Are you looking for the best dating sites of the current year? Are you ready to find a partner and start dating, but aren’t sure which platform would suit you best? If that’s the case, congratulations - you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I’ll tell you all about the most popular dating sites that are currently dominating the industry. I’ll also let you know why these best dating websites have earned this title, and which types of people they are going to be best for, in general.
The sites in question are, as follows:
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Best Dating Sites: The Criteria
Now, before we get into talking about the actual best dating sites that are currently out there, there are a few core criteria we should lay down, first. After all, if you want to be part of the small group of people who have managed to find a loved one on a dating site[1], it's important to become knowledgeable on the topic, too.
What are the best online dating sites like? Well, for starters, they should have some specific target audience. This target audience can be designated in any way - age, orientation, religion, race, occupation, and so on. While you’d never want a dating platform to be too niche (this would eliminate a lot of potential customers, thus not really be “best overall”), a target audience is still crucial.
Then there’s the matching system that the sites employ. Is it any good? Is it successful in finding people partners which they’d actually like to meet? Just how many dates go on to become something more? The success rate of the site’s algorithm will show you just how trustworthy and reliable the platform is, and whether you’ll be wasting your time with it or not.
Then there are other features - usability, mobile app, the actual inside features of the site itself, LGBT-friendliness, and so on. They are all essential when discussing dating platforms, especially when it comes to the best dating sites out there!
Remember - when it comes to all of these things, user count is also at the very top, too. This basically has to do with all of the above-mentioned features - a site can have a great success rate, a good target audience filter and some top-quality features, but if it’s a ghost town, chances are that you’ll struggle to match with someone, in general.
Now, with all of that being said, we can finally move on and talk about the actual sites themselves.
1. Match - Huge User Base, Great Profile Quality
Ranks #1 out of 7 Dating Sites
- + More than 4 million people from the US
- + Clean design & great app
- + Great profile customization
- + Quick sign up
- - The majority of features are paid
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Without a single doubt, Match.com deserves a spot on any lists that talk about the best dating sites out there. No matter where it is that you look, or who it is that you ask, Match is often considered to be one of the best examples of what a site like that should look like.
What makes Match so great? Well, let’s follow the earlier-discussed criteria, shall we?
Match.com has a huge user base - the platform has more than 8 million paid Premium users at any given point in time. Premium ones - that’s not counting the people who are using the site for free or paying for a standard subscription plan!
When it comes to the “target audience” point, Match.com doesn’t really have a target audience per se - instead, it’s actually one of the very few platforms that, while it encompasses many age groups and interests, has managed to cater to each of them separately, without any issues. Anyone and everyone could use Match and be able to find a partner here.
On that note, Match does actually even have an offer for its users that only one of the best dating sites could uphold - if you don’t manage to find a partner on the platform in a period of 6 months, you’ll get free membership for the upcoming half a year. Talk about amazing features!
Match.com is rather simple to use, has great profile customization options (the profiles themselves are informative, too), and the mobile app does live up to a high standard, as well. The only gripe that I’d have with Match is that messaging other users is a paid feature - while it’s pretty common practice with most dating sites out there, it’s still not ideal.
What are the Pricing Options of Match.com?
In regards to the most popular dating sites, Match does offer some appealing and reasonable pricing options. Take a look:
Standard plans:
- 3 months - $12,99 per month
- 6 months - $9,99 per month
- 12 months - $7,99 per month
Premium plans::
- 3 months - $14,99 per month
- 6 months - $11,49 per month
- 12 months - $8,99 per month
Paying for your experience on Match, you’ll be able to send other users messages, see who viewed your profile, browse in an incognito manner, have 1-on-1s with a dating coach, see who has read your messages, get monthly boosts, and so, so much more. Definitely one of the best dating sites on the current market!
2. OkCupid - Great for Both Hook-Ups and Long-Term Relationships
Ranks #2 out of 7 Dating Sites
- + Huge user count
- + Good for both hook-ups and stable relationships
- + Great app usability
- + Very simple to use
- + Accurate matchmaking with the help of Double Take
- - Outdated site design
- - Very male-dominated
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When it comes to the best dating sites, OkCupid is one that would be impossible not to include in a list like this.
OkCupid boasts more than 1 million daily users. DAILY - quite frankly, this is fantastic, since it means that there’s a huge user base that are potential matches for you.
The core age group of those 1 million daily visits varies around 25 - 35-year-olds. It’s one of the most common age groups for most dating sites out there - OkCupid is no exception.
What’s really cool about the dating platform in question is that it’s designed for two types of people - both those who are looking for a hook-up, and those who’d like to find a stable, long-term relationship. It’s one of the main reasons why OkCupid can be considered one of the best dating sites on the market - it’s welcoming to both groups of people.
Feature-wise, OkCupid is actually one of the more simple dating sites - it doesn’t have a lot of flashy features to offer the user, but that’s not always a bad thing. If you’re not looking to play around and simply want to find the best online dating sites (and a partner on one of such sites), you’re probably not going to be a fan of those “dating features-games”, anyway.
What are the Pricing Options of OkCupid?
OkCupid has two types of plans - a basic one, and a premium one. Their pricing options are, as follows:
Basic:
- 1 month - $7,95 per month
- 3 months - $6,35 per month
- 6 months - $3,95 per month
Premium:
- 1 month - $24,90 per month
- 3 months - $22,90 per month
- 6 months - $19,90 per month
Messaging on the platform is completely free, but if you choose to go with one of the subscription models, you’d be able to see when someone reads your messages, get daily profile boosts, use the platform ad-free, and so on.
3. eHarmony - For People Looking for Serious Relationships
Ranks #3 out of 7 Dating Sites
- + More than 29 million members from the United States
- + All members are looking for serious relationships
- + Compatibility matching system
- + Inexpensive
- - App has some glitches
- - Lacks more extensive features
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eHarmony is surely one of the dating industry’s household names - anyone who knows this likely isn’t at all surprised to see the platform among a list of the best dating sites of the year.
The great thing about eHarmony is that it’s a platform with some rather specific target audience - it’s designed for people in their late 20s - early 30s, and who are looking for a serious relationship (long-term, marriage, kids, etc.). It allows all of these people to find each other on a single site - that’s definitely a pro!
Now, what does “all of those people” mean, you ask? Simple - even with a specific type of target audience, eHarmony still has almost 70 million users worldwide! That’s a huge number!
The platform doesn’t have a free messaging option, but the plans that it offers are somewhat affordable. Besides, eHarmony has managed to maintain a reputation of being one of the best dating sites out there - that’s not something that’s easy to do!
What are the Pricing Options of eHarmony?
eHarmony’s pricing plans look like so:
- 6 months - $32,95 per month
- 12 months - $22,97 per month
- 24 months - $17,97 per month
Pretty good pricing options! The paid plans will provide you with messaging and anonymous browsing features, allow you to view pictures, see who added you to their “Favorites” list, and so on.
Did you know?
Compare Dating Sites Side by Side With Others
All Dating Sites may look similar to you but they're NOT all the same!
Yes! Show me the Comparison Chart4. Elite Singles - For Successful, Well-Educated People
Ranks #4 out of 7 Dating Sites
- + Educated individuals
- + More than 400,000 users per month
- + Female-dominated
- + LGBT-friendly
- - Very pricey
- - Very poor mobile app design
- - Lacks freedom of choice for the user
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In the realm of best dating sites, there are few other online dating platforms that would take the term “target audience” as far as Elite Singles has.
As you may have deduced from the name, Elite Singles is a platform for “elite people” - it’s used almost exclusively by individuals who have some sort of a university degree, and a successful career path. While this does result in a lot of elitism being present on the platform, it’s also great for this type of people to find one another, if that’s your thing.
The site has more than 400,000 users per month - for a niche-audience-based platform like that, these aren’t bad numbers! Elite Singles is well-known in the realm of the best dating websites for its infamous personality test - it may take you up to 2 hours to finish off, but you can be sure that, with specificity like that, your matches are going to be much more accurate than on other dating sites.
Negative aspects? Well, Elite Singles is very pricey, and the app is a complete tragedy. Other than that, the rest of the platform surely does deserve a spot on a “best online dating sites” list.
What are the Pricing Options for Elite Singles?
Now, I said that pricing is really tricky with Elite Singles - don’t say I didn’t warn you! Your options are:
- Premium COMFORT - $22,95 per month
- Premium LIGHT - $32,95 per month
- Premium CLASSIC - $34,95 per month
Yes, it’s very expensive. That said, remember the whole “target audience” thing - if you’re a successful person, the price isn’t going to act as a gatekeeper.
5. Coffee Meets Bagel - A Facebook-Based Dating App
Ranks #5 out of 7 Dating Sites
- + Over 400,00 new users monthly
- + Messaging other users is free
- + Female-dominated
- + Multiple success stories
- + Mobile app-based
- - Strange matchmaking system (no manual matching)
- - Must have a Facebook account in order to register
- - Pricey
For many people, when they first hear “Facebook-based dating app”, the best dating sites aren’t really the first thing that would pop into one’s mind. Hear me out, though.
Coffee Meets Bagel is one of the rarer dating platforms that are completely mobile-based. Yup, that’s right - CMB is exclusively used as a mobile app. Discarding anything else, this is actually great - the app is very functional and fun to use, and this just goes to show that the company behind it understand the importance of mobile dating apps, in general (them being a plague in the dating industry).
The app houses over 400,000 new members every single month, is LGBT-friendly and female-dominated - that’s great! The fact that you have to possess and connect your Facebook profile in order to use the dating app, however, is a bit of a downer - it definitely eliminates a lot of potential users from the deal, even though the company claims it’s all part of the process of “creating meaningful relationships”.
What are the Pricing Options of Coffee Meets Bagel?
CMB is actually one of the more affordable dating apps, at least as far as the best dating sites go. Take a look for yourself:
- 1 month - $34,99 per month
- 3 months - $25,00 per month
- 6 months - $20,00 per month
- 12 months - $15,00 per month
While messaging on the app itself is free, if you decide to pay for a subscription, you’ll unlock many additional benefits (activity reports, monthly credit supplies, etc.).
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6. Zoosk - Good Profile Customization Options
Ranks #6 out of 7 Dating Sites
- + 40 million members worldwide
- + Meet people of different age groups
- + Takes only a few minutes to create an account
- + Real-life success stories
- - You might come across fake profiles
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When it comes to lists of the best dating sites of the year, Zoosk is one of those sites that offer its users some of the top-notch profile customization features. Once registered on the platform (a process that takes very little time, by the way), you’ll be able to create a rather detailed profile for yourself - not only will this help potential matches find and learn more about you, but it allows you to do the same with others, too.
Zoosk has over 40 million users worldwide - that’s a significant number! It automatically places the site on many “most popular dating sites” lists, while the features and matchmaking success stories allow Zoosk to climb the “best dating sites” lists.
While messaging is a paid feature, you’ll still be able to send smiles and hearts to others without paying. You’ll also get to browse profiles, too.
What are the Pricing Options of Zoosk?
Zoosk pricing plans look like so:
- 1 month - $29,95 per month
- 3 months - $19,98 per month
- 6 months - $12,49 per month
In all honesty, considering the popularity and reputation that Zoosk has, the pricing options aren’t at all that bad! Becoming a paid customer, you’ll be able to chat, send messages, see who likes you, and so on.
7. Tinder - Best for Younger Individuals
Ranks #7 out of 7 Dating Sites
- + Make connections easily
- + Amazing features
- + Members of LGBTQ+ are free to join
- - Lacks profile customization
- - Matches based on looks
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Tinder is, without a doubt, one of the most popular dating apps in the world - at least that’s the impression you’d get speaking with your friends, colleagues, people on the street, etc. Everyone knows Tinder - but how did it become so popular?
Simple - it’s one of the best dating sites oriented towards younger people. Namely, those in the 18 - 24-year range.
Tinder is very simple and straightforward, and all of the profile creation processes take a very short time to do. It has many different features for you to utilize while searching for a significant other - it’s intuitive, functionals and modern.
It very popular number-wise, too - Tinder has close to 60 million users worldwide!
The one complaint that many people do seem to have with Tinder is that it’s mostly used by people who just want to ”hook up”. Not that there’s anything bad with this, but there are younger individuals who’d like to have a stable relationship, too - apparently, that’s something you’d struggle to find on Tinder.
What are the Pricing Options of Tinder?
Tinder is almost unbelievably inexpensive. Take a look:
- 1 month - $6,46 per month
- 6 months - $4,16 per month
- 12 months - $3,12 per month
Surely one of the most affordable dating apps out there! The paid version of the platform will allow you to use it ad-free, provide unlimited swipes to the right, unlimited likes, and many more features. Definitely one of the best dating websites out there!
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Conclusions
So - those were some of the best dating sites that are currently out there. I do hope that this list was useful to you, and that you managed to find the right dating platform for yourself. Best of luck!
Scientific References
1. Emily A. Vogels: '10 facts about Americans and online dating'
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