eharmony review (2026): Is the dating app worth the high cost?

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I’ve been testing dating apps for a long time, and the question my friends ask me most isn’t “How do the algorithms work?” but rather “Which app is really the best?”

Lately, as we’ve all gotten older (and more inclined to settle down), goodwill has come up in conversation more often than I’d like to admit. It’s known as the go-to choice for people over 50, but its “hip” new ads show the company is desperate to attract a younger user base.

Whatever their marketing strategy, the claim that “every 14 minutes, someone finds love at Goodwill” piqued my interest. So, I decided to give it a real college try to see if its infamous questionnaire and algorithm-based matching system actually works. Below is my detailed experience with eHarmony, from sign-up to connecting with other users.

start on goodwill

Once you download the app, you have two options: “Join Now” or “Log in.” There is no option to sign in with Facebook or Google on this screen. (Given the app’s older demographic, I honestly expected the Facebook login to be front and center.)

After this you select your country and your gender. You have three options: female, male, or non-binary.

After you choose one, a note pops up telling you that you can “update your gender at any time.” This is good considering eHarmony’s history of being less welcoming towards gay and non-binary people. But that feeling of progress vanishes when you’re asked, “Who are you ready to meet?” You can choose women, men, or non-binary people – but the app doesn’t allow you to make multiple selections. This is a big downside for gay and bisexual daters who want a wider pool.

If you decide to continue, you’ll share what you’re looking for (casual, serious, or just browsing) and then be slapped in the face with a massive consent pop-up.

I didn’t click “Accept all” and it still let me proceed, so at least there’s no gatekeeping there. Finally, the app asks you to sign up with your email address, Apple or Google account. It’s weird that they buried this step so deep in the onboarding process instead of putting it right at the beginning, but I ultimately chose Google – it’s much easier that way.

You are in. what now?

After successfully completing the initial registration, you’ll get a lovely welcome message: “Congratulations – you’re taking the first step towards finding someone who gets you. Now, let’s see what’s next for you.”

This is the part we’ve all been complaining about for years. This comprehensive questionnaire is the hallmark of Goodwill, and the company claims it is the “secret sauce” to its matchmaking success. The first screen is just an introduction which basically says to find someone right for you, the best place to look is within yourself. (I think this makes total sense.)

Clicking “Continue” brings you to a screen with two tips: Spend 10 to 20 minutes taking the quiz, and go on your gut. (I’m curious if the questions that come up are based on whether you chose male, female, or non-binary for your gender preference. It would be interesting to see if a male user gets different phrasing than a female or non-binary user.)

I’m not going to list every single question, but here’s a brief description of the first 15 percent:

• Where is your ideal place to live? (No matter where you are right now.)

• Why do you want a relationship? You can choose three options, which include things like “emotional safety,” “so I’m not alone,” and “frequent intimacy” (use goodwill to include that one!).

• Why are you alone? (First of all, rude. Also, not sure some of you are ready to go down that rabbit hole.)

• Will you sleep in one bed or in a separate bedroom?

One thing I didn’t like is that if you change your mind about an answer, there is no “back” button to modify it. Once you click, you’re committed.

Moving on… The next set of questions focuses on specific interests. Some are multiple choice, while others demand “exactly two answers required”. This includes basics like smoking and drinking, as well as lifestyle questions like whether you like to cook or go out to eat (again, wonder if they even ask guys this). I appreciated that you could select “None” for the games, but it was weird that it asked if I played any instruments, but never asked which instrument.

Honestly, by this point, I was ready to tap out, but I’m doing this for all of you single people out there who are ready to find your forever person.

The next section is picture-based and starts to feel a bit like a Rorschach test. It gives you two shapes and asks which one appeals to you more. Once it’s finished, you get an encouraging pop-up: “Halfway through – keep going!” Again, more photos – this time of houses, flowers and nature scenes.

The most interesting part of this section was a question about your “immediate reaction” if someone close to you harasses you. When I chose my first choice, a pop-up scolded me, saying: “Most people choose this answer because it seems the most logical. Please stop for a moment and make sure you’re choosing the correct answer that applies to you.” Okay, goodwill.

It randomly brings you the question of climate change and then things get serious. However, the question of marriage did not seem right to me. Not because of what it asked (“What do you think about marriage as an institution?”) but because of the answers it did not give. It felt limited. There is also a question placed just below the scheduled meal time asking whether “sex sells”, which… an option,

Once you finally finish, you get a congratulations screen. You made it.

Even more details, if you can believe it

Okay, so you’ve made it this far – congratulations! Now, you have to fill your full name, birthday, occupation, height, education level, annual income, do you have children, religion and ethnicity. I really felt like I was filling out a loan application.

They also ask about your marital status. The only options are single, separated, divorced, and widowed. At first, I thought it was strange for a “Forever Love” app, but then it turned out successful. Since a lot of eHarmony users are older, it’s really helpful context to know if someone is divorced or widowed. (That said, bad news for the poly crowd: There’s no option for ethical non-monogamy here.)

Next, you choose two required prompts to answer (maximum 500 characters) and write a brief biography. After this comes the photo section. To a large extent, eHarmony lets you “skip” this step altogether. If you try, a pop-up gently prompts you to reconsider because you’ll “look more different,” but you can proceed without the face. For such a serious site, this seems like a loophole for catfish.

eHarmony is notorious for being expensive, so when a “Welcome Gift” screen came up, I prepared myself for what was to come. Sure enough, clicking “Unwrap Gift” reveals a 50% off premium subscription offer.

alert: If you click “Next” on this screen, it immediately asks for payment information. It looks like a paywall, but don’t be fooled – you can do Press the “Back” button to bypass this and access the free version. Don’t let them deceive you.

How much will dating on eHarmony cost you?

While you can sign up for eHarmony for free, the app In fact Motivates you to get a paid subscription. (The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has actually sued the company for auto-renewals that people didn’t consent to, so… proceed with caution.)

Anyway, here is the pricing structure I was offered. Note that rates may vary depending on where you live, when you sign up, etc.

Premium Lite: $14.90 per month

• Unlimited messaging with 15 matches monthly

• View a photo of each profile

• Unique Personality Profile

• Search near you

Premium Plus: $16.90 per month

Premium Unlimited: $18.90 per month

Matching Process (Finally!)

After all that data entry and predatory membership BS, the app tells you it’s finally ready to show you your “Special Profile” – basically three members you have to rate. You can skip this section, but I went ahead so I can tell you what happens.

Clicking “Let’s Go” took me to my first profile. I couldn’t even see his photo; Tapping it instantly initiates a request for payment.

Then I looked at the details. She was two hours and 30 minutes away from me. She was also seven years younger than me (strange, since the app had never asked for my age preference before). The only good thing? It says she was “online yesterday”, which shows she is an active user – If He is real.

The profile showed some information, like height, sports, and our “common characteristic” (apparently we both “want comfort when things go wrong”). You get the option to “Like” or “Skip”. If you click “Like”, it lets you send a message, and I believe it notifies them. Despite the app knowing my zip code, my other two “featured” options were also over an hour away.

Once you get past that, it says “See who’s here” and puts you in a series of blurry photos. There’s also a bright orange banner at the top, constantly trying to get you to buy a subscription. It seems aggressive.

Is eHarmony worth downloading?

To put it bluntly, I think you should try any of our other top-recommended apps before considering eHarmony. Yes, I often think of it as “best for marriage”, but that’s almost entirely due to the sheer amount of data it collects. (Even after “finishing” the quiz, I found there were still 24 More There are questions waiting for me in my profile, as well as plenty of sections to add interests.)

The person who should be on this app is Charlotte York in every sense of the word. Her focus is on finding her knight in shining armor, she lives in NYC (so she’ll have far more options than I do in a small town in Virginia), and she has disposable income.

If you fit that profile, great – it really might be the best place to find your partner, provided you can avoid the invasive ads for a premium membership (though if you’re Charlotte, you can afford it).

But if you’re not willing to spend any cash and you know you’re not looking for anything serious, I’d say it’s probably okay if you never download the eHarmony app.

Subject
Apps and Software Reviews