As Bumble continues to grow its user base, they have introduced additional paid features under the name “Bumble Premium.” But with a relatively high subscription fee compared to competitors, you may be wondering – is Bumble Premium really worth it?
Let’s find out!
After reading, you’ll have all the information you need to decide if upgrading to Bumble Premium is right for your dating life or if you’re better off sticking with free Bumble.
What is Bumble Premium?
Bumble Premium is a paid subscription that unlocks extra features not included in the free version of the popular dating app.
Bumble first launched premium paid services under the name “Bumble Boost.” Then it split the premium features into two tiers: “Bumble Boost” and “Bumble Premium”.
So in short, Bumble Premium is an upgrade unlocking additional perks and functionality to enhance your experience using the Bumble dating app.
These premium features are aimed at helping users make better connections by increasing visibility, extending time limits, and generally removing some of the friction points commonly found on free dating apps.
Now let’s take a closer look at exactly what features you get access to with a Bumble Premium subscription.
Bumble Premium Features
Bumble Premium includes a robust set of features focused on improving your prospects of making meaningful matches. Here’s an overview of everything that’s included:
Unlimited Swipes
One of the most frustrating parts of free Bumble can be running out of swipes each day. Bumble Premium removes swipe limits entirely, allowing you to review as many potential matches as you want in a day.
This is especially useful for users living in larger cities where the daily allotment of 100 swipes can go quickly. It also helps when traveling to tap into other dating markets without worrying about caps.
Unlimited Filters
Filters help refine the profiles appearing in your swarm by attributes like height, religion, education level, wanting kids, astrological signs, and more.
With Bumble Premium you can set as many advanced filters as you want instead of being restricted to just two on the free version. Additional filters mean more precision in curating profiles well-suited to your preferences.
You can also set filters as “deal breakers” ensuring no profiles outside that criteria ever show up. For example, designating the smoking filter as a deal breaker guarantees smokers won’t appear at all in your swarm.
Beeline – See Everyone Who Already Likes You
Bumble’s Beeline is a special feed showing you users who have already liked your profile. Free Bumble only shows one profile from the Beeline at a time, while Bumble Premium gives you access to everyone who’s already expressed interest.
The advantage here is knowing any match from the Beeline is guaranteed since they’ve already swiped right on you first. This can be a big confidence boost while also saving time since you know there’s interest before swiping.
Access to the full Beeline queue is a hugely valuable feature for anyone wanting more control over their Bumble experience.
Rematch Expired Connections
Ever have a promising match expire because one person didn’t send the first message in time?
Bumble Premium lets you “rematch” any expired connections that you were responsible for expiring (i.e. you didn’t send the required message within 24 hours).
This provides a valuable second chance with matches you may have accidentally missed connecting with the first time around.
Travel Mode
Travel mode lets you change your location to any city worldwide to connect with matches around the globe. This is perfect for frequent travelers who want dating prospects wherever their adventures take them.
You can enable travel mode by tapping the profile icon > settings > location. Toggle “Set Travel Location” and then search for your desired destination city.
One limitation is travel mode can currently only be enabled on iOS and Android devices, not through the Bumble web interface.
Extend Matches
Running out of time to send the first message is a common frustration point on Bumble since women have to message first in heterosexual matches.
Bumble’s extend feature lengthens the window for sending an opening message, buying you more time to craft something clever or unique.
Free Bumble provides one daily extension while Bumble Premium offers an unlimited number of match extends every 24 hours. This added flexibility helps reduce the pressure of needing to message matches immediately before they expire.
Spotlight
Spotlight increases the visibility of your Bumble profile at the top of the match queue in your area once per week. This drives more impressions and engagements for 30 minutes so you can make connections who may have otherwise missed you.
While any Bumble user can purchase spotlights a la carte, a free weekly spotlight is included with Bumble Premium.
SuperSwipe
SuperSwipe lets you signal extra interest in a profile so they know you “Super Liked” them before matching. You’re 10x more likely to match with someone if you SuperSwipe them.
Bumble Premium provides 5 free SuperSwipes per week compared to being available only as a paid add-on in free Bumble.
Incognito Mode
Incognito mode allows you to swipe under the radar without showing up in other user’s stacks during that time. Great for when you need a break or want to quietly explore options.
Incognito is an exclusive feature only accessible by Bumble Premium subscribers.
Bumble Premium vs Free Bumble
Bumble offers a robust experience even without paying for Premium. However, upgrading unlocks tangible advantages that can increase your connecting prospects depending on what you’re looking for from the app.
Here’s a snapshot view of how key aspects of the paid and free versions compare:
| Features | Bumble Premium | Free Bumble |
| Beeline Access | Unlimited | 1 Profile Daily |
| Number of Filters | Unlimited | Basic Filters |
| Swipe Limits | None | 25-50 Daily Swipes |
| Spotlights Per Week | 1 | None, Pay-Per-Use |
| SuperSwipes Per Week | 5 | None, Pay-Per-Use Only |
| Match Extend | Unlimited Daily | 1 Daily Extend |
| Incognito Browsing | ✅ | ❌ |
| Travel Mode | ✅ | ❌ |
| Rematch Expired Connections | ✅ | ❌ |
Reviewing this table makes it clear Bumble Premium offers tangible advantages, especially regarding dealbreakers, unlimited browsing, and second chances with expired matches.
However, plenty of users find success with Free Bumble as well by being selective and putting effort into making thoughtful connections daily.
Ultimately it comes down to your personal preferences, habits on the app, and what specific pain points you want to solve with added features. We’ll explore whether the monthly price is justified later in this piece.
How Much Does Bumble Premium Cost?
Bumble Premium runs on a subscription basis at the following price points:
- 1 Week Subscription – $19.99
- 1 Month Subscription – $39.99
- 3 Month Subscription – $76.99
- Lifetime Subscription – $229.99 (one-time fee)
There are often limited-time discounts offered making packages slightly cheaper than list prices above.
To put this pricing in perspective, here’s how it compares to the monthly cost of premium subscriptions on other top dating apps:
- Bumble Premium: $39.99/month
- Hinge Preferred: $29.99/month
- Tinder Gold: $26.99/month
- Match.com: $23.99/month
You can see that relative to the competition, Bumble Premium sits at the higher end of pricing for premium online dating subscriptions. Whether the features justify the higher monthly fee depends on your personal dating behavior and budget.
Next, let’s walk through whether Bumble Premium offers enough value to warrant the pricing.
Is Bumble Premium Worth the Cost?
Whether Bumble Premium is “worth it” comes down to your personal dating habits, budget, and what specific problems you’re looking to solve.
For some users, the free version delivers on their needs for meeting people without any upgrades. For others, seeing the beeline, adding advanced filters, and removing daily swipe limits provides tremendous value worth paying for.
Here are some key questions to ask yourself when deciding if Bumble Premium makes sense:
Are you a power user exceeding daily swipe limits?
Active daters living in large cities can burn through the free swipes quickly. Unlimited swiping is easily worth $39 if you’d otherwise be capped daily.
However, if you’re more selective and infrequently run out of swipes, this becomes less of a concern.
Do you travel frequently or across cities often?
Travel mode and location flexibility are extremely convenient for users bouncing around cities. Without it, your profile goes inactive when leaving an area which means losing any existing conversations or matches.
Frequent travelers can definitely justify upgrading for this reason alone. For homebodies unlikely to relocate in the short term, less critical.
How often do your promising matches expire?
Having the ability to “rematch” with expired connections you accidentally missed messaging in time can be huge for avoiding missed opportunities.
If you regularly have promising matches fall through the cracks because of the short 24-hour messaging window, Bumble Premium effectively pays for itself by recapturing those.
But if you stay closely engaged with new matches before they expire, you likely won’t get much from this.
Are you willing to invest in your dating life?
Ultimately finding love and meaningful relationships is hugely important for mental health and happiness. That has inherent value worth investing in for many singles.
If you have the financial means and are serious about meeting someone, Bumble Premium can deliver a lot of advantages increasing your exposure, control, and connections.
Think of it as paying a personal assistant to optimize introductions for you behind the scenes. Effectively it saves you time while working nonstop to spotlight your profile.
Tips for Evaluating Cost Based on Habits
Here are some questions to ask reflecting on your habits and experience using Bumble that can help evaluate if Premium pricing suits your needs:
- How frequently are you logging into the app weekly?
- On average, how many profiles are you liking per week?
- What % of your existing matches result in actual conversations?
- How often do promising connections expire before you message?
- How frequently do you travel or relocate between cities?
The more you actively use the platform, fall victim to expiring matches, bounce across locations, and run into free version limitations…the more value Bumble Premium can provide for your dating life.
On the other hand, if you only log into the app occasionally for casual browsing, tend to let expiration timers lapse, and remain mostly stationary, the free features likely satisfy your needs without paying extra.
As you reflect on your own current habits and objectives, it becomes much clearer whether upgrading makes practical sense or if sticking with free Bumble will suffice.
Before Paying: Experiment With Free Bumble Tools First
While Bumble Premium unlocks some nice advantages, the free version still offers helpful features to improve your experience without paying immediately.
Here are some ways to get more from free Bumble you may want to experiment with before deciding if an upgrade makes sense long-term:
Utilize All Photo Slots
Upload your full allotment of 6 photos to showcase diverse interests and personality. Leaving empty slots wastes opportunities making a great first impression.
Craft Clever or Funny Responses to Profile Prompts
Go beyond boring one-word answers in your bio prompts. Getting creative shows personality and gives matches an easy conversation starter tailored to your humor.
Send GIFs or Play the Question Game
Bumble’s built-in Giphy integration and “Question Game” icebreakers make messaging fun instead of interviews. Leverage them to start conversations with a laugh.
Hand Out Compliments When Warranted
Thoughtfully compliment something specific in their profile if genuinely warranted based on a shared interest or clever bio answer. Avoid generic comments about mere physical appearance.
Ask Good Questions Tailored To Their Profile
Review match bios thoroughly and ask engaging questions that show you paid attention to their stated interests, quirks, or lifestyle. It immediately shows care towards getting them (not just dates).
Little efforts like these using free tools available can make someone feel special without gimmicks. Determine how far basic intentionality takes you before assessing if paid upgrades become necessary down the line.
The Bottom Line
Bumble Premium isn’t universally essential, but can prove tremendously useful under the right circumstances. Take an honest assessment of your own habits using this guide to determine if now’s the right time to upgrade.
When applied strategically, Bumble Premium becomes a valuable dating assistant putting your profile front and center until you make the connections you’re looking for!
