Bumble may just be the new Tinder. Bumble has officially become the fastest-growing online dating app on the market.
That’s a little hard to ignore, especially if you’ve exclusively been on the Tinder bandwagon thus far.
There is obviously a big reason that Bumble is growing at such a rapid pace, but the question still remains, does it cost money, and if so, is it worth it?
Bumble is free to download and use. You are able to swipe, match and talk with other profiles without spending a cent. Although, Bumble includes a premium version, as well as paid upgrades that unlock more features. So, is Bumble free? Yes… and no.
If you are just learning about Bumble for the first time and want to learn about it in more detail.
Check out an article I’ve written which will let you know everything you need to know about what Bumble is and how it actually works.
But for now, let’s dig a little deeper into the question you came here for… Is Bumble free?
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Is Bumble Really Free?
Bumble is downloadable from the App Store and Google Play Store for free. You can search ‘bumble’ on either, or simply click on the below icons to download.
You could easily use the app for as long as you’d like without ever spending a cent. But the big question is will you want to?
Bumble Cost (Current U.S. Prices)
| Pricing | Upfront Cost | Monthly Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Free | ||
| 1 Week | $10.99 | $47.62 |
| 1 Month | $24.99 | $24.99 |
| 3 Months | $54.99 | $18.33 |
| Lifetime | $149.99 |
Do I Have To Pay For Bumble?
No, you don’t have to pay for Bumble. You can use the free version and still get a lot out of the app. But Bumble grossed $22.7M in the month of August 2020, so obviously, there are a lot of people that have upgraded their accounts. Guess what? I’m one of them.
Related: Best Dating Apps in 2023 For A Hook-Up, Relationship or ANY Dating Type
So let’s take a look at the paid premium version, as well as some of the paid extra and break down what your money will actually get you.
You might decide to never spend a dime, or maybe, to you, a small monthly fee to potentially meet the person of your dreams is worth it.
What Do You Get When You Pay For Bumble?
Whether or not you spend any money on Bumble is completely up to you.
Before we go any further, I want to make it clear that I have zero affiliation with Bumble, I just want to give you an unbiased look at whether or not paying for Bumble suits you.
When it comes to spending money on Bumble you have three choices. Either you purchase a subscription, purchase Bumble coins for other one-off features, or you can do it all!
Let’s break down the difference between a subscription and just purchasing Bumble coins.
Bumble Boost
Bumble’s premium paid version (much like Tinder Gold) is called Bumble Boost. It automatically includes a few features, rather than paying for them individually.
You can decide to pay for it under a subscription weekly, monthly or quarterly.
If you have given Bumble Boost a go before and liked the results, you can save yourself a lot of money overall by purchasing a lifetime subscription.
BusyBee
As you would see in this article all about how Bumble works, matches will only last 24 hours if the female doesn’t actually send you a message. What I mean by that is that if your match doesn’t send you a message, the match itself will disappear.
‘BusyBee’ allows you to extend the 24-hour time limit as many times as you would like. Your match might have just not opened up the app for the last 24 hours, so give them a chance to definitely see you before starting the conversation.
Rematch
If your match sends you a message and then you don’t reply, the match will also disappear after 24 hours.
So, if you haven’t opened the app in a while, or you were just too late to extend the match with BusyBee, then don’t stress, you can just rematch!
The name says it all, simply just rematch with expired matches. How good are second chances?
Unlimited Filters
If you know exactly what you want, that’s great! Bumble Boost allows you to set strict criteria that your match needs to fill. These include their stance on children, political views and religion.
This gives you a chance to pinpoint your search and hopefully only match with people that match your preferences.
Related: Tinder Plus Features And How To Use Them
Just a little heads up before you dive into this headfirst… If you are someone who is open to other views and backgrounds, leave these preferences out.
You may not like this, but ladies, if I came across a profile with strict preferences that your match had to fill, I would be instantly turned off.
I have personally found that when people are a little more open-minded, they are actually more likely to come across someone that really suits them.
Don’t limit your potential matches just because your soul mate is 100% all-in on having kids right away!
Beeline
Beeline allows you to see every profile that has liked you already. You might notice on the main swiping page that there is a blurred photo above. Unlocking Beeline will allow you to view all of these profiles.
Bumble Coins
If committing to ongoing payments doesn’t really suit you, but you want to at least test the waters first, maybe purchasing some Bumble Coins is more up your alley.
This will at least allow you to dip in your toes before diving in. You can either purchase 5, 15 or 30 coins at one time.
But what can you spend Bumble coins on?
SuperSwipe
If you’ve ever used Tinder and have seen what a Super Like is, it’s much the same.
This allows you to stand out from the pack and let your potential match know that you are really interested.
When it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle with so many other users, it’s a nice way to stand out.
I think you are better off spending your money elsewhere though. But if you happen to come across a profile that is just your type, or it’s the cute girl in your college class you’ve been too nervous to say hello to, go for it!
Spotlight
This is most similar to the Tinder Boost. Check out this full article I’ve written about Tinder Boosts and when the best time is to use them, as the concepts are much the same for Bumble’s Spotlight.
Basically, this will put you at the front of the line (for 30 minutes) for people swiping through prospective profiles.
This is a great way to let people know you’ve arrived when you arrive in a brand new city. Check out the article on Tinder Boosts to get an idea of the best way to use these.
How To Set Up Bumble Boost & Coins
To buy Bumble Coins for SuperSwipe and/or Spotlight, either click attempt to SuperSwipe on a profile (if you have zero coins) or go to your profile age as shown below and click on ‘Spotlight’.
Both will allow you to purchase coins which can be used to purchase either Spotlight or SuperSwipe’s.
The prices below are shown in Australian Dollars as of October 2019, for U.S. prices see the table above.
Can You Get Matches On Bumble Without Paying?
Of course you can! I used Bumble for a couple of years before spending a cent. You can definitely still have success with the free version of Bumble. The big question is, should you spend money on it?
Obviously, Bumble prefers its users to spend money, so it will ensure that its paid products actually work.
This means that paying for coins and Bumble Boost will increase your chances of more matches. So to put it simply, if you spend money you will have more matches or at least more eyes on your profile.
So paying for Bumble really comes down to you. Specifically, your goals, and your finances. If you have some disposable income and are dead set on finding the “one,” I’m sure you won’t complain if you had to spend a total of $100 to find one.
But if you are just dipping your toes into the world of online dating and just want to see what it’s all about, go with the free version to start out.
Bumble Free Trial
If you are wanting to test Bumble Boost and see if it’s for you, you might want to wait for a Bumble free trial to roll around.
They don’t come all that often, but usually, Bumble gives the option of users being able to experience one week of being a Bumble Boost member.
There have unfortunately been a few accounts on Reddit of Bumble auto-charging people as soon as they accept the free trial, although it seems in recent years this has been rectified.
Final Thoughts
So… Is Bumble free? By now I’m sure you know the answer as well as whether or not you should spend some money on it.
Even if you do decide to upgrade and your profile is getting more eyes on it, it won’t make much of a difference if you have a weak bio.
So make sure you go ahead and check out my list of the 50 best bios for you to copy.
