Comparison

Empath vs Upward Dating

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Anonymous emotional posts
  • Friend-initiated connection
  • Emotional journal tracking
  • Profile with minimal info
  • Express a range of emotions
  • Community emotional trends
Features
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Read full description

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

Empath4 screens
Upward Dating4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Empath ships an update monthly, Upward Dating weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard10 real differences · 1 level
Empath versus Upward Dating: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEmpathUpward Dating
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.1 (70 ratings)4.3 (163K ratings) — better
Positive reviews49.2% of reviews — better11.4% of reviews
Number of ratings70163K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#46 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS14.7 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB265 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperInspiringAppsAffinity Apps, LLC

Customer experience

Empath

All ratings69 ratings
Positive49.3%
Neutral15.9%
Negative34.8%
Written reviews59 reviews
Positive49.2%
Neutral13.6%
Negative37.3%

Upward Dating

All ratings162,871 ratings
Positive81.5%
Neutral7.3%
Negative11.2%
Written reviews1,661 reviews
Positive11.4%
Neutral8.5%
Negative80.1%

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

None

Empath

No in-app purchases

10 purchases

Upward Dating

Subscriptions8
  • 1 week Elite membership$17.997 Days
  • 1 month Elite membership$19.991 Month
  • Elite 1 Week$19.997 Days
Show 5 more
  • 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
One-time2
  • Super Like - 5 Pack$2.99
  • Super Like - 5 Pack$4.99

Questions

Is Empath free?
Empath is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Upward Dating free?
Upward Dating is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Empath or Upward Dating?
Upward Dating is rated higher. Empath averages 3.1 out of 5 from 70 ratings, while Upward Dating averages 4.3 from 163K ratings.
Do Empath or Upward Dating have ads?
Upward Dating shows ads; Empath does not.
Which is updated more often, Empath or Upward Dating?
Empath ships an update monthly, and Upward Dating weekly. Most recently, Empath was updated on November 2, 2026 and Upward Dating on November 5, 2026.

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