Tinder Review: Is It Really The Best Dating App?

Tinder is arguably one of the best dating apps when it comes to online dating.

But, it's not perfect by any means.

Tinder was used by 57,000,000 daters in 2021, and while some use it as a hookup site, others use it for serious, committed relationships.

It’s free to use Tinder dating app with a range of special features like Boosts and Super Likes, and because it’s a swipe app you don’t even have to spend time searching for profiles. 

Naturally, no app isn’t without its controversies, and Tinder has had a few of its own. Last year, it added a new ‘background check’ feature which, while it has its obvious advantages, would seem to make it harder than ever for those with a checkered past but have now reformed and hit the dating scene. 

The purpose of this Tinder review, then, is to give you a well-rounded, balanced view of Tinder so that you can decide whether or not it’s the right dating app for you. I signed up, I created (and tweaked) my Tinder profile – and I started swiping.

In this review, I’ll be sharing my personal experiences using Tinder, but I’ll be first giving you an in-depth lowdown into what it’s all about.

Tinder Review

How Does Tinder Work? 

Tinder works using an algorithm that rates your profile according to how popular you are. When you first create a Tinder account, it’s a level playing field. But the more “likes” you receive (or don’t receive!) will subsequently determine how visible your profile is in other peoples’ queues over the ensuing weeks and months. 

For more in-depth information, you can learn here how to use Tinder.

Is Tinder a Free App? 

It's free to swipe, match, and send and receive Tinder messages but there are some extra features that you need to pay for. Tinder comes with three types of premium upgrades – Tinder Plus, Tinder Gold, and Platinum. As a matter of fact, Tinder is one of the best dating apps when it comes to acquiring online dates without spending a dime. However, you also have other good options like Bumble, Hinge, OkCupid, and POF. They all have a massive user base as well.

Tinder Features

As I just mentioned, Tinder app offers three premium plans:

• Tinder Plus
• Tinder Gold
• Tinder Premium

Tinder Plus

Tinder Plus costs $4.99 per month, although you’ll save money by locking yourself into a 6 or 12-month subscription plan. For that, you get access to all unlimited likes, unlimited rewinds (basically, you can go back to one profile in your queue if you made a mistake when swiping), and you can also change your location (as a free member, Tinder grabs your current location and you cannot change it). 

Tinder Gold

Tinder Gold is an upgrade on Plus. It costs a little bit more per month – $14.99 – and for that, you get all the same features as Plus, but you also get 5 Super Likes per week, a free boost each month, and crucially you also get to see who’s liked you. This is a key feature because it saves you the hassle of swiping endlessly through profiles to see who’s liked you. Instead, you can unblur all your likes so that you can check each profile and decide there and then whether or not to swipe Yes or No back. 

Tinder Platinum 

Tinder Platinum gives you all the features that come with Plus and Gold, as well as the ability to message someone before matching without them, and prioritized likes. You can also view any Likes you’ve sent in the last week.  In terms of its price, Tinder Platinum costs $19.99 per month. 

Tinder Plus Vs Gold Vs Platinum: Which One For You?

How Much Does Tinder Cost?

• Tinder Plus costs $4.99 per month
• Tinder Gold costs $14.99 per month
• Tinder Platinum costs $19.99 per month

Should You Upgrade to Tinder Premium?

For many, free Tinder is all they really need. It allows them to get matches and dates, and it doesn’t cost a dime. 

If, however, you feel as though you’re either getting no matches or you’re getting low-quality matches, upgrading to Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold can be really beneficial. It can make you more visible by increasing your number of monthly boosts, while the unlimited likes feature means you’ll never run out of likes over a 24-hour period.

Most people will be satisfied with either Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold, as both packages have a proven track record of helping people meet others who are on their level. Where Tinder Premium comes in handy is in the fact that it can speed up the whole process even more.

For example, its prioritized likes feature ensures you get seen before anyone who doesn’t have Premium (and most people don’t have it). You can also send a message before matching with someone, which is a great way to catch a person's eye and give them more of a reason to say Yes to your profile.

All in all, I would say that Tinder Premium should only be used if you want to land more dates faster, and if you really don’t want to miss out on certain profiles. For instance, there were times when I felt as though a girl might have matched with me had she either a) seen my profile faster or b) I’d been able to attach a message alongside my swipe. 

Is Tinder for Hookups or Serious Relationships?

When Tinder was first launched, it soon got a reputation for being a hookup app. This was largely down to its nature: It was a quick-fire swipe app, where people could write one-line bios and match with anyone who liked them back. Over the years, however, Tinder has attracted more and more people who aren’t looking for casual hookups or casual relationships, but who are instead looking for something serious.

So where do things stand today? The reality is that people who are looking for hookups still use Tinder – and so do those who are looking for something serious. The easiest way to find what you’re looking for is to state your preferences in your profile, and to only “like” those who would appear to have the same intent as you do. 

In short, what you get out of the Tinder app depends on what you put into it. You can find a hookup – but you can also find something serious. You can also find something in-between. 

Is Tinder Bad for Dating? 

Tinder isn’t bad for dating in the sense that it’s just a regular dating app designed to help you find what you’re looking for. You get whatever you put into it. 

However, because of its super high traffic, as well as the amount of people who use it simply for a bit of validation, the Tinder app has been accused of ruining the dating scene by default: It’s created an oversaturated market where people feel that they can easily discard someone or unmatch them because of very small things without really giving them a chance. 

Getting Started with Tinder

One of the best things about Tinder is that it’s entirely free to use and to register with.

What’s more, the registration process doesn’t take longer than one or two minutes. All you need at this stage is a valid mobile number, a name – and that’s it. You don’t even have to upload any photos just yet or add any lines to your Tinder bio/profile. It’s entirely up to you.

But, to receive matches, Tinder photos are must. Tinder recommends you to delete at least three photos to stand out from rest of the Tinder profiles.

That said, it’s well worth completing a few minor tasks, such as deciding on a maximum and minimum age and distance range for potential matches. 

Matching With People on Tinder 

Once your Tinnder account is up and running, you’re free to start swiping on peoples’ profiles. 

As mentioned, there is no search function on Tinder. Instead, profiles are queued up for you, and you must decide whether to swipe left or right (swipe right for “Yes” and left for “No”). 

Once you’ve swiped on someone, another profile will appear and you won’t see anyone you swiped Yes for until they swipe Yes for you. If so, it’s a mutual match and they will appear in your “Matches” section (located to the left of the screen if you’re on a desktop). Then – and only then – can you initiate a conversation.

Alternatively, you could wait for them to break the ice. 

There will also be times when a person swipes right for you before you’ve even seen their profile in your queue. When this happens, you’ll see that you have X number of likes in your “Matches” section, but, unless you’re a premium member, they will all be hidden from you. As a result, you must continue swiping through your queue until you either swipe left or right on them.

If someone swipes right for you but you swipe left for them (or vice versa), you won’t see their profile again, and the two of you can’t chat. 

Once you’ve matched and started a conversation, you’re then free to move things along and potentially set up a date. It’s entirely up to you what to say and what to arrange, but if things aren’t going so well with someone you matched with, you have the option of clicking their profile and un-matching them. 

Verdict

I signed up to Tinder to see exactly what works about it and what doesn’t. I created a free account, added a few lines to my Tinder bio, and uploaded a few pics. 

Then, I adjusted my distance preference – and started swiping. 

For the first few days, I experienced what it seems most people experience when using Tinder for the first time: I was getting a lot of likes. 

As the likes built up, it became a tad frustrating that not all of them were showing up in my queue, which meant I wasn’t getting as many matches as I’d have liked. I had 15+ likes during the first week, and this list was barely going down. This was due to the fact that people liked me, but I wasn’t able to see their profiles. 

Worse still, I was quickly running out of likes that I could use over 24 hours.

After the first week was over, my success rate was decent. I’d landed some matches and even sparked some fun conversations with people and arranged two dates. But I knew by now that, if I wanted to get the most out of Tinder, I’d need to upgrade, and maybe change my pics around.

I did both. I asked a friend to choose my best pics, and I subscribed to Tinder Gold for a month. I used my Tinder boost, used a few Tinder Super Likes, and, primarily because I was able to see who had already liked me, I was getting more matches, striking up more conversations – and going on more dates.

Overall, I enjoyed Tinder. There were always hundreds and hundreds of profiles within my range to swipe on, once I’d upgraded for a reasonable fee, I was able to speed-up the process. And while some users definitely don’t talk back (and some will even un-match you pretty quickly before you’ve even talked!), I found that around 3 out of 5 matches responded to my opening message and that 2 out of 5 were on my level. I went on 5 dates over the course of 3 weeks using Tinder and while I can understand why some users would upgrade to Premium, Tinder Gold worked out just fine for me. Overall, Tinder is one of the best dating apps.

Other Services:

• eHarmony – Better For Marriage Seekers

While Tinder can be used to find true love, the lack of a search function means you could be looking for a very long time. eHarmony is a better option if you're looking for a serious relationship. Not only does it have search filters that make it easier to find what you’re looking for, but it’s also actually aimed at serious daters who want to settle down. 

• AdultFriendFinder – Better For Hookups

Tinder app was originally created as a hookup app, but over the years it’s attracted those looking to date, as well as those who are just looking for friendship. AdultFriendFinder, on the other hand, is an explicit premium dating site that’s never wavered from its original premise: To help people find one-night stands, orgies, swinger parties, fuck buddies – and everything else that’s kinky and erotic.

Tinder Reviews

Here are some of the interesting Tinder reviews we found from Tinder users. I say it's interesting because of the contrast they have among them.

Faqs:

What's Tinder U?

Tinder U is a new feature that helps you connect with your college buddies or campus friends. To get access to it, you've to be physically present at your uni and use your .edu mail to sign-up on Tinder.

Am I Too Old for Tinder?

There’s no doubt that millennials make up the core majority of Tinder users, with most people aged between 30 and 45. This is backed up by statistics. But, as the stats also show, 8% of Tinder’s users are aged between 45 and 54, while 6% are aged over 55. 

This means that you’re not really too old for Tinder. However, there is a caveat and it’s this: The older you are, the smaller your potential dating pool will be. For instance, it might be harder for someone aged 50+ to find suitable matches than it is for someone aged between 30 and 45. You don't need to try other dating apps and dating sites if you're under 25, Tinder will do for you.