Our verdict
Coffee Meets Bagel sends a batch of suggested matches every day at noon, and liking, matching and chatting with them is free. Three sisters founded it in 2012, and it is still privately owned. Premium unlocks all your likes, extra suggestions and more filters.
Bottom line: A good pick if you want a few relationship-minded suggestions a day without paying; upgrade only if you keep running out of them.
Great for: Busy people who want fewer, better matches
Not ideal for: People who want lots of matches quickly, or who live in small towns where the daily batch runs thin.
How Coffee Meets Bagel works
The short version of this Coffee Meets Bagel review: it still works the way it was designed in 2012. Every day at noon you get a batch of suggested profiles, your “Bagels”, picked from your preferences, your past likes and passes, and how likely each person is to like you back. Liking someone in Suggested is free. If they like you back, you match and can chat, also for free.
Two other tabs sit next to Suggested. Discover lets you browse more people, including some outside your preferences, and search by age, height, distance, degree, ethnicity and recent activity. You can’t send regular likes there, only Flowers, which cost beans. Likes You lists everyone who liked you, but it’s blurred unless you pay. CMB says those likes also reach your Suggested batch over time, so you don’t have to pay to meet them.
Either person can send the first message. Premium’s Activity Reports even show how often someone breaks the ice and how quickly they usually reply.
Why chats expire after 7 days
Every chat stays open for 7 days. If either of you sends a message in the last 72 hours, CMB adds 3 more days, which is the “your chat has been extended” notice. Once a chat closes, you can reopen it for 99 beans for another 30 days. The time limit is the point: CMB wants you to suggest a date rather than text for weeks. It also means a slow conversation can vanish while you’re busy.
Who you’ll meet on Coffee Meets Bagel
Anyone 18 or over can join. Three Korean American sisters, Arum, Dawoon and Soo Kang, founded the app, and it has long been popular with Asian American daters. It isn’t only for Asians, though, and it isn’t a Jewish app despite the bagel. Ethnicity, religion and relationship goals are all free preferences, and you can mark any of them as a dealbreaker so you never see anyone outside it. CMB doesn’t publish its current member numbers or age mix.
Since June 2024 there have been two apps. Members with a US or Canadian (+1) phone number use “Coffee Meets Bagel: Dating App”, and everyone else uses the worldwide app. The two can’t match or chat with each other, and accounts don’t move between them. That matters if you travel or move abroad.
What happened to Coffee Meets Bagel after Shark Tank
On Shark Tank in January 2015, the sisters turned down Mark Cuban’s $30 million offer for the whole company, the largest in the show’s history (Wikipedia). They raised $7.8 million in venture funding a month later and $12 million more in 2018. Coffee Meets Bagel is still a private company based in San Francisco, and it isn’t part of Match Group.
It’s also still in business. The US app was updated on October 13, 2026, and it has a 4.3 rating from about 22,000 ratings in the US App Store (checked October 15, 2026).
Coffee Meets Bagel vs Hinge and Bumble
Hinge shows you far more profiles a day and is the stronger free app for most people. Our Hinge vs Coffee Meets Bagel comparison covers when the slower pace wins. Bumble is bigger too, and since August 2026 either person can open the chat there as well. CMB is the better fit if a long feed wears you out and you’d rather look at a handful of people properly.
Our tip
Set two or three dealbreakers, not ten. Each one shrinks your daily batch, and a strict setup in a smaller city can leave you with very few suggestions. Like the people you’d really meet, and when a chat is going well, suggest a coffee before the 7 days run out.
Coffee Meets Bagel at a glance
| Audience | Adults 18+ looking for relationships, with one app for the US and Canada and another for other countries |
|---|---|
| Typical goal | Serious relationships |
| Free version | Yes — A batch of suggested matches every day at noon, Free likes and matching in Suggested, Chat with your matches, Free preferences for ethnicity, religion and relationship goals, with dealbreakers, Selfie verification |
| Paid from | ≈ $34.99/mo (US App Store) (see all plans) |
| Platforms | iOS, Android |
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free likes and chat with your daily matches
- Free ethnicity, religion and relationship-goal preferences
- Selfie verification
- Activity Reports show who actually replies
Cons
- Likes You is blurred without Premium
- Chats expire after 7 days unless extended
- Beans on top of subscriptions
- US and Canada members can’t match with people abroad
Key features
- Daily suggestions at noon
- A batch of profiles picked from your preferences, past likes and passes, and who is likely to like you back.
- 7-day chats
- Chats close after 7 days unless someone messages in the last 72 hours; beans can reopen a closed chat for 30 days.
- Activity Reports
- Premium shows how often someone chats, whether they send first messages and how fast they usually reply.
- Beans and Flowers
- An in-app currency for Flowers, Boosts and reopening chats; Flowers put you at the top of someone’s Likes You page.
How much does Coffee Meets Bagel cost?
| Plan | Indicative price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | A batch of suggested matches every day at noon, Free likes and matching in Suggested, Chat with your matches, Free preferences for ethnicity, religion and relationship goals, with dealbreakers, Selfie verification |
| CMB Premium | ≈ $34.99 or $39.99 for 1 month, $74.99 or $89.99 for 3 months (US App Store) | See and match with all your likes, Bonus Bagels until suggestions run out, 8 Flowers and 1 Boost a month, Premium Preferences, Activity Reports and read receipts |
| CMB Platinum | ≈ $46.99 or $54.99 for 1 month, $99.99 for 3 months (US App Store) | Everything in Premium, Priority likes, Always-on Boost, Incognito mode |
Prices are indicative, in US dollars unless another currency is shown, and were checked October 15, 2026. Apps often charge different amounts by country, age, platform and plan length — confirm the final price in the app before paying.
Want the full breakdown and ways to save? Read our Coffee Meets Bagel pricing guide and free trial options.
Is Coffee Meets Bagel safe?
A selfie liveness check run by Persona adds a verification badge, and you can report or hide profiles. CMB warns about crypto investment scams in its help center; never send money to a match.
Before meeting anyone, follow our verification checklist.
Not sure Coffee Meets Bagel is right for you?
These alternatives may suit you better depending on your goals. See all Coffee Meets Bagel alternatives.
Best for: Finding a relationship in your 20s and 30s
- Detailed, conversation-friendly profiles
- Strong focus on real relationships
- Free version is usable, with free faith and ethnicity filters
- Free version
- Yes
- Paid from
- ≈ $16.99 (US App Store)
Best for: A big, well-moderated swipe app
- Big pool, with 100M+ Google Play downloads
- Photo verification required in the US
- Free in-app voice and video calls
- Free version
- Yes
- Paid from
- ≈ $2.99 for Boost (US App Store)
Best for: Career-driven professionals
- Reviewed, verified members
- Curated daily Batch
- Free matching and messaging
- Free version
- Yes
- Paid from
- ≈ $19.99 (US App Store)
Best for: Matching on values and answers as well as photos
- Match percentage based on real answers
- Free messaging with matches
- Over 60 gender and orientation options, plus pronouns
- Free version
- Yes
- Paid from
- ≈ $10/mo
Best for: Serious relationships and marriage
- Strong focus on long-term compatibility
- Detailed quiz and compatibility scores
- Free Basic membership with no time limit
- Free version
- Limited
- Premium
- shown after you sign up
Compare Coffee Meets Bagel
Coffee Meets Bagel FAQ
Is Coffee Meets Bagel free?
Yes, the core is free. You get a batch of suggested matches every day at noon, and liking, matching and chatting are free. Premium and Platinum add all your likes, extra suggestions, more filters and Boosts.
Who owns Coffee Meets Bagel?
Sisters Arum, Dawoon and Soo Kang founded it in 2012, and it is a private company based in San Francisco. It isn’t part of Match Group.
Is Coffee Meets Bagel only for Asians?
No. It was founded by three Korean American sisters and is popular with Asian American daters, but anyone 18 or over can join. Ethnicity is one of the free preferences.
What happens after 7 days on Coffee Meets Bagel?
The chat closes unless one of you sent a message in the last 72 hours, which adds 3 days. You can reopen a closed chat for 99 beans and keep it open for 30 more days.
What happened to Coffee Meets Bagel after Shark Tank?
The founders turned down Mark Cuban’s $30 million offer on Shark Tank in 2015, raised venture funding instead, and it remains a private company. The app was last updated in October 2026.