eHarmony Reviews: Cost, Complaints & More! [2024 Edition]

Wondering if eHarmony is worth the money? This isn’t a dating site you can use for free. And with so many options out there, checking out eHarmony reviews before you invest in a subscription is a smart move.

Our team of dating experts has managed dating sites and apps for thousands and thousands of clients over the last 15 years. We've seen firsthand how the right platform can lead to success.

While eHarmony may not be a one-size-fits-all solution, we'll leverage our expertise and firsthand experience to explain the pros & cons, cost, common complaints, and more. This way, you can decide if eHarmony aligns with your specific dating goals.

Let’s dive in!

eHarmony’s Biggest Advantages & Disadvantages

Like any dating platform, eHarmony has advantages and disadvantages. 

eHarmony Pros

Let’s start with the good news.

Compatibility Matching

If you’re into personality tests and compatibility scores, this is one of eHarmony’s biggest draws.

New users take a quiz that’s built around eHarmony’s 32 different ‘dimensions of compatibility’. It will then take your answers to the 80 questions and build a personality profile containing insights into how you approach relationships.

The algorithm will then use this information to select your potential matches, and you’ll see a compatibility score display on each suggested profile.

It’s a number between 60 and 140, with the dating site deeming any score over 100 an “above average” result that suggests a good pairing.

For a deep dive into the matching process, check out our guide to how eHarmony works next!

Matches Who Are Invested In The Process

Founded in 2000 by clinical psychologist and Christian theologian Dr. Neil Clark Warren, eHarmony’s branding has always been targeted toward single professionals looking for marriage and/or a long-term, committed relationship.

The lengthy sign-up process tends to discourage casual daters and scammers, as just the quiz alone takes over 20 minutes to complete. And the membership cost is also a factor. 

It’s not cheap, which cuts down on the number of fake profiles and nonchalant, flakey users that tend to plague apps like Tinder.

Quality Versus Quantity

If you’re fighting the dating app fatigue that’s part of modern dating these days, you’ll appreciate that eHarmony only serves up a limited number of potential matches at a time. 

That gives you time to take more than just a cursory glance at the profiles in your feed, which theoretically lends itself to more thoughtful decisions on who to pursue.

User Friendly Platform

Whether you’re using eHarmony online or via the companion dating app, you’ll likely find it simple to navigate and easy to use even if you’re brand new to online dating. 

The profiles are fairly in-depth compared to apps like Hinge and Bumble, and the information is displayed in a modular format that’s easy to digest.

eHarmony Cons

But for all its advantages, there are a few major drawbacks to be aware of as well.

You’re 100% Reliant On The Algorithm

eHarmony offers you a drip feed of matches, which is arguably its biggest disadvantage. Unlike other dating platforms, you can’t scroll to your heart’s content, or utilize a search feature to roam the database of singles on your own.

And not being in control of when, how, and who you check out is just one side of the coin. The other issue is this: multiple studies have shown that dating site algorithms aren’t reliable predictors of long-term compatibility. 

That’s because they rely on quantifiable metrics, and long-term compatibility indicators are difficult if not impossible to quantify because there are so many real-life variables that come into play.

It’s Not As Popular As Other Options

eHarmony has been around for decades and over the years has expanded into 150+ countries. But it hasn’t achieved the mainstream popularity of dating apps like Match.com, Hinge, and Bumble.

You Can’t Try It For Just One Month

Unlike most other dating platforms, eHarmony does not offer a single month membership. Apart from the (very) occasional free trial offer, there is no effective way to try before you buy.

Creating a profile is free, and you’ll receive suggested potential matches without upgrading. But the catch is you can’t see photos or send messages until you invest in a subscription. 

Premium memberships start at 6 months, and you can also purchase a year or two-year subscription.

Based on numerous eHarmony user reviews, keep in mind that if you purchase a year or two-year subscription to save a few dollars on the monthly cost, you’re committing yourself to that time frame. 

If you find the site isn’t working for you and try to cancel the remaining payments before the expiration date, you will likely find you’re out of luck. As stated in eHarmony’s terms & conditions,

If you purchase a subscription on an installment payment basis (such as three-part pay), cancellation will not affect your obligation to pay the total contractual amount due on your subscription and your account, credit card, or other payment method will continue to be charged the scheduled payments until the remaining balance is paid in full.

Our Verdict: Is eHarmony Worth It?

We have used eHarmony successfully on behalf of a few of our clients, and found that the dating site does have some high-quality matches. But that being said, there are other platforms we generally recommend trying first. 

Since there is no way to browse the eHarmony user pool on your own, it may take a lot longer to get the results you want.

Assuming you take the compatibility quiz seriously, truthfully reflecting on your answers as you go, you may find eHarmony’s personality analysis helpful in examining your approach to dating and relationships.

Just take that compatibility score with a big grain of salt, keeping in mind that long-term compatibility is difficult for an algorithm to accurately predict.

But for many singles, factors like not being able to search outside of your suggested recommendations, purchase a 1-month membership, or see photographs of who’s in your area before committing to a subscription are all deal breakers. 

If that's the case for you too, we recommend giving Hinge or Match a whirl instead. Curious how eHarmony compares to Match.com? Check out our Match vs eHarmony guide next!

How Much Does eHarmony Cost?

You can set up an account on eHarmony for free, but you’re extremely limited on what you can do. 

With a free Basic Membership, you can: 

• Receive your match suggestions
• Send and receive smiles, icebreakers, & greetings
• Respond to a first message from a Premium member
• Browse anonymously
• See recent visitors to your profile
• Access the eHarmony dating app

Unblurring photos and unrestricted messaging, such as continuing that conversation with a Premium member or starting your own with an intriguing match, requires upgrading.

With a Premium Membership, you can: 

• See photos
• Freely send, read, and respond to messages
• Check out who’s viewed your profile
• Filter your matches
• Search by distance
• Review your detailed personality profile
• Receive regularly updated matches

You have 3 options for premium memberships: Light, Plus, and Extra, all of which offer identical benefits. The only difference is the cost per month. Committing to a longer membership results in a monthly price break. 

eHarmony pricing tends to vary by location, and as a brand new member the odds are excellent you’ll be offered an “only if you act now” type discount:

But discount offers aside, here is what you can expect to pay for an eHarmony subscription in 2024:

• Premium Light: $275.40 ($45.90 per month for 6 months)
• Premium Plus: $359.88 ($29.99 per month for 1 year)
• Premium Extra: $479.76 ($19.99 per month for 2 years)

In most cases, you can split the total cost of your plan into either 4, 3, or 2 separate payments. Or you have the option to make one lump sum payment upfront. All plans auto-renew unless you cancel prior to the end of your subscription. 

If you opt for the shortest membership, know this: The Premium Light membership automatically renews to a 1-year Premium Plus plan at the end of the 6 months but at the Premium Light monthly amount. 

So, is eHarmony worth the money? Let’s take a look at what some users had to say about their experience.

eHarmony Reviews From Around The Web

As you’ll find with many dating platforms, online reviews for eHarmony tend to be all over the board.

On Trustpilot, eHarmony has a 3.3-star rating out of 5 possible, based on more than 1300 eHarmony reviews.

Common eHarmony complaints included the price of the memberships, difficulties canceling the auto-renewal, and no opportunities for a refund if you don’t like the experience:

Another common eHarmony complaint was the perceived match quality dropping off after a few weeks of joining:

Other eHarmony reviewers on Trustpilot also complained about a lack of suitable matches overall and/or encountering a lot of profiles with no photos:

There were also positive eHarmony reviews on Trustpilot, with some users like these two expressing appreciation for the compatibility scoring system:

Others enjoyed the personality test and found the exercise useful:

eHarmony reviews left on the Better Business Bureau’s platform were more negative overall. The dating site had a 1.03 star rating (out of 5 possible), based on 600+ entries.

More than 2,000 complaints had been lodged in the last 3 years.

Similar to Trustpilot, a common eHarmony complaint centered around difficulty canceling the subscription or getting a refund.

While these online reviews are recent, it’s by no means the first time the dating service has been accused of having unclear auto renewal practices. 

The company agreed to an almost $2.3 million settlement back in 2018 after being sued by a few California district attorneys for failing to properly represent the terms of its automatic renewal process and denying refunds.

On the App Store, the eHarmony dating app has 4 stars, based on over 34k ratings.

Some users who left 5-star eHarmony reviews reported meeting someone special on the app.

On the flip side of the coin, other eHarmony reviews on the app store mentioned a high number of suggested matches with no photos, few users in their area, and a poor experience overall:

eHarmony’s dating app is available for Android devices too, and has a 3.1 rating on Google Play based on 55k+ reviews.

Reviews were pretty evenly mixed when it comes to 5 stars and 1 star. On the bright side, some users like this one reported quality conversations and higher quality matches compared to other dating apps:

And this eHarmony appreciated that the app seemed to be making an effort to weed out fake profiles:

But many of the same eHarmony complaints made an appearance in the Google Play reviews as well, like lack of matches in the user’s area:

And auto renewal issues:

Of course, your experience on eHarmony may vary, but taking note of common complaints across multiple platforms can help you avoid a frustrating experience.

The Fastest Way To Meet Quality Singles

If you do decide to give eHarmony a shot, you’ll want to bring your A game when it comes to creating your profile. These eHarmony profile tips will help set you up for success. 

And if you’re really serious about meeting your ideal partner, VIDA Select’s team of dating experts will handle everything from crafting an engaging profile that’s optimized to attract the type of matches you want to meet to sending messages on your behalf.

Your dedicated matchmaker even screens all your matches for you, so you can look forward to first dates with highly compatible singles.

If you’re ready to make dating effortless, start by seeing if you qualify for VIDA’s modern matchmaking service!