Match.com Review

Written by: Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks is the Editor-in-Chief at DatingAdvice.com. When she was growing up, her family teased her for being "boy crazy," but she preferred to think of herself as a budding dating and relationship expert. As an English major at the University of Florida, Amber honed her communication skills to write clearly, knowledgeably, and passionately about a variety of subjects. Now with over 1,800 lifestyle articles to her name, Amber brings her tireless wit and relatable experiences to DatingAdvice.com.

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Edited by: Lillian Castro

Lillian Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of journalism experience to ensure DatingAdvice articles have been edited for overall clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement. She has worked at The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, The Gwinnett Daily News, and The Gainesville Sun covering lifestyle topics.

Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks,

Editor-in-Chief

Overall Rating: ★★★★★ 4.9/5.0 Start Free Trial »
Advertiser Disclosure
Popularity 5.0/5.0
Features 4.8/5.0
Value 4.6/5.0
Safety 4.7/5.0
Ease of Use 4.9/5.0
Overall Rating
4.9/5.0
★★★★★

Overview

Launched in April 1995, Match.com has been around longer than any other dating site in the U.S., and it has earned an international reputation as a trustworthy platform for singles seeking short-term and long-term relationships. In fact, Match has facilitated more first dates, relationships, and marriages than any other dating site in existence. You can sign up for the site (or download the app) for free to start searching for your second half. You can like, wink, and message with confidence knowing that Match is behind you all the way.

Data Breakdown

User Base
All Singles*
Popularity (Visits/Mo)
39.7 Million*
Gender Ratio
49%*
51%*

Match has over 7 million paid members and caters its services to heterosexual and LGBTQ singles of all ages.

Match, with over 15 million active users, is one of the most popular dating sites and apps in the world.

Unlike most dating sites, Match's gender ratio is pretty even with 49% of users being men and 51% being women.

Features

Match.com Match System
Match.com Other Features

Match System

  • In-depth profiles include a relationship questionnaire about personality traits.
  • Optional sign-up through Facebook or other social media accounts can speed up dating profile creation.
  • Profiles detail basic stats, interests, photos, and a personal information summary
  • Members receive daily match suggestions selected based on personal compatibility ratings.
  • Paid subscribers can see who has liked their profile and have full access to the Match event calendar as well as additional features.
  • Reverse Search shows users a list of dating profiles looking for someone like them.
  • Mutual Search shows users a list of mutually compatible dating profiles.
  • Vibe Check allows online daters to enjoy a quick video date with their potential match.

Other Features

  • The Discover section has helpful search filters for distance, age, interests, looks, lifestyle, and more.
  • One-hour Boost Sessions (10 for $2.49) increase a Match user's visibility on the dating site threefold.
  • Match Events give singles real-world opportunities to meet new people at wine tastings, bowling nights, and happy hours.
  • Dating experts are available to offer advice. The first session is free.
  • MatchPhone gives users a private, custom number to call and text one another.
  • Missed Connections allows users of the app to find local date prospects they’ve crossed paths with in real life.

Pricing

Today's Special Offer:

Match.com offers monthly memberships. The prices are as follows:

Join for 12 Months

$20.99/mo »

Join for 6 Months

$23.99/mo »

Join for 3 Months

$27.99/mo »

Ease of Use

Although Match has a lot different features, the simple layout of the dating site and app makes it easy to navigate and understand. It’s totally free to join and test the matching and search features to see if this platform is right for you.

When you join Match, using an email or social media account, you’ll fill out an in-depth profile that focuses on your interests and lifestyle. The dating profile has four main sections:

  • About Me: demographics for relationship status, ethnicity, body type, faith, etc.
  • Summary: an open-ended blurb in your own words.
  • My Interests and Topics: book club, playing cards, cooking, volunteering, sports, etc.
  • What I'm Looking For: quick facts about the type of potential partner you prefer.

You can fill in these optional sections and introduce yourself to potential matches by highlighting your most important and appealing attributes. Match uses your profile information and stated dealbreakers to suggest mutually compatible members in your area.

Free members can edit their profiles, add photos, search for matches, send likes, and access the Match dating app for an unlimited period of time. Free members can also send a private message to another person if that person is one of the possible matches in their Top Picks list.
However, if you want to talk to every user on the Match website or app, you’ll need to choose a three-month, six-month, or 12-month membership plan. Members who upgrade their accounts automatically gain access to messaging features, privacy filters, and priority access to Match Events, among other premium features. Paid membership subscribers also rank higher in search results on the site and app.

Match is a pretty self-explanatory site and app. Its search tools allow you to narrow down the dating field to people who meet your standards in terms of distance, personality, looks, interests, and lifestyle. You can also filter the results to show only profiles that have photos or are online now. And you can search by keyword. Additionally, Match offers a unique Reverse Match and Mutual Match filters, which curate a list of profiles who are looking for someone like you.

Match is available in 38 languages and has an active user base in 50 countries worldwide. You can find people of all ages, orientations, and backgrounds on this general dating platform. The dating site has a relatively even split among the generations: 32% identify as millennials or Gen Z, 39% as Gen Xers, and 27% as baby boomers. A strong majority of Match’s user base (84%) has attended college or earned a college degree.

If you’re looking for a reliable place to meet quality dates, you can’t do much better than the Match app, which is available on Google Play and the App Store. The dating app has a verification and matching process that screens out fake profiles and scammers, plus Match Group is adding background checks as a paid feature, so it's about as safe as online dating can be.

This dating site have numerous tools designed to direct you to viable date prospects and help you meet your perfect match.

Match has cultivated a safe dating environment by actively policing its network, screening all new profiles, and empowering users to block or report profiles on the site. Anyone can report a concern to the dating site and expect a response within 24 hours. Match encourages users to flag any profile showing inappropriate or fake content or exhibiting abusive or otherwise harmful behavior.

All profiles reported to Match undergo a thorough investigation process and may be removed from the site entirely if the team sees evidence of malicious intent or behaviors.

Recently, Match has implemented innovative Verification tools to allow users to build trust on the dating platform by connecting through a valid social media account. Match will give users a badge that shows up on their profiles if they verify their Facebook accounts, email addresses, phone numbers, Twitter accounts, and other social media profiles. This is a completely optional feature, but it can help you build credibility with potential love interests.

Match Group has also added a Vibe Check feature that facilitates video dates so newly introduced couples can feel each other out without having to go to a crowded bar or coffee shop.

Pros and Cons

Pros of Match.com

  • A large, diverse, and global user base active in 50 countries.
  • Receive daily personalized match suggestions based on your match preferences.
  • Multiple search tools empower singles to find dates on their own.
  • A lot of ways to show interest and communicate for free.
  • Match has collected more success stories and facilitated more first dates than any other dating site in existence.
  • Members can attend local Match Events if they feel burnt out on online dating.
  • The Match Customer Care team is available by email and live chat Monday through Friday.

Cons of Match.com

  • Only paid subscribers can send unlimited messages or see who has liked their profiles.
  • Can be time-consuming to search through all the choices, features, and matches.
  • You can’t choose who is in your Top Picks list, so free members have no control over who they can message and who they can't.
  • Privacy mode (incognito browsing) is only available to paid subscribers.

The Bottom Line

Match has a lot to offer singles looking for true love. This dating site has spent over two decades perfecting its matching process and honing its match algorithm to deliver results — and it works. The Match blog posts heartwarming success stories that highlight its life-changing impact on everyday individuals.

In an internal survey, a third of Match users reported having started a relationship lasting longer than four months thanks to the dating site.To date, Match claims responsibility for over 10 million relationships in the US as well as more than 1 million babies being born. That’s an incredibly legacy, and this online dating giant isn’t slowing down at all. The Texas-based team continually comes up with new ways to connect users online and offline.

With its useful features, simple navigation, professional layout, and inspirational success stories, it’s easy to see why Match has been around so long. Since 1995, Match has pioneered the online dating industry and forever transformed the dating landscape for singles around the world. Millions of singles have found compatible date prospects and love interests on the site, and we expect it to continue matching people up for decades to come.

Try Match.com Today

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