You may feel uncertain about spending money on a dating app, yet many individuals readily do so. In fact, daters shell out a staggering $3 billion on dating apps in 2020, which marked a 15% increase compared to the previous year. Dating apps have long been the primary method for couples to connect, and users are increasingly inclined to invest in premium features that claim to boost their odds of finding a match.
One of the leading apps available is Bumble, boasting 42 million monthly active users in 2020. Bumble differentiates itself with its distinctive approach: in heterosexual matches, only women can commence the conversation. After a match occurs, the woman has 24 hours to send a message, followed by an additional 24 hours for the man to reply. If neither person messages within the time frame, the match vanishes. For nonbinary users, either individual can initiate communication first.
Both Bumble and Tinder utilize the recognizable swipe-right-or-left interface, but Bumble provides additional filters and a different messaging structure. Bumble Premium, the app’s highest subscription tier, offers even more features — but is it worth the investment?
What Are Bumble Boost and Bumble Premium?
Bumble presents two paid levels: Boost and Premium. Boost is the budget-friendly choice, while Premium grants access to the complete array of features.
Here’s a pricing overview (based on in-app charges):
Bumble Boost:
– 1 week: $8.99
– 1 month: $16.99
– 3 months: $33.99
– 6 months: $54.99
Bumble Premium:
– 1 week: $19.99
– 1 month: $39.99
– 3 months: $79.99
– 6 months: $119.99
– Lifetime: $199.99
With Boost, users receive:
– Backtrack (reverse a left swipe)
– The option to extend matches for 24 additional hours
– Unlimited swipes
– One Spotlight weekly (increases your profile’s visibility)
– Five SuperSwipes every week (indicates strong interest)
Premium encompasses all Boost features, in addition to:
– Unlimited access to Advanced Filters (free users can utilize only two at once)
– The capacity to rematch with expired matches
– Travel Mode (swipe from any location)
– Beeline (view who has already liked you)
– Incognito Mode (your profile is visible only to those you swipe right on)
Currently, Incognito Mode is accessible only via the app, not through the web version.
Is Bumble Premium Worth the Investment?
Determining whether Bumble Premium is worth it hinges on how frequently you use the app and how much you appreciate its premium features.
Personally, I found the Premium subscription to be a bit excessive for its offerings. For instance, a week of Bumble Premium ($19.99) is equivalent in price to an entire month of Tinder Platinum. Hinge’s subscription stands at $29.99 monthly, placing it in between.
That said, certain features truly proved helpful. Backtrack was a lifesaver — it prevented me from regretting accidental left swipes. The ability to extend matches was beneficial, particularly on days I couldn’t check the app. Additionally, Incognito Mode provided greater control over who could view my profile, which was particularly nice in a vast dating environment like New York.
These three features — Backtrack, match extensions, and Incognito Mode — were the most significant for me. If you think you’d utilize them often, Premium might be a worthwhile investment.
Advanced Filters varied in effectiveness. While filters like religion or smoking status could be advantageous, others — such as zodiac signs — seemed arbitrary. Furthermore, filtering by a certain trait could exclude users who didn’t complete that section of their profile, potentially narrowing your choices unnecessarily.
I didn’t make use of Travel Mode, but frequent travelers might find it useful. As for Beeline, it was initially intriguing, but I didn’t encounter many promising matches there and eventually ceased checking it.
Should You Opt for Bumble Premium?
If you are already a fan of Bumble and use it regularly, Premium has the potential to enhance your experience — especially if you’re interested in features like Incognito Mode, Travel Mode, or discovering who has liked you. However, if you are more of an occasional user, you may not derive sufficient value to warrant the expense.
Bumble Boost presents a more budget-friendly option that still incorporates some of the most beneficial features, such as Backtrack and match extensions. However, for the entire package, you’ll need to upgrade to Premium.
In the end, Bumble Premium did not notably improve the number or caliber of my matches. While the added features were nice, they didn’t significantly alter my experience. If you’re not regularly active on the app, even Premium won’t stop matches from expiring.
In summary: Bumble Premium delivers some excellent tools, but its value ultimately hinges on