We all want to find that special someone, start a family and hopefully grow old together. Yes, even us who test our romantic fortunes online.
While some have been lucky to stumble on their better halves in the most random of places, most of us have had to wait or power through several relationships in hopes of finding the one.
Yet, sifting through countless dating platforms can be a tall order.
To cut your quest short, we prepared a list of the best dating sites available right now.
Despite being widely viewed as coming with plenty of fish in the sea, online dating platforms can prove competitive, so you need to put your best foot forward and register on credible, feature-rich dating sites with large member pools.
And it’s these pools that are their main selling point since the online dating sites we selected can give you access to thousands of singles in search of friendship or something more serious that can lead to marriage.
Take, for instance, eHarmony as one of the best dating sites out there for love and relationships that we recommend based on its impressive matchmaking algorithm.
Knowing that it can be hard to know which dating sites and apps to go for, you can now check a detailed review of 10 leading dating sites in the industry.
To help you with this, we paid close attention to their features, pros, cons, and member quality.
If you’re tired of waiting on Cupid, keep reading and make that fateful first step yourself!
Best Online Dating Sites 2022:
- eHarmony - Best for serious relationships
- OkCupid - Most inclusive dating website
- AdultFriendFinder - Excellent for casual dating
- Reddit R4R - Finest free dating site
- Dating.com - Ideal for international dating
- FriendFinder - Easy to use
- EliteSingles - Suitable for long-term relationships
- Seeking - Recommended for elite dating
- Academic Singles - Best for learned singles
- Badoo - Most affordable for young adults
1. eHarmony - Best Dating Website Overall
Pros
- Compatibility matching
- 3rd party member verification
- Large pool of active members
- Feature-rich
- One of the best dating sites for long-term relationships
- Video date function
Cons
- Lengthy signup process
- Costlier than most sites
If you’ve kissed your fair share of frogs and want to boost your chances of finding something long-term, then eHarmony might be just what you need.
eHarmony has been in the online dating business for well over 20 years, in the process of helping over 2 million singles find love.
What stands out the most about eHarmony is its approach to online dating. Members must complete a detailed compatibility quiz to determine the most suitable matches.
While the compatibility quiz lengthens the signup process, the wait is totally worth it as eHarmony’s system will use your answers to suggest like-minded profiles.
Yes, it’s all about convenience.
And as indicated on eHarmony’s official website, an unbelievable 2.3 million messages are sent weekly, a statistic that somewhat justifies its impressive success rate. All you’ll need to do is set up an eye-catching profile and provide as many details as possible.
You can also do searches using eHarmony’s customizable filters to find an individual that meets your unique needs.
Why We Love eHarmony
Detailed profiles: Not too many dating sites can compare to eHarmony when it comes to member quality. 90% of eHarmony profiles are detailed and reveal useful information like personal preferences, hobbies, and facts (occupation, body type, city of residence, ethnicity, etc.,)
Video date: Through this feature, you’ll get to chat with potential dates via video, which is a great opportunity to get to know someone better after chatting regularly. However, the video date feature will only pop up after several interactions between you and a match.
What if: This is a paid feature that allows you to view 30 new matches outside your suggested profiles. Although not necessary, it can help you find someone that wasn’t recommended by eHarmony’s algorithms.
Ice breakers: You can use eHarmony’s automated questions to kickstart conversations with profiles of interest. Additionally, eHarmony also allows you to send smiles to interesting profiles on your match list.
>>Try eHarmony’s matchmaking feature today>>
2. OkCupid - One of the Best Dating Services for Features
Pros
- Inclusive regardless of sexual orientation
- Effective matchmaking algorithm
- Fast loading app
- Feature-rich
Cons
- Some members look for hookups
- Several fake profiles
While not everyone would recommend OkCupid for a serious relationship, its compatibility-based matchmaking process makes it a worthy consideration.
As with eHarmony, you’ll need to fill out a questionnaire during signup to help OkCupid’s algorithms suggest compatible profiles.
Some of the questions you can expect to answer include your likes (and dislikes), religious preferences, hobbies, habits, relationship desires, and perhaps even more importantly, sexual orientation.
It’s also great that OkCupid opens its doors to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation. This allows you to search for like-minded singles without the pressures of conforming.
Like to chat on the go? OkCupid will get you covered.
It has a highly responsive app version (available for Android and iOS) that comes with all features included in the desktop version.
And although you’re likely to stumble across a couple of fake profiles, you shouldn’t worry much as OkCupid’s support constantly monitors profiles and fishes out suspicious ones.
Why We Love OkCupid
Inclusivity: OkCupid’s inclusivity makes it one of the best places for people of different sexual orientations to find their better halves.
Responsive app version: OkCupid’s iOS and Android apps are ideal for dating on the go, which allows you to maintain contact with a match throughout the day.
Stacks: This feature allows you to stack and categorize your matches as the numbers continue to increase. You can categorize them into ‘nearby matches,’ ‘compatible matches,’ ‘active matches’, and so on.
Boost and Super Boost: These handy features can come to your rescue if you want increased exposure to potential matches. Your profile will be suggested a lot more often should you use these premium features.
3. AdultFriendFinder - Top Casual Dating Site Overall
Pros
- Signup is free
- All preferences welcome
- Super open-minded community
- Customer support is available to you 24/7
- You'll gain access to millions of active users
Cons
- The free version is inundated with ads
If you're looking for an active member community, AdultFriendFinder will give you what you need. One of the best parts of AFF is that the entire platform is very open about allowing users to express themselves entirely, and there are 8 million of them.
As one of the largest hookup sites in the world, AFF stays ahead of many of its competitors regarding what its users get for free. AdultFriendFinder makes it easy to find others that would be a great match for you, but you've got to take the reins and do the introductions yourself. The online format makes it easier, as does having the information that the person you're reaching out to has something in common with you.
AFF boasts a wide age range of potential dates, with users aged 30 to 60, and can easily be used on both your computer desktop and through a phone application.
In general, the platform is highly accessible and user-friendly. If you're looking to experience new and adventurous things, Adult Friend Finder will help you find someone locally.
AdultFriendFinder will also put your privacy first, so you don't have to worry about sensitive information, primarily photos and videos that you might send to other users.
AFF is international, so you can connect with people around the globe, finding relationships ranging from casual encounters or your next texting buddy!
>>Find a Match on AdultFriendFinder>>
4. Reddit R4R - Best Free Dating Site
Easy to Use: You don’t need to answer questionnaires or fill out lengthy bios to post on Reddit R4R. A Reddit account is all you need to use the subreddit.
Pros
- 100% free dating site
- Large member pool
- Easy to get started
Cons
- Hard to get responses
- Not the highest success rate
- No photos
Finding love has no formula. While professional dating sites might get the job done for some, others might prefer using the less-traveled routes to find their better halves.
Sure, Reddit R4R can’t compare to an industry leader like eHarmony. However, it still is a great place to shoot your shot, especially when short on cash to splash on subscriptions.
With Reddit R4R, Redditors post personal ads where they state their interests and what they’re searching for. You’ll then go through all the listings and make contact if impressed with the ad.
Despite the enormous numbers of Reddit users, getting a reply on R4R is an uphill task, especially for guys searching for women.
Why We Love Reddit R4R
Free dating site: Reddit R4R allows you to post ads, make contact, and view messages free of charge, something you don’t get on most other dating sites.
Easy to Use: You don’t need to answer questionnaires or fill out lengthy bios to post on Reddit R4R. A Reddit account is all you need to use the subreddit.
5. Dating.com - Best for International Dating
Pros
- Diverse multinational membership
- Detailed profiles
- Steady app version
- Feature-rich
Cons
- Several fake profiles
- Not the most responsive support team
Are you looking to cast your nets in wider waters and try out international dating? If so, then Dating.com might float your boat.
With millions of registered users sprinkled in over 32 countries, Dating.com is easily your best shot at dating internationally and experiencing new cultures.
The dating site uses a pay-per-action model as opposed to the subscription system.
As such, you'll need to purchase credits to access features like chat, video call, email, and stickers.
One issue that's taken some shine off Dating.com is its fake profiles.
Unfortunately, the dating app has several bots that can flood you with automated messages, which can be a genuine turn-off, especially if you're serious about finding 'the one' on the platform.
Fortunately, you can use Dating.com's video call feature to confirm you're interacting with a potential match and not a bot. We'd also advise against interacting with suspicious profiles that send automated messages.
Why We Love Dating.com
Ideal for international dating: Dating.com has a strong presence in Latin America, Europe, the US, and Asia, which makes it perfect for global dating.
Video chat: The video chat feature allows you to defy geographical barriers and interact with a match in real-time, especially if you’re in search of a serious relationship.
Pay-per-action model: The pay-per-action model puts you firmly in control over how much you spend, which can work well if you’re not one to maximize on monthly subscriptions.
>>Get ready for some overseas loving on Dating>>
6. FriendFinder - Simplistic, Easy to Use Dating Site
Pros
- Easy to sign up and use
- Large member pool
- Mandatory profile verification
Cons
- Profile verification can take long
- Unresponsive support
At times, using feature-rich or extremely busy dating sites can prove overwhelming, especially for first-timers who are relatively green about the online dating space.
We like that FriendFinder, since its launch way back in 1996, has opted to keep things simple.
Don’t be fooled by the basic (and relatively outdated) web design, as FriendFinder boasts some pretty neat advanced features like video introduction, status updates, and live webcam viewing.
And since competition on FriendFinder is stiff, you can use the video introduction feature to spice up your profile.
On average, it’ll take around 10 minutes to complete signing up.
While a personality quiz isn’t necessary on FriendFinder, you’ll need to provide some details about yourself like location, birthday, preferred username, marital status, and sexual preference during signup.
Why We Love FriendFinder
Easy to use: FriendFinder’s laid-back design is a major selling point for users that don’t want to spend too much time learning new features and how they work.
Profile verification: Although you’re likely to come across several fake profiles on FriendFinder, we like that the site is working hard to limit the creation of fake accounts. All members must verify their profiles, which helps improve overall member quality while keeping scammers at bay.
Update status: FriendFinder’s update status feature is a game-changer in the online dating industry. Your status will be displayed in your activity feed, which can help kick start conversations with members that respond to it.
Instant messaging: This unique feature allows you to talk and interact with members on other dating sites under the FriendFinder Network.
>>Find Love On FriendFinder Network>>
7. EliteSingles - Best Dating App for Long-Term Relationships
Pros
- Strict verification process
- Active members
- Effective matchmaking algorithm
- Feature-rich
Cons
- Costlier than most sites
- Relatively lengthy signup process
EliteSingles, as the name suggests, is a dating website that seeks to pair top-ranking career men and women in search of love or serious relationships.
With over 70% of members boasting fully established careers, it's no wonder that most members are in active search of a serious relationship that can lead to marriage.
But before you start scrolling through the profiles, you must first complete a relatively lengthy personality test. The test has 10 sections and is inspired by the Five-Factor Theory of Personality.
This means you'll be tested on personality factors like extraversion, openness, agreeableness, neuroticism, and conscientiousness.
After you're done with the personality test, the next thing to do is to provide additional details and preferences that will help EliteSingles make suitable suggestions. These preferences include lifestyle choices, location, deal-breakers, and age.
EliteSingles compiles all the details provided and makes daily matches while filtering out inactive profiles.
It's worth noting that although signing up on EliteSingles is free, a free account will only get you so far as you'll need to upgrade to view messages and photos and even send responses.
Why We Love EliteSingles
Strict verification: EliteSingles maintains one of the strictest verification procedures in the industry. In addition to email verification, all accounts are regularly monitored, which ensures that the admin can delete idle or suspicious profiles as soon as they’re spotted.
Compatibility matching: You’ll need to complete a personality test when signing up. EliteSingles then uses the results to suggest the most compatible matches.
Wildcard matches: By paying additional fees, you can access the ‘wildcard matches’ feature to receive 20 additional matches every day.
>>Find your perfect match on EliteSingles>>
8. Seeking - Best for Elite Dating
Pros
- More ladies than men
- Large and highly active member pool
- Suitable for international dating
- Secure
- Strict background and income verification
Cons
- Costly for men
- Mostly for casual dating
- Highly competitive
Seeking, initially Seeking Arrangement, is arguably one of the most respected (and controversial) luxury dating sites.
The site started as a sugar dating platform but has gradually evolved into a luxury dating site for people that view affluence as a key part of dating.
Although Seeking has tried to slip away from the ‘sugar dating’ tag, it still retains its high-income policies and restrictions for men.
All men must make a solid income, which must be verified before account approval.
And although ladies get to enjoy all features for free, they must battle it out for the wealthiest men on the site, which is not easy.
Why We Love Seeking
Active members: Almost everyone on Seeking is active. On average, ladies take a few minutes to respond to chats.
Ideal member ratio: Seeking is among the few sites where female members are more than their male counterparts. This translates to increased chances for men who want companionship and more opportunities for ladies that want to date up.
Video chat: Most dating sites are integrating the video chat feature to enhance the overall quality of online communication. Seeking allows members (already in direct contact) to take communication a notch higher by engaging in quality video chats.
>>Fall for a high-class romantic partner on Seeking>>
9.
Academic Singles - Best for Learned Singles
Pros
- In-depth personality test
- Easy to use
- Video calls
- Anonymity
Cons
- Several fake profiles
- No strict verification
- Unresponsive support
As the name suggests, Academic Singles targets learned singles looking to get into romantic relationships with like-minded people boasting similar credentials.
You’ll find that most members have university degrees and work as high-ranking professionals.
However, Academic Singles’ lenient verification process means you’re likely to stumble into several fake profiles and even members who aren’t as educated or well-off as they claim.
As with most other sites, you’ll need to fill out a personality test, which in turn allows the website’s algorithm to sort out and suggest the most compatible profiles.
Be warned that Academic Singles doesn’t boast enormous numbers like some of its counterparts in this review. It’s also worth noting that most members are men within the 36-55 age range.
But there is no shortage of female members either.
And since you’re likely to come across several fake profiles, we’d recommend examining matches before kickstarting conversations. As a good rule of thumb, you should avoid interacting with suspicious profiles.
Why We Love Academic Singles
Suitable for long-term relationships: Academic singles is a niche dating site for singles that want to date fellow academics. Most members don’t have time for games and want to get into a serious relationship that can lead to marriage.
Detailed personality test: The mandatory personality test during sign-up enhances the overall effectiveness of the site’s algorithms. This translates to more accurate matches and increased chances of finding a suitable companion.
10. Badoo - Most Affordable Site for Young Singles
Pros
- One of the best dating sites for young adults
- Contacting features are free
- Millions of active users
- Content regularly monitored
Cons
- Not the most secure
- No compatibility matching
- Several inactive accounts
With most members aged between 18 and 24 years, it’s no surprise that Badoo remains a popular site for the younger population.
Free accounts come with contact privileges, which sort of explains the site’s appeal to the usually cash-strapped young adults.
And although members can send and respond to messages for free, a premium account comes with additional perks like viewing who likes your profile, anonymous browsing, increased overall popularity, and gifts.
Please note that you’ll need to verify your Badoo account to browse without restrictions.
Why We Love Badoo
Feature-rich: Badoo is known for its wealth of advanced features that add a bit of spice to online dating. From lookalikes to gifts and even Badoo encounters, the site’s integration of features makes it fun for young adults to interact and get to know each other.
Profile verification: Although signing up on Badoo is pretty straightforward, we like that members have to verify via email to access all the basic features. This makes it easy to spot fake profiles and even report suspicious ones.
How We Ranked The Best Dating Apps and Sites
When ranking the best online dating sites, we considered several factors such as reputation (customer reviews), ease of use, features, security, and member quality, as explained below.
Reputation
It’s crucial to consider a dating site’s reputation before signing up, as not all sites are what they claim to be. As such, we scoured the internet for client reviews for all the dating sites and apps listed.
Dating platforms like eHarmony and OkCupid have several positive reviews, an indication of their commitment to customer satisfaction.
Ease of Use
A dating site’s design also influences customer satisfaction rates. Ideally, clients want to register on sites that are easy to use despite boasting numerous features.
Most, if not all, dating sites and apps on our list are easy to use and highly responsive. Although FriendFinder’s layout is all about minimalism, for example, it integrates modern features like video chat to enhance the quality of service under the hood.
Features
We also considered the types and effectiveness of features when compiling our best dating site list. From icebreakers like automated questions and smileys to video chat for real-time communication, dating sites continue to integrate a wide range of features to make online dating easier and more enjoyable for members.
Security
Another important consideration we made when ranking the best dating sites is security. The last thing you want is to register on a website that sells your data to third parties.
All the dating sites in our list use industry-standard encryption, but you’ll need to be extra careful not to provide personal data, especially on loosely regulated online dating sites like Reddit R4R and Badoo.
Member Quality
The best dating sites are those with large pools of active members. We considered a site’s member activity and the number of users when compiling our list.
Dating websites like eHarmony, OkCupid, EliteSingles, and Seeking boast some of the most active members around, which translates to increased interactions between members.
Another factor we considered was the ratio of male to female members. While it’s normal for dating apps to have more men than women, the ones we included on the list are well balanced, meaning you won’t find too much of one gender.
FAQs About The Top Dating Sites for Singles
What Is The Number 1 Dating Site?
The number 1 dating site largely depends on user preferences. If you’re after a feature-rich, well-designed, and secure dating site with good customer support, then we’d recommend eHarmony.
However, the best dating site will come down to what you look for in a dating site, as some focus on specific niches like sugar dating, elite dating, affairs, and even same-sex dating.
What Dating App Has The Highest Success Rate?
The dating app with the highest success rate for long-term dating is eHarmony, which has helped well over 2 million members find true love.
Although the site is great for serious relationships, it isn’t ideal for casual hookups, as most members want long-term companionship that can lead to marriage.
>>Find Love on eHarmony Today<<
What Are the Top Sites for Dating Older Singles?
The top sites for dating older singles include FriendFinder and EliteSingles.
FriendFinder keeps things simple, while EliteSingles targets mature members with established careers. SeniorSingles, on the other hand, is a senior dating site that can work well if you’re looking to date singles above 50 years.
What Dating Platforms are Best Suited for Younger Members?
The dating platforms best suited for younger members need to be feature-rich. In addition to features like swipe, video chats, smileys, gifts, and icebreakers, such sites must also have a large pool of active members.
Young singles love to interact and will almost certainly prefer dating sites that have a wide variety of communication features. Sites like Tinder, Badoo, and even eHarmony can work well for younger members that want to play around with tons of features.
What Are Some Things I Should Avoid When Dating Online?
Some of the things you should avoid when dating online include rushing things, sharing personal information, interacting with suspicious profiles, and signing up on untrustworthy online dating websites.
Let’s check them out in more detail below.
Rushing Things
You are likely to stumble into some really attractive profiles when dating online. However, despite how charming a match might be, it is important to take things slow and get to know each other first. This means interacting via available communication channels without rushing to set up a physical meeting.
Sharing Personal Information
As much as there are good-willed people looking for love online, there are also scammers disguised as lonely singles. Such scammers will ask for personal details like your email address, phone number, physical address, and even financial details.
As a rule, you should keep communication strictly to the channels provided by the online dating site and never share any physical address or bank account details with a stranger online.
Interacting with Suspicious Profiles
Even the most secure online dating sites are likely to have incomplete or suspicious profiles. While it’s advisable to report suspicious accounts to the site’s admin team, avoiding them altogether can also work.
You should also avoid responding to automated messages sent by bots to keep yourself extra safe when dating online.
Signing Up on Untrustworthy Websites
Although most paid dating sites strive to maintain high standards when it comes to user privacy and online safety, some rarely invest in encryption and are commonly used by scammers to prey on unknowing clients.
Always read online reviews to confirm a site’s reputation, paying close attention to comments about user privacy.
Can I Really Find Love Online?
You can find love online if you remain consistent and practice patience. Online dating requires time to know and interact with different people. And although success isn’t guaranteed even on top dating sites, you can increase your chances by doing the following:
>>Find Your Match On eHarmony<
Upload Your Best Photos
Online dating is all about judging the book by its cover, at least before the actual interaction begins. As such, you should upload photos that showcase your best qualities.
Make sure your profile picture is clear and lively. Additionally, you should set up several photos on your profile, at least if you want to come off as serious.
Complete Your Profile
An incomplete profile is often mistaken for a scam and rarely gets the attention it deserves, no matter how attractive the photos might be. Therefore, it is advisable to provide additional information about yourself, like hobbies, preferences, and dislikes.
Detailed profiles are highly attractive and will help you stand out from other singles with incomplete or poorly completed profiles.
Be Responsive
You can’t expect to secure a date without responding to advances made by potential suitors. The more responsive you are, the better your chances of finding love on a dating website.
On average, you shouldn’t take longer than a day (at most two days) to respond to a message on an online dating site lest the conversation becomes stale.
Invest In Online Dating
Investing in online dating simply means paying for monthly subscriptions, or buying credits, depending on the platform you’re registered on.
You can also pay for extra features if you want to jump ahead of the queue and have your profile recommended to other members. Although not a must, subscribing to premium subscriptions gives you more options in terms of communication and allows you to come off as a more serious player.
What Are the Top 5 Dating Sites?
The top 5 dating sites are:
- Compatibility matching
- Large pool of active members
- Feature-rich
- Suitable for long-term relationships
- Video date function
- Inclusive regardless of sexual orientation
- Effective matchmaking algorithm
- Fast loading app
- Feature-rich
- All preferences welcome
- Super open-minded community
- Customer support is available to you 24/7
4. Reddit R4R
- Best free dating site
- Large member pool
- Easy to get started
5. Dating.com
- Diverse multinational membership
- Detailed profiles
- Steady app version
Best Dating Websites: Wrapping Up
If you’re looking to give online dating a shot, it’s crucial to choose your preferred dating apps or sites wisely. Registering on popular dating sites with large numbers of active members will boost your chances of finding a date sooner rather than later.
For serious dating that can lead to marriage, we’d recommend eHarmony, as the site is renowned for helping millions find their better halves. Moreover, eHarmony uses compatibility matching, which ensures you’re matched with singles that have similar preferences.
For friendship or companionship, OkCupid can make a great pick as it opens its doors to everyone regardless of sexual orientation. Alternatively, you can try out Seeking if sugar (or luxury) dating is your cup of tea.
Whatever dating site you choose to register on, remember to upload your best photos and complete your profile to stand a real chance.
Paying for premium features can also help you ward off competition and come off as a more serious individual.
Good luck finding your better half!
