In 2021, there are more singles than ever looking for love. There are so many awesome dating sites and dating apps out there, which makes it feel easy to meet someone great. No matter what your interests are, there's a wonderful online dating site that can help you find a quality match.
It can also be overwhelming, however. There are so many dating sites out there that some people don't know where to begin. You can ask friends, but your friends aren't always looking for the same things out of a relationship that you are. Apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Plenty Of Fish may work well for some, but they're simply not what others have in mind. Some of these apps depend on people you known on social media, which some singles don't partake in and other singles don't like the idea of. Some are designed for people who want casual relationships, while others want people who sign up to be looking for long-term relationships.
When deciding to choose between a dating site and a hookup app, you have to center yourself, your desires, and your experiences. If you're ready to find the relationship you're looking for with online dating, we're here to help. We've checked out all the best dating websites and dating apps, cutting through the noise and finding out what users really experience on these platforms. Here are the best dating sites for serious relationships, casual relationships, and anything else you might be looking for.
Top Dating Sites for Finding Serious Relationships
- eHarmony -Best for finding a compatible match
- Seeking - Best for quality sugar dates
- Ashley Madison - Best for married dating
- Elite Singles - Best for educated singles
- Silver Singles - Best for senior singles
- ItsJustLunch - Best for busy, young professionals
- ChristianMingle - Best for Christian dating
- Coffee Meets Bagel - Best for new singles
- Black People Meet - Best for Black singles
- Her - Best for LGBTQ+ women
eHarmony - Best For Finding A Compatible Match
Their methods may seem extensive to people looking for something more casual, but for those looking for love and long-term relationships, this helps you find a compatible match. eHarmony also has a dating app for those looking to date while out and about.
Seeking Arrangements - Best For Quality Sugar Dates
To join Seeking, you've got to be pretty impressive yourself. Certain industries, like tech and finance, make up more of the user pool than others. The League is all about getting potential matches on quality dates in hopes of making people's power couple dreams come true.
AshleyMadison- Best For Married Dating
Ashley Madison has caught slack for compromising user safety in the past, but they've rebuilt from that incident. Today, the site provides countless security measures to keep the affairs that go down on the site as private as possible. Whether your relationship stays on the site or leaks into real life, handling all information with discretion is of the utmost priority.
Ashley Madison also makes it possible to date wherever you go. Not only do they have a mobile app, but they make it easy to meet people in different areas around the country.
EliteSingles- Best For Educated Singles
This dating site curates their membership to help members find the best dates they can. Over 85% of their members have more than one degree. More than 90% are over the age of 30, so they've also got life experience to bring to the table. By creating these standards for their users, they make sure that members are who they say they are and offer only what they can realistically provide, which makes many of the Elite Singles mentioned feel safe in their online dating endeavors.
You'll be matched with potential partners from over 25 countries based on the information you provide when you sign up and fill out their questionnaire. Using a matching algorithm, they find who you have the best chance at hitting it off with.
SilverSingles- Best For Single Seniors
Singles over 50 are looking to meet people too. Enter SilverSingles, one of the original senior online dating sites out there. Today, they are still regarded as one of the best senior dating sites.
For senior singles, dating websites have to make sure to promise security. Seniors tend to be more skeptical of what online dating has to offer. Thankfully, SilverSingles makes customers feel safe by verifying accounts, having a responsive security team, and sweeping the site for inactive or fake profiles.
SilverSingles offers free basic memberships, allowing senior singles to try their services risk-free. They also offer a mobile dating app.
ItsJustLunch.com - Best For Busy Young Professionals
Busy professionals can have a really hard time meeting the right person. For singles dedicated to their career who still want to meet someone, your options are slim. It's Just Lunch hopes to change that.This method of online dating is more like a dating service. It sets you up with a matchmaker when you sign up. They'll call you for a telephone interview where they'll learn about you and what you're looking for in a partner. Then, they'll organize your first date with a match of their choosing, informing you both of each other's names and the location where you'll meet. They'll follow up after that first date to determine whether or not you want to continue seeing the other person, minimizing awkwardness.
What it promises in matches, it lacks in affordability. It's Just Lunch puts itself in the space between online dating sites and dating apps and high-end matchmaking services. It's been heralded as one of the best dating sites, but it definitely is an investment in more ways than one.
ChristianMingle - Best For Christian Dating
Christian Mingle is another well-known and widely trusted dating website. For people who want to center their Christianity in their dating life, this site provides possible matches from like-minded users. Over 15 million people are actively looking for relationships on Christian Mingle.
Christian Mingle doesn't work for those who are looking for casual dates. You'll find most users are interested in long-term relationships.
As a result, these users are willing to pay for premium membership. You're given a free trial to decide if you're willing to pay $49.99 per month to meet Christians looking to find love.
CoffeeMeetsBagel - Best For New Singles
If you're just getting your feet wet in the online dating world, Coffee Meets Bagel is a great choice for you. Unlike other websites that leave conversation up to users, Coffee Meets Bagel helps you make the first move.Users are given suggested conversation starters to break the ice and start chatting with potential matches. The potential matches are made everyday at noon, based on simple but detailed profiles matched by an evolving matching algorithm.
Unlike other online dating platforms, Coffee Meets Bagel is exclusive to mobile devices. You can download the dating app for both iOS and Android devices.
BlackPeopleMeet - Best For Black Singles
Black People Meet is more than just a dating website. It prides itself in being a safe place for Black people to make friends, find casual dates, and form long-term relationships. With 18 years of bringing Black users together, they've made it simple and accessible for over a million users active each day and 5 million overall to meet great people.The users on Black People Meet aren't exclusively African American, however. If you're a person of a different race who has a preference for Black dates, you're also welcomed to join this online dating platform.
Black People Meet has integrated a swiping game, like Tinder, to help match interested users accessing the site via their mobile app.
Her - Best For Dating LGBTQ Women
These days, many online dating platforms have become LGBTQ inclusive. It's a great step, but some would prefer a platform with dedicated users and dedicated features catered to their community. Her provides that kind of community.The dating app helps lesbian, bisexual, and queer people meet socially and date. It's made for queer women by queer women, so they aim to put their users needs and experiences at the forefront of every feature.
The unique thing about her is that it also serves as a social media platform. It's an interesting approach that centers community instead of dating and ends up making some wonderful matches as a result.
Match.com - Best For Finding A Spouse
Match is free to sign up, but most people looking for something serious agree that a premium membership makes a big difference. The most popular package is $44.99 per month, but there are other options as well. You can take your search for the right person on the go thanks to their highly-rated mobile app.
Many users love Match for its easy-to-use user interface and detailed profiles. They encourage users to be as thorough as possible in describing themselves and what they're looking for. Their method has clearly worked, with Match claiming that it's been responsible nearly 100,000 marriages since the site launched in 1995. If you want a long-term relationship that has a serious promise of a future, Match may be the perfect place for you to look for love.
CatholicMatch - Best For Catholic Dating
Catholic Match prides itself in bringing together singles who center their lives in the Catholic faith. Over a million users have signed up to look for love among fellow Catholics.As with many faith-based online dating sites, users of Catholic Match are looking for long-term relationships with like-minded matches. It's proven successful, with different Catholic leaders endorsing the site in its 20 year history.
Unlike other sites, Catholic Match isn't free. Memberships cost $29.95 per month. Users commit to six months at sign up and are given an additional six months for free if they meet certain qualifications.
Zoosk - Best For International Dating
Of all the online dating sites out there, Zoosk is the number one when it comes to dating on a global scale. The immense dating site has over 40,000,000 singles communicating in 25 different languages looking for both casual and serious relationships.
When you're open to meeting anyone around the world, dating gets that much more interesting. No matter when you log on 24 hours a day, there will be someone there that you can talk to. Zoosk was once regarded as overwhelming in a similar way to Plenty of Fish, but over time, its found a way to streamline its process and make each platform feature work for singles looking to meet someone.
Adult Friend Finder - Best for Casual Hookups
If you're looking for love in all the wrong places then perhaps Adult Friend Finder might be able to help. If you want to take dating to a new level, or if you're not yet ready for anything serious; they have a platform that allows you to meet others who are looking for something fun and casual. You have no expectations on this platform. It started as a hookup site but has since gained popularity as an overall dating platform.
The site is easy to use, there are free features, and setting up a profile can be done in just minutes. Many find this to be a more entertaining form of dating and the platform allows for chat room talking, voice calling, and more. With a good male to female ratio, you'll be sure to find the right somebody. The only downfall is that you cannot search through the singles by narrowing them down according to what they look like, or what their likes are.
Secret Benefits - Great for Discreet Hookups
If you want to be discreet with your hookups, then Secret Benefits is the website for you to use. You can meet others looking for something on the side, or just more private than what the casual dating websites have to offer. Many users of this website state that they always have a good time with their dates.
There are bots, as with any free dating site, but Secret Benefits seems to try to keep that to a minimum by watching and removing anyone that seems like a bot. The website is discreet, and they won't provide any personal information to third parties, or anywhere else. This dating platform is popular with those who may already be in relationships but want something like Ashley Madison without the high price tag. This is a great website for just that, and one that doesn't kick you out if you don't purchase 'credits'.
Victoria Milan - Great for Men Looking for Plenty of Women
Victoria Milan is a dating platform that many men flock to. Not only are there many beautiful women throughout this platform but it does not cost a lot to speak with any of them. From the moment you sign up, you will be flocked with a bunch of women who want to meet with you. The number of women on this website is astounding and gives men the option to choose to speak with many of them at the same time.
It is one of the most effective dating websites. However, many do warn of catfishing and other scams that might happen. The site has a section for verified profiles, so if you stick with this and verify your own, you should be able to avoid fake profiles and spam accounts.
