If you’re tired of random matches on dating apps like Tinder and meeting people who aren't who they say they are or that you have nothing in common with, eHarmony might be just the site for you.
Whether you're looking for love, companionship, or even something casual, our selection of dating sites has something for everyone. Find what you're looking for with Age Times!
eHarmony at a glance
eHarmony has a famous compatibility matching system. That means a matching algorithm. To join the site, you must fill in an extensive questionnaire and quizzes (if you don’t have an hour, don’t start). Basically, it’s a personality test and a matchmaking test that eHarmony then uses to pair you up with other members.
eHarmony probably has the most intricate matching system of any dating site.
The site is well-known for pretty much only serving people looking for committed long-term relationships. So if you’re looking for lasting relationships rather than hookups, this is a great dating site.
Eharmony.co.uk is one of the online dating giants—the site launched in 2000.
Currently, eHarmony has about 600,000 members in the United Kingdom, of which 300,000 are active weekly. The trick to finding out how popular a site is is always to look at the active members. Lots of people have Tinder accounts they stopped using months or years ago.
Features
You can send smiles to other members—think of them as flirts. They are available even when you’re just checking out the site for free.
You're also able to send members pre-fabricated questions provided by eHarmony. These work as excellent icebreakers and is a great feature if you aren't sure what to say to someone when messaging.
Messaging is available so long as you pay for a premium membership.
There is also a functionality called video date that allows you to go on virtual dates with matches. Great if you feel more comfortable meeting someone in real life after first seeing them on video.
There are blogs by relationship experts - essentially dating advice - that help you understand how to get the most out of the site and dating and relationships at large.
Signing up
To join eHarmony, you must fill out a questionnaire and quizzes about what you’d like in a partner (compatibility tests). This will take you about an hour. So grab a glass of vino, make yourself a cheese plate, and get started.
You will also have to create a regular profile with photos. You don't really write your own thing, though; instead, you answer questions. It makes it easier for you!
Profile tips
When creating a profile, always remember that you want to offer people a little bit of insight into who you are—from a positive perspective. For example, if you dislike dishonesty, say you love honesty. If you dislike mornings, say you enjoy the night. Nobody wants to date someone who lists everything they don't want in life or a partner.
Profiles on eHarmony are in-depth and much more interesting to read than on most other dating websites!
Photo tips
As for the photos, you need a close-up of your face. It doesn't need to be an extreme close-up, but people need to be able to see what you look like. It would help if you also had a full-body picture. Not in your undies—just a photo that shows all of you fully clothed. These aren't eHarmony requirements, just my recommendations.
In addition, add some photos of you participating in activities you enjoy, be it spending time with friends or gardening. Try to use various photographs showing different aspects of your life.
Why are photos so important? Because they give people a glimpse into your life and who you are. If there’s just one photo, people aren’t convinced. They want to see your personality come through.
Remember that while one photo of your cat or dog is fine, five isn't. People want to date you, not your pet. Likewise, pictures of your car and house are irrelevant. Unless, of course, you want to meet someone who wants to date your car or is hugely materialistic. Then, be my guest.
That said, eHarmony only accepts photos of you, but bear the above in mind if you join other dating sites!
Finding potential partners
eHarmony will pair you up with matches based on your personality test and compatibility quizzes. Once they’ve suggested someone’s a match, you can look at your match’s profile.
You can narrow down matches based on age and location and do your own searches if you’re a premium member.
You also get a list of “What Ifs” that you can match with outside your match criteria.
Pricing
The free membership on eHarmony doesn’t let you do much—you can send smiles and questions to potential matches, but you can't chat with them. On the upside, you can find out if there are members you'd like to date before paying for a premium membership.
eHarmony isn't cheap, but it's a dating site worth paying for. It’s also not outrageously expensive—compared to sites like It's Just Lunch that pairs you up with people for lunch, it's cheap as chips.
Rumour has it that around major holidays eHarmony offers promo codes and vouchers, so before joining, look around to see what's available right now.
Note that eHarmony, like most dating apps, has an automatic renewal policy for subscriptions. You need to cancel your subscription before it renews, or you'll automatically get charged again. You will not get a full refund if you cancel a subscription mid-term.
It’s free to join, so my suggestion is always to join a site, have a look around, and see if it’s for you. Then pay for the premium membership if you wish to interact with other members and meet people in real life.
eHarmony reviews
People who have reviewed eHarmony on TrustPilot do not rate the site highly, but ConsumerAffairs does. Most complaints about dating sites are automatic renewals unless it's a site filled with scammers, which eHarmony is not. If you want to scam people, it’s much easier to do so on an app where they don’t verify you!
As for other eHarmony reviews, on both iOS and Android, the eHarmony app has excellent reviews!
Privacy
Your eHarmony dating profile won't be listed in Google search results or elsewhere.
And if you’re concerned about privacy, you’ll be happy to know that only paying members can see your photos.
eHarmony won't sell your data to anyone, but always read the privacy policy when signing up with any dating website.
Safety
Let’s have a look at safety when using eHarmony.
A signup process keeping bots (and scammers?) away
To join the site, you have to give your email or sign up via Facebook. In theory, this should keep the bots away.
To sign up for eHarmony, you must also fill out the personality test to find out what personality traits you and your potential match have in common or that are complementary. As a result, people who aren't serious about finding love tend to stay away. Plus, it's easier for those people to go and swipe on Tinder.
ID verification
eHarmony takes safety seriously and offers verification through RelyID, a third-party service. You can see on someone's profile if they've been verified. This goes beyond the sort of photo verification many dating sites offer.
That said, there are people with bad intentions everywhere. You meet them at the pub and on dating sites. If someone refuses to meet in real life and won't do video calls, and their profile hasn't been verified, then alarm bells should go off that maybe they aren't who they say they are.
Even a verified person can have bad intentions. They may be who they say they are, but that doesn't make them a nice person! Therefore, meet them in real life in public places several times before giving out details such as your work or home address, your full name, and so forth. Likewise, don't share your social media handles if you share personal information on those platforms.
Most people are who they say they are (if you're worried, only date those with verified ID badges), and most people have good intentions. Just keep your head screwed on, and you'll be fine!
