I once thought totally free dating sites were a total myth. It just seems too good to be true. Why would online dating companies give away their goods for free instead of charging for them?
Well, it turns out many dating sites and apps offer free services as a gesture of good faith to singles who are curious about online dating. It’s a way to attract signups and ensure real conversations can take place. In most cases, a forever free dating profile is enough to get a person moving in the online dating scene — you just have to make sure it includes at least some free messaging.
We’ve put together a list of the most cost-effective (aka free) dating sites and apps where new users do not have to spend money to register an account and view matches.
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
When Match launched in 1995, it showed the world what a free dating website could do for love-driven singles. The platform remains free to join, and it has more success stories to its name than any of its competitors.
Match offers a completely free membership that is so much more than a free trial. It doesn’t expire, for one thing, and it allows free members to message all their mutual matches.
Free members gain valuable insights from Match’s matchmaking features and can concentrate on their most compatible date options curated in their Recommended list. This leading dating service opens up promising conversation opportunities and doesn’t impose any time or message limits on singles getting to know each other online.
Pro tip: If you want to refine the Match profile list, add more details to your dating profile and send more likes to other dating profiles to reveal similar interests.
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
A clinical psychologist came up with the idea for eharmony in 2000 out of a desire to bring greater value to the online dating scene and help singles choose the right partner. The dating website’s sophisticated matchmaking features have evolved quite a bit over the last two decades — but their $0 price tag has not changed.
Many experts rank eharmony among the best dating sites for relationships because its algorithm is serious about finding compatibility on a deep personal level. It’s free to create an eharmony account, take its Compatibility Quiz, and review a curated list of potential matches.
The eharmony site and app offer some free chat tools, including exchanging icebreaker quizzes, to spark a romantic connection. However, free members do have limits on how much they can communicate on eharmony, so it may be worth investing in a paid membership to get access to unlimited instant messaging and video chat options.
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
OurTime welcomes senior singles hoping to make new friends, pick up a date, or get in a serious relationship by using free online matchmaking. This senior dating site and app has a free registration process that is simple and easy to understand so nothing stops newcomers from joining in the fun.
Free members can expect OurTime to give them plenty of room to mix and mingle. The dating website and app provide advanced search tools, potential match recommendations, and free message replies to everyone at no cost. Plus, a premium OurTime membership offers even more exclusive goodies to help a senior relationship blossom.
- 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
Here’s the thing, not all online daters are technically single, and Ashley Madison embraces the idea that married or attached men and women need to let off steam sometimes. As an affair dating site, AshleyMadison keeps the secrets of more than 80 million users and facilitates romantic connections that sometimes stay online and sometimes lead to the bedroom.
AshleyMadison tempts women with its free messaging features. All female users can search, match, and chat on the married dating site as a forever free member. Men, on the other hand, can only send a limited number of instant messages, and then they have to upgrade to premium membership if they want to continue their steamy conversations with a new person.
NaughtyCharm
- Relationships: Hookups, Chats
- Match System: Search by encounter, location, and more
- Our Experts Say: NaughtyCharm is a premier hookup app where you can feel comfortable expressing your desires. Plus, it's free to join, browse, and flirt.
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
NaughtyCharm is a hookup site that does not mess around when it comes to free features. Every single woman who completes a NaughtyCharm dating profile has immediate access to the instant messaging options, and it’s basically a flirtatious free-for-all from then on.
The NaughtyCharm platform keeps things light and doesn’t require members to jump through hoops or form mutual matches just to start a conversation. NaughtyCharm verifies members through an email address, photo, and fraud detection tools, so it doesn’t need a paywall to keep users safe from scammers.
All women enjoy free messaging on NaughtyCharm, but men have fewer chat options. Single men can send a mass greeting to all their potential matches (i.e. those who meet their search criteria), and then can send a limited number of replies with a free membership plan. The NaughtyCharm paid membership costs less than a dollar a day, so a lot of guys skip ahead to that option to give themselves more freedom to flirt at will.
- Relationships: Hookups Only
- Match System: Search by location, interest, more
- Our Experts Say: Make no mistake: this site isn't about making friends, it's about finding hookups and casual encounters. No adult site has a larger or more active user base of those seeking discreet fun. Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
Adult Friend Finder has proudly maintained a sex chat room since the mid-1990s, and it is responsible for countless flirtatious, sexy, and anonymous encounters online. The hookup website currently has over 104 million members in its database.
It is free to join the AFF network and explore its X-rated forums, photo galleries, blog posts, and groups. The only thing free members cannot do is send private messages to one another or view more than a snippet of video livestreams. The AFF free trial will only get a person so far in the dating scene, but they can always upgrade to a Gold Membership to get more bang for their buck.
- Relationships: Hookups Only
- Match System: Search by location, interest, more
- Our Experts Say: A hookup site specializing in casual encounters, secret affairs, live chats, and member videos, FriendFinder-X skips the awkward "dating" stage of a relationship and fast-forwards straight to the sex. Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
FriendFinder-X is a local hookup site geared toward adult singles seeking no-strings-attached sex. Its members like to move fast and keep things anonymous. The free membership allows them to satisfy their craving for connection without getting too invested.
All it takes is an email address to get a FriendFinder-X profile up and running. Once you’ve finished your online dating profile (also known as a personal ad), you can use the search filters by age, appearance, and mile radius to locate viable date options. Free members can express interest in each other with the click of a button, and they can also browse half-naked photos and read erotic posts without paying anything.
MenNation
- Relationships: Daters & Hookups
- Match System: Search by age, zip code, more
- Our Experts Say: MenNation is a well-established gay dating and hookup brand, having been founded in 1996. It's totally free to join, view profiles, receive matches, and flirt. Our Review »
- Browse Free: View Photos Now
Gay guys have free rein on MenNation to explore their sexuality and pursue dating opportunities. This gay hookup app sees approximately 75,000 daily active users, and it features sexy photos, videos, and personal ads to get guys in the mood to flirt.
MenNation is a free-to-join, men-only dating platform geared toward stimulating sexual activity. As such, it takes online privacy seriously and keeps men from messaging each other willy-nilly. Men can use a free membership to get acclimated to this sex-driven dating scene, but only premium members have the privilege of exchanging messages and viewing live model shows.
8. OkCupid
OkCupid is 100% free for everyone, always. Period. Seriously, the match questions are free, the swiping tools are free, and all chatting between mutual matches is — you guessed it — free. Members can even send an icebreaker message to their online crushes to express interest in a more dynamic way than an impersonal like.
Every year, OkCupid sees about 91 million matches made online and leads to approximately 2.5 million first dates at coffee shops, bars, restaurants, and other public places.
All messaging is free on OkCupid, so there’s really no need to upgrade to the A-List membership unless you’re eager to see who has viewed and liked your dating profile. A-List members also appear higher in swiping lists and search results on the platform.
9. Tinder
We have to mention Tinder on this list of free dating apps. It invented swipe-based matching. It’s been downloaded over 630 million times. And it’s got a lot to offer today’s young singles.
Tinder started out offering free memberships to only singles under 30, but that became an issue under age discrimination laws, so now it’s just free to everyone. Though young singles make up around 80% of the user base, so it’s still not exactly welcoming to the senior crowd.
Tinder has the reputation of a free hookup app, but it’s actually so much more than that. Many Tinder success stories include couples who have moved in together, gotten married, and started families.
“Thank you for making it possible to meet my soulmate,” said Victoria and Bayleigh, a Tinder couple who are now married. “Five minutes into our first conversation, my now-wife mentioned how we would have an amazing wedding.”
10. Hinge
As a dating app that’s “designed to be deleted,” Hinge aims to cut through the nonsense and allow relationship-oriented singles to find what they’re looking for — without paying anything.
The Hinge free membership is perfect for savvy online daters looking to meet new people quickly. It allows you to send up to eight likes per day and message all mutual matches until you exchange phone numbers.
Hinge can offer a lot of value and potential dating opportunities to its free members. Hinge boasts being the online dating app with the best first date success rate. According to user feedback, over 70% of Hinge members say they enjoyed their first date and would go on a second date with the same person.
11. Plenty of Fish
Plenty of Fish is completely free from start to finish. Since 2003, this free dating site and app has allowed matches, conversations, and relationships to flourish without charging its members a single cent. All messaging is free on POF, and the only restriction is members can only send 55 unsolicited messages in a 24-hour period. This limitation cuts down on spam mail sent via POF.
The POF community is massive because — surprise, surprise — a lot of people like free stuff. Over 140 million singles have registered an account on Plenty of Fish, and the online dating site sees over 4 million actively browsing members per day.
Singles will find no shortage of date options on POF, and they don’t have to pay to strike up a conversation with a promising new match.
12. Bumble
In 2014, Bumble created a buzz in the online dating industry as the world’s first feminist dating app. Its unique messaging system puts single women first in conversations with men, and the app doesn’t charge users for the pleasure of sending messages.
Bumble allows all users to take advantage of its free chat tools. The process starts when two users like each other’s profiles and thereby spark a mutual match. If it’s a same-sex match, either person can send the first message to unlock the conversation. If it’s an opposite-sex match, the woman is the only one who can send that all-important first message and set the tone for the new relationship.
As of 2020, Bumble has surpassed 100 million members and become widely known as a safe and values-driven place to pick up a date.
13. HER
HER is an all-female dating app driven by a founding mission to make the dating scene more chick-friendly. The HER app is free to download and provides free messaging tools to all verified members. In total, the HER community has over 15 million women who come from all walks of life and identify across the sexuality spectrum.
If you want proof that HER is a dating app that works, you can read tons of touching and remarkable #WeMetOnHER stories posted by real women on Twitter and Instagram.
HER is available for free download in 55 countries around the world, but it is by far most popular in the U.S. and the U.K.
14. Coffee Meets Bagel
Coffee Meets Bagel is a free dating app where singles can build a friendship or relationship based on common interests. The app provides a limited number of daily match options, so users have an incentive to take their time and weigh each dating profile carefully.
All matching and messaging is free on Coffee Meets Bagel, but the app does have some paid features, including activity reports and read receipts, for single people who want more support online.
Three single women in San Francisco started Coffee Meets Bagel in 2012 with the goal of supporting relationship seekers in the dating world. The CMB app prioritizes quality over quantity and equips singles with the information they need to make a thoughtful match.
15. Grindr
Last but not least, Grindr is a free gay dating app where guys can really let loose. The app provides free swiping, free matching, and free messaging to get men where they want to be in the dating world.
Grindr has over 27 million members around the globe, and it sees over 4 million swipes every day.
One of the most value free features Grindr offers is the location-based search tools. The curated algorithm scours a man’s city for his most viable date options. The potential match list prioritizes men who are nearby and actively seeking a partner. So you never know what will happen when you log in and start swiping.
A free Grindr membership is all you need to pick up a local date, but some ambitious guys like to upgrade to Grindr Xtra to get more liking options, read receipts, advanced search filters, and other premium features at their fingertips.
How Do Totally Free Dating Sites Work?
The matchmaking process on free dating sites is pretty simple — not to mention cheap. A person starts with a free account and then uses the search or swiping tools to find the perfect match. Then they can send a like, a wink, a greeting, or even an instant message to make a new connection. The chat options will vary from platform to platform, so definitely read the fine print to know what you’re getting.
Free dating sites typically generate a profit through ads or through optional payment plans that offer perks such as more search filters, more match options, or greater visibility on the platform.
How Do I Choose the Best Totally Free Dating Site?
The best dating site will vary based on who you are and what you want. For example, a man in his 60s may thrive on certain senior dating sites, but he may not have the best luck on dating sites for young people. When choosing a dating site or app, you have to think about what you’re looking for in a partner and what your dating strengths are. Do your research to find out what the online dating experience is like and what it typically costs, and then choose two or three free dating sites that appeal to you the most.
Are Totally Free Dating Sites Safe?
Free dating sites often face a dubious reputation because they tend to open the floodgates to anonymous conversations between people with various intentions. While most users are genuinely looking for real-life dating opportunities, a few troublesome individuals can spoil someone’s online dating journey.
Fortunately, as long as singles use good judgment and look out for the warning signs of a romance scam, they should be able to avoid unsafe situations on a dating site or mobile app.
It’s crucial for online dating companies and daters to collaborate in identifying fake profiles, scammers, and other problematic users who could undermine a dating platform. You can report anyone suspicious, threatening, or inappropriate, and the dating service will ban repeat offenders who break the community guidelines.
Singles should follow some basic online dating safety tips such as never giving money to a stranger and always conducting a background search on a new love interest. A quick search through Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, or other social media platforms can verify that a person is who he or she says.
Skip the Fees & Have Fun Browsing Free Dating Sites
After doing some research, I discovered that totally free dating sites do, in fact, exist. And they can be a game changer for singles seeking fast connections. The best online dating services pair affordability with efficiency and safety to create an invaluable dating experience.
Each dating site and app on this list is entirely free to join and comes packed with enough matchmaking tools to help you connect with others online. There’s no pressure to upgrade, no hidden costs, and really no reason not to give it a shot.
Since it’s free to create a dating profile anyway, many singles join multiple sites and apps to give themselves the best shot at meeting someone new. Choose your favorite platforms on this list, put your wallet away, and have fun browsing the online dating world. Good luck!
