Best Dating Sites Finding Long Term Love

Women's Dating

9 Best Dating Sites for Long-Term Love (2024)

Amber Brooks

Written by: Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks

Amber Brooks is the Editor-in-Chief at DatingAdvice.com. When she was growing up, her family teased her for being "boy crazy," but she preferred to think of herself as a budding dating and relationship expert. As an English major at the University of Florida, Amber honed her communication skills to write clearly, knowledgeably, and passionately about a variety of subjects. Now with over 1,800 lifestyle articles to her name, Amber brings her tireless wit and relatable experiences to DatingAdvice.com.

See full bio »

Edited by: Lillian Castro

Lillian Castro

Lillian Guevara-Castro brings more than 30 years of journalism experience to ensure DatingAdvice articles have been edited for overall clarity, accuracy, and reader engagement. She has worked at The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, The Gwinnett Daily News, and The Gainesville Sun covering lifestyle topics.

Discuss This! Discuss This!
Advertiser Disclosure

Feeling burnt out by the casual dating scene? Then you’re better off trying the best dating sites for finding long-term love. Such platforms unite love-oriented singles and inspire relationships based on common interests, mutual attraction, and shared goals.

In a 2019 survey, 22% of newlyweds said they met their spouse online, and the number of relationships begun online is growing all the time as more people take advantage of the matchmaking power of a free site or app.

We’ve rated some of the most promising and popular dating sites for singles looking to get off the swiping carousel and settle down, and all of these platforms are free to join, so you really have nothing to lose.

1. Match

★★★★★
4.9/5.0

Relationships: Friends, Dates, and Relationships

Match System: Browse by zip, age, appearance, more

Our Experts Say: “Match has facilitated the most dates and relationships of any dating site, and its large audience and high success rate make it our top review...” Full Review »

Browse Free: View Photos Now

Match is without a doubt one of the best options for singles seeking a serious relationship. Since 1995, Match has created countless romantic connections and led to more marriages than any of its competitors.

It’s free to join Match and take a look around, but you’ll have to pay a subscription fee if you want to send more than likes to your online crushes. The site offers free communication to certain users in certain situations — you can usually message your Top Picks for free — but the only way to truly take control of your dating destiny on Match is by subscribing and reaching out to people.

Over the years, Match has proven its worth and attracted high-caliber singles who are serious about finding someone for the long haul. About 74% of Match users have graduated from college, and nearly half are in their 30s or 40s.

★★★★★
4.8/5.0

Relationships: Serious Relationships

Match System: Search, Receive Partner Suggestions

Our Experts Say: “EliteSingles is a leading dating site just for busy, single professionals. More than 80% of members have earned a college degree, and most are looking for a serious commitment...” Full Review »

Browse Free: View Photos Now

Speaking of high-caliber, EliteSingles is one of the top dating sites for single professionals with love on their minds. Since 2013, EliteSingles has made a name for itself by appealing to the upper echelon of the dating world, and it’s been working out splendidly so far.

Over 80% of EliteSingles members have earned a university degree, over 90% are at least 30 years old, and pretty much 100% are looking for a long-term relationship.

EliteSingles uses a highly intelligent matchmaking system that pinpoints commonalities in personality, education, and lifestyle, and then it calculates a compatibility rating to let singles know where they stand. The dating site helps 2,500 singles find love each month, and it gives hope to people who want to settle down but don’t want to settle.

3. Zoosk

★★★★★
4.7/5.0

Relationships: Fun Dates, Serious Relationships

Match System: Search and get match recommendations

Our Experts Say: “Zoosk is integrated with social media sites, like Facebook and Google+, so it's very popular with singles on the go...” Full Review »

Browse Free: View Photos Now

Zoosk maintains a fast-paced dating platform where users can like, flirt, chat, and connect in a number of ways. Over 40 million people have registered on Zoosk, and it has a lot of quality date options for singles seeking a relationship.

A free Zoosk membership includes unlimited browsing and some communication tools, so it’s possible to find a date without subscribing to a paid subscription. However, it could be worth upgrading to be able to message everyone in your inbox. Otherwise, you can only converse with a fraction of the people available on Zoosk.

Tydal and Matt met on Zoosk in 2017, and now they’re engaged. “I was resigned to being single for life,” Tydal said, “and now I’m getting married in 2020 to my best friend. Crazy! Thank you, Zoosk!”

★★★★★
4.8/5.0

Relationships: Casual Dates, Deep Relationships

Match System: Personality test suggests matches

Our Experts Say: “Accounting for 2% of U.S. marriages, eharmony's compatibility-based system and commitment-minded user base are ideal for those seeking a serious relationship...” Full Review »

Browse Free: View Photos Now

Since 2000, eharmony has inspired loving relationships that lead to loving marriages and families. This dating site’s mission is to strengthen the bonds of matrimony by ensuring singles can find their Mr. or Ms. Right.

The eharmony team has used psychology to create a formula for love, and its 32-Dimension Compatibility Quiz has brought over 2 million couples together to date.

We recommend completing every section of your eharmony profile — from the Who Am I section to listing your favorite books and movies — and then taking the Compatibility Quiz, which is about 80 questions long, to help eharmony accurately predict which profiles jive with you. Basically, the more information you feed the algorithm, the more accurate your match suggestions will be.

★★★★★
4.6/5.0

Relationships: Friendship, Casual Dates, Serious Relationships

Match System: Search by age, location, height, education, ethnicity, and religion

Our Experts Say: “SilverSingles is a fast-growing, easy-to-use niche dating site exclusively for active daters over the age of 50...” Full Review »

Browse Free: View Photos Now

SilverSingles is a quality-driven dating site designed exclusively for seniors seeking love. The site was created by the same people who made EliteSingles, so you can expect a similarly high-end online dating experience here.

The SilverSingles matchmaking process depends on users filling in Dating Preferences for things like age, height, distance, religion, and other characteristics found in an ideal partner. You can use a sliding scale to state how important each trait is to you. For instance, maybe you’re completely unwilling to date someone who smokes, but you’re open to dating someone who’s a few years older or younger than you.

★★★★★
4.6/5.0

Relationships: Dates and Relationships

Match System: Search by profiles by zip and more

Our Experts Say: “OurTime is well-known in the over-50 dating crowd, particularly because it has a ton of helpful search features and an easy layout...” Full Review »

Browse Free: View Photos Now

Sometimes single seniors feel out of options in the dating scene, but OurTime offers a second chance to find a spark and watch it grow into a real relationship.

This seniors-only dating site has millions of dating profiles, and they’ve all been verified as real people, so you don’t have to worry about encountering scammers and spammers here.

OurTime has united singles of a certain age and provided dating opportunities that have led to deep relationships and marriages. As one OurTime user said, “I joined your site hoping I would meet that special man to become a part of my life, and my dream came true. It was love at first sight for both of us.”

★★★★★
4.5/5.0

Relationships: Dates and Serious Relationships

Match System: Search by gender, age, education, more

Our Experts Say: “ChristianMingle is among the largest dating sites in the industry that only caters to single Christian men and women, and the site has some of the best search filters and safety features...” Full Review »

Browse Free: View Photos Now

As a leading Christian dating site, ChristianMingle has the highest concentration of Christian singles in the online dating scene, and the team sees love and marriage as being central to its mission.

ChristianMingle is open to people of all faiths and backgrounds; however, it specializes in introducing single Christians to their partner for life.

As a free ChristianMingle member, you can sort profiles by distance, online activity, match percentage, and other factors, and you can also swipe on people in the LookBook tab. If you want to take things to the next level, you’ll have to subscribe to a monthly membership because only paid subscribers can read and respond to messages on ChristianMingle.

★★★★
4.1/5.0

Relationships: Deep Relationships or Just Casual Dates

Match System: Search by location, age, more

Our Experts Say: “BlackPeopleMeet.com is the one of the largest and most popular dating sites for black and biracial singles, and the site is used by more than 5 million people a month...” Full Review »

Browse Free: View Photos Now

BlackPeopleMeet is a terrific resource for black and biracial singles seeking a date within the African-American community. Since 2002, this black dating site has brought tens of thousands of people together, and it has hundreds of success stories posted on its website.

“I found someone very special on this site, and we are pursuing a relationship,” said a BPM user in a testimonial. “We would never have met if it were not for BPM.”

Singles can join BlackPeopleMeet to mingle with date prospects who share similar backgrounds and perspectives, and that creates a solid foundation for a new relationship.

9. Hinge

Since its launch in 2012, Hinge has earned the reputation as “the relationship app” and “the anti-Tinder” because it puts meaningful relationships first. This love-driven space encourages singles to get to know each other by reading in-depth profiles and connecting based on mutual interests and attraction.

Hinge profiles have six photos and three prompts full of conversation starters, and users must comment on or like something specific to create a match. This smart matchmaking system has inspired flirty pickup lines, deep conversations, and true heartfelt connections between people who share similar relationship goals.

Screenshot of Hinge's homepage

Hinge’s quality-driven matching can keep singles from mindlessly swiping through photos.

Hinge calls itself “the dating app designed to be deleted,” which means the goal is to get users off the app and into relationships as soon as possible. I can say from personal experience that this app works because I met my boyfriend on Hinge last year, and we permanently deleted all our dating profiles after our third date.

If you’re serious about making a match, Hinge can be a wonderful ally, and it doesn’t cost anything to download the app, create a profile, and chat with matches.

10. Coffee Meets Bagel

Coffee Meets Bagel

is the passion project of three Silicon Valley women who want to bring authenticity back to online dating. Instead of tossing singles into a bottomless dating pool, this dating app generates a curated list of matches every day and limits the number of likes and matches singles can make in one sitting.

The CMB app is free to use, but singles can use Beans (the in-app currency) to get more perks, including Read Receipts and Activity Reports.

Screenshot of CoffeeMeetsBagel

Coffee Meets Bagel began as a passion project of three entrepreneuring women.

Coffee Meets Bagel has created over 50 million matches since its launch in 2012, and many of those connections have led to first dates, relationships, and even engagements and marriages.

“I was fed up with the L.A. dating scene, and I thought to myself ‘what do I have to lose?'” said Tamara, who met her partner Jon on CMB. “Two years later, I am still with this amazing man.”

11. Bumble

In 2014, Bumble made a big splash as the world’s first feminist dating app. Its online dating mantra and values boil down to two words: Ladies first.

When a man and woman match on Bumble, the woman has to take the lead by sending the first message. If she chooses to remain silent, the match will disappear 24 hours after its creation. Women set the tone on this respectful and relationship-driven app.

Screenshot of Bumble

Bumble is a female-friendly dating app designed to spark genuine relationships.

Bumble has flipped traditional gender norms on their head with its women-first messaging system, and that has appealed to equality-minded singles who value the voice, comfort, and safety of women in the dating scene.

“We’re not one of our competitors that’s just trying to hook people up,” says Whitney Wolfe Herd, CEO of Bumble. “We’re trying to say, ‘Let’s change thousands of years of behavior. Globally.’”

12. OkCupid

OkCupid

is a completely free dating app and site with an inclusive and fun-loving vibe to it. People of all ages, orientations, gender identities, and relationship goals can bound into this free-wheeling dating scene and make valuable connections.

Since 2004, OkCupid has taken a data-driven approach to matchmaking. Its in-depth profiles have optional sections ranging from “What do you look for in a partner?” to “Six things you can’t live without.” Every response helps OkCupid calculate compatibility ratings that take lifestyle, interests, goals, background, and sense of humor into account.

Screenshot of OkCupid

OkCupid inspires over 91 million love connections and 2.6 million dates per year.

One of the biggest upsides to OkCupid is its free communication system. Singles can send one unsolicited message as a way of introducing themselves; however, only OkCupid users who have liked each other’s profiles can engage in one-on-one conversations. That way, singles can flirt while maintaining a respectful distance.

13. Happn

Happn

has taken the idea of serendipity — a chance meeting that leads to love — and turned it into a dating app. Happn may look like a typical swiping-based app, but it uses location-based information to prioritize potential matches that are close by.

Every Happn profile includes a map showing where you’ve crossed paths as you go about your day. Maybe you both frequent the same coffee shop, or you shop at the same grocery store.

Screenshot of Happn

Happn makes it easier to find a romantic partner who fits into your daily routine.

Singles can use Happn to navigate the local dating scene and find common ground with dates in the neighborhood. Happn currently has 70 million users, and people send over 4.9 million messages a day here.

“I see this cute guy on Happn with short hair, wearing a suit,” said Sarah Atkinson, a 33-year-old who met her long-term boyfriend online. “Apps make things happen, and, as well-meaning as friends are, sometimes you’ve got to make the connection yourself.”

14. The League

The League

is in a league of its own as a dating app. It aims to elevate the online dating process and create a space where top-tier singles never have to settle or lower their standards.

Singles must apply to join The League, and only the most educated, attractive, and successful profiles will make the cut. The League cultivates an exclusive and private network where real people can scout for dates and build relationships.

Screenshot from The League's website

The League caters to well-educated professionals looking for a partner on their level.

The League verifies a user’s identity through LinkedIn and Facebook, and it curates a list of date prospects who measure up in terms of income, education, and ambition. The app also automatically hides your profile from business connections, coworkers, and friends on your social media accounts.

Matches expire after 14 days on The League, so don’t dilly-dally if you’re interested in someone special. Once you’ve established a connection, you’re on the clock to turn that match into a hot date. The League has introduced many power couples since its launch in 2015, and it has no intention of slowing down. In 2019 alone, The League was responsible for 16 wedding announcements in The New York Times.

15. Plenty of Fish

Plenty of Fish

has a massive dating pool with over 150 million users in 20 countries. Since 2003, this dating site and app has honed and perfected a personality-driven matchmaking algorithm that focuses on the things that truly matter to singles.

The POF community supports singles looking for love and lends a helping hand with its scientific matching, free chatting, and advanced search tools.

Screenshot of POF

POF gives serious daters plenty of opportunities to connect and set up a date.

POF offers completely free communication — though members are limited to sending 55 initial messages a day — and it can spark relationships with its engaging interface.

“Our story began with two hopeless romantics looking for love,” said Patrice and Joshua, a POF couple who got married in 2018. “It is definitely possible to find love on Plenty of Fish, and, thankfully, we are two less fish in the sea.”

16. Tinder

This list just wouldn’t be complete without Tinder. I know it has a reputation for being a hookup app, but hear me out because Tinder can work for long-term daters as well.

Tinder gives you the opportunity to quickly sift through the local dating scene and identify the most attractive people based on your dating criteria and expectations. You’re in control of who shows up in your inbox, and you don’t have to jump through hoops or paywalls to chat, match, and date on this popular app.

Screenshot from Tinder's website

Tinder empowers singles to follow their hearts and match with people who meet their standards.

We’ve heard plenty of stories about Tinder matches turning into Tinder relationships, and it makes sense why that would be the case. Tinder has the numbers behind it. The app has created over 30 billion matches worldwide, it sees over 2 million views per day, and it leads to over 1 million dates per week.

Tinder gets singles into gear and motivates them to take action that will lead to interesting conversations, fun first dates, and lasting relationships.

17. HER

HER

is a wonderful place for lesbian, bisexual, and queer womxn in the dating scene. This popular dating app welcomes LGBTQ+ ladies to a respectful and values-driven environment, and the moderators are quick to remove male users and fake profiles that threaten its female-friendly vibe.

Today, HER has over 4 million users, all of whom have been verified as authentic womxn seeking love and friendship.

Screenshot of HER's website

HER is a dynamic dating app where lesbian, queer, and bisexual womxn can find their person.

HER offers a fun interface where users can comment on photos, send private messages and RSVP to queer events as a way of getting to know womxn who live in the area and want to build connections.

The #WeMetOnHER stories on Instagram are full of sweet and heartwarming testimonials from lesbian couples who got into a relationship after meeting on the app. “Charlie and I met on HER on the 26th of January 2016,” said Georgia in a recent post. “I’ve truly met the love of my life…and we both can’t believe we met on an app!”

Which Dating App is Best for Serious Relationships?

I’d say Hinge is the best app for serious relationships because it puts quality over quantity and pushes back against the mindless swiping culture. Its designed-to-be-deleted marketing language got my attention as a relationship-minded single, and I used it to meet many great guys, including my current boyfriend.

Hinge got me into a serious relationship, and it could work for you too if you take the time to create a dynamic profile and message people who stand out to you.

Which Dating Site Has the Best Success Rate?

Successful dating sites

come in all different shapes and sizes. Some claim to be successful because they generate a lot of conversations while others take more pride in creating online matches. Plenty of Fish users exchange over 1 billion messages a day, and. Tinder is responsible for 30 billion matches. But long-term daters tend to view messaging and matching as a waste of time if it doesn’t lead to a real relationship.

Match.com is responsible for more first dates, relationships, and marriages than any of its competitors, and that makes it a shoo-in for the most successful dating site for long-term love.

★★★★★
4.9/5.0

Relationships: Friends, Dates, and Relationships

Match System: Browse by zip, age, appearance, more

Our Experts Say: “Match has facilitated the most dates and relationships of any dating site, and its large audience and high success rate make it our top review...” Full Review »

Browse Free: View Photos Now

Match has spent the last 25 years building its reputation, introducing compatible singles, and making magic happen, so singles can trust it to take the search for love seriously. Match can work wonders for men and women in the online dating scene. It has led to approximately 100,000 marriages and the birth of over 1 million babies — and counting.

Which Dating Sites Actually Work?

A lot of dating websites have decent success rates and can work for singles seeking friendships, relationships, and love. Some platforms offer grade-A matchmaking tools to connect compatible dates, while others focus more on the initial attraction and online chatting aspect of online dating. It just depends on what you’re looking for, and which dating strategies work best for you.

If you want help picking the right person, then a more hands-on dating site like eharmony will fit the bill. This dating site has brought together over 2 million couples, and it creates a new match every 14 minutes.

★★★★★
4.8/5.0

Relationships: Casual Dates, Deep Relationships

Match System: Personality test suggests matches

Our Experts Say: “Accounting for 2% of U.S. marriages, eharmony's compatibility-based system and commitment-minded user base are ideal for those seeking a serious relationship...” Full Review »

Browse Free: View Photos Now

We’ve heard a lot of eharmony success stories over the years, but my favorite is one that I discovered by talking to an over-50 couple on the beach. They met on eharmony and chatted for two months before arranging a first date — and the man flew from Canada to Florida just to meet her. Now they’re happily paired off and looking forward to many long walks on the beach when they retire.

Is Bumble for Serious Relationships?

Yes, the Bumble team takes pride in helping serious daters form serious relationships and friendships online. The feminist app attracts thoughtful singles with clear ambitions and strong values. In a recent survey, about 85% of Bumble users said they’re looking for marriage or a boyfriend/girlfriend, and fewer than 4% said they’re interested in a hookup.

Find Your Forever on a Dating Site for Long-Term Love

Quality-driven sites, like the ones on this list, can offer better matches, more options, and valuable guidance on the road to love, and sometimes that can make all the difference in the world.

The best dating sites for long-term love can help singles take things to the next level and build meaningful relationships in a safe and controlled space. You can set the terms on a dating site or app and direct the course of your romantic life by being clear about who you want and what you deserve.

If you’re serious about finding a love that lasts online, you should consider joining multiple sites and apps to give yourself the best odds of meeting someone special and making a relationship work. Good luck!

Advertiser Disclosure

DatingAdvice.com is a free online resource that offers valuable content and comparison services to users. To keep this resource 100% free, we receive compensation from many of the offers listed on the site. Along with key review factors, this compensation may impact how and where products appear across the site (including, for example, the order in which they appear). DatingAdvice.com does not include the entire universe of available offers. Editorial opinions expressed on the site are strictly our own and are not provided, endorsed, or approved by advertisers.

Our Editorial Review Policy

Our site is committed to publishing independent, accurate content guided by strict editorial guidelines. Before articles and reviews are published on our site, they undergo a thorough review process performed by a team of independent editors and subject-matter experts to ensure the content’s accuracy, timeliness, and impartiality. Our editorial team is separate and independent of our site’s advertisers, and the opinions they express on our site are their own. To read more about our team members and their editorial backgrounds, please visit our site’s About page.