3nder has reportedly been ordered by Tinder to cease operations after the larger rival complained that the threesome-finding app, which was launched in 2014, has a name too similar to its own. However, in the battle for an expanding market of tech-happy singles and couples looking to connect with new sexual and romantic prospects online, 3nder is not going down without a fight. A statement from 3nder has dismissed Tinder’s suggestion that users might confuse the two apps, citing its own ‘distinct mission’, and called into question Tinder’s claim to the letters ‘-nd(e)r’ by highlighting other dating apps, including Grindr and Adult Friend Finder, which also employ the suffix. Though 3nder has enjoyed 980 per cent revenue growth since its launch, the start-up fears that a lawsuit from Tinder (which is part of the multi-million-dollar Match Group) could sink the company.

‘Nobody should have a monopoly on love’

‘Our mission and our values could not be more distinct from Tinder,’ said 3nder founder Dimo Trifonov, adding that app users seek ‘something else entirely’ when they choose to use 3nder. Most obvious among the apps’ differences is that 3nder is explicitly, though not exclusively, marketed towards couples; according to a statement from the company, 42 per cent of 3nder’s members are couples, and 64 per cent of its members are searching for couples. However, the app also differentiates itself from Tinder by taking a more holistic perspective on sexuality and sexual preference. While Tinder has just ‘gay’ or ‘straight’ settings for members, the 3nder platform includes 23 distinct sexual orientation options. ‘With so many sexualities and relationship structures left out of Tinder and the Match Group offerings, there is room for all of us,’ argued Mr Trifonov.