eharmony evaluate (2026): Is the relationship app definitely worth the excessive price?

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I’ve been testing relationship apps for a very long time now, and the query my pals ask me most is not “how does the algorithm work?” however relatively “which app is actually the best?”

Lately, as we have all gotten older (and extra prepared to quiet down), eharmony has snuck into the dialog extra usually than I’d prefer to admit. It’s identified for being the go-to for the over-50 crowd, however its “hip” new commercials counsel the corporate is determined to draw a youthful consumer base.

Whatever their advertising technique, the declare that “every 14 minutes, someone finds love on eharmony” piqued my curiosity. So, I made a decision to offer it an actual school attempt to see whether or not its notorious questionnaire and algorithm-based matching system truly work. Below is my detailed expertise with eharmony, from sign-up to connecting with different customers.

Getting began on eharmony

Once you obtain the app, you’ve got two selections: “Join now” or “Log in.” There is not an choice to register with Facebook or Google on this display. (Given the app’s older demographic, I actually anticipated a Facebook login to be entrance and heart.)

Next, you choose your nation and your gender. You have three choices: lady, man, or nonbinary.

After you decide one, a notice pops up letting you realize you may “update your gender at any time.” This is cool contemplating eharmony’s historical past of being less-than-welcoming to homosexual and nonbinary of us. But that feeling of progress evaporates while you’re requested, “Who are you open to meeting?” You can decide ladies, males, or nonbinary individuals — however the app does not allow you to make a number of picks. It’s a significant draw back for queer and bisexual daters who need a wider pool.

If you resolve to maintain going, you’ll share what you are in search of (informal, critical, or simply searching) after which get smacked within the face with an enormous consent pop-up.

I did not click on “accept all,” and it nonetheless let me transfer ahead, so at the least there’s no gatekeeping there. Finally, the app asks you to enroll along with your electronic mail tackle, Apple, or Google account. It’s bizarre that they bury this step so deep within the onboarding course of as a substitute of placing it on the very starting, however I ultimately selected Google — it’s simply simpler that method.

You’re in. Now what?

After efficiently getting by the preliminary registration, you’ll get a cute little welcome message: “Congrats — you’re taking the first step towards finding someone who gets you. Now, let’s see what’s next for you.”

This is the half we’ve all been complaining about for years. This intensive questionnaire is a trademark of eharmony, and it’s what the corporate claims is the “secret sauce” to its matchmaking success. The first display is simply an intro that principally says to search out somebody best for you, one of the best place to look is inside your self. (I believe this makes complete sense.)

Clicking “continue” brings you to a display with two suggestions: Spend 10 to twenty minutes taking the quiz, and go along with your intestine. (I’m curious if the upcoming questions are primarily based on whether or not you selected man, lady, or nonbinary on your gender choice. It could be attention-grabbing to see if a male consumer will get completely different phrasing than a feminine or nonbinary consumer.)

The welcome display for eharmony’s well-known Compatibility Quiz, which takes about 20 minutes to finish.
Credit: Screenshot: eharmomy

I’m not going to record each single query, however right here’s a fast rundown of the primary 15 p.c:

• Where is your preferrred place to dwell? (Regardless of the place you at the moment are.)

• Why would you like a relationship? You can select three choices, together with issues like “emotional security,” “so I’m not alone,” and “frequent intimacy” (go eharmony for together with that one!).

• Why are you single? (First of all, impolite. Also, unsure a few of you might be able to go down that rabbit gap.)

• Would you sleep in a single mattress or separate bedrooms?

One factor I didn’t love is that if you happen to change your thoughts about a solution, there isn’t a “back” button to revise it. Once you click on, you’re dedicated.

Moving on… the following set of questions focuses on particular pursuits. Some are a number of selection, whereas others demand “exactly two answers required.” It covers the fundamentals like smoking and ingesting, plus life-style questions like whether or not you favor cooking or going out to eat (once more, questioning in the event that they ask the fellows this, too). I appreciated that you might select “none” for sports activities, nevertheless it was bizarre that it requested if I performed an instrument, however by no means requested which one.

Honestly, by this level, I used to be able to faucet out, however I’m doing this for all of you singletons on the market who’re prepared to search out your perpetually particular person.

A glimpse on the “personality” part of the eharmony quiz, which incorporates summary form preferences and situational inquiries to gauge your reactions.
Credit: Screenshot: eharmony

The subsequent part is picture-based and begins to really feel a bit like a Rorschach take a look at. It provides you two shapes and asks which appeals to you extra. Once that’s over, you get an encouraging pop-up: “Halfway there — keep it up!” Then, extra photos — this time of properties, flowers, and nature scenes.

The most attention-grabbing a part of this part was a query about your “immediate reaction” if somebody near you upsets you. When I picked my first selection, I received a bit pop-up scolding me: “Most people tend to pick this answer because it seems the most logical. Please take a moment and make sure you are picking the right answer that applies to you.” OK, eharmony.

It randomly hits you with a local weather change query, after which issues get critical. However, the wedding query didn’t sit proper with me. Not due to what it requested (“What do you think about marriage as an institution?”) however due to the solutions it didn’t provide. It felt restricted. It additionally locations a query about whether or not “sex sells” proper beneath a query about set mealtimes, which is… a selection.

Once you lastly end, you’re met with a congratulations display. You made it.

Even extra particulars, if you happen to can imagine it

OK, so that you’ve made it this far — congrats! Now, you need to fill out your full title, birthday, occupation, top, schooling stage, annual revenue, whether or not you’ve got youngsters, faith, and ethnicity. I actually felt like I used to be filling out a mortgage utility.

They additionally ask on your marital standing. The solely choices are single, separated, divorced, and widowed. At first, I believed this was bizarre for a “forever love” app, however then it clicked. Since so many eharmony customers are older, figuring out if somebody is divorced or widowed is definitely useful context. (That stated, dangerous information for the poly crowd: there may be completely no choice for moral non-monogamy right here.)

Next, you select two required prompts to reply (500 characters max) and write a brief bio. Then comes the photograph part. Wildly sufficient, eharmony permits you to “skip” this step solely. If you attempt, a pop-up gently nudges you to rethink since you’ll “stand out more,” however you may proceed and not using a face. For a website this critical, that appears like a loophole for catfish.

eharmony is infamous for being expensive, so when a “Welcome Gift” display popped up, I braced myself for what was to come back. Sure sufficient, clicking “unwrap gift” reveals a 50% off premium subscription provide.

The “Welcome Gift” display that seems on the finish of the sign-up course of — spoiler: it is a low cost on a paid subscription.
Credit: Screenshot: eharmomy

Warning: If you click on “Next” on this display, it instantly asks for cost information. It appears to be like like a paywall, however don’t be fooled — you can hit the “back” button to bypass it and get to the free model. Don’t allow them to trick you.

How a lot will relationship on eharmony price you?

While you may join eharmony without spending a dime, the app actually pushes you to get a paid subscription. (The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has truly sued the corporate for auto-renewals individuals didn’t consent to, so… proceed with warning.)

Anyway, this is the pricing construction I used to be supplied. Note that yours could differ relying on the place you reside, while you enroll, and many others.

Premium gentle: $14.90 monthly

• Unlimited messaging with 15 matches month-to-month

• See one photograph of every profile

• Unique persona profile

• Search close to you

Premium plus: $16.90 monthly

Premium limitless: $18.90 monthly

The matching course of (lastly!)

After all that information entry and the predatory subscription BS, the app tells you it is lastly prepared to point out you your “featured profiles” — principally three members you’re alleged to charge. You can skip this part, however I moved ahead so I might let you know what occurs.

Clicking “Let’s go” introduced me to my first profile. I could not even view her photograph; tapping it instantly triggered a request for cost.

Then I appeared on the particulars. She was a stable two hours and half-hour away from me. She was additionally seven years youthful than me (bizarre, for the reason that app by no means requested for my age choice earlier). The solely good factor? It stated she was “online yesterday,” which suggests she’s an energetic consumer — if she’s actual.

The profile did present some information, like top, sports activities, and our “common trait” (we each “seek comfort when things go wrong,” apparently). You get the choice to “Like” or “Skip.” If you click on “Like,” it permits you to ship a message, and I assume it notifies them. My different two “featured” choices have been additionally over an hour away, regardless of the app figuring out my zip code.

Once you get by that, it says “See who’s here” and dumps you right into a feed of BLURRED PHOTOS. There’s additionally a shiny orange banner on the prime, continually making an attempt to drive you into shopping for a subscription. It feels aggressive.

Is eharmony definitely worth the obtain?

To be blunt, I believe it is best to attempt actually any of our different top-recommended apps earlier than contemplating eharmony. Yes, I usually charge it because the “best for marriage,” however that’s nearly solely due to the sheer quantity of information it collects. (Even after “finishing” the quiz, I discovered there have been nonetheless 24 extra questions ready for me in my profile, plus tons of sections so as to add pursuits.)

The one that needs to be on this app is Charlotte York, in each sense. She’s centered on discovering her knight in shining armor, she lives in NYC (so she’d have far more choices than I do in a small Virginia city), and he or she has disposable revenue.

If you match that profile, then cool — this may truly be one of the best place to search out your soulmate, offered you may dodge the aggressive adverts for a premium subscription (although if you happen to’re Charlotte, you may afford it).

But if you happen to’re not prepared to shell out any money and you realize you’re not in search of something critical, I’d say it’s most likely high quality if you happen to by no means obtain the eharmony app.