Editors' notes
What we learn between test runs: what the numbers mean, what the spec sheets leave out.
- How dating apps decide who you see - and whether they tell you how
A compatibility quiz, a named algorithm, or no stated method at all: how each of the eight platforms we track says it decides who shows up in your matches.
- What happens when you actually contact a dating app's customer support
Across the written reviews we track for eight dating platforms, several describe the same outcome after contacting support: a bot, no reply, or no resolution. Here is what each one actually documents.
- Which dating apps say they verify photos - and what that actually checks
Only three of the eight platforms we track state a photo or selfie verification step in public. One of them says outright it confirms a photo match, not identity.
- What dating app reviewers actually complain about, by app
The App Store star average and the written reviews tell two different stories. The complaint pattern for six platforms, sourced and dated.
- How much do dating sites cost?
None of the eight platforms we checked publishes a price before you register. Here is what each one charges for and how the billing really works.
- How to cancel a dating subscription, and whether you get your money back
Cancelling is tied to how you paid, deleting the app rarely stops the billing, and credits are a separate purchase from the subscription. How all eight platforms handle it.
- How to tell if a dating site is a scam
The reliable scam signals are in the billing, not the photos: hidden prices, credits, renewal terms you only see after you have paid.
- Which dating sites are worth paying for
Three of the eight platforms we checked let you message for free. The rest charge for access. What each payment tier actually buys.