Debating between Hinge and CoffeeMeetsBagel? This handy comparison will help you determine which one of these popular dating apps is best for you. VIDA's team of dating experts have logged hundreds of thousands of hours on both apps, searching for matches, using the premium features, sending messages and setting up dates on behalf of all the clients we represent. 💡 Key Takeaways: * Hinge emerges as the stronger platform for millennials seeking serious relationships, offering more comprehensive filtering options (15 total with premium) and unlimited daily likes with paid membership. * Coffee Meets Bagel appeals more to the 30-49 age demographic, with 64% of users in this range, and implements an 8-day message expiration that effectively encourages users to move conversations to real-life connections. * Both dating apps offer free versions with basic functionality, but Hinge's premium features provide better value, starting at lower price points while offering more extensive filtering capabilities including family plans, politics, and lifestyle preferences. * Users can access both platforms without Facebook integration, requiring only a phone number for signup, and both apps allow sending messages before matching. * While Hinge offers unlimited daily likes with premium membership, Coffee Meets Bagel restricts daily matches (21 for men, fewer for women), making Hinge more suitable for users who prefer a higher-volume approach to dating. So who better to put together a handy guide that compares the two of them? We've been using them both daily since they launched! HINGE VS CMB: DEMOGRAPHICS Hinge is all about helping singles find long-term relationships. As CEO Justin McLeod told Fast Company [https://www.fastcompany.com/90419971/hinges-founder-gets-vulnerable-about-data-addiction-and-modern-love], “It’s universally felt that people want deeper connections, as opposed to the endless, superficial, one person after another.” In other words - “Find love, dump us.” Hinge’s core user base is millennials [https://www.engadget.com/2018/06/20/match-group-buys-hinge-on-its-way-to-dating-dominance/], with around 49% of users between 18 and 29, with most of the remaining users between 30 and 49 years old. Only around 2% of Hinge users are over 50. Coffee Meets Bagel attracts singles of a similar mindset - most of the people you’ll find on the dating app are looking for something more serious than a hookup. When asked about CMB’s mission [https://www.swaay.com/dawson-kang-success-coffee-meets-bagel], founder Dawoon Kang said she and her co-founders shared a vision of “building the number one dating app for millennials looking for real relationships.” While CMB targets the same core group as Hinge, the majority of Coffee Meets Bagel users are in the 30 to 49 age range, with only 36% age 29 or younger. And at around 7%, CMB has slightly more users over 50 than Hinge. WHICH IS BETTER: If you’re a millennial looking for a serious relationship [/best-dating-apps/], either dating app is a good choice. Keep reading to find out how Hinge and CMB compare when it comes to other categories, like what bells & whistles you can get for upgrading! ALTERNATIVE DATING APP SUGGESTIONS: If you’re looking for casual dating (read: hookups), stick with Tinder [/tinder-guide/]. Looking for commitment but you’re 40+? Give Match’s mobile app [/match-mobile/] a try! And if you’re dating over 50, you’ll definitely want to check out this list of the best dating apps [/7-best-dating-sites-for-men-over-40/]. HINGE VS CMB: MATCH QUALITY Since they’re both so-called “relationship” apps, Hinge and Coffee Meets Bagel let you screen your potential matches far more beyond just the basic distance/gender/age filters that apps like Tinder offer. On Hinge, free users have access to 6 preference filters: 1. Location 2. Gender 3. Age 4. Max Distance Range 5. Ethnicity 6. Religion Upgrading to Hinge+ [/hinge-plus-reviews-cost/] (previously called Hinge Preferred) or HingeX [/hingex-review/] unlocks 9 more filters: 1. Height 2. Family Plans 3. Children 4. Politics 5. Education 6. Drinking 7. Drugs 8. Marijuana 9. Smoking All users have the option to designate any number of these criteria as a “Dealbreaker.” Hinge defaults to showing you singles who closely match as many of your preferences as possible, which means you may end up seeing people who aren’t quite a perfect match. But once you designate something as a dealbreaker, Hinge won’t show you profiles that land outside those particular preferences. Coffee Meets Bagel’s algorithm works a little differently. In the “Suggested Matches” section, you’ll only be presented with bagels who match your 6 preferences exactly: 1. Gender 2. Age 3. Height 4. Distance 5. Ethnicity 6. Religion If you upgrade to Coffee Meets Bagel Premium [/coffee-meets-bagel-premium/], you gain access to 5 additional filters where you can screen your matches a little more carefully. In the Discover section, you can browse through additional profiles of users who come close to your ideal partner criteria, but may not be an exact match. You’ll also be able to filter your bagels by two additional filters, degrees and active within the last 72 hours. WHICH IS BETTER: While it’s definitely useful that CMB lets you weed out people who don’t check the app frequently, Hinge wins this head-to-head battle. The ability to pre-screen for more core compatibility factors like family plans, politics and “vices” can save you tons of time if those factors constitute true deal breakers in terms of who has long-term relationship potential. Hinge also has a few more advantages over CMB. Every day or so, you’ll get a special “Most Compatible [/hinge-most-compatible/]” notification. That’s a match recommended by Hinge as someone who is particularly well-suited for you. And for one more check in the “W” column, Hinge also has a feature called “We Met.” A few days after you exchange phone numbers within the app, you’ll get a notification asking if the two of you ended up meeting in real life, and if so, whether or not you’re planning another date. This info isn’t shared with your match, but your answer can help Hinge’s algorithm adjust to your tastes and preferences even more. HingeX users [/hingex-review/] receive Enhanced Recommendations in their Discover feeds, and all paid users can sort incoming "likes" by compatibility, nearby, active today and new here. ALTERNATIVE DATING APP SUGGESTIONS: If pre-screening your matches is important, Bumble [/how-does-bumble-work/] offers advanced Date filters [/bumble-filters/]. In addition to gender, age and distance, free users can also choose two more filters that cover everything from exercise frequency to family plans to whether or not your matches have (or want) pets. For everything you need to know about Bumble, check out this Ultimate Guide [/bumble-guide/]! HINGE VS CMB: DAILY LIKES LIMITS On Hinge, free users can only “like” a total of 8 profiles each day. But if you upgrade to Hinge Preferred, that restriction is removed and you can “like” with wild abandon. Coffee Meets Bagel only sends users a limited number of “Suggested” bagels each day. Men receive up to 21 profiles, while women get a smaller number comprised of men who both meet their criteria and who have already expressed an interest in their profile. You have the option of “liking” more bagels in the Discover section, although that will cost you “Beans” if you’re not a Premium member. And even if you are a Premium member on Coffee Meets Bagel [/coffee-meets-bagel-premium/], you only get 8 freebies. To find out exactly how Coffee Meets Bagel works, check out this dating site review [/coffee-meets-bagel-review-what-you-need-to-know/]. WHICH IS BETTER: Hinge gets the “W” in this category. Even though you have to pay for the privilege, you have the potential of checking out as many profiles as you want at a time. ALTERNATIVE DATING APP SUGGESTIONS: If you want unfettered access to profiles without paying a dime, check out OkCupid [/okcupid-review/] or Plenty of Fish [/pof-review/]. Bumble also lets you “like” as many profiles as you want… but if you’re a man seeking a relationship with a woman, you’re not allowed to send the first message. HINGE VS CMB: PREMIUM FEATURES & COST Since you can match and message on both of these dating apps without paying for them, you can use them effectively for free. That being said, you will have some limitations unless you upgrade. UPGRADING HINGE On Hinge, users can choose from two premium subscriptions: Hinge+ [/hinge-plus-reviews-cost/], which used to be named Hinge Preferred, and HingeX [/hingex-review/]. The cost of each membership varies depending on how many months you pay for in advance: Hinge+ 2024 Cost*HingeX 2024 Cost*1 month - $32.991 month - $49.993 months - $64.99 ($21/month)3 months - $99.99 ($33/month)6 months - $99.99 ($16/month)6 months - $149.99 ($24/month)*Price may vary by location. Hinge+ features include: * “Like” as many profiles as you want each day * Scroll through all the Hinge users who have already “liked” your profile in one screen (free users have to view them one at a time) * Use the advanced filters to screen your matches * More ways to sort your incoming likes & browse profiles HingeX features include: * All the Hinge+ benefits * Skip The Line * Enhanced Recommendations * Priority Likes To learn more about all the advantages that come with each premium Hinge membership, check out our guide to Hinge+ vs HingeX [/hinge-plus-vs-hingex/]! UPGRADING CMB The cost of a "Premium [/coffee-meets-bagel-premium/]" subscription to Coffee Meets Bagel also varies depending on how many you purchase at a time. A single month costs $35, or you can pay $25/month for 3 months or $20/month for 6 months. Premium features that come with your Coffee Meets Bagel subscription include: * A view consisting of all the profiles of CMB users who have “liked” you * 8 additional “Takes” in Discover (basically 8 more chances to “like” someone) * An “Activity Report” on each bagel, which lets you know data like how responsive to messages they are * 3 monthly profile boosts [/coffee-meets-bagel-boost/] * Unlocking all the match criteria filters * Know when your matches read your messages * Have your profile shown first to potential matches * Priority Likes via the Skip The Line feature * Get 15% more beans when you purchased them in bulk Users can also opt for the less expensive Mini version of the Premium membership. You won't get the Likes You view, 8 additional Takes or the Skip The Line feature, but you will get everything else. Here is how the cost compares for CMB Premium vs CMB Mini: CMB Premium 2024 Cost*CMB Mini 2024 Cost*1 month - $351 month - $14.993 months - $25/month3 months - $10/month6 months - $20/month6 months - $9/month *Price may vary by location WHICH IS BETTER: If budget is a factor, Hinge wins since it costs less for some useful bells and whistles. HINGE VS CMB: MESSAGING Hinge and Coffee Meets Bagel have one thing in common when it comes to messaging. Unlike Tinder, it’s not a double opt-in, meaning you can send a message along with your “like” - you don’t have to match first. That’s an advantage on a dating app because you can increase the chances you’ll match with someone by sending a great first message [/online-dating-first-message/]. On Hinge, you “like” a specific photo or prompt, and in CMB you just “like” the profile in general. But in either case, you’ll have the option of only sending the like, or including a message with it. Both dating apps help you manage your message exchanges by reminding you who’s “turn” it is in the conversation. On CMB it’s called “Your Move,” and on Hinge it’s “Your Turn”. In either case, you’ll see a label by the last message in each conversation. The biggest difference between the two messaging platforms is CMB puts an 8-day time limit on conversations, whereas Hinge has no limits. WHICH IS BETTER: Coffee Meets Bagel. Even though Hinge makes it easy to start a conversation by letting you comment on specific content, the time limit on CMB is a built-in motivation for getting dates scheduled or numbers exchanged. It’s the perfect excuse to ask for her number! HINGE VS CMB: DOES IT REQUIRE FACEBOOK? Both of these are dating apps you can use without Facebook. If you don’t want to log in via Facebook, you have the option of creating an account using your mobile phone number. WHICH DATING APP IS BETTER, HINGE OR COFFEE MEETS BAGEL? Both are great options if you’re in your 20s or 30s and looking for high-quality matches you’d consider worthy of a serious relationship. But if you’ve only got time to manage one, Hinge gets the overall nod. Not only is a premium membership cheaper, but the “unlimited likes” potential means you won’t have to pay extra to see more profiles, or wait until the next day at noon for your fresh batch of bagels. But whether you opt for Hinge, CMB or another dating app entirely, if you want to make it work, get ready to put in some work. One study estimated the typical modern dater [http://people.duke.edu/~dandan/webfiles/PapersUpside/People%20are%20experience%20Goods.pdf] spends 5.2 hours a week swiping through profiles, then an additional 6.7 hours sending messages and trying to keep conversations going long enough to move things offline. And that’s assuming you get matches you’re interested in messaging. For that to happen, you need a compelling profile and attractive photos - and that takes work too. Not feeling like you need a part-time job on top of the career you already have? Why not let the modern dating experts at VIDA [/our-process/] handle all those time sucking, frustratingly hard parts for you? You just enjoy all the dates with amazing people who meet all your “perfect match” criteria! It sounds too good to be true, but it’s not. And even better, it’s really easy to get started. Just click here! [https://www.vidaselect.com/]
