eHarmony Review 2018 - Will you find love or get ripped off?

Last updated: August 2018

Our Review

eHarmony has been in Australia since 2007 and claim to have been responsible for over 11,000 marriages, as well as thousands of relationships and babies during this time.

Their sophisticated matching system uses a personality survey and profile information to introduce users to highly compatible members that they believe will result in a successful pairing.

Internationally eHarmony reports big statistics to verify that their system works with an average of 438 eHarmony members marrying every day in the United States as a result of being matched on the site.

Member Structure

Members

60,000 from New Zealand

Members activity

90,000 active weekly

Gender Proportion

50 %

eHarmony is a matchmaking service which provides suggested matches based on your personality survey and profile settings. It does not allow you to browse or search for users, so it is a bit difficult to assess the age range of members. Based on our research we believe users are fairly evenly distributed across age segments 25+.

18-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55+

Signing Up

Sign up is easy as you are guided through the process question by question
It takes a longer to sign up than other sites because of the personality questions

After answering basic questions such as age, location, marital status, children and sexual preference, you then run through the personality survey question by question asking to rate how well words describe you. Examples of works include clever, affectionate, generous, stable.

You are also asked to nominate from a list four words that your best friends would use to describe you, such as good listener, dependable, funny, creative etc. Followed by questions on how you go about life, such as doing things to a plan, seeking adventure, if you prefer to lead or follow, spend time alone or with people, how skilled are you in creating romance in a relationship.

Questions are rounded out by asking about interests, what you are looking for in a relationship and building your profile with details such as education, height, religion, smoking etc and your preferences of these qualities in a partner.

Although there are a lot of questions, eHarmony keeps you updated with how far you have progressed through the survey along the way.

The answers to all of these questions will be used to determine your personality traits and match you with people that share similar traits that would likely result in a successful match.

Making Contact

Email communication is now free for all members
eHarmony provides advice on email communication to avoid scams
Free members still cannot see their matches profile pics evenwhen communicating with them

Sending messages to other users is free for everyone

eHarmony offers a number of communciation options to both paid and free members.

Initially any user can send another member they have been matched with a Smile to let that person know that they have read their profile and like what they see.

All users can also contact anothe rmember using Guided Communication. This method provides pre-populated questions that you can send to a match to start to get to know them such as 'If you decided to stay at home for the evening would you tend to: A) Watch TV B) Clean C) Talk on the Phone D) Read.

After three rounds of going back and forth with your match on questions that get deeper as they go, you can choose to move to email communcation and send free text to your match.

Paid members can also take advantage of SecureCall which lets members chat to their matches over the phone but without revealing their phone number just yet for privacy and security.

Profile Quality

Member profiles contain a lot of information
The majority of profiles we saw appeared genuine
You cannot see when a user was last active

The profiles are very detailed
The profile information can be changed later
Profile pictures are visible to nobody for free

eHarmony profiles are very detailed and contain great information to start getting to know your matches. You will find infomation about their likes and dislikes, what they consider their best life skills, how they spend their leisure time, how their friends would describe them etc. All of this info is ueful to help with starting meaningful conversations with your matches which will make communication even better.

App

Available on both Apple iOS and Android
Apps are easy to use
Some features are not available on the apps

eHarmony has two mobile apps with both available on Android and iOS. Unlike most other sites, eHarmony has separated their apps with their main eHarmony app being used for heterosexual matches and their other app, Compatible Partners being used for homosexual matches.

The apps provides most of the functionality of the desktop site including signing up, setting up your profile, reviewing and contacting matches, adjusting match settings and managing your account.

The app does not currently allow you to access the Book of You personality profile though. This must be accessed from the desktop site.

Real Life Review

Ingrid, Accountant, 36 - I met my husband on eHarmony after unsuccessfully using a number of other dating sites. I had signed up to a few basic sites but was finding that the men on there were not really looking for serious relationships. At 34, I definitely was! It took about 3 months before I matched with my husband and I was becoming impatient, but he was worth the wait. I went on 3 dates with matches before him and although they were great guys who were actually well suited to me, the chemistry just wasn't there when we met up. Finally, 4th time lucky, we matched, went on a date and pretty much became inseparable right then. When you know, you know.

Userability

eHarmony is an easy site to navigate and their communication features work very well. Updating your profile and making contact with other users is simple and very user friendly.

eHarmony Costs and Prices

View your matches' profiles
Access to the Book of You
Send a smile
Send and receive emails
Book of You Personality Analysis

See your matches' photos
Know who's viewed you
SecureCall: Talk on the phone securely

Duration / Credits / Coins	Costs per month	Total
3 Month Plan ? See Who's Viewed YouSend Unlimited MessagesSee Unlimited PhotosSee Who's Favorited YouBrowse More Matches
3 Months	44.95 NZD / Month	134.85 NZD
6 Month Plan ? See Who's Viewed YouSend Unlimited MessagesSee Unlimited PhotosSee Who's Favorited YouBrowse More Matches
6 Months	21.95 NZD / Month	131.70 NZD
12 Month Plan ? See Who's Viewed YouSend Unlimited MessagesSee Unlimited PhotosSee Who's Favorited YouBrowse More Matches
12 Months	14.95 NZD / Month	179.40 NZD
Special - 6 Month Plan ? Billed in 3 instalments - special offer available at the time of this review
6 Months	15.95 NZD / Month	95.70 NZD

Is eHarmony expensive or cheap?

In comparison to other providers eHarmony is average.

Credit Card
PayPal

Payment will appear as eHarmony on your credit card statement.

Paid memberships will automatically renew each month unless cancelled, but this is easily managed via your Account Settings page. If you purchased your membership via a iOS device, you must cancel via Apple iTunes.

Special Features

SecureCall

This is a unique feature that we have not seen offered by other dating sites. eHarmony appears to care deeply about the safety and security of it's users online. Paid members can access the SecureCall function which allows members to set up a call with a match without revealing any personal contact information at that stage. Members can chat with their matches securely and even arrange to meet up without providing their personal phone number.

Book of You

eHarmony's Book of You is an analysis of your personality that you receive upon completing the Relationship Questionnaire to complete your profile. The Book of You will provide you with an in-depth understanding of yourself that could be your secret weapon in dating. Understanding your personality traits and what traits are compatible with you will help you identify who is a perfect match for you and how to build a successful relationship with them.

Our rating

Signing Up:	4.0 / 5
Making Contact:	3.5 / 5
Profile Quality:	4.0 / 5
App:	4.0 / 5
Real Life Review:	4.0 / 5

Editors Conclusion

eHarmony is a great matchmaker service that is perfect for singles new to online dating and particulary for those seeking a serious relationship or to get married. The indepth knowledge that you get from their personality survey will help you understand what traits describe you and what type of partner you would be most compatible with. Their sophisticated matching system gives you a head start in finding a partner for a successful relationship. eHarmony has relaxed their communication rules in recent years and communication is free, yet you still must be a paid member to see your matches photos - which may be a dealbreaker for some.

FAQ

Facts

Is eHarmony a good dating site?

eHarmony is a full functioned matchmaking site that has been around for a long time and boasts very high success rates of matching singles into long-term relationships, particularly marriages. The site focuses solely on matchmaking, you cannot search or browse for profiles, with eHarmony focused on taking the guesswork out of dating by using their expert psychological matching techniques to match you with a highly compatible partner.

Profiles are very detailed so you can learn a lot about your matches quickly and this helps to start meaningful conversations and connections. Communication with matches is also easy, with guided communication available to help get the ball rolling.

Both the site and the apps are easy to use as well.

Is eHarmony only for serious relationships?

eHarmony is definitely a site that is more skewed to singles that are seeking long term committed relationships. It is not a casual dating site and those seeking short term relationships or sexual encounters would be best placed on other dating sites.

It is a modern world though and a serious relationship is not always marriage, nor is someone who wishes to date seriously wishing to find marriage immediately. We always recommend to be upfront and honest about what you are seeking from dating with your matches to avoid any confusion or misunderstanding.

Who runs eharmony?

eHarmony is run by eHarmony Inc., which was founded by Dr. Neil Clark Warren.

Security

Is eHarmony safe?

eHarmony has been in Australia since 2007 and is a well known dating site both here and internationally and we believe it to be a reputable site.

The site is committed to member’s safety and security online and in dating by offering services such as SecureCall. This service allows members to chat to each other on the phone through the website rather than exchanging phone numbers.

Of course, always protect your personal information and privacy on any online dating site or app and consider your safety when organising to meet with people you’ve met online.

Usability

Does eHarmony post to Facebook?

eHarmony can connect to your Facebook profile to import your profile pics, but it does not post back to Facebook on your profile or newsfeed, nor appear to your Facebook friends.

Is eHarmony free?

eHarmony is a free dating site to join, to receive matches and to communicate via emails with matches, but to see your matches profile photos you will need to become a paid member. Access to premium features such as SecureCall and the Premium Book of You personality analysis (deeper insight than the basic personality survey) will require a paid membership.

Costs

Which eharmony subscription is best for newcomers?

There is no single best subscription plan - it all depends on your committment on using the website. If you're not too sure about it and you just want to see whether or not the premium membership is beneficial to you, then you can opt in for 1-3 month plans. However, if your heart is set on finding a partner, friend or lover through eHarmony, you can purchase a subscription plan for 12 months. Remember, the longer your subscription plan is, the lower the costs are per month.

Where do I buy an eharmony gift card?

If you have a friend or loved one who you think could benefit from eHarmony's services, you can give them an eHarmony subscription as a gift. Just look for the link to gift subscriptions on your account dashboard to get started.

Cancellation

What is the eharmony cancellation refund policy?

Premium memberships are renewed automatically, which means you are giving eHarmony the right to charge your card each payment period until you terminate your subscription. If you didn't want to continue with your subscription and your card was charged, you can get a refund if you call their cancellation department at 844-544-3179 within 3 days of your subscription renewal date. Refunds are not given to those who report it after the 3-day policy, but you can always terminate your subscription and continue to use your current one until the duration runs out.

Can eharmony be cancelled?

If you want to cancel your eHarmony subscription, you can do so by going to the dropdown menu on the navigation bar. Choose the "Account Settings" option, and click on the "Billing" tab. Simply click on the link for cancelling your subscription and provide the necessary inform to confirm that you are indeed the owner of the account.