Full Review of Zoosk Dating App 2023
- by
- Matt Marino
- | Updated:
- January 13, 2023
Zoosk is one of the most popular dating apps in the world, available in over 80 countries and 25 different languages. The online dating service was launched in 2007 and has grown into the premier brand in the massive Sparks Network – which includes apps like Christian Mingle and Elite Singles.
Our Zoosk review will teach you everything you need to know about the online dating app, take you through the entire sign-up process, and share a wide range of customer experiences. We’ll also give detailed advice on creating your profile to ensure maximum exposure.
Finally, we’ll discuss each of Zoosk’s power-up and booster features, designed to help get even more eyes on your profile and answer a handful of frequently asked questions. By the time you’re done on this page, you’ll be able to answer definitively whether Zoosk is the dating service for you! Maybe you’ll be the next addition to their lengthy list of “Success Stories.”
Our Zoosk App Rating
While conducting this Zoosk dating app review it became abundantly clear why it’s one of the most long-lasting and popular dating services on the market. The community consists of millions of users all over the planet and offers tons of creative fun ways to engage with each other.
What Zoosk does best is develop ways to “gamify” online dating — encouraging more interaction and enhancing the overall member experience.
The more active you are on the Zoosk online dating app, the more visible your profile becomes to other users. You’ll receive more profile views, more messages, and more general attention, boosting your popularity.
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Features | 3.5 |
| Ease of Use | 4.7 |
| Match Quality | 2.5 |
| Cost | 4.3 |
| Active User Base | 2.7 |
You’ll see links to purchase “coins” which can be used to boost your profile or activate other helpful enhancements.
- For example, the virtual currency system gives readers unique ways to reach out to each other or send “gifts” to grab their attention.
- Then there’s the “popularity” system that shows you how many Zoosk members are checking out your profile, for how long, and what you can do to improve those numbers.
Of course, the vast majority of the best Zoosk dating features are only available to paying subscribers. Luckily, our review of Zoosk.com found that this dating apps prices are cheaper than their closest competitors
Reasons to Join
- The proprietary “behavioral matchmaking” engine claims to use data and algorithmic recommendations to help users find partners.
- Users can choose to use matchmaking algorithms or search the entire userbase based on other preferences.
- Relative cheap monthly subscription rates.
- Integrated with Facebook for quick profile creation/photo uploads.
- A total user base of over 50 million / 500,000+ paying subscribers.
Reasons Not to Join
- Automatic subscription renewal.
- Lots of add-on costs for features.
- No customer support hotline.
- No refunds.
- Must pay to communicate with other users.
- Too many fake profiles.
Another plus is that, unlike other top-tier dating apps, creating a Zoosk profile takes almost no time at all. In fact, you’ll only need about five minutes to set up your free account before you’re browsing singles in your area.
Speaking of which, the website and app designs are both beautiful. On your home page, you’ll see a large, bright picture of one of your Zoosk matches, along with their basic profile information. From there, you can send them a like or smile, send a quick message, or swipe through to the next person. The layout is flawless and extremely convenient to use.
One of our favorite discoveries while reviewing the Zoosk dating app is the flexibility the app offers its users checking out potential future partners. Rather than limiting you to matches chosen by the service, you can use the search function to set any parameters you wish and browse the userbase for yourself.
In addition to the Search option available via the menu running along the left side of the page, you’ll find links to features, such as:
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“One of the most important concerns of online daters is going out with someone who doesn’t really resemble their profile picture,” Zoosk’s co-founder said in a statement. “By innovating a system for our members to validate the accuracy of existing profile photos, we believe we can create better first-date experiences that will lead to lasting relationships.”
"One of the most important concerns of online daters is going out with someone who doesn't really resemble their profile picture," Zoosk’s co-founder said in a statement. "By innovating a system for our members to validate the accuracy of existing profile photos, we believe we can create better first-date experiences that will lead to lasting relationships."
Very few dating apps implement measures to deal with inaccurate photos, so this feature scores major points in our review of Zoosk.
Who Is Zoosk For?
Zoosk mostly caters to a younger demographic — approximately 75 percent of the app’s users are under the age of 35. However, singles of any age are welcome to sign up.
Unlike other paid dating services, Zoosk does not limit the types of relationships it seeks to create. The service may be used by straight, bi, and homosexual singles looking for anything from friendship to casual hookups to lasting long-term relationships.
For bisexual subscribers, Zoosk will provide a second profile for free since you can only choose one gender preference per profile. That way, you’ll have one account for your women’s matches and another for men.
Overview of Zoosk
In order to properly conduct our Zoosk dating app review, our experts underwent the entire membership process, from creating an account to uploading pictures and upgrading our membership. Then, we filled out the basic info and answered some “About Me” questions until our profile was 100% complete.
Once the account was all set up, we bought Zoosk coins, purchased some membership add-ons and boosters, and began interacting with other singles. Our reviewer even set up a date with one of them! So, this Zoosk review was written after receiving the full user experience.
All-in-all, we enjoyed our time on the Zoosk dating app. There were lots of intriguing matches and even more ways to communicate with them. Zoosk truly excels at offering features that make meeting new people a lot more fun.
Zoosk Quick Facts
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Site Name | Zoosk.com |
| Key Info | • 500,000+ paying subscribers • Available in over 80 countries. • 75% of Zoosk users are under the age of 35. • Over 3 million messages are sent daily. |
| Cost of Membership | Zoosk prices start at $12.50 |
| Sign Up Time | Profile creation takes roughly 5 minutes. |
Zoosk.com Free Trial
We often see dating app reviews offering readers free trials – this can be slightly misleading. There’s a difference between setting up a free profile without upgrading one’s membership and an actual “free trial.”
With free trials, the user is given access to premium benefits for a short period of time after entering their payment information. After the trial, the subscription is automatically renewed into a paying membership and the customer is charged.
Zoosk isn’t running any free trial promotions currently. Nevertheless, you can sign up and create your profile for free.
Unlike many other dating services, you can see other members’ pictures and profiles without paying. Free users can even purchase Zoosk coins, which are redeemable for extra features, even if you still won’t have access to all the app has to offer.
Cost of Zoosk Membership
Compared to other top-ranked dating services, Zoosk is fairly cheap. They also offer affordable month-to-month options, so you’re not asked to make too much of an investment upfront. At only $29.95 per month, Zoosk is roughly half the cost per month of leading competitors.
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The monthly rate is significantly slashed if you choose the 3- or 6-month subscription options. If you choose a multi-month membership, the total cost is due at sign-up. They don’t offer installment plans for the longer terms.
Perks of a Paid Subscription:
- Unlimited messages
- See the full profiles of who’s viewed yours
- Chat with your connections
- Full access to SmartPicks
- Great Dates
Paid subscribers unlock the ability to send unlimited messages, smiles, and likes to other subscribers, and see the profiles of people who have viewed them. They can also connect using SmartPick introductions or go on virtual Great Dates with other singles.
As you’ll see in the following sections, Zoosk provides a wide range of upgrades to personalize your online dating experience. In addition to the features that come with a paid subscription, you can choose from a host of add-ons to further improve your interactions with other members.
Zoosk Coins
Zoosk coins are a form of online currency made specifically for use on the dating app. They can be purchased and used by paid subscribers and free members alike. The coins may then be redeemed to boost your profile, unlock Carousel matches, or buy gifts for other users.
Of course, some features are only available to premium members with Zoosk coins. For example, you must be a subscriber to purchase message delivery confirmations – which makes sense, seeing as you need to be a member to send messages in the first place!
So, keep that in mind before you use your coins to unlock a Carousel match. You’ll still need to upgrade before you can communicate with them.
The primary uses for Zoosk coins are:
- Boosting your profile – Boosts help you promote yourself to other members and increase your popularity much more quickly. The Boost feature highlights your profile and pushes it to the top of people’s search results. You’ll also show up in more members’ Carousel and your messages will be highlighted in your matches’ inbox.
- Go invisible – Zoosk coins can also make your profile less visible if you so choose. By going invisible, you can browse other members’ profiles anonymously for 30 minutes – meaning they won’t get a notification that you viewed their page.
- Buying virtual gifts – Coins may be redeemed for virtual gifts for other users. For example, you can send someone a bouquet of digital roses. These gifts help you stand out from the crowd. They show an added level of interest that goes beyond sending the typical like, smile, or message.
- Message delivery confirmations – One of the most useful features available for Zoosk coins is delivery confirmation for your sent messages. With this add-on, you’ll be notified when a specific message has been opened by its recipient. That way, you’ll know if your comment has been read, even if you’ve yet to receive a response.
Zoosk Dating App Features
Our Zoosk dating site review found that their app offers some of the best features in the industry – and lots of them! The most important features are included as part of the paid subscription. Here are the main benefits of upgrading your membership:
Great Dates is one of Zoosk’s newer features. It’s a way to connect with your match in a virtual dates setting – allowing you to get to know each other better from the safety of your own home. Then, if the Great Date goes well, you’ll be that much more comfortable with each other when it’s time to meet in person.
Zoosk offers a collection of unique virtual dates — each designed to inspire conversation and create a deeper connection with your prospective match. You can interact through video chat while exploring various locations and adventures together.
Great Dates are an excellent way to connect without having to worry about lulls in the conversation. The virtual activities will keep you both engaged and entertained.
Zoosk Live is a live stream service that allows members to create their own streaming broadcasts visible to the rest of the community. These streams are an effective way to meet other members and gain followers, thus boosting your profile popularity. You’ll find streams dedicated to a wide variety of topics and themes, making it easier to meet users with similar interests.
Zoosk Live Features:
- Watch Live Streams – see what members are talking about!
- Send messages and gifts to streamers.
- Watch Zoosk Live Battles – Streamers take on other streamers in a live contest or debate and the viewers decide who wins. You can also see the battle results in the Leaderboards section.
- Check out advertised stream events with popular members.
All users on the Zoosk dating app can access Zoosk Live regardless of their subscription status.
The Carousel is a feature that lets members use Zoosk in a way more similar to popular swipe-based dating apps. You can see the photo and ages of other users, then answer “yes,” “no,” or “maybe” to whether you’d be interested in meeting them.
If you select “yes” or “maybe,” that member receives a notification informing them that you’d like to meet. They’ll be asked if they’d like to meet you too. If you both want to meet, it creates a Mutual Match, and you can start a conversation in the messages. They’ll also appear in your Connections.
The Zoosk SmartPick feature evaluates compatibility between two members. The SmartPick algorithm learns from your Zoosk activity and Carousel votes to develop better match recommendations in the future. Your results can also be improved by answering a SmartPick Survey.
So, the longer you’re a Zoosk member and the more you use the service, the better it will get to know you and what you like. Your experience only improves with time!
One feature we enjoyed during our Zoosk review was Super Send. It’s a way to introduce yourself to many members at once. Just choose a message to break the ice, then the Super Send feature will send it to numerous singles at once. Whoever is interested in connecting can simply respond to your Super Send message and the conversation begins.
You’ll find the Super Send function by clicking the lightning bolt icon in the top right corner of the dating app or Zoosk website.
By subscribing for a paid membership, you’ll also unlock the ability to see which members viewed your profile. This is an especially useful feature because you know who liked your photos enough to check you out.
Just because they didn’t send the first message, doesn’t mean they’re not interested. They may be waiting for you to make the first move. Or maybe they’re just shy. Either way, it gives you a reason to communicate and see where things go.
Subscription Upgrades
Beyond buying Zoosk coins and the added benefits of being a paid subscriber, you can also purchase subscription upgrades. These are add-ons to your monthly membership that give you extra abilities and more control over what other users see.
Premium Messaging
Premium Messaging allows members to reply to your messages, even if they haven’t paid for a subscription. This massively increases the number of users with whom you can communicate. Up to seven times more people will be able to respond to your messages!
Of all the features our review of Zoosk analyzed, Premium Messaging is easily the most valuable.
Hide & Seek
The Hide & Seek feature gives members control over the attention they receive from other users. You can choose from three levels of visibility:
- Hide - Only the members you message can see your profile.
- Seek – Your profile is fully visible, and people are notified when you view them.
- Sneak – Your profile is fully visible, but you can check out other profiles without informing them that you viewed them.
Instant Crush
Instant Crush gives members two additional features while using the Carousel:
- Crushes – Rather than saying “yes” or “maybe” on the Carousel, grab their attention by letting up to five potential matches per day that you have a crush on them. According to Zoosk, members who receive a “crush” are five times more likely to start a conversation.
- Undos - If you accidentally pass on someone while flipping through the Carousel, this feature lets you go back and change your answer.
Customer Service Information
| User Base | Average Age of Members | Number of Active Members | Visits Per Month | Gender Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight, Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Singles | 25-34 years old | 50 million / 500,000 paid subscribers | 3.8 million | 48% Men | 52% Women |
If there’s one area in which Zoosk is lacking, it’s in their customer support section. There’s no customer service hotline available to call, or even a contact page. However, the Zoosk Help section does provide links to a wide range of articles with answers to frequently asked questions. You’ll also find a search bar to help you find the exact answer you need.
Here’s a selection of customer support questions that can be answered in the Zoosk Help section:
- I forgot my password. What should I do?
- How do I block a member or report abuse?
- How do I unblock someone?
- How do I change my location?
- How do I view and edit my profile?
- How do I change my email address?
- How can I get more messages and replies?
- Why my picture was removed?
- I think my Zoosk account has been hacked. What do I do?
- How do I add or delete a photo?
- Is there an option to keep my profile private or public?
- How do I change my gender or sexual preference?
You’ll also find the “Manage Your Account” section on the Zoosk Help page. There you can review and manage your subscription, set auto-reply messages, update payment methods, and change profile settings. You’ll also find controls for which notifications you receive and a list of any members you’ve blocked.
| Customer Service Pros and Cons | |
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| Pros |
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| Cons |
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Signing Up With Zoosk
Signing up with Zoosk is an extremely quick and painless process. It takes the least amount of time of all the dating apps we’ve reviewed. Just visit the website or download the Zoosk app on your mobile device.
1. Create a Zoosk Profile
New users start by filling out some basic information about themselves and their interests. You choose from a list of options regarding your gender and the gender for which you’re looking for in a partner. Then you set your location and birth date, provide an email address, and create a password.
Once you’ve answered these general questions, you can read Zoosk’s privacy policy and terms of use. Next, you’re asked about additional lifestyle habits and relationship preferences.
Here are some examples from the introduction questionnaire:
2. Upload Photos
Now it’s time to upload some profile pictures. If you’ve linked your Zoosk profile to your Facebook account, you can choose any of the photo albums from the social media platform and transfer them over to your dating profile. Otherwise, you’ll need to upload some pics from your phone or computer directly to the Zoosk website or app.
After you’ve selected a collection of photos that show multiple sides of your personality, it’s time to pick a profile picture. This is the first impression you’ll make, so it should be a recent photograph with a clear view of your face.
3. Complete Profile
Once you’ve got the basics done, it’s time to polish up your profile for maximum visibility. On your profile page, you’ll find a list of tasks required to complete your profile. This list includes things like uploading pictures, which we’ve already done.
The most important section on this list is the “icebreakers.” Here you’ll find a handful of questions and writing prompts to help you better show your personality and tell other members who you are and what exactly you’re looking for.
Three of the most popular icebreakers are My Story, Ideal Date, and Perfect Match.
- Dream Vacation
- My #1 sports team is...
- My workout routine is...
- Mountain or sea?
- On a desert island, I would need...
- Soundtrack to my life
- TV or cinema?
- Favorite thing about my hometown is...
- Favorite pizza topping
- My most surprising talent is...
The more of these questions you answer, the better your profile will be!
4. Import or Update Your Interests
The interest section is another way to improve your profile and ensure you and your matches have something in common. If you’ve linked your Facebook account to Zoosk, you can simply import your interests from there. Otherwise, you can go through the lists of interests provided by Zoosk and pick the ones that apply to you.
- Comedy
- Festivals
- Sports fan
- Writing
- Sports
- Walking
- Indie/Alternative
- Dining
- Dive bars
- Blogging
5. Verify Your Account
Verifying your account is a crucial step if you’re seriously trying to date on Zoosk. By verifying your phone number and/or connecting your Facebook and Twitter accounts, you can prove that you are who you say that you are. That way, potential matches can be confident that your profile is not a bot or scammer.
6. Buy Add-On and Subscription Upgrades
You’re all set up and your profile is complete! All that’s left to do now is upgrade your subscription and add on any additional features you may want. Maybe buy some Zoosk coins to boost your profile for a bit – get some early activity going!
Then, take a look at the singles in your area and start communicating with them. Hopefully, you find love as quickly as it took to set up this profile!
What People Are Saying About Zoosk
Now that you’ve read our Zoosk review, you probably want to see a few more opinions from recent users of the dating service. That’s totally understandable – so, we’ve included a handful of customer reviews found at SiteJabber.com.
The Zoosk reviews included in this section make up a decent representation of the full range of feedback left on the site.
Alternatives to Zoosk
If Zoosk doesn’t provide the dating service you’re looking for, here are some of the other dating apps we’ve reviewed that may better match your needs:
Zoosk FAQ
Zoosk can be used to make all sorts of connections– from friendships to casual hookups, to Long-term relationships.
Yes, the same exact features are available on the Zoosk app and website.
Zoosk uses a proprietary behavioral matchmaking engine to determine your matches. It also uses the answers provided to smartmatch to improve its algorithms.
Zoosk coins can be redeemed for profile boosts, gifts, temporary invisibility, and message delivery receipts.
Yes, but your ability to communicate with other members is significantly limited.
Free memberships can complete a profile and look at other profiles. However, you must pay for a subscription before you can communicate with other members or go on virtual dates.
On your profile Page, other members can see your pictures, basic information, interests, icebreaker answers, and whether you’re verified. If you want to see for yourself, go to your profile Page and click “preview profile.”
No, your Zoosk profile doesn’t include personal information besides your first Name. None of your pictures Will be linked to your Google search results.
Yes, it is! If you’re concerned about safety you can find several articles highlighting steps to take to remain safe on the help Zoosk Page.
Yes, you can. You can manage your block list on your account settings Page.
Absolutely! Zoosk has a sizable user base with tons of excellent features. If you’re looking for interesting singles in your area, it’s worth a try.