Match vs. OkCupid: Review & 100% Free Trials (Feb. 2024)

Match and OkCupid are two of the most well-known dating sites in the world, and it’s easy to confuse the two. They’re alike in a lot of ways, but they have some key differences that we’ll discuss here.

Today, we’re going to tackle the topic of Match vs. OkCupid. You can use this article to compare and contrast these highly successful dating sites, and you can use the following links to jump to the section that you’re most curious about.

Overall | Pricing | User Bases | Tools | Successes

From a general standpoint, Match and OkCupid have a lot in common. They’re even owned by the same company. Both sites (and their companion apps) have been around for years and built a good reputation in the online dating scene. Our expert reviews can break down their major upsides and selling points.

Match: 4.9/5.0

Match the company was founded in 1993, and the site was launched in 1995, making it the first official dating site ever. Not only have our experts given Match 4.9 stars out of 5 for its longevity but also for its innovation, leadership, affordability, vast membership, and success rates. We’ll go into more detail about each component later, but here’s a graphic for some quick info:

Match

★★★★★

Match.com 4.9/5.0

Our expert ratings are based on factors such as popularity, usability, value, and success rate of each site.

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See Our Full Review

4.9/5.0

Relationships: Friends, Dates, and Relationships

Match System: Browse by zip, age, appearance, more

Our Experts Say: “Match has facilitated the most dates and relationships of any dating site, and its large audience and high success rate make it our top review...” Full Review »

Browse Free: View Photos Now

User Base	Gender Ratio	Popularity (Visits/Mo.)	Today's Deal
All Singles*	49%* 51%*	39.7 Million*	Try Match FREE

Some other things worth mentioning is Match has one of the most popular and user-friendly apps on the market, and you can get it for free via iTunes and Google Play. Also, Match has offices in Dallas, West Hollywood, San Francisco, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, and Beijing.

OkCupid: 4.4/5.0

OkCupid has been around since 2004 when it was founded by Harvard University students and SparkNotes creators Chris Coyne, Christian Rudder, Sam Yagan, and Max Krohn. It made a name for itself by being 100% free, not to mention the site has its own unique multi-tiered questionnaire.

OkCupid, which was founded in 2004, is wildly popular.

OkCupid was bought by the Match Group in 2011, and it’s in the company of other big-name platforms like Tinder and PlentyOfFish. Just like Match, OkCupid’s app is free for Android and iOS users.

With a Higher Rating, Our Winner is Match

Match and OkCupid have a lot going for them and they’re sister sites now, so it’s a tough decision to pick between the two. However, we’ve got to raise Match’s hand for this first round because it’s like the Muhammad Ali of dating sites, and OkCupid is like the Mike Tyson. Both are great in their own right, but, when push comes to shove, you know who you really want on your side.

When someone decides to join a dating site, usually their first thought is “How much is it going to cost?” We’re all overwhelmed with bills — weekly groceries, rent or a mortgage, phones, electricity, health insurance, and everything else — the last thing we want to do is pay a lot for online dating. So, in this section, we’ll break down what type of pricing you can expect from OkCupid and Match.

Match: Free Memberships, With Premium Starting at $19.99

The sign-up process on Match is totally free, and your account will never expire. You can edit your profile at any time, look for matches based on your criteria, receive potential match recommendations at the top of your feed, like and favorite profiles, and browse the live Match events page. And yes, free members can send some free messages — just as long the person is in your Top Picks list.

If you choose to upgrade to a premium membership, you can access extra perks and premium features like sending and receiving unlimited messages and having your profile highlighted in search results. Here’s a special discount just for our readers.

• Free three-day trial
• 74% off any membership

If you want to subscribe to Match, bundle plans include 12 months for $20.99 a month, six months for $23.99 a month, and three months for $27.99 a month. Basic plans include 12 months for $19.99 a month, six months for $21.99 a month, and three months for $23.99 a month.

OkCupid: Mostly Free, With Some Fun Add-Ons If You Want

We mentioned earlier that OkCupid launched as a 100% free dating site, and it’s pretty much been that way ever since. OkCupid allows you to do more than most other “free” dating sites. You can fill out your information, upload photos, answer the matching questions, browse profiles, like profiles, and send and receive messages.

Recently, OkCupid launched A-List, which is for members who purchase a subscription plan. The options are one month for $19.95, three months for $14.95 a month, and six months for $9.95 a month. You can do things like see who liked your profile or has read your messages, and browse profiles without people knowing. OkCupid also has individual features available for purchase. For example, one profile boost is $2.

OkCupid Takes This Round

While Match and OkCupid have free memberships, OkCupid membership gives singles access to more features, particularly in terms of communication. Match unlocks some conversation windows for free members, but not all of them, and users cannot control who is in their Top Picks.

An online dating site could be free, but it’s pointless if it doesn’t have the types of single people you’re interested in. We’ve dedicated the next few paragraphs to giving you more insights into who you’re going to be connecting with on Match and OkCupid.

Match: 30M+ LGBT Members From 50 Countries

It’s no surprise that Match has a massive user base — it’s been around for 25+ years after all.

Match has one of the largest audiences of any dating site.

More than 42 million people have signed up for the site since it launched, more than 30 million members are active on the site, and more than 39 million people visit the site every month. We expect those numbers are only going to grow as the years go on.

These users come from more than 50 countries and speak more than eight different languages. They also range in age, gender, sexual orientation, culture, and religion. And they represent an array of backgrounds, ethnicities, interests, and lifestyles.

OkCupid: 55M Diverse Monthly Visitors

With more than 55 million visitors a month, and counting, OkCupid has Match slightly beat. OkCupid members live in the United States, Canada, Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Central America, and South America.

One of our favorite aspects of OkCupid is that the site offers other identifiers besides the typical male, female, straight, gay, and lesbian. Gender identifiers include genderfluid, non-binary, transsexual, pangender, and androgynous, and orientation identifiers include homoflexible, asexual, questioning, queer, and sapiosexual. OkCupid also provides definitions for each gender and orientation identifier.

We Choose OkCupid — It Seems to Have a More Varied Audience

OkCupid has the numbers on its side — with more users and more choices for those users. We love that OkCupid is open-minded and lets people showcase who they really are instead of having to check off boxes that don’t 100% apply to them, and it shows that the site can adapt to people’s needs and changes in the dating industry.

Dating sites have to have the necessary features for you to find that casual date or special someone, flirt with them, and get to know them. Otherwise, you’re just wasting your time. The features need to be helpful, easy to use, fun, and, most importantly, they need to work. Here’s what you can expect from OkCupid and Match.

Match: Find Your Own Matches & Receive Daily Suggestions

On Match, you’ve got the best of both worlds — you get potential match recommendations from the site delivered to your inbox every day, and you can take matters into your own hands by searching through dating profiles yourself.

Match also has Dating Experts available to guide online daters to success. The first consultation with an experience dating coach or matchmaker is free, and there is no obligation to pay or subscribe afterward.

OkCupid: Detailed Matching Process & DoubleTake Provides More Info

OkCupid has one of the most elaborate questionnaires of any dating site, and, because of it, the team says the matching algorithm is one of the most accurate.

OkCupid’s matching process is about more than looks.

Here’s how it works: You’ll answer dozens of questions, specify how you want your matches to answer the same questions, and then rank how important his or her answers to those questions are to you (very important, somewhat important, or not important). You don’t have to answer every question, though. You can skip.

Example questions can include “Would you date someone who keeps a gun in the house?” “Would you ever consider an open marriage?” “Do you feel obliged to help your fellow human beings?” “Are you capable of being faithful even when your lover is away for long periods of time?” “Are you afraid of death?”

Match is Champ This Time Because It Guarantees Matches

OkCupid’s algorithm may be unlike any other, but we have to say that Match takes the cake on this one. The site actually promises that you’ll find highly compatible matches, and if you don’t, you can get additional time on the site without having to pay. The team has your back.

We can talk all day about Match and OkCupid’s pricing and features, but you probably want to know if they actually work in the real world. The answer is yes, both dating sites have their fair share of success stories, and we’ll share some of them with you below:

Match: The Most Dates & Relationships of Any Dating Site

Since 1995, hundreds of thousands of happy couples have met on Match, including Adrian and Williams. They went on a few dates and thought they’d be better off as friends, but they couldn’t stop thinking about and hanging out with each other. Then, one fateful weekend, they spent all of their time together and realized there was something more there.

“The weekend was amazing. We spent a lot of time really getting to know each other and having the most intimate conversations. We knew we wanted to be more than friends,” Adrian said.

After some time, Williams decided to take the next step, and, during a service at their church, asked Adrian to marry him. “The date is set, and I am ready to be a Mrs,” she said.

OkCupid: Thousands of Dates, But Relationships are Hit-or-Miss

OkCupid has received a lot of praise over the years, and it has 4.3 out of 5 stars on iTunes and 4 out of 5 stars on Google Play.

One happy user named Dominic Modderman said: “This app gives me hope — makes me feel like there are actually people out there who I might be interested in dating. It is by far the best dating app I have used, and I have just about tried them all.”

Mad Den added that the site has “Tons of features. Free messaging. Not a lot of fake profiles.”

OkCupid boasts being responsible for inspiring over 50,000 dates per week, which isn’t too shabby. However, according to some users, dates and hookups seem to be plentiful on OkCupid, but serious relationships can be more difficult to find. The free atmosphere means singles are a little more casual and a little less serious. Which could be a good thing if you’re not into settling down.

We’ve Got to Give It to Match

OkCupid is awesome, but it’s hard to beat the dating site that’s led to the most dates, relationships, and marriages. Match has a longer history of success, and, for that alone, we’ve got to give it the credit it so richly deserves.

It was a really close race, but ultimately Match wins the Match vs. OkCupid battle. We’ve weighed the pros and cons of each site for you, but you’ve got to be the real judge. Take some time to look over this article as well as Match and OkCupid, and then do what you think is best for you and your dating life. Cheers!