April 15

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eHarmony Reviews: [DON’T SIGN UP] before reading this!

By Colette Murphy

April 15, 2020


eHarmony Overview

  • eHarmony is largely a platform for people looking for serious relationships .
  • precise and specific Matching methods.
  • Free app
  • 30 million members from US (10 million active members worldwide)
  • 16,000,000 active weekly
  • 47% male & 53% female

Bit of eHarmony background story first:

There are a lot of casual dating sites on the internet today, but eHarmony was designed by founder Dr. Neil Clark Warren to be a serious matchmaking site for people from all across the globe. Based on its excellent matchmaking system, eHarmony has been focusing on helping singles find love in long term relationships for over 20 years now.

As Dr. Warren is a clinical psychologist, eHarmony’s matchmaking system was actually quite accurate from Day One, but it has become refined to the point of perfection now in 2020. The dating site’s systematic elimination of incompatible matching and perfect identification of compatibility has so far managed to marry off 600,000 of its members.

Given that eHarmony has an astounding stat record of making 15 million matches per day on an average, we decided to take a closer look at the dating site and find out if it really is as good as it sounds. Read on as we share our experiences and opinions regarding a user’s chances of truly finding a meaningful relationship via eHarmony.

Membership Structure and Stats of eHarmony

There are over 200 countries and 66 million members on eHarmony, so it’s safe to say that the diverse pool of people to find a match from is certainly not lacking here. What is interesting to see is the fact that eHarmony maintains an astonishingly good male to female ratio (53%: 47%), which is better than almost any dating site out there.

Part of this is due to the fact that eHarmony is meant for serious singles who really want a relationship and not just someone to hook up with. In order to have an active profile on eHarmony, it is necessary for members to answer questions, verify facts and build their profiles with care. This requires time and only those truly interested in finding meaningful relationships will take that time.

A few key facts about the members of eHarmony are as follows.

  • The site has over 29 million US members
  • eHarmony averages 16 million active members/week
  • Both male and female members are largely within the age range of 25 – 34
  • It’s difficult to find profiles on eHarmony that have not been created for finding committed relationships
  • Well established members looking to settle down are common on eHarmony
  • Given that the premium upgrades are not cheap, premium members on eHarmony are likely to be affluent and serious singles

As you can see its on a downward trend, but i suspect thats because they had less competition 10 years ago. I don't think its a huge indicator of quality, but something to keep in mind.

Signing Up as a Member on eHarmony

eHarmony is exclusively meant for serious singles with genuine intentions, so signing up here won’t give you access to your account and the matches immediately. The dating site will gather and verify the information you provide to them, before giving you full access to the site, which will take some time. This is excellent for maintaining a genuine, verified set of members. The main highlights about signing up on eHarmony are as follows:

  • Both email and Facebook signups are accepted, but email verification is unnecessary
  • You will need to fill in the information regarding your job, personality, hobbies, physical attributes, needs, expectations, nationality, etc.
  • In addition to general profile building, eHarmony will give you multiple personality tests to complete, which is how the site forms an idea regarding the user’s personality
  • Most users can complete the initial questionnaires and their profile data within roughly 10 – 15 minutes

Screenshots of the eHarmony sign up process:

Please not that these are just 4 steps for around 50

eHarmony sign up step 1

eHarmony sign up step 2

eHarmony sign up step 3

eHarmony sign up step 4

Establishing Contact with Matches

If you are not a premium member on eHarmony, you will only have access to the following for making contact with matches:

  • You can send up to five, autogenerated questions to your matches, and you can choose the questions
  • You can add people as Favorites
  • You can send your matches a Wink
  • Standard members can receive messages from premium members, but cannot reply to them
  • They also cannot send messages to anybody, not even their matches
  • Standard members can only see a list of compatible matches, as deemed ideal by eHarmony and cannot go outside the limited number of matches

If you are a premium member, though, all of the standard features will be available, but with none of the restrictions. Premium members can browse outside their match list, see who visited their profile, directly send messages, winks, etc. to anyone they like, and can themselves remain anonymous. However, eHarmony only allows text messaging as the form of communication on the site, which is applicable even for premium members.

eHarmony Profiles: Quality and Features

Every profile on eHarmony is extremely detailed and includes intimate information about each member. All personality tests were taken, and questions answered by each member, are displayed on their profiles and matched members can ask a few of their favorite autogenerated questions to each other as well. eHarmony also has a compatibility tab, which shows how compatible you are with each of your matches, based on important factors of a long-term relationship, such as Emotional Intimacy, Relationship Values, Romance, Affection, Physical Intimacy, Athleticism, Conscientiousness, Altruism, Extraversion, Intellect, etc. These are all sections that every member needs to fill out on their own first, which is why eHarmony’s compatibility system works so well.

Once again, profile access features are very limited for standard members on eHarmony and they cannot even see the profile pictures of their matches, except a blurry thumbnail. However, standard members can check the profile details of a match, including age, city, and name. Premium members, on the other hand, can see all photos uploaded by their matches and have virtually no restrictions.

User Interface

eHarmony is minimal, straightforward, smooth and direct in design to remain accessible for everyone. However, one may argue that the UI is just too basic. Nevertheless, the minimalistic design keeps things looking neat and tidy, rather than cluttered and confusing. The pushy ads for encouraging users to upgrade to a premium account are the only ones there are on eHarmony, and even they disappear after the member upgrades.

eHarmony App

The free to download app is a completely mobile version of the website and the developers have done a good job of bringing all essential features of the dating website, such as browsing match/favorite lists and chatting (premium members only) to their app as well. There are hardly any differences between the simplistic site and its equally minimal app to speak of, and just in case you are wondering, the premium upgrade costs the same as it does on the website. Also, you don’t need to pay separately for the site and the app, as long as it’s the same account of course.

Screenshots from the eHarmoney App:

How does eHarmony cost?

The standard or free accounts are too limiting, so you may want to check out the three fee structures below:

  • Premium Light: 6 months at $32.95 per month ($197.70 total)
  • Premium Plus: 12 months at $22.97 per month ($275.64 total)
  • Premium Extra: 24 months at $17.97 per month ($431.28 total)

Read my cost breakdown here.

It should be mentioned that eHarmony accepts PayPal and Credit Cards only. Also, the total amount for each plan can also be paid out at once, or in two/three installments. The prices are neither cheap nor too expensive when compared with other similar dating sites and their premium plans.

Highlighting the Main Features of eHarmony

Minimalist as the design and set of features are, eHarmony focuses more on helping members find quality matches. Even then, the following features are enough to help members make meaningful connections with their matches:

  • Send a Smile - Send a Smile by tapping or clicking on the smiley icon under a match’s profile picture
  • Ask Questions - As already mentioned, you can ask autogenerated questions to your matches
  • Add to Favorites – Narrow down your interests by creating a list of your favorite profiles on eHarmony
  • What If? – Premium members can get 30 extra matches outside their compatibility list by selecting What If?

Our Rating for the eHarmony Dating Website

  • Signing up Procedure and Verifications: 4 out of 5
  • Establishing Contact with other Members: 3.5 out of  5
  • Member Profile Quality and Features: 4 out of 5
  • eHarmony App: 4 out of 5
  • Real Life Review: 4.0 out of 5
4/5
My eHarmony rating

My Final Thoughts on eHarmony

Although basic in its features, the compatibility system does an excellent job of matching the right people based on their personalities, views, interests, etc. The simple texting and the ability to ask personality questions to your matches are also excellent for judging a potential partner’s true personality and compatibility factor. If you want a long-term, committed relationship, or are even considering marriage, eHarmony is the dating app and matchmaking website that’s designed for singles like you.

Still unsure about eharmony? Check out our other reviews:

eHarmony FAQs

Is it worth paying for eHarmony?

It really depends on you, if you are serious about meeting someone and develop a serious relationship then yes, if you are looking for a simple hook up maybe a different app is better for you. Before paying for eHarmony there are a few things you should understand. Read my full review here.

How much does ehHarmony cost?

This changes from time to time but to get the latest pricing click here.

What is the success rate of eHarmony?

71% of Women and 69% of Men Meet Their Spouse on eharmony Within a Year. According to eharmony's Married Couples by the Numbers Facts report, almost three-quarters of men and women have met their spouse within a year of joining the site.

Does anyone use eHarmony anymore?

Yes, over 10 million active members.

Does eHarmony have fake profiles?

There are rumors online of fake accounts but in my testing I came across no fake accounts, that doesn't mean they don't exist however. If you want to read more about my experience, read my full review of eHarmony.

Colette Murphy

About the author

Hi, my name is Collette, I was born, raised in New York where i still currently live. I am currently in my mid thirties and after changed career multiple times and struggling to find a passion I decided to leave the career based live behind and start an online community for like minded people. This community is a safe place for women and like minded men who want to steer clear of misogyny, sexism, degrading comments and racism. I hope you enjoy your stay.

  • I met my spouse using Harmony. The profile setup takes a long time to complete and fill out and is a bit of a pain, I did it in two parts. But I really Even appreciated the specifics that the person had to complete as it tends to root out any of the individuals who are not motivated. This also offers a much easier way of evaluating potentials. The way it is set up is pretty cool, the way you have to first contact a person allows you to assess potential partners who actually want to go out on a date (save money from the perspective of the guys and save time / energy on the girls).

    • Thats nice, glad you met your spouse on eHarmony. I am someone who never complains about a long signup process because the more data their algorithm has the better it can find you potential compatible mates.

  • Your review was helpful though I wish it had offered a bit more insight as to all age ranges. I’m 45 and am still uncertain if eharmony is a practical option.

  • I went through the personality assessment for 30 minutes only to find out that you rates are incorrect. The 6 month membership cost is actually 54.95 per month, not 32.95 per month. This is a significant error. I trusted your data because it was so recent but obviously still quite incorrect.

    • Hi Stephen, so sorry for what happened to you. I have approved your comment so others can see it and not make the same mistake, the problem is, when I did my research they were doing a sale, so my data was skewed, the problem is, they’re consistently changing their rates depending on demands, so it is a full time job to track it. But I am leaving this here as a warning for others. The pricing may change.

      • Hi Colette, Not only does the pricing change but they are not totally transparent with the 3 day refund policy. I’m not sure if it was on your site or another one but I read where you could try E-Harmony and get a refund if you do it within 3 days. It is true that you can get a refund if you live within on of the states that permit it. However, they don’t tell you that within the paragraph for the 3 day refund and you don’t know to look anywhere else to see state exclusions. It also takes 24-48 hours for someone to get back to you to get any answers to your questions via email, that’s the only way to reach them. I learned this the hard way and now I’m stuck because there were almost nothing to choose from within my state of SC. They will not give me a refund even though I requested one immediately after seeing that I had almost nothing to chose from. You also have to pay out the balance of the contract whether you continue the plan or not. This part of their business is awful and unfair. Had I known what I’m sharing with you I would not have signed up. Please…warn your viewers.

        • Hi Diana, I am sorry you had a negative experience, I will try to keep up to date with their pricing changes but its hard as I think its based on demand. The three day refund policy for certain states is a very unclear one, I agree with you there. But their support taking that long to get back to you is not good and not what I have experienced with them, I always had speedy replies. Can I ask you why you wanted to cancel Diana, how was the rest of the platform? Do I understand you correctly that you can now get a partial refund? Please update us on your story. Thanks

          • Hi Colette, Thanks for responding back so quickly. Maybe they got back you so quickly because you weren’t asking for a refund nor were you under the gun to get in on their 3 month savings if you signed up within 35 minutes. That’s what happened to me. I was trying to read through all of their terms and conditions within the 35 min window before signing up. I was trying to avoid having happened to me what ended up happening anyway. I tried Eharmony a few years ago with no success for 6 months. Therefore, I began to think maybe I didn’t give it enough time to work. However, I didn’t want to waste any more money either. That’s why when I saw it could be tested out for 3 days I had nothing to lose, boy was I wrong. To answer your questions; 1. They have an excellent platform seeing that I have never been on any other dating site to compare it to. 2. I wanted to cancel immediately because in my area of the country there were only 6 men to choose from and none of them appealed to me. I know they can’t guarantee matches and I understood that. 3. No, I don’t get a partial refund. I am stuck here with no recourse unless I want to destroy my excellent credit by not paying out the remainder of the 12 month contract. Therefore, I’m hopeful that something good will come out of this. I just don’t like when I’m mislead and it cost me time and energy to try and get my money back. All they could say to me was the state exclusions was in the terms and conditions. My rebuttal to that is, if you are trying to do right by the consumer you would have had the state exclusions right there within the 3 day refund paragraph for all too readily see. I should not have had to go looking all through the entire terms and conditions for something that I didn’t even know I should be looking for to begin with. For that reason I want people to be forewarned so that they can at least decide to take the risk and not be forced to get stuck. That’s all I’m saying….thanks for your time. I know that’s a lot but I wanted to be real clear that I wasn’t trying to get something for nothing.

          • Hi Diana, only 6 men to choose from in your state, that was not a good selection, here in NYC there was thousands. I agree with you the 3 day refund policy was not clear regarding certain States, I had no idea. So to anyone reading this, be careful if you think you might want to avail of the 3 day refund policy, it only applies to certain states. So just to be clear they are not refunding you anything? They are saying you agreed to the contract and that’s it? That is a shame. But to people reading I don’t want to put them completely off because it is a fabulous platform when issues like this do not arise. Please keep us updated with your proceedings Diana.

          • To be clear they are not refunding me anything, nothing because I agreed to the contract even though they were not clear with the policy in the terms and conditions. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that some good comes of this. Thanks!

  • I am looking into joining, but it’s very expensive. Don’t understand why you cannot pay by the month. Explain

    • Hey Carolyn, it’s a great question and many people have a problem with the high prices of eHarmony, but the way I see it is that you basically get what you pay for when it comes to online dating. The high prices allow them to direct resources to improving their matching algorithm and spam filters. The high price also filters out time wasters. It is no surprise to me eHarmony has the best experience when they charge as much as they do.

  • Hi Collette
    I am seriously looking for a genuine relationship devoid of all that you mentioned in your review & decided to check with eHarmony because I’ve been told its a genuine dating site but I’ve been finding it very difficult to get registered on the platform. Please I’d like to know if this dating site is worldwide or if it is only for those in the united States?

    Jamila

    • Hi Jamila,
      Yes, eHarmony is worldwide, it has millions of members all over the world. Sounds like you’re looking for a serious relationship in which case I recommend eHarmony for you.

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