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Are free dating apps worth your time?
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Are you new to dating apps? If you’re considering signing up for the first time, you may be wondering if free dating apps are worth your time. Most dating apps that you can download to your phone offer free versions and paid subscriptions, leaving it up to users like you to decide whether it’s worth it to pay for enhanced features.
We explore just how worthwhile the free dating app experience is below. We also take a look at what technical perks and advantages tend to come with premium subscriptions for popular dating apps like OKCupid, which offers basic, premium and incognito plans starting at $20 per month.
Are free dating apps worth it?
Free dating apps may offer a limited experience for anyone interested in online dating, but in nearly every case the essentials are there. The free version of apps like Tinder, Bumble, Hinge and Her all let users of all ages do things like make a personal profile, browse potential matches, send likes, and chat with matches right in the app itself.
This is already enough to help you meet matches and small-talk your way to a first date. Many of these apps offer inclusivity and diversity at the ground level as well, so to speak. Personal details like gender identities or dating preferences are not locked behind a premium subscription.
What is reserved for a paid subscription are additional features that could potentially enhance your dating app experience. LGBTQ+ users may appreciate expanded search filters or secure, in-app access to local or community events, for example.
Take our online dating survey to find out which free dating app is right for you.
Are your chances of getting a match any different with a free dating app?
If you look at the numbers, paid users and free users seem to report similar outcomes.
One 2023 Pew Research study found that, of the 35% of users that have paid to use a dating app, around 58% gave positive feedback. About 50% of users that used only free dating apps spoke positively about their experiences. Premium users won out in terms of positive outcomes, but only marginally.
Does this mean you should never pay for dating apps? No. If you’re serious about online dating, there are plenty of premium dating apps that offer new and interesting features that are worth the costs. Premium Match users, for example, gain access to local in-person events (and at a discounted price) — and that can make a huge difference for users looking for safe and interesting spaces to meet people.
Match offers two paid subscriptions alongside a free tier: standard (starting at $22 per month) and premium (starting at $24 per month).
What are the best paid features on dating apps?
Hinge/CBS Essentials/Tom Horton
Hinge, one of the best dating apps for a serious relationship in 2024, has three tier options for subscribers: a free plan plus two premium tiers, Hinge+ and HingeX.
Hinge lets free users browse and filter potential matches by gender identity, location or race. Free users get a limited number of likes to use per day and can only see the most recent profile for any incoming likes.
Users that sign up for either premium account can unlock a more robust Hinge experience. This includes unlimited likes and expanded options and filters. HingeX (the app’s most expensive tier) takes it a step further with exclusive features such as enhanced recommendations.
Like most premium dating apps, Hinge prices vary depending on the length of your subscription — basically, you pay less the more months you pay for up front.
Premium Hinge subscriptions cost $33 to $50 per month (with lower monthly prices for three- or six-month bundles). For users that don’t want to commit to a long-term premium plan, Hinge now offers weekly plans as well, starting at $17 per week.
Here’s a deeper look at features that are usually behind a paywall:
- Unlimited likes: If your goal is to get your profile in front of as many matches as possible every day, this is the feature you want.
- Expanded search filters and preferences for personal and lifestyle details: If you have any deal breakers, this can help you filter out unwanted matches.
- Various “modes”: Travel mode is a common feature that lets you change your location and see people outside of your immediate area. Some apps may also offer an incognito mode that hides your profile from everyone except those you like or match with.
- Full view of everyone who likes you: When it comes to incoming likes, some apps only let you see one person at a time. Others restrict this completely, making you pay to see any and all likes (cough, cough, Tinder).
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Kamala Harris will speak with “60 Minutes” tomorrow. Here’s what to know for the interview.
Voters will get the chance to hear from Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday as she presents her case for why she should be president in a “60 Minutes” election special.
For decades, “60 Minutes” has featured both Republican and Democratic nominees for presidents, but this year, former President Donald Trump backed out after previously indicating he would be on the show. Correspondent Scott Pelley, who’d been set to interview Trump, will instead travel to Arizona’s Maricopa County, home to more than 60% of Arizona’s voters and a critical battleground in a key swing state.
One thing is certain about the election; with the U.S. deeply involved in both the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, whoever wins on Nov. 5 will become a wartime president.
What Harris will discuss
Israel’s war started one year ago after Hamas launched a surprise terror attack and correspondent Bill Whitaker will discuss the ongoing war with Harris.
Harris will also discuss the economy, immigration, her record as vice president and the differences between herself and Trump.
Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz will also appear.
Whitaker joined the Democratic ticket on the campaign trail this week to gain insight into their platform’s priorities and values, and what the candidates believe voters should know.
Why Trump pulled out of the “60 Minutes” interview
Leading up to the candidate hour, Trump, through campaign spokespeople, was the first candidate to accept the “60 Minutes” request to be interviewed for the special, according to CBS News. It had been agreed that both candidates would receive equal time during the broadcast.
Trump last sat down with 60 Minutes in 2020. He walked out during the interview with Lesley Stahl. Trump referenced the incident on Tuesday night at a Milwaukee press conference when asked about his decision not to participate in the Oct. 7 “60 Minutes” election special.
“Well, right now, I went to – they came to me and would like me to do an interview, but first I want to get an apology, because the last time I did an interview with them, if you remember, they challenged me on the computer,” Trump said. “They said the ‘laptop from hell’ was from Russia, and I said it wasn’t from Russia. It was from Hunter, and I never got an apology, so I’m sort of waiting. I’d love to do ’60 Minutes.’ I do everything.”
The Republican nominee for president emphasized that he felt he was owed an apology from “60 Minutes.”
“Let’s see if they do it. I wouldn’t mind doing 60,” Trump continued. “I’ve done ’60 Minutes’ a lot.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung said that Trump’s team had not agreed to an interview.
“Fake News,” Cheung said in a post on X. “60 Minutes begged for an interview, even after they were caught lying about Hunter Biden’s laptop back in 2020. There were initial discussions, but nothing was ever scheduled or locked in. They also insisted on doing live fact checking, which is unprecedented.”
Previous Trump, Harris appearances on 60 Minutes
Trump previously sat down with “60 Minutes'” Mike Wallace in 1985, Pelley in 2015 and Lesley Stahl twice in 2016, first in July of that year and then again in November of 2016. He also spoke with Stahl again in 2018 and 2020.
Harris previously sat down with Whitaker last year. She also was interviewed by Norah O’Donnell, “CBS Evening News” anchor and “60 Minutes” contributing correspondent, in 2020.
How to watch the “60 Minutes” election special
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