Active Audience | 69% |
Quality Matches | 90% |
Popular Age | 30-34 |
Profiles | 673 456 |
Reply Rate | 91% |
Ease of Use | 9.4 |
Popularity | 9.4 |
Fraud | Very Rarely |
Rating |
9.6
|
Registration | Free |
Get your personalized recommendation
Match is one of the oldest platforms of its kind. At first, it appeared as an experiment back when the internet wasn’t mainstream, and very few people were online. The year was 1993, and an ambitious team decided to test a theory; they believe dating classified ads could migrate into websites. At that time, printed media was all the rage, but people started to look into other media. The fact that this platform is still alive talks volumes about how correct the team was with its assessment about dating.
Nonetheless, many Match reviews from users are very positive, which means this platform is doing something right. The platform has many tools to help people find their other halves, and more importantly, they positioned themselves as a place to find love. Some platforms are well known as hook up spots, while others try to do everything but end up nowhere. On the other hand, Match found its place in the market very early, and now people associate it with finding serious long-term commitments.
This platform is catering to the more mature user who knows what they want and is more inclined into the function over form mantra. The site is not a flop in design by any means, but it is not groundbreaking either. You have a classic, or as many critics call it, timeless design. As soon as you enter the site, a lovely and well laid out window welcomes you. Everything is at sight, and you can tell right away where the menus are and how to navigate the interface. There is no fluff or unnecessary animation that does little to enhance the experience but rather clutter the view. Match offers a minimalistic and classic website, which is what most of the users are looking for.
In contrast, functionality and usability are very impressive. This website may seem minimalistic, but that is only in the image department. It has a lot of tools that you can exploit to get better results on your search. At the same time, their algorithms to help you find partners are beyond impressive. The system can assess you and then suggest people based on that. Even when you enter someone’s profile, you can see extra suggestions of people you may want to meet. It is worth mentioning; those suggestions are not just random people. They are based on your profile, the way you use the platform, and your personality.
There are lots of fun features to play with on this platform. The first one to mention is their suggestions. As mentioned before, based on your profile, personality, and the people you have previously contacted, the system suggests you new potential candidates to meet. Those can be found when you enter other users’ profiles, and a little section appears with the suggestions.
A crucial aspect of dating sites is the options offered for communication between users. Match absolutely kills this section; not only do they have an excellent chat but also phone calls. That may sound wild, but this site lets users call each other on the phone. More importantly, the users do not use their own numbers, that would be risky. Instead, the platform offers a secure connection that is encrypted so no one can intercept the calls and intrude on your privacy.
Another fun tool they offer is Boost, and it is probably one of the most useful ones. The way it works is quite simple. When looking for matches, you can browse one of two sections, “Matches” and “Discover.” Well, this “Boost” places your profile at the top of both lists for a whole hour, so anyone checking out profiles at that time will see your profile and very likely contact you.
Still, as you may have experienced in your own life, sometimes opposite poles attract each other. Match took that concept and turned into a very unique and exciting tool. It is called “Reverse Matches,” which is pretty much a list of people you have rejected, in case you want to look back at any point and give it another try.
Having everything organized is significant, so you know where you are and whether or not you are moving forward. This is true for any aspect of life, and online dating is not an exception. For that reason, this platform has “Likes,” which is a list of users you have liked and those who also liked you. There you can easily access any of the profiles of people you find attractive and potentially meet them.
You also have what could be considered little cheats to help you get matches faster. Highlighting your profile is an excellent example of that. By clicking on the “Highlight my profile” on the page of other users, you automatically place yourself at the very top of their suggestions list. This is extremely handy for those cases when you find an incredible person, and you really want him or her to notice you.
The most surprising feature this website offers is their policy in regards to guarantees. Most online dating platforms give no warranties whatsoever and make it very clear that only you are responsible for finding a partner or not. The story is different here; Match is so confident in this platform and its ability to bring results that they offer a guarantee. If you cannot find someone within six months of using the platform, this platform gives you another six months absolutely without charge so you can continue your search for love. This is almost unheard of in the online dating world, but it would be great if this became common among similar platforms.
“Date Check-In” is this platform’s response to all those safety concerns. The way it works is quite simple. You can select up to three emergency contacts; those can be anyone you trust and know that would be able to come and help you if anything goes sideways. When you plan to go on a date with someone new, you add the date, place, and relevant information about the encounter. Then, the system will send you check-in messages in predetermined intervals. Each message has an SOS button; if you click on it, the system sends a message to your emergency contacts, letting them know that you need help.
Getting back to communication features, yet another exceptional service for online dating platforms but present here is video chat. It is called “Vibe Check,” and it works just like any other video call. You can see the other person, talk, and share as much as you feel comfortable sharing. The only drawback is that you can only video chat users you have matched with for security reasons and then accept the call and confirm to open the camera.
Even though many of the communication options and tools were already mentioned in the “Special Features” section, it is worth repeating because of how awesome they are. First of all, individuals using the platform can enjoy the traditional “messaging” options that most similar sites offer. Nonetheless, here this functionality is much better optimized than the ones other sites offer. It never crashes. The messages get delivered quickly, and without delays, you can easily access any of your conversations. Most importantly, there are no limitations on how many characters you can write.
Other than text messages, Match offers two very unique options for communicating with people. Most websites only allow you to text to filter what you are sending and take out specific details that may lead you to take the conversation into other platforms, thus, not having to pay for the messages anymore. Clearly, this platform is not afraid of that because they openly offer voice calls and video calls. You can literally interact with any of your matches via the phone and even turn on your camera and see their faces. This is a very nice feature because, after all, you may want to see and hear a person well before meeting them in person.
There are many ways to improve your profile and make it more appealing to other users, but that may be hard, and depending on the platform you are using, it can be expensive. Luckily, Match gives you many handy tools right from the get-go so you can get your profile up to part and start attracting awesome people right away. Their profile builder is a perfect example of that. It helps you to build a friendly and attractive profile with step-by-step suggestions. The best part is that you get it for free, and you find it right after the registration process; this makes the whole process much simpler because you can create an excellent and desirable profile the first time you try.
You also have more serious options like boosting or highlighting your profile. The end goal of them is to put your profile right in front of your potential matches, so they see your page and interact with it. Just keep in mind that these are effective tools, and you do not want to overuse them.
The fact that you need to upgrade your profile is a conclusion that comes to you fairly quickly after you start using the service. Even though it is a lot of fun to use it even on the free version, if you want to meet incredible people and interact with them, you need a membership. Things like messages and higher ranks on the search are reserved for paying users. Moreover, with a paid account, you can see if someone read your messages, access instant messaging, and even the phone call options. Those are just a couple highlights because getting a premium badge on this site gets you tons of features that make it very worth the upgrade.
The mobile application Match offers is regarded as top-class. First of all, you do not lose any functionality when moving from the desktop version into the mobile application. Everything is there in a well organized and marvelously optimized way. Many users report that they enjoy using this platform from their phones much more than from the computer just because they get all the neat features in a much more compact form factor.
Another positive of this application is how light it is; somehow, the coders managed to pack tons of functionality in a small package, so it hardly takes any space on your phone’s memory. Finally, excellent news for everyone; the app is available for both iPhone and Android devices, so you can download and enjoy this application regardless of what operating system you are currently using.
This platform is very concerned with security, and it is easy to tell because of how much they invest in this aspect. A great example of this is how they approach phone calls. To ensure privacy while on the call, they have their own servers and numbers to connect users securely. The calls are encrypted so no hacker can break in and hear your conversations.
Moreover, their security approach does not end at the limits of the online world; they even protect you while out and about. Their “Date Check-in” is an excellent example of that because that function helps keep you safe even when having a date in the real world and outside this platform.
Match has many features and perks; it would take days to sit down and list them all. While using the platform, you will continue to find and discover new exciting tools that the site offers while at the same time enjoying a great experience. Nonetheless, one of the main perks of this site is its users. People entering this site fall into a particular category of individuals. They are mature but still very open and willing to experiment. The people here are very responsible but at the same time polite. More importantly, they all know what they want and are looking for someone to establish a serious relationship and potentially marry.
This platform offers two types of plans; the First one is called “Standard,” and it unlocks the main functionality so you can start enjoying interactions and meeting people. This plan’s pricing begins at 38.97 USD if you pay monthly, but it drops significantly if you buy in bulk. If you buy twelve months upfront, it will run you only 7.99 USD per month.
The second and more upscale offering is the premium plan. It unlocks all the fantastic tools and features this site offers, plus inputs you in a much higher rank on the website. The best part is that the price is not that much higher than the other lesser plan. Paying for a month subscription will cost you 44.97 USD, and if you get twelve months upfront, it will only cost 8.99 USD per month.
This site also offers credits so you can buy stuff like Boosts for your profile. One credit is about 0.99 USD, but you can get 10 credits for only 6 USD.
This is an excellent platform for many reasons, but the main one is how it sees its users. For those reasons, plus the incredible amount of excellent features offered, Match should be one of the best online dating sites.