Hinge has always been one of my favorite dating apps, and for good reason. It's one of the few dating apps out there that (in my opinion) really wants to help you find love. The best part? You don’t have to pay for a membership to successfully find a partner on Hinge.
When I was actively dating, this was the dating app I always went back to. And after reviewing more than a dozen dating sites and apps for Wealthysinglemommy.com, Hinge is my favorite. A big reason why: It worked — Hinge is actually where I met my boyfriend.
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Member's experience
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Matches
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Cost
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Customer service
Keep reading for my comprehensive Hinge review and start looking for a serious partner on Hinge for free >>
What is Hinge?
Hinge is a dating app dedicated to helping singles find long-term relationships. It was founded in 2012 by CEO and cofounder Justin McLeod, quickly branding itself as the “relationship app” in response to Tinder's reputation as a “hookup app.”
When it was first launched, Hinge matched people who were friends of friends. You'd sign up with your Facebook credentials and see profiles who shared mutual friends with you. In 2016, the app was relaunched with a new look and a bigger focus on helping singles find love.
Hinge is owned by Match Group, Inc., whose other dating services include Tinder, Match.com, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish, Ship, and OurTime.
Is Hinge just a hookup app?
No — Hinge is not just a hookup app, which is why their slogan is “Designed to be deleted.” The minute you open the app, you'll notice that it has an entirely different feel from other dating apps.
The app relies on a Nobel-prize-winning algorithm called the Gale-Shapely algorithm to pair you with the right people. Basically, it takes your interests and matches you with people who mutually like one another. The more you use the app, the more compatible your matches.
Hinge encourages users to let their personalities shine by answering thought-provoking prompts, a big difference from other apps where photos are the primary focus.
According to Hinge, as of 2021, 30 million people had gone on a date with someone they met through Hinge. Most notably, U.S. presidential candidate Peter Buttigieg met his husband on Hinge. And here's another fun fact: Hinge is the most mentioned dating app in the New York Times Weddings section, according to Bustle.com.
How does Hinge work?
You can sign up using your phone number or Apple or Facebook credentials. You can also verify your identity through a video selfie. When I signed up, Hinge verified my phone number, then asked me to share information about myself and my desired partner, including:
- Name
- Date of birth
- Sexual orientation
- Who I'm interested in dating
- Location
- Education
- Job title
- Lifestyle factors (such as whether I smoke or drink)
- Whether or not I want kids
Some of these answers can be hidden from your profile if you don’t want them to show.
Hinge asks you to choose six photos and fill out three prompts, such as what your greatest strength may be, or what your typical Sunday looks like. These prompts act as your bio and are designed to help you express your interests and personality. Plus, they act as great conversation starters as you start matching with other singles.
Hinge uses all of the information you inputted to show you compatible matches. Instead of swiping right or left to interact with other members, you can “like” or comment on individual photos or prompts. If the person likes you back, you'll get a notification and you can begin to message back and forth — you can do all of this for free, unlike most other dating apps.
You can see everybody who's liked you in the “Likes you” section of the app. You can skip any profile you're not interested in, or you can “like” the person back and continue the conversation.
A few days later, Hinge will ask you if you had a chance to meet your match and whether or not you'll go on another date with them. By providing that information, you help Hinge better understand who you're looking to date, and the app will tailor your future matches based on your previous successes/failures.
Hinge also has these other paid features:
Standouts
Hinge’s Standouts page highlighting different profiles that are getting the most attention on Hinge.
Roses
Like on The Bachelor, you can send a rose to other members to show them you're super into them (starting at $9.99 for 3 roses). A rose is Hinge's version of Tinder's super-like.
Boosts
Like other dating apps, Hinge allows you to boost your profile for one hour, during which your profile will be shown to more people. When someone matches you as a result of that boost, a lightning bolt will appear next to their name.
Is Hinge a safe dating site?
Hinge has recently been in a lot of hot water for how they manage data. According to a 2020 Vice article, the app has been accused of sharing users' personal information with other dating sites and third parties, and for not deleting users' data if they choose to stop using it.
While Hinge has not directly responded to these claims, they do have a page on their site devoted to keeping your account safe. Some of their tips are pretty obvious, like not sharing any super personal or financial information about yourself, reporting any suspicious-looking accounts, and being wary of any people looking for long-distance relationships.
Does Hinge have fake profiles?
Fake profiles are always an issue with dating apps, so yes, it's possible that Hinge may have some fake ones.
A recent NYTimes article featured Hinge at the center of crypto scams. Scammers would target Hinge users, developing an online relationship and encouraging them to invest their money in crypto.
Remember that this type of scam can happen in any dating app. Do not share any financial information with someone you meet online, and be cautious about anyone who wants to pursue a long-distance relationship or who acts suspiciously (i.e., doesn't want to meet IRL or on Facetime).
How much does Hinge cost?
Hinge is free to use, but they offer two memberships: Hinge+ and HingeX.
Hinge+ costs:
- 1 week – $14.99
- 1 month – $7.69/week
- 3 months – $5.05/week
- 6 months – $3.88/week
HingeX costs:
- 1 week – $24.99
- 1 month – $11.66/week
- 3 months – $7.77/week
- 6 months – $5.83/week
What's included for free on Hinge:
- Eight likes per day (this does not include liking back people who already liked you)
- Limited filters and preferences you can use to search matches
- Unlimited messaging
What’s included in the Hinge+ membership
- Send unlimited likes
- Sort through your likes easily
- Option to use additional filters (such as height, education, politics, etc.) for searching
- See all of your likes at once
- Fine tune preferences
What's included in the HingeX membership:
- Everything from Hinge+
- Enhanced recommendations
- Skip the line (priority placement in Hinge recommendations)
- Priority likes (your likes stay near the top of the list of people you are interested in)
Extra features to purchase:
- Boosts – Helps your profile stand out for one hour ($9.99 per boost, $26.99 for three boosts, $39.99 for five boosts.
- Roses – a feature to make your likes stand out more to other members ($9.99 for 3 roses, $29.88 for 12 roses, and $74.50 for 50 roses)
Is Hinge worth paying for?
Unless you're super picky and want to utilize additional filters to weed out matches, I don't think it's worth paying for Hinge. You can use most of the app for free.
Pros
Hinge’s algorithm is designed to match compatible people — and seems to work.
The more you fill out your profile, the greater your chances of being shown people who share your interests and match your dating criteria.
Prompts encourage conversation.
Hinge allows your personality to shine through in a way that other dating apps don’t. Plus, those prompts can help you move past awkward introductions and one-liners.
You can use most of the app for free.
Compared to other dating apps and websites, Hinge offers many free features for its users, including messaging. Is paying just to apply some extra filters really worth it?
Cons
Some users complain about randomly getting banned from the site.
I've read multiple reviews on the Better Business Bureau and Trustpilot about paid users getting banned from Hinge out of nowhere, then not being able to contact customer service. It's all very sus to me.
Hinge has a smaller dating pool.
Hinge is not as big as dating apps like Tinder or Bumble, so its dating pool is smaller, especially in less populated areas. But Hinge is very much tailored for those looking for long-term relationships, so think quality over quantity here.
Hinge reviews
Like many other dating apps, Hinge reviews are mixed. While people praise Hinge for being the best dating app for singles, the most critical complaints are the app’s technical issues and customer service.
App stores
Hinge has a 4.5 out of 5-star rating from Apple's app store. One 5-star review called Hinge “the best choice for singles,” praising its use of prompts.
One critical reviewer gave Hinge two stars because of its price increase and buggy user experience.
On Google Play, Hinge has 3.5 out of 5 stars. Lots of users left 1-star reviews because they were frustrated with the app's poor user experience and claimed there were a lot of fake profiles.
BBB
Hinge has a B rating by the Better Business Bureau with a customer rating of 1.11 out of 5 stars. Most reviews are from frustrated users who got banned from using Hinge for no apparent reason. This seems to be a big problem with Hinge — the same issue is also mentioned in Trustpilot reviews (where Hinge currently has a 1.3 out of 5-star rating).
Bianca's experience with Hinge
Hinge was always the dating app I went back to when other apps were frustrating me, and reviewing it now, I still stand by it being my favorite dating app. While I encountered some fuckboys here and there, most of my dates were positive, with nice guys who genuinely wanted long-term, serious relationships. All of my searching on Hinge paid off because it led me to my boyfriend.
He’s the kind of guy who doesn’t play games and does what he says. When we started dating, he always followed through with texts and plans. He was always respectful towards me, taking the time and effort to really get to know me. Plus, at the time, he too was being very careful about his health (we were in a pandemic, after all), which would’ve been an absolute deal breaker if he wasn’t.
However, while I do think Hinge is one of the best dating apps out there, I’m not sure if I believe in Hinge’s algorithm (I think most dating app algorithms are pure marketing tactics). In fact, I remember not having a good date with someone Hinge chose as one of my most compatible matches.
Like with any dating app, you need to put in some work: get creative with your prompts (be as specific as you can when filling them out and avoid generic statements such as I love food, wine, and travel), choose good photos, and have engaging conversations.
Check out these guides for how to create an engaging profile:
- 14 dating profile examples for females to copy (and advice for what to say in your bio)
- 20 Tinder bios for guys: Best profile examples
Which is better, eharmony, Bumble or Hinge?
Hinge is the right hybrid between Bumble and eharmony. It has a seamless app experience but is dedicated to singles finding real love. I will say that Bumble, eharmony, and Hinge are among the best dating apps and websites out there, though eharmony comes out on top in its ability to vet user profiles.
eharmony requires users to prove their identity through the site's user verification tools, and the site is constantly monitoring for suspicious-looking profiles (including checking to make sure users aren't married). eharmony then curates potential matches for members using a detailed compatibility quiz, which prevents you from having to scroll through endless, unviable options.
As mentioned, Hinge doesn't have an extensive verification process, nor does Bumble.
Ratings
eharmony is one of very few dating websites accredited by the Better Business Bureau — it also boasts an A rating, while Bumble's BBB rating is an F and is not accredited. Hinge's parent company Match Group currently is not accredited or rated by the BBB. On Trustpilot, eharmony has a 3.3 rating, Bumble has a 1.3, and Hinge has a 1.3.
Cost
| eharmony | Hinge | Bumble |
| Free basic account: $0 6-month membership: $45.90/mo 12-month membership: $29.90/mo 24-month membership: $19.90/mo 25% off with promo code WSM 25 >> | Free basic account: $0 1-week membership: $14.99 (Hinge+) 1-month membership: $7.69/week (Hinge+) 3-month membership: $5.05/week (Hinge+) 6-month membership: $3.88/week (Hinge+) | Free basic account: $0 1-week membership: $14.99 (Boost) 1-month membership: $7/week (Boost) 3-month membership: $3.89/week (Boost) 6-month membership: $3.11/week (Boost) |
My pick? Hinge is the happy medium between eharmony and Bumble. If you're older and really serious about finding love, then eharmony is for you.
Hinge alternatives
Check out my reviews of other popular dating sites and apps:
Hinge is a dating app dedicated to helping singles find long-term relationships.
No — Hinge is not just a hookup app, which is why their slogan is “Designed to be deleted.” The minute you open the app, you'll notice that it has an entirely different feel from other dating apps.
Hinge is free to use, but they offer a preferred membership that you can pay for that's $7.69 per week for 1 month.
Unless you're super picky and want to utilize additional filters to weed out matches, I don't think it's worth paying for Hinge. You can use most of the app for free.
I got banned before I even finished filling out my profile. Literally banned within hours of them clearing my payment. No reason no excuse nothing. Just “you violated our TOS”. I filed an appeal and two weeks in nothing. Not even a refund. WTF? Stay away from this app. is the only advise I can offer. I didn’t even get to see if anyone was compatible. Complete waste of money