The main difference between Zoosk and Tinder is in the concepts of the sites. Zoosk is designed as an exclusive dating site for American singles willing to use advanced behavioral algorithms to find the best matches, while Tinder is a global site that works for all and uses the simple yet effective swiping.
The battle between Zoosk and Tinder promises to be epic—Zoosk has 40+ million members, Tinder has 70+ million registered users, both are known as the top dating platforms, and both are competing and trying to attract more customers by offering singles something special.
So, who’ll win? Let’s see!
We downloaded both apps and spent around a month looking for matches and communicating with users on both Zoosk and Tinder and in our opinion, Zoosk is the platform that has won the competition due to higher efficiency and more exclusive experience.
Simply put, if you expect to find love in the shortest time and at a reasonable price, it will likely work better.
| Zoosk | Tinder |
|---|---|
| 11 million monthly visits, around 10 million visits from the United States | 90 million monthly visits, and around 9 million visits from the United States |
| Everyone can join for free, but moderators check every profile, and suspicious accounts are immediately suspended | Everyone can join for free, and the rules are less strict, so there may be some fake profiles |
| Upgrade to premium is a must for everyone who wants to communicate with other members, 1 premium plan with mid-range prices | Upgrade to premium is optional, 3 premium plans, the costs are a bit higher compared to Zoosk |
| Good mobile apps for both iOS and Android users | Good mobile apps for both iOS and Android users |
| There are profile boosts and special features like gifts that cost extra Zoosk coins | There are profile boosts that cost extra credits |
Matchmaking is better on Zoosk, and here’s why.
As Tinder users, we could only set some basic search criteria like the location; the truth is that’s the primary thing the algorithm focuses on. On top of that, as a Gold member, we could see that the location filter isn’t that effective as people who liked us were often from other countries despite us looking for matches only within 50 miles.
On Zoosk, the system is way more effective and sophisticated. It takes some time to teach the algorithm—you just need to swipe left and right, and the system will consider all your choices to suggest the best matches to you and improve the experience.
The platforms have very different policies regarding free and paid features. Which system works better? Let’s find out.
| Zoosk | Tinder |
|---|---|
| Registration, adding photos and details, passing multiple verification procedures to improve the response rate | Registration, adding photos and writing bios, photo verification to get more matches on the site |
| Carousel feature (swiping), likes, access to matches | Swiping feature, likes, access to matches |
| Super Send—a boost for new members to immediately make others notice you | Messaging (gets unlocked once you match with someone) |
| Dating Insights blog with useful tips | Sending 1 Super Like |
| Customer support | Customer support |
| Zoosk | Tinder |
|---|---|
| Instant messaging | Unlimited Likes & Rewinds |
| SmartPick behavioral matchmaking algorithm | International search |
| Invisible Mode | Additional free profile boost |
| Virtual gifts | See who likes you |
| Unlimited Crushes | Top Picks for a particular user |
| Zoosk | Tinder |
|---|---|
| Only 1 premium plan with different duration periods is available | 3 different types of premium membership |
| From $15 to $21.66 per month depending on the duration (3 or 6 months) | From $6 to $17.99 per month for Tinder Plus, From $9 to $26.99 per month for Gold, $11.25 to $35.99 per month for Platinum |
| Instant Crush special feature for extra 9.50 per month | Extra boosts, costs start at $11.99 per month |
| Coins can be spent on gifts & Crushes, costs start at $19.95 for 180 coins | Tinder is more expensive for older users who’ve already turned 28 |
| Zoosk | Tinder |
|---|---|
| Good modern, minimalistic design | Good modern, minimalistic design |
| All the main features can be accessed with one click | You need time to understand what those multiple icons mean |
| Carousel is super-easy to use—it works pretty much like Tinder swiping, and the system as a whole is intuitive | Website looks like a social networking site and navigation is pretty intuitive |
Tinder vs. Zoosk, so what site wins the battle? Generally speaking, Zoosk is more effective than Tinder due to better moderation, more real users, more interesting features, and fewer scammers and spammers.
Nonetheless, Tinder definitely has its advantages. After all, on this platform, people can find matches and communicate for free. So, it’s all about setting priorities, but if you’re seeking a higher level of safety and more exclusive matches, Zooks is likely to be the right website.
None of the sites is better or worse—they just will work better for different categories of singles. Zoosk is a more exclusive website with better moderation but premium messaging, while Tinder is a website where members can communicate for free.
Tinder has a larger user base—it’s around 70 million members, while Zoosk has around 40 million members worldwide. However, Zooks is a more exclusive site with more restricted countries, and it has 10 million users in the United States, while Tinder has around 9 million American users.
On both platforms, messaging is the main communication feature. There are some extra special features on Zoosk and Tinder; for example, on Zoosk, members can send virtual gifts, and on both sites, profile boosts are available.
Tinder has more young users—over 50% of its members are aged 18-34. Zoosk’s age distribution is nearly equal—there are members from all age categories, and people from the largest group of singles aged 25-34 outnumber others only by 1%.
