Bumble Boost Or Premium? A Head-To-Head Comparison!

Choose Bumble Premium ($40/month) for most situations—it includes everything in Boost plus the ability to see who already liked you (Beeline), advanced filters, and Incognito Mode.

Bumble Boost ($17/month) is only worth it if you're on a tight budget and don't care about seeing who liked you. Premium+ ($80/month) only makes sense in major cities like NYC, LA, or San Francisco where intense competition requires maximum visibility.

Quick Comparison:

Key Insights:

• Bumble offers three paid tiers: Boost ($40/month), Premium ($60/month), and Premium+ ($80/month, bundling all features with additional perks like Priority Likes).
• Boost includes basic premium features: unlimited swipes, one weekly Spotlight, five weekly SuperSwipes, rematch with expired connections, and unlimited extends.
• Premium adds valuable features like Incognito mode (privacy), Travel mode (change location), BeeLine (see who liked you), unlimited Best Bees, and advanced filters.
• Premium+ includes all features plus Priority Likes (your profile gets seen sooner), daily visibility boosts, and access to the Trending Tab of popular profiles.
• Consider upgrading if you're in an area with many users, willing to date beyond 99 miles, or want privacy controls—but free Bumble is sufficient if your area has few users.
• Bumble usage peaks on Sundays between 8-10 PM, making this the optimal time to use your weekly Spotlight feature.

So many questions when it comes to Bumble Boost vs Premium vs Premium+. What's the difference and which one is better? How much do they cost? Is upgrading worth the investment, or should I keep using Bumble for free?

This guide has all the answers. VIDA Select's dating experts have been using Bumble daily since it launched in 2014, managing thousands of profiles for clients. We know exactly which tier delivers the best ROI based on your situation.

Bumble Boost is the entry-level paid subscription, unlocking six core premium features that make the app more usable.

What You Get with Bumble Boost:

1. Unlimited Swipes No daily limit on how many profiles you can swipe right on. Free users max out around 50-100 swipes per day depending on location.

2. Unlimited Backtrack Undo any left swipe instantly if you accidentally swiped left on someone you liked. Free users can't reverse swipes at all.

3. Unlimited Match Extends Add 24 hours to any match timer. Free users get one extend per day. Pro tip: Use this immediately when you match to give yourself a full 48 hours to craft your opening.

4. Rematch with Expired Connections Reconnect with matches that expired before either person sent a message. This only works for matches where it was your turn to message—you can't rematch if she never responded.

5. Weekly Spotlight Your profile gets boosted to the top of the swipe queue for 30 minutes once per week. Best used Monday evenings 7-8pm when app activity peaks.

6. Five SuperSwipes per Week Let someone know you're especially interested before matching. They'll see a notification that you SuperSwiped them.

Bumble Boost Cost (2026):

Duration	Total Cost	Weekly Rate
1 week	$19.99	$19.99
1 month	$39.99	$9.33/week
3 months	$59.99	$4.67week
6 months	$89.99	$3.50/week

Our take: Boost is worth it if your main frustrations are running out of swipes and accidentally swiping left on good matches. It solves the basic friction points without breaking the bank.

Skip Boost if: You want to see who already liked you or use advanced search filters—those features require Premium.

Bumble Premium includes everything in Boost plus three additional features that fundamentally change how you use the app.

What You Get with Bumble Premium:

Everything from Boost, plus:

1. Beeline (See Who Liked You) This is the killer feature. Access your queue of everyone who already swiped right on you. When you swipe right on them, it's an instant match.

Why this matters: Instead of blindly swiping through profiles hoping for matches, you're only swiping on people who have already expressed interest. This dramatically increases your match rate and saves time.

2. Advanced Filters Narrow your swipe queue based on:

• Verified profiles only
• Height range
• Exercise frequency
• Star sign (if you're into that)
• Education level
• Dating intentions
• Politics
• Religion
• Drinking/smoking habits
• Whether they have/want kids

Why this matters: You can filter out dealbreakers before you ever see someone's profile. If you only want to date verified users who don't smoke, you'll never waste swipes on unverified smokers.

3. Incognito Mode Only people you swipe right on can see your profile. Everyone else has no idea you exist on the app.

Why this matters: Perfect for privacy concerns, professional situations, or if you want to browse without broadcasting your presence. You control exactly who can see you.

4. Travel Mode Change your location to swipe in other cities before you travel. Useful for setting up dates when you visit somewhere new.

Bumble Premium Cost (2026):

Duration	Total Cost	Weekly Rate
1 week	$29.99	$29.99
1 month	$59.99	$14/week
3 months	$119.99	$9.33week
Lifetime	$269.99	N/A

Our take: Premium is worth it for most serious users. Beeline alone justifies the price—seeing who already liked you is a game-changer.

Skip Premium if: You're in a small town with limited users (Beeline won't have enough people in it to justify the cost) or if you don't care about efficiency (happy to swipe blindly).

Premium+ is Bumble's top-tier subscription, adding three visibility-focused features on top of everything in Premium and Boost.

What You Get with Bumble Premium+:

Everything from Premium and Boost, plus:

1. Priority Likes When you swipe right on someone, they see your profile sooner—potentially within minutes instead of hours or days.

Why this matters: In major cities, people's card stacks are deep. Without Priority Likes, your profile might never reach the top of someone's queue. This feature virtually guarantees they'll see you.

2. Automatic Daily Boosts The app automatically promotes your profile at optimal times every single day. It's like having a daily Spotlight that runs without you lifting a finger.

Why this matters: Consistent visibility without manual effort. You're always getting promoted during peak hours.

3. Access to Trending Profiles Unlock the "Trending" tab in Discover, where you can swipe through the most popular local users—people getting tons of likes and engagement.

Why this matters: Direct access to the most attractive, most sought-after singles in your area. Everyone can see the Trending tab, but only Premium+ subscribers can actually swipe on those profiles.

Additional perks:

• 10 SuperSwipes per week (vs. 5 with Premium/Boost)
• 2 Spotlights per week (vs. 1 with Premium/Boost)
• 2 Compliments per week (send a message before matching)

Bumble Premium+ Cost (2026):

Duration	Total Cost	Weekly Rate
1 week	$39.99	$39.99
1 month	$79.99	$18.66/week
3 months	$159.99	$12.44week
Lifetime	$269.99	N/A

Our take: Premium+ is overkill for most users. At $80/month, it's one of the priciest dating subscriptions available (more expensive than Tinder Platinum or HingeX at $50/month).

Only worth it if:

• You're in NYC, LA, San Francisco, Chicago, or another mega-city where competition is brutal
• You frequently run out of quality profiles to swipe
• You want access to the most popular users on the app
• Money isn't a concern and you want every possible advantage

Skip Premium+ if:

• You're in a small or medium-sized market (the features won't help much)
• Your profile needs work (visibility doesn't matter if people swipe left anyway)
• You're already getting plenty of matches on a lower tier

 

Choose Bumble Boost If:

✅ You're on a budget and want basic premium features without spending $40+/month

✅ Your main frustrations are:

• Running out of daily swipes
• Accidentally swiping left on good matches
• Needing more time to respond to matches
• Wanting occasional visibility boosts

✅ You don't care about Beeline (seeing who liked you doesn't matter to you)

✅ You're patient and happy to swipe through profiles normally without knowing who's interested

Skip Boost if: You want efficiency. Beeline (Premium) saves massive amounts of time.

Choose Bumble Premium If:

✅ You're serious about finding a relationship and want to be strategic/efficient

✅ You value time over money—Beeline lets you only swipe on people who already liked you

✅ You have dealbreakers that advanced filters can eliminate (height, smoking, kids, etc.)

✅ You want privacy and prefer Incognito Mode so only people you like can see you

✅ You travel and want to set up dates in new cities using Travel Mode

✅ You're in a medium to large city with enough users to make Beeline valuable

This is the sweet spot for most users. Premium offers the best balance of features and cost.

Choose Bumble Premium+ If:

✅ You're in a major metro area (NYC, LA, SF, Chicago, Miami, etc.) where competition is fierce

✅ Money isn't a concern—you want every possible advantage

✅ You're not getting enough visibility even with Premium

✅ You want access to the most popular users via the Trending feed

✅ You frequently run out of profiles in your area and need fresh options

Skip Premium+ if:

• You're in a small/medium market (features won't help)
• You're already getting plenty of matches on Premium
• Your profile needs improvement (visibility won't help if your profile isn't attractive)
• You find $80/month excessive for a dating app

Stay Free If:

✅ You're getting matches already and don't feel limited

✅ You don't run out of swipes in your area

✅ You rarely accidentally swipe left on people you like

✅ You don't mind waiting for matches to happen organically

✅ You're just testing the app and not fully committed to Bumble yet

Important: Bumble works fine for free. Paid tiers make the experience smoother and more efficient, but they won't magically create matches if your profile and photos aren't strong.

The honest answer: It depends on your profile quality.

If Your Profile Is Strong (Good Photos, Compelling Bio):

Upgrading is worth it. Premium features amplify your existing success:

• Beeline shows you everyone who already liked you → more matches faster
• Advanced filters eliminate incompatible matches → higher quality dates
• Spotlights and SuperSwipes → more visibility to the right people

Expected ROI: If you're already getting 5-10 matches per week for free, Premium could double that to 10-20 matches weekly. The time savings alone justifies the cost.

If Your Profile Needs Work (Mediocre Photos, Weak Bio):

Don't upgrade yet. Premium features won't help if people are swiping left on you:

• Beeline will be empty or full of people you're not interested in
• Spotlights will show your profile to more people… who will swipe left
• Priority Likes mean people see your mediocre profile sooner… and swipe left sooner

What to do instead: Invest in your profile first:

1. Consider resetting your profile
2. Get professional photos (or high-quality candid photos)
3. Write a compelling, specific bio
4. Test the app for free to see if matches improve
5. Only upgrade once you're seeing consistent organic success

The Break-Even Math:

Bumble Premium at $60/month breaks even if:

• It saves you 2+ hours per week (not blindly swiping)
• It generates 4+ extra quality matches per month
• It leads to 1+ extra first date per month

If you value your time at $30/hour, 2 hours saved = $60 in value. If Premium delivers that through Beeline efficiency alone, it pays for itself.

If you're paying for Bumble, squeeze every drop of value from it:

1. Use Your Weekly Spotlight Strategically

Best time to Spotlight: Monday evening, 7-8pm

Why: Bumble's internal data shows this is peak usage time. More people online = more views = more potential matches.

Second-best times: Sunday evening (8-10pm), Thursday evening (7-9pm)

Worst times: Tuesday/Wednesday mornings, late night on weeknights

Weather hack: Rain or snowstorms increase app usage by 20-40%. If bad weather is forecasted, activate your Spotlight during those hours.

2. Optimize Your Profile Before Using Boosts

Don't spotlight a mediocre profile. First:

• Update your primary photo to your absolute strongest image (clear face, good lighting, genuine smile)
• Refresh your bio with specific details and an icebreaker question at the end
• Add 2-3 new photos to your lineup (recent, high-quality, showing different sides of your personality)

3. Use SuperSwipes on High-Potential Matches

Don't waste SuperSwipes on random profiles. Use them when:

• The person's bio indicates strong compatibility
• They're verified (more likely to be serious)
• They've been active recently (check the "Active Today" badge)
• You genuinely think you'd be a great match

4. Check Your Beeline Daily (Premium/Premium+ Only)

New people like you throughout the day. Check Beeline:

• Morning (8-9am): See who liked you overnight
• Lunch (12-1pm): Catch the lunch-break swipers
• Evening (6-8pm): Peak activity time, most new likes

5. Use Advanced Filters Strategically (Premium/Premium+ Only)

Don't over-filter and eliminate everyone. Use dealbreakers only:

• ✅ Filter for verified profiles (reduces fake accounts and time-wasters)
• ✅ Filter out smokers (if that's a hard no for you)
• ✅ Filter by height if it matters to you
• ❌ Don't filter by star sign, exercise level, or other non-essentials (you're needlessly limiting your pool)

6. Combine Features for Maximum Impact

The power move:

1. Update your profile Sunday afternoon
2. Use Incognito Mode to hide while you make changes
3. Turn off Incognito Sunday evening at 8pm
4. Immediately activate your weekly Spotlight
5. You're now visible with a fresh profile during peak hours

This strategy gets maximum eyes on your best profile version.

All those premium perks give you handy tools you can use to hopefully meet more people.

But meeting *the right* people isn’t just a question of Boost or Premium - it’s all about your profile and how you present yourself online. 

Success on Bumble (or any other dating app) hinges on effective marketing. You need to highlight the right things to attract singles you consider your ‘ideal’ type. The photos you choose, the messages you send - everything needs to relate back to your profile in a way that’s authentic, cohesive, and most of all - attractive.

That’s not easy to pull off.

Unless you let a team of dating experts handle all that marketing for you. VIDA Select has been making singles shine online for over a decade. Your profile, photo selection, messaging - literally everything you need to effectively master is done for you.

It’s time to talk strategy.

Connect with an expert at VIDA Select today and see how easy it is to meet someone incredible!