A lot of dating apps that used to be entirely free now have a paid membership option. Hinge is no exception to this rule. As you will know if you’re a regular reader, I have spent a lot of time explaining how Hinge works.
These days, unfortunately, in order to get unlimited swipes on Hinge you have to splash out for Hinge Preferred. But you can get plenty of matches on Hinge without paying!
Of course, matches depend on how attractive your Hinge profile is and what you are looking for. Hinge is a little more stringent than, say, Tinder, so you need six high-quality pictures and you also have to answer a few prompts. The point here is that you actually show who you are – Hinge is about real connections, after all. It is designed to be deleted.
Hinge is free for its most basic subscription. Therefore, you can get free matches! The app has added more paid features in the last few years, however, so it isn’t as easy as it used to be to get a match.
That being said, most basic features of Hinge are free. You may just have to be a little more patient if you don’t want to pay.
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Can You Message On Hinge For Free?
One of Hinge’s many free features is messaging. You can message anyone you’re matched with as much as you like on Hinge without paying a dime. This has always been true, and I can’t see it changing any time soon.
Of course, in order to actually get matches you need to be able to swipe right, and you get way more right swipes available to you if you pay for Hinge Preferred.
Actually, you get as many as you want if you pay. Within reason! The Hinge algorithm will ding you if you swipe right so often you seem like you must be a bot. Honestly, though, that sounds like it would lead to sore thumbs.
How Does The Free Version Of Hinge Work?
The free version of Hinge gets you most of what you need to find a match. You can fully fill out your profile, match with as many people as you like, chat with matches all you want, and answer the three prompts you like best.
The big drawbacks? You only get eight likes a day (updated at 4 am local time) and you don’t get to choose from as many specific preferences (like, do they want children, preferences on drinking and smoking, pretty specific stuff) as paying Hinge members.
Luckily, overall the differences aren’t too complicated, so you can make your mind up easily. Unlike Tinder’s slightly over-the-top four-tier system of Tinder, Tinder Plus, Tinder Gold, and Tinder Platinum.
Likewise, the additional features of Preferred are pretty straightforward. You get:
- Unlimited Likes
- To see everyone who “liked” you in one view
- To unlock advanced search preferences
How Much Does Hinge Cost?
Hinge is free. But if you can afford it, paying for Hinge Preferred is an option. At the time of writing, Preferred costs*:
$29.99 for one month
$59.99 for three months
$89.99 for six months
*Prices in USD and subject to change
Is Hinge Premium Worth It?
First off, buddy, it’s Hinge Preferred. And whether or not it’s worth it is an entirely personal decision.
To my mind, you have to know you really want to meet someone (for today or for the long term, no judgment either way) if you’re going to pay for Hinge Preferred. But at this point, the basic version of Hinge alone is a little lacking – I mean 8 likes a day?
You probably need to either pay for Hinge Preferred or use multiple apps. If you really love how Hinge works, it’s a mix between a casual-millennial dating app and serious getting-to-know-one-another, then by all means pay for it.
Also, honestly, Hinge Preferred isn’t particularly expensive. If you want to pay for a little more fun or specifically for Hinge because you like the platform then go for it.
If you’re looking for a serious relationship, however, and are willing to pay then maybe try Dude Hack favorite for the real lovers, eharmony!
Final Thoughts
You can absolutely get a match on Hinge without paying. I cannot guarantee that you’ll like them, let alone love them, but a match will likely happen.
You have to supply a fair amount of info on Hinge so you can’t just leave an empty, boring, un-right-swipeable profile. And even if it’s rubbish anyway you’ll eventually accidentally end up with a match!
If you are really serious about finding someone, though, paying for Hinge Preferred isn’t a bad idea. You get additional features all topped off with unlimited right swipes.
And is twenty-odd bucks per month (depending on where you happen to live) a lot to pay for potential love? Not in my opinion.
Of course, if you don’t think Hinge is for you you can try my dating app quiz. Or just browse Dude Hack articles to find something more to your taste.
