When putting together this Military Cupid review, I was impressed by the virtues and dedication of singles seeking such a proud community of servicemen and women.
Serving in the armed forces is one of the bravest things someone can do, but it can also be a lonely experience, especially if you’re single. While you can talk to your family and friends on the phone or via Skype, and they can send you care packages, it’s not the same as the feeling you get from someone you’re romantic with.
The mission of MilitaryCupid.com is to help unite military personnel with their colleagues and admirers. I’ve tested Military Cupid for ourselves and poured through numerous user reviews, and I can brief you on the pros and cons. I’ve also mapped out a few alternative stratagems for online daters who are actively seeking a relationship.
Military Cupid: A Variety of Tools But Not Many Military-Specific Ones (3.9/5.0 Rating)
Military Cupid was created in 2006, the same time as Cupid Media, its parent company, which operates more than 30 niche dating websites. This means Military Cupid has a similar look, feel, and process as its sister sites, and it shares the same vast database.
No matter if you’re interested in meeting a pen pal, friend, hookup, date, or long-term partner, Military Cupid can help you find someone who wants the same sort of thing. The dating site has over 600,000 users who are both military personnel and civilians. Another upside is every user on Military Cupid is attracted to a life of service — you won’t have to worry about a match saying they aren’t interested in dating someone in the military, which may happen on more mainstream dating websites.
It’s free to sign up for Military Cupid — the site just requires you to input your first name, gender, age, location, email, password, and location. You could also sign up through Facebook if that’s easier for you. Men and women of various sexual orientations, ethnicities, and religions are welcome to create dating profiles, but a majority of the users, from what we saw, seem to be straight, white, and Christian. This isn’t a hard and fast rule; it’s just a trend we noticed.
You’re presented with about a dozen open-ended questions when you create your profile, and you also have the option to fill in the Hobbies & Interests section and a Match Criteria section. These sections help if you want to receive the most compatible matches. You don’t have to fill in every blank spot if you don’t want to, but we’re not sure why you wouldn’t. This is when you’ll get to describe yourself and your ideal date or partner in more detail.
Based on the information you provide, the site will choose matches for you, which you can find by clicking the Matches tab at the top of your dashboard, and you can also browse profiles on your own. The search filters include background, lifestyle habits, and branch of service. In addition, Military Cupid shows you who’s online at the same time as you, who’s looked at your profile, and the last time someone logged in — providing you more ways to check out members.
Once someone catches your eye, show them interest by clicking the heart icon or by adding them to your Favorites list (click the check icon). If you want to do more than that, you’ll need an upgraded membership. This will allow you to send and receive live chats and messages, use Cupid Tags to narrow down your preferred characteristics even more, and access translation services if needed.
Make sure you include a lot of info in your profile so people can quickly learn more about you.
Here’s the pricing for a Gold membership: $10 a month for 12 months (an upfront payment of $119.98), $20 a month for three months (an upfront payment of $59.99), or $29.98 for one month.
And here’s the pricing for a Platinum membership: $12.95 a month for 12 months (an upfront payment of $149.99), $23.33 a month for three months (an upfront payment of $69.98), or $34.99 for one month.
One of our favorite components of Military Cupid is that you can verify your identity (you will need a government-issued ID), and then your profile will clearly show that you’re a verified member. You can search by verified members as well. It’s a helpful safety feature that more dating sites should have included.
The main problem we have with Military Cupid is there aren’t that many features specifically for this audience. Sure, you can search by service branch, but that’s about it. The site seems to be military in name only.
Besides our thoughts on Military Cupid, online daters have a lot to say about the site as well.
“The guys appear to be nice and gentle — then WHAM they give you some sob story and ask for you to sponsor them to bring them home.” — Vikki, a former Military Cupid member
“He reached out to me via direct message through the site. We began emailing, and, after seven months together, we’re happier than ever. Thank you, MilitaryCupid, for helping me find and believe in love again with such an honorable soldier who I am so blessed to call the love of my life,” said Angie, a former MilitaryCupid member.
However, on the flip side, another former user, whose name is Angie, said:
“This site is a total scam. Yes, the guys appear to be nice and gentle — then WHAM they give you some sob story and ask for you to sponsor them to bring them home to see you because they are deployed for like two years but can get a pass if you pay their way home. Ladies, please beware.”
2 Alternative Options for Military Singles and Admirers
While Military Cupid has been around for decades and has made a name for itself in this niche, this isn’t the only place for military singles to turn to. If the user reviews are making you question the site, browse through the options below.
- 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
You’ve probably heard this before, but it’s definitely worth mentioning again — Match.com is the top dog among dating websites. Not only does it have the history behind it (25+ years), but it’s also got the size (30 million members) and the reputation (more romantic connections than any of its competitors). Online dating is often a numbers game, and Match has a lot of numbers in its favor. It’s completely free to join Match and browse the database, so why not give it a whirl?
- 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
Launched in 2000, eharmony is another name that might not come to your mind when you think of military dating sites, but it should. The site’s exclusive questionnaire is probably the most thorough questionnaire of any dating site, so you can get as specific about who you are and your needs as you want.
Also, for those of you who might feel intimidated by online dating, eharmony handpicks all of your matches for you — so a lot of the pressure is taken off you. Over 2 million couples in the U.S. right now are together because of eharmony, and its values-driven dating system might just work for you as well.
Get Serious & Get Matching on These Dating Sites
Serving in the Army, Navy, Marines, or any other branch of armed services is very admirable, and the last thing these men and women should be worrying about is how to find a date or partner. Thankfully, online dating can help, as our Military Cupid review has proven.
Military Cupid is a good choice for some singles, but it doesn’t have great customer reviews or a very diverse following. Still, you may want to jump in and see what happens. It won’t cost you anything to test out Military Cupid and the three other sites we’ve highlighted in this article. As long as you go into it with a good attitude and clear plan of action, you’re bound to be successful on one — if not all — of them. Best of luck!
