For most, hiring a matchmaker means enlisting the services of a one-on-one professional to find you matches and set up dates. The problem, though, is that this generally costs thousands of dollars and may not be in the budget for everyone. But thanks to matchmaking apps like Elite Singles, you can experience the help of curation at a fraction of the cost.
In this Elite Singles review, we’ll dig into what you need to know to see if this matchmaking app is a good fit.
Here’s the bottom line. Elite Singles is superb for certain people. But is it right for you?
For those of you who might just be interested in the tl;dr on whether or not Elite Singles is worth checking out, here’s what we think.
If you are attracted to educated and successful singles (and that is something that is important to you), you’ll enjoy Elite Singles. If these things don’t matter to you or they’re at the bottom of your priority list, it’s probably not the right fit.
And before we explain why and dig deeper into our Elite Singles review, if you want to try Elite Singles for yourself (for free), here’s a link to get a free trial started.
With that said, let’s expand on our bottom line upfront and share a few things we like and a few things we don’t like about Elite Singles.
First, the company has been operating since 2008 and reports over 381,000 new members joining every month. That’s an impressive track record of a decade and a half and over 4.5 million new members each year. Both great to see.
Now, to be fair, the 381k number comes from a 2018 statistic (that Elite Singles still has on their homepage), so we imagine that current registrations is either close to that or lower. Otherwise, they’d probably have updated the statistic.
Second, Elite Singles tailors all of its marketing toward people who are successful or educated. According to the company, over 90% of the people in their matchmaking pool are 30+ and have an above-average education. This is actually up from 85% over the past few years, so they are updating some stats—and this is an important one.
As mentioned, this means if education and success are important to you, you’re going to find a pretty concentrated number of those singles at Elite Singles.
Now, this focus on education and success has led some people to incorrectly assume that Elite Singles has a salary requirement, but that’s not the case.
Anyone is free to join the app, regardless of their financial status. That said, Elite Singles’ marketing is clearly designed to attract people who are either educated or successful or value these things in a partner.
Here are a few examples of this from their homepage.
So, is Elite Singles the right matchmaking app for you? If you want to give it a try, use the link below to set up a free trial account and check things out for yourself.
And in case you’re still on the fence, keep reading as our review of Elite Singles dives deeper into the things you’ll want to know.
Elite Singles is a hybrid matchmaker and dating app which means results plus savings.
It’s important to point out that Elite Singles isn’t a traditional matchmaker. You still receive curated matches, but they’re selected for you by an algorithm (computer) based on your answers to an onboarding questionnaire. You do not get the same one-on-one personal touch that you’d get with a traditional matchmaking service.
But—this means significant savings. A traditional matchmaker starts around several thousand dollars for three to six months. Elite Singles, on the other hand, starts around $45 a month (and they often run unposted sales). This is a fraction of the cost, and if budget matters, it could be important. Six months will run you about $269 as opposed to $3,000+.
Elite Singles would be around a 91% savings over a traditional in-person matchmaking service.
What we often advise people who are on the fence between a traditional (but more expensive) matchmaker and a matchmaker app (less expensive, but more work) is to start with the less expensive option. Spend a few hundred dollars on a matchmaking app like Elite Singles and see how it goes.
If you feel that you need more help, you can always hire a professional. But if you don’t end up needing the extra help, you saved a lot of money.
Expect to see traditional curated matchmaking and swipe-style features.
The latest craze in matchmaking apps are swipe-style apps where you swipe until you get a mutual match. This is a stark contrast to the traditional curated matchmaking where you receive a list of profiles each day to read through and look for a match.
With Elite Singles, you actually get both options. The primary function of Elite Singles is the curated matches. However, the company also offers a swipe feature called “Have You Met”. It’s a very minor feature, but it does give you a way to meet more people outside of your daily delivered curated matches.
The company is part of the Spark Network family of dating sites.
In case you’re interested in the behind-the-scenes of Elite Singles, we wanted to share some recent company news that may be pertinent. Elite Singles is part of the Spark Networks of matchmaking sites. This is the same company who owns Zoosk, Christian Mingle, and several other niche dating apps.
Is this a bad thing? No. It just means the company has experience in the matchmaking realm. Recently, the company has been acquired and has done some acquisitions of itself. Here’s a timeline of the most recent events.
March 2019 – Spark Networks Acquires Zoosk
In March of 2019, the company officially purchased Zoosk, which is now one of its largest brands.
January 2024 – Spark Networks Acquired by MGG Investment Group LP
Spark Network now has a new owner! For singles, this should be exciting news as it means a renewed focus on the growth of the company’s biggest brands, to include Elite Singles. The company is now owned by MGG Investment Group LP.
October 2024 – Spark Networks Acquires Filteroff
Filteroff is a video speed dating platform that was recently acquired by the company. We got the news from a post by the company’s VP of Marketing and Matchmaking, Zach Schleien.
Ultimately, it’s a cost-saving option that still delivers quality results.
Putting it all together, Elite Singles may not be what you traditionally think of when you look for a matchmaker, but it still can deliver the same results. You’ll meet great people and be able to go out on dates that might turn into something special. Yes, you will have to choose who to message and set up the dates yourself, but that might be more in line with what you are looking for, especially if cost savings are important.