Match.com Review, Updated 2024
Match.com, spearheading the Match Group, is one of the pioneers of the online dating service. Its main appeal is that it works in the most traditional way: simply create a profile, message potential matches, and then facilitate Match users together based on compatibility for long-term relationships.
With one in five relationships now beginning via an online dating service, Match.com claims to offer more dates, more relationships, and more marriages than any other site. Rather than casual flings, a majority of Match members are looking for long-term, serious relationships.
Match also arranges free drinks events and singles nights, which sets them aside from many other dating sites. These organised events are the best way for members to meet and socialise in a more relaxed group setting.
Safety is a top priority at Match.com. Identifying genuine and reliable members is made easy with the Certified Match Badge, and verified profiles have been manually checked by moderators. A built-in screening system helps identify and remove suspicious accounts.
With so many positives, are there any downsides to Match? Our Match.com review takes an in-depth look on one of the best dating sites on the market.
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Match.com overview
With a large user base and detailed dating profiles, Match.com is the place to go whether you want plenty of search options to choose from, or have a specific individual in mind.
The profile builder makes sure registration is quick and smooth, and you don’t need to wait for email verification to log in to get started.
It’s geared towards premium-paying members, and you’ll only be able to send or receive messages from other users once you’ve paid for a subscription.
However, the variety of subscriptions Match offers can make it confusing for those new to the site to choose what best suits them.
Match.com lacks a verification system, but having messages as a paid-for feature means it still has a relatively low amount of fake profiles compared to other dating sites.
Overall, we like Match.com – it has extensive search features, a helpful questionnaire to help narrow down potential matches an easy-to-use layout, and offers great features for members who subscribe.
The dating service’s organised events where members can meet safely in real life are yet another bonus that put the site ahead of many of its competitors.
Match.com review: Free vs paid features
Match.com provides some of its features for free. Register without any Match.com cost, and you’ll immediately be able to search and view matches, and send and receive ‘winks’. It’s a great way to trial the site before signing up to a paid subscription.
Similar to other online dating services, Match.com makes its money through advertising. If you only sign up for the free service, expect to see adverts throughout the service.
The Match.com subscription service – paying for those little extras
To make the most out of the Match matchmaking service when you want to find love, you can subscribe to access additional benefits. These include:
- Sending messages
- Replying to messages
- Using instant messenger
- Finding out who has viewed your profile
- Viewing entire members’ profiles
- Browsing without ads
- Receiving daily matches
- Taking advantage of special member pricing for Match events
- Enjoy video chat and advanced search features to find users based on ethnicity, age range, location, interests and more
Upgrades
You can also add one or more upgrades to your subscription, including:
- Connect: Your profile will be one of the first new members will see. It also lets any member read and reply to your messages, even if they don’t have a paid subscription.
- Select: You can choose the type of people you’d like to hear from and see when your messages have been read.
Match.com cost
How much does premium Match.com cost?
There are different subscription packages available on Match.com, at different prices and with varied benefits:
- Basic – Send unlimited messages to 10 new members a day and see who’s interested in you
- Discover – Send unlimited messages to 25 new members a day, see who’s interested in you and enjoy special discounts on events
- Unlimited – Send unlimited messages, see who’s interested in you, experience the site ad-free and enjoy special discounts on events
| Duration | Monthly price |
| 3 months | $31.99 |
| 6 months | $26.65 |
| 12 Months | $23.99 |
How to pay?
You can securely pay using PayPal, credit card, or debit card. If you prefer not to pay online, you can pay using your credit or debit card over the phone with the Match.com customer care team.
It’s worth noting that although pricing is per month, three and six-month packages are debited in one instalment and automatically renew.
This automatic renewal can be cancelled at any time from the ‘My Account’ tab but must be 24 hours after you buy the subscription and no later than 48 hours before your current subscription expires.
How to reduce Match.com costs?
If you want to save on Match.com cost options, it’s best to sign up for a three or six-month subscription rather than pay monthly. You can also get a lot of mileage out of the free version of the site.
Match.com review: Who uses it?
An online dating site that boasts over 8.6 million users, filled with success stories and people who feel like their first date was truly based on a mutual match.
Headquartered in Texas and with offices around the world, the site serves 24 countries in more than eight languages. Reviews prove Match.com is appealing to users, regardless of their location.
There are 8.6 million users internationally, and over 800,000 US users. It’s aimed at the 25-44 age range and has a fast-growing number of over 55s on the site too, making the dating site diverse to singles of all ages.
What is Match.com’s success rate?
Using data based on a Research Now survey in 2018, 1.6million people met their partner on Match. It used a representative sample of 10,671 people aged over 18 and then combined it with a total population of this age group.
Match.com search tips
Getting started on Match.com is designed to be simple and straightforward.
- Tell us about yourself: Create a few lines about yourself and complete as much of the search criteria as possible, to increase your chances of finding a match.
- Discover the right person: Use the detailed Match.com search function based on your profile and the service’s advanced algorithm to find a selection of dating profiles best suited to you, or meet other singles at Match events
- Start talking: Get the conversation started with people you’re interested in.
Match.com review: Sign-up process
Signing up to the Match dating site is easy.
- Enter the website! – Go to Match.com and select whether you’d like to be matched with a man or woman
- Fill your data – Enter your date of birth and the city you live in. You can also fill in a questionnaire to add more information about yourself.
- Choose your gender – You’ll then be asked to select your gender
- Provide your email – Enter your email address, your first name or username and a password. You can also provide a phone number if you want to use the Matchphone feature.
- And that’s all! – Your Match account is now created.
Adding your details
You’ll then be asked a series of questions to add information to your profile. These include whether you’re ready to enter a new relationship, your relationship status, height and body type.
A percentage of how complete your profile is shown on the right-hand side, and you can choose an ‘I’ll Keep it to Myself’ option to skip certain questions. You can add one profile photo, which is moderated by the Match.com customer care team within 15 minutes.
To find your ideal match, you can choose to answer questions about age and height, or simply select ‘No Preference’ to keep your options open to what you’re looking for.
To complete your profile, you’re given the option to add a little about yourself or you can choose to fill out your personal ad later.
Contacting users
Once you’ve seen a profile you’re interested in, you can send them a message by clicking on the blue ‘send message’ icon at the top of their profile.
You’ll be unable to send or read messages unless you have a subscription or you’ve been contacted by someone who has upgraded with ‘Connect’.
Match.com app review
When we decided to carry out a Match.com review, we wanted to check how user-friendly the website and app is. The clean, straightforward design makes it easy to use both.
The dating site’s header menu and mobile app’s icons are clearly laid out, so finding what you need is simple.
Match dating has a modern, minimalist look and uses icons to show different features, sections and information instead of words. The Match.com app can be downloaded for free for Android or iOS and doesn’t need much space on your phone to successfully download.
Although you’ll receive a lot of notifications if you don’t update your email preferences, in our opinion the Match.com app is even better than the desktop version.
Match.com review: Pros and cons
Pros
- It’s been around for over 20 years, so it has a ‘tried and tested’ reputation
- There are many ways to interact with other members, including wink, email, chat
- Ability to block members if you don’t want to receive messages from them
- Sign up is quick and easy
- Profile builder makes writing your profile a breeze
- Member of the Online Dating Association
Cons
- Only paid members can send and reply to messages
- The site does contain some fake profiles, which suggests scammers or bots may try to scam real daters
- Lack of transparency in payment and subscriptions
Match.com FAQs
Can Match.com be trusted?
To keep Match.com safe and friendly, a moderation team checks through every profile and photo to make sure they are genuine. The moderators carefully inspect content for anything that’s inappropriate or in breach of Terms and Conditions.
Your personal data is also protected.
What is Match.com boost?
Boost increases the visibility of your profile, by propelling your profile to the top of search results. Your ‘boost’ can last up to several hours, depending on how many people are visiting the site and the number of people who see your profile.
What is Match.com private mode?
As well as paying for a subscription service, you’re given the option to sign up for Incognito Mode. It means you’ll be able to view profiles without being seen, so you can find out if they are a match without them being aware of your interest until you’re ready to reveal it. You won’t appear in any search results, and Incognito Mode can be activated and deactivated as often as you want to. You can choose to use Incognito mode for 24 hours at $1.99 per day, or the more popular one-month option at $13.99.
What is ‘Zen Mode’?
Zen Mode means that only profiles that match your chosen criteria can contact you.
What do Match.com icons mean?
There are different icons on the site’s header and on the app, these are all designed to make navigating quick and easy. The heart icon is a ‘Like’ to show another member you find them attractive, and a speech bubble icon can be clicked on to start a message.
When was Match.com created?
It was launched by Gary Kremen and Peng T. Ong in the 90s.
What happens when my Match.com subscription expires?
If your subscription has expired and you’ve turned off the auto-renewal, your profile will still be visible but you’ll be unable to send or read messages. If you haven’t logged in for more than 60 days, your profile will be hidden until you log in again.
Which Match.com subscription is the best?
The subscription that’s best for you depends on how many messages you’d like to send and the additional features you’d like to access.
You can trial Match.com on a variety of one-month subscriptions. However, if you decide to join for longer, both the three and six-month subscriptions work out considerably cheaper than joining up for just a single month.
Can you block someone on Match.com?
You can block a member quickly and easily by navigating to their profile and clicking the ‘Block from Contact’ link.
Are Match.com profiles public?
Once you’ve created your online dating profile, it will be visible on a variety of Match services that use the same platform. These may be operated under different brand names.
How do I delete my Match.com account?
account. If you have any problems you can check-in with customer support for any help.
1. Click on your profile picture that appears on the top right of any page of the site when you’re logged in
2. Select the ‘My account settings’ page
3. Go to ‘Manage my subscription’ at the top of the ‘My account settings’ page
4. Choose ‘Suspend your account’ at the bottom and then select, ‘To cancel your account, click here’
5. Your profile will be deleted forever within 24 hours
Are there any services like Match.com?
Yes, including notable giants in the industry like eHarmony, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish, Elite Singles, and Zoosk. If you would prefer a swiping dating app, then Hinge or Bumble are great for serious relationships. Tinder can work as well, but that is more for hookups.
