Empath vs Upward Dating
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Empath
Share your true feelings anonymously in a supportive community. Connect authentically with friends who show you love, and track your emotional journey over time. Build deeper relationships by opening up when you feel comfortable.
- Anonymous emotional posts
- Friend-initiated connection
- Emotional journal tracking
- Profile with minimal info
- Express a range of emotions
- Community emotional trends
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Tired of social networks that make you feel worse about yourself? Empath is all about sharing how you actually feel and building deeper connections with people you really care about. Every feeling you post is anonymous, but when a friend hearts one of your posts, Empath tells you who is showing you love. Then if you feel comfortable, you can open up and let that friend know it was you all along. Empath tracks all your posts in an emotional journal, so you can see how your feelings change over time and remember important moments. When we share our feelings, the world feels a whole lot friendlier. Highlights: -Create a profile with only your photo and first name – Empath doesn’t ask for any other information -Express how you’re feeling: Calm, Happy, Excited, Angry, Afraid, Sad, or anything in between -Anonymously share emotional posts within a supportive online community -Be notified when a friend or loved one hearts your post -Open up with people you trust to build deeper, more authentic relationships -Track how your feelings change over time -Watch for emotional community trends in the your area and around the globe Neither the Empath app nor the Empath community is qualified to diagnose mental health issues. Please seek the help of professionals for therapy and suicide prevention if needed. You can reach a 24-hour suicide prevention hotline at 800-273-8255. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency, dial 911.
Upward Dating
Connect with Christian singles seeking meaningful relationships based on shared beliefs and values. This app facilitates faith-based connections for individuals across various denominations. Find potential partners, long-term relationships, or new friends within a supportive community.
- Connect with Christian singles
- Profile creation with faith statement
- Swipe to like or pass
- Chat with mutual connections
- Premium features: Super Likes, Rewind, Boost
- Elite features: See who liked you
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Upward. The dating app built for modern courtship, where shared values, clear intentions, and real effort can lead to marriage. Join a values-first community of singles who know what they want and aren’t afraid to say it. If you’re over casual dating and ready for a relationship with real direction, you belong here. Upward brings together values-driven singles who are ready to build something lasting. Our mission is simple: Bring back courtship and conviction. A way of dating where people lead with their values, show genuine interest, and follow through. Because love is worth courting. Whether you lead with faith, family, loyalty, integrity, or simply a clear sense of what matters most, Upward helps you meet someone who wants the same kind of future. Modern courtship, made clear. Create your dating profile and share what matters most to you from day one. Choose your Core Values so potential matches can see what shapes your life, your relationships, and the future you want to build. Add your Marriage Timeline to be clear about your goals and meet people moving toward the same kind of future. Turn on Chivalry Mode for a more intentional way to connect. Men take the lead by making the first move. Women choose what happens next. Both show up with clear intention. Meet singles who are dating with intention and looking for a lasting relationship that can lead to marriage. Swipe right to like someone or left to pass. Make a mutual connection and chat with like-minded singles near you for FREE! Marriage is the goal. Find someone who shares your values, matches your effort, and wants to build a life together. Download Upward today and find the one who’s Wanted for Life. Go Premium and you can also: • Send 5 Super Likes per week to stand out from the crowd and let people know that you're really interested • Rewind on people to give them a second chance • Boost your profile each month to be one of the top profiles in your area for 30 minutes • Send unlimited likes to other singles who share your values and relationship goals • Enjoy an uninterrupted experience with no ads! Become Elite and you can: • Get all of the Premium benefits PLUS • Remove the mystery and See Who's Liked You for instant matches! Check us out every day — we're growing fast and there's someone new to connect with every day, making it easier to find values-based relationships built on what truly matters. Here we grow! Share Upward with your family and friends. Privacy Policy: https://www.upward-app.com/en/privacy-policy Terms & Conditions: https://www.upward-app.com/en/terms-of-use All photos are of models and used for illustrative purposes only.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Upward Dating at 4.3 against Empath's 3.1. Upward Dating also leads on ratings volume (163K vs 70) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). Empath's advantage is review sentiment (49% vs 11%) and in-app purchases (none vs 10). On price there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Upward Dating sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $17.99 per 7 days. Empath asks for nothing beyond the download.
Upward Dating holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Upward Dating has 163K ratings behind it against 70, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 49% of Empath's written reviews are positive against 11% of Upward Dating's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Empath ships an update monthly, Upward Dating weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Empath | Upward Dating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.1 (70 ratings) | 4.3 (163K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 49.2% of reviews — better | 11.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 70 | 163K — better |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | #46 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 14.7 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 265 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | InspiringApps | Affinity Apps, LLC |
Customer experience
Empath
Upward Dating
Bugs and requests
Empath
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Upward Dating
Reported bugs
4 issues- Accounts being disabled for no apparent reason
- Matches disappearing and reappearing in the feed
- Notifications not accurately reflecting new likes/matches
- Inability to undo accidental swipes
Requested features
5 requests- Add distance filter to show only nearby matches
- Implement user verification system to weed out fake profiles
- Improve subscription model and make it more affordable
- Enhance chat features and allow video/voice calls
- Provide better customer support and communication
In-app purchases
Empath
No in-app purchases
Upward Dating
- 1 week Elite membership$17.997 Days
- 1 month Elite membership$19.991 Month
- Elite 1 Week$19.997 Days
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- 1 Week Elite$21.997 Days
- Upward Elite Membership$29.991 Month
- 1 month Elite membership$29.991 Month
- 3 months Elite membership$44.993 Months
- 6 months Elite membership$71.996 Months
- Super Like - 5 Pack$2.99
- Super Like - 5 Pack$4.99









