Debating the Monetization Strategy for a Marriage App: Charging from the Start vs. Freemium Models

Hey everyone,

I'm working on a marriage app similar to Hinge and could really use some advice on the best way to make money with it. The people I'm working with think we should charge users right from the start to match with someone. Their idea is to give the first match for free and then one free match per month, but you have to pay for any extra matches. They believe since we're focused on marriage and not casual dating, people will be okay with paying.

But I'm not so sure. The dating app market is super saturated, and a lot of apps let you match and chat for free, at least to a certain extent. They make money through premium features like super likes, boosts, and other extras. I'm worried that charging upfront will scare people away, even if our app is about serious relationships.

Has anyone here had experience with this? Do you think people would be willing to pay upfront for a marriage-focused app, or is it better to go with a freemium model? Any insights or examples of what works would be really helpful!

Thanks a lot!