How good is dating app hinge

You can find numerous online dating apps for your smartphone, and choosing one might be confusing, especially when you don't know which app is most suitable for your interests.

While Tinder is the most popular online dating app, that doesn't mean it's the best for you. If you're looking for an alternative, you can try Hinge. This app is continuously gaining popularity and is quickly becoming one of Tinder's biggest competitors.

So, in this article, let's compare the differences between Hinge and Tinder.

Online Dating: Hinge vs. Tinder

Hinge is a dating app that emphasizes its ability to help build lasting relationships. The app aims to match you with individuals you're most compatible with, and its final goal is to get you into a serious relationship. In fact, Hinge is so committed to finding you the one their tagline is "The dating app designed to be deleted".

On the other hand, Tinder is designed to accommodate everyone, even if you're not looking for anything serious. Tinder is famous for its effortless profile setup and the swipe left, swipe right system. Whether you're looking for something serious, just testing the waters, or simply playing around, you'll find a match on Tinder.

• Download: Hinge for iOS Android (Free, preferred membership available)
• Download: Tinder for iOS Android (Free, premium version available)

User Interface

Tinder's interface provides a fun, vibrant feel. You can easily access your profile, matches, and other features on the app. If you want to match with someone, you can swipe right. If you don't have any interest in the profile you're looking at, you can swipe left.

On the other hand, Hinge has a laid-back mood in contrast to Tinder's vibrant feel. Hinge gives off a more serious vibe. There aren't any bright colors on Hinge's interface, mainly white and black. It could take you some time to get used to Hinge's interface.

Unlike the easy swipe right, swipe left system on Tinder; Hinge requires you to send a like on someone's profile through a picture or one of their prompt responses. Tinder also accommodates desktop users, while Hinge has not released an official desktop version.

Winner: Tinder

Signing up and Creating a Dating Profile

Both platforms allow you to sign up with your number, email address, or Facebook account.

Hinge will take you through a series of questions to help you find your match. Unlike Tinder, Hinge makes it hard for anyone to have a vague profile with no descriptions. When you sign up for a profile on Hinge, you have to choose three questions or prompts to answer. Prompts on Hinge serve as great conversation starters; they also give a glimpse of who you are.

Signing up for a Tinder profile is a much simpler process. While setting up a Tinder profile is simpler, it's also very generic, which is why you can come across profiles with no description. Hinge encourages people on the app to engage by setting up profiles that make easy conversation starters.

Winner: Hinge

Matches

The free version has its limitations on both Hinge and Tinder. One of the most obvious limitations of the free version is the number of right swipes you can make on Tinder and the likes you can send out on Hinge.

When you send out likes on Hinge, you need to be very thoughtful about how often you send your likes because Hinge's free version only allows you to send up to eight likes every 24 hours.

Tinder gives you a little more freedom to gain matches. Tinder's free version also limits how many times you can swipe right, but it does not have a fixed number. Swipes are allocated to you according to your behavior on the app, along with Tinder's algorithm. Once you're out of swipes, you can swipe right again after 12 hours.

You can also use Tinder's explore page to find potential matches. This feature has a range of themes you can choose from to connect with people. You can choose to view verified profiles only or view profiles based on your passions, and if your interests happen to change over time, you can update your passions on Tinder; that way, you can connect with the right people.

Winner: Tinder

Target Audience

Hinge targets relationship-oriented people; their tagline "The dating app designed to be deleted" says it all. Hinge's approach is a bit more serious than Tinder's approach. Tinder has a reputation for being an app for hookups. Even though Tinder might have a bad name, not everyone joins Tinder intending to get a hookup.

Winner: There is no definite winner for this category. If you're looking for something casual, you can try out Tinder. If you're looking for something serious, Hinge is the better choice.

Profile Features

Tinder provides various features that you can use to enhance your profiles. You can add between three and five passions to show potential matches your interests. There is also a lifestyle section where you can add your zodiac sign, the type of pet you have, and your smoking habits.

Tinder also lets you showcase your music taste by adding your Spotify anthem and your top artists on Spotify. While Hinge doesn't have various features under the free account, you can use prompts to showcase your personality and enhance your profile. One of Hinge's unique features is the voice prompt that you can add to your profile. This way, people can hear what you sound like before sending a like.

Winner: Tie. Both dating apps have unique features, and the better one will depend on your preference.

Pricing

If you decide that you want to take your online dating experience to the next level, you can upgrade your account on Hinge or Tinder.

A Hinge preferred subscription costs $89.99 for six months, $59.99 for three months, or $29.99 for one month. When you're a preferred member on Hinge, you get to enjoy the following benefits:

• View all the profiles that swiped right on your profile.
• Gain access to advanced features in your profile such as family plans, politics, education, and vices.
• Unlimited likes.
• Get more suggestions for profiles that stand out.

Besides the subscription plan, you can also purchase Roses, which are likes that are seen first and more likely to lead to a date. You can also boost your profile for an hour to get more views, which is useful if you're doing nothing and want to get in touch with a potential date immediately.

Tinder has three different upgrade plans. You can choose between Tinder Plus, Tinder Gold, and Tinder Platinum. Here are the costs and benefits of each plan

Tinder Plus costs $8.99 per month for users younger than 30. Users over 30 have to pay $19.99 per month. Here's what you'll get from a Tinder Plus plan:

• No ads.
• Unlimited right swipe.
• Unlimited rewind swipes.
• Like profiles around the world.
• Choose who sees your profile, be shown only to those you have liked.
• Control your age and distance.

Tinder Gold costs $14.99 per month. If you're over 30, it costs $29.99. Here's what you'll get from Tinder Gold:

• All Tinder Plus benefits.
• See people who like your profile.
• One free boost per month.
• Five free super likes per week.
• Access to all Top Picks every day.

A Tinder Platinum plan costs $17.99 per month for users under 30. If you're over 30, it will cost you $39.99 per month. Here are the benefits under the Tinder Platinum plan:

• All Tinder Plus and Tinder Gold benefits.
• Your likes will be prioritized, meaning your profile will appear faster to those you have liked.
• Send messaging before matching with someone, only available through Super Likes.
• View profiles you've liked in the past week.

Tinder's pricing plans seem to put more effort into increasing your chances of finding a partner. Whereas Hinge's preferred plan only has a few advanced features.

Winner: Tinder

Hinge vs. Tinder: Which One Should You Choose?

If you're looking for something serious, Hinge is for you. It is geared towards finding long-term relationships, so when you're on the app, you know the person you're matching with is likely looking for something serious as well.

On the other hand, Tinder caters to a broader audience. Whether you're seeking love, casual relationships, or friendships, you can find them there. However, it might also be harder to find something serious because you're not sure if the person you're matching with has the same expectation.

Online dating is no longer the wild west that it used to be. Today, almost anyone can find a match through the internet. So, no matter what kind of relationship you're looking for, there's an app for you.

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About The Author

Omega Fumba (65 Articles Published)

Omega enjoys using her writing skills to interpret the digital space. She describes herself as a tech lover and art enthusiast who loves to explore.

More From Omega Fumba

If you’ve been looking into the dating app industry lately, you’ve likely heard of Hinge. They talk pretty big game with their tagline – “the dating app designed to be deleted.” The real question is, are people deleting it because they found love or because they hate it? 

Today, we are going to deep dive into everything Hinge has to offer and look at what makes them so different from other dating apps. From cost to customer satisfaction, we’ve looked at it all. If you’ve ever considered giving Hinge a try, definitely check this review out first!

Is Hinge Worth It? – The Bottom Line Upfront

Hinge is an interesting app that lives somewhere between the likes of swipe apps like Tinder and serious dating apps like eHarmony. When we consider everything that Hinge has to offer and the quality of their singles, we would say that it is definitely worth giving Hinge a try. Since you can try Hinge for free, you really aren’t losing anything. 

However, you will definitely want to get a feel for how the app works on your device, the singles in your area, and how many matches you are getting each day to determine if it is worth paying for a premium membership. With the lack of customer support and the cost of ala carte boosts and features, you may want to stick with the free membership as long as you can.

Best Hinge Alternatives – Other Top Casual Dating Apps

Who Hinge Is Good For

• Younger singles (18-35)
• Those looking for a more casual dating experience
• Anyone looking for a free dating app option
• Singles that want to explore modern and unique dating app features

Who Hinge Might Not Be Best For

• Those seeking a serious commitment 
• Singles who want to be matched based on personality compatibility
• Those who want to have access to more matches per day
• Android users as the app is reported to crash and be unresponsive on Android devices

Overall Hinge Rating

8.0/10.0

Pros and Cons of the Hinge Dating App

Hinge Dating App Review – Table of Contents

What is Hinge?

Hinge is an online dating app for young people that find itself in a unique spot in the online dating industry. It’s nestled somewhere between serious marriage oriented sites like eHarmony and extremely casual sites like Tinder. But where did this site come from?

It all started back in 2011 under the name “Secret Agent Cupid”. The idea was that users would be able to connect and list which of their facebook friends they had crushes on as a way to start relationships that may not have otherwise happened. Before long Secret Agent Cupid was gone and Hinge was born.

After that the Hinge dating app continued to evolve and by 2017 was consistently being mentioned in the wedding announcements from the New York Times. This caught the eyes of some major players and the brand was acquired by the Match Group by the February of 2019. The site is still owned and operated by the Match Group today who work to keep this app unique and relevant.

Fast Facts About Hinge

• Site Name: Hinge.co
• Paid or Free: Free site with paid service options
• Average Sign-Up Time: Less than 10 minutes
• Paid Membership Pricing: Plans starting as low as $9.99 per month
• Interesting Facts About the Hinge App:
  • Had an average of 6 million users per month in 2020.
  • 400,000 of those members use the paid service option.
  • 4.5 stars and over 400,000 reviews on IOS .
  • 3.5 stars and over 140,000 reviews on Android.
  • Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg met his husband on Hinge.

Hinge Features Overview

One thing we really like about Hinge is the way they approach dating app features. They are trying to move away from the vague and redundant features of most apps (like super liking) and using a combination or rewording and repurposing to make the online dating process a little happier. Here are a few of our favorite Hinge features:

Roses

Roses are Hinges answer to “super likes.” When you see a profile that interests you, you can give that profile a rose. This pushes your profile to the top of that person’s list so they see you as one of their first match options. 

Since this feature provides you a bit of a leg-up against the person’s other matches, it can be a little costly. Each user gets one free rose each week. Beyond that, they cost $3.99 a piece, so you will want to use them sparingly. 

Boosts

Boosting a dating profile is not some new or unheard of dating app feature, but we really like the way Hinge approaches the boosting process. First, they do not show that you have boosted in any way. Instead, you just show up as a match for a lot of people during the hour in which your boost is active. 

Secondly, you will see a lightning bolt next to matches that are a direct result of your boost. This transparency is really stellar because it allows you to make an educated decision on whether or not boost purchases are worth it for you. 

Skips 

As you are discovering profiles you will be able to skip those that you don’t like. Where Hinge is a bit different is that they have a safety net for those fast clickers that get ahead of themselves. Accidentally skip an interesting profile? Click the undo button and their profile reappears. 

You can only undo immediately after skipping, so this won’t help you if you suddenly want to view a profile you skipped 15 minutes ago. 

Standouts

Standouts is a really interesting feature that Hinge offers. It acts as a prompt board where you can see your matches responses to prompts to get a feeling for their personalities. This is a great way to see beyond the surface level of a match’s profile,

Dealbreakers

Deal breakers are an advanced form of setting preferences for your matches. If you designate something as a deal breaker (smoking, having kids, etc.) than potential matches that have the deal breaking quality will be strictly removed from your search results. Your standard preferences are a guide for the matching system and you may still see matches from outside your listed preferences, which is why deal breakers are so useful!

The Quality of Singles at the Hinge Dating App

Hinge is definitely created as a place for young (18-35) singles that are focused on finding commitment and companionship. However, reviewing users indicate that they have run into many matches that are upfront about wanting nothing more than a booty call. 

Over all, you will find a mix of professional and career focused singles and immature singles that are likely to open up conversation with corny or overly sexual pickup lines. Unfortunately, this will be hard to avoid given the target age group.

How to Sign Up for Hinge

Signing up with Hinge is super easy and super fast. Just sign up with your phone number and fill out your profile. That’s pretty much all there is to it! You have the option to connect your account to Facebook, but it is absolutely not necessary. To get started for free, all you have to do is click the link below.

Pricing How Much Does Hinge Cost?

Customer Support Options

The customer support options at Hinge leave a lot to be desired. If you follow the links to contact support at Hinge you end up on a run around through their limited FAQ section. If you follow the links in this section that specifically say “contact us,” or “technical support,” you will be disappointed to find a page asking you to uninstall and reinstall the app. There is no information about actually contacting customer support.

Get Started Now!

Hinge FAQ

Can I Downgrade my Premium Subscription to the Base Option?

Yes. You do this through cancelling your premium membership in your settings. If you cancel in the middle of a month, you will still have access to premium features until the end of said month. 

How Many Matches Will I See Per Day?

You can get up to 15 matches per day and free members can like up to 10 profiles per day. These matches rest at noon each day. 

How Do I Set My Search Preferences?

You can edit your search preferences in the settings portion of your app. These preferences will affect who you see in the discover page, but you will sometimes still be shown users outside your preferences. You can also utilize dealbreakers, which keeps users with those features from being included in your discover page. 

Can I Get a Refund if My App Stops Working?

No. You will need to be sure that the app is working properly on your device because you are unlikely to receive a refund even if the issues with the app are beyond your control. This is one of the reasons the majority of users stick with the free profile. 

Can I Use Hinge for Free?

Yes! The majority of Hinge’s users use the free version of the app because it allows access to the majority of features and services. That means you can get essentially the full experience without spending a dime. 

Does Hinge Live Up to It’s Slogan?

User experiences seem to really vary depending on where you live and what mobile device you have. Overall, it does seem that more people are deleting the app out of frustration than are deleting the app thanks to finding a partner.