Methodology

How We Review Dating Sites & Apps

Every review on this site follows the same process and the same six scoring categories. This page explains exactly how we arrive at a rating, what we check, how often we re-check it, and how we handle money.

What we score

Every platform is rated 1–10 in six categories, then combined into one overall score. We publish the category breakdown, not just the final number, so you can weigh what matters to you.

Value for cost

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Safety & privacy

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Match quality

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Ease of use

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Audience fit

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Support & trust

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Bars above are illustrative of the scoring structure — individual reviews carry the platform's actual scores.

What we check for every platform

Pricing: current tiers, billing cycles, auto-renewal terms, and hidden add-on costs, verified directly against the platform's own pricing page.
Safety features: identity verification, photo verification, moderation policy, block/report tools, and any history of publicly reported safety incidents.
Privacy practices: what data is collected, whether profiles are visible outside the platform, and what the platform's own privacy policy commits to.
Audience & intent: who the platform is actually built for (casual, serious, a specific demographic) based on its own positioning and user base data where available.
Track record: how long the platform has operated, any regulatory actions (e.g., FTC complaints), and pattern of user complaints across independent sources.
Core features: matching approach, communication tools, and anything genuinely differentiated from competitors.

Aggregated research vs. hands-on testing

We are transparent about which of these two a given review is built from, and we label it clearly near the top of the page:

Aggregated research reviews are built from the platform's official pricing and policy pages, public regulatory filings, and a cross-section of independent user reports. We do not claim to have used the service personally unless we say so.
Hands-on reviews mean a member of our editorial team created a real account and used the platform directly for a minimum evaluation period. These carry a "Hands-On Tested" tag with the testing window disclosed.

Freshness policy

Dating platforms change pricing and features often. Every review displays a "Last verified" date. We re-check pricing and core claims on every review at least once per quarter, and immediately if we're notified of an error. Reviews older than six months without re-verification are flagged for readers.

How we handle money

Some reviews contain affiliate links, meaning we may earn a commission if you sign up through them, at no extra cost to you. Affiliate relationships never determine a platform's score. A platform we have no financial relationship with can outscore one we do, and vice versa. Where we accept any form of compensation for a placement or mention, it is clearly labeled as sponsored — not folded into the rated review.

Corrections

If you spot an error — outdated pricing, a broken safety claim, anything — contact us and we will investigate and correct it, with the correction noted on the page.