Why Is OkCupid So Expensive? (11 Reasons Why)

OkCupid is one of the most popular dating apps in the world, and if you are looking for a reputable app to use, there is no doubt that OkCupid has entered your radar.

As someone who simply wants to find love, you might be surprised to learn that maximizing OkCupid comes at a high cost. Why is OkCupid so expensive? Here is what I found!

Why Is OkCupid So Expensive?

OkCupid is expensive because it’s one of the oldest and most trusted dating apps globally. Since 2004, OkCupid has been amassing many users and creating matches for them using a unique algorithm. People can use OkCupid for free, so OkCupid has to increase the prices of paid subscriptions to profit.

In case you are interested to learn more about the many features of OkCupid, what makes OkCupid stand out from its competitors, and how these factors affect OkCupid’s rates, keep on reading!

1. OkCupid Has Tenure

With the current popularity of dating sites and apps, it is no longer surprising to find new names popping up in the industry every other day.

That said, OkCupid stands out for its tenure in the sea of dating apps that promise you great hookups, casual relationships, or marriage-minded matches.

Further, OkCupid has been around since 2004, and since its release, it has been delivering satisfactory results to users.

Also, when it comes to trustworthiness and efficiency alone, OkCupid is a top candidate, allowing OkCupid to place a higher price tag on its premium subscriptions.

2. OkCupid Has An Aesthetically Pleasing User Interface

While OkCupid has been around for more than a decade, it does not show in the OkCupid app’s user interface.

For example, OkCupid has done a fantastic job at creating an aesthetically pleasing UI that is trendy and easy for users to navigate.

Moreover, creating such an immersive and attractive UI requires the skills of an expert user experience (UX) designer and the right tools to support the design, and both are expensive.

Naturally, these costs affect the prices of premium subscriptions and make them go up.

3. OkCupid Uses An Algorithm That Matches You With Other People

OkCupid is not just a platform where you can meet other single people by sifting through endless profiles. To simplify the process, OkCupid narrows down your options for you.

To do this, OkCupid operates on an algorithm that matches you with like-minded individuals based on your profile and indicated preferences.

That said, creating and enhancing this algorithm requires the skills of experienced developers.

Further, not just one but at least five or six developers work on a single app simultaneously.

Therefore, covering the wages of these developers can make an app more expensive, and that is the case with OkCupid.

4. OkCupid Allows You To Filter Matches Better

Filtering matches is beneficial when using a dating app, as that will save you time and possibly spare you from unpleasant interactions with other users.

With OkCupid, you can enjoy different levels of filtering depending on the premium subscription you use.

For example, you can filter people based on gender, traits, location, etc.

Further, narrowing down your search through filters is a great tool that can give you the matches you want, and OkCupid understands the value this brings to the table.

As such, OkCupid makes sure that this value comes at the right price, and it is usually high.

5. OkCupid Functions Just Fine When Free

One of the biggest reasons OkCupid’s premium subscriptions are expensive is because OkCupid gives you sufficient functionality even when it is free.

Without getting any subscription, you can see all your matches and send unlimited messages.

Moreover, finding a great match on OkCupid without paying a dime is not unheard of.

That said, this means that OkCupid’s profit opportunities are limited to premium subscriptions, and to generate enough profit, OkCupid has to be expensive.

6. OkCupid’s Paid Features Offer Better Convenience

Since OkCupid makes money mainly through paid subscriptions, it is only natural that paying users get a whole lot more out of OkCupid than others.

Generally, paid features boost your chances of finding a great match, and you have more access to both new users and the most popular users on the app.

Also, you can send unlimited likes, receive more likes, and enable read recipients to know whether you are being ghosted or your message has simply not been read.

Therefore, this level of convenience in dating apps is a game-changer for most users, so OkCupid has to make this feature expensive.

7. OkCupid Is Reserved For Serious Relationships & Casual Dating

OkCupid is not a far cry from eHarmony, which is known for matching marriage-minded individuals, especially when you compare OkCupid to apps like Tinder.

Generally, OkCupid tiptoes the fine line between being a dating app for hookups and being a dating app for people who want serious relationships.

In the world of dating apps, a reputation that leans more toward serious relationships gives an app better integrity, and OkCupid used this as a chance to increase its prices.

8. OkCupid Has A Lot Of Users

Currently, OkCupid has surpassed eHarmony and Match’s monthly visitors on smartphones.

Moreover, OkCupid is among the top five dating apps with the highest number of paying customers, with eHarmony, Tinder, Match, and Bumble taking the lead.

That said, this discrepancy reveals that OkCupid has a massive number of free and paid users. As a single person, you have more options when you use OkCupid.

Further, garnering such a large number of users is essential for dating apps, and OkCupid increases its fees to give paid subscribers a better edge.

9. OkCupid Targets An Older Demographic

Many dating apps are targeted toward younger people, but not OkCupid. While OkCupid does try to appeal to younger users, most OkCupid users are millennials.

Maybe it has something to do with OkCupid’s tenure or simply OkCupid’s free features. Regardless, an older demographic means more users that have the money to pay.

OkCupid knows this, and what better way to take advantage of this age demographic than pricing subscriptions at a rate millennials can afford?

10. OkCupid Makes It Easier To Identify Fake Profiles

Fake profiles are some of the biggest deal-breakers when using dating apps.

So, while OkCupid has no special algorithm identifying these fake profiles, they are easy to spot on OkCupid.

Mainly, this is because OkCupid has a lot of paid users, and you can easily filter the fake from the genuine by simply sticking to fellow paid subscribers.

Also, dating apps with fewer paid subscribers tend to attract more fake accounts, so when you subscribe to OkCupid, you are making your dating experience more secure.

Therefore, in exchange for increasing the chances of meeting genuine people on the app, OkCupid has to charge a high fee.

11. OkCupid Is In High Demand Today

Dating apps were popular pre-pandemic, but when COVID-19 put the world on lockdown, people had no choice but to resort to dating apps to find new romantic connections.

Even two years into the pandemic, many people are still working from home and finding it easier to meet new people through dating apps.

As such, reputable names like OkCupid continue to grow followers daily, and this increased demand for the app and services creates a need for OkCupid to increase its prices.

To learn more, you can also read our posts on why Bumble is so expensive, why Tinder Gold is so expensive, and why a married man would join a dating site.

Conclusion

OkCupid is among the top dating apps today, and you can use most of OkCupid’s features for free. By doing this, OkCupid limits its profiting opportunities to paid subscriptions.

Consequently, OkCupid ensures that its premium subscriptions have attractive features, enabling the app to justify its expensive rates.

Additionally, OkCupid has millions of users, most of whom are millennials.

So, since users enjoy more matches and are capable of paying subscriptions, OkCupid maintains its expensive rates.