6 Canadians Gave Their Opinions On The Celeb-Dating App RAYA & If It's Actually Worth It
Raya is an exclusive dating and networking app where you can spot countless celebrities.
The members-only app is notoriously difficult to get on and expensive to keep, but once you're a member, you'll have the chance to match with some pretty interesting people.
Channing Tatum joined the app after his split with singer Jessie J back in November 2019, according to US Weekly, and he's not the only celeb that's admitted to using Raya.
Drew Barrymore said dating on Raya was fun and there were a lot of "exciting people" on the app during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen.
Despite her many celebrity sightings, Barrymore didn't have the best luck on the app.
"I got stood up, and I didn't match with anyone. And my friends gave me this sort of bloated sense of false confidence. They were like, 'You should try it. You will do great.' It was a car wreck," she told Cohen.
Is Raya a dating app?
The exclusive app describes itself as a "private community where people come to connect for dating, networking, and friendship," according to its Apple app description.
How do you get on Raya?
To get on Raya, you have to download the app and submit an application where your profile will be evaluated and either "accepted" or "waitlisted."
To increase your odds of getting accepted onto the app, you can add in referrals from current members.
Is it hard getting on Raya?
A Raya user told Narcity that getting on to the app was quite a lengthy hassle, too, with the entire process taking over a year.
"You have to fill out an 'application' form, and you have the option to add the details of anyone who know who is on the app and can refer you," the user explained.
"I applied to be on it a while ago (probably about a year before getting accepted) and then totally forgot about it, but had no referrals at the time. I was then speaking to a friend about it who was on it, and asked if she could refer me — once she did, I got a notification a few weeks later saying I had been accepted."
Once your membership has been accepted, you can choose from a one, six, or 12-month membership but be warned, unlike other dating apps like Hinge or Tinder, where you only need to pay to unlock extra benefits, Raya comes with a fee.
According to the Apple app store, membership for Raya ranges from $19.99 per month to $119.99 annually.
This price may seem a little high for a dating app, but some celebrities have had great success with the app and even met their spouses.
So who knows, for the low cost of $19.99 per month, you could meet the love of your life.
Big Mouth creator Nick Kroll met his wife, Lily Kwong, a landscape artist, on the dating app in 2018, and the pair are now married with a toddler.
"When you've been in an industry for a certain amount of time, you end up feeling like you've met everyone, and your world becomes smaller and smaller. I got on this app to sort of try and met people that were outside my particular circles, and I ended up meeting Lily," Kroll said on The Drew Barrymore Show.
"I think she messaged me on like New Year's Eve, like I don't know, 2018 and then we chatted for a while and then finally met months later, and here we are… Now we're married and have a child."
So if you've ever wanted to bag a celebrity, finding one on Raya won't be hard.
One Canadian user told Narcity that they've seen over nine celebrities while swiping on the app, including Lewis Hamilton, Leon Bridges, Darren Barnet, Troye Sivan, Luke Newton, Lucien Laviscount, Ryan Eggold, James Arthur, Kola Bokinni and more.
But nailing down a date with a celeb will be a lot harder than finding them on the app.
"It's a totally different experience to other apps like Hinge or Bumble where it can almost be overwhelming to stay on top of the conversations — with Raya, it almost feels like nobody actually wants to talk to anyone and are just there looking for celebrities or models," the user told Narcity.
"That said, I have seen A LOT of celebrities on it after only being on it for a few months."
Before you decide to apply to Raya, here are five other honest opinions from Canadians on whether or not Raya is actually worth its subscription fee.
"So not worth it!!! It's like an app for people who wanna SAY they matched with someone famous," a user told Narcity. "Does not translate into any actual outings."
You might find big celebrities on Raya like Channing Tatum, but you're more likely to find male influencers, according to this user who's paying $25 for the app.
"Not worth it! It's honestly all male influencers."
Unlike other apps which show you local singles, Raya will show you people from around the world, which can make meeting up a bit more difficult, according to another single we talked to.
"$25 a month (I think), and the matches are global, so hard to date someone seriously."
One user we spoke to said that the app was worth it but that you won't meet a lot of people in your city since it is global.
"Yes, you won't meet a ton of people in your city, but it is where I have met the best matches."
The user shared that they opted for the annual plan at around $100 and that they just wanted to be "nosy and cancel it" after looking around, but after meeting some interesting people, they decided to keep it.
Another member said that if you have the choice between a good meal and a Raya membership, you should just pick your fork up and put your phone down.
"I think it's like $26 CAD, but honestly, take yourself out for a meal instead, LOL."
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
