When looking for a dating site, you want to join one that takes matching people up seriously. Here is our honest Zoosk.com review.

— Pros and Cons of Zoosk —

Pros

• Robust matchmaking engine that genuinely learns the more you use the site
• Verified profile pics
• Intuitive and uncluttered user interface
• Large database of active users (over 30 million)

Cons

• Free version insufficient to properly appreciate the site
• No video chat feature
• Requires use of mobile app to get profile pic verified

— In-Depth Zoosk Review —

Zoosk originally launched in 2007, was founded by two engineers — one a former employee at Microsoft; the other a former NASA engineer. With that sort of pedigree, it is no surprise that Zoosk presently has one of the most innovative match-finding engines in the industry.

Of course, being cutting edge with technology doesn’t necessarily guarantee a positive experience from the point of view of the users. This is why we have undertaken this comprehensive Zoosk.com review — to identify its strong points, as well as its weaknesses. Feel free to use this practical analysis of its performance to determine if it is a dating site that merits consideration for you.

— Registration Process —

The registration process for Zoosk is on par with other dating sites. They ask for your basic personal information, such as geographic location, body type, level of education, etc. Zoosk also allows you to register by using either your Facebook or Google account credentials. This can accelerate the registration process and makes accessing the site much easier. It also eliminates the risk of you forgetting the password for the site.

The only downside to registering with your Facebook or Google credentials is that while the permissions that you give to Zoosk do not allow it to post on your timeline on your behalf, some complaints intimating the contrary have been voiced by members online. In the majority of the instances, it is apparently due to the users themselves changing the settings on their accounts. However, if you seek complete privacy regarding your usage of an online dating site, it is probably best to register directly through Zoosk and avoid using your social media credentials.

— Zoosk Mobile App —

Zoosk can be accessed via a traditional web browser on your computer, or through its Apple and Android apps. The Zoosk mobile apps can be downloaded directly from their respective repositories. They are available free of charge and offer the full functionality that can be found on the web client of the site.

— Zoosk Cost —

Monthly Membership

Cost of Coins

There is a free version of Zoosk. This version, however, doesn’t really offer a user an opportunity to properly gauge the value of the site. Unlike other sites that give users a certain number of days to try some of their premium features, the free version of Zoosk prevents the user from using any of their premium features. This is a shame because as you shall read further in this review, Zoosk offers several features that are interesting and robust in finding matches.

Membership is charged on a monthly basis. The standard monthly fee is $29.95. There are 3-month and 6-month plans that bring the average monthly price down to $19.98 and $12.49, respectively.

Coins are used to unlock special features including but not limited to carousel matches, and boosting the exposure of your profile.

— Zoosk Match Finding Engine —

One of the most interesting things we discovered during our Zoosk.com review, is their use of technology. Using what they call a “proprietary behavioral matchmaking engine,” the site uses the actions taken by the users to “learn” more about them. Through a complex layer of algorithmic analysis, the site then compares all of these match points with the other members in their 30 million strong database. This results in improved match results for the users.

— User Experience —

The user experience on Zoosk is quite good. While it lacks some of the flashier visual elements of other dating sites, such as video chats, it never looks or feels dated. The user interface is modern and intuitive. For those of you that prefer navigating around sites with a “clean” look as opposed to a fuller and crowded style, Zoosk complies.

The way that users interact with Zoosk to help it learn more about your match preferences is also refreshingly unique. While other dating sites employ stale and boring methods to gain insight on you, Zoosk brings fun and levity to the process. Users can engage with Zoosk via “hot or not” quizzes and other swiping games involving the profiles of other members. This data, coupled with that from their matchmaking engine, results in a user experience that is satisfying. The more you visit and interact with the site, the better the quality of the matches that you receive.

Unlike other sites that make users feel like they quickly reach a point of stagnation in their search for matches, Zoosk makes the time and effort spent on the site worthwhile.

— Verified Profile Pics —

Of all of the features offered by Zoosk, the one that we found to be the most impressive was its profile pic verification process. Through a system involving the user uploading a short video selfie to the site, human moderators are then able to verify the legitimacy of the profile pics posted by the user. Those that pass the picture verification process receive a label on their profile indicating that they are indeed verified.

During our test, we uploaded a picture that belonged to one of our test users — one that was taken 12 years ago. The moderation system caught it and refused to issue the “verified” label. When the same test user submitted a pic that was more recent, it was accepted. That means that what you see is literally what you get on Zoosk.

The only complaint about this wonderful feature was the fact that it can only be initiated via their mobile apps. There was no effective way to do so using the site’s standard web client.