What Are the Different Matching Systems in Online Dating?

A few years ago, most of my friends had profiles on dating apps. One of our favorite activities after a night out was to look through each other’s matches. It was a fun way to do a bit of extra vetting for our friends and make sure their potential dates were top-notch.

But on top of being a fun way to show up for each other, looking through each other’s matches showed us how swiping through an app looked very similar or different depending on whose profile we were on. Some of my girlfriends were shown many of the same profiles in a similar order. Guy friends would occasionally run out of profiles, something that seldom happened for me on large-scale general apps (Tinder, Bumble, Hinge).

Online dating platforms use various matching systems to connect users based on different criteria. These systems can differ significantly depending on the platform’s focus and target audience. 

One person’s swiping experience can be markedly different depending on the platform they’re using, and two people can have wildly different experiences on the same app. 

Knowing the strategies different platforms use to match their users can help you understand why you get the matches you do and help you choose the right dating platforms for your relationship goals. I’ll walk you through the potential ways that online dating platforms are choosing matches for you so you can make informed choices about your compatibility.

Definition of a Matching System

All dating platforms — even ones where you swipe through seemingly undifferentiated profiles — have matching systems. A matching system refers to the method or technology used to pair users with potential partners based on certain algorithms, preferences, or behavioral data. Matching systems are the ways that dating platforms choose to organize data, which then becomes your experience on the platform.

Why It Matters

A good matching system increases the likelihood of meaningful connections. Whether you’re given five matches in a day to speak to or presented with profiles to swipe through, the people you’re shown — and importantly, shown first — are the people you’re going to go out with.

The more compatible you are with your matches, the more likely it is that you’ll have a good connection. You’ll spend less time scrolling and more time chatting. You’ll find yourself less frustrated with the experience of choosing dates — it will be clear who you want to go out with.

How Matching Systems Work

Even when users have very limited profiles, dating platforms can still match them. The matching process can seem mysterious, but there are a few baseline inputs that different dating platforms use to choose matches.

Algorithms Analyze Data

You may not think you’ve given a dating platform much data, but there’s always something there. Most dating platforms start by taking in the information on user profiles. This includes personal information like height, preferences, interests, and even images.

They’ll also analyze your compatibility criteria — standards you have for a potential partner. Age, location, interests, relationship goals, and personality traits can all be important components of this, and they’re usually a quick way to filter out large swaths of profiles. If your age range is set from 24 to 36, you shouldn’t be seeing people in their sixties, for example.

Some platforms will take user behavior on their app into account, like activity history, chats, and exchanging phone numbers to assess who is a good match. More active profiles are more likely to be shown as more desirable.

Automated Matching

Some dating platforms connect users based on the same preset compatibility criteria, such as hobbies, age, or location. They tend to have less precise matches, connecting singles off a few pieces of binary information and not the whole of their profiles.

4 Types of Matching Systems

Generally speaking, there are four main types of matching systems platforms choose between. Each has its own benefits and drawbacks, and may or may not work for the types of relationships you’re trying to find.

1. Tinder-Like Swipe Systems

You’re probably most familiar with swipe-based apps, like Tinder. On these platforms, users swipe left to reject or right to accept potential matches.

These apps are primarily based on photos and brief profile information; i.e., they’re physical-attraction-based. Profiles are usually ordered based on general popularity, not by compatibility with each individual.

It’s fast and easy to use these platforms, both to launch your profile and to swipe through. But they can be superficial or shallow, leading you to focus on looks over values.

2. Detailed Personality Matching

On the opposite side of the spectrum, some platforms like Match and eharmony use detailed personality matching to create highly compatible matches. On these apps, users fill out in-depth questionnaires about personality, lifestyle, and values and receive very specific matches afterward.

Users may take personality assessments and list long-term relationship goals, core values, and psychological traits. This work can lead to more meaningful connections, but may require more time and effort to complete the profile. You may also use fewer matches, though they tend to be higher quality.

3. Niche Community Matching

Some platforms are based on niche community preferences such as sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or hobbies. While their matching system will often take other factors into account, focusing the platforms on one particular community allows for specific criteria related to niche communities or types. A Baptist single may not get more specific about their faith than writing “Christian” on Tinder, but on ChristianMingle, they can get specific about their denomination.

These apps allow for more targeted matches, especially for those who have a particular identity that’s especially important to them. But these apps limit your pool of potential partners, especially outside big cities. They can also close you off to potential matches who share your identity but may be less focused on it and thus use more general dating platforms.

4. Geolocation-Based Matching

Some platforms use geolocation data to connect people based on proximity and location, with users being shown people nearby. Happn and Grindr both connect people in the same area, which allows for more spontaneous and organic connections.

While geolocation-based matches are great for meeting locals, they may be limiting for those looking for long-distance connections. When I knew I was moving to Atlanta, for example, I set my location there on Hinge despite living in San Francisco. You can’t do that with a location-based app.

Factors That Go Into It

Different matching systems make more or less sense for the different goals of each app. 

Target Audience

The target demographic of a dating platform is perhaps the biggest influence in deciding the type of matching system. Some platforms — like Tinder — skew younger, which makes sense for more casual swipe systems over more personalized matching. 

Platforms need to consider what their users prioritize in their dating, whether it be convenience, speed, depth, or lifestyle compatibility.

Platform Goals

Some dating platforms overtly have a unique dating goal. eharmony, for example, is focused on producing highly compatible, long-term relationships. Their compatibility matching thus makes a ton of sense.

If a platform advertises itself as being for a particular type of relationship goal, its matching structure should make sense for achieving it. 

User Experience

One way that apps differentiate themselves is by the quality and uniqueness of their user experience. The amount of profile information asked or the types of questions on an app can lead to different user experiences that may keep singles on the platform or make them go elsewhere.

Hinge is known for its sleek design and fun prompts, which make the app not just useful but enjoyable to use. Hinge’s prompts increase the compatibility of its matches, but they also serve to make the experience of using the app a positive one.

Technological Approach

The type of software a particular platform uses is increasingly becoming a differentiating factor for dating platforms, and that divergence will likely continue in coming years.

AI and Machine Learning

Some platforms have begun using AI to learn from user behavior and refine matches over time, such as Tinder’s Smart Photos, which uses past interaction to order your profile photos. 

Some platforms, like the matchmaking app KeeperAi, use large language learning models to holistically analyze the text of a dating profile, creating matches closer to the quality of an actual person.

Psychological Matching

Platforms like eharmony rely on psychological research to match users based on personality traits and long-term compatibility. After users complete an in-depth personality test, the platforms compare each user’s data to find similar matches. 

OkCupid and eharmony are both transparent in their matchmaking and offer compatibility ratings with categories for things like common interests and lifestyle.

These systems often create highly compatible matches, though they’re usually comparing answers to specific questions instead of overall profiles, like we’re beginning to see with AI-integrated platforms.

Privacy and Data Collection

Dating platforms vary widely in terms of how much personal data users are required to share and how it influences the accuracy of matches. Some platforms — especially for LGBTQ+ people — avoid requiring too much user data for security reasons. While this is great for user privacy, it can make it difficult to create highly specific matches.

Advantages and Disadvantages

There are reasons that a particular type of matching system may seem more or less appealing, and this may even evolve over the course of one person’s life. 

Swipe-Based Systems

Swipe-based systems are quick, easy, and visually engaging. It’s fun to swipe through different profiles and think about dating different types of people. Being on a swipe-based app takes little time to set up, making it easy to go online noncommittally. 

But these systems can be superficial. Even without wanting to, you may find yourself making choices about who you date based on initial physical attraction and not the content of their profiles. Short profiles can lack some depth, making it even harder to choose dates based on compatibility. And with so many options, you may experience “choice overload,” making it harder to match with anyone at all.

Personality-Based Systems

If you’re looking for long-term love, personality-based matching systems are probably your best bet. These offer a high potential for long-term compatibility and deeper connections. Most people on platforms that use personality-based matching are in it for the long run, so you’re less likely to encounter less serious daters, too.

At the same time, these platforms take a long time to set up. And with their long personality surveys and forms, it may feel like a “quiz” rather than a fun experience.

Interest-Based Systems

If there’s a facet of your life that may be an important part of your relationships, dating with that interest or identity in mind is a good idea. You’ll match with people with similar hobbies or passions, creating natural conversation starters.

Sometimes, though, it’s important to be open to people who are different from you. Interest-based systems can lead to less diverse connections and close you off to matches for superficial reasons.

Location-Based Systems

Location-based systems can be wildly convenient. Wouldn’t it be awesome to fall in love with someone down the street? They’re great for meeting people nearby and arranging real-life meetings.

But if you live in a sparsely populated area, you may have a limited pool of users. And while location-based apps won’t give other users your exact location, just your proximity, matching with people in your immediate area could raise some privacy concerns.

The Future of Matching in Online Dating

Dating platform technology is changing rapidly. As more people use dating apps to find love and connection, the hunger for dating innovation will only grow.

AI-Driven Personalization

No facet of online dating technology is more exciting than AI. Many platforms are experimenting with AI integration now, using it to help singles get advice, structure their profiles, tailor their conversations, and, of course, find great matches.

As more apps use machine learning and AI to pair potential matches, they might evolve to create even more accurate and personalized pairings. 

Video Profiles and Virtual Interaction

Video dating is becoming an increasingly important part of online dating. Some platforms, such as The Zero Date, even use video dating as the first part of the matching process. In the future, we can expect to see more platforms use video profiles to get a more dynamic component in the dating process and more video dating to determine compatibility.

Ethical Considerations

Any new technology comes with its own ethical implications, both foreseen and unexpected. Dating platforms will have to reckon with privacy concerns as they have access to more user data, data security measures to fight increasingly sophisticated bad actors, and the potential for discrimination in matching algorithms.

Matchmaking Is Only the First Step

Some people believe you have just one soul mate. But I think we all have plenty of people out there who we could fall in love with, given the right circumstances. You don’t have just one good match, but to connect with someone, you need to meet in the first place. The right matching system can expose you to people you have a shot at building a connection.

For some people, that means swiping through as many people as possible and making determinations based on instinct. For others, it means having a platform heavily vet profiles and calculating the best odds of a stellar first date. Others may just want people as physically close as possible. 

But once you find someone who makes sense for you, it’s up to you to make the relationship work. A highly compatible match is wonderful, but it’s no guarantee that you’ll live happily ever after. Dating platforms can start the engine of your relationship, but you’ve got to steer.