Dating apps are often expensive for the average person, priced well above $20/month. This can easily be substituted for a meal, gas, or even a new t-shirt.
However, millions of people worldwide will opt into a subscription service in hopes of finding their soulmate.
Why Dating Apps Are Expensive
Dating apps are expensive because they play on the power of love, give users access to more people, and help reveal hidden features.
Love Is Easy To Make Money On
The first and most important reason why dating apps are so expensive is that they play on the power of love. Whether you’re a male or female, love is a powerful thing. Chasing love is even more of a task, as we now have dating apps at our disposal.
Male and female users can meet people within seconds by simply swiping their fingers to the right side of a mobile screen. Technology has brought us closer to one another, with hopes of finding our boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, or wife.
Dating apps and dating websites continuously thrive off of young and older bachelors and bachelorettes by giving them a pool of people to say yes or no to in hopes of finding a diamond in the rough.
These hopes can come at a sturdy cost. Once the dating app can get us addicted to the nature of swiping left and right, they will often present an opportunity to purchase a subscription service, which has all the bells and whistles you’ll need to find love.
❤️ Better Than Tinder: Tinder is great for casual relationships, but a lot more users are looking for serious relationships on it. Avoid the stress, arguments, and drama if you’re simply looking for something casual.
If you’re looking for a platform with users strictly looking for casual relationships & hookups, we recommend checking out Ashley Madison.
Access To More People
Dating apps will often withhold matches and the opportunity to match with others by putting them behind a paywall. Popular apps like Bumble and Tinder will show you a blurred image with a number in hopes of heightening your curiosity.
Oftentimes, curiosity will lead to spending money on the premium service.
Access to more people is something we crave as we’re sitting comfortably at home.
Take the example of going out on a Friday or Saturday night. Even if you’re in the city, the max amount of bars you’ll be able to go to is 2 or 3. Each bar isn’t even promised to have guys or girls that fit your type, which could end up being a waste of time.
As we move into the mobile culture, dating apps have recognized this and have locked how many swipes you’re able to do per night. There’s a belief that you’re more likely to find someone on multiple dating apps than you are actually going to a bar and getting the courage to talk to someone cold.
On top of having access to hundreds of potential matches in our pocket, these beliefs have left us to believe it’s easier to date online than to meet someone in person.
Reveal Hidden Features
Hidden features on mobile apps include blurring out users’ faces and having a number show how many potential matches await.
These hidden features instantly draw the curiosity to the user, which they have no problem paying for.
For apps like Plenty Of Fish, the user can get interesting statistics about other users to make a well-informed decision about whether or not to pursue that person. These types of analytics can be vital to someone who is consistently using the app trying to find love.
Hidden features will always tip the scale of getting users to spend money ( at least one month) to get them addicted to the premium process.
❤️ Pro Tip: If you’re sick of finding people who are just looking for one-night stands, we recommend trying eHarmony.
It’s one of the highest-rated online dating apps in the world. eHarmony users are actually actively looking for relationships. Give it a try here for free and see if you can tell the difference.
How Much On Average Do Dating Apps Cost?
On average, dating apps can cost anywhere between $19-$30 per month. This is for subscription pricing, meaning the users can elect to pay per month, 6 months, or for the year at a lower price.
Dating apps often have on-time purchases, where users can buy pieces of the subscription model for a one-time purchase and often one-time use. For instance, buying “coins” or any digital in-app currency can cost the user anywhere from $5-$10.
Similarly, pieces of the subscription model, such as “buying a boost” or having your profile appear at the top of search results for an hour, are often marketed. These can cost anywhere from $1-$5 for a short period of time.
Are Dating Apps Worth The Price?
If you need to search for your spouse, it may be worth the price. There are a few factors that play into if paying for a dating app is worth it…
- Do you go out a lot?
- Do you have trouble breaking the ice?
- Do you work a lot and not have time to go out?
- Do you prefer staying in as opposed to going out?
Answer these questions honestly, and if you feel as if you don’t have time to go out or would rather sit and home and test your odds, paying for online dating may be for you.
Also, if you want to play the numbers, having more options available to meet more people may be in your favor. However, be careful; along with more matches comes more stress to sort out the matches. Simply letting go or un-matching potential candidates can become a stressful part of your dating experience.
How much are you willing to pay on a dating app? Are dating apps getting too expensive?
Let us know in the comments below where you think the mobile dating app world is headed!