Zoosk vs eHarmony: Ultimate Comparison
by John Santana
Deciding on the right online dating app is a tough challenge. Out of the thousands of apps out there, Zoosk and eHarmony have been around for years with a powerful number of followers. It is normal for you to be choosing between the two. So, who is the better app for finding dates?
The characteristics of these two apps are not the same. You need to make sure you are selecting the one that works best for your preferences.
Take a look and see which one aligns with your goals more.
Zoosk Vs. eharmony At a Glance
Zoosk Advantages:
- Smart matching system that learns of your preferences
- Easier to sign up and get dates
- More affordable price tags
Zoosk Disadvantages:
- Not ideal for serious relationships
- Lack of cool special features for paying members
- Limited access to messaging features for free members
eharmony Advantages:
- Ideal for marriages
- Generous features for free members
- Strong compatibility test upon registration to generate the best results
eharmony Disadvantages:
- More expensive premium plans
- Changing your preferences is a lengthy process
Editor’s choice: Skip straight to the results if you are too busy to read the full review! After carefully analyzing each aspect, eharmony is definitely a better option. Not only does it provide enough free features for you to dip your feet into the pool without paying, but its member quality is higher. It is easier to meet established professionals on the app.
Zoosk is more designed for young people to look for easy hookups. The app is not a bad choice if that’s all you are looking for. But we appreciate the quality of eharmony much more, thanks to its smooth and high-quality interface.
If you are only looking at Zoosk and eharmony because they are the only two dating apps you have ever heard of, it might be a good time to widen your horizon.
There are loads of premium dating platforms such as Adult FriendFinder, Ashley Madison, and Bang Locals. Give a chance to more dating apps to broaden your reach and figure out which one is the ultimate dating tool to equip yourself with.
What Is The Difference Between Zoosk And eharmony?
Members
Ever since Zoosk and eharmony came into the business, they have been tripling their member counts each year. Right now, there are 27 million members on Zoosk and nearly 20 million on eharmony. From that number, it would seem Zoosk has a slight advantage in gathering a bigger pool.
But number should not be the only factor here. The demographics on these apps are not quite similar. Zoosk gets more love from the younger generation as over half of its total members are under 35. The eharmony community is made up of mature audiences. Most of its members are over 35, with a quarter being 45 or above.
Furthermore, the vibes you get from these two apps are entirely different. Zoosk glamorously advertises an easy matching process for people to find quick dates. eharmony does not fall into the whole hookup culture. It aims to nurture real relationships that eventually lead to marriages.
You can tell from the quality of members. Zoosk is flooded with young members looking to hook up. They are fun and not clingy at all. A perfect date idea for them is to take a casual walk in the city before going home for sex. Spending time with them is so cheery.
Unfortunately, if you are looking to develop a true bonding, it is unlikely to happen. Dates you get from Zoosk tend not to care too much about your life stories. They genuinely just want a good time.
On eharmony, it’s another story. Members want to get to the bottom of your childhood. Getting to know your personality is far more important than having random sex. You will find members more approachable as they are not flipping through the list to get laid. They take the time to get to know you.
On top of that, eharmony attracts more successful singles from various industries. They are wealthy individuals looking for serious relationships outside of their busy work lives. Almost everyone you meet has a strong financial background. It is a big advantage for many looking to settle down and live happily ever after.
Verdict: eharmony creates a more comfortable environment for members to interact with each other. For first-time users, Zoosk can be a tiny bit aggressive because members may ignore your messages if you are indecisive about meeting up, whereas members on eharmony are more relaxed.
If you are looking for a long-term partner, eharmony will bring you more options, as Zoosk is only good for hookups.
Registration
Zoosk follows an easy registration process. All you need to do is fill out basic information such as your age, gender, location, preferences, and email. The entire step takes less than 5 minutes. Then, you can add photos to your account and polish your bio to make it more attractive.
Signing up on eharmony is notoriously difficult. Interested parties must complete a five-part personality test for the system to identify possible matches for you.
The personality test includes questions on your preferences, habits, and values. The test contains around 150 questions. It will take 30 minutes to finish. eharmony bases its matching process on this compatibility test. It relies on it to connect compatible couples.
Verdict: Compared to the lengthy process on eharmony, registering an account on Zoosk is stress-free. Unless you enjoy doing tests, eharmony’s personality can get frustrating after 15 minutes. eharmony may consider removing the compatibility test and offering it as an add-on if it wants to attract more members. For now, Zoosk is way easier to handle.
Matching And Messaging
In the beginning, you have to manually search for specific matches on Zoosk. There are filters to apply to find your first matches. Then, the system adopts a smart learning mechanism. It learns of your behavioral matchmaking process to present similar profiles that you usually like and interact with.
The smart system will not limit its matches based on your first few likes. Over time, as you gradually change your taste in profiles, the system will swiftly adjust accordingly to give you the best shot. The system is brilliant in introducing hot matches that you are physically attracted to, although there is a learning curve so you will start off browsing through a bunch of profiles.
Despite that, it should be noted that Zoosk lacks compatibility analysis. Therefore, profiles generated through smart matchmaking are based on the physical attributes of your previous matches rather than deep bonding.
Messaging members is only accessible to paying members. Zoosk has a lovely standard chatroom to keep all your matches organized. You can send videos and images to your dates freely with a subscription.
eharmony goes with a much stricter algorithm in finding members a significant other. The compatibility test is solely used in identifying matches with high compatibility in your area. You can only apply basic filters such as location and age. Then, the system will take care of the rest.
Changing your preferences is much more rigid as you will have to redo the entire personality test to update the database. Otherwise, you are stuck with the matches eharmony believes are good for you.
The matchmaker makes a point in defending their compatibility test by not giving members much freedom in venturing out. After seeing so many failed couples on other dating services, perhaps following their unique analysis is the best way for serious daters to find love.
Sending a message to your matches on eharmony is available to free members as well. There are tools like icebreakers and prompts to help you initiate a conversation. It is a thoughtful gesture that takes care of the awkwardness of every first chat.
Verdict: Both Zoosk and eharmony have their merits and disadvantages but eharmony wins by a tiny margin. They rely on AI to generate compatible matches but eharmony’s reputation in this field is known to be impeccable. Besides, having multiple messaging channels accessible to free members is a huge advantage that Zoosk lacks.
It forces members to subscribe in order to start messaging. The only annoying part about eharmony is that eharmony seems to think people do not change their dating preferences at all. If you are not satisfied with the results, you will have to retake the compatibility test.
Features
Zoosk offers extensive features in boosting the success rate. Paying members can unlock these features to equip themselves with better dating skills. There is a full analysis of your profile breakdown to see how it compares against other similar users. When you are in the chatroom, Zoosk also automatically suggests flirtatious jokes to hit up your matches.
On eharmony, its signature “What If’ feature provides another chance for members to find their dream date if the compatibility test is not going well. Each day, eharmony gives you extra 30 matches that fall out of your personality type upon request. It aims to assess your preferences better and see if the compatibility score reflects your taste accurately.
If you like the “What If” profiles better, you can head to your account and adjust your compatibility test so the profiles on your search results align with this type better.
Aside from this, eharmony offers a few other features, including dating analysis, to see what you need to improve to gain more likes in the community. There are always regular updates on expert reviews about common mistakes daters make on the dating app. Users can feel how tight the community is.
Verdict: In all fairness, both dating apps do not have the “wow” factor in their features. These features are comprehensive, yet ordinary. Still, eharmony is considered better because all of its features are about nurturing your social skills, which benefit you more than in the online dating world.
eharmony does not downgrade itself by introducing trashy features that help you get as many dates as possible. Rather, it focuses on quality so you shoot at the right mark with Cupid’s arrow.
Pricing
Everyone can sign up on Zoosk for free but most matching features are only available to paying members. Its one-month membership plan is at $30 while its three-month, six-month, and one-year plans averages $20, $15, and $10 per month respectively.
In addition, Zoosk allows specific add-ons if you only want to utilize certain features without committing to a full membership plan. The add-ons will be priced higher than regular so you might end up paying more with only two additional features.
For eharmony, its one-month membership plan costs $36 while its one-year membership plan averages $20 per month. The price point is considerably higher than Zoosk. The good thing is that users can experience a wide range of features without upgrading their accounts.
For the most part, eharmony provides a free trial so members can get a taste of how the community runs and the quality of matches before they have to commit to a paid plan.
Verdict: Although eharmony costs double that of Zoosk even at its lowest price point, it is still the better option. Free members on Zoosk cannot message at all. Currently, only a quarter of active members of the app are subscribing to its monthly plans. It means you have a rare chance of being able to interact with members or receive a message from them. eharmony offers a much better free version that members can still match with dates. To fully enjoy the features, you have to upgrade your membership plan.
Summary
Putting Zoosk and eharmony in competition is hard because they both have their areas of expertise. In general, eharmony is a better-run dating app with comprehensive features and elite members. It has all the features you need to find a romantic partner.
If you are looking into starting your online dating adventure, eharmony is a good place to start. Other than this trending app, Adult FriendFinder, Ashley Madison, and Bang Locals are also popular online dating platforms to find love and romantic stories.
- Xmatch Review: Is This Dating Site Worth Trying in 2024? - April 1, 2024
- 7 Best Hookup Apps & Sites in San Francisco: 2024’s Ultimate Guide - March 8, 2024
- GetItOn Review: What to Expect from This Unique Adult Dating Site - February 24, 2024
