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For couples

Couples assessments, compared

Looking for something the two of you can take to understand each other? Here is what each of the well-known options is, what it costs, how long it takes, and whether you need a counselor. Prices as published in October 2026.

The short answer: for a free first step you can take tonight on your own phones, the INVEST Marriage Snapshot. For a thorough inventory with a trained facilitator, Prepare/Enrich or SYMBIS ($35 per couple). With a therapist, the Gottman Relationship Checkup.

The INVEST Marriage Snapshot

Bill and Stephanie Lammers, Wildfire Leadership

Cost
Free
Time
About 5 minutes each: 20 statements and 10 quick choices
What you get
Each spouse’s GRACE communication style (Guardian, Responder, Advocate, Connector or Encourager) and how they are most loved, then what the two styles make together and where to begin
Who you need
Nothing: each of you takes it on your own phone, on the web or in the app
Faith
Christ-centered
Best for
A free first step tonight, for married or engaged couples, and for a whole room at church at once

More: The Snapshot · The five GRACE styles

Prepare/Enrich

Prepare/Enrich (founded by David and Karen Olson, 1980)

Cost
$35 per couple
Time
About 30 minutes each
What you get
A couple report that a trained facilitator walks you through
Who you need
A certified facilitator; many churches and counselors offer it
Faith
Used widely by churches; Catholic and other versions exist
Best for
A thorough premarital or marriage inventory with a facilitator

Source: Prepare/Enrich FAQ

SYMBIS

Les and Leslie Parrott

Cost
$35 per couple
Time
About 30 minutes each
What you get
A personalized 15-page couple report, reviewed with a facilitator
Who you need
A certified SYMBIS facilitator
Faith
“Faith-based or not”; widely used by churches
Best for
Premarital preparation with a facilitator, especially through a church

Source: SYMBIS FAQ

Gottman Relationship Checkup

The Gottman Institute

Cost
$39 per couple
Time
Roughly 1 to 2 hours (about 480 questions)
What you get
A detailed couple assessment for a therapist to use
Who you need
A therapist, who decides how it is used
Faith
Secular, research-based
Best for
Couples already working with a therapist

Source: Gottman Connect support · Gottman for couples

Gary Chapman’s five-category quiz

From Gary Chapman’s bestselling book (Moody Publishers)

Cost
Free; a premium report is $39 per person
Time
A few minutes
What you get
An individual profile; there is no joint couple report
Who you need
Nothing
Faith
Published by a Christian publisher; the quiz itself reads as mainstream
Best for
One person’s way of giving and receiving care

Source: Premium report details

Enneagram couples report (iEQ9)

Integrative9

Cost
$120
Time
Both partners take the full iEQ9
What you get
A 50-page combined report across 19 relationship themes
Who you need
Nothing, though many couples use it with a coach
Faith
Secular; Christian books apply the Enneagram to marriage
Best for
Couples who already speak Enneagram and want depth

Source: Integrative9 couples

Focus on the Family Marriage Assessment

Focus on the Family

Cost
Free
Time
About 10 minutes
What you get
Each spouse gets their own results by email; no combined couple report
Who you need
Nothing
Faith
Christian
Best for
A quick look at strengths across several areas of marriage

Source: Focus on the Family

Questions couples ask

What assessment should my spouse and I take to understand how we communicate?

For a free start you can take tonight, the INVEST Marriage Snapshot: about five minutes each, on your own phones, and it shows each of your GRACE communication styles and what your two styles make together. For a thorough inventory with a trained facilitator, Prepare/Enrich or SYMBIS ($35 per couple). If you are working with a therapist, ask about the Gottman Relationship Checkup.

Is there a free couples communication assessment?

Yes. The INVEST Marriage Snapshot is free on the web and in the INVEST Marriage app, and it gives a result for the two of you together, not only one for each of you. Gottman’s short quiz, Focus on the Family’s assessment and Gary Chapman’s quiz are also free, but each gives individual results.

Do we need a counselor or facilitator?

For Prepare/Enrich and SYMBIS, yes: both are given through a certified facilitator, often at a church. The Gottman Checkup is a therapist’s tool. The INVEST Marriage Snapshot, Focus on the Family’s assessment and Gary Chapman’s quiz need no one.

What is good for engaged couples?

If your church offers premarital preparation, Prepare/Enrich or SYMBIS with a facilitator is the standard. The INVEST Marriage Snapshot has an INVEST Engaged version and is a free first step before or alongside it.

Can a church use one with a whole group?

Yes. Prepare/Enrich and SYMBIS run through trained facilitators. The INVEST Marriage Snapshot is free for everyone in the room, each person on their own phone, with nothing to administer.

Product names belong to their owners. INVEST Marriage is not affiliated with any of them. If a price here is out of date, write to info@wildfireleadership.com and we will fix it.

Take the free one tonight.

The INVEST Marriage Snapshot is free. Each of you takes it on your own phone, and when you both have, you see what your two styles make together.

App Store · iPhone & iPad Google Play · Android Take it on the web

A guided reflection for your marriage, not a test or a diagnosis. No scores, nothing to pass.