Best Dating Sites
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Online Dating
Looking for free dating sites with no sign up or hidden fees? Then you’ve come to the right article. Free is the new sexy in the online dating world, and with good reason.
The cost of living seems to be increasing every year, and the cost of dating is on the rise as well. The average single American spends between $50-$100 on a first date. Singles in certain more expensive states like New York, California, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Hawaii often spend twice as much on a date as singles in more rural states.
Meeting a special person and going on a great date can be hard enough without having to spend all your hard-earned money as well. So, I thought I’d call out some popular dating sites that will help you keep your money right where it needs to be — in your bank account.
At Elite Singles, it’s not just about affordable prices (or no price at all if you go for the basic membership). It’s also about first-rate online dating options. Everyone in this elite dating pool is looking for a serious relationship or a close connection, and more than 2,500 of them find a love match every month. A big part of the dating service’s success has to do with the Elite Singles personality test, which helps match members based on deeper values and shared interests, not just appearance and location. This high-end dating service is free to join, and the love test is free as well, but it does cost a little extra to send a private message to another user. Some testimonials say it’s worth the investment to find a new relationship. Over 80% of Elite Singles members have graduated from college, so you’re sure to meet quality people here.
User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Today's Deal
|
All Singles* |
44%*
56%*
|
2 Million* | Sign Up Free |
Match started out free when the dating site first launched (in 1995), and it’s remained free to sign up and communicate with compatible matches. The registration process only asks for an email address and some basic biographical info, and you can skip uploading a profile picture if you’re eager to start mixing and mingling on the online dating site or mobile app. You can browse local dating profiles by using advanced searching tools for dating preferences (e.g., age, height, gender, city, education, sexual orientation, eye and hair color, ethnicity, and religion) as a guide. If you see an attractive single person, click the like button to form an online connection. Users in each other’s Top Picks can communicate for free on Match, so your dating options are open to explore on this free dating site and app.
User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Today's Deal
|
All Singles* |
49%*
51%*
|
39.7 Million* | Get 3 Days FREE |
Silver Singles is another online dating site branching out from the Elite Singles family tree — except this site’s main demographic is mature and frugal daters over 50. The registration process should take less than a minute. All a new member has to do is take the personality test, fill out the profile sections (e.g., My Personal Description and This Makes Me Laugh), add a photo or two, and start searching for potential partners by age range, education, or interests. SilverSingles uses a matchmaking algorithm to identify who’s a good fit for you, and its premium service can help silver-haired singles get their flirt on.
User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Today's Deal
|
Mature Singles (50+)* |
41%*
59%*
|
800,000* | Sign up for FREE |
Some single folks just want to meet a new person for a casual relationship or a local hookup, and that’s where Adult Friend Finder comes in. This hookup site can help local singles find sex partners for one-night stands, threesomes, swinging, affairs, fetishes, and so much more. It doesn’t cost anything to create a new account and browse the profiles of online daters who have sex on the brain. Some communication options are free on AFF, but only Gold Members enjoy unlimited messaging and video chat features. If you’d rather not give your email address or credit card information to AFF, no worries — the hookup website allows online visitors to browse its local profile listings without needing a login.
User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Today's Deal
|
All Singles* |
65%*
35%*
|
25.5 Million* | 3 Months @ $19.95/Mo |
Online dating can be tough for single seniors for many reasons. Maybe they’re getting back into dating after a long time of being in a relationship, or maybe they aren’t that tech-savvy. To make things worse, sometimes dating sites are overcrowded with people who are young and immature. Not on OurTime, though. This free dating site and app is 100% dedicated to serving mature singles who want to connect with a person their own age. OurTime supports a mature chat room where a user can find a pen pal, make a new friend, and maybe even fall in love with someone special.
User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Today's Deal
|
Mature Singles (50+)* |
48%*
52%*
|
8.9 Million* | Over 50? Start FREE |
If you’re looking for a serious relationship, then eharmony is the best online dating site or dating app to have in your arsenal. This dating service was designed in 2000 to help commitment-minded singles find their soulmate. The smart algorithm does all the searching for you, so you just have to decide if you like the potential match suggestion or not. It’s completely free to set up a dating profile on eharmony, take its detailed personality test, view compatible profiles, and even send some icebreakers and messages to certain members. Everyone on eharmony is looking for something serious, not casual dating, so it’s worth investing your time, energy, and commitment in this values-driven dating platform.
User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Today's Deal
|
All Singles* |
48%*
52%*
|
4.1 Million* | Join eharmony FREE |
More than 2 billion people in the world identify as Christian, and 47% of married Americans say sharing religious beliefs with a spouse is “very important,” according to the Pew Research Center. In addition, most singles don’t want to spend an exorbitant amount of money on online dating. That’s why affordable dating sites like ChristianMingle exist. ChristianMingle’s sole purpose is to introduce online daters to good Christian date prospects. The website and app have inspired countless relationships and marriages built on shared interests and shared faith. Thanks to this dating website, you’ve got the best of both worlds — a Christian audience and a totally free experience browsing and chatting.
User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Today's Deal
|
Christian Singles* |
44%*
56%*
|
3.5 Million* | Free Search, Then $14.99/Mo. |
In terms of free dating sites and apps, Zoosk is definitely among the top. Zoosk has more than 40 million members exchanging more than 3 million messages a day. The dating website uses Facebook integration to speed up the signup process so it’s quick as can be. The Zoosk dating app has been downloaded over 30 million times on the App Store and Google Play. The Carousel is where all the swiping action happens. Zoosk will present you with a compatible dating profile, and then you can click “Yes,” “No,” or “Maybe” to create new matches. This is a great way to find local dates that meet your standards.
User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Today's Deal
|
All Singles* |
48%*
52%*
|
28.9 Million* | Start Zoosk for FREE |
Whether you’re Black, biracial, mixed, or interested in interracial dating, BlackPeopleMeet is a fantastic niche dating that has your back. Not only is the user base ethnically and culturally diverse, but it’s also very diverse in terms of age, hobbies, lifestyles, appearance, education, religion, and income, among other identifiers. BlackPeopleMeet has more than 5.7 million monthly visitors, making it the largest online dating service geared specifically to Black singles and their admirers.
User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Today's Deal
|
Black Singles* |
47%*
53%*
|
5.7 Million* | FREE Trial for New Users |
OkCupid is among the online dating royalty because the dating website and app have always been 100% free, and the team promises it’ll remain that way forever. It’s free to create a dating profile, answer personal questions about yourself (over 5,000 on offer), view compatible date recommendations, and send messages to anyone online. OkCupid doesn’t have any hidden fees. You can purchase premium A-List features, which include boosting your profile in search results and seeing who’s liked you, but that’s not necessary because you can accomplish everything you want with the free features — included unlimited free messaging. OkCupid creates over 91 million love connections each year, and it works great whether you’re looking for a casual hookup or a lasting love.
We all know Tinder, right? It’s the free dating app that launched the whole swiping craze, and it forever changed the way singles meet each other. Today, the app is responsible for more than 2 billion swipes a day, 1.5 million dates a week, and more than 97 billion matches in total. Tinder is available in 190 countries and has been translated into more than 40 languages, so local singles of various backgrounds, cultures, and lifestyles can use the platform to pick up dates. Tinder is the best dating app for online daters who want to meet a lot of people in a short amount of time. The good news is it’s completely free to download the dating app on any iOS or Android device. Some users upgrade to Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold to get extra swiping privileges, but it’s not necessary to upgrade to meet new people on Tinder.
URL: https://tinder.com/
Plenty of Fish has offered a totally free dating service from the time of its launch in 2003. The platform has a dynamic membership base in the U.S. and Europe. POF, as it’s often called, is owned by the same company that owns Match, OurTime, OkCupid, Tinder, and dozens of other popular dating sites and apps. You’re in good hands if you join the Plenty of Fish community because it doesn’t cost anything to send messages to absolutely anyone online. Something else worth mentioning is how active people are on Plenty of Fish — the online dating site and app have over 150 million members and create over 57 million new connections each week.
URL: https://www.pof.com/
LuvFree.com is a dating personals site that doesn’t ask for a credit card number or any other type of payment information. The singles chat room doesn’t charge for creating a profile, uploading photos, browsing profiles, receiving matches, sending messages, receiving messages, and hiding your profile, among other things. The team manually reviews each dating profile and photo to make sure no scammers or fake profiles get through and no inappropriate content is being posted, and you can reach them all day every day via email. Your safety is LuvFree.com’s top priority, and nothing will stand between you and a hot date on this dating service.
No, many dating sites and apps have social media integration as an option, but you can usually skip that step and simply enter in an email address or phone number to verify that you are who you say you are. The only free online dating site that requires a Facebook membership is Facebook Dating.
I think it’s worth mentioning that sometimes connecting your Facebook profile to your online dating profile is a good idea because it can actually speed up the signup process and make it easier for you to add photos, complete your bio, and get straight to the fun part — looking for dates and having an online chat with someone new.
Many dating apps work without Facebook, so don’t sweat it if you don’t have a Facebook or Instagram account or if you’d rather keep your social media activity separate from your online dating activity.
Coffee Meets Bagel is a free dating app that allows singles to create a profile, review their matches, send likes, and exchange messages all without paying for a premium subscription. What’s the catch? You can only view so many dating profiles and start so many conversations each day.
The Coffee Meets Bagel app purposely limits a user’s options so that they will value each online chat and human connection all the more.
Coffee Meets Bagel’s goal is to help singles find a serious relationship, not just hit-it-and-quit-it dates, so anyone looking for fast, easy, and meaningless dating had better go elsewhere.
Unlike apps like Tinder which offer virtual endless swiping and chatting options, Coffee Meets Bagel aims to provide more quality than quantity with its curated list of potential matches. And, yes, it’s always free to send messages to anyone who has liked your profile.
A lot of dating apps can offer instant connections and casual dates, but sometimes single adults are eager to get more serious and find a date that leads to a lasting relationship. If that’s the case for you, then you should look into some of the more quality-driven apps in the online dating space.
Hinge is a free app designed to help singles meet a potential partner, get in a relationship, and then delete the app. The dating platform offers quirky profiles and a more in-depth matching system to spark conversations. This dating app claims that it was “designed to be deleted,” and the whole idea is to introduce singles to that special person as soon as possible.
The Hinge app boasts having one of the best success rates when it comes to inspiring first and second dates. Over 74% of users in a survey said they enjoyed their first date with someone they met on Hinge and would like to go out again.
That’s an easy one. The most successful dating site ever is the one that’s been around the longest, led to the most relationships and marriages, and continually pioneered new ways to meet people online and offline. To put things simply: Match is the best of the best and always has been.
Since 1995, the Match online dating website has given singles the ability to seek dates on their terms and build long-term relationships that meet or exceed their standards.
Here’s some more facts and figures about this modern-day online dating giant:
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 |
As you can see, Match has a massive membership base and sure-fire matchmaking features that work overtime to find you a soulmate.
Match offers both proactive match recommendations and do-it-yourself search filters so single men and women can direct their own sails to the ideal first date. Something else we like about Match is that the dating site and app allow free members to chat with premium members, so it’s possible to pick up a date without paying a cent.
About 90% of the time, signing up for a dating site or app will require submitting a valid email address or linking to a social media account. However, this isn’t always the case. You can do some digging to find some anonymous sex apps that don’t need email or Facebook to make something happen. Adult singles can arrange discreet hookups by using advanced searching on a casual dating site or personals app.
The DOWN dating app is a good option if you want to get straight down to business and meet a potential sex partner right away. This discreet dating platform doesn’t ask for a whole lot of profile information, and it only requires a quick selfie to get started.
It’s pretty rare to find free dating sites without email address registration because that’s how online companies verify a person’s identity and make sure a single person isn’t creating multiple fake profiles or scam accounts.
It’s no secret that our team of dating experts have always been a big fan of eharmony. Not just because their commercials are fun and adorable. This online dating service has proven that it can work and introduce adult singles to the love of their life.
Since its launch in 2000, eharmony has earned its reputation as one of the most trustworthy dating sites out there — but not everything on this online dating site and app is free.
It’s free to browse singles, complete the compatibility quiz, add photos to your profile, review match suggestions, and send virtual winks through the eharmony site or app. Free members can also send an icebreaker quiz or greeting to their most compatible matches.
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 |
However, unlimited chatting and video chat options are only available to paid subscribers on eharmony because that ensures that people are serious about making a romantic connection.
A lot of our readers what to know how much eharmony costs and which features on the dating website (and app) are available for free, so they can get the best deal and still reach their dating and relationship goals. It’s possible to meet a long-term love interest on eharmony without paying for a premium subscription, but you’re much more likely to get the results you want if you invest in the matchmaking service.
Not everyone enters the online dating world with serious intentions and long-term goals — some singles just hope to take a date home and enjoy a night of passion. Such casual daters often go off the beaten path to find a hookup site that can truly satisfy their desires and make their fantasies come alive.
We’ve ranked Adult Friend Finder as the best hookup site for one-night stands, threesomes, and affairs because this site has been around since 1996 and it has gotten the attention of over 104 million users worldwide.
Plus, you don’t have to sign up to view profiles, read erotic stories, and explore this sexy environment and its online chat room.
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...”
Browse Free: View Photos Now
User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Today's Deal
|
All Singles* |
65%*
35%*
|
25.5 Million* | 3 Months @ $19.95/Mo |
Adult Friend Finder has what it takes to open singles and swingers up to romantic possibilities in their neighborhood or in a foreign country, and that’s an exciting prospect for someone sitting alone at home. You can stay within your comfort zone and explore your sexuality on a hookup site like AFF.
It’s completely free to join the site and use the search filters to find compatible matches, so you really have nothing to lose by giving Adult Friend Finder’s free chat rooms a try.
Yes, online dating has become one of the quickest and most effective ways to meet new singles, land hot dates, and build relationships that last for weeks, months, or even years. Quite a few of our own dating experts have found love on a dating site or app, so we’re confident it can work for you as well!
You don’t have to take our word for it though. Recent studies have shown that nearly half of Americans under 30 have tried online dating, and 17% of singles in that demographic have found a committed relationship or marriage that way.
Just keep in mind that while 71% of online daters said it was easy to meet people online, about 45% said the online dating experience made them feel more frustrated than hopeful. Online dating burnout is a common issue among today’s singles, but you can avoid burning out by raising your standards, honing your strategy, and making sure you maintain an active dating profile on the right dating platform.
A premium dating site like Elite Singles can instantly upgrade your online dating experience and offer a lot of quality matches. However, it’ll cost some money to get the most out of this upscale dating service.
Some single professionals prefer to mingle on a pay-to-chat site because they feel more confident in the matches and chats they receive there. For instance, Elite Singles members have to subscribe to send messages to one another, so anyone chatting on this site or app is serious about meeting a high-quality date.
Highly educated and successful singles tend to gather on Elite Singles precisely because of its paywall. You can think of it like a club membership fee — only financially stable individuals make the cut and have the privilege of networking here.
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 |
If you’re tired of running into ghosted conversations and low-commitment dates, then it could be worth subscribing to a premium dating site like Elite Singles and running in a more elite dating crowd. At the very least, you can cut the immature and cheap dates out of your life and focus on people who’re on your level both socially and financially.
You don’t have to blow a ton of cash on an online dating service to make a real connection with a real person. Plenty of affordable and effective dating sites, including the free chat options on this list, can help you save money while still meeting quality single adults in your area — and it doesn’t require a lengthy or complicated signup process either!
Dating doesn’t have to be one extreme or the other, and these 13 free dating sites prove that. You can dive into these fast-paced and fun-loving dating pools anytime you’re bored and eager to flirt with a potential partner. Just make sure to add an attractive profile picture, so your online crushes know you’re the real deal too. Good luck!
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