In a Nutshell
pros
- Best reputation in the industry
- AI algorithm that updates for more accurate matches
- Tons of search and fun features
cons
- Long initial questionnaire to get started
- No instant approval
Whether you are straight, gay, or lesbian, after fun and romance or a serious long term relationship Match is the place to, indeed, find your match.
Features
Match is dating the smart way. Their distinguished matchmaking personality test was created by Dr. Helen Fisher, an internationally renowned biological anthropologist. This personality test was designed not only as a self-evaluation guide but also as a scientific parameter in their compatibility calculations. Using your answers, Match will send you a daily email with five profiles, all based on calculated compatibility.
This matchmaking ability is known as Synapse, and your daily matches are sent based on your profile preferences, your on-site interactions and your behaviour based predictions of what you might like. In this way, match guarantee smarter matches than a matchmaking service that matches you based on random features such as age or location. Try the fun reverse match or mutual match, which can help you see what impression your profile is giving off so that you can edit it later.
Once you decide it’s time to break the ice with someone, upgrade to a full membership. Send winks, send messages and use the instant messenger facility as well. There are of course articles to read and also online blogs and forums to participate in. Forums are always a fun and interesting way to meet like-minded people and form connections and friendships.
Sign up
Signing up to Match is a happy medium between the two popular styles of dating websites. Some will ask you to spend up to an hour filling out in-depth personality profiles and compatibility quizzes. Match knows that many busy people don’t have time for this, and that lots of us are looking for some fun rather than a marriage contract. However, they also understand that there is little point simply entering an email address and being thrown in at the deep end without any understanding of who you are or what you’re searching for.
As such, the sign in takes about five minutes, and involves you entering some basic info about yourself. This is the point at which you specify your gender and the gender you're looking for, meaning that Match is a great site for gay and lesbian singles as well. Add some more info about your interests, appearance and your lifestyle to finish this first step of the sign up process. At any point you can choose to add additional information about any of these areas.
You can then enter some features you are looking for in a match. One element we absolutely love here is the ‘Deal breaker’ tag, allowing you to say that a feature is an absolute no for you. For example, if they don’t want kids, or are not religious.
Before your sign up is complete, you will need to enter about 200 characters about yourself before you can start browsing singles. Have a think about your first impression to other users, and do read the samples given as helpful tips and advice, but don’t overthink this, you can always change it later if you aren’t happy with the attention you’re receiving. Finally, upload a photo, and you’re good to go.
Safety
Safety is a priority on Match Australia. The site has a great deal of information about its own safety policies and also about what the law states as well. Match Australia also provides straightforward and sensible advice about online and offline safety, as well as a FAQ section, and a direct place to report any malicious or suspicious behaviour on the site.
Tips for online safety include ensuring that after each session you logout of your account. Keep your password secret and avoid sharing it with others. Dating should be fun and enjoyable, but taking care is very important as well.
Prices
Match offers a competitive pricing structure. If you want to simply try out the full functionality of the site, sign up for 3 months, which will cost you $34.99/month, or $37.99 per month for the Best Value option, opening up a profile highlight and some additional features. This is the most expensive way to subscribe. However, we absolutely love the 6 month membership, which as well as being competitively priced at only $26.99 per month, ($27.99 for the Best Value option) also comes with the Match guarantee. If you haven’t met someone during those 6 months, you get another 6 months free of charge. You can’t say fairer than that. Please note that all prices are in USD.
Ease of Use
Match AU excels at encouraging its members to communicate with one another. Their emailing “wizard” feature provides the sender a screenshot of the recipient’s “About Me” information making it easy to compose a personalized message.
Moreover, after emailing a potential date, Match generates list of people whose stats and likes/interests are similar to those of the recipient of the email you’ve just sent. This unique feature helps the site zero-in on successful matches and also provides you with targeted options and choices. These easy to use tools allow you to reach out to as many people as you can thereby increasing your chances of finding a perfect match. The home page is laid out really well, with live chat on the right hand side so you can see who’s available to talk at a glance.
Like most online dating services, Match offers an app for iOS and Android devices so you can use the site's full functionality on-the-go, as well. Never miss a match or a message again thanks to push notifications that pop up in your phone's notification bar.
The Search
Unlike other dating sites, Match offers matchmaking and search tools. The search begins with your personality test, but certainly doesn’t end there. You can check the 5 new matches sent to your inbox every day, or run a search yourself. Search only those members online now, or only those with a photo. You can even search “Reverse Match”, meaning those who are searching for you, or “Mutual Match”, meaning you’re searching for each other. Their advanced search allows you to choose from even more customizable search options including location, age, “Background/Values”, “Lifestyle”, “Interests” and appearance. Uniquely, they also offer a keyword search.
What’s more, search results are displayed in a clear and organized way so you can sort them according to your preferences. View the newest members first, or the most active members first. Match makes it easy to customize your search entirely.
Bottom Line
Match Australia is a world leader in online dating, and it’s easy to see why. With an easy-to-use interface, scientific matchmaking tools alongside a simple and intuitive search function, and hundreds of thousands of Australian singles, they are a fantastic choice for long-term or casual relationships online.
