Hinge Tests Lower-Priced Subscription to Attract More Paying Users
Nov 05, 2026The dating app is experimenting with a less expensive plan and targeted discounts to encourage more free users to pay.
Hinge is attracting more paying users, but its parent company, Match Group, believes there's still room to grow among people who use the dating app without paying for its existing subscription plans. It's testing a lower-priced subscription developed with particular attention to women and other price-sensitive users, while separately offering targeted discounts to selected free users.
Third-quarter direct revenue, which includes subscriptions and other in-app purchases, increased 19% to approximately $221 million. Paying users rose 23% to 2.3 million, and monthly active users grew 12%.
Testing a Lower Price for Free Users
Hinge earns almost twice as much revenue per paying user as Tinder, another Match Group dating app, yet the proportion of Hinge users who pay is only slightly more than half Tinder's. Match Group CFO Steve Bailey highlighted that gap during the company's November 2 earnings call as an opportunity to reach more of Hinge's free audience.
The new subscription includes additional filters and more control over which locations appear in a user's search. Bailey said the plan was developed with particular attention to women. In early tests, conversion improved among both women and men, with a stronger response among women.
Match Group hasn't disclosed the plan's price or how much conversion improved. The company expects to expand the rollout during the fourth quarter.
Targeted Discounts Are Already Producing Results
Match Group is also identifying people who have spent time using Hinge but appear unlikely to subscribe at the regular price. Rather than lowering prices for everyone, it can offer those users a targeted discount. Management said the program has brought in additional paying customers and produced incremental revenue.
Hinge's average revenue per paying user fell 3% to $31.81 during the quarter, down from $32.87 a year earlier. According to management, targeted discounts were the largest contributor to the decline. Testing of the lower-priced subscription had a smaller effect, while international expansion also played a role because customers in some markets spend less on average.
Match Group hasn't disclosed how much incremental revenue the discount program generated or provided enough information to judge the longer-term profitability of either initiative.
Insider Take
Hinge's pricing experiment raises an interesting question about customers who use a subscription product regularly but never become paying subscribers.
Some may see value in the product without finding enough reason to pay for the existing plans. Hinge is testing whether a less expensive package with a different selection of features can change that calculation.
The company has reported improved conversion in early testing. What remains to be seen is whether those new paying customers will generate enough revenue over time to make the lower-priced offering worthwhile.
Related Member Resources
Hinge is testing whether a lower-priced offer can bring more of its free audience into paid plans. These resources help operators examine a pricing change and judge the quality of the growth it produces.
- How Subscription Pricing Works: A Beginner’s Guide (Includes Worksheet)
A practical guide to evaluating subscription prices, packages and customer response before changing an offer.
- Subscription Growth Quality Framework: Beyond Subscriber Adds (Includes Scorecard)
A framework for assessing the value and durability of subscriber growth, including changes in pricing and packaging.
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