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Upward Review

Upward in Review

DatingScout.com Author Chris Pleines
From: Chris Pleines
 • Reading Time: 2 minute(s)
Upward: our fall review covers who it’s for, key features, pricing, profiles, safety, and tips to match before the holidays.
3,000,000 Members
 45 % ♀ 
 55 % ♂ 
Good For:
5 / 5
5 / 5
3 / 5
Success Rate:
35 / 10
33 / 10
40 / 10
Compare Upward
Age Distribution:
18-24
25-34
35+

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Upward in 10 seconds

  • Upward is a values-focused dating app built around intentional dating and modern courtship
  • It is for singles seeking serious relationships or marriage especially those who prioritize faith, family, loyalty and integrity - Learn more about the members here
  • Core Values are a key profile feature helping members show what matters to them from the start
  • Matching and chatting are available for free after two users mutually like each other
  • A positive is its clear relationship-focused community rather than a focus on casual dating
  • A drawback is that seeing who already liked you requires Elite while several other convenience features require Premium
  • It works through swiping and mutual matches with right swipes for likes and left swipes to pass
  • You can use Upward for free
  • Pricing starts at $12.00 / Week - More Information
DatingScout.com Author Chris Pleines
Chris Pleines
Founder of Dating Scout and Author of the book "Online Dating for Dummies"
Upward is a good fit for values-driven singles looking for serious relationships, commitment and marriage. Its focus on faith, Core Values and relationship intentions helps make matching more purposeful, though many advanced discovery tools require a paid plan.

Who is Upward for and not for?

  • Singles looking for a serious relationship rather than casual dating
  • People who see marriage as a relationship goal and want intentional courtship
  • Faith- and values-driven singles who want shared beliefs or principles to matter in matching
  • People mainly looking for casual hookups or short-term encounters
  • Singles who do not care about shared values when choosing a partner
  • Users who dislike swipe-based dating and prefer detailed compatibility matching
Back to Overview

Is Upward right for you?

Take the Quiz
What's your gender?
What’s your gender?Who are you looking for?What’s your highest level of education?What do you prefer in a dating site?What’s important to you in a dating site? (Select all that apply)What do you hope to find on a dating site?What’s your current work status?What’s your marital status?Where are you from?How much time can you dedicate to online dating?What’s your ethnicity?What physical traits do you find attractive in a partner? (Select all that apply)What personality traits or interests do you find attractive in a partner? (Select all that apply)What’s your birthdate?What’s your annual income?What’s your preferred communication style? (Select all that apply)Please enter your name and email to receive your results.
👨‍🦱 Male
👩‍🦰 Female
⚧️ Trans
🌈 Other
👨 Men
👩 Women
🌐 Both
🌀 Other
🚌 High School Graduate
📘 Some College
📜 College Graduate/Bachelor’s Degree
🎓 Postgraduate (Master’s or PhD)
🔧 Vocational/Technical Training
❓ Other
💎 Premium features (I don’t mind paying for better service)
💰 Affordable options (balance between cost and quality)
📺 Free with ads (I don’t mind spending extra time dealing with ads)
🤝 Members who are serious and respectful
🌍 Large, diverse member database
📱 Fun and easy-to-use interface
✅ Verified profiles for security and safety
🛡️ Privacy and data security
🎥 Webcam/live chat features
📍 Location-based matching
🔬 Personality tests & matchmaking algorithms
🔥 Casual relationships
❤️ Long-term relationships
💋 Flirting and fun dates
💎 Sugar Dating​
🖤 BDSM & Fetish dating
🔄 Swinging & Open Relationships
👀 Exploring my options
💼 Full-time Employee
🕒 Part-time Employee
📱 Freelancer
🚀 Startup Founder
💡 Entrepreneur
🔍 Unemployed
👤 Single
💑 In a Relationship
💍 Married
🤷 It’s Complicated
🕰️ I have plenty of time to dedicate
⌛ I can spend a few hours a week
⏳ I have limited time
🖐🏻 White
🖐🏼 Asian
🖐🏽 Latin
🖐🏿 Black
🖐🏾 Indian
🖐🏽 Arabic
🖐 Mixed/Other
💇‍♀️ Long hair
💇‍♂️ Short hair
📏 Tall
🌱 Short
🏋️ Athletic build
🚶‍♀️ Slim build
🍑 Curvy
💪 Muscular
🧔 Beard
😊 Clean-shaven
👂 Piercings
🖋️ Tattoos
✨ Doesn’t matter
🏡 Homeowner
🕉️ Into Spirituality
🧘‍♀️ Practices yoga
🎿 Enjoys skiing/outdoors
🏃‍♂️ Fitness enthusiast
✈️ Loves traveling
✅ Verified profile
🛐 Religious
🥗 Vegetarian/vegan
🍴 Eats less meat
🌳 Environmentally conscious
❤️ Compassionate
🎮 Tech-savvy/gamer
🗣️ Socially active
🧘‍♂️ Into self-care/meditation
👪 Family-oriented
🍳 Enjoys cooking
🎨 Creative/Artistic
📚 Enjoys reading
🏛️ Politically active
🌈 LGBTQ+ ally
🎵 Into music/musician
🤫 Introverted/quiet
🎉 Extroverted/outgoing
😂 Sense of humor
🧠 Open-minded
✨ Other
This value is invalid
💸 Less than $25k/year
💵 $25k–$50k/year
💰 $50k–$100k/year
💼 $100k–$200k/year
🏦 $200k–$500k/year
💎 $500k–$1M/year
👑 More than $1M/year
💬 Text messages
📞 Voice calls
🎥 Video calls
🤝 In-person meetups
✨ Doesn’t matter
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Upward Pros & Cons

  • Free matching and messaging after a mutual connection
  • Strong focus on serious relationships commitment and marriage
  • Profiles highlight Core Values alongside standard dating information
  • Regular messaging usually requires a mutual match unless using features such as Notes or Gems
  • The swipe-based matching system is fairly simple compared with apps offering deeper compatibility matching
  • Upward does not conduct background checks on every member so users still need to take normal dating-safety precautions

How does Upward work?

how-it-works
  • Add your Core Values to show what matters most to you in a relationship
  • Swipe right to like someone or left to pass on their profile
  • Form a match when the interest is mutual and unlock the conversation
  • Chat with your matches for free to get to know each other inside the app

Upward uses a familiar swipe-and-match system but puts more emphasis on shared values and serious relationship goals. After creating a profile, users browse suggested singles and indicate who they like. When two people like each other, they match and can start messaging. Paid memberships add extra discovery and visibility features but are not required for basic matching and chatting.

How much does Upward cost?

Can you try Upward for free?

  • You can use or try the service for free.
  • All members can send messages for free
  • You can read the first messages in your inbox for free

Is Upward expensive or cheap?

Upward costs last updated on: Sep 20, 2026

In comparison to other providers Upward is average.

Duration / Credits / CoinsCostsTotal
Elite
1 Week19.99 USD / Week19.99 USD
1 Month29.99 USD / Month29.99 USD
3 Months15.00 USD / Month44.99 USD
6 Months12.00 USD / Month71.99 USD
Free Features
  • Create and edit a profile
  • Add photos, values, intentions and relationship goals
  • Swipe right to Like or left to pass
  • Match with users who like you back
  • Chat with mutual matches for free
  • Join the Upward Community
Premium Features
  • Unlimited Likes
  • Unlimited Rewinds
  • 5 Super Likes per week
  • 1 Boost per month
  • Ad-free experience
  • Match directly with people who already liked you
  • 3 Notes per week
  • Priority Likes
  • Read Receipts

Upward uses a freemium model, so basic profile creation, swiping, matching, and messaging can be used without paying. Paid memberships are split into Premium, Elite, and Platinum, with each higher tier adding more discovery and communication tools. Premium mainly adds unlimited likes, rewinds, Super Likes, Boosts, and an ad-free experience. Elite adds access to people who have already liked you, while Platinum adds features such as Notes, advanced filters, Priority Likes, and read receipts. Extra Boosts, Super Likes, and other power-ups can also be purchased separately.

How can I delete my Upward account and cancel my subscription?

Please find more information here

Back to Overview

Who is signed up on Upward?

Members
3,000,000 from USA
Members activity
450,000 active weekly
Gender Proportion
45 %
55 %
  • Upward is mainly used by values-driven singles looking for serious relationships, commitment and marriage
  • The platform has strong Christian roots and has historically welcomed users across denominations such as Catholic, Evangelical, Lutheran, Methodist, Pentecostal and non-denominational Christianity
  • Its community has been especially strong in the US and Canada, although Upward is also available to users in other regions

Upward originally launched specifically for Christian singles and still has a strong faith-based community. Its users can come from a wide range of Christian denominations, including Catholic, Evangelical, Lutheran, Methodist, Pentecostal and non-denominational backgrounds. Today, the platform presents itself more broadly around shared values, commitment, marriage and family, so members may differ in how strongly religion shapes their dating preferences.

Females
Males

Upward Age Range and Age Distribution

  • 18-24
  • 25-34
  • 35-44
  • 45-54
  • 55+

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Upward in Detail

  • Reading time 16 minutes
  • Lots of insider information for more success

How to Sign Up for Upward

registration
  • You must be at least 18 years old to sign up
  • You can sign up with your phone number
  • You can sign up with Google
  • You must sign up to browse Upward

To sign up, download the Upward app. The app is available on iOS and Android. To complete the registration, provide all required information.

Required Information on Signup
  • Username
  • Name
  • Date Of Birth
  • Location
  • Your Relationship Status
  • Type of relationship you are looking for
  • Ideal Partner's Gender
  • Your Gender
  • Your Occupation
  • Your Religion
  • Greeting/Profile Bio
  • Your Physical Traits
  • Questionnaire about you
  • Questionnaire about your ideal partner
  • Profile Picture
Optional Information on Signup
  • Ideal Partner's Appearance
  • Your Ethnicity

Upward offers the following methods to verify your account:

  • Taking a live video selfie (required)

Making Contact on Upward

  • Users can message each other after a mutual match
  • Notes let Platinum members send a message before matching
  • Gems can also include a pre-match message when sent to Spotlight profiles
  • All members can send messages for free

Upward mainly uses mutual matching to open conversations. Once two users like each other, they can chat through the app for free. Platinum members get three Notes per week, which can be sent before a match is formed, while Gems offer another way to attach a message to selected Spotlight profiles. Platinum also includes read receipts so users can see when their messages have been opened.

Upward Profile Quality

profile
  • Profiles can include photos, background, lifestyle, interests, values and ideal-match preferences
  • Upward encourages members to show faith, relationship goals and Core Values to make profiles more meaningful
  • Selfie Verification can add a blue verified check mark after a video-selfie check
  • The profiles are not very detailed
  • Profile pictures are visible to everyone for free

Upward profiles are more detailed than a basic swipe-only profile because they include questions about a user’s background, lifestyle, interests, values and what they want in a partner. This gives matches more context before they decide to connect. Users can also complete Selfie Verification, which checks a video selfie against profile photos and adds a blue verification badge when successful.

Upward App

app
  • Available for iPhone through the Apple App Store and Android through Google Play
  • The app is free to download, with optional in-app purchases for Premium, Elite, Platinum and extra power-ups
  • Upward uses a simple swipe-based mobile interface for browsing, matching, messaging and profile discovery

Upward is primarily a mobile dating app and is designed around quick profile browsing, swiping and chatting on a phone. Users can download it on both iOS and Android, create a profile, browse suggested matches and manage conversations directly in the app. The official website mainly provides information, support and account-related pages rather than a full desktop dating experience.

Special Features

Core Values

Lets members put their values, intentions and relationship goals upfront so potential matches can see what matters to them.

Super Likes

Show stronger interest in a profile than a standard Like. Premium currently includes five per week.

Boost

Increases profile visibility for 30 minutes by placing it among the top results for relevant users.

Rewind

Lets paid members return to a profile they previously passed on.

Who Likes You

Elite members can see people who have already liked their profile and match with them directly.

Notes

Platinum members receive three Notes per week to send a message to someone before matching. Unused Notes do not roll over.

Priority Likes

Platinum Likes are moved higher in the recipient’s queue for 48 hours, helping them get seen sooner.

Advanced Filters

Platinum users can narrow potential matches using criteria such as activity status, new users and subscription level.

Read Receipts

Platinum members can see when a match has read their message.

Selfie Verification / Face Check

Uses a video selfie to help confirm that a user is real and matches their profile photos; verification availability can vary by region.

Upward Community

A free community feature listed in Upward’s current Help Center alongside its paid power-ups.

Spotlight & Gems

Spotlight shows a daily curated list of 8 popular profiles. Users can send a Gem to show stronger interest and optionally include a message before matching. One free Gem is provided each week, with additional Gems sold in packs.

How can I delete my Upward account and cancel my subscription?

Uninstalling the app will not cancel your subscription.

How can you cancel your Subscription?

  • You can cancel by managing your app store subscription

Will your subscription automatically renew?

  • Yes, your Upward subscription will automatically renew. The notice period for opting out of automatic renewal is 1 Day.

Is there a money back guarantee and do you get refunded the full amount?

  • Yes, usually you will receive the full amount back.

How much time do you have to undo Upward purchases?

  • You have 14 Days to refund your Upward purchase if you don't like it.

Users in the EU, EEA, UK and Switzerland can request a full refund within 14 days of the subscription starting, while subscribers in certain US states have a three-business-day cancellation period.

Will your credits expire?

  • No, your credits do not expire.

Upward FAQ

Facts

What is Upward?

Upward is a dating platform focused on values, commitment, serious relationships and marriage. It has Christian roots but now positions itself more broadly around shared values such as faith, family, loyalty and long-term partnership.

Who is Upward for?

Upward is mainly for adults looking for intentional dating rather than casual hookups. Profiles can include information about background, lifestyle, interests, values and what someone is looking for in a partner.

Is Upward only for Christians?

Upward has strong Christian roots, but its current positioning is broader and focuses on values-driven singles seeking commitment and marriage rather than requiring every member to belong to a particular denomination.

What is the average age of users on Upward?

The average age of Upward users is between 26-34 years. You can find more information here

Usability

How does Upward work?

Users create a profile, browse suggested singles and indicate who they are interested in. A mutual like creates a match and allows the users to communicate.

Can you message for free on Upward?

Regular conversations are available after a mutual match. Upward is also rolling out free Notes, which can be sent directly from someone’s profile before matching, although the rollout is still being tested and may not yet be available to every user.

Can you see who likes you on Upward?

Upward is currently rolling out an update that lets users see their likes for free. Previously, this was an Elite feature, so availability may still differ while the update is being phased in.

Can I undo a left swipe on Upward?

Yes, with Rewind. Upward says Rewinds allow users to return to profiles they accidentally passed. The feature is included with paid memberships such as Premium and Elite.

Can I browse Upward without an account?

No, you cannot browse profiles on Upward without signing up.

What is needed to open a Upward account?

To open a Upward account, download the Upward App on your iOS or Android device. To complete the registration, provide all required information:
  • Username
  • Name
  • Date Of Birth
  • Location
  • Your Relationship Status
  • Type of relationship you are looking for
  • Ideal Partner's Gender
  • Your Gender
  • Your Occupation
  • Your Religion
  • Greeting/Profile Bio
  • Your Physical Traits
  • Questionnaire about you
  • Questionnaire about your ideal partner
  • Profile Picture

Security

Does Upward verify profiles?

Yes. Upward offers selfie verification and is rolling out Face Check, which uses a video selfie to confirm liveness, compare the user with their profile photos and help detect duplicate use of someone’s likeness. Successful users receive a Photo Verified badge. 

What happens to Face Check data?

Upward says the original video selfie is promptly deleted, while certain derived verification data and audit images may be retained to maintain verification and help prevent misuse. FaceMaps and FaceVectors are generally deleted within 30 days after account closure, subject to stated legal and safety exceptions.

Can you block someone on Upward?

Yes. Blocking removes the person from your matches, deletes communication with them and prevents them from seeing your profile.

Does Upward sell your data?

No, Upward does not sell your data.

Was Upward hacked in the past?

No, Upward was never hacked.

How accurately does Upward track your location?

Upward tracks your approximate location.

Do your Upward profile pictures or profile information appear in Google Search Results?

No, your Upward photos and personal information will not appear in Google Search Results.

Who can view your pictures on Upward?

All Upward users can view your pictures.

Is your phone number required for signing up at Upward?

No, you don't need a phone number to sign up on Upward.

Can you erase your personal data on Upward?

Yes, Upward provides an option for users to erase their data.

How can I delete my Upward account and cancel my subscription?

Costs

Can you try Upward for free?

How much does Upward cost?

Upward typically costs between 19.99 USD and 71.99 USD. Compared to other dating services, Upward's membership costs is average. You can find more information here

How much does it cost to sign up on Upward?

You can sign up for Upward for free, but to use its premium features you must upgrade. You can find more information here

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Why Can You Trust Us?

  • We have been testing and publishing online dating reviews for over 17 years
  • We have carefully reviewed over 2,971 dating services
  • Our dating site reviews and results are objective and independent in contrast to many other comparison sites
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Final Results table

Signing Up: 3.0 / 5
Making Contact: 3.0 / 5
Profile Quality: 3.0 / 5
App: 3.0 / 5

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Contact details

Company:Affinity Apps LLC
Address:8750 North Central Expressway, Suite 1400, Dallas, TX 75231, USA
E-Mail:contactus@support.upward-app.com
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