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Match.com is synonymous with dating websites as Kleenex is to tissues. It launched back in 1995, making it one of the first modern dating websites in its time. But since it came on the scene, so many dating websites and apps have cropped up making us wonder if Match.com still holds up.
Bianca's personal experience with Match.com
Is Match.com a safe dating site?
Pros and cons of Match
Or, check our roundup of the top online dating apps and sites for single parents, including our No. 1 recommendation: eharmony, which only admits users interested in serious, long-term relationships.
Bianca's take: Is Match worth paying for?
Match makes it hard for anyone with a free subscription to interact with others on the app. To make your time worthwhile, you need to buy a plan. However, many Match.com reviews suggest that the website isn’t worth the money, stating that they weren’t meeting quality people and that they had trouble canceling their subscription plans. Of course, every user’s experience is different, and factors like location, age, and gender may affect it.
Despite their best efforts, Match.com's UX and brand is dated. I strongly feel like the dating app and site could use a brand refresh to appeal to younger users. I don’t like the idea of paying for a dating app when other great apps allow you to meet singles for free.
However, because of the sheer number of people on the site thanks to the fact that it has a lot of brand recognition, and depending on where you live, it may be worth giving Match.com a chance.
Users create a profile on Match.com and then set their dating preferences, including gender and age range. You also have to answer a five-minute questionnaire about yourself that touches upon interests, hobbies, and what you’re looking for in a partner. When it comes to your dating preferences and interests, you can also rate how important they are to you.
Once your profile is complete, it’s time to get matching! Users can find matches by swiping or looking through their interest pages. When swiping, you’re only shown one profile at a time, allowing you to really focus on that individual user. When you skip a profile, Match takes that into account and ensures that every profile that comes your way is compatible with your interests.
When clicking the “interests” page, you’ll find lots of interaction between other Match.com users; you can like or give someone a “wink” (a more flirtatious like) by having them swipe on your profile first. With Match, you can also send direct messages to other users without having to swipe at them.
Here are a couple of conversations I started:
Match.com is free to sign up for, but there’s not much you can do without paying for a plan. Below is a breakdown of the costs as of September 2022 of the standard versus the premium plan and the features that come with it:
See who has viewed and liked your profile
Attend Match Events to meet members IRL
$19.99/month for 12 months
$24.99/month for six months
$34.99/month for three months
All the features of a standard subscription
One profile review a year
One boost per month
Discounts on Match events
Match.com also offers “Boosts” — a feature that allows your profile to appear on their “Discover” page or as a “top suggestion” for one hour. Prices start at 0.60 for 10 credits.
Is Match.com a safe dating site?
Match.com is as safe as any other dating app. Like with most dating apps, you have the option to verify your Match profile by connecting it to your social media.
Other dating apps under Match Group Inc. (like Tinder and Hinge) are taking extra steps with safety. This year, Match Group Inc. announced a partnership with Garbo (a female non-for-profit background checking platform) to run low-cost and fair background checks for users who sign up. In addition, Match Group Inc. is also working with the safety company, Noonlight to create new features to alert emergencies among users. Right now these features will only be available for Tinder, but if successful other dating websites and apps under the Match Group Inc. might follow suit.
Match prohibits anyone who’s been labeled a registered sex offender, or who has been convicted or pleaded no contest to a felony, violent, or sexual crime.
Like with other dating apps, it’s important to be cautious about who you’re meeting. If you ever see anything inappropriate or suspicious on Match, report it.
Before you meet up in person, you may want to do a background check.
And while you're at it, learn more about dating red flags in general.
Does Match have fake profiles?
Unfortunately, a common complaint among Match.com reviews is the number of fake profiles on the site. In 2019, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), sued Match Group Inc. for using fake profiles to trick users into buying paid subscriptions. Since news broke, Match Group Inc. has been making efforts to regain users’ trust, including launching an advertising campaign that takes a stand against fake accounts. According to Match Group Inc.’s website, there’s a dedicated team that helps detect and prevent scams from happening.
While Match.com is making efforts to stop fake profiles from appearing on their site, it’s important as a user to be aware and cautious while you’re making connections. Always report any profile that looks suspicious.
What are the pros of using Match.com?
There are over 8 million matches worldwide
Match.com reports to have the largest database of single users. Because it’s been around for so long, you’ll find a broad range of users from different generations finding love. You can even use your profile on their sister sites to find even more matches.
The majority of people on here are looking for serious relationships
Because you have to pay for a subscription plan to use the app to the fullest, people have this idea that the users on Match.com are serious about finding relationships (However, anyone can sign regardless of what you’re looking for.)
It also might skew older (which makes sense, since there are a lot of newer, modern dating apps on the market). I had two friends who signed up years ago and said it was hard to find anyone around their age (they were 23 years old, so that was probably why). One Match.com review on Reddit, says they found more quality matches on site.
Into older men? Do’s and don’ts for dating an older man
Match.com can offer a personalized dating experience
Unlike other dating apps, you set up multiple custom searches on Match to find your well…match! Taking advantage of this helps weed out any people who may not be a good fit romantically.
They have their Match Guarantee
New users get to participate in the “Match Dating Guarantee” program: you’ll get a six-month free membership, and if you don’t meet anyone during that window, Match.com will refund you. If they don’t meet anyone, Match.com will refund your first six months.
Something unique to Match.com is their “Match Events” which allows users to meet and connect IRL. The way a Match Event works is that registered users can propose a group activity to Match.com and share it with other members in your area.
Their emphasis on compatibility
You know how when you compare dating apps with friends, it always feels like you’re getting served the same people? Match.com offers a more personalized approach: It takes your preferences and assigns a percentage when you match with other users. They also offer “reverse matching” where you can match with people who are also looking for your specific interests.
What are the cons of using Match.com?
No dating app is without its issues. Below are the biggest cons of Match.com
You need to buy a subscription in order to fully use it
With some dating apps, you can have a pleasant experience using the free version. With Match.com you barely have an experience. Buying a subscription is the only way to get access to all of Match.com’s features. This can be costly for people who don’t have the budget to pay for a dating website. When I spoke with friends on their thoughts on Match.com, they said having to pay was the reason they never tried it.
14 examples of good dating profiles (and advice for what to say in your bio), and how to pick profile pics.
Canceling your membership might be difficult
A lot of Match reviewers complain about how they’re still getting charged by Match months after canceling their membership. And while they’ve been contacting Match.com’s support team, their customer service seems to be non-existent.
User experience is unclear
In a Reddit/datingoverthirty subthread, one user goes into detail about his experience, stating that user experience at Match was confusing; (some user elements (like the heart button) would randomly disappear. He also pointed out that you can’t read messages until you buy a subscription and once it expires, all your matches disappear. I'm currently trying to reactivate my account and despite resetting my password (as they asked me to), I still can't get in.
Might not be suitable for hookups
While Match.com is open to everyone who wants to just make a connection with others, most people are on it to find love. However, some angry customers say the dating pool isn’t any different from what you might find on other dating apps (despite having to pay). However, be mindful that everyone’s experiences on dating sites are different, and it can depend based on where you live, your age, and what you’re looking for.
If you’re looking for something casual, you might want to try one of these hookup sites instead.
Match.com reviews in 2022
Match.com reviews on the Better Business Bureau
Match.com is not accredited or rated by the BBB. Customer reviewers gave it 1.04 out of five stars. The majority of reviews complain about the auto-renewal and their difficulty canceling their membership.
Match.com reviews on Trustpilot
Match.com’s U.S. site has a poor rating on Trustpilot with just 1.5 out of 5 stars. Most reviews complain about the number of fake profiles, lack of customer service, and how Match continued to charge them months after canceling.
However, one Trustpilot reviewer gave the dating site five stars because he met his partner, proving that Match.com does indeed work. (It also shows how people who haven’t had luck on this app are quick to write a negative review.)
Match.com reviews on Reddit
There are also numerous threads on Reddit discussing Match.com. What most users say is that the cost of Match.com isn’t worth the experience. A common thing that’s been said is that users find from other people’s experiences that either they find a match in one week or they’re months on the site and aren’t able to find anyone.
All these reviews should be taken with a grain of salt, considering that most people write reviews based on negative experiences.
Has anyone had success with match.com? from datingoverthirty
My six months with Match.com. A complete break down of their services from datingoverthirty
Thoughts on Match.com…anyone else have this experience? from datingoverthirty
eharmony has always been compared to Match. In fact, both sites are known as the OG dating sites. eharmony differs from Match.com primarily because of its history of focusing on serious relationships. Their compatibility quiz stands out from the other dating sites, plus they have a strict verification process to ensure a safe dating experience.
Match is a broad dating platform, serving all kinds of daters, from those seeking casual relationships to serious ones. One of the biggest challenges facing online daters is knowing whether or not the profiles they interact with are real. In 2019, the FTC sued the owners of Match Group, Inc. owners of Match.com, Tinder, OKCupid, and PlentyOfFish, for using fake profiles to lure new customers into upgrading their free memberships to paid subscriptions.
In contrast, eharmony vets their members with ID verification tools to prove they are who they say, beginning with not being married, and routinely closes suspicious accounts. After providing peace of mind, eharmony then curates potential matches for their members using a detailed compatibility quiz, saving time from having to scroll through endless, unviable options.
On Match, you choose your dating preferences (including gender and age range), build your profile, and choose your subscription plan. The dating profile for Match is very comprehensive. A user can find matches either by swiping or through the “Discover” page, which helps users create customized searches and explore new profiles.
Match.com has a new Premium Match Plan with access to a yearly review of your profiles from Match staff experts, a monthly “boost” to increase the number of people who see your profile, and email read notifications.
Dollar for dollar, Match costs less than eharmony. That said, you get what you pay for: the major difference between the two sites is that Match is a general dating platform intended for all kinds of dating and eharmony focuses on serious, long-term dating, increasing your chances of finding your ideal match.
Do you want your dating site to check for marital status and cheaters? eharmony provides that service, Match does not. eharmony has an A- BBB rating; Match is not registered.To that end, eharmony offers features such as its compatibility quiz to curate matches. For the prospective user who is actively seeking a serious, long-term relationship, eharmony is worth the extra money.
Bottom line: Is Match.com worth it?
If you’re willing to pay, Match.com could be a good option for a dating website, especially if you’re looking for something long-term. Otherwise, there are other great dating apps like eharmony.
Get 25% off eharmony with code WSM25 now >>
Interested in checking out other dating sites and apps? Here are some dating app reviews:
Also, check out our roundup of best dating apps and sites for single parents, as well as 11 hookup sites if that is your jam.
How much does it cost to be on Match.com?
Match.com is free to sign up for, but there’s not much you can do without paying for a plan.
Is Match.com a safe dating site?
Match.com is as safe as any other dating app. Like with most dating apps, you have the option to verify your Match profile by connecting it to your social media.
Is Match.com worth paying for?
If you’re willing to pay, Match.com could be a good option for a dating website, especially if you’re looking for something long-term.
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Bianca Mendez is a writer and editor living in New York City. Her work has appeared in Woman’s Health, Bustle, Latina, Refinery29, and many other publications. She also served as a sex and dating editor at Elite Daily and a freelance lifestyle editor for Bauer Publishing’s Teen Department, where she helped the team launch three new magazines.
May 22, 2022 at 4:57 pm
I’ve sporadically been on several dating sites over the past few years. I had high hopes for Match.com but was sorely disappointed and feel there are numerous fake
profiles and scammers (like with most other sites). I’m now on POF (Plenty of Fish) because it’s one of the few that is virtually free, which comes with its’ own set of issues since
every “Tom, Dick, Harry, Mary & Sue” can get on and say anything. Additionally, it seems no one actually reads my profile (which I’ve made short and concise for wandering minds).
They just scroll through photos. It’s extremely challenging meeting someone any other way nowadays thus, these frustrating sites.