Best Matchmakers in NYC (2026): 15 Services Compared With Prices

The best matchmaker in NYC depends on budget and who you want to meet. For a NYC-based boutique, NYCity Matchmaking has the highest public ratings (Google 4.8 from 71 reviews). For published prices and a Manhattan office, Elite Connections lists $15,000 for six months. For a retained luxury search, Selective Search states $50,000–$500,000.

NYC matchmakers compared

Questions about whether NYC matchmakers are scams often start on Reddit. We start with the details you can compare: what the fee buys, where the firm operates and what the agreement says. This table separates New York boutiques from national services. Prices are published figures or clearly dated reports, rather than equivalent packages. Use the source column to check the basis of each amount before arranging a consultation.

“None published” means no verified street address. Ratings cover the named platform and location.

How we compared them

We use five checks to make the shortlist useful.

We cannot measure match quality or success rates across firms. Firms’ own success figures are not independently checked, so we do not rank the services from 1 to 15. A public rating is a record of reviewers’ experiences, not a prediction of your relationship.

During a call, ask how the network is verified, who your dedicated matchmaker would be, how candidates are vetted and how post-date feedback changes the search. Request transparent pricing and a clear definition of success in writing. Read how I write these reviews.

Our picks by need

Every pick is a fact-based label, not a quality verdict.

• Best-reviewed NYC boutique: NYCity Matchmaking has Google 4.8 from 71 reviews and Yelp 4.8 from 43, with founder-led service since 2011.
• Best for published prices and a Manhattan office: Elite Connections publishes $15,000 for six months and lists 521 5th Ave.
• Best entry price: Tawkify lists three matches at $4,900, shown at a $4,400 offer; Three Day Rule starts at $6,300 if seeing photos before dates matters.
• Best for men: Dating by Blaine starts at $35,000 for six active months plus up to three months of pause, while Janis Spindel’s men-only service starts at $75,000 and dates to 1993.
• Best retained luxury search: Selective Search publishes $50,000–$500,000; Kelleher’s archived own page gives the same range for readers comparing a broader search budget.
• Best for LGBTQ+: Sameera Sullivan publishes gay men’s packages from $25,000; compare the options in our gay matchmaker NYC guide.
• Jewish matchmaking: use our Jewish matchmaker NYC guide to put community and religious preferences at the center of the shortlist.

The 15 matchmakers

NYC-based boutiques

Agape Match: men seeking a nyc boutique

Maria Avgitidis is Agape Match’s founder and CEO. Agape describes her experience as 17-plus years; an exact founding year is not published. Agape’s privacy policy lists 1 Liberty Plaza, 23rd floor.

Men apply as active clients. Women can join a free singles database, where introductions depend on fitting a paying client’s search. That distinction matters if you want a matchmaker working specifically on your behalf.

CBS News reported $30,000–$50,000 for a six-month program in February 2024. Avgitidis described a $20,000–$100,000 range on Freakonomics in September 2025. Price and service source.

Agape describes a six-month term and at least one match within the first month. Refund terms are not published. Google shows 4.7 from 61 reviews; Yelp shows 4.5 from 38.Yelp listing search.

Amy Laurent Elite Matchmaking: men considering an annual membership

Amy Laurent founded her matchmaking business in 2005. The firm lists 590 Madison Ave in New York. Amy Laurent’s paying clientele is mostly men ages 35–70.

Women have a free pathway into the candidate pool. An annual membership also makes the length of the commitment part of the decision.

Amy Laurent’s October 27, 2026 own-site comparison states an annual fee of $25,000 or more, paid fully upfront. The membership lasts 12 months. Refund terms are not published, so request the client agreement alongside the quote. Price and service source.

Yelp shows 4.0 from four reviews, checked October 2026.Yelp listing search.

Dating by Blaine: men seeking search plus preparation

Blaine Anderson founded Dating by Blaine in 2020. The business has a Tucson legal address. Dating by Blaine says its lead matchmaker Brianna is based in the West Village; no NYC office is published.

The service works with men as paying clients. The women introduced to male clients do not pay Dating by Blaine. This is an important difference between a candidate pool and two clients each purchasing a search.

The October 2026 own-site cost page lists searches from $35,000. Fortune independently reported prices from $35,000 to more than $100,000 for six months in August 2026. The published scope includes six months of active search and up to three months of pause. Price and service source.

Refunds are governed by a nonpublic client agreement. No Yelp or Trustpilot profile was found in the supplied research.Yelp listing search.

Hunting Maven: men seeking a candidate-based boutique

Julia Bekker runs Hunting Maven. Bekker previously spent eight years with Janis Spindel. A 2020 Story Exchange profile described the business as having begun more than a decade earlier; we do not assign a precise founding year.

Hunting Maven operates in NYC. Yelp lists 535 5th Ave. Men are the clients, while women are candidates; the 2020 press profile describes free database participation for women.

Hunting Maven does not publish a current package price. The older press amounts are not a useful current quote, so this comparison leaves the fee on request. Public contract and refund terms are also not published. Price and service source.

The Story Exchange provides independent reporting on the business, rather than a current assessment of client outcomes.Yelp listing search.

Janis Spindel Serious Matchmaking: men considering a high-budget search

Janis Spindel founded Serious Matchmaking in 1993. Janis works with her daughter Carly. The own site describes New York meetings as by appointment only; no verified street address is included here.

The paying clients are men only. Women pay a one-time, nonrefundable consultation fee of $500–$4,000 for consideration. That payment is separate from purchasing a search as a male client.

The own-site men’s page lists Basic from $75,000 and Global VIP from $1 million, checked October 2026. The men’s contract is not published. Competitor VIDA Select reports a finder’s fee equal to the signing fee, so ask the firm to explain any contingent obligation in its written proposal. Price and service source.

Yelp shows 3.0 from 68 reviews, checked October 2026.Yelp listing search.

NYCity Matchmaking: founder-led metropolitan-area search

Michelle Frankel founded NYCity Matchmaking in 2011. Frankel is a former attorney and the firm’s Founder and Chief Love Officer. NYCity describes itself as based in the New York metropolitan area.

Box. Yelp lists 1140 6th Ave. The founder-led service uses a duration-based membership, alongside a free private network for possible introductions. Ask whether you are applying as a search client or joining that network.

NYCity discusses specific investment details in a private consultation. No current package amount is published in the supplied facts. The public terms say fees are nonrefundable unless otherwise stated. The terms also say introductions, matches and outcomes are not guaranteed. Price and service source.

Google shows 4.8 from 71 reviews. Yelp shows 4.8 from 43, checked October 2026.Yelp listing search.

Sameera Sullivan Matchmakers: men, including gay men

Sameera Sullivan founded the business as Lasting Connections in 2012. Sullivan is CEO and a former executive recruiter. The New York page lists 276 5th Ave, Suite 704-797.

Paying clients are mostly men. Sameera Sullivan also offers gay men’s packages and a free women’s registry. Women’s coaching and virtual services are separate paid offerings, so clarify what kind of help a proposal actually purchases.

The own site lists men’s packages at $35,000–$500,000. Gay men’s matchmaking starts at $25,000. Women’s coaching and virtual services span $500–$25,000. Price and service source.

Memberships last six months or one year. Sameera Sullivan does not promise a certain number of introductions. Refund terms are not published. A Yelp listing was found, but no usable review count was recorded; no independent source found for a client-experience assessment.Yelp listing search.

National firms with a New York office

Elite Connections International: published six-month pricing

Sherri Murphy founded Elite Connections in 1994. Murphy is CEO. The firm lists a New York office at 521 5th Ave, 17th floor, by appointment.

Elite Connections takes men and women ages 21 and older as paying clients. Ask who would handle your particular membership and search criteria.

Elite Connections publishes a standard six-month membership at $15,000 on its own cost page, checked October 2026. Price and service source.

Refund terms are not published in the corrected shared price facts. Yelp shows 4.3 from nine reviews, checked October 2026.Yelp listing search.

It's Just Lunch: staff-arranged dates

It’s Just Lunch is a national franchise service. The firm describes more than 35 years in business. Its model centers on dates arranged by staff, rather than a free candidate tier.

A national brand and a local search are separate details to settle.

It’s Just Lunch does not publish a price in the supplied facts. Price and service source.

Trustpilot shows 2.9 from 719 reviews. Yelp’s NYC listing shows 1.3 from 186, checked October 2026.Trustpilot profile. Read our full It's Just Lunch review.

LUMA Luxury Matchmaking: men and women across a wide age range

April Davis founded LUMA in 2010 and is its president. LUMA’s headquarters are in Minneapolis. The firm markets service in New York, but the corrected shared facts do not establish a published NYC street address.

LUMA takes men and women as paying clients. LUMA also has a free database. The stated client age span runs from the late 20s into the 80s, making age coverage a useful question for a consultation.

LUMA’s own cost page lists customized full-service matchmaking at $20,000–$250,000 or more, checked October 2026. The service describes a thorough six-month search. Price and service source.

Public client and refund terms are not published. Trustpilot has two reviews in the supplied facts, without a recorded average; that is too little to support a broad client-experience conclusion.Read our full LUMA Luxury Matchmaking review.

Maclynn International: private membership or free candidate route

Rachel Vida MacLynn, a chartered psychologist, founded Maclynn in London in 2011. Maclynn’s NYC office opened in 2017. The corrected shared price facts do not establish a published New York street address.

Private Members pay for a search. Open Members join the candidate network free. Choose the route that matches your intention: consideration for another client is different from commissioning work for yourself.

Maclynn’s own New York pages list six months from $20,000 and 12 months from $30,000. Tailored packages run $50,000–$200,000. Price and service source.

Private Members use a separate agreement that is not public. Refund terms are not published here. Google shows 4.9 from 32 reviews; Trustpilot shows 4.2 from six; Yelp NYC shows 2.0 from one.Trustpilot profile.

National firms serving New York without a published NYC office

Kelleher International: broad-budget retained search

Jill Kelleher founded Kelleher International in 1986. Trade publication Global Dating Insights reported John Berg’s appointment as CEO in May 2025. The current leadership matters when comparing older profiles of the company.

Kelleher serves New York, but no verified NYC street address is published in the supplied facts. Its model is a paid search. Ask where your matchmaker works and how the proposed search would cover New York and any other agreed geography.

An archived own homepage dated October 15, 2026 states a $50,000–$500,000 range. We checked that source in the October research; the figure is explicitly an archived publication. Public contract and refund terms are not published. Archived price source.

Yelp NYC shows 1.0 from three reviews, checked October 2026.Yelp listing search. Read our full Kelleher International review.

Selective Search: retained search or free candidacy

Barbie Adler founded Selective Search in 2000. Adler is a former executive recruiter. Brad Blettner is CEO. Selective Search is headquartered in Chicago, with no published NYC office in the supplied facts.

Paying clients commission a retained search. Candidates can join and be matched without fees. Women can discuss either role, rather than assume that every woman participates only as a free candidate.

Selective Search’s own pricing page states that a retained search averages $50,000–$500,000, checked October 2026. The FAQ says a typical contract lasts six to 12 months. Price and service source.

Refund terms are not published. Yelp Chicago shows 3.8 from 38 reviews, checked October 2026; this is a Chicago listing, not an NYC score.Yelp listing search. Read our full Selective Search review.

Tawkify: planned blind dates with a match count

Kenneth Shaw and E. Jean Carroll co-founded Tawkify in 2012, as reported by Vice and TechCrunch. No NYC office is published; matchmakers operate nationwide through video platforms.

Tawkify plans blind dates. Members join a candidate pool without a dedicated matchmaker. Recruits do not pay to enter the database, while members may pay a fee, so candidate participation is not universally free.

Tawkify’s own cards list three matches at $4,900, shown at $4,400; six at $8,000, shown at $6,400; and 12 at $15,000, shown at $9,000. Price and service source.

Public service and refund agreements describe final purchases with state-specific provisions. Canceling a date less than 48 hours beforehand forfeits the match. Trustpilot shows 4.6 from 8,121 reviews, checked October 2026.Trustpilot profile. Read our full Tawkify review.

Three Day Rule: photos before dates

Talia Goldstein founded Three Day Rule. Its own sources give both 2010 and 2013 as founding dates. Adam Cohen-Aslatei is CEO. Headquarters are in Los Angeles, and no NYC office or locally assigned matchmaker is published.

Three Day Rule sells time-based memberships. The founder describes typical terms of three months, six months or one year. The service shows photos before dates. Free database registration is a passive candidate route, separate from paying for a search.

Three Day Rule’s own review article lists premium memberships from $6,300, checked October 2026. The public website terms expressly exclude paid matchmaking clients, whose separate agreement is not public. Refund terms are not published here. Price and service source.

Google shows 4.8 from 155 reviews. Trustpilot shows 4.3 from 87; the national Yelp listing shows 4.2 from 296, checked October 2026.Trustpilot profile. Read our full Three Day Rule review.

Also worth knowing

Bonnie Winston’s six- and 12-month contracts start at $60,000 and reach $200,000, according to the March 2026 NY Post. Cinqe’s FAQ lists $25,000–$350,000 and remote operation. Modern Love Club has Google 5.0 from 13 reviews; its prices are reported only second-hand. Select Date Society’s Founders Club lists a $1 million membership investment. VIDA Select publishes month-to-month memberships from $1,695 and also publishes a widely cited NYC comparison. These October 2026 checks expand the options without adding firms to the main list.

Best by need

Under $10,000: Tawkify’s three-match offer and Three Day Rule’s starting membership fit the published budget; ask It’s Just Lunch for a quote rather than assuming an old reported amount is available. See the full price comparison and Tawkify vs Three Day Rule.

For men: Dating by Blaine and Janis Spindel have men-only client models; Hunting Maven and Amy Laurent also focus on male clients. For women: LUMA, Elite Connections and Selective Search take women as paying clients. Agape, Selective Search, Three Day Rule and Maclynn offer free candidate routes. Tawkify pool membership may involve a fee.

Community and age: compare Jewish matchmaking and LGBTQ+ options by the actual search offered. For over-50 readers, LUMA’s stated range reaches into the 80s. High net worth: compare Selective Search, Kelleher, Janis Spindel and Amy Laurent by scope and total obligations. If preparation matters more than introductions, consider a dating coach.

Red flags when hiring a NYC matchmaker

Pause when a consultation turns into same-day “limited time” pricing pressure. Ask for a written contract that defines deliverables and refund terms before making a payment. A promise to find your partner within six months is an outcome claim; a search term or a stated number of introductions is a deliverable.

Ask for an anonymized example of the kind of person you would meet. Find out whether candidates are paying clients, free database members or recruits. Agape says active clients are its priority. Joining a pool therefore serves a different purpose from retaining a matchmaker to search for you.

Read the definition of an introduction and the forfeiture rules. Tawkify’s refund policy says canceling a date under 48 hours beforehand forfeits the match. Ask how declines, no-shows and rescheduling affect the purchase you are considering.

New York GBL § 394-c provides for a written contract, cancellation within three business days, specified referrals per month and a refund option after two successive months without referrals, subject to the statutory deduction. Read what New York law says alongside your proposed agreement.