Overview
Guardian Soulmates is run by The Guardian newspaper, and targets their wide readership base. The magazine itself circulates around 160,000 copies each day and 150 million page views a month.
So there’s a huge potential pool when it comes to their online dating database. It was launched in 2004 and already has some significant success stories, with many couples going on to getting married.
Guardian Soulmates member structure
Who’s on this dating site? 80% of members read The Guardian newspaper. Members tend to have a high disposable income and earn on average £31k a year. They also typically lean politically towards the centre left.
- Members: There are around 400,000 members in the UK.
- Member activity: The website gets around 15,000 new signups a month and 594,000 logins a day.
- Gender proportion: 40% women and 60% men.
How does Guardian Soulmates work?
Finding your soulmate takes three main steps:
- Register for a free account. Once you’ve done this, you’ll be able to start looking through some of the dating profiles on the site.
- Complete your profile. At this stage you can write a bit about yourself and upload photos.
- Become a subscriber. This will give you access to everything the dating website can do, so that you can find your soulmate.
Sign up process
How can you join Guardian Soulmates? Signing up is super simple. You just create an account, choosing a username and password. Then you can choose whether you want to subscribe or continue as a free member.
After signing up and getting to the main set, you can complete your profile afterwards. Profiles will only appear in searches once they’re 50% complete. So you’ll need to go in manually to update your details and upload a photo.
Ease of use
The styling of Guardian Soulmates matches the Guardian newspaper, which is sleek and professional to target the demographic.
It’s quite a simple website, with clear tabs along the navigation bar and a short web-page so there’s not too much scrolling needed. There are also no ads, which makes browsing a lot quicker and easier.
Chat, messages and notifications
You can only read, send and receive messages if you’re a paying member. If you haven’t subscribed, you can send a ‘like’ to show your interest to someone.
If you’ve upgraded, then you have access to unlimited messaging and can begin a conversation with fellow subscribers. You can also use the advanced filters to find people you like the look of, with the option to modify and save your preferred criteria.
Profile quality
Profiles are good at providing basic information about members. There’s a couple of boxes that everyone can fill in to add some more detail.
Everyone can see at least one photo, and generally people are good at uploading pictures that show their face clearly. However, you can only view additional photos if you’ve subscribed.
Guardian Soulmates mobile app
The Guardian Soulmates app is only available to download on iOS and there’s currently not an Android version in the works. On the app, you have the option to pay for a week of upgraded membership, which costs £9.99.
While super pricey, it’s a good way to give the app a trial to see if you’d like to commit for a longer period of time. The app contains all the same features, but is really clear and easy to use.
Real life reviews for Guardian Soulmates
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Good friend of mine met her husband through Guardian Soulmates. She’s very happy with him. The fact that the rest of us call him “Igor” (discreetly!!) is no reflection on the Guardian.
DP also used the service when his first marriage broke up – and no, he didn’t meet me through it – and met someone who he had a very good if not permanent relationship with.
However, I think you have to be prepared to understand that it has a somewhat “Guardianish” ambience which may not suit everyone. I think if I was single again and wanted to meet someone online it’d be the service I’d use though.
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I had a few dates on Soulmates. The ones I met were nice – nothing clicked relationship-wise but they were all of a decent standard (looks, education, friendliness)! Some of the people that messaged me were tits but I just didn’t talk to them or meet them.
It was most fun discussing it with my friends and meeting for dates, choosing date venues and the general larkiness of it. I was living in a big city though, was younger and childless at that time and so I had a lot of offers to choose from. Don’t reckon they’d be lining up now!
I’d say give it a go! But be critical and have your friends know what you are doing/where you are going.
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From Mumsnet.com
Key features for Guardian Soulmates
Aside from the features we’ve already discussed, there is nothing in addition to messaging and the search filters.
Is Guardian Soulmates safe?
As well as a few safety tips on the site, you can block or report any suspicious members or activity and Guardian Soulmates will look into it.
How much does Guardian Soulmates cost?
What are the prices for membership? Becoming a subscriber costs the following prices:
- 1 month: £32 per month
- 3 months: £21.33 per month
- 6 months: £16 per month
With a subscription, you unlock the following:
- Unlimited messaging
- See more photos of your potential soulmate
- Get top matches based on your profile
- View potential matches’ profiles
- Get ideal matches based on your home location
- Search for your soulmates by location, age and gender
- Advanced search including lifestyle, beliefs and education
Discounts, offers and promo codes
There were no live promo codes when we signed up. But it seems that the Guardian is quite good at throwing some out there every now and then. Keep your eyes peeled or do a Google search first.
If you do a Google search you can sometimes find money off passes too, so make sure you shop around before you commit.
Free trials
There aren’t any free trials, but any member can join for free. As a free member, you can:
- Complete your profiles
- Get top matches based on your profile
- View potential matches’ profiles
- Get ideal matches based on your selected location
- Search for your soulmates by location, age and gender
Pros and Cons
✓ Pros of Guardian Soulmates
- There is a great membership base of educated, well-read people who do well in life to get to know.
- The site is pleasant and really easy to use.
X Cons of Guardian Soulmates
- There are no additional features, so the membership cost feels a little steep.
- Guardian Soulmates doesn’t get a whole lot of new members per month.
- You have to fill in your details after signup, which can be overlooked.
Our recommendation
Is Guardian Soulmates a good dating site? If you like reading The Guardian newspaper or read it regularly, then Guardian Soulmates is aimed at you. It’s a great dating site where people already have one thing in common, and from that most members tend to be quite well-matched in their ambition, salary, political views and hobbies.
This makes getting to know other members quite straight-forward and enjoyable, but the dating site does lack new members joining monthly. You might need to set your filter to be a bit further afield from your actual location to find your real soulmate.
Overall, there aren’t many additional features as instead Guardian Soulmates focuses on being a typical online dating site, where you set your search criteria and discover daily matches. If this sounds like something you’re after, then it’s a decent dating site to try. 3.5/5.
Join Guardian Soulmates today
FAQ
Who can’t be a member of Soulmates?
You must be over 18 to join Guardian Soulmates. The site also discourages those who are married or looking for an affair since it’s not that kind of site. Also, anyone with criminal convictions for violence or fraud are unable to join.
How to get started with Soulmates?
Guardian Soulmates has thousands over members all over the UK and the world of different background, age and sexual orientation. Browse profiles before joining and if you like what you see you can join and create a profile for free. To chat to other people and use the full range of features, you must purchase a subscription.
How can I join Soulmates?
You can join Guardian Soulmates by choosing a username, password and providing your email address. You will also provide basic information such as your gender and sexual preference.
What’s the difference between ‘Find a soulmate’ and ‘Your matches’?
A list of compatible Soulmates in ‘Your matches’ has been created with the criteria you have selected in the ‘Who you’re looking for’ page. The list is based on two-way matching which takes into account the importance of you and your match’s preferences. You can also select the importance of each matching criteria with the slider tool.
The ‘Find a soulmate’ page allows you to search for other Soulmates and also change your search criteria by location, age and keyword. You can also sort them by best match, last login, age and recently updated.
How can I change my password?
To change your password, go to ‘Your Account’ and choose ‘Change your password’. You will be asked for your current password and then for your new one.
What makes a good first message to another Soulmates member?
You don’t need to send a really long message to make an impression. Instead, make it clear that you read their profile and that you are interested in what they said.
You are able to see if they read your message by looking at the message from your sent mail. It’s recommended not to share any contact details in the first message.
Someone likes me – what should I do next?
If someone like you, then ‘like’ them back. They will get an email saying you’re interested in them as well.
You can also send them a message and see what happens. Any member is able to ‘like’ someone but you need to subscribe before you are able to send messages.
How can I create a profile?
To setup your profile, just fill out the answers and write a little about yourself and what you’re looking for.
The more details you share, the more likely you will be contacted by other members. If you’re unsure what to say don’t worry as you can always edit your profile whenever you want.
How does Soulmates verify profiles?
The Soulmates service is monitored by a trained team of UK based moderators who review each profile.
Guardian Soulmates does not create ‘fake profiles’ for any purpose and has never in the pass. The site also does not enable ‘mass’ messaging from one person to thousands of others.
How do I upload a picture?
To upload a picture, follow the onscreen instructions to upload photos from your computer or mobile. The customer service team will check your photo and if they have any problems they will get in touch with you.
What makes a good profile photo?
Your profile picture should be a true portrait of yourself. Avoid hiding behind a big hat, sunglasses, a tree or posing with an ex!
How can I hide my profile?
To pause your Soulmates experience and have a break, hide your profile on the ‘your account’ page.
This feature is available so that you can keep your Soulmates profile and return to it at a later time if you would like to. When your profile is hidden, all the content and messages stay saved.
The notification settings aren’t affected by a hidden profile and you can send likes and messages to people who will be notified as normal. Your subscription will also continue and you can choose to make your profile visible again at any time.
How can I remove my profile from the site?
If you find you aren’t using your Soulmates profile, you can choose to ‘hide’ your profile. You can delete your profile by going to the ‘your account’ page. Please keep in mind, once you delete your profile it cannot be reinstated.
Will my personal information and data be shared with other dating services?
No, Guardian Soulmates does not share profiles or information with any other dating services. The only profiles on Guardian Soulmates are those of users who have registered with soulmates.
How will my location be displayed?
When editing your profile, you are asked to enter your town or postcode. The post code will not be visible on your profile and this is only used to match you with other Soulmates users nearby.
You’ll also see options for the location on your profile, choosing whether you want to share these details or just your town, county or country.
What’s the difference between ‘Hide’ and ‘Block’ on Guardian Soulmates?
The ‘Hide’ features prevents someone from appearing in your search results and matches. If you’ve hidden another Soulmate then they can still ‘like’ you and send you messages.
The ‘Block feature will stop someone from appearing on all pages of the sites and this includes search results, matches, ‘Soulmates who like you’ and ‘Views’. Messages from a person that you blocked will not be delivered to you.
How can I unhide a profile?
You can unhide someone from the ‘Soulmates I have hidden list’ by selecting the hide icon. Hover your mouse over this section and it will turn the text from ‘He’s/She’s hidden’ to ‘Unhide him/her’.
What should I do if another Soulmates member is being abusive or harassing me?
If you have any problems with other members, contact the customer services team immediately. Provide them with your username, their username and a summary of the situation. The team will look into it and take appropriate action.
Who can see my personal information?
Your personal information (email address and date of birth) will not be shown to anyone.
Some of your profile such as your photo and username can be viewed by other members. Your full profile can be seen by logged-in Soulmates subscribers.
What are the benefits of a subscription?
With a subscription, you gt full access to the full gallery of pictures on Soulmates profiles as well as all their profile details. You are also able to run advanced searches.
Most importantly, you can get in touch with other members with the messaging service (on desktop or mobile). You also have the ability to filter and sort search results to find people that match your preferences.
How much does Guardian Soulmates cost?
A monthly subscription is £32 per month. You can also get a discounted rate if you purchase a three month subscription for £64 or a six month subscription at £96.
How can I pay for Soulmates? What are the payment options
You can pay with credit or debit card. The secure payment will be processed by their payment provider and you will get an email confirmation once your payment has gone through. Soulmates subscriptions will automatically renew and you can cancel at any time on ‘your account’ page.
How can I end my Guardian Soulmates subscription?
To end your subscription, go to your subscription status and select ‘Stop ongoing payments’ to stop any further payments being taken.
On the date that your next payment is due, your subscription will end and you will also lose access to the subscriber benefits and access to messages.
What features are free on Guardian Soulmates?
To enjoy the site for free, you can create a profile with pictures and information about yourself and also search and browse for other members.
You can also indicate match preferences (age and location), read other user’s profiles and add them to a list of people you like.
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