Our Review of The League: Is This Elite Dating App Worth Trying?

Our Review of The League: Is This Elite Dating App Worth Trying?

What is The League?

If “The League” sounds official, that is its intent. It is intended to be (or appear to be) exclusive and a cut above other dating sites or apps. While crowd-pleasing apps like Tinder and Bumble have tried to match people based on their Facebook friends and interests, The League has introduced the idea that – if your career matters –  you might find forever love with someone who has a similar career path or connections.

Part networking, part happy hour casual, and part true love— The League was started by Amanda Bradford. As Founder and CEO of The League, she was busy with her career and wanted to create a dating platform for overly ambitious daters like herself. She knew that she was the app’s target audience, someone wanting to find a career-focused match… and she ended up creating a professionally-minded dating app in the process. Bradford wants people to date intelligently. If you’re a dater who knows what you want, this is how the app works and our review of The League.

Pros

If you live in one of the major cities where the app is making the rounds, it might be a great time to join as a free or paid user.

Talking to a match by video chat can give you confidence that you’re talking to a real, even if they’re busy, person. Dating virtually can assist you while you’re actively social distancing or during the times you’re just so busy with work that you don’t have time to meet anyone in person. Ask to video chat before you exchange contact information or meet, this will help you verify that you’re talking to a real person.

According to Bradford, “We did a ton of testing and these (i.e. racial) preferences were the most highly requested.” Bradford insists that “The ethnicity data helps us maintain a diverse and balanced community that reflects that of the city (in our case, the San Francisco Bay Area).”

Cons

If you want as many matches as possible and all geographic locations in the United States, consider another dating app. The League is newer to the online dating world and gaining popularity in a few major cities.

The app’s founder wants the app to become more popular and expand its reach. However, in The League’s attempt to appear exclusive, the app will tell you that you need to be approved. The sign-up process sometimes occurs when members receive a “ticket” to invite a friend to the app and allow them to bypass the so-called “waiting list”. In reality, you probably will be approved and quickly… but you’ll feel special and like you got into the “League”. In 2017, The League claimed that it only approves 10-20% of users who sign up, though it does aim to be diverse.

The median age after launch, as of August 2016, was 28 years old and most people were heterosexual (95%). It wasn’t until that same year that people ages 40 and up were allowed to join. While the app is continuing to evolve and change over time, it is still most popular with younger, heterosexual users.

Pricing 

Becoming a member of The League:

1 Month Member: $199.99

3 Months Member: $299.99 ($99 a month)

6 Months Member: $399.99 ($67 a month)

Ease of use

How The League Works

You can download and install the app through the Apple Store or Google Play. While you can use the app for free, membership options give you additional perks, prospects, customizations, and invites to app-exclusive events! One exciting difference in The League is that, in addition to matching and syncing through your Facebook and LinkedIn contacts (and don’t worry, Facebook friends and LinkedIn connections won’t be notified when you join the app), you also have the ability to video chat through the app!

Support

How The League Works

You can download and install the app through the Apple Store or Google Play. While you can use the app for free, membership options give you additional perks, prospects, customizations, and invites to app-exclusive events! One exciting difference in The League is that, in addition to matching and syncing through your Facebook and LinkedIn contacts (and don’t worry, Facebook friends and LinkedIn connections won’t be notified when you join the app), you also have the ability to video chat through the app!

How Does This Site Work

First, you sign up for the website through Facebook or Apple.

Then, you fill out a few personal details about yourself, including your name, phone number, height, what you are looking for, your location, your religion, and your birthday.

Then, it asks you to pick out a profile picture of yourself, update your ethnicity, education, family, interests, and your profession.

Once you do that, you can either stay on the waitlist to join The League or pay to get off of the waitlist.

Then, you can match with people you are interested in.

Paid Features

What you get with a membership:

Receive 5 prospects per day. This gives you 150 potential matches that you can view each month! When you upgrade, you automatically get a free batch of profiles to choose from.

Skip the waitlist when you join.

Get 2 League tickets that allow you to gain an additional 5 prospects.

View read receipts to see if your potential matches read your messages.

Edit your work and education to stand out among the crowd.

Complaints

There have been members that were charged for this app without The League’s consent.

It is super expensive to create a membership just to skip the waitlist.

Fake profiles were spotted on the app.

Likes are blocked unless you pay a large amount of money.

Final Thoughts

​​Is The League worth trying or does a dating app connecting to your professional LinkedIn profile (even if it’s only to scan users on the app for match worthiness) terrify you? While your next great date may not be on The League, why not try the app since it’s free based on our review of The League? The video chatting options will allow you to get to know your dates before you meet or even have your first date during your lunch break or while working at home.