Elite Singles Vs eHarmony – Which Is Right For Your Dating Needs In 2023?

Elite singles vs eHarmony is one of the internet’s most popular debates. Go-to-websites for comparatively serious dating goals, these two dating apps carry their own merits, often making it difficult for users to pick one over the other.

We take a cue from eHarmony and approach this debate as methodically as its science-based method of picking a match. We will take each valuable aspect of a dating site one by one and pit one against the other to find the final winner. So let the eHarmony vs Elite Singles battle begin!

Elite Singles Vs eHarmony – Cost, Features, Safety, And Other Key Differences

Scientists now believe that relationships that form through online dating last longer. Yes, you read that right! Contrary to the popular assumption that online dating is for casual hookups, a 2013 study based on a survey sample of 19,131 respondents revealed quite the opposite. The data from the study suggest that “the internet may be altering the dynamics and outcomes of marriage itself”.

More precisely, results indicated that “more than one-third of marriages in America now begin online.” Not only that, it was found that “marriages that began online were associated with slightly higher marital satisfaction and were slightly less likely to result in a marital breakup (separation or divorce) when compared with those that began through traditional offline venues.” Is it time to remove technology from the list of predictors of divorce?

Now that you know that the online dating scene could be the route to a stable relationship you have forever been craving, it’s time for us to take this analysis seriously and pick each apart based on things like the process, features available, the ease of use, success rate, user reviews, memberships costs and much more! Without any further delay, let us dive right in.

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1. Origin

If you have been wondering which is better eHarmony or Elite Singles, let us begin with a bit of history. The birth story of each of these websites can give a fair bit of insight into their ethos.

Elite Singles dating site is part of a conglomerate, Sparks Network, that has in its portfolio almost a dozen dating brands such as Zoosk, SilverSingles, EliteSingles, Jdate, ChristianMingle, eDarling, JSwipe, AdventistSingles, LDSSingles, Attractive World. It was launched in 2013 and operates in 19 countries. While that is quite impressive, eHarmony boasts of a cute history moment.

eHarmony, launched in 2000, has the experiential advantage of over two decades. It was founded by an American clinical psychologist and Christian theologian Neil Clark Warren with his son-in-law, Greg Forgatch. On seeing his parents’ lukewarm marriage, Warren was invested in the question of relationship chemistry and compatibility since his childhood. The personal interest of a son and the involvement of a psychologist means that eHarmony’s compatibility algorithm was not only the first among all the other dating sites, but its questionnaire has also been proprietary to the company with an enviable success rate.

2. Dating goals

Next comes the purpose of a dating website and its target demographic. This is one of the most important factors in gauging which dating platform is right for you. While both Elite Singles and eHarmony are aimed at developing serious relationships, there are a few distinct differences. If you know what you are looking for in a relationship, this point will surely help!

Elite Singles is marketed as a platform for “elite dating”. The website, as per its internal data, boasts of an 85% user rate of individuals with college degrees. As “snobby” as it sounds, Elite Singles aims to match career-oriented educated singles who share the same values regarding career, love, and life. This means that on ES you are going to find anything from casual rendezvous to a serious relationship.

eHarmony is the more mainstream and generic of the two. eHarmony users are marriage-minded or serious relationship-seeking people. And that’s reflective of its seminary background. (Throwback to the history lesson!) People from all sorts of educational and professional backgrounds are in the mix.

Related Reading: 15 Best Dating Sites And Apps For Professionals

3. Inclusivity

By now, it’s abundantly clear that both the apps aren’t particularly aimed at “fun” and casual dating. They are both preoccupied with the sustainable partnership question, career or no career. This should give you a hint that – at least historically speaking – the websites have had a “conservative” attitude and weren’t open to same-sex matches and other gender identities. If you are looking for good LGBTQ dating apps, these are definitely not the one!

Elite Singles allows for same-sex matches but offers only “male” and “female” gender selection options. Anyone over the age of 18 can opt for a membership. One can filter their searches based on age groups.

eHarmony decided to offer same-sex matchmaking services through a separate brand called Compatible Partners after several lawsuits against the company citing discrimination based on sexual orientation. CP can be accessed through the same subscription as eHarmony. eHarmony too has the same features for age and other filter selections such as location, ethnicity, etc.

4. Features

Features include everything that you get access to if you subscribe to their service, be it the ease of use, how attractive the design is, or the functionality of the services offered for each free and paid subscription. Here’s an Elite Singles vs eHarmony analysis on the features front:

Elite Singles has an intuitive interface and clean design. This means no clutter and unnecessary wondering why a feature that one would never need exists in the first place. It has a hybrid approach to finding matches. There is curated matching based on your responses to a short quiz as well as open browsing and picking one by yourself. This option to “take the reins” of your dating experience is one of the most prominent differences between ES and eHarmony.

Elite Singles sports a mutual match swipe feature, called “Have You Met?”, much like Tinder and other new dating apps, but with much more data about the users to help make an informed decision. There is a messaging platform to chat, and you can also see who visited your profile.

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eHarmony too sports a clean and minimalist design. There are no overwhelming popups or a heavy color scheme. Visually aesthetic, you can explore potential long-term relationships with calm energy. eHarmony is known for its Compatibility Quiz, an extensive questionnaire, a list of serious relationship questions, that can take you anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes to complete. There is no search option to pick from an open catalog of users.

Another striking feature of eHarmony is an integrated video chat platform. So, no need to share contact details or Zoom id to be able to video meet your future partner. eHarmony also requires that you complete your profile at least 50% to go forward with finding matches. This means no coming across empty and frankly lazy profiles.

To make things easier, here is a quick recap on premium membership features:

5. Sign-up and matching process

So, beginning from signing up on the websites to actually finding a date, we will cover the how-tos of the virtual dating world here. Since both eHarmony and Elite Singles cater to serious daters, their sign-up and user-matching process reflects thoughtfulness and thoroughness.

Elite Singles requires you to create a profile and take up a small quiz and enter your preferences, along with details like educational qualifications, job profile, etc. Although you will be prompted to reveal your income, you are allowed to skip the question. Once you do that, you will be offered compatible profiles to select from. You can message whomever you are interested in and take it from there.

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As we mentioned earlier, you can also use the search option and browse through the database after adding your preferences to the search filter. You can filter based on gender, age, location, income bracket, educational degree, etc.

eHarmony has a single structured roadmap to finding a potential partner, its patented Compatibility Quiz. The eHarmony quiz was even a prominent plot feature of the 2013 Ben Stiller hit The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty. The questionnaire is backed by incredible research and reflects a good understanding of human psychology. It tries to match you up based on deeper values, ideologies, and lifestyle choices, rather than shallow variables, like your favorite ice cream, that don’t make much difference in matchmaking.

The personality test is extensive with at times seemingly bizarre and funny questions and can last for 30 minutes. But it is crucial to the eHarmony process! Once you are done with it, the dating platform presents you with the best matches curated especially for you with an “eHarmony compatibility score” rating. You can look at the cumulative score as well as dig deeper to say what all you have in common with your match based on individual scores for different personality criteria.

6. Popularity and reviews

A dating website’s popularity and success rate definitely affect its credibility. So, what is the popular opinion on these dating websites? What do users and experts think? Let’s find out:

Elite Singles, as per its internal data, has 1.4 million plus user traffic and 400,000 fresh monthly subscriptions. While its Apple Store and Google ratings aren’t particularly great, it does show more than 1 million Google Play downloads. Elite Singles reviews from experts are generally positive. User complaints don’t have a recurring theme so it’s difficult to point to a common problem. However, most customers complain about credit card problems, fake profiles, and customer service.

eHarmony prides itself on the success rate of the getting to know each other questionnaire and, therefore, on finding the perfect match for you. It boasts more than 2 million successful love stories, making it arguably the most successful dating app in the world. Both its Apple store and Google ratings are better than ES and it has been downloaded on Google Play more than 4 million times.

eHarmony reviews from experts are also positive. User complaints consistently point to its high cost and longer commitment plans, along with deteriorating match quality over the years.

To make the comparison clearer here is a table:

7. Safety

Safety is probably one of the most important factors that can make or break the online dating experience. We’ve all heard stories of scammers catfishing unsuspecting users on online dating platforms. They create fake profiles and try to gain the victim’s trust, before asking them to divulge their personal details, credit card details, address, etc. This can lead to identity and financial theft exposing you to several dangers of online dating. So, what arrangements do these websites have to safeguard you from potential scammers?

Elite Singles claims that they manually check profiles to ensure they are not fake or bots before uploading them to the database. The website says it has “an in-house fraud team who monitor and investigate any suspicious activity.”

eHarmony too claims to have a dedicated “Trust and Safety Team” that works seven days a week to create a safe platform. Many reviewers believe that the detailed questionnaire and the mandatory 50% profile requirements deter a lot of fraud activity. Its privacy policy document on the website talks about SSL encryption to protect your data.

There is also the eHarmony SMS verification safety feature sponsored by the RelyID identity verification system. eHarmony allows you to verify your profile by entering your phone number to which eHarmony sends a verification code. Once you enter that, your profile shows that your account has been verified. You can look for only verified profiles to stay out of a scammer’s way. Another safety feature includes an interesting 6-text-message-from-both-parties requirement before either can make a video call.

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8. Pricing

The cost could be a major factor in determining the value of an object for you. There is absolutely no doubt that eHarmony is one of the most expensive dating apps in the world. If budget is a factor, Elite Singles is definitively a more suitable choice. Regardless, let us look at their subscription fee and subscription models to help you make a decision. We will also see if they have any free memberships and what features come with those.

Elite Singles cost is not as steep as its competitor in this debate but isn’t cheap either. It does have a shorter commitment plan.

eHarmony price is one of the few cons of this dating site. Not only is it arguably the most expensive matchmaking service, it requires a longer commitment too as the company believes it needs at least 6 months to help you find your suitable match. After all, love takes time to grow.

Elite Singles or eHarmony, whichever it is going to be for you, you would be happy to know that both dating websites offer a free membership albeit with limited features. But these features should be enough for you to know if the websites are working for you.

9. Website or app

Do both websites have an app? Where are they available? Do they have any restrictions? And how do these fare against the mobile website?

Elite Singles dating app is available for download for free on App Store and Google Play. The app too has a clean design and is easy to navigate. It’s easy to set up your profile on the app itself and you don’t really need the desktop version for anything else like sending messages, creating a favorite list, sending winks, browsing profiles, etc.

Elite Singles App is available on iOs and Android.

eHarmony app too is available for download for free and you can proceed with whichever membership you have chosen. It’s advisable to set up your profile on the website though and use the app to catch up on the matches on the go. The app does have some restrictions with a free account such as not being able to view user photos or send messages.

eHarmony App is available on iOs and Android.

Reading Reading: 10 Online Dating Red Flags That Should Not Be Ignored

10. Customer support

What happens if you face problems signing up? Or if you can’t find a feature? Or if the payment doesn’t go through? Or if you wish to report a romance scammer? How do both dating apps resolve your problems if you are worried about a safety issue or if you want to cancel your membership? Let us see.

Elite Singles, unfortunately, doesn’t have instant contact options such as live chat or a phone number. There is no email option either. The only way to get in touch with the customer care team is to fill in the ‘contact us’ form on the website. The response ideally takes a day. But users feel that customer support on Elite Singles is not very reliable.

eHarmony does better than most other dating platforms when it comes to customer support. The customer support team is available 24×7 via email and usually responds within 24 hours. Call service is also available between 8:30 am to 5:00 pm PST. An online form is also available, but no live chat feature.

Final Verdict: eHarmony vs Elite Singles

Comparing eHarmony to elite singles is not easy, as both online dating sites are well-established with decent track records. They cater to slightly different clientele as well. While an eHarmony user could be anyone looking for serious relationships, Elite Singles users are more focused on the social background of the potential match. Neither of these is looking exclusively for something casual, but there is more scope for casual in ES according to Elite Singles reviews.

Elite Singles is better priced with shorter commitment plans, for sure! But eHarmony wins by a stretch on the grounds of the quality of compatible matches it offers. It also compensates for the price through its security features and better reliability from customer support.

But that doesn’t answer your question, right? Which is better: Elite Singles or eHarmony?

In our opinion, the clear winner is….

eHarmony!

Winning by a slight margin, we love how eHarmony prioritizes safety. Even though eHarmony costs more, we appreciate the reliability and value for money of its premium membership. The ability to only go for verified profiles and stay out of scammers’ way, the 50% profile requirement, and the fact that two matched profiles can video chat only after contact through messages has been made by both sides, are some of the ways eHarmony testifies to this fact. Here is a detailed eHarmony review for you!

If money is a concern, or if you would like to meet someone with your professional, financial, and social background, you wouldn’t be shortchanged if you pick Elite Singles instead. Go with the free membership for both and see how you feel.

Purely casual daters, look elsewhere!

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