eHarmony Reviews - 2022
NUMBER OF USERS: | 5 MILLION (UK) |
AVERAGE COST A MONTH: | £14.95 A MONTH |
MOST POPULAR SUBSCRIPTION: | 12 MONTHS |
AGE BREAKDOWN | 26 - 65 (supplied by eHarmony) |
GENDER RATIO: | 51% | 49% |
WhichDate eHarmony Review – September 24, 2024
A scientific approach to dating. Less work for you to do as the site finds matches for you. medium / higher priced, very popular and one of the better sites we have used.
WhichDate Score:
eHarmony.co.uk Review: Everything you need to know before signing up
Below we have compiled an in depth look at eHarmony, including its cost, features, our summary and reviews from other users.
REVIEWED BY: Darren
LAST UPDATED: JANUARY, 2021
BIO: 30 year old Male who lives in the south of England
eHarmony is one of the biggest and most popular online dating sites in the world. It boasts 4.5 million+ UK members (60 million globally) and is designed to match single men and women with the aim of establishing long term relationships.
eHarmony was founded by Dr Neil Clark Warren, who is a leading clinical psychologist, hence the scientific core of the eHarmony matching algorithm.
Below I have compiled a detailed review of eHarmony.co.uk, I have described what I think are their main features compared to the other leading dating sites in the UK and I have also featured some reviews from others who have used the site to give you as honest a review as possible - enjoy!
The eHarmony Algorithms
eHarmony works by asking members in depth questions about their core values. Using these answers and their match making algorithm (Compatibility Matching System®) eHarmony are able to match potential partners who share or have compatible traits - these algorithms are continually researched and updated via eHarmony's research department, eHarmony Labs. The Algorithm, in simple form, takes into account the users answers from their 29 dimensions of compatibility and rates how compatible each person is. eHarmony can then show you only the most compatible partners and save you time searching hundred of profiles.
If you would like to read more about the eHarmony matching process and algorithm, please read the post I put together here.
eHarmony Prices UK
eHarmony change their account prices based on a number of different aspects. This can be based on the time of year, how long you have been an active member and any promotions they are running etc.
The below table is a quick glace at the cost of joining eHarmony.
For a more detailed breakdown along with MONEY saving tips see the eHarmony costs page.
In general, the busier periods of the year will mean you have less options available (new year, valentines day, start of summer etc) and the prices will be slightly higher, keep an eye on the cost page above to find the best time to join eHarmony.
Price Per Month | Membership Length | Potential Savings | Total Cost |
---|---|---|---|
£44.95 | 1 Month | £0 | £44.95 |
£24.95 | 6 Months | £114 | £155.70 |
£14.95 | 12 Months | £348 | £191.40 |
£11.95 | 24 Months | £792 | £286.80 |
You have the option to pay these membership fees as a one sum or in 3 instalments.
eHarmony used to offer different membership types that had different features (these were known as total connect and basic) but since 2016 they have stopped offering these and now all features are under one membership cost.
TOP TIP: Always switch off your account auto renew, if not unchecked you will automatically be signed up when your account ends. You can find out how to cancel auto renew in your billing settings once you log in.
eHarmony Sign Up
Signing up to eHarmony was surprisingly enjoyable. The user interface is very clean and easy to use (see video above) and although the questionnaire is quite long - it took me about 15-20 minutes to complete - the process is easy enough and it feels like the site is really getting to know you, more than other sites I have tried where the sign up is rushed and not very personal.
If you want to see all of the questions that eHarmony ask during their sign up process, I have compiled the full eHarmony questionnaire for you to take a look at.
In terms of my matches, I liked the fact that I didn't have to search through hundreds of profiles myself, I wasn't inundated with options or profiles and the people put in front of me seem initially like good matches.
After sign up I had 30 matches to look through and on a completely shallow level, 8-10 seemed to be of interest and my type.
After a few days, I was getting around 10 new matches a day to look through, this was on top of the 'What Ifs' matches that I also looked through when I had some time in front of the TV.
eHarmony Features
Icebreakers
ice breakers are just little gestures that show you are interested in a match, this is usually in the form of a 'smiley face' which just acts as a nudge to someone you might be interested in. Sending a message to them is also classed as a icebreaker too.
You will get alerted of these ice breakers via email, you can change this in your settings to stop a constant barrage of emails, if you happen to be lucky enough to receive more than 1.
eHarmony Mail
if you have a paid subscription you are free to email any one of your matches at any time. eHarmony mail is also available at the end of guided communication, once you have gone through the below steps with your match. You can receive messages with unpaid subscriptions, but you will not be able to read them until you pay for a membership.
Guided Communication
Guided communication is a way to help push you in the right direct and avoid you taking the first step alone, leading with an awkward 'hello, how are you' isn't the best opener to a conversation. Its a 3 step process with the end goal to get you and a match emailing on your own accord.
QUICK QUESTIONS
This is step 1 in guided communication; you get to choose up to 5 predefined questions (known as quick questions) to send to each other. From there, once you have answered them you can update your 'makes or breaks',
MAKES OR BREAKS
Step 2; this makes sure no one is time wasting and weeds out anything that is a 100% no go, you both state a few make or breaks to send to each other.
DIGGING DEEPER
step 3; you can send 3 open ended questions (digging deeper) so that you can get to know your match a bit more in depth and actually hear what they have to say.
OPEN COMMUNICATION
If you are still interested, you move on to open communication, which is essentially an email service whereby you can send anything you want to each other, this will require a full paid membership.
The Two Of You Together
A new feature for 2017 is the addition of 'the two of you together' which is a great addition to their service. Basically any time you are matched with someone you can now see exactly why. By clicking on their profile you will be given the option to see which aspects eHarmony have deemed you both, most compatible. This feature gives you some more insight into why you are matched and might allow you to pick up on someone that has values you are looking for.
The questionnaire is good and I feel like it does a good job, but with this feature, you can manually review a match a bit more and might make up for some rushed answers.
What Ifs
An extra feature I like in eHarmony is this one that allows you to see other matches that otherwise you wouldn't have, they are just outside your match settings but eHarmony think you would like them anyway - it can stop you getting dishearten by seeing the same matches every day.
Once you skip a 'what if' they are gone for good, so its worth spending some time checking them out.There doesn't seem to be a limit on the number of 'what ifs' - I've skipped through quite a few and they keep coming.
Once you get into this habit, its a bit like tinder, so Id advise against spending hours 'swiping away' potential matches.
Free Communication Weekends
eHarmony run free communication weekends once every 6-8 weeks for new members to try out their service. These weekends allow you to go through their 'guided communication' with your matches for free - once you have gone through this you can use their mail service to talk more openly to your matches, although you wont be able to see any of their pictures during the free event.
TIP - some members might try to get you away from the eHarmony platform during these events so they dont have to pay, if this happens, please be careful.
Interested in a free weekend? Read our guide to find out how to make the most of these event and when exactly the next eHarmony free communication weekend is.
For new online daters, I would advise to get out of your comfort zone. Try not to stick to a certain type too much. embrace the difference, at least for the first few weeks to get a feel for other people online - dont be too picky!
What Do You Get For Free?
After completing the eHarmony questionnaire you are taken to a payment page, most people won't sign up there and then, but prefer to take a look around before committing. I thought it would be worth while to list all of the basic features you will get for free, before you submit any payment info.
eHarmony App
The eHarmony app is free on Android, Windows and the Apple store, so its definitely worth checking out once you purchase a membership. Its really easy to use and I found myself using it more than the desktop site, I've included a couple of screenshots below. .If you navigate to the 'what if' section, I really love the way you can find out more about the matches just by pressing on the screen, its a great user experience feature. As mentioned above, dont fall into the trap of using the 'what if' section like a tinder profile, its easy to keep swiping NO, especially if you are on your mobile but it can quickly ruin the experience - remember every person you see is paying to be on the service,so they are interested in a relationship.
eHarmony Customer Service
I didn't have much need to contact their support, but I wanted to test it out so I asked a few questions and even called their support line. Both went smoothly and all the staff I spoke to were helpful. They also seems quite reactive on their social profiles, which is usually a good way to contact big brands.
eHarmony Free Trial: The 14 Day Refund
Ill start by saying there is no such thing as an eHarmony free trial - I'm trying to convince them to give me one to publish here, but as of 2017, I can't get one.
eHarmony do offer a 14 day refund policy. If you want to cancel before 14 days you should call 0800 028 0308 and explain your reasons. If you are over the 14 day period you can no longer cancel and all future payments will still be taken out (for example, if you pay in 3 instalments, then all 3 will still be taken from your account)
For more details on how to cancel or fully delete your profile, read our eHarmony FAQ section or to get the low down on the 14 day eHarmony free trial we have a tonne more info on the blog.
eHarmony Promo Codes
I try as hard as I can to publish the most up to date discounts and offers for eHarmony. Dating can be expensive, so keeping the cost down wherever possible is a big deal for most users. If you happen to find a new voucher or for a full list of codes and offer, please add it to the eHarmony promo code page so others can save a few quid before signing up - thanks guys!
*EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT* |
*EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT* |
New To eHarmony? |
eHarmony vs Match.com
eHarmony and match.com are the 2 most popular dating sites in the UK and both are a great choice for the new online dater, in fact for most people I recommend joining either Match or eHarmony if you are new to online dating. Below is a quick comparison between the 2 online dating sites, for a full Match.com review, please see the article which is the most in depth I have found and will walk you through the various features of Match.com so you can make a better judgement call as to which to sign up to.
MATCH.COM
EHARMONY
Both sites have a large number of users and both would suit people that are new to online dating.
Whilst Match.com takes more time due to the fact that its down to you to search for profiles, they will naturally have more profiles for you to look through which means more potential dates. eHarmony takes some of the leg work out of the process. for you, so I would say time is a major factor when choosing which platform to use.
Both are paid for services, with Match.com the better option for the price conscious as they do have more contract options available year round - most online dating sites advise a 6-9 months as the ideal length of time.
Personally, I preferred the hand picked feel of eHarmony. I don't tend to enjoy alot of screen time (even though this review has taken me ages) so not having to manually search for alot of matches suited me better, but as you will read across the site, there are others who feel differently and those whom have received very few matches via eHarmony.
How Safe is eHarmony?
eHarmony, like every other online dating site can be a vulnerable place if you do not take a few minutes to read through some dating safety guides. Free membership sites tend to be more prominent for scammers, but that shouldn't deter you from understanding when something doesn't feel right. eHarmony have various block and delete features built into their site, so this 100% helps with an potential fraudulent activity that might happen on their platform.
eHarmony have an email address where you can direct any potential suspect activity - matchconcerns@eharmony.com - and there is also a dedicated section of their site which outlines the best practices to help stay safe whilst using their service - eHarmony Staying Safe - which we would recommend to read if you are new to online dating.
eharmony are approved by the Online Dating Association
Contact eHarmony
eHarmony Address:
6-10 Great Portland Street London
W1W 8QL
eHarmony Phone:
0800 028 0308
Support@eharmony.co.uk
eHarmony Conclusion
Overall, my time on eHarmony has resulted in a number of dates with some very lovely ladies and I'm sure I will have some more.
In terms of the overall use of the site, it is definitely in my top 3 and one I would recommend if you are going down the paid route. I continue to get a good number of matches (3 months on) but this might be dependant on location (I am based in the south of England) so please check our below real user reviews to see what everyone else is saying.
The feel of the site is more 'premium' than other cheaper and free dating sites I've used, added with the price this seems to attract a slightly more affluent demograph than other sites, which also aligns with the demographic information that eHarmony has provided me with.
The site is marketed as a 'long term' relationship site and they do talk about marriage alot and certainly the people I have spoken to and met with are looking for long term/marriage which can be overwhelming to some people.
OUR RECOMMENDATION: Because of the huge number of users, there will obviously be a broad strokes approach to the site, but for my situation I can recommend the site. If you are 28+, looking for a long term relationship, based in or around a main city, professional worker who has some disposable income then I would say eHarmony is a great place to meet a long term partner.
If you are 100% new to online dating, then test out one of their free communication weekends to test the waters and to see if it is for you.
The Good Stuff:
- Saves time by serving you only relevant matches
- Middle of the road pricing
- Easy to use, clean app and desktop service
- Regular codes available
The Bad Stuff:
- Fairly long Questionnaire
- Matches could become stagnant in rural locations
- Shorter contracts aren't always available
Real User eHarmony Reviews
Below we have gathered honest reviews from users who have used eHarmony.
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