Vox Feature Explores Freemium Dating

A new article in Vox has considered the rise of freemium models in dating apps. The piece is titled: “Dating apps like Tinder and Bumble are free. But people say paying for them is worth the money.”

It attributes the consumer expectation for free services to the rise of Tinder, noting that platforms tended to be costed in the early 2000s.

Research for the article revealed a number of reasons why people might pay for a premium service, including access to more singles and self-validation.

Molly, 25, said: “Arguably getting Tinder Gold was basically just a vanity purchase to reassure myself that people would be interested in me if I started using it more seriously.”

Dylan, 23, said of Grindr Xtra’s wider dating pool: “I would hate to miss out on meeting someone exciting just because they live six blocks away.”

Another reason given was that certain apps offer more anonymity in premium modes. Feeld, for example, allows a user to hide their sexual interests from Facebook friends while browsing.

The piece also details many of the perks users can get on different platforms by subscribing. OkCupid users can go ad-free, see who has liked them already, see who has read their messages and search and filter better as ‘A-list’ members, for example. That service costs $9.99 per month.

For $24.99 per month, Bumble Boost users can see who likes them, extend their matches and rematch with expired connections.

Read more here.