Zoosk vs Tinder in 2024: Pick The Best One
Finding the right app can improve your chances of meeting the right person. Zoosk and Tinder are popular dating apps. Find out which one is most suited to your relationship and dating needs and see how they compare in terms of features and pricing.
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Picking the right dating app: Zoosk vs Tinder
The right dating app will be the one that most closely matches your romantic relationship preferences. Dating apps are a bit like sports teams, everyone has an opinion and a favorite. That fave could well be Tinder, Zoosk, or something completely different.
Online dating app recommendations
Before you pick your favorite, be sure to look at our dating app recommendations.
Zoosk vs Tinder: where are they different?
Here are the most important differences and similarities between Zoosk vs Tinder.
| Zoosk | Tinder | |
| Who is it for? | Singles looking for either serious relationships or casual flirting. | Singles looking for swipe-based online dating. Tinder caters to younger users. |
| Registration details | Fast sign-up needs only basic information to access the site. | Streamlined registration using Facebook, Apple, or your phone number. |
| Memberships and profiles | Estimated 40+ million members worldwide. | Over 75 million users make Tinder a household name in online dating. |
| Premium Service | Free service available, one subscription plan with full messaging, different lengths, and coins for additional features. | Free service includes messaging. Paid subscription adds benefits and extra features to improve experience. |
| Pros | Flexible features for long-term dating or for casual flirting and hookups. A fun approach to a dating app with new features like video chat. | Messaging and all main features are free. |
| Cons | You have to pay for unlimited messaging after the trial period. | Not focused on long-term relationships or older users. No customisable search and filtering options. |
How is Zoosk better than Tinder?
Zoosk is better than Tinder because it is more fun to use. The dating app takes a gamification approach that aims to make online dating less stressful. Zoosk’s layout will be familiar to anyone who has used social media sites before.
Unlike Tinder, Zoosk gives you a number of ways of matching with people, as opposed to just swiping. To find compatible matches, Zoosk will only ask you a few basic questions when you use the Smart Picks feature, which is optional.
With Zoosk, you have the best of both online dating approaches—browsing and swiping. You can see multiple profiles at a glance on the main screen or, alternatively, you have Carousel mode, which lets you swipe through profiles like you would on Tinder.
How is Tinder better than Zoosk
Tinder is best known for its swipe-based profile viewing mechanic. One of the first dating services to start off as an app (not a website), Tinder disrupted the industry by stripping the dating experience down to its core question: do you like this person? Yes or no.
Unlike Zoosk, which places its emphasis on compatibility and search flexibility, Tinder is all about first impressions. You have to make a split-second decision based on a handful of profile pictures and a short bio. If you don’t decide, you just don’t get to see other profiles.
As you swipe left and right, you make your way through a stack of profiles of people who are located within the distance and age range you set. Those are the only details that truly matter when it comes to getting a date on Tinder—how old and how far your match is.
As for the rest, Tinder transfers that responsibility to the user. Tinder has added other criteria for matching—beyond age and distance—but its core strength and reputation still hinges on geolocation and first impression dynamics through swiping. This is why Tinder appeals to a younger demographic.
Tinder key points
Here are some important details to know about Tinder:
- More than 70% of users are men.
- Married people make up 30% of users on Tinder.
- A former Tinder executive, Whitney Wolfe Herd, went on to start Bumble.
Which dating app is cheaper? Zoosk vs. Tinder
Zoosk and Tinder have different approaches to pricing. While Zoosk has a single premium tier, Tinder opts for three levels of pricing. Additionally with Tinder, if you are over 30 you are going to be paying higher prices to subsidize premium accounts for users under 30.
Zoosk vs. Tinder price comparison (under 30s)
| Zoosk Upgrade | Tinder Plus | Tinder Gold | Tinder Platinum | |
| 1-month | $29.95 per month | $4.99 per month | $14.99 per month | $19.99 per month |
| 3-month | $19.98 per month | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 6-month | $11.00 per month | $2.50 per month | $7.50 per month | $10.00 per month |
| 12-month | $8.33 per month | $1.67 per month | $5.00 per month | $6.67 per month |
*Pricing provided for illustrative purposes based on available information at the time of writing.
Tinder’s pricing is generally much cheaper than Zoosk for users who are under 30. For example, the monthly rate for a Tinder Platinum paid plan is almost the same as the monthly price for Zoosk’s 3-month package. However, you need to be under 30 to benefit from this deal.
Zoosk vs. Tinder price comparison (over 30s)
| Zoosk Upgrade | Tinder Plus | Tinder Gold | Tinder Platinum | |
| 1-month | $29.95 per month | $9.99 per month | $29.99 per month | $39.99 per month |
| 3-month | $19.98 per month | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 6-month | $11.00 per month | $5.00 per month | $15.00 per month | $20.00 per month |
| 12-month | $8.33 per month | $3.33 per month | $10.00 per month | $12.50 per month |
*Pricing provided for illustrative purposes based on available information at the time of writing.
The pricing table for users over 30 tells a slightly different story. Tinder’s pricing increases significantly and is higher or matches Zoosk paid offers. Being over 30 on Tinder isn’t necessarily worth it.
Feature comparison: Zoosk vs. Tinder
Comparing features between Zoosk vs. Tinder is often a case of apples and oranges. However, both dating apps offer most of the main features needed for online dating without having to pay a penny—or as Tinder puts it, “Match. Chat. Meet.”
Zoosk features: free vs paid options
Check out all the Zoosk features and compare the free and paid versions side-by-side.
| Zoosk free features | Zoosk premium features |
| ✅ Create a full dating profile | ✅ Create a full dating profile |
| ✅ Access the Carousel | ✅ Access the Carousel |
| ✅ Send smiles and hearts | ✅ Send smiles and hearts |
| ✅ Watch Zoosk video streams | ✅ Watch Zoosk video streams |
| ✅ Send messages | |
| ✅ See who likes you | |
| ✅ Chat with your SmartPicks |
Zoosk offers some differentiation between its free and premium features because of its SmartPicks Chat feature. In order to best use the app, you have to pay for the premium features otherwise you miss out on unlimited messaging.
Tinder features: free vs. paid options
Compare what you can do with each version of Tinder, free or paid, below.
| Tinder (free) | Tinder Plus | Tinder Gold | Tinder Platinum |
| ✅ Profile creation | ✅ Profile creation | ✅ Profile creation | ✅ Profile creation |
| ✅ Match and chat | ✅ Match and chat | ✅ Match and chat | ✅ Match and chat |
| ✅ Unlimited likes | ✅ Unlimited likes | ✅ Unlimited likes | |
| ✅ Unlimited rewinds | ✅ Unlimited rewinds | ✅ Unlimited rewinds | |
| ✅ Tinder Passport | ✅ Tinder Passport | ✅ Tinder Passport | |
| ✅ No ads | ✅ No ads | ✅ No ads | |
| ✅ 5 weekly SuperLikes | ✅ 5 weekly SuperLikes | ||
| ✅ 1 Boost per month | ✅ 1 Boost per month | ||
| ✅ See who likes you | ✅ See who likes you | ||
| ✅ Daily top picks | ✅ Daily top picks | ||
| ✅ Message without matching | |||
| ✅ Prioritized likes | |||
| ✅ See Likes from the previous week |
The free version of Tinder has all the basic features you need to browse profiles, match, and chat with other users. Tinder Plus, Gold, and Platinum add features to make the online dating experience more pleasant.
Let’s take a closer look at the perks you get when paying for Tinder:
- Unlimited likes and rewinds: Tinder Plus lifts swiping limits as well as adding the ability to undo swipes if you made a mistake.
- Tinder Passport: Tinder Plus lets you swipe on profiles in a different location than the one you’re at. Great for travelers (similar to Bumble Travel Mode).
- No ads: Tinder Plus removes ads from your online dating experience.
- Complimentary SuperLikes and Boosts: Tinder Gold gives you 1 temporary boost to get more views once a month and 5 SuperLikes every week for free.
- See who likes you: This one is major. Tinder Gold saves you time by showing you who has swiped right (liked) on your profile. You then choose if you’re interested in them.
- Top picks: This Tinder Gold perk brings a more conventional online dating feature to this app. You will get curated profile recommendations from Tinder. Less swiping for you.
- Message without matching: This Tinder Platinum perk brings in another traditional dating service feature to Tinder.
- Prioritized likes: Tinder Platinum pushes your likes to the top of any user’s notifications whenever there is a match.
- See previous likes: Tinder Platinum helps you keep track of who you’ve liked by giving you access to your ‘swipe-right’ history.
Which dating app is better for you? Zoosk vs Tinder
Take a look at what each dating app has going for it as well as areas where they could do better.
Zoosk pros and cons
These are the benefits and drawbacks of using the Zoosk dating app.
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Streamlined and convenient sign-up process | ❌ Messaging isn’t free after the trial period |
| ✅ Special features like Zoosk Carousel and Smart Picks | ❌ Virtual gifts and Zoosk Coin offers can be confusing to understand |
| ✅ Familiar, user-friendly dating app design |
Tinder pros and cons
These are the advantages and disadvantages of the Tinder dating app.
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ You can message for free once you match with someone. | ❌ Significantly more men than women use Tinder. |
| ✅ Household name. Millions of active users. | ❌ You need to pay more to get features that come as standard on other dating sites. |
| ✅ 3.8 out of 5 App Store review score. Editor’s Choice award. | ❌ Older users are forced to pay higher prices. |
Zoosk vs Tinder: final thoughts
Both Zoosk and Tinder are good options for meeting someone online. Which one you choose depends on whether you like swiping through profiles as a way to match with people. If you do, then Tinder is a better option. If you want to focus more on finding compatible profiles, then Zoosk is better suited to your needs.
Both dating apps have everything you need to view profiles and match with people, but only Tinder offers completely free messaging. If you’re undecided, why not try both?
Zoosk vs Tinder FAQ
You can find answers to common questions below.
Is Tinder better than Zoosk?
Tinder is better than Zoosk if you don’t want to pay for messaging. If you don’t mind paying, then Zoosk offers a more varied dating app experience.
Is Zoosk legit?
Zoosk is definitely a legitimate dating app. The dating service has been around for many years and is backed by serious investors. Zoosk has robust online security policies to make sure user profiles are valid.
Which is cheaper: Tinder vs Zoosk?
Tinder is cheaper than Zoosk. While both are reasonably priced, only Tinder offers all the basic features you need for free online dating. It’s worth signing up for both (using the buttons above) to see if they have any deals you can take advantage of.
