Match.com Reviews - 2022
NUMBER OF USERS: | 5 MILLION (UK) |
AVERAGE COST A MONTH: | £9.99 A MONTH |
MOST POPULAR SUBSCRIPTION: | 6 MONTHS |
AGE DEMOGRAPHIC | 25 - 55 |
GENDER RATIO: | 49% | 51% |
WhichDate Review – November 4, 2023
A site with a huge pool of active users, a numbers game in online dating as you are left to search yourself, middle of the road for price and has an available app with some nice features for those on the go.
WhichDate Score:
Match.com Review: Everything you need to know before signing up
Below we have compiled an in depth look at Match.com, including its cost, features, our summary and reviews from other users.
REVIEWED BY: Darren
LAST UPDATED: JANUARY 2022
BIO: 30 year old Male who lives in the south of England
Match.com is the leading online dating site in the world, attracting nearly 100million members since its launch in 1993. Match is owed by IAC who also own a wealth of other dating sites including, OKCupic, PlentyofFish, Tinder & Chemistry.com) so their influence in online dating is unparalleled.
With the sheer amount of users on Match.com and the way you are free to search profiles by yourself, it is a great place to start your online dating experience, no other place can get you in front of as many singles as Match.com, so if its a numbers game you are after then we recommend you try Match.com.
Below we have put together an in depth Match.com review. We go over their main features, their positives and negatives and also added in some reviews from real users so you can hear what others think of their service.
Match.com 'Matching' Process
Match.com at its core is a traditional online dating service in the broadest sense. You fill out your profile, answer some basic questions and match.com puts your profile into its system to show you to other members.
Once you are signed up to Match.com you hit their opening page which shows you, what feels like everyone within a 100 mile radius which can be encouraging and daunting at the same time. From there you can navigate to an advanced search section, which is a great feature if you know what you are looking for or can narrow it down slightly, otherwise you will waste a tonne of time skipping over profiles.
a profile picture feels a lot more important on match.com than the likes of Guardian Soulmates and eHarmony
this might be because psychologically I dont think they put as much effort into matching me with others, but I seem to find myself swiping left alot of the time based on nothing but the profile picture whereas on more niche dating sites I found myself taking more time to read about the profile before dismissing them.
If you know your type or simply want a lot of people to look at, then match is a really great choice. you can pinpoint with some detail what you are after. There are some other great features which I explain in more detail below, but overall I its a site I would recommend to newcomers.
Match.com User Demographics
We thought it would be useful for you to understand the overall demographics of match.com in order to make an informed decision about joining or not. The below figures were pulled from the press agency of Match.com
Match.com User Breakdown – updated ( November 4, 2023 )
To help make our Match.com review as useful as possible, we have developed a tool to highlight exactly how many users are in your city so you can more clearly see how popular the site is in your area.
OUR SEARCH CRITERIA
To get the below data, we have set our search to a 20 mile search radius around a number of the Uk & Irelands most popular cities. We only featured users that have logged in within 1 month and that also have a profile picture to give the truest view of users.
[wpdatatable id=5 table_view=regular]
Match.com Historical Data
See Historical User Numbers
Match.com UK Prices
Match.com, like most other dating sites tend to change their account prices based on a number of features, but they do tend to be more stable than the likes of eHarmony with packages usually of a similar price to the below.
I've added in a table to show the current match.com UK costs that I'm seeing for new users, it will help to see roughly what you can expect to pay. but bare in mind it might change slightly.
For a more detailed breakdown along with tips see our match.com costs page.
You will find with Match.com that busier periods will see them offering a better price (new year, valentines day, start of summer etc)with cheaper plans on offer, keep an eye on our cost page above to find the best time to join match.com in the UK.
Price Per Month | Membership Length | Potential Savings | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
£29.99 | 1 Month | £0 | £29.99 |
£19.99 | 3 Months | £30 | £59.97 |
£9.99 | 6 Months | £120 | £59.94 |
Unless you are looking to join for 1 month, I cant see why anyone would opt for the 3 month plan, so our advice would be to take the most popular, 6 month Match.com subscription.
Once signed up, Match offer some addon services, which are detailed below, these include their 'Boosts' to get your profile seen by more people and their Select and Connect addons (which, in my opinion are a waste of time)
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.
Match.com Sign Up Process
The Match.com questionnaire was very intuitive and easy to fill out (took me around 10 minutes) as you would expect from a multi million £ company.
here felt like there was more emphasis on your potential matches than the questionnaire from other sites like eHarmony and Guardian Soulmates which is surprising given the lax feel to my matches when logged in. I guess this i where an algorithmic/niche matching systems versus a more automated system comes into play.
You can see a quick video of the questionnaire here, if you were interested.
In terms of my matches, I was taken aback by the volume of matches when I had logged in. Straight away I felt like I was being more shallow with match.com as a posed to other paid dating sites because I could see alot more matches and so scrolling through them was easier. .
After sign up and day 1 I had 40 views, a wink and an email. I averaged about 7-12 views a day with a wink and a couple of favourites a day too.
Match.com Features
Advanced Search
The advanced search feature in Match.com is really great, its the best bit about their service. If you know what you want, then you can narrow down your search to a tee, filtering by every option imaginable; Height, weight, build, location, hobbies, income, eye colour, values etc
A nice touch is being able to search by when the person was last logged in, this does cut down the matches by quite alot (I had 500 'matches', clicked 'logged in within 2 week' and it whittled them down to just 80) but at least you can see that they are active users.
How I used this feature?
Nail down a specific type that interests you and go after those in batches by sending a similar message that will seem tailed to them.
EG Badminton players - send a messages about Badminton to everyone in that 'niche' - this seemed to work great for getting replies as I can imagine women especially get alot of messages on Match.com.
Match.com Winks / Favourites
With both a free and paid membership at Match.com you can add users to your favourite lists. This just means that you add a profile to a list of people who you are interested in so you can come back to them at a later time. When you add someone to your favourite list they will be notified. On paid accounts. you can also see & get notifications of users whom have added you to their favourites
Winks are just a little nudge to show someone you are interested, you can only send/receive these with paid accounts. Once you have sent a wink you cannot undo it, and the user will obviously be alerted that you have winked at them. My advice is to skip the wink and just sent them a message.
Spot Light Member
You can agree to some extended Match.com terms to basically be used as the face of match.com on their ads across the internet - I tested this and it didn't have an impact at all on the matches or clicks to my profile
If you are toying with the idea but dont like your face on the net, then give it a miss. This might be a better option for very attractive people, I guess if you fall into that category, you wont be short of winks/likes/views on your profile anyway.
Match.com Boost
Match.com allow you to purchase 'Boosts' within their platform. These are charged at £1.99 per Boost and are described as
"a great way to increase the visibility of your profile quickly, helping you get more attention from other members."
Basically when you purchase these, your profile is included within the popular profiles' section and also you are pushed to the top of searches which can increase your activity 4X.
Match.com dont specify how long the Boost lasts, but when I tested it, the average length of time was about 4 - 6 hours.
As soon as you purchase a Boost, then it will be live.
When I tested it at various times, it wasn't worth it, but then again it might be my face that is the problem. I saw an increase in views, but next to 0 increase in engagement.
I saw the best results during mid week nights (Tuesday specifically seemed to be a winner) so use that knowledge as you will.
Blocking/Blacklisting/Hiding
If you want to make sure you dont hear from someone on Match.com then you can black list or block them. These features just means that they will not be able to contact you in anyway, shape or form on Match.com, although they will still see be able to see your profile, so unaware that you have blocked them.
A less extreme version is 'hiding' profiles, this just means that their profile will not show up in any of your searches across Match.com.
Match dont make it easy to find these actions, you will need to scroll to the bottom of a persons profile page to find these options.
You have 999 'hides' that you can register on your account, if you have the time, it might be worth hiding an account every time you are 100% sure you dont want to see that persons face again, this will add up the more you use it and will really save you time when logging on and searching for new matches.
Connect & Select Add-Ons
There are 2 additional paid features to Match.com memberships that you can purchase if you wish (cough - I wouldn't - cough)
These are the Connect and Select features.
CONNECT
If you purchase the Connect add-on you will be able to:
- exchange messages with any member who doesn't have a subscription yet
- get alerted to new members before non-connect users.
SELECT
if you purchase the select add-on you will:
- know exactly when your emails have been seen/read
- get an absence manager (ability to tell people you are away)
- have the ability to set a contact filter; this basically means you can pick a certain type pf person who can contact you, all others who dont fit this criteria will be forced to send a request first
AKA makes you feel a bit of a diva.
I would suggest the above features aren't worth the money for most, if not all members.
Match.com Nights
You will get alerted of events that are happening near you, that are run by Match.com.
These are surprisingly OK, compared to other dating events I've been to. I think the fact that you know everyone else there are online dating and you can also take a friend, helped massively with me feeling like a bit of a tit (aka an introvert) The events are paid, with the first drink and snacks free, so Id recommend hopping onto one if there is one near you.
I've also noticed they offer singles holidays, I cant say Ive been on one, but if any of my lovely readers have, then Id love to hear how that went......
Match.com Shuffle
This feature is just a ransom selection of matches that Match.com want to throw in front of you, which I'm guessing is based on your questionnaire. They do feel a bit pointless due to the advanced search option they have and also alot of the 'shuffle' matches weren't of interest.
I did skipped over a few which I didn't mean to and you dont have the option to go 'back' so be aware that is isn't good to go too quickly through them
If you get through 100 shuffles, you just need to wait 10 minutes for new profiles to appear - his doesn't seem to be the best use of time in my opinion.
NOTE: When you mark someone as not interested, they will still show up in your search, which isn't the best feature - if you want to stop someone showing up, you will need to block / hide them (read below)
What Do You Get For Free
After completing the Match.com questionnaire you'll want to take a look around before paying anything. The free features you get are listed below:
FREE
PAID FEATURES
Match.com App
The Match.com app is actually a really great feature. Its nicely designed and doesn't feel as crowded as the main site at all. I guess as more and more people look to use their mobile phones, this was developed more recently than the desktop site.
The around me feature is really cool - you can search by distance from you via the app, so you might pick up a few people you know.
You will need to enable location service via your phone, but its easy to switch off if you get sick of it - you can even browse 'incognito' so you can spy on your friends dating game without them knowing.
On the match app, using the “Around me” feature, you can also send up to 3 emails per day, for free. You can communicate freely with any member who has the “Connect” upgrade switched on too. I guess this feature will be more used by men than women, but its an added feature for those who wont want to pay straight away.
One gripe I did have with the app, was the lack of being able (or easy to find) option to switch off notifications. Even when I logged out of the app, I still kept getting messages pop up when there was an update or I had a wink etc
Match.com Customer Service
All staff I spoke to at Match.com were helpful, I even managed to blag a cheaper membership when I renewed by calling there team, so if you have time on your hands and fancy chatting to an operator give that a go.
Match.com also have a very responsive social media team on Facebook & Twitter, so if you have any questions or concerns, I would recommend contacting them via Twitter.
Match.com Free Trial: The 14 Day Refund
Match.com allow you 14 days to cancel your subscription, though you will want to start the process at least 3/4 days before your 14 days expires just to make sure you dont run out of time. (eg if you want to cancel on a Friday it might cause issues if you leave it until the last day). This means that you can essentially get a 14 membership for free to test that waters and see how you get on.
NOTE: Refunds can only be sanctioned on new memberships and add-ons. If you have renewed your membership or it isn't your first time with Match then you cannot get a fund.
Other than that, a Match.com free trial doesn't really exist. They do send out a 3 day trial to some users, but this is limited and no one can really get an insight or benefit from a 3 day taste of online dating anyway - nevertheless, if you see it advertised, give it a go by all means.
Match.com Discount Codes
Below are the most up to date Match.com offers and discounts. If you happen to find a new, money saving code then please add it to our Match.com discount code page so that other users can bathe in the ££ they have saved.
If you dont see a code live, then new users to match.com can claim a free £10 Amazon voucher for signing up via Whichdate.co.uk - please see our discount page for more information.
*LIMITED TIME DISCOUNT* |
*EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT* |
New to Match.com? |
Match.com Vs eHarmony
Match.com and eHarmony are 2 of the most popular dating sites in the UK and in light of this, one of the most common questions we get asked is "Which one is better". Below I have outlined the basic differences between the 2 in hope that it will help you decided which is best for you.
If you want more in depth information on eHarmony, then read or eHarmony review to read more real user reviews.
MATCH.COM
EHARMONY
Match.com Vs eHarmony VERDICT
I felt like I was being more shallow with match.com when compared to eHarmony, I can only put this down to the fact that I could see alot more matches and so scrolling through them was easier. The desktop platform felt more cluttered and less easy to use but I guess most people will be using the mobile app more than the desktop. The Match.com app was great and I really like the 'near you' feature that you can use with the app, although the notifications were a bit annoying, overall it was one of the best I've used. There definitely is more selection with match.com due to the model they use, but there also seemed to be more 'unactive' accounts, these can be easily weeded out by using the search features though.
When it came to actual dates and matches I would say they were pretty even. The price for eHarmony is higher and shorter contracts arent always available. Without sounding too snobby, my matches on eHarmony seemed to be skewed more towards middle class/professionals with less working class type people than I found on Match.com. This again might just be the matching algorithms on eHarmony and the fact that you have access to all users on Match,com.
The biggest difference between the 2 in my opinion comes down to time and just how you want a dating site to perform. You can go down the Match.com route and search through more profiles or try eHarmony and have profiles matched to you, with set demographics. I probably had more success with eHarmony, but its a close call.
How Safe is Match.com?
All online dating sites can leave you vulnerable to scammers, so its important before you sign up that you read and understand the dangers and how exactly what you can do to keep yourself safe when using online dating sites.
With that out the way, Match,com provide various methods to help secure their platform. They apparently can detect fraudulent profiles and will delete them quickly. You can also 'report' a profile if you think there is something suspect, Match.com say that they investigate every profile that is reported.
Match do have the blacklist/block features and also allow you to search profiles in 'incognito' mode, which ensures no one can see who you have visited, if you are really worried you can I've them a call on 020 305 96 494.
Match.com is approved by the Online Dating Association
Contact Match.com
Match.com Conclusion
Overall, Match.com is a great service for sheer number of users and profiles. The overall site feels a bit more cluttered and less 'premium' than other paid for dating sites, which is reflected in the cost to join Match - it is generally one of the cheapest sites to use.
I liked the fact you can search by when the user was last logged in, it does highlight just how many inactive users there are though (I refined my searches to include only users who had been active in the last 2 weeks, available profiles went from 500 to 80) Match.com is a numbers game, with the amount of users on the platform it is easy to get distracted and 'swipe left' on a lot of matches. The add-ons that Match.com offer make the site feel a bit more seedy and money grabbing, all of the add-ons I used weren't great, so Id recommend avoiding them.
I have had a number of dates and continue to get messages from users on Match - the number of new users also seems good, especially around peak times.
MY RECOMMENDATION: I recommend Match.com for people new to online dating because of the low cost to entry. The site is certainly a good match for me (36 year old male in the midlands) in terms of profiles and dates.
Not sure what you want and have time to spare, then give match.com a try as an intro for a few months and if you like the feel of online dating there are other sites you can try if the profiles aren't what you are looking for (although with the number of users, you should be OK)
The Good Stuff:
- Number of Users
- Nice App
- Most affordable dating site
The Bad Stuff:
- Time Consuming
- More Casual feeling
- Add-ons Feel like a Money Making Scheme
Real User Match.com Reviews
We strive to bring as many real user reviews as possible to help you decide if the service is right for you and your personal situation.
The below users have submitted their honest review to help you decide.
If You have Used Match.com? Please leave your review below
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