Singles have so much to explore when it comes to the world of online dating. So many dating apps, dating sites, and chat rooms await those bold enough to venture forward. Whether you’re looking for a long-term relationship or a hot hookup, there’s a dating site designed just for that.
Niche dating sites cater to a lot of specific needs and interests. Let’s say you’re looking for a partner who is queer, or shares your religious background, or is in the over-60 age range. Specific sites cater to all of these groups, and so many more! Additionally, mainstream dating sites and apps allow users to filter a wide dating pool based on factors like religion, age, sexual orientation, desire to have children and other important factors.
If you’re an American woman looking to date online, these are the best dating sites and apps for you.
Match
- 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. Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
One of the most established names in the online dating game is Match, which has been connecting people since 1995. The dating platform has over 15 million active users, meaning you have good odds of finding someone appealing in the database.
Beyond the large user base, Match has plenty of useful features, including an in-depth personality questionnaire and multiple search tools to help daters meet their type. The algorithm also comes up with daily match suggestions called Top Picks.
Match appeals to American women with its built-in safety feature MatchPhone, which gives users a private number to call one another (so you don’t have to give out your real number if you don’t want to). The online dating app has also invested in advanced verification tools to protect members from unsavory characters.
eharmony
- 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. Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
Another well-established platform you’ve probably heard of is eharmony. If you’re looking for a committed relationship, an eharmony member could be invaluable. While the platform supports all types of relationships, it tends to attract mature users looking for something more serious.
eharmony offers a signature personality assessment tool to help identify long-term compatibility for relationship seekers. The algorithm is known for its accuracy and insight – and it’s inspired over 2 million relationships in the U.S. alone.
Plus, eharmony profiles can only be seen by compatible members and subscribers, so you don’t have to worry that the whole world is seeing your profile. Plus, only paid subscribers will be able to see your photos, which adds another layer of privacy.
OurTime.com
- 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. Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
If you’re an American woman who is older than 50 and looking to explore the world of online dating, OurTime is worth checking out. The senior dating site has an intuitive signup process and nearly 9 million visitors every month.
OurTime recommends compatible matches and provides plenty of tools to search based on your own criteria. The online dating site’s team has thoughtfully built safety features, such as an automatic profile verification process that allows users to block and report suspicious members. Senior singles can also use the ConnectMe feature to invite your match to text or call without giving out a real phone number.
4. Bumble
Women around the world have long had an ally in Bumble, aka the feminist dating app. A millennial woman started the app with a simple but inventive premise: Women should always send the first message to men. A single man cannot talk to a woman on Bumble unless she talks to him first. He can only send a profile like and wait for her response. If it’s a same-sex match, either party can send the first message on Bumble.
The Bumble app incentivizes users to actually start messaging: If you don’t message or respond to your match within 24 hours, they disappear from your stack (unless you use the Extend feature). This is a great dating app for women because it empowers them to make the first move and set the tone for their romantic interests.
5. Hinge
I may be biased, but I met my husband on Hinge, so I think this is a great dating app if you’re an American woman. Hinge takes pride in being the dating app “designed to be deleted,” meaning the goal is to introduce compatible dates and get users into a real relationship.
Hinge features a user-friendly interface that often attracts single women seeking a more serious relationship. Alongside photos, users answer a few prompts from Hinge’s collection of questions, adding personality to their profile. This approach makes it easier to strike up a conversation and see if there’s a connection.
6. HER
While all of the dating sites on this list support queer singles, they’re not specifically designed for LGBTQ+ women the way HER is. If you’re a woman looking to connect with queer, lesbian, bi, nonbinary, trans and gender nonconforming individuals, you’ll want to download HER.
The online dating app has a free tier that allows you to match and chat with other members, join online communities, and customize your profile. A premium subscription option unlocks additional features, including search filters and incognito browsing. HER is also one of the most recommended lesbian dating apps according to Reddit!
7. OkCupid
While most dating sites have users begin by building a profile, OkCupid takes a slightly different approach. You’ll start by answering some fun personality questions that help the algorithm (and maybe yourself) learn more about who you are and what you’re looking for.
This online dating platform offers numerous search filters to help you exclude users who don’t match your preferences. Unlike many sites focused solely on serious relationships or casual hookups, OkCupid accommodates people looking for a broad spectrum of relationship types. So whether you’re seeking a serious relationship, a friends-with-benefits arrangement, or even just a platonic friendship, OkCupid could be a great choice for you.
FAQs: What’s the Best Casual Dating Site for Women?
While many of the best dating sites for American women are optimized for women who want a serious relationship, there are plenty of options for casual daters as well. According to our analysis, one of the best casual dating sites for women is Ashley Madison.
- Relationships: Hookups, Casual Dates, Affairs
- Match System: Search by age, location, appearance, and more
- Our Experts Say: With its massive user base and advanced privacy features, Ashley Madison is the #1 site for discreet hookups, dates, or relationships. Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
For starters, women can always chat for free on the site without a premium subscription. Ashley Madison also has some impressive privacy features, like photo blurring and masking, which can be useful if you don’t like the idea of your face being easily found on a dating site.
Ashley Madison has a ratio of 71% men to 29% women, so if you’re a woman seeking a casual hookup with a man, the odds are on your side. It is worth noting that Ashley Madison is designed for attached and single people to meet compatible affair partners, so you’ll want to be aware of that before diving in.
Is Tinder a Good Dating App for Women?
That depends on what you’re looking for! Tinder has a ton of profiles, with 530 million downloads worldwide. If you see dating as a numbers game, the numbers are certainly on your side. However, that doesn’t speak to quality. Women tend to get bombarded by likes and messages in big dating pools like Tinder.
Tinder users don’t really have the ability to filter matches based on factors like religion, smoking/drinking habits, desire to have children, or common interests. It can be a lot of wading through incompatible profiles to find someone interesting, and even then there’s no guarantee they’ll want a serious relationship or marriage.
Smaller dating apps like Facebook Dating and Coffee Meets Bagel give women more space to take things one match at a time. Best of all, free messaging is offered on both these dating platforms.
Is Online Dating Safe for Single Women?
We’ve come so far from the days of sketchy online chat rooms! Online dating is generally very safe for women, especially on sites and apps that have built-in safety features.
That said, there are some precautions to consider when you’re dating online. In addition to using a trusted site or app, it’s also a good idea to research your matches on Google to make sure that they are who they say they are. You’ll want to look for red flags such as refusing to offer personal details about their life or trying to progress the relationship faster than you’d like.
Additionally, you’ll want to be careful about the private information you disclose on your profile or in your chats. Single adults should keep things like their home address, workplace, and social security numbers private until they’ve gotten to know the person – and actually met in person.
Most importantly, don’t ever send money to someone you’ve only connected with on a dating site. And don’t be afraid to block and report suspicious members.
American Singles Have Embraced Online Dating
With so many dating sites and apps available, it’s clear that American singles have wholeheartedly embraced online dating. If you’re an American woman hoping to meet someone special online, you have a wealth of options in the dating world.
American women can rely on dating sites and apps for help finding long-term relationships, casual hookups, and everything in between.
When deciding which dating site is right for you, you’ll want to think about the type of relationship and person you’re looking for and do some research to find the one that’s best suited for your needs. And remember, there’s no need to stick to just one. Try a few different dating apps and see what you think!
