So you’re going to give this online dating thing a shot huh? There are so many different choices for you. Big sites like Match and eHarmony advertise all the time so people tend to gravitate towards those first because they are familiar. Don’t count out the smaller sites that aren’t advertised as often! They might be exactly what you’re looking for and it will be worth it for you to spend some time setting up a profile. Another thing to keep in mind – just because it’s not someone you would pick for yourself, take the time to look over suggestions the sites have for you. They are looking at a variety of different things and might find the perfect person for you that you would have passed over if they weren’t pointed out to you. I have friends who’ve used these sites and are happily in relationships and have even gotten married to the person they met there. While I’m not looking to date anyone right now, I did a little research for you to try and help you decide the best site for you to get started on:
Match
With Match you can sign up for free for “basic” services like getting 12 daily matches to decide on every day. Of course you can upgrade your account and they do offer a guarantee that you’ll find love after six months of a paid subscription or they’ll give you another six month subscription for free. Match doesn’t seem to do a very good job of actually comparing what your profile says about you to what your “match” is actually looking for so your 12 daily matches might have the same birth month or be causal drinkers but they may be looking for someone taller/shorter/different body type or something else you really don’t have a lot of control over (and I think I’d like to be matched with someone who has more in common with me than my birth month. Just sayin….). The feel of the site is for people who are looking for serious relationships so skip this if you’re looking for something short term. Match is focused on getting you down the aisle but doesn’t seem to ask a lot of questions to ensure you’re matched with the best person for you.
eHarmony
Again you’re able to sign up for the basics for free which leads to lots of accounts being set up. There are paid options available but you’re not guaranteed an account at eHarmony. For example, when you’re trying to set up your account, if you select that you’re separated as opposed to divorced or widowed, you won’t be allowed to set up an account with the site. (I guess eHarmony ins’t into help people that want to date but live in states where you have to be separated before you can actually get divorced.) Like Match, eHarmony is trying to get you down the aisle with your soul mate so keep that in mind before setting up a profile if you’re not looking for that type of relationship.
Plenty of Fish (POF)
POF is quick and easy to get set up on for new users. The website seems much easier to use than their mobile app (or maybe it just takes a bit of time to figure out the app?). Basically, POF reminds you there’s lots of fish in the sea. You’re shown “fish” based on your preferences you set up with your account and asked if you’d like to meet them. It might be for coffee, a date, or a hookup but there’s not the pressure of other sites to think about a serious relationship if that’s not what you’re looking for. A good bit is free but there is an upgrade (paid) option available for users. POF is very specific and will tell users they can only message you based on specific things you’ve chosen which can help deter people you might not have any interest in. One interesting part of POF is their Chemistry tab which includes a chemistry, needs and psychological assessment as well as a keeper and sex test. Answers to these can be shown on your profile or have a link to share the results with someone you’ve chosen to communicate with. Sharing these answers could help someone spell out exactly what they’re looking for to a potential date, especially when it’s hard to find the right words to explain your feelings.
Ok Cupid (OKC)
Ok Cupid is a site that’s almost completely free to use and interact with people on (like everyone else, you can upgrade on OKC as well). For someone looking to get into online dating without making a financial investment, this might be the best choice for you. You can “like” users who are filtered by your preferences and answers to a seemingly endless amount of questions and presented with a percentage of how likely they’re compatible with you based on their answers. Now this is only reliable if you’ve both answered your questions honestly and the number of questions you’ve answered. I think because of the questions asked, this is one of the better sites to connect with someone regardless of the type of relationship you’re looking for because you’re being matched based on your common likes/dislikes and you tell OKC how important the other person’s answers are to you so they weigh those accordingly (living with a messy person may not have the same level of important to you as someone who has to have sex all the time for example). You’re also able to message other members with the free profile which helps you get to know people without pulling out your credit card and not knowing what kind of luck you’ll have.
These are just a few of the (many) dating sites out there. Have you tried online dating? What was your favorite site?
josh says
This is a great article about online dating sites. I love your tips and advice. The digital revolution has forced us to use dating sites. However, I could believe it is scary to look for the right partner online. Do you think many of us guyz also feel ashamed to try it? Anyway, thanks again and have a lovely day! All the best
peter hamadouche says
When I did online dating, I always found meetic (a paid site) to be the most fun. Match seemed like a waste of money, being more poorly designed. I would recommend wyyldate way over other free sites like dating or Zoosk.