Many entertainment and lifestyle businesses exist in tiers of prestige that can affect the way you use them. Think about restaurants. While I may thoroughly enjoy some late night Taco Bell, I likely wouldn’t head there for a fancy date.
Dating sites fit into groups the same way. While many apps are fun, cheap ways to meet new people, you wouldn’t use them to find a life-long partner. Alternatively, there are serious dating apps like Christian Mingle where you wouldn’t seek out a booty call.
Most dating sites kind of fit into those two labels – casual or serious. Then there’s the Inner Circle, which can’t be ranked like other dating apps, casual or otherwise.
Inner Circle is more like a fancy restaurant where people wait for years to get a reservation – most people don’t know if the food is any good, but they know only the best of the best get to eat it and that’s why they want it.
The site employs a set of moderators that look through applicants to select only the most talented and attractive singles for their platform. Only 50% of applicants ever gain access to the site!
So, is it worth your time to even try to get an account with Inner Circle? Take a look through our review and you’ll see whether or not Inner Circle is right for you.
Inner Circle – The Bottom Line Up Front
Inner Circle is definitely worth it if you can get approved. Really, the biggest issue with Inner Circle is that it is very difficult to be approved for access, and being declined can feel really hurtful. Who wants to be told they aren’t good enough for a dating app?
The biggest perk of Inner Circle is it is free to register, so there is no harm in trying to be approved, even if you decide not to use the app later on.
If you do get approved, the features, quality of singles, and live events hosted by Inner Circle are some of the best we have seen in modern dating apps. So, if you are one of the lucky 50% of people approved by Inner Circle, we think their paid membership is worth the cost!
Overall Inner Circle Rating
| Category | Score |
|---|---|
| Quality Matches | 9.0/10.0 |
| Features | 8.0/10.0 |
| Ease of Use | 6.5/10.0 |
| Support | 7.5/10.0 |
| Cost | 7.5/10.0 |
| Overall | 7.5/10.0 |
7.5/10.0
Pros and Cons of the Inner Circle Dating App
Pros
- The quality of singles is great.
- You don’t have to worry about scammers or catfish.
- There are a lot of interesting features for paid users.
Cons
- The account approval process is brutal.
- You have to connect with social media, no exceptions.
- There isn’t much of anything you can do without paying for an account.
Who Inner Circle Is Good For
- Singles who are only interested in the highest tier of singles.
- Conventionally attractive singles with a good education and/or career.
- Middle Aged singles (the average Inner Circle user is 30 years old).
Who Inner Circle Might Not Be Best For
- Younger singles who are just getting established in their lives.
- Singles who do not use Facebook or LinkedIn.
- Those who prefer to find singles based on personality with income and looks out of mind.
Inner Circle Review – Table of Contents
- Inner Circle Features Overview
- The Quality of Singles at Inner Circle
- How to Sign Up at Inner Circle
- Price | How Much Does Inner Circle Cost?
- Customer Support Options
- FAQ
Fast Facts About Inner Circle
- Site Name: theinnercircle.co
- Paid or Free: Paid site with a limited free trial
- Average Sign-Up Time: Less than 5 minutes to sign up, but account approval takes some time.
- Paid Membership Pricing: Plans starting as low as $5.00 per week.
- Unique Inner CircleFacts and Figures
- The platform has over 2.5 million registered users.
- Inner Circle is used by singles in over 30 countries.
- 4.2 star rating on the Apple App Store
- 4 star rating on Google Play
Inner Circle Features Overview
If you get approved for a full Inner Circle membership, you will have the opportunity to gain access to their interesting features. Here are some of the most stand out features Inner Circle has to offer.
Who’s Up For
This is one of our favorite features we’ve seen on any dating app!
If you want to go out and do something, you don’t need to message each of your matches looking for a partner. Instead, post a “who’s up for” on your page detailing the activity you need companionship for. Then, interested matches can message you and set up a time and date to do the activity.
Once you’ve got a date, or are no longer interested in doing the activity, you can easily tick the “who’s up for” prompt off on your page.
Invisible Mode
“Invisible mode” removes you from the list of users nearby matches to allow you some anonymity on the app. Those who are already messaging you can still see you in their messages. This is a great option to use if you want to spend some time chatting up matches you’ve already found and don’t want new matches messaging you.
Hide Profile
If you need to take a little break from dating but don’t want to delete your Inner Circle account entirely, “hide profile” is the feature for you. Simply tick this selection in your settings and your account can’t be found by other users. Even those who have previously been messaging you won’t be able to message you while hidden.
Advanced Filtering
Inner Circle has some really great search filtering, including the ability to set an age limit for singles allowed to find you. This and other specifications can be set in your filter settings on your profile.
Gold Tick
There are some really great singles using Inner Circle, including celebrities and other recognizable names. The Gold Tick is Inner Circle’s way of ensuring that a profile is 100% legit, so these big name singles don’t have to be constantly accused of being a fake account.
The Quality of Singles at Inner Circle
What can we say, when you only allow 50% of registering users to join and base that membership off their social media accounts, you know the singles are going to be super high quality.
The strict approval system prevents fake accounts, catfish, bots, and all the annoying accounts found on large, free dating sites. The only issue with the high-bar for approving singles is that you might miss out on someone with a great personality and cool interests because they don’t have a great job or may not be traditionally attractive in the eyes of Inner Circle’s mods.
How to Sign Up at Inner Circle
Signing up at Inner Circle is fairly simple, you just link to either your LinkedIn or your Facebook account. You will need to be certain that whichever account you choose for linking shows multiple pictures of you, lists your job, education, and any other important details that can help get you approved.
It can take less than a day to get approved, but others have had to wait up to a month to learn of their approval status.
Price | How Much Does Inner Circle Cost?
| Membership Type | Length | Monthly Breakdown | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premium | 1 month | $39.99 | $39.99 |
| Premium | 3 months | $26.66 | $79.99 |
| Premium | 6 months | $19.99 | $119.99 |
Customer Support Options
Like most modern dating sites, Inner Circle utilizes a large set of FAQs and support guides in lieu of a live customer service option. While this isn’t our favorite thing, we can say that their support guides are extensive and thorough. Every question we had was easily resolved on the support page, without the need to contact a real person.
There is a support email address that can be found deep within certain support topics, but it isn’t very easy to find (it’s [email protected] if you need it).
With the pricing and intense approval process for users, we think it would be nice to offer a live support option for members.
Inner Circle FAQ
Can I Message Members on Inner Circle Without Paying for an Account?
No. Free users can upload photos and view accounts, but communication is reserved for paid members only.
How Long Does it Take to Get Approved for a Membership?
Some users are approved in just a few hours, others report wait times up to 6 months. The more your social media account shows about your background, the quicker you may be approved.
Is Inner Circle for Casual Dating or Serious Romance?
Both! The customizability of your profile makes it easy to use Inner Circle for casual dating as well as finding a long-term partner.
Can I Sign Up for Inner Circle Without Social Media?
No. You need a social media account for the account approval process.