Dating websites and Dating apps have made online dating very popular and accessible, ranging from completely free to use, to some very expensive options.
The different online dating sites and apps offer widely different experiences and results.
Below are some of the best, and possibly worst, dating sites and apps, with some reviews and advice on using them
General Online Dating Tips
Photos! Make sure you have at least a few good photos on your dating profile, which are recent. Some should show you on your own, clearly, and not just head shots. Some doing an activity, or with groups of friends are good. Try to avoid ones with your children, if you have them. However you think of how you look in photos, it's better to be honest at the start, rather than give a false impression and be found out if you meet up! Photos taken more than a couple of years ago are not ideal, but if you use them make it clear when they were taken.
Profile - spend some time writing a short, but concise dating profile that covers your personality, interests, work life, and commitments such as children. Giving a picture of yourself in words will make it easier for a potential date to see if they will fit into your life, and to start a conversation. Add some specific points of interest, such as a recent holiday trip, an activity you particularly like and would like to share, your taste in food, or anything else to give an idea of who you are.
Many dating websites and apps will promise matching algorithms, and help finding the perfect partner, but in reality they all simply give you options within your defined area, age range, and other preferences.
Be careful! There are false profiles, and potential scammers online, but they are easily avoided with a little caution initially. Don't reveal too many personal details in your profile, or at the start of messaging, until you know a little more about someone. Don't be afraid to check them out on social media, just to check they are who they say they are, and what their personal circumstances are.
Watch out for dating sites and dating apps that hard sell a subscription, and you receive messages as soon as you create a profile, or very quickly after, even before you've uploaded a photo! Some sites do have automated bots with fake profiles to pressure you into subscribing.
Online Dating Websites
There are many online dating websites available, some more popular than others, some specific to an area, interest group, or sexual preference. Here are some of the most popular.
POF - Plenty of Fish has to be the largest, and most popular dating website, and it's been around for many years. It's main popularity is due to being entirely free apart from a few optional upgrades that don't affect the ability to search for and contact potential dates. Being free to use, and easy to set up a profile with little more than a email address as verification, it is well known to be open to abuse by those creating fake profiles, or just trying to get short term relationships. Because there is no verification by credit card (no charges shown on any account) then it's well known to be used by people already in relationships, seeking a bit extra - and not being entirely honest about it! BUT it is the only big dating site that is free, and that is a very big plus.
MATCH - Match.com (also Dating Direct as they use the same database) is well established and the largest of the dating websites in the UK. It is charged via subscription, with options ranging from one month, to six and twelve. Users can sign up, create a profile, and search for dates, but can't make contact unless they have a subscription, or the other person has paid for an upgrade to allow non-subscribed members to contact them. The site is well run, with verification, profile moderation, and moderation of members photos. Be careful with the subscription options, as they will auto-renew at the end and often default to the standard monthly, and very expensive, option. Cancelling the subscription just after it has been taken out is advised, as it will then run for the agreed period and expire rather than auto-renew. The cancellation pages make it appear that the account will stop as soon as the subscription has been cancelled, but this is misleading.
BADOO - free to use in it's basic form, it does constantly prompt for a subscription for special features. It's a bit of a mix between online dating and social networking, but it can be fun and affective.
eHarmony - makes a lot of claims of compatibility matching and finding the right partner, using a compatibility system based on your data. They send you potential dates a few at a time.
Zoosk - affiliated in some vague way with Facebook, it is very popular in North America, but not so much in the UK. Usiing a Behavioral Matchmaking system it promises to find the best matches, but in the end it depends on how many people are using it in your area. Worth trying out to see how many users are local.
EliteSingles - marketed to the higher end of dating, graduates and professionals. Mostly for those established 30+ and more expensive than other dating sites.
Dating Apps
We are currently reviewing a number of Dating Apps and will show the results from our reviewers soon.