File image: Hinge
It’s also a U-turn of sorts, since Hinge tried a pricier tier in 2023. Hinge made $31.81 per payer a month in Q3, against $18.02 at Tinder. Payers rose 23 percent to 2.3 million, though Tinder still has 8.9 million. Revenue per payer slipped 3 percent year on year, and from $33.11 in Q2, as the base swelled.
CFO Steve Bailey said the plan is designed for women in particular, along with price-sensitive users. He didn’t reveal the price. Bailey’s reasoning was simple. Hinge is one of Match’s costliest products, with revenue per payer nearly double Tinder’s. But its payer penetration is only slightly more than half of Tinder’s. People who pay, pay well. Too few pay. A cheaper plan could push it lower. That strength gives Match room to experiment. Dating app users are tired of subscriptions, endless swiping and a so-so overall experience, and many question whether premium features are worth the money. A lower entry price could win some of them over without a big upfront ask. Match is also trying to make its apps feel less like dating apps. Group Hangouts and Events are live, and the company will ramp them up in Q4. Real-time adaptive recommendations for Tinder start testing then too, reacting to user actions in seconds rather than hours. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.
Hinge is testing a cheaper subscription plan, Match Group said on its Q3 2026 earnings call on Monday. Monthly active users grew 12 percent. Direct revenue, which covers subscriptions and in-app purchases, jumped 19 percent to $221 million, and operating income climbed 52 percent to $70 million. Tinder’s direct revenue slipped 2 percent to $480 million, with payers down 4 percent.
The new tier adds extra filters and custom location boundaries, giving users more say over who they see and where they meet them. Hinge isn’t struggling, though.