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Many Christian singles have praised the Upward dating app for its modern take on finding love with other Christians. They cite swiping profiles and attractive photos as the primary reasons Upward makes Christian online dating fresh, fun, and exciting. However, many criticized Upward for being a Tinder-like dating app with a loose Christian label. They complain that many members have one foot in the world and aren’t serious about their faith and convictions.
So, what are you supposed to believe? Our Upward Christian dating app review will take a closer look at the service and attempt to unearth the best answer to this question.
Upward might not be the best Christian dating app if you’re set on finding a serious marriage partner about their faith. We’d recommend a platform like Christian Mingle or ChristianCafe for those purposes. Upward has been known to pair Christian singles who want to have some short-term fun and nothing more.
But we would not count Upward out entirely as its sister sites, Tinder, Hinge, and OkCupid, are increasingly turning out successful long-term relationships despite being more geared toward casual dating. Upward is ideal for Christian singles who are open-minded to different kinds of relationships with a slight lean toward meaningful, long-lasting commitments.
| Sign-Up Time: | 10 minutes |
| Cost: | $5.99 – $14.99 per month |
| Membership Pool: | N/A |
- Upward App Rating
- Overview of Upward
- Standard Membership and Premium Features
- How to Sign Up with Upward
- Alternatives to Upward
- Frequently Asked Questions
Our Upward App Rating
Overall Rating 
Upward is coming in with an overall score of 4 out of 5!
After running Upward through our honest rating system, we awarded this dating app 4 out of 5 stars. While it’s not the best option for Christians looking for marriage partners or meaningful, long-lasting relationships, it’s fair for Christians to find a large dating pool of singles who share their faith and are open to all kinds of relationships.
Ease of Use 
The sign-up process at Upward is short and sweet. And we were impressed with how little thought went into figuring out how to use the Upward dating app. It was self-explanatory, and the intuitive design allowed us to act with no problem. A big plus was the swiping profiles because they helped us to establish connections quickly with a large volume of eligible singles.
Features 
We weren’t necessarily blown away by the features at Upward. Because they’re a part of the MatchGroup set of dating apps, we’ve seen these exact premium features before while doing reviews of other platforms. But Upward has a solid set of perks and benefits for their paying customers, such as seeing members who liked their profile, unlimited rewinds, free profile boosts, and Super Likes each month.
Cost
Upward is much cheaper than other Christian dating apps, and you get a lot of value, considering the features and perks that come with the purchase. With prices ranging from $5.99 to $ 14.99 monthly, you get unlimited swipes and rewinds, unlimited messaging with matches, and complimentary profile boosting and Super Likes. Upward gives you a lot for a low cost.
Match Quality
Upward has some decent search filters, and we were satisfied with the variety of matches we received in the swiping queue. Any time we changed the search parameters, Upward did a satisfactory job updating the match suggestions to give us an entirely different pool of matches.
Safety and Security
Like any dating app, Upward has its fair share of scammers and catfish who slip past the vetting system, but Upward is good at disabling and suspending accounts once they’re alerted. Customers can report or block suspicious members. And Upward lets users verify their profiles to build trust with their matches. Upward has some decent safety and security measures to combat fraud and prevent disasters.
Customer Service
There are only two ways to contact the support team, but we’re glad to see an option for messaging customer service beyond the FAQ center and its resources. Responses can take a long time, but it’s nice that the support team can respond to queries by phone or email.
Overview of Upward
We wished there was more information on Upward, but we could only find the average age of the app’s active members. Being such a new dating app, Upward doesn’t have a number for its active member base, the gender breakdown, or the number of visits per month.
Upward Fast Facts
- Year Founded: 2020
- Matchmaking Process: Search parameters based on location, religious denominations, age, height, body type, etc.
- Average User Age: 18-35 years of age
- Gender Ratio: N/A
People using Upward are generally younger and interested in finding various relationships, including everything from serious, long-term dating and marriage partners to casual dating and short-term flings. We could say that Upward is perfect for finding a Christian marriage partner. Still, it’s enough of a casual dating app owned by the same company that runs Tinder, where many members are looking for casual connections and dating.
Upward Cost and Premium Membership Subscriptions
Upward offers three membership plans with the same features and benefits but differ in length. For the number of features you experience as a paid member, Upward comes at a more affordable price than Christian dating apps (many of which are our recommended alternative platforms).
1-Month Membership
1 Month
$14.99
- Price Per Month: $14.99
- Total Membership Cost: $14.99
3-Month
Membership
3 Months
$7.49
- Price Per Month: $7.49
- Total Membership Cost: $22.49
6-Month Membership
6 Months
$5.99
- Price Per Month: $5.99
- Total Membership Cost: $35.99
- You cannot pay your Upward membership using monthly payments or installment plans.
- All membership plans must be paid for in one lump sum at one time.
- Members can only use the premium features or perks once they’ve paid for the subscription in full.
Upward Dating App Promotions
No promotions or discounts are running at Upward to give members a break on the membership cost. But the monthly price is much cheaper on the more extended subscription plans, which means you can save some money over three months or more.
Does Upward Offer Free Trials?
All new members at Upward start automatically in free member mode. The free trial plan is much like the free trials offered at other dating apps, where new members can enjoy a few free features to test the app. While you cannot message your matches, you’re given enough rope to understand what Upward offers regarding its members and how the app works.
Standard (Free) Features
- Register a new account
- Create a free profile
- Upload photos
- Include bio information
- Add stickers
- Set up search parameters
- View profiles based on your searches
- Swipe through profiles and “like” or “pass”
Christian singles can create a free profile and browse for singles who fit their relationship goals well. The free membership is ideal for getting your personal information into Upward’s specific dating market for free. It gives some time for other app members to find your profile and become aware that you’re an option.
Premium Membership Features
Using the Upward premium membership versus the free, standard plan is almost always better. Sure, you save a ton of money by using Upward as a free member, but you cannot communicate with any of your matches. The ability to send messages, along with the rest of the premium feature arsenal below, is the perfect reason to make a move on a paid subscription plan.
- Unlimited Swiping
Paid members can swipe through as many Upward profiles as they want daily, whereas free trial members are capped off at a certain point. More swiping lets Upward hone its match suggestions as they learn what you like and prefer, and more swiping gives you more opportunities to meet more people. - Unlocking Messaging
Premium members can unlock the messaging function. However, two members must like one another’s profiles to establish a mutual match first. Free members don’t have the luxury of chatting with their matches, so this is a big incentive to upgrade from a free trial to a paid membership plan. - See Who Likes Your Profile
One of the best advantages of the Upward premium membership (aside from messaging your matches) is seeing which members have already liked your profile. Because messaging can only be unlocked with a mutual match, you can look through the like list and send a “like” back to unlock messaging. - Unlimited Rewinds
Rewinds allow members to go back and fix any swiping mistakes that might have been made while browsing profiles. If they meant to “like” someone but accidentally “skipped” them, unlimited rewinds let them fix the error. And there’s no limit to how many rewinds they can use daily or how far back the mistake is in the files. - One Free Profile Boost
Paying members get one free profile boost per month. It’s on the house and lets members have an increased presence in the searches to capture the attention of singles who might not know they exist. - Five Free Super Likes
Five free Super Likes per week allow members to show their favorite matches they’re interested in beyond a simple “like.” Altogether, members get twenty Super Likes over a month. - No Ads
Free members must deal with ads while swiping through profiles, but premium members can kiss ads goodbye. It’s one of the low-key greatest reasons to upgrade from a free membership to a paid plan.
Do Upward Memberships Renew Automatically?
Upward employs continuous billing or auto-renewal on all its membership plans. When your subscription ends, it will automatically restart, and members are automatically charged for the new plan using the billing information on file. It saves customers the time to repurchase a new subscription manually.
Members can turn off the auto-renewal feature in their account settings under billing preferences. When their premium plan ends, it won’t re-up automatically, so members can still enjoy using their plan with the time left.
Should You Join Upward?
Because Upward is a Christian dating app run by a non-Christian company, some Christian singles might be uncertain about joining the app. So, we needed to include a section explaining why Upward is a solid choice and why it might be a good idea to check out an alternative platform.
Reasons to Join
You’re a Christian
Although Upward doesn’t have the most devout set of Christian singles, it’s a Christian dating app nonetheless. We recommend this one to anybody from a Christian religious background and anyone with Christian beliefs or principles.
A Good Price
Upward’s memberships cost a lot less than many other dating apps that cater to Christian singles. The monthly cost of membership ranges from $5.99 to $ 14.99. It could have something to do with its parent company having a lot more money and being able to run membership fees at a lower price.
Find Attractive Christian Singles
Upward has swiping profiles, and members are more concerned about the photos they post versus their bio information. Upward is good for finding attractive singles and selecting matches based on appearance. It’s a dating app where a lot of matching is done using raw attraction.
Quick, Easy Sign-Up Process
It takes around ten minutes to download the app, create a profile, select a premium membership plan, and enter payment information. Not only was it easy to join, but the swiping profiles and search filters made the experience of finding suitable matches a breeze. Upward is a straightforward dating app and super easy to use, through and through.
Find a Serious or Casual Relationship
Oddly enough, the Christian dating app Upward is well-adept at fostering meaningful, long-term relationships and casual romances between Christians. If you’re open to meeting someone and seeing where the relationship goes, Upward might be an excellent choice for finding Christian singles.
Reasons Not to Join
Some Members Aren’t Serious About Their Faith
A common complaint from people who have used Upward in the past is that many members join the app because they come from a religious background or upbringing, but their faith isn’t incorporated into their current lifestyle. Upward has a lot of people who are “Christians,” but aren’t up to standards for members who are serious about their faith and want a meaningful relationship with someone who’s made Christianity the center of their life.
You’re Irreligious
Anyone can join Upward, but it helps if you come from a Christian background or a family where Christianity is loosely based on your family’s culture or traditions. If you are irreligious or a practicing Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, or Jew, we highly recommend joining another dating app besides Upward.
The Sign-up Process
It’s easy to register a new account at Upward. The entire process only takes around ten minutes between downloading the app, going through the initial sign-up, and upgrading your free membership to premium.
Follow the instructions below if you’re curious about how you can get started with the Upward dating app:
Step #1: Download Upward
Because Upward only comes as a mobile app, download Upward from Google Play or the App Store to your iOS or Android device.
The first step is to tap “Sign in with Mobile Number.” Enter your phone number and send the confirmation code to the app to start the registration process.
Step #2: Answer the First Batch of Questions
There are several questions you must answer next. These questions were easy to complete, probably taking less than a minute to complete.
- Name
- Gender
- Date of Birth
- Denominational Beliefs
Step #3: Complete the “About Me” Section
Upward members can describe themselves in more detail using up to 500 characters. You can write about whatever you want here. The goal is to tell other members more about you that your profile information might not cover.
Step #4: Upload a Profile Photo
Include a profile photo. You can upload from your mobile device’s files. Free members can add as many as six, but only one is needed to move to the next step.
Step #5: Share Your Location
In addition to the multitude of search terms, members can look for Christian singles using location. So, in this next step, new members need to share their location so the app can generate match suggestions close to their local area.
Step #6: Get Your Profile Verified
We recommend completing this option step before you start swiping through profiles. Getting your account officially verified can go a long way to building trust with other members. Once you’ve gone through the verification steps, your profile will have a blue checkmark signifying that you’ve made the proactive choice to be transparent with other members.
Step #7: Begin Swiping
At this point, you can begin looking through your match suggestions. Tap the heart icon to send a “like” or tap the “x” icon to “pass” on the profile. You can change your search terms under your account settings (distance and age settings, denominational views, etc.)
The first thing you’ll see is the profile photo, plus the member’s name, age, denomination, and verification badge (if they’ve taken that step). You can view more of the profile by scrolling downward to see more profile information and additional photos.
Step #8: Upgrade to Premium
Free members can only adjust search terms and view the match results. They can only chat with their matches or make meaningful connections if they upgrade the free membership to a premium subscription.
Tap “Become Elite” to view all Upward membership plans. Choose a subscription that works for you and tap “Continue.” Enter your payment information and complete the rest of the steps until the transaction is closed.
Alternatives to Upward
Upward might not be the best choice for every Christian believer, especially those serious about their faith. To find Christian singles on a platform that has a less worldly feel, we recommend checking out these fantastic alternative apps that can help you find Christian believers.
eharmony
Christian Mingle
Christian Cafe
Zoosk
SilverSingles
Use the free trial links above to register a new account and create a free profile. Like Upward, free members can use these alternative dating apps to test things out, including setting up search parameters and scrolling through their matches.
Frequently Asked Questions About Upward
This FAQ section compiled several common questions our readers and customers have had regarding the Upward dating app. You might find it here if you’re looking for some quick answers to your questions.
There’s free membership offered at Upward, but three membership plans with premium features let you use Upward to its fullest potential. All new members start with the standard, free membership, which allows them to design a free profile, set up search terms, and swipe through profiles to see which members use the service.
Upward comes with three membership plans: one month, three months, and six months. The longer plans cost more, but they come with reduced monthly rates for extra savings for people who purchase a more extended plan outright. The one-month plan costs $14.99, the three-month plan costs $22.49 ($7.49 per month), and the six-month plan costs $35.99 ($5.99 per month).
Anyone can join Upward. You don’t have to be a Christian. But it can help your cause if you convert because most members want other Christians to date or marry.
Upward only offered a mobile app for iOS and Android users. There’s a website, but you can’t use Upward launching from that site. You must download the app to your smartphone or mobile device to enjoy the perks of Upward dating.
Premium members unlock the ability to message their mutual matches and see which member has liked their profile. These are the two best features you’ll find in the Upward dating app. But paid subscribers will also get five free Super Likes weekly and one free Profile Boost monthly.
Yes, there have been members of Upward who have found a husband or wife using the app, and we’ve seen many instances of members achieving success with long-term, meaningful dating and relationships. However, Upward has been known to facilitate casual romance and short-term flings between its members, too. This is a common complaint amongst Christians using Upward to find Christian singles serious about their faith and applying that to their lifestyle.
The sign-up process for free members only takes five minutes. In upgrading the free membership to a paid subscription, your sign-up time might jump from five to ten minutes because you need to choose a plan, enter payment information, and finalize the transaction.
Upward uses search filters where members can enter their dating parameters to find Christian singles who fit the bill. There are also swipe-style dating profiles where members can unlock messaging if there’s a mutual match between two members. Upward offers a feature where paying users can see who liked their profile to establish a quick connection.
Upward was introduced in 2020 as a dating app for Christians by MatchGroup. This company also owns and operates well-known online dating sites like Tinder, OkCupid, and Hinge.
We feel that Upward is a decent option for Christian dating, but some Upward customers don’t like that a non-Christian company oversees the service. They feel under MatchGroup’s direction that Upward has a lot of members who are watered-down Christians. One big gripe is that there are too many suggestive profile photos, and this makes it feel like another Tinder but with a Christian label slapped on.
