The pitch is the same across this new crop of apps: no feed, no swiping. You talk to an AI (by text or voice), it learns what you want, and it introduces you to one person at a time. Some book the restaurant too.
It’s an old idea, the matchmaker, rebuilt on a language model. What varies is how much a human is still involved, where the apps actually operate and how they charge. All details below come from each company’s site or App Store listing, checked 2026-11-06.
How these six were picked
To make the list, an app had to describe AI-led matching on its official site or listing, be open to U.S. adults (or, in one case, be piloting in the U.S.), and say where it operates. Order is by how widely you can use it today and how clearly it states cities and prices. No app was tested.
Where they work
| App | How matching works | Where (official sources) | Price model (2026-11-06) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sitch | AI matchmaker chat; human team reviews every profile | NYC, SF, LA, Chicago, Austin | Pay per setup or monthly |
| Known | One voice call; one intro at a time; date booked for you | Couldn’t confirm a city list | $15 per date credit |
| Amata | AI conversation; books the table; post-date debrief | Couldn’t confirm a city list; iPhone only | Amata Plus subscription |
| Keeper | AI plus human matchmakers; marriage-focused | Mainly U.S., Canada, UK | Free tier or “Marriage Bounty” |
| Iris | Learns who you find attractive from likes and passes | Not city-limited per listing | Free to start; Gold and Platinum |
| Bumble Dates (Bee) | AI interview inside Bumble | Invited members in NYC only | Pilot |
1. Sitch
Sitch is the most established of the startups, with what it says are 35,000-plus members. You answer questions to build a profile, set non-negotiables and nice-to-haves, and an AI matchmaker sends curated introductions with photos, background and a reason the person could fit. After each one you send feedback, and the app keeps asking questions to learn more. Its App Store listing says every profile is reviewed by people on its team.
Cities: NYC, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Austin. Price: App Store lists single setups at $24.99 and $34.99, three for $89.99, five for $124.99, eight for $159.99, and a $29.99 monthly plan. Who it suits: people in those five cities who want a few vetted introductions rather than a feed.
2. Known
Known starts with a single voice call. The company says most members spend about 26 minutes on it. Known writes your profile from the call, sends one introduction at a time, gives you both 24 hours to accept, then checks calendars and books a restaurant that fits your tastes and budget. You can ask Known questions about your match before the date, answered from what it learned on their call.
Price: App Store lists one Date Credit at $15.00. Cities: the official site and listing don’t name cities. Press coverage, such as SFist in May 2026, described it as launching in San Francisco. Couldn’t confirm the current list. Claim to note: its listing says 80% of introductions in early testing led to an in-person date. That’s the company’s own figure. What to watch: the matchmaker answers questions about you to your match, based on your call. Say only what you’d be comfortable having repeated.
3. Amata
Amata, from a Paris-founded team, calls itself a matchmaking club. Your AI matchmaker gets to know you through conversation, makes an introduction, arranges a time and books a table at a safe, central venue, then debriefs you afterward. The site says it’s available on iPhone.
Price: App Store lists Amata Plus at several price points from $34.99 to $119.99, durations not labeled. Cities: the official site and listing don’t name cities. Global Dating Insights reported that its U.S. launch began in New York after a test in Australia. Couldn’t confirm the current list. Who it suits: people who want the logistics handled. A head-to-head with a mainstream app is in Amata vs Hinge.
4. Keeper
Keeper is explicit about its goal: marriage. It combines AI with human matchmakers who hand-vet matches, screens members for long-term intent, and runs as a web app. Its FAQ says it’s active mainly in the U.S., Canada and the UK, and you must be 18 or older.
Price: two plans. Free members can be matched only with paying members and may wait longer. The Marriage Bounty plan charges a fee per match (after both sides agree to meet) plus a one-time success fee if you reach a milestone such as marriage. Per-match fees count toward the total, and Keeper says bounty pricing varies by individual. Couldn’t confirm specific amounts. What to watch: Keeper’s FAQ says its algorithm draws on population-level research on average gender differences in partner preferences, and that your stated preferences override those patterns when they differ. Women see a potential match’s profile first.
5. Iris Dating
Iris is closer to a dating app with AI ranking than a matchmaker. You like or pass on profiles, and Iris says it learns the faces and features you’re drawn to, then shows people it predicts you’ll like and who are likely to like you back. It also advertises AI identity verification.
Price: free to start. App Store lists Iris Gold monthly at $9.99, Platinum monthly at $24.99, and quarterly and discounted variants. What to watch: matching on facial features you find attractive is the most appearance-driven model here. It’s a frank design choice, and worth knowing before you sign up.
6. Bumble Dates, powered by Bee
Bumble’s AI matchmaker, Bee, interviews you about values and relationship preferences, then messages you when it finds someone. Bumble’s help page says Dates is only open to a small selection of invited members in New York City and is in pilot testing. If you’re invited, it sits inside your existing Bumble account. More in Bumble’s AI matchmaker explained.
Things these apps have in common
Small pools. A matchmaker can only introduce you to people who signed up. Startups in five cities can’t match the reach of a mainstream app. Expect waits.
More personal data. A 26-minute voice call or a long chat reveals far more than a profile. Read each privacy policy for how long recordings and transcripts are kept.
Real dates, fast. Several book the date for you. That’s efficient, and it means meeting a stranger quickly. Standard first-date safety still applies: public place, your own transport, a friend who knows where you are.
Pay per outcome. Setup fees, date credits and success fees replace the usual subscription. That aligns incentives better, in theory, than a monthly plan that profits from you staying single.
Whether this model replaces swiping or settles into a niche is an open question, taken up in the future of dating apps.