Best Online Dating Sites: Reviewed In 2024 (2024)

To determine the best online dating websites for 2024, the Forbes Health editorial team analyzed data on popular online dating platforms.

Our team of editors and researchers independently collected data on a variety of metrics, including subscription fees, features available, the size of a platform’s user base, communication methods, safety features and more.

The collected data on each online dating site was then assigned a score based on its performance in comparison to its competitors for that specific metric. We weigh metrics based on what we deem to be most important to the consumer, calculate the scores and assign a star rating based on those scores.

Specifically, we looked at the following metrics:

• Free option availability (10%)
• Standard membership fee (10%)
• Premium membership fee (10%)
• Size of site network (5%)
• Site features such as compatibility questionnaires, filter options, matching algorithms and number of matches per day (35%)
• Communication options (5%)
• Community groups and social events (5%)
• Mobile app availability (5%)
• Safety features, such as photo verification and blocking (10%)
• Supplemental content on website (5%)

You can find an in-depth explanation of our online dating methodologies here.

Online dating sites offer a platform to find a partner that fits into contemporary lifestyles and our ever-increasingly internet-reliant world. These sites are often subscription-based, where you pay a monthly fee to use the service.

Upon signing up for a service, you will usually complete some type of assessment or questionnaire, giving details about what you’re looking for in a partner. Certain metrics are used within the site to match up users, often based on personal characteristics you might have in common, such as education, hobbies, values, goals and more.

Dating sites use various algorithms to introduce possible matches. Typically, after you set up a social media-like profile—where you include a few pictures of yourself, a brief bio and some of your hobbies—the platform can use that information to connect you with similar people.

Depending on how in-depth the features are (some sites offer additional subscription bonuses), you may see other singles based on commonalities, areas of interest and intentions for the future. They may even offer the option to rank the order of importance of certain qualities you desire in a partner, such as education level. Meanwhile, other dating sites may match you solely based on age range or distance.

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The type of potential matches. While some dating sites are geared toward casual dating, others may lean toward building strong relationships, sharing certain religious beliefs and other qualities. Research the site, the potential matches and the types of customized filters it offers.

The details. Look for how detailed the profile creation process is, since it may indicate how much you can read into other singles’ pages. Different sites may offer different features such as questionnaires, multiple-choice tests or quiz functions to help you illustrate what you’re looking for in a partner and narrow down your options from there.

The cost. Many sites offer basic membership for free, upgrading with a paid subscription.

The safety. Be sure the site offers key safety features before joining, including tools to protect privacy and data from hackers or suspicious members, and that allow you to share where, when and who you may be meeting in real life with your friends and contacts, if you choose to do so.

The cost of using a dating site varies depending on the site/company and subscription plan you choose. For example, OkCupid offers Basic membership subscriptions ranging from $17.49 to $34.99 per month, and Premium membership options between $22.49 to $44.99 per month, depending on length of plan. In this case, purchasing a three or six-month subscription would be more cost-effective than if you were to go the month-to-month route, which is something you may want to factor in during your search.

Some dating sites are more expensive than others, so it’s important to consider your budget and desired subscription length while looking for the right site for you.

There are a few distinctions between paid and free dating sites.

One difference to consider is the level of accessibility you have within the site. Many dating sites offer a limited use of certain features and advertise paid subscriptions within the platform to get full access to all of its features. For example, purchasing a subscription or paying a fee might give you the ability to boost your account and be seen by more potential matches.

There can be benefits and drawbacks in any dating experience, and online dating is no different.

One benefit of online dating is the ability, in most cases, to have access to a wider pool of individuals, with the potential to meet someone on a site or app that you may not have otherwise met in person. Another benefit is the added transparency that online dating offers with certain profile markers, such as desired relationship type and length, which can help users determine if a match has the same dating goals.

However, many online dating apps can be quite expensive, and while some free versions are available, this may come with limited use of the platform. Additional drawbacks of using online dating sites, per 2020 data from Pew Research Center, can include uninvited communication, such as persistent contact from a user you’ve expressed disinterest in, receiving unwanted sexually explicit messages or images or being called offensive names^[1]The Virtues and Downsides of Online Dating. Pew Research Center. Accessed 2/7/2024. . Others to look out for are fake profiles and dating scams, which are outlined below.

First impressions of dating profiles often depend on the photos included, so choosing pictures that authentically represent who you are can set you up for success. Using more solo photos than group photos or photos with friends can also make it easier for a potential match to determine whose profile they’re looking at.

Another factor to consider is how you describe your dating goals. Being clear about your intentions for using a dating site and what you’re looking for in a potential partner can add more meaning to your profile.

Additionally, some attributes you can highlight that can help make your profile and messages with a match standout, include humor, intelligence, creativity and originality.

Some online dating profiles are too good to be true. In just the past few years, dating scams have led to victims losing billions of dollars and sensitive personal information, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Many scammers use fake profiles to lure you in and then may begin asking for money or personal data they don’t need to know.

Some common dating scam red flags, notes the FTC, include:

• Being asked for money
• Being sold a story about financial loss or being asked to invest in an unusual business
• Always getting an excuse when trying video chat or meet in person

Broad research exists backing the link between good mental health and strong social relationships, whereas loneliness has been linked to sadness and other negative mental health outcomes. While not every relationship may lead to marriage, positive companionship can help improve your wellness on many levels, including:

1. A healthier mind. The level of happiness in a relationship can influence overall health, with positive social associations linked to delayed mental and physical decline, notes research in Psychology and Aging^[2]Hawkley L, Cacioppo J. Loneliness Matters: Social Relations and Age-Related Change in Memory. Psychol Aging. 2019;34(6):751–765. .

2. A healthier heart. Positive, supportive social connections including romantic relationships may promote healthy heart functions, suggests data in Frontiers in Psychology^[3]Berli, C.. Loneliness Matters: “We Feel Good”: Daily Support Provision, Health Behavior, and Well-Being in Romantic Couples. Frontiers in Psychology. .

3. A longer life. Stable social surroundings factor into staving off isolation, which may lead to a higher risk of morbidity (having a disease or medical condition) and mortality (related to death)^[4]Hawkley L, Cacioppo J. Loneliness Matters: Loneliness, social isolation, and all-cause mortality in the United States. SSM - Mental Health. 2021. .

The right dating site for you will depend on what you’re personally looking to get out of using the site. Take your preferences into consideration, such as relationship type, inclusivity of the particular site, what you’re looking for in a partner, site features and cost as you search for the right site for you.

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