Hinge is a dating app and many, many of its users believe it is better than Tinder. But is this the case? Let’s investigate its PROS and CONS…
Hinge first appeared in 2012. Back then, it was very similar to Tinder and other dating applications for iPhone and Android. It connected via Facebook and then proceeded to mine your Facebook friends’ connections for potential matches. The idea here was simple, if slightly misguided: if you’re friends with someone, maybe that friend’s friend might like to date you.
This was how Hinge functioned for a while. But then it completely changed its approach to online dating. The company that owns Hinge even changed its slogan to “designed to be deleted” – such was its confidence that it’d find its users long-lasting matches. Hinge also changed its setup procedure too; it now focuses on questions – like eHarmony – to get to know your better. After you’ve done this, the algorithm will present you with some options.
Hinge Works COMPLETELY Differently To Tinder
On Tinder, you swipe left and right on potential matches. This is kind of Tinder’s whole deal. You used to do this on Hinge too, but then Hinge changed the way it works. It now works kind of like Instagram, so you can comment on and like other peoples’ content on the platform – this is how you get on their radar.
Finding potential dates is different too. Rather than arbitrarily swiping left and right on profiles, as you do on Tinder, with Hinge you’re scrolling through user-generated content – updates from other Hinge users. If you comment on a post or like a post, the creator gets a notification and can then check out your profile and drop you a message.
This is the main fundamental difference between Hinge and Tinder, and it is a big one too. It means you can potentially connect with anyone and, unlike Tinder, it doesn’t require that they have already swiped right on you. If you can find someone on Hinge, you can potentially connect with them. They can, of course, choose to ignore your comment and/or like but at least you have a fighting chance. This is why it is important to make sure your comment stands out.
Hinge Works A LOT Like Instagram
The easiest way to get a better understanding of someone, online at least, is to view their social media profiles – Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc. Hinge clearly understands this and this is clearly also the motivating factor behind the app’s design and layout. The focus here is CONTENT and the reason for this is that CONTENT is unique, like a fingerprint – a single post can tell you a lot about a potential match.
To interact with other Hinge users you have to first find a profile you like the look of and then look through that profile’s content and posts. When you find a post you like, you can either interact with it by leaving a comment or a like. The user will then be notified that you have interacted with their content and they can then make a decision about whether to start communicating with you. This makes Hinge a lot more conversational than Tinder from the get-go.
The great thing about this approach to finding potential matches is that you can understand a lot about a person’s interests and personality before you even match with them. For instance, if you’re a drinker that loves sports, you probably wouldn’t match too well with a teetotaller that hates sports. Being able to see what your potential match posts about gives you more information than you get from a simple picture – and it makes it less about looks too.
You Can Send Digital Roses
Tinder has its Super Like feature, whereby you can send someone a Super Like to impress on them how keen you are. On Hinge, you can send them a rose – and you get one free rose to send per week. If you need more, they’re $2.99 a pop. Of all of Hinge’s features, this is largely the most pointless one. It is a cash grab, pure and simple, so my advice would be to just ignore it. Or just use the free roses you get once a week.
You can find and interact with potential dates easily enough on Hinge without roses. Sure, sending a rose MIGHT help you stand out from the crowd but I don’t think it’ll make too much of a difference. A well-thought-out, meaningful comment is always going to do more for your chances than a digital rose. For this reason, focus on your communication skills and post interesting updates on your profile that tell people what you’re all about.
Hinge Wants Feedback On How Your Date Went
Hinge is hellbent on improving its platform, so much so that it’ll even ask for feedback on your date. Once you exchange numbers with someone on Hinge and organize a date, Hinge will send you a message asking for feedback on your date. It will then use this feedback to better understand you and what you’re looking for. Of course, you don’t HAVE to give Hinge your feedback. But it also doesn’t hurt to give the platform more information either.
We Met’ helps us understand your dating journey as you move things off the app. A few days after exchanging phone numbers, we’ll ask you a) if you went on a date and b) if your date is the type of person you’d like to see again. If you indicate that you don’t want a second date, we’ll will take that info into account when recommending new people to you.
We created ‘We Met’ to learn about our members’ dates in order to provide better recommendations in the future. Simply put, ‘We Met’ lets you give us feedback on your Hinge dates so you can get out on better dates, faster!
Hinge
You Don’t Have To Match To Interact
On Tinder, you get a mere glimpse of someone, a picture is all you really get access to, alongside some profile information. This isn’t a lot to go on, not if you’re after something serious. All matches on Tinder are based on looks – this is hard-wired into the platform. Hinge likes to do things differently; it wants to match people based on looks, of course, but it also wants to focus on things like interests, hobbies, and beliefs.
This is why, on Hinge, you get full access to a person’s profile, not just a preview. Hinge encourages its users to comment and like as many people’s profiles as possible. It wants to you look at, read, and engage with potential matches as often as possible. This is how its matching system works. And in my opinion, it is an infinitely preferable way of matching people compared to Tinder’s swiping method.
The big concept with Hinge is communication: it aims to create an environment where its users can interact with one another in a meaningful way. You create a piece of content that means something to you, it is published on your feed, then other Hinge users can view it and, potentially, interact with it. This is a way more interesting and nuanced way of meeting new people. And this, for me, is one of the core reasons why Hinge is better than Tinder.
How Much Does Hinge Cost?
Like most dating apps, Hinge does offer a free version of its app. But, like ALL dating apps, the free version is pretty limited (which is a nice way of saying it is largely pointless). In order to interact with Hinge’s users properly and actually make some progress on the platform, you will need to get one of its preferred memberships.
Hinge Prices
- 1 month – $9.99/month – Total: $9.99
- 3 months – $6.99/month – Total: $20.97
- 6 months – $4.99/month – Total: $29.94
As you can see above, Hinge is WAY cheaper than both Tinder and Bumble. With Bumble, you’ll pay $24.99 for a single month. That’s more than double the cost of a Hinge account. And with a Hinge Preferred Membership account, you get the following features:
- Unlimited Likes
- See Who Likes Your Profile
- Access More Advanced Preference Features
- View All Hinge Profiles
- Better Suggested Matches
Plus, Hinge data confirms that Hinge users with Preferred Membership tend to get twice as many dates as those using the free version. Bottom line? If you’re serious about getting matched up and going on dates, you’ll definitely need a Preferred Membership.
Is Hinge Better Than Tinder?
Taken at face value, Hinge is a far more interesting dating platform. Its focus on content and creating posts to attract likes and interactions is both novel and highly useful. It also makes Hinge less about looks and more about personality, an important distinction that nearly all other dating apps completely miss. And while looks are still important, Hinge goes a long way in leveling the playing field in this respect.
Hinge is also very good at matching the right people. The platform has an incredible 90% success rate in matching people – people that actually end up staying together. This success rate dwarfs everything else on the market. Hinge is the market leader in this respect. And the key to its success is that Hinge is built with communication in mind, not arbitrary swiping. This is the reason it works better and is more successful for more online daters.
The real magic of Hinge, however, is that it goes WAY beyond a simple profile picture and a bio. On Hinge, your profile is essentially just another social media profile, onto which you can post about things you like, enjoy, or subjects that are important to you. Other Hinge users can then comment, like, and interact with these posts. This starts ACTUAL conversions. And these conversations, in some cases, lead to dates and potentially longer-term relationships. Basically, if you’re serious about meeting someone, not just hooking up, then you should 100% be using this dating app.
