Best for: Serious relationship seekers
User base: Young-adult singles
Relationship format: Serious relationship/Marriage
Number of members: 5+ million
Gender ratio: 55% men, 45% women
Recommended age: 24-32
Customer support: Email (hello@hinge.co)
Free options: One-month free trial/14-day refund possible for some EU users
Table of Contents
How Does Hinge Work?
The Hinge dating site was designed for all those tired of endless swiping and connecting with people based on appearance only. It offers relationship-seekers a convenient way to find like-minded singles who are also after something serious.
Ever since it was founded in 2012, it has been a relationship app helping users engage in meaningful conversations, connect on a deeper level, and perhaps even find the love of their life.
You can sign up for free to see how it works before subscribing to a premium membership, and you can use all the contacting features for free.
Sign-up process
The sign-up process is straightforward but might take longer than a lot of other dating apps.
To create an account, you need to download the Hinge app, as there’s no desktop or web-based version.
After you’ve provided your phone number and verified it using the sent code, you can start filling out your profile.
The first thing to do is specify the gender of your preferred partner and all the other relevant preferences, such as age and maximum distance.
The second step is to answer up to three prompts (there are 80+ to choose from) that say something about you and serve as an icebreaker.
The third step is filling out these three sections:
- My Vitals – name, gender, age, height, location, ethnicity, children, family plans
- My Virtues – work, job title, school, education level, religious beliefs, hometown, politics
- My Vices – drinking, smoking, or any other vice you may have
The fourth step is uploading photos, which comes with a few twists.
Each photo should match one of the available captions (e.g., Felt cute might delete later, #MondaysAmIRight, Found in my 90s time capsule, etc.) to make a profile more interesting.
You must upload all six required photos to complete your profile. Incomplete profiles can’t send likes or use search filters.
Search filters
You can use various filters to find matches, but the app will also offer recommendations based on your preferences. You can set preferences as dealbreakers to avoid getting matches that don’t interest you.
As a free Hinge user, you can search only by gender, age, location (narrowed down to a neighborhood), maximum distance, ethnicity, and religion. Again, you can’t use those filters if your profile is incomplete.
As a paid Hinge member, you can use all the other preference filters you’ve added to your Vitals, Virtues, and Vices.
Messaging system
The Hinge dating site stands out from many others because all its contacting features are free. Any user can send and receive likes, comments, and messages free of charge.
However, you can only message with mutual matches, which is standard. There’s no image support in messages, which is excellent for avoiding uncourteous users.
Free users can send only ten likes per day, while their paid counterparts don’t have such limitations.
Hinge has an excellent We Met feature that you can use to share relevant information to the Hinge team about your real-life dates with Hinge members. It helps Hinge fine-tune its matchmaking algorithm to recommend better matches.
If the date went poorly, the team would recommend better matches in the future. Otherwise, it will suggest you delete the app and bond with your partner.
Mobile app
Built to provide great usability, the Hinge mobile app is user-friendly and has a clean and modern design. Its main interface features four tabs at the bottom for all your interactions, so you never miss a thing.
The app’s free of bugs, takes very little of your phone’s memory, and doesn’t drain its battery. It’s available on App Store and Google Play for free download.
Reliability and safety
The Hinge dating site is one of the most reliable and secure apps of its kind. From all the customer reviews and testimonials we’ve explored, we can safely say that Hinge is credible and supports safe dating.
While reviewing the site, we encountered no fake profiles. If there are some, we’re confident they’re in the minority. Hinge is clearly taking effective safety measures against fake profiles and scammers.
If you come across a user who seems fake or has been abusive, you can always report them, in which case you would block them automatically.
Help & support
The Hinge team is always happy to help with any questions or potential hiccups with the app. They’re highly responsive, friendly, professional, and a delight to chat with. You can get in touch with them via email only.
Hinge has a website for informational purposes. You can’t sign up for an account there, nor contact the support team. But there’s a help center with a wide range of FAQs that can help you get started with Hinge and make the most of the matchmaking process.
Pricing
Free and paid Hinge members can enjoy almost the same features, but the former have limited options, as is the case with every dating app.
As a free user, you can:
- Send up to ten likes per day;
- View mutual likes and comments;
- Send messages to mutual matches;
- Get up to ten daily matches;
- Use limited search filters (age, gender, location, maximum distance, religion, and ethnicity);
With a paid membership, you can:
- Send unlimited likes, messages, and comments;
- View everyone who liked you;
- Get up to 15 daily matches (Hinge values quality over quantity);
- Use all the filters for setting preferences and searching for matches;
Before committing to a paid plan, you can try the premium version for free for an entire month.
If you decide to subscribe, you can choose from the following paid plans:
- One-month subscription – $19.99
- Three-month subscription – $39.99
- Six-month subscription – $59.99
You can also pay for Boosts within the app to increase your profile’s visibility. A Boost puts your profile on the radar of 40 more people for an hour.
The prices for Boosts are as follows:
- One Boost – $9.99
- Two Boosts – $36.99
- Three Boosts – $39.99
Hinge accepts most major debit and credit cards and allows seamless payments via iTunes or Google Play accounts.
Verdict
As you’ve learned from our detailed Hinge review, this dating site is a credible, reliable, and safe place to meet young adults ready for a serious relationship. It’s one of the best dating apps for relationship or marriage-seekers because it focuses on meaningful connections rather than superficial matches or casual affairs.
We highly recommend you try it to see how it works first-hand. And who knows, your soulmate might be just a few clicks away.
FAQ
What is the Hinge dating site?
Hinge is a dating site designed for helping young adults find serious partners for a long-term relationship or marriage. It focuses on personality traits rather than appearance and eliminates mindless swiping.
Where do members come from on the Hinge dating site?
The Hinge dating site has users worldwide, but most of them come from the US (about 500,000 US users).
What kind of a dating site is Hinge?
Hinge is a dating site that allows users to search for matches based on pre-written prompts, personality traits, and many other preferences to find like-minded companions who want a serious commitment. Unlike other dating apps, it doesn’t include swiping and allows messaging with all users.
When was the Hinge dating site founded?
Hinge was founded in 2012 when it allowed Facebook sign-ups to facilitate connections through Facebook friends.
In 2019, the Match Group that owns Match.com acquired Hinge, dropped the Facebook sign-up option, and redesigned the app.
User testimonials
David, Portland, 28
Just when I decided to give dating apps the boot, I discovered Hinge. I was hooked from day one because Hinge is not what you expect from a dating app. After going on just two dates, I met the most charming girl ever, which happens to be my future wife. I guess the third time’s the charm. Hinge is the real deal
Mia, Seattle, 27
I’ve tried lots of dating apps, but Hinge is the only one where I’ve made some real connections. If you’re tired of casual hookups and want something serious, you’ll find it on Hinge. Let me tell you, the app has some magic to it, because I was lucky to meet my soulmate in two weeks! Give it a try, people!