Best Dating Sites
Looking for a dating site you can trust? Search no more.
Who you date is, in large part, determined by social status. Dating within your social pool just makes sense. You may have friends in common and connect easily with each other’s families. You likely have similar hobbies, beliefs, and goals. Sometimes the right partner can even help you become a better version of yourself.
When I started dating my partner, I noticed that I slowly started going to bed and waking up earlier. I ate better meals and snacked less. I became a healthier version of myself because he was a good influence.
One way to ensure you date the right people is to use a selective approach to choosing a dating site or app.
By joining the best elite dating apps and sites, you can do yourself a favor and surround yourself with the potential partners you want in your life. Finding your perfect match through online dating is a whole lot simpler with the right dating platform.
1. Match
Relationships: Friends, Dates, and Relationships
Match System: Browse by zip, age, appearance, more
Our Experts Say: “Match is a popular choice for your area singles, having led to more dates, marriages and relationships than any other dating site…” 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 |
It’s no secret: At DatingAdvice.com, we love Match. With more first dates, relationships, and marriages than any other dating site in existence, Match is a stand-out site for any singles looking for love.
With nearly 40 million monthly users worldwide, Match isn’t exactly selective about who can join. But there are some definite benefits of using Match’s software, which includes in-depth personality questionnaires, Reverse Search, in which users can find people looking for profiles like them, and Mutual Search, for users who want to find partners who are mutually compatible.
Match Group remains at the forefront of the dating industry, bringing true love to singles across the globe. For as low as $20.99/month, you can have access to Match’s vast network of singles looking for serious relationships and hopefully find your ideal potential partner. Most users have no trouble finding compatible singles on Match.
2. eharmony
Relationships: Casual Dates, Deep Relationships
Match System: Personality test suggests matches
Our Experts Say: “eharmony has a large, commitment-minded user base in your area, and its unique matching system is 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 its inception, eharmony has made a name for itself as the go-to online dating site for singles looking for relationships that can go the distance. Other online dating sites continue to pop up and improve, but it’s hard to compete with eharmony’s comprehensive personality test, compatibility assessment, potential match recommendations, and communication features, all of which are poised to help singles find their perfect relationships.
The dating pool on eharmony is full of singles looking for genuine connection, intelligent conversation, and the foundations of a lasting partnership. That’s because of the work that goes into getting set up on eharmony as well as the site’s reputation as a dating platform for long-term relationships. While some people still pursue casual dating on eharmony, it’s much less common than on many online dating apps.
eharmony is a dating service with a wide reach, receiving millions of site visits each month. But the specificity of its compatibility matching feature makes it easy to narrow down your potential matches before you even see them. eharmony’s Personality Assessment includes many questions about a person’s likes, dislikes, hobbies, dealbreakers, and goals. Then the software uses that data to match you with your ideal person.
With such a large pool, the matches on eharmony are usually quite accurate. Many find that the dating website’s algorithm sets them up to find true love.
3. EliteSingles
Relationships: Serious Relationships
Match System: Search, Receive Partner Suggestions
Our Experts Say: “EliteSingles is the premier dating site for educated professionals. Most members are upper-income with college degrees, and its impressive Fraud Detection system ensures no-nonsense dating…” 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 |
Elite Singles is the place to go for educated potential partners ready to find long-term relationships and true love. You’ve got a great chance of finding your match on this app where 85% of members are highly educated adults.
The Elite Singles user base tends to skew a bit older. Most singles on the app have achieved professional success and high academic achievement. This is not an app that discriminates against users for being in their 30s, but rather supports those who are ready for commitment, regardless of their age.
On Elite Singles, daily compatible matches are delivered directly to your profile, but you can find potential partners via search, too. The team takes pride in their great customer service skills, so don’t worry about technical issues and blunders here. Elite Singles is known for being one of the best high-end dating sites, and they make sure they keep up with that reputation.
4. The League
Perhaps the best-known dating app for successful singles, The League is perfect for singles sick of being told that their standards are too high. To join The League, singles must submit their profile for an intense and competitive verification process. Site admin cross-reference potential members’ Facebook and LinkedIn accounts, making sure that not only are they honest about their background but up to the high standards of members of The League.
The free dating app prioritizes a quality-over-quantity model, giving members up to five matches at 5 PM each day. They want members to take the time to read and review each profile before making snap judgments based on the appearance of a potential match. The app’s team encourages users to video chat and get to know each other before making a snap judgment.
The League’s matching algorithm is advanced, using the extensive profile information all users give to pair those most likely to have successful long-term relationships. This is not an app for the casual dater but rather for ambitious and successful people looking for the other halves of their future power couplings.
Many apps that target the rich and powerful allow or even promote lopsided pairings, often with a successful man and a beautiful — sometimes much younger — woman. But the team at The League wants to push back against this relationship structure, opting instead to promote relationships between successful and well-educated equals. The app challenges the idea that women should ever tone down their ambitions for the sake of their partners. And with free membership and availability in both the App Store and Google Play, it’s hard to beat.
5. Raya
If you’re set on dating not only the intelligent and successful but the rich and famous, give Raya a try. Known for being the best dating app for celebrities, Raya has an extremely competitive application process, with just 8% of applicants getting in. Demand remains high for this popular dating app.
Some believe that your chances of getting accepted are boosted by having many social media followers and a successful creative career. But with that high of a rejection rate, it’s difficult to know with any certainty what differentiates those accepted from those rejected.
Those who happen to know someone already on this exclusive dating app can get an invitation to Raya, greatly boosting their chances of acceptance. But unless you’re already rubbing elbows with Hollywood A-listers, good luck finding someone on the app!
Once you’re accepted, Raya costs $9.99/month, which is less than many average dating apps. And if you get to chat with Grammy nominees and multi-millionaires on it, I’d say that’s a steal!
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.) |
Today’s Deal
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| All Singles & Attached* |
71%*
29%*
|
65 Million* | Start Now for FREE |
Ashley Madison is notorious for being the best dating site and app for seeking a secret love affair. Its naughty reputation has intrigued many daters, some single and others not so much, and the dating pool currently boasts over 70 million users.
Like many high-end dating services, Ashley Madison has a pay-to-chat credit system to ensure a higher quality of online conversations. But the credit system only applies to male members. New users who identify as female upon signup will enjoy free and unlimited access to all the communication features on Ashley Madison.
As far as discretion goes, Ashley Madison has a high standard for user privacy, even offering photo blurring and masking features for those who’d rather stay anonymous while browsing the online dating scene.
7. Zoosk
Relationships: Fun Dates, Serious Relationships
Match System: Search and get match recommendations
Our Experts Say: “Zoosk’s integration with social networks and smartphones makes it one of the fastest-growing dating sites, and a popular choice for your area singles…” Full Review »
Browse Free: View Photos Now
| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Today’s Deal
|
| All Singles* |
48%*
52%*
|
28.9 Million* | Start Zoosk for FREE |
Before Facebook Dating, there was Zoosk. Launched in 2007 as a dating feature on Facebook, the app has made a name for itself as a stand-alone dating platform and functional site and app on both desktop computers and mobile devices.
Zoosk leads the pack in integrating a user’s social media presence with the dating profile. This makes a lot of sense for anyone looking for a long-term relationship connected to their broader social network.
Zoosk members find partners on the app primarily by using the search feature, but the app also sends one complimentary match a day. Zoosk’s Scientific Matchmaking Service has users fill out a questionnaire that covers their interests, hobbies, and lifestyles. Features like this put Zoosk on our short list for the best free dating site for finding commonality.
One potential issue to watch out for is that Zoosk is known to recycle compatible match suggestions, so you may see the same faces on numerous occasions. But who knows — sometimes it is worth giving a new person a second chance!
Zoosk’s free dating site is completely functional, but for those who want more advanced features, the paid subscription is the best option.
8. Luxy
Luxy is another app that unabashedly caters to the upper-echelons of society. The app promotes itself as “The Best Elite and Selective Dating Site in the World,” where the 1% can get to know each other in a quick and efficient way.
The Luxy verification process is intense. It’s designed to ensure that only the truly elite — over 60% of users make more than €200,000 a year — gain access to the site. The Luxy team rigorously screens every new profile on the site, so your likelihood of finding fake profiles, catfish, and low-caliber singles is quite low.
At the same time, it’s very important to the Luxy team to prevent sugar babies and sugar daddies from finding their footholds on the app. Sugaring is prevalent on dating sites for the wealthy, but the Luxy team is only interested in fostering relationships built on equality and mutual success.
Luxy is designed for successful singles ready to build long-term relationships, so the app is global, much like the lifestyle of many of its clients. Users can follow their jet-setting ways and pursue partners across the globe or focus on finding partners in their area.
9. Millionaire Match
It’s in the title. If you’re ready for a serious partnership with society’s wealthiest bachelors and bachelorettes, check out Millionaire Match. From San Francisco to Sydney, Millionaire Match can help you find a person who matches your interests and lifestyle.
Singles who want to join need to submit information to verify identity, including bank statements, if they want to be labeled a “Certified Millionaire” on the site, though they don’t need to. Those looking to get into a relationship with a millionaire on Millionaire Match don’t need to be one themselves. It’s unclear what percentage of Millionaire Match users actually are millionaires, though, so use your best judgment when deciding whether this app is right to help you achieve your romantic goals.
Like Luxy, Millionaire Match has an anti-sugaring policy. This site is for people who genuinely want long-term relationships, so if you just want a wealthy patron, you’re better off on Seeking.com.
FAQs: What is the Most Respected Dating Site?
There are several dating sites that are generally respected in the industry as reliable, upstanding, and designed to survive the test of time. It depends on what you’re looking for in a relationship.
Christians often find that Christian Mingle is the best place online to find their life partners, while lesbians usually prefer to go on HER and seniors love Silver Singles.
But for the vast majority of singles, Match is the place to go. With millions of users, years of experience, and a team of experts constantly working to innovate the future of dating, Match is always a solid bet for the place to find your partner.
What is the Best Dating Site for Millionaires?
Each millionaire has their own priorities when choosing a partner, just like anyone else. Some rich men worry that their large bank accounts and luxurious lifestyles will make them a target for gold diggers and sugar babies. Other single millionaires are looking to share their wealth and flaunt it on their dating profiles to garner attention. It’s really up to the individual.
In most cases, Elite Singles strikes the right balance of including users with high levels of personal achievement and avoiding the flashiness of advertising wealth that may attract some singles with poor intentions.
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 |
The Elite Singles user base skews slightly older than mainstream dating apps like Tinder or Bumble. Over 80% of users are over 30 years old according to internal statistics. Elite Singles members are more established, leading to many power couples who have wealth and success in their own right.
Is It Safe to Join an Elite Dating Site?
Joining an elite dating site is absolutely safe and, in many cases, safer than average dating sites due to their more extensive verification processes.
There are still fake profiles on elite and selective dating sites, but their software and admission teams tend to be more effective at vetting out fakes than other sites. You should still keep your guard up at first — as you should when meeting singles on any site — but there’s no reason to be more nervous than you would be elsewhere.
Find Your Perfect Match on the Right Sites
I went to a private liberal arts college with way more women than men. I was an English major, an area of study well-known for being overwhelmingly woman-dominated. Unsurprisingly, my friends and I had a fairly limited male dating pool within our classes and, to an extent, school in general.
It wasn’t until I looked outside my school that I found someone I truly connected with. I needed to get out of my immediate pool of peers to find my person.
The dating sites you choose give you the opportunity to select your own dating pool. Those with a high number of eligible and attractive potential partners give you a much better shot at finding love online.
This isn’t to say you won’t find love in your neighborhood, at the gym, or through your run-of-the-mill dating platform. But when you choose to give yourself a dating pool with the best possible number of people you could realistically share life with, you give yourself the best chance of finding lasting love.
If you’re struggling to find someone right for you, you may just need to surround yourself with new options.
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