Tinder has long been the most popular free online dating app around, often being the go-to download for those lonely, newly single or straight-up bored daters out there. However, like all good things that want to make money, the app introduced upgrades for their users, offering benefits to those who subscribed to Tinder Gold or Tinder Plus.

As many of us who have ever used Tinder know, gone are the days of matching like crazy with every single girl you found attractive, as the current algorithms and such refuse to make it that easy to find a significant other. And, of course, because Tinder wants you to pay for their services to get more matches.

Oh, sure, you’ll swipe on there and get a few matches here and there, but if you really want to have any chance at the ones you’ve got your eyes on, you’re going to have to pay the piper, pal. Thing is, is it really worth the extra money?

We dived into this topic to see if it really did make much of a difference having either Tinder Gold or Tinder Plus, and, as you might already imagine, it certainly didn’t hurt.

Tinder Plus

Offering users who pay for this in-app upgrade a chance at unlimited likes, swipe rewind, additional super likes, passport to swipe around the globe and boost — which makes your profile one of the top ones in your area for 30 minutes — Tinder Plus definitely has its advantages. For the cost, $29.99/month, it’s not a bad price, either.

So, is Tinder Plus really worth it, though? Yes, as it delivers on all the things a user would want for if paying for online dating, like more matches, more opportunities for matches and a better selection of real profiles; not all those bots that seem to pop up.

Tinder Gold

Much like the aforementioned Tinder Plus, Tinder Gold offers all the same in-app benefits, like unlimited likes and boost. So what makes Gold the, uh, gold standard on Tinder? It actually allows you to see the people who like you before you waste your time swiping on randoms, which makes for a much better experience.

Here’s the thing, though, part of the fun in using Tinder is swiping and hoping that you get a match with that hot girl by the next time you open the app. Sure, it’s silly to admit that, but there’s a certain voyeuristic mentality that way, which is why Tinder Gold might be worth the price in terms of getting matches, but it is more business like, if you will.

Free Tinder

For those casual daters out there who are just trying to play the field and have fun with a match or two every once in awhile, free Tinder is still your best option. As mentioned above, you no longer will see a flood of matches with each swipe as you would, say, four-or-five years ago, but you’ll still have options — just not on the girls you might always hope for. Remember, just because you see a girl doesn’t necessarily mean she sees you.

In conclusion, paying for an in-app service like Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold is much more beneficial if you want to take the frustration of swiping out. For those who really don’t care either way if it takes a couple of days to match with someone after downloading the app or not, though, free Tinder will be the way to go.