The cracks in Bumble's business model are becoming harder to ignore. The company — long celebrated for putting women in control of who makes the first move — posted a 10% year-on-year revenue drop in Q3 2025, while the number of paying subscribers fell by 16%. In response, Bumble announced a fresh wave of redundancies, its second round of cuts since early 2024 when around 350 employees were let go.
The numbers tell a familiar story across the industry. Users are not leaving dating apps altogether, but they are becoming far less willing to pay for premium features. Bumble's leadership has acknowledged that the traditional subscription model is under strain, and the company is exploring new ways to monetise its user base — including optional AI-powered features that help members craft better opening messages.
Critics argue that the app's core mechanic, while pioneering in 2014, has lost its novelty. Competitors like Hinge have stolen market share by leaning into a slower, more thoughtful approach to matchmaking, while a new generation of apps like Thursday (which opens for one day a week) are experimenting with scarcity as a way to make dating feel special again.
Whether Bumble's restructuring will be enough to reverse the trend remains to be seen. For users, the practical impact is likely to be fewer product improvements in the short term as the company tightens its belt.
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eMarketer — Dating App Slump Prompts Bumble to Slash WorkforceThis article is written in our own words and summarises publicly available reporting. All credit for original reporting goes to the source above.