Match Review

By Jonathan Hartley Updated on: March 5, 2024 Fact Checked by Aleksandra Gojkovic

Match.com is a well-known online dating service connecting people worldwide since 1995. The platform is where millions of singles are searching for various kinds of relationships and can try a diverse form of communication, from likes and messages to IRL parties that the service sets up.

Match.com is part of Match Group, the world’s largest provider of dating services. We have already tested some of its products, including Plenty of Fish, Tinder, and OkCupid. All of them are high-quality dating services with unique features, and we assessed if Match.com offers distinctive functionality.

We signed up to evaluate important aspects for modern daters, including user interface, matchmaking diversity, communication features, membership options, and security. Read our review to determine if the opportunities provided by the service are worth your attention, or if Match.com’s popularity stems solely from its longevity in the market.

✅ What We Like

• Matches to every taste: The Match.com audience is enormous, and it is continuously growing. 30 million users make more than 1 million swipes daily. Their layout and features make it easy to find somebody who matches your preferences. We liked the list of users in our Top Picks as well as the main search results.
• Many options to match: Among other international dating sites, we can rank Match.com as one of the richest in terms of matchmaking features. The service has many options and add-ons that go beyond the scope of just having standard settings for exact search preferences, chatting, or sending likes. Here you can take advantage of the unique 72-hour feature, talk with people via video chat, and much more.
• Free trial: As a promotion, Match periodically offers three-day access to a paid subscription plan for free. Using this opportunity, you can see how the service works and what you are going to pay for. This is similar to the 10-day trial on ChristianCafé.com which allowed us to get a detailed picture of the platform.
• Check Vibe: Video chats on dating platforms are also a strength, as it expand communication opportunities. Of course, you should message your match before initiating a video conversation and make sure they feel comfortable chatting via that medium.
• Match.com Events: The platform provides an opportunity for its users to see each other and party together in real life by setting up special meetings. They arrange events in many locations around the world, and it turns Match.com into a welcoming community.

❌ What We Didn’t Like

• Poor free membership: You can do very few things until you subscribe to a paid membership. You can’t message everyone you want, see who likes you, or even have enough Top Picks. This is common practice for many dating sites and apps, but we hope such an established platform had a unique approach.
• Not all profiles are fully completed: The platform welcomes everybody and does not mandate thorough profile completion. The sign-up quiz is not as comprehensive as those on SilverSingles or Plenty of Fish. Limited information makes it difficult to have a clear idea of a person after viewing his or her profile. We also gained the impression that many visitors browse users’ profiles aimlessly and don’t know who they are looking for. So, there is no guarantee that your matches will lead to successful love stories. 
• Ads: We don’t like seeing too many on-page ads, as it can be distracting. Unfortunately, Match.com has many of them compared to some other platforms. You have the option to block them by joining a paid membership.

💡 Features

💰 Match.com Pricing

You may stay on Match as a free member or sign up for a paid membership. If you decide to continue without paying, the following options are available:

• Profile creation and updates
• The setting of search preferences
• Viewing other members’ profiles
• Getting up to 6 Top Picks daily
• Unlimited Likes
• Viewing your Super Likers

As you can see, the number of free features is not big, but they are still enough to get acquainted with the main functionality. When you decide to enhance your opportunities and increase your chances of meeting people you want, you can opt for a Standard or a Premium membership and get access to:

• Sending unlimited likes and messages
• Viewing who liked you and viewed your profile
• Receiving 12 Top Picks every day
• Receiving a Super Like every week
• Reading Receipts to know when your messages have been read
• One Boost per month to increase your profile’s visibility
• Unlimited Rewinds to undo your last swipe
• Match events with discounts

Match.com periodically changes the list of features and prices for each membership plan, so check this information before subscribing. The current cost is:

📱 Match.com on Mobile

Many Match.com users prefer the convenience of the mobile application over waiting for matches to reply while in front of their PCs.

The app, which is the eighth most downloaded dating app in the world, is available on both iOS and Android devices. It has a user-friendly interface. The layout doesn’t differ much from the website. Users’ profiles are informative, and the necessary icons and buttons are large and convenient to tap on. The set of options and features is the same for both desktop and mobile versions.

🤔 How to Use Match.com

As we can judge by our testing, Match.com seems to provide a worthy dating experience. Now, we are going to tell you about onboarding and the communication options that are the most helpful and fun.

Registration

The signup process on Match.com isn’t the quickest on the market, but the 12–15 minutes it will take you is worth it. So, here is what you are to do to join the Match.com daters:

• Move on to the homepage and choose who you are and what gender you’re looking to date.

• Define the age brackets for your partner-to-be.
• Provide your ZIP code.
• Insert your date of birth.

• Enter your username.

• Provide your email address and choose a secure password.

• Define how you know about Match.com.

Once you’ve completed the key lines of your registration, it is time to tell other Match members about yourself:

• Tell a little about your look (height and body type).

• Define your marital status.
• Confirm if you have kids or not and whether you want them in the future.
• Select your education level.
• Point out your habits in terms of smoking and drinking.
• Define your ethnicity.
• Choose your denomination.
• Define your interests. There are 10 sections, including Art and Culture, Adventures, Sports and Activities, Intellectual stimulation, Fun and games, Creative outlets, Film and TV, Social values, Food and Drink, and Health and Lifestyle. The system displays them in the form of hashtags, so selecting relevant options goes quickly.

• Select the parameters of your perfect match. The criteria are age, marital status, appearance, education, religion, attitude toward children, and habits. If any of these parameters are crucial, move the Must-have slider to the bottom of the exact section.
• Set the kind of relationships you are looking for. The list of options is short and includes short-term dating, long-term relationships, uncertainty, and even just curiosity.
• Choose a topic to express your opinion. Topics are short statements that you are to supplement with your views. You can add up to three topics.
• Upload a photo. You can connect your profile to your Facebook account to get images from there.

• Read more about our paid membership options and decide whether you want to join as a premium member now or later.

Finally, you are to verify your account with your phone number. Insert the SMS confirmation number sent to you and start browsing.

Making Matches

The list of matchmaking options on Match.com is impressive, and you can try all of them and define the most effective. Here are the most helpful features for you:

• Traditional Search: Simply make selections by browsing profiles, which the system shows you according to your preferences. The search filters include age, activity date, match parameters, photo counts, distance, and some others. You can find them in the Discover section in the upper menu.

• Mutual Match: It is a simple matching algorithm based on users’ preferences. If you have similar tastes or somebody fits into the description of your perfect dater, you will see him or her in your search tab.
• Highlights: The feature allows you to see the most compatible, high-quality profiles and spur further communication through sending Super Likes. If there is no action within 7 days, the Highlight expires. Both paid, and free members receive three Highlights daily.

• Top Picks: Top Picks are the recommended profiles in your area that match most of your preferences and even your searching behavior on the platform.

• Reverse Search: It is a fun option that displays matches who are looking for someone like you. If your self-description fits perfectly into somebody’s preferences, the system will let you know.
• 72 Hours: This feature helps both seasoned members and newbies go dating IRL as soon as possible. You can join 72 Hours each week from Monday through Thursday. You’ll see up to 15 date-ready members on a map. Just choose someone to communicate with, send a message, and arrange to meet up. If you don’t exchange phone numbers or fail to meet with anyone from Thursday afternoon until Sunday night, the chat will be automatically closed.

Communicating with Matches

There are communication features for both free and paid members. Naturally, the latter have more freedom of choice. So, among the communication methods with matches are:

• Likes: This is the simplest and most affordable way to show your interest. You click the blue heart button, and the user sees your Like and may like you back. After mutual Likes, you can start a chat if your membership plan allows.
• SuperLikes: The feature, also known as Purple Star, lets you show a higher level of interest due to members needing to pay for this privilege. Premium members receive one Super Like per week out of the box, but if you want more, you can purchase a package of 5, 12, or 30 Super Likes.
• Messages: Free users can send messages to members from the Top Picks list. However, to read and respond to messages, you need to choose any membership plan and subscribe. Premium members can chat with others without limits.

• Intros: You can leave an attention-grabbing comment in the profile of someone special and motivate him or her to start communicating. For free members, only one Intro per day is available.
• Vibe Check or Video Chat: Messaging is good, but seeing and talking to each other is often worth a thousand messages. You can initiate a video chat by clicking a black video icon and converse for as long as you like.

Optimize Your Match.com Experience

If you still doubt paid membership or want to extend your paid plan, then you can try some power-ups that the platform offers:

• Boost: The option raises your profile to the top 6 results for the users seeking someone like you, and you stay here for 60 minutes. The chances of attracting attention are much higher in this case. You can purchase an unlimited number of sessions and even opt for multipacks of 5 or 10 Boosts.

• Reply for Free: If you are a paid member who wants to get responses from free users, you can add this option to your plan and pay for it. In this case, a member you like can receive and respond to your emails.
• Undercover: Some daters prefer to stay invisible to other members by using the Undercover option. After you purchase it, you can browse and view member profiles, and other members won’t see you in the Who Viewed Me section.
• Match.com Events: It is another great option to meet each other IRL. The platform arranges various kinds of activities in different areas, and you can see the list of upcoming events both on the website and in the mobile app.

👥 General User Experience

We found Match.com to be a very comfortable platform to use. All the necessary options are easy and intuitive to navigate. The layout, with its white and blue palette and simple yet modern design, is also very pleasant, with no unnecessary distractions.

The user profiles are another thing we liked very much. They are informative and well-organized, allowing you to see all the main information, self-description, preferences, and photos at a glance.

The only thing that was slightly annoying to us was the advertising. While it doesn’t overshadow the profiles directly, some ads are flashy and distracting.

🔐 User Safety & Security

Match.com is strong in terms of safety, and the platform declares it its top priority. First, we like the multi-level authentication, which includes email, password, and phone number verification. Furthermore, the service mentions a combination of trained human agents and automated tools for fighting illegal or harmful activities. Also, we liked having the option to report bad behavior of other users, as this makes you feel safe when browsing Match.com.

Finally, there are a handful of dating safety tips. The platform covers various topics, such as recommendations for parents as well as for online and IRL daters.

☎️ Customer Support

There are three options for users to connect with the Match.com support team:

1. Email: You can submit a request on the website or in the mobile app. There is a special form where you must provide your name, email address, phone number, and postal or ZIP code. Describe your problem in detail to get a comprehensive response.
2. Live Chat: Members can talk to a Match specialist between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday.
3. FAQs: The platform provides thorough explanations of all the key points concerning the Match.com user experience. All the FAQs are divided into sections, so browsing and finding what you need is very easy.

🎖️ How Does Match.com Compare?

The concept of Match.com is to provide online dating services around the world. We chose InternationalCupid, another popular website that has members from around the world, as a website for comparison.

Surprisingly, the audience of InternationalCupid is smaller, though the developers confirm its availability in 190 countries. Nevertheless, there are around 2 million users against 75 million on Match.com.

Also, we tried some other criteria to compare both international dating platforms:

• Free options: Though their sets of free features are almost the same, the InternationalCupid free members still have a bit more freedom, as they can at least reply to messages.
• Communication: Both sites offer messaging, likes, and a live chat to facilitate communication.
• Offline community: Match.com arranges IRL events for its users to socialize and potentially find love, while InternationalCupid focuses on online dating activities, leaving real-life meetings up to its members.
• Verification: InternationalCupid users can confirm their authenticity via Photo ID and receive a verification badge on their profiles. On Match.com, there is no such feature for the time being.

Useful experience for matching people from abroad

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InternationalCupid Review

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Match Review

🏆 Final Verdict: Is Match.com Right for You?

As our testing shows, Match.com is a good dating platform capable of connecting singles with potential partners or friends, whether in their vicinity or abroad. While members may not always have specific dating goals, the service provides enough opportunities to meet new people and maybe establish the love life you have always dreamed of.

Also, we like the traditional matching algorithms that the platform applies. They are still very effective and provide easy ways for the users to find someone to suit their hearts and personal preferences.

Though Match.com has been around since the 1990s, developers consistently strive to remain current, implementing relevant changes and updates. Perhaps when you register, new features will appear, and there will be even more ways to find the perfect match. We feel that having a vision to improve and offer the best online dating experience is impressive and deserves attention!

❓ FAQ