Hinge is testing a cheaper subscription plan. Its parent company, Match Group, is looking for new ways to make users willing to pay for dating apps; yet at this time, people are becoming increasingly tired of subscription models, and in some cases, even of dating apps themselves.
On Monday, during the third-quarter financial report conference call in 2026, Match Group stated that the new tier of Hinge will include more filtering criteria and custom position boundaries, allowing users to have better control over who they see and where they meet people.
Match Group Chief Financial Officer Steve Bailey stated: "This solution is specifically designed for women, but it is also aimed at price-sensitive users. It's important to remember that Hinge is one of our most expensive products. For example, each paying user of Hinge generates nearly twice the revenue of Tinder, which is about $30. Its payment penetration rate is also relatively low, only slightly more than half of that of Tinder."
Match Group has not disclosed the specific price of this new subscription plan. TechCrunch stated that they have contacted the company to learn more details.
This move comes at a time when dating apps are continuing to struggle to convince users to pay for their services, as users are growing increasingly tired of using these products. Influenced by factors such as subscription fatigue, endless scrolling, and disappointment with the overall dating experience, users are questioning whether the advanced dating features are really worth the money.
It is worth noting that, despite this, Hinge remains one of the strongest performers among Match Group's products. This application has performed significantly better than Tinder this quarter: global monthly active users increased by 12%, direct revenue grew by 19%, and the number of paid users increased by 23% to 2.3 million. As of the end of this quarter, the application generated $221 million in direct revenue, with 2.3 million paid subscription users. Direct revenue refers to income from subscriptions and in-app purchases.
In contrast, Tinder generated $480 million in direct revenue, although there was a slight decrease of 2% year-on-year; it has 8.9 million paid users, which is a 4% decline compared to the same period last year.
This low-cost subscription plan may help Hinge continue this momentum, converting more users into paying customers without requiring them to spend too much from the start.
This move also marks a shift in the subscription strategy of Hinge. In 2023, the company experimented with a more expensive subscription tier, targeting users who were willing to pay more in exchange for additional features to enhance their experience. Now, it is testing whether more affordable options can attract a broader audience.
However, relying solely on cheaper subscriptions may not be enough to solve the larger problem that dating apps are facing: user fatigue. Match Group indicates that the company has seen some signs of improvement, partly because it is making efforts to make its platforms less like traditional dating apps.
Recent initiatives include Group Hangouts and Events, which provide users with alternative connection methods beyond traditional one-to-one matching. Match Group plans to increase investment in these areas in the fourth quarter.
Another initiative that is about to be launched is real-time adaptive recommendation, which the company plans to start testing in the fourth quarter. This feature was announced during the CEO Connection demonstration in September, and it will enable Tinder to respond to user behavior within seconds rather than hours. The goal is to make the recommendation results more relevant and personalized.
