking for a Salams Alternative? Here's a Muslim-Owned, Completely Free Option
If you're searching for a Salams alternative, you probably already know why. In October 2023, Salams — the largest Muslim marriage app, with over six million users — was quietly acquired by Match Group, the company behind Tinder, Hinge, and Match.com. When the acquisition became widely known in February 2025, it was covered by MuslimMatters, Middle East Monitor, and The New Arab, and sparked boycott calls across the community.
For many Muslims, this isn't a small thing. The app you use to find a spouse handles the most sensitive search of your life. Who owns it — and what they optimise for — matters. Dating conglomerates profit when you keep swiping; a marriage app should succeed when you leave it, married.
What to look for in an alternative
- Muslim ownership — independently owned and accountable to the community it serves.
- A halal process, by design — not a dating app with a "Muslim" filter bolted on.
- Genuinely free — finding a spouse shouldn't sit behind a paywall.
- Family involvement — a real mechanism for a wali or guardian, not just a promise.
How MuslimahFirst compares
| MuslimahFirst | Salams | Muzz | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muslim-owned | Yes — independent | No — Match Group since 2023 | Yes |
| Women message first by default | Yes, it's the entire model (she can choose to let him write first) | No | No |
| Wali / guardian portal | Yes, built in | No | Chaperone can be added to chats |
| Free to match & message | Yes, completely | Freemium | Freemium |
| Photo & identity checks | Selfie verification | Varies | Selfie verification |
Comparison reflects publicly available information as of July 2026. Muzz is a well-known Muslim-owned option too — its founder publicly declined a $35M offer from Match Group. Where MuslimahFirst differs from Muzz is the women-first model and the Wali portal. See the full Muzz comparison, or read our head-to-head Salams vs Muzz. For all four main apps in one table, see Muslim marriage apps compared. For the sourced ownership facts behind this page, see who owns each Muslim marriage app.
What makes MuslimahFirst different
Women send the first message — by default, and always by her choice. On MuslimahFirst, men cannot initiate unless a sister switches that on for herself. After a mutual match, the sister decides whether and when to open the conversation. Her inbox only ever contains conversations she chose. No flooded inboxes, no copy-paste salaams, no numbers game. Here is why women message first, and why brothers tend to prefer it too.
The Wali portal. A sister can invite her wali to follow her conversations at a level of access she controls. It turns "family involvement" from a slogan into a feature, set up and managed by the sister herself.
Completely free. Matching, messaging, verification, and the Wali portal are free. MuslimahFirst was built solo by a Muslim founder — nights after Fajr, no venture funding, no dating-industry playbook.
Try the alternative the ummah has been asking for
Free on Android and in any browser. Women message first. Wali portal built in.
Join MuslimahFirst free Get it on Google Play →Frequently asked questions
Is Salams still Muslim-owned?
No. Salams was acquired by Match Group in October 2023; the deal surfaced publicly in February 2025.
Is MuslimahFirst really free?
Yes — matching, messaging, and the Wali portal are all free. No paywall on finding your spouse.
Is there an iPhone app?
MuslimahFirst runs beautifully in Safari — open app.muslimahfirst.com and tap Share → "Add to Home Screen". A native iOS app is in the works.