This is an unbiased match.com review and based purely on facts from our own experiences.
There seems to be a dating site or app for every kind of dating or sexual desire out there. The problem is that most of them seem to lead absolutely nowhere... besides getting you fake pictures or an inbox of unread messages.
The biggest dating site out there... by far!
If you've found yourself worn down by the online dating site and about give up, don't! There's a good chance you've heard of Match but haven't tried it just yet.
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Fortunately, Match offers an online dating experience that has far fewer scammers or fakes than its competitors and a higher chance of meeting that perfect girl. Though not perfect, Match may just be exactly what you've been hoping for all this time.
Pros
Cons
Match Stats
The gender ratio for Match is currently at 55% male, 45% female. While there may be more men on the site, a big bonus for Match is the large range in the ages of users:
1) 18-24 (5% male/female)
2) 25-34 (10% female/15% male)
3) 35-44 (13% female/12% male)
4) 45-54 (12% female/13% male)
5) 55+ (5% female/10% male)
It's spread pretty equally, meaning you have a higher chance of dating a girl of the age you're looking for. Plus, there are over 20 million registered users, so the dating pool remains large on Match.
Alright, how about the price? As far as the cost of monthly memberships, Match sits at the average price usually found for online dating sites. There are two plan options, including Standard and Premium:
Standard Plans
- 3 Months $12.99 a month
- 6 Months $9.99 a month
- 12 Months $7.99 a month
Premium Plans
- 3 months $14.99 a month
- 6 months $11.49 a month
- 12 months $8.99 a month
Which plan you choose will depend on just how in-depth you want your online dating experience to be. I've found that a lot of the extra premium features found on dating sites aren't really necessary for finding matches.
With Match's Standard plan, you can read and send messages and view profiles, which is all you really need to start connecting with girls you're interested in.
The Premium plan allows you to see when messages are read and browse anonymously. The price difference between the two plans isn't too drastic, so if you don't mind paying an extra couple of bucks a month to get some more features, go for it.
Let's Get Down to It
Righto - you get the basics of Match and are ready to take the big leap. Just how do you go about creating an account and making a profile that will attract quality women? Luckily, the process is nice and easy, so let's get started.
Creating an account
Fortunately, Match does most of the work for you when signing up for an account. You'll start by providing all the basic info - your name, gender, zip code, birthday, body type, relationship status as well as your email.
Then, Match will take you to the 'online builder.' This is a huge bonus if you're like me and hate long, drawn-out sign-up processes.
Here, you'll answer questions about what your interests are and what you're looking for in a partner. Then, you'll have to do the last bit of work. You have to an "about me" paragraph up to 100 words.
Don't go too crazy with this section. Simply give a brief introduction and say what you're looking for. Add some humor and keep it light, saving the deeper discussions for direct messages with a match. After that, you'll upload a photo and bam, you're all set.
Profiles
Your profile reflects all the information you put in when creating an account. You can choose to upload up to 26 pictures if you'd like, though most people average 4 or 5 photos or else you may be giving away too much of your life too soon.
When you start looking at other users' profiles, you will notice a "compatibility" feature where Match informs you how compatible you are with the user you are currently viewing. This helps you sort through potentially bad matches.
Pro Tip
An in-depth study on dating profiles found that a majority of men on dating sites post pictures of themselves engaging in sports, fishing or hunting. Men are also more likely to post pictures posing in front of trucks or luxury cars.
What was surprising? Only 5% of the millions of pictures analyzed on dating sites were of men smiling. Want to stand out among the competition? Post a picture or two of you with a smile and stand out.
The app (iOS and Android)
The Match app, available for both iPhones and Android phones, is exactly the same as the website. The layout has been adapted to reflect that of other dating apps with a swipe left or right feature, but other than that has the same features as the website.
Contacting people
Sending messages is purely a paid feature, so you'll need to shell out some money to be able to even get anywhere with the site. Once you have the feature available, sending messages is pretty simple.
There's a blue chat bubble on all profiles, so to send a message, you'll just need to click on that and type away. If you want to contact a girl but aren't sure what to say just yet, you can always send her a wink to let her know you're interested. Match also offers some ice-breaker questions if you need a little boost.
Premium features
There are a few benefits when it comes to premium features, including the ability to have your profile 'boosted' to get more views. You can also enable 'read' notifications to see when your messages have been looked at by the other party. This can help you decide if you want to keep pursuing a match or just move onto the next one.
In the last year, Match has rolled out some more premium features that focus more on virtual dating. These include voice calls, where you and a match can chat on the phone, or video dates, where you can enjoy a video chat. These are good options if you're not quite ready to meet up in-person just yet.
Frequently asked questions
Is Match a good dating site?
Match has been around for over 20 years, but it's managed to adapt to changing times and still come out strong. If you're looking for something on the long-term scale, it may just be your best bet. That being said, it's not the most in-depth dating site out there, so if you're all about details, you may want to scope out its competitors.
Did You Know?
Online dating usage increased in 2020. In fact, 39% of singles have reported using online dating last year, and the number is only expected to rise in 2021. Now is a better time than ever to get into the online dating scene and keep at it.
Which is better match or eHarmony?
Speaking of details, eHarmony is probably the most in-depth dating site out there, which has attracted as many users as it has alienated others.
To sign up for eHarmony, you have to take an 80-question personality quiz that will enable you to find the truly most compatible partners for you. The advantage is that the compatibility accuracy is way higher with eHarmony, but it takes way longer to start the actual process.
Does Match have a lot of fake profiles?
Compared to many well-known free dating apps, Match has a much, much lower rate of fake profiles and scams. This is probably because you have to pay for the service, making scamming costly for any scammer out there.
That being said, there's always going to be a scammer or two on every dating site, so just be approach suspicious profiles with caution. Potentially fake profiles will usually have very minimal information on their profile, just one picture and immediately try and ask you for personal information through messages. Also, NEVER send out your financial info!
How can you tell if someone has paid for Match.com?
If you send either a wink or message and your potential Match hasn't responded within a few days, it's a safe bet that either they only have a free profile or are not active. Alternatively, you are able to see a user's "last login" date on their profile - if they haven't logged in for a few months, it's likely that they have canceled their subscription.
Is Match safe to use?
There is a "report member" button available on user's profiles and messages, so if you're ever feeling strange about an interaction, you can always take action and report it to the Match team. The customer support team is good about quickly getting rid of scammers. Still, overall, Match is a safe site with people genuinely looking for good matches.
Can I cancel my Match.com subscription anytime?
Yes, you can cancel your subscription through your account settings, though Match will be pretty insistent on you staying, asking multiple times if there is a way they can keep you.
It's what many consider to be the annoying feature of the dating site, but it's an annoyance that's easier to get over. Also, keep in mind Match's offer to provide you with 6 free months if you don't find the perfect match in your first 6 months of use so it's worth trying for a little while to see what you get.
How does the algorithm work?
Like many other dating sites, Match keeps track of what you search for, what your preferences are and who you view, like and send a message to on the site. Using this info, Match will recommend similar users for you to sift through. It's nothing particularly groundbreaking, but it's a commonly used algorithm because it's effective and easy to follow.
Who owns Match.com?
Match is owned by the Match Group, which in turn is owned by IAC. It was founded all the way back in 1993 by Gary Kremen and Peng T. Ong based in San Francisco. Nowadays, the Match Group owns Tinder, OkCupid, PlentyofFish and several other big dating sites, making it one of the titans of the online dating world.
Where is Match.com located?
Match's headquarters are in Dallas, Texas. The company also has branches in San Fransico and West Hollywood in California. Match additionally has some overseas branches in Beijing, Tokyo and Rio de Janeiro. In fact, the dating site is available in 50 countries around the world and in 12 different languages, meaning there is truly plenty of options here.
Conclusion: Is Match.com a good dating site?
In the end, I'm going to say that yes, Match.com is a solid dating site. What makes the subscription worth paying is that there are way fewer fakes and flakes here compared to the seemingly millions of free dating sites and apps out there.
It's definitely a relief in today's dating world. At the same time, if you are looking for a quick hook-up or one-night stand, you are going to have a hard time here, but if you're looking for something serious, Match is a good bet to take.
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