Alikewise: The #1 Dating Site for Bookworms

TL;DR: Like a great book you can’t put down, Alikewise is a great site you can’t help but be impressed with. By matching users by the types of books they like, Alikewise is taking the niche dating market to the next level. 

When it comes to books and niche dating, no one is as passionate as Matt Masina and Matt Sherman, the co-founders of Alikewise.com.

From fiction to non-fiction, and everything in between, Alikewise doesn’t leave any page unturned when helping people find love through their favorite authors and books.

While most dating sites match their members by things like location and age preference, Masina and Sherman knew there was a market for a different kind of dating service. The proof is in the solid following Alikewise has gained since its 2010 launch.

Thanks to a killer partnership, Alikewise is able to pair people through Amazon’s book recommendation engine. Do you like “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”? Then you might be compatible with someone who likes “Gone Girl.”

Alikewise matches users by their book interests.

It’s free to create a profile, browse through other users and send messages on Alikewise, which is available in the U.S., Canada, Great Britain and several other countries.

Masina said one of the best qualities about the site is not only can members find other people who like to read what they like to read, but they can use that common ground as a stepping stone to getting to know one another on a deeper level.

“The fact that you both like books, we feel, is the connection, and then you can look at what books people like in order to learn more about them,” he said.

Masina said Alikewise members aren’t like those you find on other dating sites (no shirtless mirror pics here!)

With catchy profile names like “Bluegrass_Book_Lover” and “PaperBackWriter,” Alikewise users are a unique breed, so they need a unique way to meet people – a new type of matchmaker if you will.

Alikewise co-founders Matt Masina (left) and Matt Sherman.

“Having outlets to meet other people that like books is really important,” he said. “Book reading as a hobby isn’t necessarily a social sport where you’re going to meet other people, so I think the whole idea of having this outlet is really appealing to them [users].”

Masina describes the typical Alikewise user as the more serious, kind and intellectual type, who likes classics like “The Catcher in the Rye” but also doesn’t mind branching out with some Harry Potter every now and then.

“I look at the site and I’m just amazed at the quality of people that are on our site. They’re all fairly intelligent, and I think that’s what drives people to really want to meet each other,” Masina said. “It’s really geared toward serious individuals who are interested in finding someone who they want to fall in love with.”

From the start, Masina and Sherman have received a lot of positive feedback from users and the dating industry as a whole, especially in the niche dating world.

Masina said the best part about niche dating sites is the passion behind the people who make them and use them, which means more high-quality products and more matches all around.

If you like Harry Potter, you might be compatible with someone who likes “The Hunger Games.”

“People are going to want to try different niches and different sites to see where they’re meeting people they’re more compatible with. We look at it as more of what we call ‘coopetition,'” he said. “It’s just building the entire genre of online sites that’s important – getting people to feel comfortable with online dating is important. It’s the responsibility of the entrepreneurs out there and the existing online dating sites to provide the different niches that people are looking for, and we thought this was a great one to start with.”