eDarling – Europe-wide dating agency with a good track record

eDarling – dating agency tested and compared

[Rating:80/100]

eDarling is one of the largest dating agencies in Europe with a special focus on finding long-term partnerships . The providers primarily rely on the development of scientifically based partner suggestions and extensive customer service.

eDarling is an extremely popular online dating agency in Germany. With around 14 million members from a total of 20 European countries, the platform offers an impressive selection of potential partners. In Germany alone there are at least 2.6 million active users on eDarling and up to 32,000 new registrations are added every week.

Thanks to these numbers, eDarling can be viewed as a large dating site , similar to Elitepartner, Parship, Be2, Lemon Swan or LoveScout24. The track record of the dating agency speaks for itself:

“More than a third of registered members successfully find a partner on the platform.”

(according to information from the operator).

In contrast to its direct competitors Parship and ElitePartner, the online dating agency eDarling's offering is not aimed exclusively at academics, but rather includes a mixed audience with different levels of education .

The main customer age on eDarling is between around 20 and 60, with the average age being around 37 – suggesting that this platform is particularly attractive to young adults and middle-aged people.

Another positive aspect of eDarling is the almost even distribution of gender on the platform: there are about as many men (51 percent) as women (49 percent). This balance increases opportunities for all users, regardless of their gender.

Many television viewers will probably be familiar with eDarling from the TV advertising campaigns of the first two decades of the new millennium, which were based on the success stories of real users. This set the provider apart from other competitors, who based their external communication primarily on the use of purchased stock photography, models and actors.

The eDarling principle

The core of the offer is a matching principle developed on the basis of scientific findings that determines the relationship compatibility of couples.

The registration

Registration via email is quick and easy. You should definitely allow enough time when registering, because the eDarling personality test, which follows the new registration, is extremely extensive and thorough.

The personality test

Designed by experienced relationship psychologists, this test requires your full attention and a certain amount of patience as it consists of different sections that ask a total of over 250 detailed questions about your personality. Allow about 45 minutes for this.

Important note: The answers cannot be edited later! However, this does not affect your search preferences, i.e. income, gender, age and desire to have children. You can change these at any time.

The test itself is not very varied, but the answers can be saved in between and further edited at a later date. In addition to the usual questions about appearances, members also have to answer questions about character, relationship behavior and everyday life. Some questions offer predetermined answer options in the form of a scale or checkboxes to choose from.

The scientific personality test was created in cooperation with renowned universities such as the University of Groningen (Netherlands) and the Humboldt University Berlin. It is based on the five-factor model , also known as the “Big 5”. This model divides human personality into five different dimensions. Each dimension represents a specific trait or behavior and is characterized by two opposite poles.

1. The first dimension is conscientiousness , which is about flexibility versus control. People with a high level of flexibility are more likely to be spontaneous and not easily restricted by rules. Controlled people, on the other hand, place great value on order and structure.
2. The second dimension concerns agreeableness , where a distinction is made between distant and compassionate behavior. Distant people tend to be less interested or considerate of others, while caring people are empathetic and open to others.
3. The third dimension refers to openness in the sense of down-to-earthness versus willingness to experiment. Down-to-earth individuals prefer familiar situations and have a conservative approach to life. In contrast, experimental people are adventurous, like to try new things and show a high tolerance for the unknown.
4. Extraversion represents the fourth dimension of the test: A distinction is made here between introverted and extroverted character traits. Introverts feel comfortable in quiet environments and draw energy from their inner world; they tend to be more shy and reserved. In contrast, extroverted people are sociable, outgoing and get their energy from interacting with others.
5. The final dimension of the test is neuroticism , which distinguishes between composed and sensitive individuals. Composed individuals have high emotional stability; they are not easily influenced by stress or negative emotions. Sensitive people, on the other hand, tend to react more emotionally and to be more sensitive to stress.

The reason this test is so demanding is because eDarling is serious about providing long-term, happy relationships. By completing the personality test, you can get to know your profile better and therefore make suitable partner suggestions for you.

The personality test forms the basis of your search for a partner with eDarling. It determines the facets of your personality that are essential for the success of a relationship and is sure to tell you a lot of new and surprising things about yourself.

The more information they have about your likes, interests and characteristics, the more accurately they can find potential partners for you. The success of most couples who have found each other through eDarling is based on this initial time investment.

Personality analysis and partner suggestions

After evaluating your answers, eDarling not only offers an interesting personality analysis , but also suggests potential partners. To further narrow the search, singles can specify their likes and dislikes .

Matching takes parallels between character traits into account. Depending on what is important to the searcher, they can pay attention to this in a match and sort out suggestions better.

Using a variety of information, including demographic data, psychological aspects and personal preferences, eDarling carries out precise evaluation and matching. This mathematical model enables the dating site to not only randomly generate partner recommendations, but also ones with real prospects for the future.

Using a heart symbol to denote commonalities gives this concept a special charm.

With a basic membership you get a detailed overview of your personality based on various dimensions. But with a Premium PLUS membership it goes one step further: you can download a complete PDF that not only explains your own personality, but can also be extremely helpful in many other life situations through its explanations.

Profile design

Some information for the profile is already requested in the personality test. In order to make a good impression on visitors, additional free texts in the “About me” and various checkboxes can be used.

Further fields for individual free texts are:

• “This is how I like to spend my free time”
• “These are my strengths”
• “If I had one wish, I would wish.”

Additional information about hobbies, music and sports enables an individual presentation.

Uploading up to 24 of your own images is also important to present yourself at your best. If you have any problems creating your profile, eDarling's customer service team will be happy to help.

Ways to get in touch

The heart of the partner search on this platform is the list of individual partner suggestions that you receive after completing the personality test. Unlike other dating agencies, you cannot carry out your own search .

However, it is recommended not to make your search criteria too narrow . Particularly in rural areas, it can be difficult to find members within a small radius.

“What if” function

But no worry! The “What if” feature shows you 20 members every day who are outside of your partner suggestions. So why not think outside the box ?

Even on renowned dating sites like this one there is a normal distribution of matching : not every pot necessarily finds its lid.

This particularly affects people who have unfulfillable requirements and are unlikely to deviate from these criteria. For example, if you're looking for a 1.90 m tall, red-haired Zumba instructor from Wanne-Eickel who is Catholic and wants five children and also plays basketball - well - then you might not find what you're looking for so quickly.

This applies to both online and real life. It is important to note that these restrictions are in no way intended to mean that you cannot or should not find a suitable partner!

On the contrary - by staying open and looking outside of your usual ideas, much greater potential often opens up. Sometimes it can even be surprising how well you mesh with someone you might not have thought of as a perfect match at first glance.

So be brave and approach the search for a partner openly! Be inspired by the partner suggestions and also use the “What if” function to discover potential matches outside of your usual expectations.

Contact features

For shy people or people with creative blocks, there is the opportunity to spontaneously make contact with a “smile” . This way you can find out whether the other person is interested.

Another casual option is the Like button , which you select when you like a profile. If the profile owner is also likeable, you can either write to him or press the button.

The comment function is used to praise photos or statements in the profile. If you know exactly what you want to say, you can also send a personal message . Creative and personal inquiries increase the chances of a response from the potential partner.

In addition, a live chat function available if there is mutual interest.

internationality

In addition to the core areas of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, eDarling is also successfully represented in many other European countries as well as in Chile, Mexico, Poland, Russia, New Zealand and Australia. This makes this platform also suitable for singles who are interested in people from other cultures or from a different background.

According to the company, 542 singles in love get married every day in the USA who found each other using eDarling's personality test alone.

Security, privacy and anonymity

eDarling attaches great importance to the privacy of its members and protects them from search engines and other potential threats. In contrast to most other dating sites, eDarling does not use SSL, but rather the more secure successor TLS to encrypt personal data.

In addition, eDarling regularly checks profiles manually, including photos, which are only visible after thorough checking. With the premium membership, customers also have the opportunity to carry out an identity check to protect themselves even better against fakes.

After successful verification, the profile receives the “ID verified” . The high level of seriousness of eDarling is also regularly confirmed by TÜV-Süd , which only awards its seal for technical security to websites that score good to very good in over 100 evaluation points.

In addition, a secure internet connection on the eDarling website ensures that users feel good.

The mobile app

The free eDarling app is available for smartphones as well as iPhones or iPads and can easily be downloaded from the corresponding store. With this app you can easily use eDarling's services while on the go.

A big advantage of the app is that you can even register through it. However, experience has shown that it makes more sense to log in on a PC. This is because the extensive personality test requires a certain level of concentration, which is certainly easier to do on your home computer.

However, if you already have a profile on eDarling, you can simply log in and search for your partner for life on your mobile device.

The most important features such as editing search criteria, uploading photos, viewing partner suggestions and making contact work smoothly here.

You will also receive a push notification if another single contacts you - so you will never miss a message again. The eDarling app gives you a convenient way to find your dream partner from anywhere.

The guide

In the guide, the eDarling team and prominent experts present a wealth of information on the topics of relationships, love and finding a partner. In it you will find, for example, worthwhile advice on creating a meaningful and attractive online profile as well as important rules for flirting and dating.

More specific topics such as the peculiarities of finding a partner for homosexual singles, singles over 30, singles over 40, Christian singles or in old age are also covered. At the same time, members are informed about dangers and risks such as fraudulent romance scamming .

The success plan

eDarling won't leave you out in the cold when looking for a partner. If you have already had unfortunate experiences with online dating or are having trouble getting started, we recommend taking a look at the success plan .

There you will be accompanied step by step until you get to know each other successfully. This way you can take action and leave nothing to chance. We find this section very successful and are of the opinion that online dating newcomers in particular can benefit significantly from it.

In the early years, the contact portal was managed by Affinitas GmbH based in Berlin (already involved in Jamba, iLove, MyVideo and studiVZ, among others). This German internet company was responsible for the operation and management of the platform for a long time.

But today this has changed, as the administration is now in the hands of Spark Networks Services GmbH . It cannot be denied that over the years the provider's interest in the German market has decreased.

This is particularly evident in the fact that Spark Networks' advertising measures are primarily aimed at international partner searches. As a result, there are now significantly fewer new registrations on eDarling within federal borders.

Help, support and customer service

There are various ways to get help and support at eDarling. If a customer needs help, they will find it at the bottom of the homepage. There you will find the “Help” .

A simple click on it opens the FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) . Customers can already find answers to their questions here.

However, if there is no suitable answer in the FAQs, eDarling offers another step of support: The help page opens after clicking on the corresponding link.

This page presents additional questions clearly and in detail to provide users with further information. For customers who personal contact or specific concerns , the “Customer Service” available.

contact form , you will also find a fax number and the company's address here. It is therefore possible to contact eDarling customer service directly.

It should be noted that, like many other dating sites, eDarling offer direct telephone customer service

Unfortunately, we discovered that although our request via the contact form was forwarded quickly, we had to wait quite a long time for an answer.

Free Services (Basic Membership):

• Registration
• Scientific personality test
• Fill out the online profile and view the short report from the personality test
• View partner suggestions, receive contact requests (but you cannot yet answer inquiries)
• Send photo request
• View profiles of contact suggestions received
• Send icebreakers/nudges
• Send smiles
• Download the eDarling app
• Read guide
• Like other members' profile photos

Paid Services (included in Premium Membership):

• Answer contact inquiries
• View photos of other members
• Unlimited communication with contact suggestions
• Profile is placed more prominently
• Read receipt for sent messages
• Overview of all profile visitors
• 20 additional partner suggestions daily
• Mobile app usage
• Detailed personality profile on a scientific basis as a PDF for download
• Comment on profile information
• Assistance in communicating with other singles, e.g. “4-step getting-to-know-you process”
• Contact guarantee – eDarling guarantees its premium members a minimum number of contacts depending on the contract term

TOP:

• Contact possibility with 14 million members (Europe-wide)
• Very active members
• Meaningful profiles
• Great telephone hotline and customer live chat
• TÜV-certified dating agency (TÜV seal received 3 times)
• High level of security and data protection
• Tailored, high-quality contact suggestions
• Free app for iPhone/Android
• High authenticity, functioning member verification, very few fakes
• A high level is aimed for
• Exemplary dating support
• Scientifically based personality test
• Clear website and technically flawless
• Balanced gender ratio
• Almost all age groups present

FLOP:

• Like other dating agencies, it is also in the upper price segment
• No member search function
• The premium subscription is automatically renewed
• Personality test is quite lengthy
• No video chat
• Relatively few contact suggestions (but high quality)

Costs & Prices (Premium Membership)

• 7 days: €89.90
• 3 months: €209.70 (equivalent to €69.90/month)
• 6 months: €299.40 (equivalent to €49.90/month)
• 12 months: €418.80 (equivalent to €34.90/month)
• 24 months: €669.60 (equivalent to €27.90/month)

Also look out for discount promotions ! Currently (as of January 2024) you receive a 20% discount when you register (see the following screenshot):

Attention: The premium membership is a subscription and is extended for the period of time you choose until you cancel! By the way, you can easily cancel for free using the following support form: “Cancel contracts here” .

Payment options:

• All major credit cards (MasterCard, VISA, American Express, Diners, etc.)
• Instant bank transfer
• Online direct debit / direct debit
• Paypal

Termination & Deadlines:

The provider uses the common subscription model. There is a notice period.

If no cancellation is made, paid memberships will automatically be extended by the agreed term. To ensure that customers receive enough contacts, eDarling guarantees a certain number of message changes depending on the subscription length.

If this guarantee is not met, users will receive a free membership extension. It is important to observe the notice period of six weeks before the end of the contract term .

The cancellation can be submitted quickly using the cancellation form (link in the footer).

The eDarling contact guarantee

As a premium member of eDarling, you benefit from a contact guarantee that varies depending on the type of membership you have:

• For a 6-month membership, eDarling guarantees you at least 10 contacts
• With a 12-month membership you get at least 20 contacts

If this assurance is not fulfilled by eDarling, the operator will extend your membership free of charge.

Customer service and contact address:

For inquiries or to cancel your profile in writing, it is best to use the form accessible via the footer link. Otherwise, you have the following contact options:

Spark Networks Services GmbH
Kohlfurter Straße 41/43
10999 Berlin

E-mail: info[at]edarling.de
Telephone: There is no telephone customer support available
Fax: 030 868 000 311 (customer service)

free template from Aboalarm to cancel .

Further information about your valid right of withdrawal and contractual details for dating sites can be found on the website of the Hamburg Consumer Center . It also provides information about other pitfalls in the digital world for those looking for a partner to prevent financial risks.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs) about eDarling:

Is eDarling reputable?

The eDarling dating site enjoys an extremely reputable reputation among most members. This is confirmed not only by the positive feedback from users, but also by numerous official awards and prizes that distinguish eDarling as a trustworthy dating agency.

Dubious or suspicious profiles are consistently rejected to ensure the quality and integrity of the member base.

Personal data is treated as strictly confidential and effective security measures are in place to protect against misuse.

What alternatives are there to this dating agency?

eDarling, ElitePartner and Parship are undoubtedly among the leading dating sites in German-speaking countries. These platforms have proven to be extremely successful and offer their members a variety of opportunities to find the ideal partner.

However, apart from these three giants, there are also other providers such as Lovepoint and LemonSwan that also offer high-quality services. What sets these big players apart in the market is their ability to specifically match singles using a scientific personality test.

How old do you have to be for eDarling?

In order to chat and flirt on eDarling, you must at least 18 years old . This is because this dating site specializes in finding potential life partners.

Members are expected to have a certain level of maturity and be able to enter into serious relationships. eDarling customer service places great emphasis on ensuring that this age requirement is met.

This ensures that only adult singles have access to the platform and thus creates an appropriate environment for finding a partner.

Has eDarling been tested by Stiftung Warentest?

Yes, eDarling was subjected to a thorough test February 2016 This independent consumer organization is known for its objective and well-founded reviews of a wide range of products and services.

The overall result of the test was rated “satisfactory” 2.6 . The testers closely examined various aspects such as functionality, user-friendliness and data protection.

Does eDarling offer personal advice?

Yes, but only in Berlin. At the company's Berlin headquarters there is a unique opportunity to receive personal advice on the topic of finding a partner.

This special service is available to everyone free of charge and offers individual advice for singles looking for a suitable partner. The idea behind this offer is to provide people with the best possible support in their search for a fulfilling relationship. Especially in times of dating apps and online dating sites, it can be difficult to keep track of things and make the right decision.

This exclusive service is so far unique in Berlin and offers singles an additional opportunity to find their dream partner.

Are users being ripped off at eDarling?

We have been following the eDarling path for over 13 years. Between 2010 and 2012 there was actually repeated criticism from members about rip-off methods.

However, with our many years of experience, as of 2024 we can confidently say that there have been no more rip-offs at eDarling for a long time (if this fact ever existed).

eDarling attaches great importance to fairness towards customers by not using fake profiles or decoys. Suspicious profiles will be deleted after checking. The costs for eDarling are presented transparently and there are additional functions to support online dating.

The premium provider is very customer-oriented, as the many positive reviews show. Although the SPIN code for serious online dating no longer exists, eDarling has continued to maintain the fairness rules that it joined as a founding member in 2012.

What do women think of eDarling?

Women like to use the dating platform. Feedback from users shows that women experience great satisfaction when looking for a suitable partner on eDarling.

One aspect that has been highlighted again and again is the high level of seriousness and professionalism that eDarling exudes. Women really appreciate that the platform cares deeply about their needs and helps them find the right partner.

An extensive personality test is used to determine individual preferences and character traits so that targeted partner suggestions can be made.

Users also praised the user-friendliness of the website and the diverse functions for communicating with potential partners.

How do men find the contact platform?

Around three quarters of male users say they have had positive experiences with the online dating service. Above all, they value the diversity of the members.

However, there are also some men who are a little frustrated because of the low response rate from women to their messages. We don't want to hide this opinion in this test report.

Often it is because women simply have a larger selection of potential partners, receive more letters and can therefore be more selective.

Conclusion

It is not without reason that eDarling is one of the top 3 online dating agencies in Germany with around 2.6 million German members. Of these, it is estimated that around 500,000 are active weekly. File corpses are sorted out regularly.

This platform is less elitist like ElitePartner or Parship and therefore has a more middle-class membership structure.

We therefore consider this dating site to be recommended because a lot has happened in the last few years and, above all, the care and support of the members by the provider is great.

However, you pay a higher price for this than, for example, with conventional dating sites. As a paying member, you also don't receive as many partner suggestions as you might like. However, the placement suggestions are of high quality and carefully selected.

Therefore, if you are single and have serious relationship intentions, you will be rewarded with a significantly higher success rate.