Sometimes using the free dating apps we all know and love (or maybe, know and love-hate) can feel like a losing battle. Either the same faces keep flashing up in your feed again and again, or you’re matching but not actually having any decent conversations.
So, you find yourself asking things like, ‘Am I doing this right?’ and ‘IS THIS IT?? IS THIS ALL LIFE IS??’ and, perhaps on a more practical note, ‘Is it worth paying for Hinge Preferred membership?’
I’m trying to help you with question one, question two is well beyond my pay grade. And, as for Hinge Plus and HingeX, it might be worth paying for an upgrade on Hinge if you have the money to do so.
However, if you’re serious about finding romance (rather than fun, or short-term dating) then a real paid dating site might be a better bet for you.
On a paid site, everyone is a bit more serious, so you can get past the small talk and into the real stuff quicker!
If you’re not sure what you want, dating-wise, why not take my quiz to find the best dating site for you?
It might clarify your goals a bit, and help you find the one. Or, one of the ones if that’s more your speed right now.
Alternatively, you can keep plugging away at Hinge, and just spruce up your profile a bit by answering the most liked questions on the site.
Maybe one of those faces that has been flashing past day after day deserves some reconsideration?
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What is Hinge+? What Is HingeX?
Hinge+ and HingeX are Hinge’s two paid memberships. Plus is pretty basic, but HingeX gives you a big boost from the algorithm.
With Hinge+ you get to see everyone who has liked you in a separate feed, have an unlimited number of likes, and additional filters you can apply to the members you see.
With HingeX, you get all that plus a constant mini-boost in other users’ Discover Feed, as well as priority likes, meaning your likes are shown to potential matches first.
Here are the Hinge+ and HingeX features:
You can upgrade your Hinge membership by hitting the Account button on Hinge and signing up. Membership starts at $14.99 a month if you sign up for 6 months.
What Is Hinge Preferred?
Okay, so a minority of readers just read that and were confused. ‘What is Hinge Preferred?’ they’re asking.
And admittedly, you might be able to work it out from context, but not so much from its name.
I mean, Hinge Preferred? That’s not clear marketing. It’s like half a sentence. What, what did Hinge prefer? Tell me! I’m on tenterhooks!
In actual fact, Hinge Preferred was Hinge’s premium service until 2023.
Hinge Preferred was replaced by two subscription tiers: Hinge+ and HingeX. So we can forget about Hinge Preferred for now!
It was a pretty silly name after all. Like, is it supposed to make me feel special? I’m not special, I’m just paying!
How Much Is Hinge Premium?
You now also have to think about the cost of Roses for Hinge’s new Standouts feature, which arguably might have seen the app that’s designed to be deleted begin living up to its name for all the wrong reasons
Get it? The update is bad! No one wants Hinge to become The Bachelor! So they’re deleting the… okay, tough crowd, maybe my comedy is just too intellectual for some people.
Hinge+ and HingeX become better value monthly the longer you commit to. So, a single month of Higne+ is $29.99, while a three-month plan costs $59.99 ($19.99/month) and a six-month plan is $89.99 ($14.99/month).
Here’s an overview of Hinge+ and HingeX costs:
| Cost | Hinge+ | Hinge X |
|---|---|---|
| 1 month | $29.99 | $49.99 |
| 3 months | $59.99 ($19.99/month) | $99.99 ($33.33/month) |
| 6 months | $89.99 ($14.99/month) | $149.99 ($24.99/month) |
Whatever plan you choose, it’s paid all at once rather than monthly and unless you opt out of auto-payment your plan will renew a week before it ends.
Like quite a few online dating sites, Hinge likes to advertise its prices as monthly rather than their full price.
So pay attention, as Hinge is now one of the most expensive paid dating options out there.
And if you aren’t sure whether you will want a second subscription after your first, then it’s probably best to toggle autopay off immediately after you pay for the first time.
I mean, how many free trials have you signed up to, forgotten about, and then paid for three months in a row?
Yeah, same. And somehow you feel even dumber if it’s not even a free trial but a full service you’ve managed to let slip your mind.
What Paid Dating Sites Are Worth It?
Okay, I get it, you’re ready to reassess your dating options. That’s why you’re thinking about paying for Hinge, and that’s why you’re now asking, ‘What paid dating sites are worth it’.
Well, I know I say this a lot and it’s probably frustrating, but that depends. It really does!
Basically, there’s a paid dating site that will suit your needs out there, but before you settle on one you need to think about what those needs are.
You can take the quiz I was banging on about earlier to work things out, but I also have a couple of main suggestions.
If you’re looking for fun, then you might get the best results possible on Adult Friend Finder.
It’s a site with an amazing track history (a solid 26 years, in fact) and a bunch of free features and content you can access before committing to a paid account.
On the other end of the dating goals spectrum, if you’re looking for a serious relationship (or, dare I suggest it, marriage) then eharmony absolutely can’t be beaten.
In fact, they’re consistently voted as having the best dating pool of any dating app or site in North America!
I’ve written extensively on both Adult Friend Finder and eharmony, including a guide to eharmony here and Adult Friend Finder here.
I’ve also recently compiled a list of the best dating apps of 2023, taking into account various dating needs and personality types. Check that out here.
The conclusion of all this? Well, Hinge membership may well be worth it, but you need to work out what ‘it’ is.
What are you looking for out of the dating apps you spend time and money on? Sorting the answer to that question out is half the battle of dating, if you ask me!
