Are you looking to find love online?
Zoosk and Match are two of the world's most popular dating sites. They're both aimed at those seeking either something short term or something longer term, they can both be used on mobile and desktop, and they both have free and premium packages.
So which one is better?
Choosing a dating site that's right for you is the first step towards succeeding at online dating. To help you make a better, more informed decision, I signed up to Zoosk and Match and tested them both out.
In this article, I'll be comparing their pros and cons, their features, and giving you the lowdown on who they might be right for – and who they might be wrong for.
Let's start.
Comparison: Zoosk Vs Match
| Comparison | Zoosk | Match |
|---|---|---|
| Male to Female Ratio | We’d say Zoosk is pretty close in terms of its gender proportion, with around 55% of its members being male. | The gender split is almost equal, with the user base made up of around 54% men and 46% women. |
| Casual (1) to Serious (10) Rating | 7. People use Zoosk to find hookups, but a greater percentage of users are looking to date and see where things take them. | 9. Most people take Match very seriously and they’re largely looking for a serious, committed relationship (and possibly even marriage). |
| Types of Women | Women are generally aged between 25 and 34. Many of them have never been married, have a steady job and are average earners. | Most women are definitely not here to play games. They know what they want, a number of them have already been married, and they want to find a man who’s on their level. |
| Cost | Zoosk costs around $35 for one months subscription, but you can pay $20 a month if you lock yourself into a 6-month contract. | You can subscribe for one month for $35, or lock yourself into a 6 month contract, where you’ll be paying $15 per month. |
| Premium Features | Sending and receiving messages is only available to premium members, as is SmartPicks, a unique matchmaking algorithm that suggests matches based on your onsite behaviour. | You can’t send and receive messages until you’re a premium member. Also as a premium member you get access to Boosts, suggested icebreakers and voice calls. |
| Biggest Plus | It’s got a huger user base, which means you’ll never be short of someone to message. | With 8,000,000 premium members, you can be sure that there are very few time wasters on Match. |
| Biggest Minus | Too many fake profiles. | Free members won’t be able to see your messages. |
| In-depth review | Zoosk review | Match.com review |
Who's Zoosk For?
Those looking for a hookup – Not everyone who uses Zoosk is looking for a hookup, but it's possible to find a casual sex encounter on here.
Singles who want something serious – You can find a hookup and a long term relationship on here.
Those who want an in-depth dating site – A lot is going on at Zoosk, and you can even view your interface in multiple ways.
Anyone planning to spend a fair amount of time on a dating site – Zoosk's matchmaking algorithm is such that it suggests profiles to you based on your onsite behaviour, which is why it's useful for anyone who'll be committing a fair amount of time to their next dating site.
Singles willing to pay for a dating app – Zoosk isn't super expensive, but neither is it free to send or receive messages.
Who's Zoosk Not For?
Anyone who hates fake profiles – If you hate it when an online dating site contains many fakes, Zoosk might be worth avoiding.
Those who want to get married – You could find your life partner on Zoosk, but you'd have a better chance on a dating site that's tailored for this sort of thing, such as Match.
Who's Match For?
Singles who want a reputable dating site – Match was one of the first-ever online dating sites and, for many, it remains the top dog.
Those who take online dating seriously – Match's users generally put a lot of effort into their profiles, which makes it ideal for serious daters.
Anyone open-minded about who they date – Match lets you date people who live close to you, as well as people who live far away. If you're open-minded about who you might date, Match could be a good option.
Those who are prepared to pay for a dating site – There's not much you can do as a free user on Match. In fact, you need to upgrade your account to send and receive messages.
Who's Match Not For?
Time wasters – People who pay for Match don't want you to waste their time.
Those looking for a hookup – You could, in theory, use Match to land a hookup, but you'll essentially be wasting your time.
Anyone who wants to ‘try before they buy' – You can't explore Match as a free member because there's very little you can do.
Zoosk: Everything You Need To Know
Zoosk was originally launched in 2007. We say “originally” because the dating site was given a makeover in 2014 after new people took it over.
This was a good thing. Before the revamp, Zoosk was severely struggling with fake profiles and very few active users. Since the makeover, Zoosk looks and feels better than ever, and it's now home to more than 40,000,000 users worldwide.
In a nutshell, Zoosk is a dating site used by people from all walks of life who are either looking to meet new friends, find a hookup – or even a long-term life partner. But while it's free to sign up, you can't send or receive messages until you've upgraded your account.
Where Zoosk stands apart from most other dating sites is with the way its matchmaking algorithm. Whereas most matchmaking algorithms require you to answer a series of questions before it suggests compatible profiles, Zoosk's algorithm bases its suggestions on your onsite behaviour – which the site claims to improve the quality of your matches.
All in all, Zoosk is a bread and butter dating site with a search function, a range of special features, and an easy-to-use interface.
Match: Everything You Need To Know
Match was one of the first online dating sites ever created. It was launched in 1995 and has over the years developed a reputation for being safe to use, trustworthy – and very reliable at helping people find love on the internet.
Match's main priority is, indeed, with helping people find long-term committed relationships. It's perhaps for this reason that you can't send or receive messages as a free member (you also can't see who's viewed your profile). And while some people who sign up to Match use it to meet new people, most singles who join are looking for love.
In demonstrating how seriously Match takes online dating, the site offers 6 months worth of membership entirely for free if you don't find a suitable match within the first six months. And there's no wonder Match is so confident – it claims to be responsible for thousands of marriages.
As per its name, Match is a matchmaking dating site that comes with several features designed to help you find your ideal match. Most profiles are highly detailed, you can have a video call, and an initial questionnaire is mandatory upon sign up. Its user interface, meanwhile, is colourful and easy to get the hang of. However, much of it is closed off to you until you upgrade your account.
Zoosk vs Match: The User Base
Zoosk claims to have more than 40,000,000 users worldwide, which easily makes it one of the most popular dating sites on the planet right now. Not all of these are active users – but many of them are.
Meanwhile, the ratio between sexes is slightly skewed in favour of males, although around 45% of users are female. Zoosk's user base is primarily popular with the 25-35 age group in terms of its age range.
On the other hand, Match boasts around 20,000,000 users worldwide, which means its overall user base is 50% less than Zoosk. Moreover, less than 10,000,000 are paying members. Still, what this guarantees is that around eight million users are taking this dating site seriously. On the other hand, it's impossible to say how many of Zoosk's members take it seriously.
Zoosk vs Match: The Profiles
One of the things that are useful about Match's profiles is that users get to state whether they've been married before or not. For example, they can say whether they're divorced, separated or even widowed. This is extremely helpful if you're looking to gain insights into how committed a person is when it comes to relationships.
Also, Match comes with a profile builder, which makes it easier for people to put together a high quality, in-depth and heavily detailed profile. As such, most premium members take the time to fill out their profiles so that you can glean a good amount of information about who they are.
Zoosk's profiles, on the other hand, aren't quite as detailed, but most users still take the time to add a certain amount of information about themselves, as well as several pictures. However, one thing you'll need to be very wary of on Zoosk is fake profiles.
What's cool about Zoosk's profiles is that people can list their interests, which allows you to see at a glance whether or not the two of you are compatible. Moreover, Zoosk gives the two of you a compatibility rating, which can go a long way to helping you decide whether or not to send someone a message.
Zoosk vs Match: Premium Features
As mentioned, there's not a lot you can do as a free member on Match. To get the most out of it and unlock the key features, you need to upgrade.
Match costs around $15 per month if you lock yourself into a 6 month subscription (recommended). For this price, you can see who's viewed and “liked” you, send and receive messages, as well as get access to all the premium features. These include Real Talk, which suggests icebreakers to help you get a conversation started, Boost, which makes your profile more visible in the search results for 60 minutes; and Reverse Matches, which lets you find the people Match hasn't recommended to you.
Zoosk, meanwhile, costs around $20 per month if you lock yourself into a six-month subscription, which means it's pricier than Match. For that price, you get to send and receive messages, and you also get access to SmartPicks, which is Zoosk's unique behavioural matchmaking algorithm that's designed to improve the quality of your matches.
As a premium Zoosk member, you also get to add someone as a connection to let them know you're interested and use the Super Send feature, which basically sends a flirty intro to many people all at the same time.
Is either Zoosk or Match premium worth it? Both apps are relatively useless unless you upgrade, which means both are worth paying for simply on the basis that you can't even read a message unless you pay.
Zoosk vs Match: The Final Verdict
If you're looking to find a long-term, committed relationship, Match stands out. With over 8 million members worldwide, it's almost guaranteed that there'll be someone here for everyone. And if there isn't, you at least get your next 6-months worth of Match for free.
And while Zoosk certainly has its advantages – its unique matchmaking algorithm is a huge selling point – its high number of fake profiles counts against it. If, however, you're not 100% sure what you want out of dating just yet, Zoosk might be the better option. For everything else, it's Match.
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