Best Dating Sites
Looking for a dating site you can trust? Search no more.
People are wired to build relationships, so being part of a community is a must for lasting happiness and fulfillment. But even in the modern, connected world, people can feel lonely and disconnected. If you want to prioritize connecting with other humans on a deeper level, joining an online community can add excitement to your life.
Online communities allow you to socialize, network, and find dates who meet your standards. ChatFriends is an online chat platform that helps users build connections. Here, we will cover what this site is all about, what you can expect, and, most importantly, if it’s worth your time. We’ll also recommend some alternatives for singles who want to go beyond chatting and find dates in real life.
Vigilant Chat Moderators Keep the Conversation Clean
ChatFriends, founded in 2018, is a premier UK chat room where people can connect, create memories, and build friendships in a vibrant online community. People of all backgrounds, sexual orientations, and religious beliefs are welcome. The community offers a safe place to be yourself without prejudice or discrimination.
If you feel lonely, you can turn to the platform to chat with people who share your interests, or you can just enjoy the conversation. Current chat room themes include hobbies, spiritual awakening, cooking and baking, conspiracy theories, pets and animals, and self-improvement.
You can create your account using an email address from iCloud, Google, or Yahoo. Then, you can start hanging out in the Main Lounge and introduce yourself to other members. Be sure to complete your profile, including an image (any type of image is allowed), as incomplete profiles will be deleted.
All of the platform’s basic features are free. You can support ChatFriends by upgrading to a VIP account which allows you to enjoy additional features, such as sending and receiving private messages, customizing fonts, uploading music files and images, and creating and managing your online community.
You can pay for your VIP account through PayPal or a credit or debit card. This payment is not automatically renewed, so you can try it out for a month to see if you enjoy it.
ChatFriends maintains a high rating on TrustPilot, and many people who enjoy their time on this platform and don’t mind saying it out loud. Let’s take a look at what one user shared in a review in TrustPilot.
“Chatfriends has become my second family with so many great people I’ve met and become close to. We are all there to support and listen to one another and also random chat and have a good laugh. If you are looking for random distracting chat and a laugh I would highly recommend it.”
The ChatFriends team of moderators works to maintain the quality of chat rooms. They keep the community running smoothly and help other members if they have problems. The moderators are VIP members with a good history and excellent chat room rapport and are voted in by other moderators.
The ChatFriends team encourages members to report offensive or disturbing behavior and promises to take action within 24 hours. Acts that can get you banned include creating abusive posts or messages, sharing personal information in public, and opening multiple user accounts. If you get kicked out, or banned, your profile, images, email, and user information are immediately deleted.
No Swiping, No Matchmaking, No Dating App Features
Despite all the good reviews and genuine connections you can build in ChatFriends, it is not the best platform if you’re seeking a date. ChatFriends has no matchmaking algorithm or other mechanisms to help you find a match online. It’s hard to find someone compatible when you don’t even know if their profile picture is real.
Therefore, our experts don’t recommend ChatFriends to online daters. Everything seems too general: a big database full of people who want to spend time chatting about their hobbies and interests or merely listening to others.
6 Online Dating Alternatives to Chat With Friends
While ChatFriends is not the best platform for finding dates, online dating is an effective way to meet singles. You just need to pick the right platform for your style. Here are six of the best dating sites to consider.
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 |
Match is a pioneer that popularized the online dating world as we know it today. The platform has helped millions of people find romantic connections online since 1995, and most of its users are ready to settle down and find lasting relationships.
The Match free membership allows you to browse and message profiles in your Top Picks list. You can also filter your Top Picks based on age, interests, education, and background, among other categories.
If you upgrade to a premium membership, you can enjoy unlimited messaging and add-on features such as MatchPhone (to communicate on a deeper level without sharing your phone number). If you are still on the fence, you can sign up for a free trial to see how the platform works.
2. 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…” 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 |
If you’re looking for a serious relationship but don’t want to play the endless swiping game, you should give eharmony a shot. You don’t have to waste time on a long signup process: you can simply use your Facebook login to verify your identity. While the personality test is pretty intense, our experts strongly suggest you complete it, as it becomes the baseline for the algorithm to find compatible matches.
You can sort your match recommendations by height, age, city, desire for children, and smoking habits, among many other filters. After 20-plus years, eharmony has helped more than 2 million people find love in the US alone. Note that profile pictures are reserved for premium members, and eharmony’s price tag for a one-month subscription is steep compared to other dating sites. But some people like Mark Broderick, who gave the site a five-star review on Google Play, think this policy benefits users after all.
“Much better than other apps I’ve used. This sounds strange, but it’s better because it’s expensive and you have to pay to get anything out of it. So there’s none of this ‘can’t see likes’ rubbish, and because you have to pay, I think it makes people more invested and genuine.”
3. 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…” Full Review »
Browse Free: View Photos Now
| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Today’s Deal
|
| Mature Singles (50+)* |
48%*
52%*
|
8.9 Million* | Over 50? Try It FREE |
When older folks live alone and don’t interact much with others, their mental and physical well-being can suffer. That’s when online dating sites such as OurTime can come to the rescue. This dating site and app helps senior singles find new friendships and relationships without leaving the comfort of their homes.
Most OurTime users are verified to be at least 50 years old, making this platform a selective dating pool for older people. Members have a wide range of backgrounds, lifestyles, appearances, religions, education levels, and interests. You can access OurTime for free via its homepage as well as through the App Store and Google Play Store.
It’s free to create an OurTime dating profile. Once you’re in, you can send likes, virtual gifts, and reply to private messages in your inbox. The drawback is that you must be a paid member to initiate a conversation. OurTime has fostered many success stories over the years, like that of Deborah Brandt, who gave the app 5 stars and shared her review on Google Play.
“Super so Far! Have met and am exclusive with an absolutely wonderful man whom I’ve met on this site. We’ve been together for almost a year and are planning a great future together. This is a great app, but I am in agreement that you have to join at the membership level. Just get your feet wet with a month to start and get comfortable with using the app. Hope this helps. Have fun and I hope you find true love and happiness! I love it!”
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
|
| All Singles & Attached* |
71%*
29%*
|
65 Million* | Start Now for FREE |
Ashley Madison is a dating site for married people or not-so-single individuals looking for the thrill of having an affair outside their current relationships. You can find a partner for a one-night stand, long-term discrete affair, threesome, or anything in between. The Ashley Madison community is very popular, with more than 1.4 million matches per month. The cheating game may be a bit tougher, as 70% of the site’s users are men. That means you need your best line to get a woman’s attention.
Women get a free ride on Ashley Madison, while men need to pay to play. There is no limit on how much men can spend on the platform. The more you’re up for an adventure, the more cash you might find yourself dropping. But Mr. Dawson who left a review on Google Play, thinks it’s worth the price.
“It is well worth the premium packages if you are looking for anything. There’s something on this site for you. It’s way better than Tinder and every other site. That is mostly about BS. On here the ladies and the men from my point of view are very direct with what they want, with what they need and if it works for you.”
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 |
Sharing the same religion can give a couple a good starting point in building a relationship. That’s why many Christian singles use Christian Mingle to find their other half. Since its launch in 2001, the platform has welcomed more than 15 million members worldwide and has nearly 60,000 signups per month. You don’t need to be Christian to use this platform, just be open to dating one.
You can access Christian Mingle through its website or download it on your mobile device. Android users might need to be cautious because several 1-star reviews said the app doesn’t work well on Android phones. No matter where you interact with Christian Mingle, good things happen on the platform, according to Tristan Lemos-PiepMeier, who gave it a five-star review on Google Play.
“If you’re looking for a serious long-term relationship with a Christian woman, well, I’m sorry Christian Mingle’s the best. Their app sucks but it’s the only one I found that works. I put together a profile that’s honest and speaks from the heart. And I’m honest and vulnerable with the women I message and I get a lot of responses for that. Also, there are fake profiles on here but they’re few and far between.”
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 offers a dating pool for Black people who want to date within their race and for those interested in interracial relationships. The platform launched in 2002 and has been downloaded more than 1 million times. You can download the app through Google Play and the Apple Store or access it through the website. It only takes a few minutes to create a dating profile, and then you have access to millions of profiles in its database.
You can start your journey with BPM for free, but users need to pay to chat. This system is effective in preventing fake profiles and scammers from using the app. Another popular premium feature in BPM is ConnectMe which is a phone number you can use for calls or texts. This allows BlackPeopleMeet members to talk without sharing their phone numbers. After 20 years of helping people of color find each other, BlackPeopleMeet has generated many success stories. One of them is from Linda Russell, who shared her five-star review on Google Store.
“Phenomenal! Seemingly nice professional guys, and then there are non-professional guys (blue-collar) who are also very nice. Good conversation overall. There are many, a variety of men to choose from, most are very smart. And to my knowledge, it’s the only dating site that has enough black men to go around for those black ladies that only date within their race. Try the app for yourself to see how great it is. I hope you find that special someone.”
Does Online Dating Actually Work?
If you’re skeptical about online dating, you’re not alone. That’s why legitimate online dating sites take the time to gather and promote their success stories. Because online dating can work and create loving relationships and marriages. You can search for online dating success stories and learn from the personal accounts and testimonials of real users.
One study from the University of Chicago even found that couples who meet online tend to have happier, longer marriages. According to eharmony, folks who connect through its site divorce at a rate of just 3.86% — way below the national average.
Above all, nothing beats first-hand experience. If you really want to know how online dating works, you should give it a try.
What’s the Most Popular Dating Site to Find Dates?
Like it or not, Tinder is the most popular dating app in the market. One thing that makes Tinder a favorite is that it offers instant results based on users swiping right and left. Tinder includes individuals from all age groups seeking online connections.
The Tinder app is most popular among young singles (typically under 35), and it has some pretty success statistics behind it. The app has been downloaded over 530 million times and created 75 billion matches since 2012. You can download the app for free from the Apple App Store or Google Play.
ChatFriends Is a Fun Social Network, Not a Dating Site
It’s normal to feel nervous about joining an online community. But, in a chat room, you can take your time and go at your own pace because other people will join the conversation. You can create an anonymous account to look around, see what topics interest you, and slowly enter the discussion. As long as you respect others, you should have a good time. However, because ChatFriends is more of a fun social network, don’t expect it to ignite your love life.
If finding dates is your priority, you should visit an online dating site. The right dating site will provide you with features that will help you find a match, whether by offering profile suggestions or letting you swipe left and right. Remember, as long as you put in the work, it’s possible for you to find the love of your life. Best of luck!
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!