It Costs $100 A Week To Join The League—Is The Dating App Worth It?
When it comes to dating, you might’ve wondered if a potential match is “out of your league”—that is, they’re such a catch, you have little to no chance of success. Or maybe, you’ve thought of yourself as out of someone else’s league. Well, there’s one dating app out there designed to prevent that kind of imbalance from the start: the aptly-titled The League.
Through a selective membership process, singles can apply to the app and, if approved, join a vetted dating pool of potential mates—who, in theory, share the same level of career success, social standing, and financial status. In other words, everyone on the app is considered in the same league.
It’s not necessarily as snobby as it sounds, says Jess Carbino, PhD, a relationship sociologist who specializes in online dating. “Data shows that men and women are increasingly dating and subsequently marrying individuals who share similar backgrounds,” she explains. “So on one hand, The League has been criticized for perpetuating existing social inequalities, but on the other, you can say it’s helping people do what statistically, they’re already doing, which is basing their preferences on certain markers.”
The goal here is to help people form lasting, successful relationships, adds Rachel DeAlto, a relationship and communication expert at The League. “The intention is creating power couples, people who are naturally on the same path, have the same ambitions, and mesh with each other’s lifestyles,” she says. “What makes a couple successful is like-minded priorities, so it’s really about setting people up for success.”
If that approach sounds appealing and you think you’ve got what it takes to make it into The League, you might be wondering whether it’s worth your time—and how to join. Ahead, Women’s Health breaks down the dating app’s entire game plan.
Meet the Experts: Jess Carbino, PhD, is a relationship sociologist who specializes in online dating. Rachel DeAlto is a relationship and communication expert at The League.
What is The League, exactly?
The League was founded by startup entrepreneur Amanda Bradford in 2014 to offer a more catered and curated dating app experience for ambitious, goal-oriented singles. (Its 2023 ad campaign touted the tagline, “Be a Goal-Digger!”) While it's not entirely career-focused, The League will pull your education and profession off of LinkedIn, if it's available, and add it to your profile.
The app’s profile requirements cut right to the chase, too. No group photos or pictures with sunglasses are allowed; you’re required to share at least one or two full-body pictures; and there’s a limited time and word count for videos and written responses, respectively. As The League’s website emphasizes, members are presumably busy, on-the-go people who don’t have time to digest lengthy paragraphs or play detective on social media to find out what the other person really looks like.
There’s also one prompt you won’t find on other apps: whether or not you’re open to a prenup. It implies, of course, that members are generally wealthy enough for prenups to be need-to-know criteria, even early on in a relationship.
How much does it cost?
Put simply, a lot. The most basic “member” tier is $99.99 a week, while a full month is $299.99 or $399.99 for a three-month commitment. For additional perks that increase with higher membership tiers (like profile boosts and expanded searches), second-tier members, called “owners,” pay up to $399.99 a month; third tier “investors” are charged $999.99 a month; and top-tier “VIP” membership runs a cool $2499.99 a month.
It’s a steep investment, for sure, but there is one advantage to the hefty price tag: Anyone looking for a one-night stand or casual fling probably isn’t spending that kind of money on a subscription. They’re more likely on apps that charge in the single or double digits, not three or four. “[The pricing] is preventative,” says DeAlto. “It weeds out people who aren’t serious.”
How hard is it to get onto The League?
Like Raya, a dating app popular among celebrities, aspiring members of The League have to apply. Once an application is submitted, The League verifies your information through a compressive online search of professional databases combined with its secret sauce algorithm, all intended to maintain its high standards.
The larger and more easily verifiable your online presence is, the better your chances of getting in, says DeAlto. You can reapply if denied, but it’s probably smarter to wait until some of your qualifications (ahem: a new job or promotion) have upped the ante to make your profile more appealing.
If you’re discreet and concerned about a colleague or client seeing your profile, The League has got you covered with a clever feature. Because the app is synced with LinkedIn, it automatically blocks your business connections and coworkers from seeing you.
What are the benefits to joining The League?
The League prides itself on a discerning, international dating membership that efficiently connects you with people who share commonalities, rather than making you endlessly swipe through a sea of potential mismatches.
Carbino also thinks The League’s financial transparency can be beneficial. “Economically, we’re in a time when having two breadwinners is important, so it makes sense that singles are seeking partners with whom, together, can earn enough to afford the lifestyle they both want,” she says.
Are there any cons to The League?
In addition to taking a hit on your bank account, an app like The League may limit your exposure to people you might otherwise never encounter.
“One of the beautiful things about most online dating apps is that it democratizes the process and provides an opportunity to connect with others outside of your social, economic, or educational circles,” says Carbino. “If you’re willing to step outside the comfort zone of the world you know, you never know who might be out there.”
So, if you know exactly what you’re looking for (and you have the money to spare), The League might just be worth your time and money—and there’s no shame in investing in what you want. But if you don’t, no need to fret. After all, it is possible to find someone in a different scene, from a different background, or a different app who’s very much in your league.
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