eHarmony vs Elite Singles: Which One is Better in 2023?

By: Michele Baird
Updated: January 3, 2023
EliteSingles vs eHarmony

Do you know what it is you really want out of a dating site? You might be serious about making life-long matches, but that doesn't mean you're sure about the features, interface, and pricing plans you need to mingle. 

In this research, I'll be comparing eHarmony and EliteSingles to let you know what they can do for you. I'm going to assess these options based on the following factors:

  • User reviews and popularity
  • The quality of matching
  • Features
  • Ease of use

Key Points:

  • eHarmony uses a scientific matching system to connect compatible singles, while Elite Singles relies on a personality test to find potential matches.
  • A subscription to eHarmony costs $25.90-$55.90 per month, while a subscription to Elite Singles costs $31.95-$57.95 per month.
  • 82% of Elite Singles members have a college degree, but eHarmony has more members overall.
  • eHarmony is responsible for 5% of marriages in the US.

After reading this review, you will be able to decide which dating website is most suitable for you and the one most likely to lead you to find love.

1. Who is Popular?

Looking at which dating site out of Elite Singles and eHarmony ranks as most popular for internet users, they are not far apart in the competition. Users feel they get similar benefits from each site. 

EliteSingles free version seems to appeal to audiences to some extent. However, users prefer eHarmony because it attracts a larger number of users. More users essentially mean more options.

eHarmony vs Elite Singles popularity comparison

Winner: eHarmony

If you look at hard data from Google Trends, you can see that people favor eHarmony over EliteSingles.

2. Sign-Up Process

When you sign up for any online dating site, you have to undergo an extensive questionnaire (a.k.a compatibility quiz) about the kind of person you are and what you're seeking. 

eHarmony

eHarmony's sign-up questionnaire can take anywhere between a breezy twenty minutes or a much more time-consuming hour. There is an option to come back later if you need it.

You may want to brace yourself for some questions as it gets deep:

  • Do you go through mood swings?
  • Other than your parents, who has been the most influential person in your life, and why?
  • Does life sometimes seem meaningless? 

These are just a few examples of how real eHarmony gets, and it makes sense why; to match you with ideal candidates, it needs to get to know you as much as possible.

The fact that not much remains unsaid is arguably a good thing. If you want to find 'the one,' why would you leave anything to chance and the questions you should have asked? During the sign-up process, there is also an option to add a photo of yourself, which I highly recommend. 

Elite Singles

Like eHarmony, you will have to fill out a personality test when setting up your profile on EliteSingles. This questionnaire is slightly longer and has 200-points as opposed to eHarmony's 150-points.

These questions will dig deep into the person you are. Expect to unveil your sexual interests, what your friends' opinions of you are, and how you cope with stress. 

After the initial questionnaire, it will ask seven more questions about you. It would be best if you answered these thoughtfully and did not rush. Your results will tastefully be on display on your profile, so bear that in mind. 

Winner: eHarmony

In comparing the sign-up processes for eHarmony and EliteSingles, eHarmony wins. The sign-up for Elite Singles is slightly longer than eHarmony, which can make getting dates take longer. Also, although eHarmony is shorter, its matchmaking doesn't compromise on the quality of questions, which seems to make it a preferable option for users.

3. Members & Making Interactions

The point of these platforms is to make contacts and interact with people you may otherwise not get to meet. 

Header

eHarmony

Elite Singles

Number of Active Members

10 Million

(2017 data)

170,000

(2019 data)

Users From U.S

87%

82%

Target Audience

Long-term relationship and marriage seekers 

Successful and well educated users

Gender Distribution

      52% female    48% male

(estimation)

        43% female     

57% male

(estimation)

eHarmony

eHarmony has a much larger user base than EliteSingles and a higher number of monthly active users. If more people visit the site monthly, you may have more chances to meet someone.

The reason there are more members on eHarmony may be that it's more accommodating for everyone, no matter your job or educational background. eHarmony's users average around 30 years old. This demographic data set is more inclusive for people of varying ages.

eHarmony offers a guarantee that if you don't find someone in three months, you get three months free, which will help with your search.

Elite Singles

In terms of potential matches, on EliteSingles, you will be more likely to find a partner who is highly educated or has a successful career.

It's also worth remembering that with EliteSingles, 90% of users are 30+. So depending on your age, the narrower age group may or may not be an advantage for you.

Winner: eHarmony

Although eHarmony is slightly less exclusive in terms of people's professional success, with a 3-month free guarantee, its competitive factors make it a winner for members.

4. Quality of Matches

The quality of the match is an essential factor to consider in finding love. It would be a waste of time to get more matches if all the candidates were subpar. Therefore, the quality comes down to the dating sites' matching processes.

eHarmony

eHarmony uses a science-based method to match users. It uses something called 'main effects,' which evaluates the potential impact both you and your partner's traits may have on each other's feelings. As users will have 'About' and 'Compatibility' sections on their profile, this is where you can get a real insight into whether someone is suitable for you. 

eHarmony doesn't just match you with other users based on the things you like and dislike but on the more profound things, such as how you view the world. Being able to compare how you resonate or differ with others in certain areas can be valuable and exciting. 

Elite Singles

Elite Singles is similar to eHarmony in its matching process but doesn't have a 'compatibility' component. EliteSingles will provide you with around 3-7 matches daily, and this round-up of candidates takes your education, location, relationship preferences, and personality into account.

Despite EliteSingles not having the compatibility advantage, the 'about' section for users is concise and descriptive. This way, users should be able to get an accurate enough grasp on whether they like someone. 

Winner: eHarmony

The compatibility section is a significant factor when finding someone who is the right match. The use of science is also something you can't argue with, making eHarmony the obvious choice here.

5. Features

The features can impact your user experience and whether a dating app works for you and your lifestyle. The right features will help you prioritize the qualities you want in your significant other and determine how easy it is to meet a match.

eHarmony

Add to favorites — You can select profiles of the people you're interested in and add them to a list of 'favorites' by clicking the star icon.

Send a smile — This friendly little gesture is a way of letting someone know you like them. Just click the smiley face icon under the profile photo.

What if — This feature costs extra, but it gives you an additional 30 matches. You'll see people who would otherwise be outside your preference list. You never know; opposites attract!

Send questions — If you want to start a conversation, or keep one going, this feature will send automated questions to help break the ice.

Video chat — Sometimes, you can't meet up with the person when you want in person. You can use this feature to chat with users over video from wherever you're comfortable.

Elite Singles

Have you met? — This feature generates a list of people that you potentially missed while viewing your match recommendations

Wildcard — This feature is for paying members and will give you 20 extra matches daily.

Personality analysis — Elite Singles uses something called "The Big Five" personality analysis. The Big Five consists of Openness, Agreeableness, Extraversion, Conscientiousness, and Neuroticism. You will match with others on your compatibility with one another, focusing on these factors.

Favorites list — By pressing the star icon on another user's profile, you can add them to your favorites list and easily find them again later.

Advanced search  You can narrow down searches to look for more specific details about someone, e.g., drinking habits, height, income, desire to have kids, etc.

You can find out more about the features in our EliteSingles review

Winner: Elite Singles

The added features are more intricate, and it stops you from missing people you potentially could have. Plus, the Big Five makes up for the compatibility aspect it lacks in the profile.

6. Ease of Use

With eHarmony and EliteSingles, ease of use is a difficult comparison point. Both sites are accessible and won't create that frustration and confusion.

eHarmony

eHarmony is simple to use. They welcome users of all age groups, including 60+ years, so it makes sense that they have an all-encompassing platform. The site will carefully guide you through the set-up process. Once you've filled in information about yourself, the rest is pretty straightforward (usability wise, anyway).

One thing to note is that eHarmony has no search feature. Each day, you will get a batch of matches on your profile, ready for you to view. You can set up filters to make your matches more specific to what you want from a partner.

Elite Singles

Elite Singles generally is full of helpful advice and guidance throughout the initial stages of building your profile. However, they do try to encourage a more do-it-on-your-own approach.

It is also because of the DIY approach that the platform is so streamlined. The layout is straightforward, and as you can't search for matches directly, this takes out any fiddly bits in that area.

Winner: eHarmony 

The layout is super simple, and although do-it-on-your-own is good, it's not for everyone. The set filters on eHarmony are more intricate and interest-focused than those on Elite Singles.

7. Safety & Security

One positive aspect of Elite Singles and eHarmony is that their extensive questionnaire sets them apart from other dating sites. With such an elaborate vetting process, it's difficult to pretend to be someone you're not.

Both sites are also more costly to subscribe to than their counterparts, which helps reduce fake profiles as most people on the site are in it for the long run. 

eHarmony

eHarmony is excellent at ensuring the safety of its users. Its meticulous identity verification process means you can be more assured that whomever you're talking to is who they say they are. The site also regularly closes accounts that they believe to be inappropriate for a range of reasons. You can also report people yourself, should you feel the need. 

Elite Singles

EliteSingles.com state that they manually check each profile to assess authenticity and legitimacy. They also emphasize their use of SSL Encryption and Fraud Detection.

It is important to remember that although there are safety procedures in place, you can never 100% guarantee that you are safe online.  

Winner: eHarmony

It's close between the two, but eHarmony focuses on maintaining safety between users throughout, whereas Elite Singles seem to focus mostly on technical functions.

8. Pricing

The pricing is crucial whenever you shop for a service, but with dating sites, it is absolutely essential. If you end up using the platform for a year or longer, you don't want to break the bank trying to find a date. 

eHarmony

eHarmony doesn't offer a subscription below six months. A perk of the site in terms of price is that they sometimes offer discounts to registered members, or on special occasions such as Valentine's Day.

You can learn more about different plans and detailed eHarmony costs here.

6-month

premium membership

$

55.90

per month

24-month

premium membership

$

25.90

per month

Elite Singles

For Elite Singles, there is a premium and basic membership option. The basic option is free yet limited, just like eHarmony. It allows you to take a personality test and try basic site features. For the premium membership, there is no one-month option. Users must subscribe for at least three months. 

There are three subscription options for Elite Singles:

3-month

premium membership

$

57.95

per month

12-month

premium membership

$

31.95

per month

Winner: Elite Singles 

Elite Singles is the cheaper option of the two (but can you really put a price on love?). Seriously though, eHarmony is noticeably more expensive, even with a partial discount. 

One thing to note is that the costs can fluctuate, so keep this in mind when signing up.

9. App

Elite Singles and eHarmony have been around longer than the more modern dating apps. They were both late to the app game, but better late than never! 

eHarmony

eHarmony presents an elementary version of the website on the app. It has the same features as the desktop version and works for Android and iOS. The app is decent but not so brilliant.

Elite Singles

Elite Singles has an app for both Android and iOS, which you can use with Alexa and Siri. It can also integrate with your phone camera. You can use all the features through the app.

Winner: Elite Singles

It's all well and good that these dating sites have app versions of their desktop counterparts, but due to their targeted audience and serious-dating nature, most users prefer to use it on a desktop.

The apps will do the job, but this is no swipe game, so you may want to stick to the better quality versions on the desktop.

Although neither has an incredibly fantastic app, EliteSingles seems to run that bit smoother with more features.

10. Customer Service

If you compare the "Help" sections for eHarmony and Elite Singles, you'll find plenty of resources for both members and non-members. However, contacting customer service seems like it's a bit tricky for both sites.

eHarmony

eHarmony customer care

eHarmony has an FAQ center, which is easy for members to use. You can search for terms that you are looking for here, and you can also find the 'contact us' button in this 'Help' section.

eHarmony can be contacted by email or phone, and they are also active on social media, so customer support is available through those channels as well.

Elite Singles

Elite Singles' FAQ page is the primary way for people to troubleshoot their issues. This page displays popular search terms and some of its main categories. 

To contact the customer support team, you must scroll to a 'Contact Us' button at the bottom of the page, which will then redirect you to another page. They recommend you keep searching, but there is another contact button that should lead you to a form. 

Winner: eHarmony

The option to call or contact via social media is helpful. You also have a better chance of getting a response quicker with this platform.

Who is it for?

Both dating sites are best suited for those looking for serious relationships. 

eHarmony

eHarmony has users predominantly 30 years of age and older. Still, there is a very young-at-heart feel in the user community. Also, the site does not discriminate! No matter your preference, you are likely to find people that suit you and your lifestyle. It does attract those who are looking for serious relationships and potentially have marriage in mind.

Elite Singles

Elite Singles targets well-educated users. They claim that around 82% of their users hold a bachelor's degree. EliteSingles is for those looking for a high-achieving partner and a stable relationship. The predominant age range for users is from 30-50 years of age.

Overall Winner

There's a lot that I have weighed up here, comparing eHarmony and EliteSingles. While both seem to be popular choices, it's clear that eHarmony is better than Elite Singles. 

eHarmony doesn't discriminate based on your education or income level but takes an honest look at who you are as a person. This platform has a simplistic layout and better ease of use. Although it is more expensive, the initial sign-up process is incredibly thorough. eHarmony's matching process works based on science and human psychology. 

For those looking to find new love that will last, I believe eHarmony triumphs over Elite Singles.

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