Published in cooperation between Panther Sexy and the East Bay Express
Even if we’re eager to meet someone, just the thought of going out in bars might be overwhelming for some of us. The best dating sites are here to help alleviate some of that.
Good thing we have this digital solution for anyone experiencing social jitters.
When you’re too cozy to leave the couch in pursuit of romantic experiences (that might just blow up in your face), the best dating sites will save your social batteries and let you jump back into the dating pool.
Moving forward, we will discuss top-rated dating sites, including free options and the best dating sites for people over 40.
Let’s see who’s on the list.
First Look—Best Online Dating Sites of 2024
- Zoosk—Best overall dating site
- Elite Singles—Meet fellow sapiosexuals
- eHarmony—Responsible for 4 percent of U.S. marriages
- Tawkify—Personalized site for the uber-rich
- Silver Singles—Best dating site for people over 50
- Dating.com—Find love or casual dates
- Seeking—Mingle with successful singles
- Friend Finder—Quick local dates
- Bumble—Safest dating site for women
- Tinder—Famous “swipe right” app
- OkCupid—Match according to politics & outlook
- Match.com—Legacy dating site
- HER—Dating site for queer women
- Grindr—Dating site for gay men
- Plenty Of Fish—Best dating site for people over 40
- PURE—Casual hookups & dates
Best Free Dating Sites and More, Reviewed
1. Zoosk—Best Dating Site Overall
- Available in 80 countries
- Free video chats
- Interest-based dating site
- Well-balanced male-to-female ratio
Cons
- No free messaging
- Several fake profiles present
Zoosk is one of the best international online dating sites that let you match, chat and send virtual gifts to searching singles worldwide.
With 40-million-plus members globally, you’re more likely to get struck by Cupid’s arrow even if you’re a senior looking for the best dating sites for over 50 singles.
What’s more…Zoosk recently launched a free live-streaming platform—Zoosk Live—that allows you to chat with your virtual date in real time to ease away the tension before your first physical date.
To find a match, simply fill out your profile with all your tastes and preferences, and you’ll get suitable recommendations from Zoosk’s pairing algorithm. You can also use the search filters to find matches by age, location, marital status, etc.
Zoosk Pricing
- 1 month—$29.99
- 3 months offer—$59.99
- 6 months offer—$74.99
As you can see, Zoosk has affordable premiums, making it the perfect site for new users of all demographics.
Getting any of the above allows you to boost your profile, send virtual gifts and enjoy unlimited chat with your connections to establish a relationship.
2. Elite Singles—Great Online Dating Site for Established Individuals
- Personality tests for compatibility
- Millions of active members
- Responsive support center
Cons
- Not best for short stints
- Relatively expensive
Elite Singles is an international dating site for established professionals. Most of its members are graduates and specialists in different fields, and it is one of the best dating sites for over 40 individuals.
With active operation in 25-plus countries, thousands find love every month, thanks to its intelligent matchmaking algorithm.
If you’re a well-established single hell-bent on changing your relationship status, this is the place for you.
EliteSingles Pricing
- Premium Light (3 months)—$37.95 per month
- Premium Classic (6 months)—$21.95 per month
- Premium Comfort (12 months)—$19.95 per month
An Elite Singles paid plan allows you to send and receive messages from users you connect with. It also lets you into its media galleries, and you can even leave comments if you want to stand out.
Join Elite Singles now to see more than meets the eye.
3. eHarmony—Best Dating Site With a High Success Rate
- Excellent matching algorithm
- Conversation icebreakers available
- Video chat available
Cons
- Limited free messaging
- Lengthy sign-up process
Get yourself a hot cup of romance delivered by the careful hands of eHarmony’s priority matching system.
It recently underwent a site revamp, and the new eHarmony is oh-so-gorgeous. You’ll love how warm it feels while still making navigation through its pages a total breeze.
Your options are plenty…You can sign up with your email, Facebook or Apple ID on the web version or the app if you want a faster sign-up/log-in in the future.
Get familiar with your matches using clever icebreakers available even with a free account to start the conversations.
eHarmony Pricing
- Premium Light—$65.90 per month
- Premium Plus—$45.90 per month
- Premium Extra—$35.90 per month
Choose any package from above and get access to Distance Search, video dates and unlimited messaging, and see who has visited your profile.
Get your membership by joining eHarmony today.
4. Tawkify—Personalized Dating for the Super-Rich
- Dating experts search for dates for you
- Dating coaches available
- Great for people looking for love
- Money-back guarantee
Cons
- It comes with a hefty price tag
- It takes time to find a date
If you’re ready to find love and don’t mind splurging a bit, Tawkify could be your go-to dating site. Yeah, it’s on the pricey side, but for those with the cash, it’s definitely one of the best.
You’ll get your own personal matchmaker who will search for a date for you. Heck, they’ll even set up your dates. Plus, you’ll have access to some top-notch dating coaches to stop you mucking up.
If you’ve had some bad luck in love, this site could be just what you need.
Tawkify’s Pricing
- Full packages start at $4k
- Video connect packages $799
Yes, the full package is hefty, at $4k+, but you can go for the more budget-friendly “Video Connect” option if that is just too much to bear. You’ll get 2-3 virtual dates a month, and if things work out, you can arrange to meet in person.
Try out Tawkify’s personalized date search.
5. Silver Singles—Best Dating Site for Singles Over 50 Romance
- Perfectly made for singles 50-plus dating
- Dating app available
- Personality test
Cons
- Only allows 50-plus singles
- Limited free functions
In the race for the best dating sites for over 50 individuals, Silver Singles gets a podium finish. It is exclusively dedicated to senior citizens who still have Cupid’s arrow lodged in their hearts.
And here’s the best part.
When signing up, all members take an in-depth personality test, so you get quality matches that light up your golden heart.
Silver Singles Pricing
- 3 months—$22.95 per month
- 6 months—$13.95 per month
- 12 months—$11.95 per month
Having a subscription allows you to post photos, access other users’ galleries, have unlimited communication and read message receipts upon delivery.
Get back in the game by joining Silver Singles here.
6. Dating.com—Find Love or Casual Relationships
- Great for all kinds of relationships
- 250 million members worldwide
- Good conversation starter tools
- Live stream and video messaging
Cons
- It’s hard to see how close people are to you
- It can get expensive
If you’re still figuring out what you want, Dating.com might be your spot. This popular site caters to a diverse range of relationships—from casual dates to long-term love. Just spill your thoughts in your bio and go from there.
There’s a bit of everything here, which has its risks, but it’s a handy site for those unsure until they find that special someone.
Dating.com Pricing
- Prices range from $19.99/month-$300/month
If first messages aren’t your thing, the site has a cool “Let’s Mingle” tool. It lets you shoot messages to all your matches at once. Just sit back and see who responds.
7. Seeking—Luxury Online Dating Site for the Successful Singles
- Free for ladies
- Conducts background checks
- 40M+ users
Cons
- Quite expensive
- Reports of escorts still operating covertly
Seeking is among the top luxurious online dating sites where successful singles meet self-proclaimed attractive users.
It’s also one of the best dating sites for singles over 40 who still find online dating sites suspicious.
How so?
Well, upon signing up, the site conducts a background check to verify whether everyone’s who they claim to be and keeps scammers at bay.
Seeking Pricing
- Premium membership—$109.99 per month
- 3-month membership—$289.99 total ($96.66 per month)
- Diamond Membership—$274.99 per month
A premium account lets you message without limits, save your favorite profiles, upload photos and add media to your Vibe for other users to look at for 24 hours (it operates just like Instagram Stories).
Start dating on Seeking today.
8. Friend Finder—Best Dating Site for Quick, Local Dates
- Biggest dating pool
- Location-based matching
- Free to join
Cons
- Limited free interaction
- Spam accounts present
Friend Finder is one of the best dating sites for dating around the block. You can finally say goodbye to failed long-distance “will they, won’t they” ordeals and quickly find your sweetheart in your area.
This site uses geolocation to match you with other singles nearby.
Also, the website is easy to work around, with helpful search filters to get you specifically who you want. Whether by location, age, gender or marital status, the search tool doesn’t miss.
Since it’s run by the people behind AdultFriendFinder, one of the best adult dating sites available online, it’s a sure shot for finding love
Friend Finder Pricing
- 1 month—$34.94
- 3 months—$19.98 per month
- 6 months—$15.82 per month
Pop the cork off Friend Finder’s champagne with a Gold membership that allows you to view other users’ profiles, check out their intro videos and photos and be the first to message new members.
Get your next date by signing up on Friend Finder here.
9. Bumble—Best Free Dating Site Geared Toward Women
- Information-filled profiles
- Selfie verification process
- Meet friends with BumbleBFF
- Women make the first move
Cons
- Male users must wait for contact
- Chats expire after 24-hour no contact
Adding a female-friendly twist to online dating, Bumble has become one of the best free dating sites specifically tailored for women.
“A twist?,” you ask yourself.
Well, only females can start a conversation if the match is successful. This cuts back on all the unsolicited cheesy spam texts usually encountered on other dating sites.
The free dating site also offers detailed profiles and conversation starters, along with somewhat limited free daily swipes.
Bumble Pricing
- 1 month—$29.99
- 3 months—$89.99
- Lifetime—$249.99
- Boost Plan—$11.99 per week
Bumble’s paid plans allow you to unlock unlimited swipes, Super Likes to get your crush’s attention and incognito browsing that only lets profiles you approve see your activities.
These also unlock travel mode, which allows you to match with other singles when moving to other countries/regions.
Join the Bumble hive for free.
10. Tinder—Best Free Dating Site for Users of All Ages
- Best freemium experience
- Frequented by millions worldwide
- Highest success scores
Cons
- Free users can only swipe locally
- 30-plus users pay more
The infamous swiping app Tinder remains one of the highly-popular free dating sites on the web.
It doubles as one of the best dating sites for over 40 singles to find a date, thanks to its immensely huge number of active users worldwide.
Throw your hat in the ring and swipe ‘right’ into your next relationship, or hit pass by swiping ‘left.”
You can enjoy its best features for free. This means limited daily swipes and free messaging with your matches. We recommend uploading a few pictures,and filling your bio with attractive details, and you’ll be ready to sail.
Tinder Pricing
- Platinum—$19.99 per month
- Gold—$14.99 per month
- Plus—$4.99 per month
A premium subscription lets you send super likes, so your match knows you really feel his or her vibe. Also, see who likes you and get unlimited likes as long as your membership stands.
11. OkCupid—Best Free Dating Site and App for Inclusion
- Inclusive to all sexual orientations
- Free to use
- Compatibility questionnaire
Cons
- Bombarded with ads
- Lots of fake profiles
This free dating app is the perfect tool for every single person out there who can’t afford to spend on strictly premium dating sites just yet.
After downloading the app, sign up, choose from 60-plus gender identities and round it all off with a killer profile picture.
You can match with people who identify with the same interests as yours by answering a few compatibility questions for the AI to know what you are into.
OkCupid Pricing
- Basic—$24.99 per month
- Premium—$34.99 per month
- Boost—$6.99 per credit
For OkCupid, a premium revamp lets you see who likes you and even sets you up with Dealbreakers that automatically block profiles that don’t match your tastes and preferences.
Feel the tender touch of OkCupid’s arrow for free.
12. Match.com—High-Quality Dating Matches
- Intense sign-up questionnaires
- All members have profile photos
- Mobile user verification
Cons
- Limited free messaging
- Ad-prone
Match.com sets itself apart from other online dating sites by being quality-oriented instead of majoring in aesthetics to match users.
Here’s what I mean by this…
All users are required to upload photos when setting up their profiles. This ensures you get a good look at your suggested matches before sending a Like their way.
Match.com Pricing
- Standard plan from $45.99 per month
- Premium subscription from $50.71 per month
Match.com’s premium accounts will give you unlimited messaging, ad-free interaction, monthly boosts and Like alerts.
Click here to sign up on Match.com for free.
13. HER—Best LGBTQ+ Dating App
- Exclusive LGBTQ+ dating
- Swipe-style app
- No straight cis men
- Active online community
Cons
- Limited likes for free users
- Accessible only via the app
HER started as an exclusive lesbian dating app and grew into the most loved LGBTQ+ dating app worldwide.
Find the spark that lights up your heart among 10-million-plus loving members and share the same energy in return.
You can join communities that interest you and share dating/relationship ideas that lodge in your creative mind. This might even get you invited to one of HER’s exclusive traveling parties and make you stand out, getting more match requests as a result.
HER Pricing
- 1 month—$14.99
- 6 months package—$10 per month
- 12 months package—$7.50 per month
A paid subscription is a loaded gun with great features such as incognito mode, ad-free browsing, increased search filters and real-time online alerts that enhance your overall site and online dating experience.
Join HER and experience online dating like never before.
14. Grindr—Dedicated Gay Dating Site and App
- Popular queer dating site
- Media-sharing enabled
- Available in several countries
Cons
- No website version
- Lacks email verification
Grindr is the world’s largest dating site for gay men and the entire LGBTQ+ community in general. If you are gay, bisexual, or simply curious, Grindr is the closest thing you’ll have to heaven here on earth.
Over the past decade, it has significantly revamped its efficiency, including its location-based matching algorithm. It’s so accurate that it will bag you a stud within stone-throwing distance.
Alternatively, you can add unique tags to your profile to attract specific matches from the get-go.
Grindr Pricing
- 1 month—$9.99
- 3 months offer—$20.97
If you need more firepower, Grindr premium gives you more control with extended search filters, no-ads experience and selective viewership at your fingertips.
Sign up to meet your perfect soulmate.
15. Plenty of Fish—Best Free Dating Site for People Over 40
- Great for short and long relationships
- Affordable premiums
- Handy screen prompts
Cons
- Ad-ridden
- Doesn’t support long texts
Plenty of Fish is one of the grandfathers of online dating, standing more than 20 years in the industry. This should be enough proof that these guys know what they are doing.
To find a match, you have to complete your profile to make yourself stand out and increase your pairing success. After successful matching, you can start chatting to know more about each other.
Plenty of Fish caters to both long-term commitments and short-term flings, so you just might find what you’re looking for there.
Plenty Of Fish Pricing
- 3-month deal—$19.99 per month
- 6-month plan—$14.99 per month
- Annual plan—$9.99 per month
As a paying pup on POF, you can search for exactly who you want, down to the color of their hair, thanks to access to its advanced search filters. You can also send unlimited likes, browse ad-free and be the first to check out new members.
Start your dating expedition by signing up on POF now.
16. PURE—Excellent Dating Site For Casual Dating
- Anonymous Browsing
- Create personal dating classified ads
- Education section available
Cons
- Less engagement in smaller cities
- Only available as an app
PURE is a sex-positive online dating app that openly supports random, casual encounters among its members.
Lauded as one of the best hookup apps, you simply have to post your ad to get into the thick of things on this app. This could detail anything from your interests to what you hope to find on PURE and wait for the magic.
After matching with another user, you will get witty icebreakers to launch your DM conversations in the right trajectory.
You can also create an anonymous chat if you are not comfortable letting up your identity during the initial stages of texting. If no action is taken within 24 hours of the match, the chat gets deleted automatically—so don’t sleep on your game.
PURE Pricing
- Monthly subscriptions start from $17.99, but you can take up the 1-week trial at $9.99
PURE is a subscription-based dating up.
The moment you sign up and purchase your membership, all its features, including the new geo and gender filters plus the Devil’s Bones game, are at your disposal.
Join the PURE dating pool and live all your naughty ideas.
Best Dating Sites—FAQs
Which Dating Site Is Best for Serious Relationships?
The best dating site for serious relationships is eHarmony.
Once you sign up and buy your premium subscription, it assigns you all the firepower you need to get a date.
Elite Singles and Tinder also offer rich grounds for cultivating a serious relationship with an online partner.
Nonetheless, you must make your intentions clear from the start to avoid getting wrong matches or engagements from users looking for casual stints.
What Are the Best Dating Sites for Beginners?
The best dating sites for beginners are Tinder, PURE and OkCupid. Tinder is easy to use, with millions of active global users ready to mingle.
PURE comes with a resourceful education section that beginners can use to learn the online dating ropes and ease them into a smooth landing. PURE is also affordable and offers anonymous browsing, which is handy when you’re still building confidence online.
OkCupid is a cheaper option and a very casual app that caters to virtually every kink and desire regarding dating. It also has a massive active user base, which increases your odds of finding a date match.
What Are the Best Dating Sites for Men?
The best dating sites for men are Zoosk and Seeking.
First and foremost, all these dating sites have a higher female-male ratio, so as a male, you can score a date without too much competition compared to other dating platforms like POF.
They are also geared toward getting quality dates for women. As a result, they ensure that female users enjoy extra perks like free sign-ups and messaging, especially on Seeking.
Grindr also makes a perfect hunting ground for gay men searching for a piece of the dating action.
If you’re a man (or woman) looking for more of a sugar dating situation, you should check out the best sugar dating sites.
What Is the Best Dating Site for Women?
The best dating site for women from our top picks is Bumble.
Apart from women sending the first message after a match, this online dating site ensures that every user has multiple photos and a well-detailed bio to give you a rich “preview” of what they are about.
It allows female users to control most parts of the interaction, which is not how most online dating sites operate.
What Dating Site Leads to Most Marriages?
The dating site that leads to most marriages is Tinder, according to recent online dating stats. More than 13 percent of its matches have the potential of leading to marriage in the long run.
It currently boasts more than 55 billion matches to date, and its member pool keeps growing exponentially each year.
Perhaps what makes Tinder this popular is that it caters to users from all demographics and its high number of active users at any given time.
How Many Dating Websites Should You Be On?
You should be on only one dating website if you are serious about getting into a relationship.
Being on two or three other sites doesn’t hurt, but it stretches your resources and focus across a broad spectrum.
It would be best to steer your boat in one direction.
If you must spread, then you should only do so among sites that serve a specific taste and preference that appeals to you. This way, you’ll have a larger, refined target audience getting the same trained effort.
For example, if you’re looking for the best dating sites for over 40 singles, then you could focus on Zoosk and Plenty of Fish.
What Should You Avoid on a Dating Site?
Here are a few things to avoid if you want to stay safe and get the best out of online dating sites:
- Sharing your personal details (including bank account information) with compelling strangers online, even without solidifying the relationship first.
- Agreeing on a physical meet-up before verifying if the other person is a real person and not an impersonator/scammer. A simple way to do this is by requesting video chats regularly. If the face on the other end doesn’t match the profile, turn around and run.
- Physical meeting with your online date without informing a friend, family member, or close workmate about the details of the venue or your date’s profile.
- Engaging with profiles constantly seeking a financial bail-out. Chances are, they are shady scammers who make a living from stealing from single people online.
- Engaging with profiles that always have a super-fast response rate regardless of when you send them a chat. This is a tell-tale sign you are chatting with a bot profile.
What Not to Say on Dating Websites
Establishing a good impression with your first text is very important in online dating websites. So here are a few things you should not say when fishing in online dating apps and sites:
- Leading with a blunt “Hi,” “Hey” or “Hello”—Sheesh…Be creative and follow it up with a witty/catchy pick-up line to grab the other person’s attention.
- “You seem interesting. Let’s chat.” —Just shows a lack of interest in the entire person. It also suggests you simply skimmed through their profile and didn’t go through it.
- Misusing emojis. —Emojis are a fun way to express yourself in the chat, but a cheesy emoji (especially a smiley) opening shows a lack of effort on your part. It doesn’t clarify what you want.
- “My mom/friends think so and so of me …” —The other person isn’t interested in anyone apart from yourself.
- “You must get this a lot…(followed by a compliment).” —If the other person rarely experiences that, then it becomes awkward.
- “How’s your online dating experience on (dating site) so far?” —Shows you have no exciting things to talk about except reminding others they are still single, even on a dating app.
- Anything crass/gross/sexually suggestive. —Don’t try this. It warrants an instant block.
- Saying something you are not looking for on your profile. —This includes who should/shouldn’t swipe right. It’s not always received politely and may project you as a potential snob.
- Lies or exaggerated truths. —Truths come out eventually.
- “Impress me.” —First of all, this is not entirely about you. Second, we don’t automatically know what ticks your boxes. Relationships should be a collaborative endeavor.
Which Is the Best Online Dating Site?
To answer the million-dollar question, you have to taste the pudding yourself.
Get your best pick-up lines out of your diary and put them to the test in the best dating sites and apps mentioned today.
If you want the best online dating experience that stays just as exciting, whether wading the local waters or scouting overseas, then Zoosk is your best bet.
If you fancy yourself successful and you want to meet sexy, attractive singles, Seeking will deliver pleasant wonders to you.
Also, Elite Singles will give you an easy time if you’re always busy with your career but still want to find a suitable professional to date.
The more you hold back on online dating, the more you’ll miss out on matching opportunities and continue staying single.
So get your best foot forward and try out any of the best online dating sites in the top picks above.
Best of luck.
Ciao!
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