Best Dating Sites
Looking for a dating site you can trust? Search no more.
I’ve always been an introverted person. As a child, I thought being quiet was my superpower because it turned me invisible and let me observe my rowdy classmates from a safe distance. I liked staying out of the fray and keeping to myself.
As I got older, I realized that being introverted can be lonely, so I took steps to overcome my painfully shy habits. Many character-building experiences helped me come out of my shell and engage with the world. Online dating was one of them.
Joining dating sites and apps gave me the opportunity to grow by talking to many different types of people. Some were adventurous and pushed my boundaries, and some were even more introverted than I am. With an introvert-friendly dating site or app by your side, you can meet people and build relationships that give you a reason to go out on a date — or maybe stay in and snuggle.
1. 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...” Full Review »
Browse Free: View Photos Now
| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Today's Deal
|
| All Singles* |
49%*
51%*
|
39.7 Million* | Try Match FREE |
Since 1995, Match has been the top dog in the online dating scene. It was one of the first websites to focus solely on dating and create romantic connections based on shared interests. Match set the tone for the online dating scene back in the day, and it continues to impress with its personality-driven matching.
Match offers a confidential space to mingle and get to know people one message at a time. Free members can’t send an initial message to anyone, but they can respond to some messages from premium members. This limited communication system ensures that unsavory characters and flaky daters stay away from Match.
Free member can chat with single people their Top Picks list, but only premium members have the ability to chat with anybody and attend special Match events.
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
2. EliteSingles
★★★★★
User Base
Gender Ratio
Popularity (Visits/Mo.)
Today's Deal
All Singles*
44%*
56%*
2 Million*
Browse Profiles Free
Elite Singles is a premium dating site for single professionals seeking relationships. The site’s members have high expectations and high standards in the dating scene. Over 85% of its members have graduated from college, and about 90% are over 30 years old.
As a free member, you can browse profiles and send likes or photo requests to anyone. However, only paid subscribers can view photos, send messages, and see visitors to their profiles. A free Elite Singles membership can help singles get their bearings and scout the terrain without worrying about being accosted by messages or pressured into dates right away.
Once you feel comfortable on the site and confident in your prospects, you can upgrade your account to a one-month, three-month, or six-month subscription plan for as little as $27.95 per month. With Elite Singles by your side, you can level up your flirting game and date a person of your status.
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
3. eharmony
★★★★★
User Base
Gender Ratio
Popularity (Visits/Mo.)
Today's Deal
All Singles*
48%*
52%*
4.1 Million*
View Profiles FREE
A clinical psychologist and Christian theologian came up with the idea for eharmony in the late 1990s because he wanted to strengthen the institution of marriage by making sure couples who tie the knot are truly suited to each other.
The eharmony matchmaking system is grounded in psychological principles about relationships. The dating site’s Compatibility Quiz gets to the heart of who singles are, how they act in a relationship, and what they want and need from a partner. This questionnaire takes about 20 minutes to complete, and it provides great insights into your compatibility with other singles.
Someone finds love every 14 minutes on eharmony, and we highly recommend giving the site a try if you’re serious about settling down with someone special. It’s free to join, so, really, what have you got to lose?
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
4. Zoosk
★★★★★
User Base
Gender Ratio
Popularity (Visits/Mo.)
Today's Deal
All Singles*
48%*
52%*
28.9 Million*
Start Zoosk for FREE
As a social media-driven dating site and app, Zoosk is like that extroverted friend who’s always inviting you to parties and introducing you to new people. Zoosk has over 40 million members in 80 countries, so it can certainly connect you to a lot of date options.
Unlike its competitors, Zoosk offers a variety of chatting, liking, and matching features, and it doesn’t limit communication to only paid members. Free members can view and respond to certain messages in the inbox, and they can use the Carousel to form new mutual matches.
Zoosk also has search filters based on age, location, ethnicity, religion, education, body type, and other characteristics. Every time you browse Zoosk, the site’s learning algorithm identifies patterns in who you like and view, and it uses that information to recommend compatible dates in the SmartPick section.
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
★★★★★
User Base
Gender Ratio
Popularity (Visits/Mo.)
Today's Deal
Mature Singles (50+)*
41%*
59%*
800,000*
Sign up for FREE
Singles over 50 are often a little shy about reaching out to someone online, and they don’t always feel comfortable in the mainstream dating scene, so seniors-only sites like SilverSingles can be a big help to them.
SilverSingles offers a friendly and safe environment for building relationships. You must be at least 50 to join the dating site, and only premium members can exchange messages and view photos. A Fraud Detection System ensures fake profiles and false information do not last long on this site.
The SilverSingles site is a top-rated dating service that curates a list of compatible matches based on a five-factor personality test. The senior matchmaking is backed by psychologists and relationship experts.
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
6. OurTime.com
★★★★★
User Base
Gender Ratio
Popularity (Visits/Mo.)
Today's Deal
Mature Singles (50+)*
48%*
52%*
8.9 Million*
Over 50? Try It FREE
OurTime is another senior dating site with effective matching tools and proven success in the online dating world.
On its homepage, OurTime highlights members who are new to the site and members who are currently online to make it easier to start a conversation and make a connection in real time. Many singles over 50 appreciate having this outlet to make friends and find romance in their golden years.
“I joined your site hoping I would meet that special man to become part of my life, and my dream came true,” said an OurTime user from South Carolina. “It was love at first sight for both of us.”
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
★★★★★
User Base
Gender Ratio
Popularity (Visits/Mo.)
Today's Deal
Black Singles*
47%*
53%*
5.7 Million*
FREE Trial for New Users
BlackPeopleMeet is a niche dating site dedicated to doing just what its name suggests: help Black people meet. The platform welcomes people of all races and backgrounds, but it caters particularly to singles who want to date within the Black community.
Thousands of people in the U.S. and Canada have joined BlackPeopleMeet because they want to expand their horizons and diversify their dating pool.
Thanks to its niche membership, BlackPeopleMeet can give Black singles the opportunity to surround themselves with like-minded folks who share similar values and perspectives.
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
★★★★★
User Base
Gender Ratio
Popularity (Visits/Mo.)
Today's Deal
Christian Singles*
44%*
56%*
3.5 Million*
Try Now for $19.99/Month
It may not be polite dinner conversation, but religion is undeniably important in personal relationships. As a Christian dating site, ChristianMingle has invited Christian singles to be clear about what they want and what they believe right from the start.
ChristianMingle’s faith-driven community has been a blessing in the lives of millions of Christians around the world. You don’t have to take ChristianMingle’s record on faith, though. The dating site has shared tons of success stories from couples who met on the site, fell in love, and got married.
“I felt that, through prayer, God was guiding me toward signing up for ChristianMingle,” said Rhonda, who found love thanks to the site. “We made a wonderful connection and grew together in Christ. God used ChristianMingle to cross our paths.”
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…”
Full Review »
Browse Free:
View Photos Now
User Base
Gender Ratio
Popularity (Visits/Mo.)
Free Trial
All Singles & Attached*
71%*
29%*
65 Million*
Browse FREE
Ashley Madison is an anonymous dating and social app that helps people mingle while keeping their identities hidden. It’s like dating under an alias. Single and married users connect based on common interests, and they can interact by sending private messages. As they get to know each other, they can choose to reveal more personal information on their profiles — or they can choose to stay anonymous.
Personal information (real names, occupations, photos, etc.) is kept guarded on Ashley Madison, and the secure platform gives users options to decide what they want to reveal and to whom they want to reveal it.
Ashley Madison is great for shy daters who would like to stay behind the curtain for a little while longer. The app creates an air of mystery, sexiness, and excitement while letting people get to know one another in a way that feels natural and safe.
10. Hinge
Hinge won my introverted heart over by claiming to be “the anti-Tinder” and making a dating app that was “designed to be deleted.” Its quality-driven mentality has been a breath of fresh air for relationship-minded daters.
On Hinge, the goal isn’t to keep swiping into eternity — it’s to find a relationship and stop online dating for good. Commitment is the name of the game, and the dating app facilitates genuine relationships by making sure every conversation is based on mutual attraction and common interests. Users must comment on or like something specific on the dating profile to get in touch, and only mutual matches can exchange messages on the platform.
Something I particularly like about Hinge is the dating pool. Sure, there’s a decent number of profiles available, but you won’t be flooded by matches and messages from the moment you sign up.
The most popular dating apps can be overwhelming due to the size of their membership base. Hinge is more manageable, and that makes it easier to concentrate on each match and conversation that comes your way. As a result, 90% of Hinge users report enjoying their first dates, and 72% said they wanted to go on a second date.
11. CoffeeMeetsBagel
CoffeeMeetsBagel is the passion project of a group of single women who wanted to fix the online dating process by slowing it down a little. The dating app invites people to “rediscover dating” and enjoy a more thoughtful way to connect with singles.
The CoffeeMeetsBagel app prioritizes quality over quantity. It creates a curated list of potential matches and limits how many likes and profile views a single user can make per day. This automatically makes people value each other more and take more time to consider each match.
Since its launch, CoffeeMeetsBagel has established a close-knit community and helped many singles make matches and dive into conversations that lead to real-life romance.
“App encourages people to write about themselves,” said Alexander Chen in a Google Play review. “Some improvements could be made, but overall a positive experience.”
12. OkCupid
As a completely free dating site and app, OkCupid gives singles the leeway to be themselves and choose their own adventure in the dating scene. Some people sign up seeking friendships, others are looking for a spouse, and still others are just curious and want to see what happens. OkCupid is all about making connections based on shared lifestyles, opinions, and interests, and it leaves the rest up to you.
Since 2004, OkCupid has stood out as an inclusive, open-minded, and personality-driven space. OkCupid members can identify as straight, gay, lesbian, pansexual, queer, questioning, and several other orientations, and they also have 22 gender options on every profile.
OkCupid’s motto is “dating deserves better,” but what that really means is you deserve better. You deserve a dating site and app that looks out for your interests and takes your dating preferences seriously. The OkCupid match algorithm creates a match percentage based on profile information and a questionnaire to let singles know how compatible and incompatible they are.
OkCupid is an excellent dating site for newcomers to the dating scene. The free unlimited messaging can help inexperienced daters gain experience and practice flirting without investing too much time, money, or energy.
13. Once
Once promises to deliver “quality dating for singles,” and it’s hard to find fault with that. The dating app began as a London-based project, and now it’s sweeping across Europe and around the world.
Every day at noon, Once will select one profile to showcase as your Daily Match. That person will see your profile as their Daily Match at the same time. If you both express interest by clicking the heart, you’ll have 24 hours to strike up a conversation before the chat window disappears. Time is of the essence on Once, so seize the moment once you see someone you like.
Once has created an impressive following just by being real and encouraging singles to do the same. The top-rated app currently has 4.4 stars on Google Play and 4.8 stars on the App Store. Plus, dozens of couples have shared their love stories with the Once team.
“After a couple of messages on Once — the best app of the century — we decided to meet IRL,” said one couple. “This was back in the fall of 2015. We haven’t left each other’s side since. In fact, we’re expecting twin babies in May 2017.”
Is Online Dating Good for Introverts?
Definitely. Online dating has been great for introverts because it allows them to meet people in a low-pressure and safe environment of their own choosing. No need to brave crowds or approach a stranger in public. Picking up a date on a dating app is as easy as texting, “do you want to get coffee some time?”
As a card-carrying introvert myself, I find online dating much easier to manage than, say, the club scene or speed dating. There are much lower stakes because you’re not looking someone in the eye or forced to create an instant connection.
Instead, you have the power to take your time and choose which dating profiles to like and message, and you can put as much or as little distance between yourself and a new love interest as you like.
Many single introverts favor online dating because it allows them to get to know people via texting first, and those shy messages can gradually turn into something real if and when both individuals are ready for it.
What is the Most Successful Dating Site?
This is an easy one. Match.com has been collecting success stories and perfecting its matchmaking system since it launched in 1995. This dating site was a pioneer in those early days, and it set the tone for everything to come.
Today, Match continues to live up to its reputation by offering personality-driven matches, advanced search tools, and live events to bring compatible singles together.
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
★★★★★
User Base
Gender Ratio
Popularity (Visits/Mo.)
Today's Deal
All Singles*
49%*
51%*
39.7 Million*
Try Match FREE
Match is a dating site for relationship seekers, so its successes go far beyond the first date. As a long-standing leader in the space, Match claims to be responsible for creating more relationships and marriages than any of its competitors, and we’d say that makes it the most successful dating site in online dating history.
What is the Best Dating Site for a Serious Relationship?
When you’re dating for keeps, it can be frustrating to encounter wishy-washy singles and watch initially promising conversations fizzle. Relationship-minded singles typically don’t have much patience for ghosting, catfishing, and other time-wasting nonsense, so they seek premium dating sites where people take the matchmaking process a little more seriously.
Thanks to its quality-first approach to matchmaking, eharmony has become a safe haven for commitment-oriented men and women in the online dating scene.
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
★★★★★
User Base
Gender Ratio
Popularity (Visits/Mo.)
Today's Deal
All Singles*
48%*
52%*
4.1 Million*
View Profiles FREE
Since 2000, eharmony has created over 2 million love connections, and its members send over 2.3 million messages a week on the site and app.
What is the Safest Dating Site?
Safety is obviously a big concern for online daters, especially those who value their privacy. Upstanding dating sites like EliteSingles do a great job of maintaining a respectful and kind environment where authentic singles can feel at home.
Only paid members can view photos and send messages on EliteSingles, so you don’t have to worry about being contacted by someone shady.
★★★★★
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
| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Today's Deal
|
| All Singles* |
44%*
56%*
|
2 Million* | Browse Profiles Free |
While EliteSingles can offer a paywall, compatibility ratings, and verification tools to help singles vet potential dates, it’s always a good idea to do your own due diligence and take reasonable precautions when getting to know someone online.
Singles can take steps to keep themselves safe while mingling with strangers online. Some online dating safety tips include using a nickname or just a first name, not giving out your home address, and meeting for the first time in a public and casual location.
Dating Sites Can Help Introverts Tiptoe Outside Their Comfort Zones
I’d say I’m still pretty quiet, and definitely more likely to stay at home than go out partying, but I’ve come a long way from the shy girl sneaking books onto the playground and living within her imagination. When I was a young adult, online dating helped me become more confident and outgoing, and it led to many great relationships, including the one I’m in now.
I know it can be intimidating, exhausting, and nerve-wracking to socialize online and open yourself up to someone new, but you’ll never grow if you stay inside your own bubble. A dating site and app can ease you into the dating scene and give you the opportunity to meet people who challenge you to inch outside your comfort zone and enjoy new experiences.
Thanks to introverted dating sites and apps, you can attract dates without even leaving home, and that sounds like an introvert’s dream come true to me!
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.
Discuss This!