CatholicMatch Review: Legit Faith-Based Dating Site?

If sharing your faith with your partner is a must, Catholic Match seems like the obvious choice. But is it a site you can trust in the search for your ideal match, or is it nothing more than another online dating scam?

Our team of dating experts has been helping singles like you meet someone special since 2009, and we've logged countless hours on just about all the dating sites and apps.

Those 14+ years of first-hand experience give us unique insights into the advantages and disadvantages of each one, helping us guide singles toward the platform that will fit their needs best.

These Catholic Match reviews reveal everything you need to know about this faith-based dating site so you can decide whether it’s right for you!

Pros & Cons Of Catholic Match

No dating site is perfect in every way. Here are the main advantages & disadvantages of CatholicMatch.

Pros:

• It’s the most well-known Catholic dating site, and having been around since 1999 you know it’s legit.
• The site asks very specific questions regarding your beliefs, so if finding a like-minded Catholic is very important, this is the site for you.
• Since messaging requires a paid subscription, the Catholic singles you’ll find on the site are typically serious about meeting someone.

Cons:

• You have to upgrade to a paid subscription to send and receive messages.
• As with any specialized dating site, if you’re not in a large metro area the user pool might be quite small.
• The account setup process is time consuming, and you must complete most of your profile before you’re able to check out the local users.

What Others Are Saying In Their Catholic Match Reviews

Catholic Match has a mixed bag of reviews. Let's take a look at what users had to say across a few different platforms.

SiteJabber

Catholic Match has a mixed bag of reviews. Ratings website SiteJabber gave it 1.4 stars, with the bulk of users' reviews on the negative end of the spectrum. Most called it a “waste of time and money.”

Yvonne T, for instance, thought the quality of her matches was poor, calling the site the "worst investment in dating for devout Catholics." As she shared in her review, "I have tried for several years, but the Catholics participating are not devout and could care less. Not worth your time. Might as well play Russian roulette. God had greater plans for his disciples and saints!"

A common complaint was encountering fake and/or inactive profiles. As user Steve M explained, he thought that "Only a small fraction of Catholic match profiles are current. The site updates the age of the person but nothing else. I just joined the second time ( the first was nine years ago). Within my geographic area, I recognize several profiles with the exact photos from nearly a decade ago. Failing to pay, discontinuing your search. Etc. Does not remove your profile. Catholic Match has eliminated all the forensic methods (like sorting by recent activity) in order to hide the aged profiles."

However, other reviewers praised how seriously the site takes the Catholic faith, and pointed out how quickly profiles with content that goes against the church’s beliefs are deleted.

Trustpilot

This Catholic dating site didn't rank much higher on Trustpilot, with a 1.6-star rating overall. Sentiments ranged from "fairly average dating site" to "total rip off" and "utter waste of time".

On the more positive end of the spectrum, user Justin Case said, "I didn't feel scammed/censored like other reviewers are saying, but I didn't feel that the membership features were worth the price. The user base is small even in metro areas. Many accounts are inactive."

In his 3-star review, he went on to recommend that fellow Catholic singles use a mainstream app like Hinge and filter for religion.

But the bulk of Trustpilot reviews were 1 star, where reviewers shared experiences like "They don't delete your profile when you inform them that you want to cancel. As a result they have outdated profiles which are used by bots for automatic sendouts."

Other users reported billing problems, issues with customer service, and an outdated look.

Google Play

Catholic Match has a 2.3-star rating on Google Play with only a couple of 4 or 5 star reviews.

On the plus side, user Nicolas Monroy shared that he found a relationship through the site. As he explained in his 5-star review, "Amazing place to meet other Catholics and other Christians. I met my wife in this platform. We initially began praying together everyday and fell in love..."

In her 4-star CatholicMatch review, user Cecily Khanostaas said she had a positive experience but wished there was more encouragement to provide a complete profile:

"I've used this app for almost a year and like it overall, especially how it puts upfront on each profile a person's stance on key teachings, and I also like the suggested matches based on the extensive compatibility quiz... I wish it were encouraged for people to state their age & occupation (some skip it) or even have it upfront on each person's icon. That way, we don't have to only choose people based on age and appearance."

A common complaint in the 1 and 2 star CatholicMatch reviews was a lack of local matches, with many users saying the attention their profiles received was from women in other countries. Profiles that were perceived to be fake or inactive was also a topic brought up by many reviewers.

Catholic Match Cost & Features

Setting up your profile on Catholic Match is free. But before you can exchange messages with anyone, you’ll have to become a paid member.

CatholicMatch starts at $29.99 for a single month:

A premium membership to CatholicMatch includes these features:

• Unlimited messaging & likes
• See which users have “liked” your profile
• Advanced filters
• In-app video calls
• Message read notifications (with a 6- or 12-month subscription)
• Emotigrams
• Access to the community forums

If you purchase a 6 month or 1 year Premium subscription, you’ll also unlock message read indicators.

Setting Up An Account

Setting up your account takes some time. You’re required to complete most of your profile before you can access other Catholic Match features.

First you enter your name, email, location, and gender. Then you’ll answer a series of basic questions, such as birth date, marital status, and diocese.

Next, you can upload up to 6 photos, either from your computer or directly from Facebook.

You can skip this step, but not using at least one photo is a mistake. She’s paying for the privilege of sending messages, and she’s probably not going to waste time returning one from Mr. Anonymous.

At VIDA, we’ve found our clients get the best results using a range of 3 to 5 photos. Fewer than 3 and it’s difficult to showcase all the facets of your personality.

At the same time, it’s practically impossible to look equally attractive in 5+ pics. Want more tips on selecting your photo lineup? Check out this expert advice on choosing your best online dating photos.

CatholicMatch Questions

Next you’ll answer more questions from 3 different profile sections: Appearance, Background and Faith.

The questions get quite detailed and personal, like “How much television do you watch?” and this one about tattoos:

You’ll also be asked questions like “Describe your political views” and “Growing up, who was responsible for you.”

As you might expect, many of the questions center around your faith. Examples include whether or not you’re considering a religious vocation, how often you attend mass, and if you’re a convert (and from what background).

There are several yes/no questions on whether or not you accept specific teachings of the church regarding the Eucharist, contraception, premarital sex, the infallibility of the Pope, etc.

You aren’t allowed to skip any of the 30+questions, although for some you can opt for “Get to know me first.”

Once you’re through all the questions, you’ll get an opportunity to describe yourself to potential matches. There’s a 150-character minimum, with space for up to 2500 characters.

This is the most important section of the written portion of your Catholic Match profile. You need to capture her attention from the first word, and showcase all your most desirable traits so she’s eager to learn more about you.

We’ve got plenty of irresistible profile examples that attract women for you. But for right now, start with the...

Basic Dos & Don’ts Of Profile Writing

DO:

• Describe your life using vivid words and imagery that make her eager to spend time with you.
• Show, rather than tell. That means no boring list of adjectives - describe how you embody a particular trait, rather than just saying “I’m funny, smart, and kind.”
• Use good punctuation, spelling, etc. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and surveys have shown women judge a date by their grammar.

DON’T:

• Forget to describe the type of woman you’d like to meet. Research has shown that 70% about you, 30% about her is the most attractive ratio to use in your profile.
• Write anything negative. She’s not interested in your past relationship drama, and making yourself sound like a victim of your last relationship is not sexy.
• Rush through your profile. The most attractive local women have their pick of men on dating sites, so don’t give her a reason to discount you right off the bat.

The last section of your profile gives you the opportunity to list favorite things in 8 categories:

• Activities
• Faith
• Foods
• Media
• Music
• Reading
• Sports
• Travel

You can skip these sections by simply clicking “Continue,” but it’s easy to select your interests, and worth the time. You never know what mutual hobby may spark a connection!

Once you’ve selected a few favorites, congrats - you’re officially done setting up your Catholic Match profile.

Catholic Match Search Functions

Like all dating sites in the Match family, the search functions are both robust and easy to use.

You can do a basic search that covers the essentials: age range, location & distance radius, gender, height, marital status, race/ethnicity and body type.

Premium members can access the advanced filters, which include:

• Smoking
• Drinking
• Children
• Education
• Political Views
• Accepts Church Teachings
• Liturgical Preference

If you're on Catholic Match because you're marriage-minded, unlocking the premium filters can help you instantly screen for true dealbreakers.

This Catholic dating site also allows you to name and save your searches, which can be handy if you're looking in multiple locations.

Finding Matches

Once you've entered your search parameters into the search bar, you can scroll through the results. Primary photos matter a lot on this site, because your potential matches only see that plus your name, age and location.

When someone catches your eye, click on the photo to check out the rest of their profile. Similar to eHarmony, CatholicMatch profiles display information in an easy to digest, modular way.

To "like" a profile, click on the heart icon. To send them a message, click on the conversation icon.

CatholicMatch also has a Forums section where you can participate in message threads with other members.

Meet Attractive Catholic Singles The Easy Way

Writing a compelling profile and choosing your best photos is just the beginning. Once you’re up and running on Catholic Match, the hard part is about to start - finding and messaging attractive matches.

Be prepared to invest time and effort in your message exchanges, because going from icebreaker to date takes work.

First class singles demand perfection, and you’ve got to bring your A-game every step of the way.

But with VIDA at your side, you can skip all the hard work and go straight to the dates with attractive local singles. If you’re looking for The One, you want to do everything possible to find them, right?

VIDA has been helping people find someone special since 2009. Why leave your love life to chance when an online dating expert is just a call away?

See how VIDA can help you find your true love!