As someone who met her fiancé on Bumble after swearing she’d never use a dating app, it’s safe to say I’ve come around to the idea that if you’re looking for genuine connections, an app can help you find them. Over the last few years, online dating has become much more common and widely accepted; according to a 2019 study by Statista, roughly half of all online users have met or know someone who has met a romantic partner on a dating app or website. According to the report, 49% of users stated they were using the apps to find an exclusive relationship.
44.2 million Americans used online dating in 2020, generating $602 million in income. While many popular dating apps are free, paid versions include features like adjustable filters, read receipts, and an unlimited amount of swipes. According to Statista, around 15% of those who use online dating services are paying consumers. Are the upgrades, however, worthwhile?
“It relies totally on how you use them,” says Liam Barnett, a relationship coach and the CEO of DatingZest, an online dating counseling company. “Some applications (Tinder, Bumble, and others) have a premium feature that allows you to reverse swipes or see who liked you. In this instance, a paid subscription that allows you to know who liked you would be beneficial and save you time.”
It’s possible that the answer will come down to your own tastes and financial constraints. When deciding whether or not to pay for premium, consider the following factors.
Is the upgrade to premium worth it?
It was for Alix Cohen, a (former) Tinder member who met her future spouse using the app’s premium services. Cohen’s Tinder app died shortly after she swiped right on her fiancé, as luck (and technology) would have it.
Cohen adds, “I swore I’d never pay for a dating app.” “I hastily created a new account… I bought a month’s worth of unlimited swipes and tracked him down. We’ve now been almost two years.”
Others may use premium dating apps because of the advanced filters. Advanced filtering tools are available on Hinge and Bumble, allowing you to refine your search by ethnicity, age, zodiac sign, political affiliation, and if a person smokes or drinks alcohol.
Jannat Hashmi, who found her fiance on Hinge, says, “I basically just got the premium subscription for the filters.” “For me, distance was important, as was age (I didn’t want anyone younger than 27), and I emphasized no smoking or drugs. Yes, given my current relationship, it’s well worth it! “Hashmi, who has been seeing her boyfriend for just over a year, agrees.
However, the upgrading may not always result in a significant improvement. Veronica Pacheco, a Bumble user, said she loved having the one-month Bumble premium membership since it allowed her to see who “liked” her.
“This was one of my favorites since I could just scroll through the folks who liked me. I’d had it with chasing those who hadn’t chosen me “Pacheco explains. While the premium capabilities made Pacheco feel like she was approaching dating more deliberately, she finally decided it wasn’t worth it because she was still getting some of the same matches after using the apps for free for a few months.
“Those who don’t feel the need to boost their profiles can get by just fine, if not better, without paying for premium subscriptions to dating apps and sites,” adds Barnett. Many of these applications provide different subscription tiers at different price points (though you may receive fewer functionality), allowing you to choose whatever features you want and what you can afford. Paying for a three- or six-month subscription, for example, may save you more money than paying for one month at a time.
The most popular dating apps and services are listed below, along with their fees and features, so you can compare them and make your own decision.
