Reviewed by our teamUpdated
Coffee Meets Bagel Review 2026: our verdict
Sends a limited number of personalised matches each day, including friends of friends. There is no search function for finding your own matches.
Reviewed by DatingHelp editorial teamUpdated: · 5 min read
4.4
Based on 5 criteria · see the breakdown
- Personalised matches each day
- Includes friends of friends
- No search function
from £18.50 / monthSee all prices
Visit siteWho is it for?
Coffee Meets Bagel could suit you if you want…
- Audience
- Serious singles
- Age
- 30 – 49
ActivityHigh
Detailed ratings
How we scoreUser-friendliness4.0/5
You can use it on a computer, but our review says the app is far superior and functions better.
Features5.0/5
It does the matching for you, including friends of friends, and provides a limited number of matches per day. There is no search function.
Activity4.0/5
Our review highlights a healthy, even ratio of men to women and a matching process that connects like-minded people.
Seriousness5.0/5
The app could be right for a serious relationship seeker who wants a fun and casual way to meet singles.
Price4.0/5
You can use it for free to find matches, chat and go on dates, but some useful features require Beans, which are earned or bought.
The overall score (4.4/5) takes these 5 criteria into account. Click a criterion to read our assessment.
The full review
In-depth review of Coffee Meets Bagel
Coffee Meets Bagel (CMB) became a breath of fresh air back in 2012 when three sisters launched the site. It shook up the online dating world by offering something unique and less serious.
When other dating apps were all about connecting you with the love of your life, Coffee Meets Bagel just wanted you to get out there and socialise—no expectations, just see where things go.
In the UK, this kind of online “dating” experience was positively received. Friendly encounters are much more appealing to a lot of people rather than determining compatibility and discussing long-term relationship goals right out of the gate. After all, discussing how many kids you want and the kind of house you want on the first couple of dates isn’t something you would do before online dating existed.
While popular dating apps like eHarmony and others have always dominated the European marketplace, Coffee Meets Bagel has been gaining some steam throughout the continent. The platform attracts a healthy, even ratio of men to women, and there are a variety of features to keep members entertained. Even more, CMB’s matching process connects its members with like-minded individuals that they’re more likely to get along with. It’s more than just a “swipe left or right” dating experience.
Table of Contents
Pros
Provides matches based on personalities
Does the matching for you (no searching)
Finds friends of friends as potential matches
Cons
No search function to find your own matches
A limited number of matches per day
Coffee Meets Bagel Cost
| Length | Per month | Total |
|---|---|---|
| 1 month | £33.99 | £33.99 |
| 6 months | £18.50 | £110.99 |
Signing Up for Coffee Meets Bagel
It shouldn’t take you more than 5-10 minutes to sign up for Coffee Meets Bagel. You can either download the app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, or you can register from your computer. Because CMB is a location-based dating service, we recommend using your phone because the app connects to the GPS.
After you log in with your email or phone number, the setup screen will walk you through the account creation process. You’ll provide basic information like your email address, first and last name (your last name will be hidden from other users), date of birth, and the gender you identify as (only male or female is available).
Coffee Meets Bagel allows you to upload up to 9 photos. We recommend uploading the full amount with photos that express your personality, lifestyle, and social life for maximum views. You’ll also want to complete the 3 statements that include “I am…,” “I like…,” and “I appreciate when my date…” These just have to be short statements, but they really help other members discover you.
After that, you simply allow the app to use your location and send you notifications, and then your profile is live and ready to go!
Member Structure
If you haven’t heard of Coffee Meets Bagel before, you’d probably assume its user base is small compared to the dating app giants. But that isn’t the case. CMB has been steadily gaining members for 10 years now and has become one of the leading dating apps. There are estimated to be over 400,000 members just in the UK, making it a platform you should highly consider choosing.
The age of Coffee Meets Bagel members is all over the place. SurveyMonkey found that most (over half) of its members fall into the 30-49 age bracket, which means the platform is ideal for people ready to settle down. Just over a third fell into the 18-29 crowd—these are the people that are more serious about being in a relationship and have moved on from Tinder and other hookup apps.
The most impressive part about CMB is the percentage of women on the app, around 60%. That’s a far cry from other free dating apps that can have anywhere from 70-80% male members. Women prefer Coffee Meets Bagel for many reasons, but one of the main reasons is that they are presented with men that have already liked their profile. This puts the ball in their court and allows them to be picky about who they chat with and go on dates with.
Matching Process
Coffee Meets Bagel works differently for men than it does for women. Each day, male members will be presented with 21 potential matches called “Bagels.” Much like other roulette-style dating apps, you men can either like or pass on a match. Women, on the other hand, are presented with 6 matches each day that have already liked their profiles. If 6 people haven’t liked their profile, they will be presented with matches that CMB thinks they will like. As you see, women have complete control over who they chat with.
It gets a little more complicated when you get into the “Bean,” which is CMB’s currency. Beans allow you to unlock certain features that include “Mirror Mirror,” “Rematch,” “Open Sesame,” and “Photo Lab Report.” All of these features cost a different amount of Beans, which can be earned or purchased. Mirror Mirror will show your CMB ranking, Rematch gives you another chance to match with someone, Open Sesame reveals your mutual Facebook friend of a match, and Photo Lab Report lets you A/B test two of your profile photos.
You can also use the “Discover” feature to find members outside of your recommended matches. However, you’ll have to spend beans to send a like to someone if you are interested. These members in Discover will refresh every day at noon, so don’t wait to send a like. The member will be shown that you liked them if they visit their Discover tab as well.
Contact Options
Much like other dating apps, you must match with other members before you can start chatting. To help the conversation along, members add tidbits about themselves that serve as icebreakers. These will only be revealed once a match has been made. You can also make someone aware that you really like them by sending them a “Woo.” Since Woos cost beans, the member you send a Woo to will know that you are very interested.
Coffee Meets Bagel App
You can use Coffee Meets Bagel from your computer, but the app is far superior and functions better. In fact, when you visit the CMB website, the first thing they tell you to do is download the app. That’s because the app uses GPS on your phone to locate singles in your area. It also moves with you when you relocate or visit a new city.
Conclusion
There’s a lot to like about Coffee Meets Bagel. If you’re a serious relationship seeker looking for a fun and casual way to meet singles, the CMB platform could be for you. The only downside is that you need to purchase Beans to unlock interesting and useful features, which doesn’t make the app completely free. But it’s normal for a quality dating app to charge a little so they can offer great features. Other than that, you can still use the app for free to find matches, chat, and go on dates.
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