Key Takeaways
Since 2012, our online dating experts have tested and reviewed Match many times to rate its popularity, effectiveness, and affordability.
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The best deal on Match is the free membership plan, which includes messaging.
- Members can use our special offer to upgrade for as little as $3.32 per month.
A Match free trial appeals to people who are on a budget and like to save money wherever possible. People like me! I’m a cheapo, and I’m not embarrassed to admit it. I hate paying extra for guac (even though I still add it to my meals every time), online articles (even though I’m a writer), and almond milk in my drinks (even though it’s what I prefer).
I’m always looking for ways to save, so a Match free trial sounds like a good deal to me. I don’t want to pay to browse profiles! But I wonder what trade-offs I’ll have to make to stay free forever.
Can I meet viable dates without paying? I tested Match out and found it offers a good balance between free anything-goes dating sites and pay-through-the-nose premium dating sites. Match is a time-tested service that has a lot of great free features, including private messaging.
Browse For As Long As You Like — No Promo Code Needed
Match used to have a three-day free trial where new users had to hurry to get the most from the dating website until the paywalls came down and spoiled the fun. But now the free trial has been replaced with a free membership that never expires.
It’s free to register an account on Match.com or the Match app, and the basic membership package includes profile browsing, some search tools, and messaging mutual matches.
- Relationships: Friends, Dates, and Relationships
- Match System: Browse by zip, age, appearance, more
- Our Experts Say: “Match pairs a large dating pool with search filters specific enough to make that size useful rather than overwhelming.” Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
You can stay a free member forever as far as Match is concerned. There’s no need to upgrade your free account as long as you’re getting matches and messages. There’s no three-day trial period, trial subscription, or anything like that.
When you create your dating profile, I recommend filling in all possible sections (My Details, In My Own Words, My Interests, Sports & Exercise, Pets, Political Views, etc.) to help people get to know you. Describing who you are and what you’re looking for will attract compatible people.
Our expert-led quiz can help give you some pointers to improve your dating profile:
This interactive tool needs JavaScript to run. See our top-rated dating apps instead.
As I mentioned earlier, messaging on Match is largely free. You can chat with anyone who forms a mutual match with you (meaning you’ve liked their profile, and they’ve liked yours).
Free members can also respond to messages sent by platinum members. This is a bigger perk for female users than male users… because even in this day and age, men still send more greetings on dating apps than women do.
Basic members on Match can upload up to six photos to their personal galleries. I’d advise adding at least three dynamic photos (please, no bathroom selfies!) that show you doing activities you enjoy.
A Match free membership is a pretty good deal because you can explore the dating scene, send likes, and engage in conversations with few restraints. But if you really want to take control of your love life, then it may be worth spending the money on a subscription. Lucky for you, we’ve got a good coupon to make the cost more manageable.
You Can Get 67% Off Any Monthly Membership
Here’s a great promo to save money and get a Black Friday-esque deal on your paid membership on Match.
If you already know Match is for you, we have an exclusive offer from the Match Group team that will save you 67% on a three-month, six-month, or 12-month membership. That means your monthly fees could start as low as $3.32. Here’s the deal:
You don’t need a promo code to get this discount applied to your subscription. Just click the button, and it’s yours.
Know Before You Upgrade: All plans automatically renew unless you go into your settings and stop automatic payments from hitting your credit card.
FAQs: Can I Message on Match Without Paying?
Yes, you can message your matches for free on Match. But you’ll need to send likes and receive likes to get that ball rolling.
Once you’ve created a free account on Match.com (or the Match dating app), you can start viewing profiles right away. It’s completely free to use the daily match and search features, though some filters for lifestyle and interests are for paid users only.
As a free member, you won’t be able to see who’s liked you, so sending a like is not a guarantee of a match. Paid members can see who’s liked them first, which means they’re at an advantage.
I recommend sending likes pretty liberally to ensure you’re casting a big net for potential matches. Sending a like isn’t making a big commitment. You can screen truly incompatible people out in the messaging stage.
Does Match Have a Free Trial I Can Use?
It’s worth underscoring that Match no longer has a free trial offer of any kind. You’re either a free member or a paid member, and that’s it.
Many singles come to us asking about a Match promo code, trial period, promotional offer, or coupon that can give them wonderful savings, but the truth is that Match already offers a $0 membership. You don’t need a trial period when the free membership lasts forever.
Instead of a free trial period, Match offers a free online dating experience, and that’s well worth the time it takes to create a dating profile.
Is Match Worth Paying For?
I think it really depends on how the free experience is going for you. Some free members can manage to make matches and get enough chatting opportunities going without paying a cent. Others send likes out and never seem to get any matches in return, so they may want the edge of being able to see who’s liked them first.
Match has tiered memberships that give more perks and get more pricey as you go. Bronze is the cheapest, Silver is in the middle, and Platinum (starting at $19.99 a month) is as good as it gets.
For a Bronze Membership, here is a breakdown of the pricing and upgraded features you can expect:
Bronze Membership
1 month
3 months
6 months
12 months
If you want to see who’s liked your profile, you’ll need the Silver membership, which ranges from about $15-30 per month depending on the subscription term.
If you’re a straight guy, upgrading might be in your best interest. As you may suspect, there’s a gender bias on Match (that’s true for essentially all dating sites). Single women send fewer likes than single men do, on average, so women are more likely to get matches while remaining on a free membership.
Is Match Better Than eharmony?
The eharmony dating site has been around almost as long as Match, and it caters to a similar audience of serious daters seeking a long-term relationship and marriage. These dating sites are often confused, compared, and contrasted with one another.
We rank eharmony as one of the best dating sites on the market, particularly if you’re over 30 and want to get married, but it is pricier than Match and has a slightly smaller dating pool. What’s more, Match offers free messaging, and eharmony does not.
- Relationships: Casual Dates, Deep Relationships
- Match System: Personality test suggests matches
- Our Experts Say: “eharmony helps relationship-minded singles meet compatible people who share their values and long-term outlook.” Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
When comparing eharmony and Match, I could go on and on about the many similarities and differences, but the short version is that they both personalize the path to love and have smart algorithms that prioritize personality over looks.
The eharmony dating service relies on a lengthy compatibility quiz, while Match relies more on data in the What I’m Looking For section and browsing activity to discover compatibility.
Both match algorithms are responsible for millions of relationships in the U.S. and abroad, but Match has been at it a bit longer, and it costs less to subscribe, so I’d give it the edge in this contest of giants.
Is Match Legit?
Match Group began its journey in 1993 with the vision of using technology to spark true love. It’s now one of the most successful matchmakers in history.
Anyone looking for love should definitely consider getting a subscription plan to Match. It’s the real deal, and it has been around since 1995, which is longer than many of its members have been alive!
Match is a fantastic dating service if you’re fed up with swiping through fake profiles. Its robust verification features include two-factor authentication and live moderation to stop bad actors in their tracks. We’ve tested Match over and over through the years, and we’ve never encountered any harassment or shady characters here.
Match caters to serious daters and only allows messaging for people who’ve already liked each other, so you don’t have to worry as much about a new person flaking out on you or not taking your romantic connection seriously.
Singles on Match are looking to achieve tangible results and find quality matches in the dating world. So, jump in and elevate your love life.
Enjoy Your Free Match Membership & Get to Know Local Singles!
Look, I’m a millennial, so I love avocado, and I’m going to keep paying the upcharge for it because it’s worth it to me. Online dating doesn’t feel as worth it to me. It’s less of a safe bet and more of a guessing game, so I’m going to stay free for as long as I can on the sites and apps.
Sometimes, it’s worthwhile to spend a little on things that add zest to your life and bring you joy. Maybe you’re seeing a lot of likes on Match and are eager to know who’s interested so you can be more proactive about making matches.
Maybe you’re tired of working so hard on the apps and hope a little paid upgrade will get you to the front of the swipe line.
Of course, it’s worth looking into ways to save. The free basic membership (no Match free trial or coupon needed) will help you explore the dating scene and get a feel for if it’s promising enough to upgrade… or valuable enough on its own. Have fun!
