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Best dating sites for 2021. Dating can be tricky even in the best of times -- add COVID-19 into the mix and it gets even more challenging. But while the pandemic has changed the face of dating as we once knew it, your relationship ambitions don't have to be paused -- there are still ways to find a compatible partner. Whether you're searching for someone who can join you for a socially distanced stroll through the park or chat for hours over Zoom, an online dating site or mobile dating apps could be the answer. After all, in these times, where better to find deep, meaningful companionship than on the internet? Virtual dating isn't a far cry from the Zoom meetings that have become a predominant part of these strange times. There are lots of good dating website and app options, whether you're looking to meet new people, try casual dating, find others with similar interests or finally find your ideal match for a long term relationship. I took into consideration everything from each online dating service's dating pool to whether it provides daily matches to whether it's a free dating app or a paid service. A new person that fits your exact dating profile is sure to be out there! Cut through the chatter. Here's an overview of the best dating sites on the market. My recommendations are based primarily on my own experiences in the online dating platform arena as a woman, with some word-of-mouth impressions from friends thrown in for good measure. So what are you waiting for?

Sign up for these top dating sites or apps, start chatting and maximize your chances of meeting your perfect match. We'll update this list periodically. The best dating sites. Bumble. Bumble is basically Tinder for women. and on a timer. Bumble is a free dating app that requires women to message first. If the guy doesn't message back within 24 hours, he loses the potential dates. Because that's the one thing my love life was really missing: Arbitrary time limits. The timer is designed to encourage contact and some people really do appreciate that feature. But if you're someone who procrastinates, Bumble may not be for you. Because women must message first, Bumble tends to weed out the more insecure males from the dating pool. However, the rate of overly confident men tends to be higher than I've seen on other apps. Bumble also has a BFF feature to help you meet new people, but that's really not our focus, so I'll save it for another time. Tinder. Whether you're looking for a casual hookup, potential date, friendship or an LTR (long term relationship), Tinder has you covered. It's basically the first stop for those entering the dating world. If you want to play the odds when it comes to online dating, you need to be swiping where everyone's swiping. On the upside, the profiles are brief, which helps you to make decisions quickly. The downside is that a short dating profile makes it harder to figure out what a lot of people are looking for. Knowing very little about a person can also make initial messaging a lot more challenging. You'll need to wade through a sea of profiles, which makes it easy to pass over people you might have given a chance under different circumstances. OkCupid. OkCupid, how you confuse me. I have friends who've met their ideal match and even spouses through OkCupid. My last serious relationship came from the OkCupid dating service. In fact, I've been on OkCupid on and off, for roughly the last 11 years. Profiles are a lot more in-depth than most online dating sites and if you answer a seemingly endless series of questions (much like a personality test), they will spit out a reasonable Match/Enemy percentage ratio on profiles to help you gauge compatibility based on interests. Changes in the last few years have made OkCupid a bit more like Tinder (both owned by the same company), focusing more on swiping and eliminating the ability to message a user without matching with them first. Online daters can still send a message -- it just won't show up in the recipient's inbox unless you match. Because who doesn't enjoy sending a thoughtful message to someone who might never see it?

However, OkCupid has pointed out that these changes did help lower the number of offensive messages and fake profiles people received, which might be a worthwhile trade-off. Unfortunately in my experience OkCupid has become a bit of an online dating app ghost town. Hinge. Hinge finally won me over, becoming my favorite dating app last year. Originally the app focused on common connections and mutual friends that you and a potential partner shared on Facebook, which was a gimmick I was never sold on. But it has since pivoted away from this model. Hinge has designed the app to make user profiles more engaging (and helpful) than on apps like Tinder. You have the option of displaying a lot of useful information that could be deal breakers: Your political leanings, your religion, your alcohol consumption frequency or even your interest level in having children someday. The prompts provided by Hinge make it easy to create more engaging profiles. Hinge's current slogan is "designed to be deleted," so if a potential match for a serious relationship is what you're looking for, this is the dating app I would recommend. Coffee Meets Bagel. Coffee Meets Bagel hopes to offer people better-quality matches by sending curated daily matches, or "bagels," each day at noon. They suggest ice-breakers for first messages and the profiles are more in-depth than Tinder. For people who like a little extra hand-holding, CMB isn't the worst option. However, I found the app confusing to use, with too many features and a lot of gimmicks. I shouldn't have to look up online tutorials to figure out how to use a dating app. Plus why call matches Bagels?

I was also disappointed in the notifications, which I found too pushy. CMB was constantly "gently" reminding me to message people I'd matched with. I eventually disabled the app after receiving the following notification: "Show [match name] who's boss and break the ice today!" Should a potential future relationship be rooted in a hierarchical power dynamic?

At the end of the day, I have friends who've had the perfect match on CMB, but it isn't one of my favorite online dating apps. Happn. Happn matches you with people who are located nearby. It's a cool concept and helpful for people who want to meet someone in a more organic manner. That said, I've never met a single person who actually uses the app. After signing up, Happn showed me 68 people it said I had crossed paths with in the preceding three hours, though I hadn't left my apartment all day. This might be helpful if you're looking to date your immediate neighbors (or Uber drivers), but I don't see the attraction when competitors like Tinder already show the distance between you and other users. Frankly, if I saw an attractive guy in a coffee shop, I'd just approach him rather than check to see if he's on Happn. The app seems designed for people who don't want to use online dating sites but also don't want to approach people in real life. Pick a lane. The League. The League is an "elite dating app" that requires you to apply -- and supply your job title, college and LinkedIn profile. Big cities tend to have long waiting lists, so you might find yourself twiddling your thumbs as your application to be one of the elite singles on the app is reviewed. (Of course, you can pay to expedite the process.) The exclusivity can be a draw for some and a turnoff for others, but I'll let you in on a secret: I've seen most of the profiles I come across on The League on other dating apps, too. So at the end of the day, you'll probably see the same faces for potential dates on Tinder, if you aren't deemed elite enough for The League. Most dating apps are fairly LGBTQ inclusive. Still, it's nice to have an app to call your own. Her is tailored to lesbian, bisexual and queer women. It's a worthy notion -- but the app has some bugs and glitches that made it frustrating to use. Most of my queer female friends have told me they found the app "just OK" and not perfect and that they usually end up back on Tinder or Bumble. Still I checked it regularly for some time and had a few pleasant conversations with actual human beings. Isn't that all we're really looking for in a dating app?

Clover. Clover tried to be the on-demand version of online dating sites, letting you order a date much like you would a pizza. It also provides numeric match predictions based on compatibility and interests, though it isn't entirely clear how those numbers are calculated. I was on Clover for quite some time, but had since forgotten it existed until I started to compile this list. It strikes me as a less-successful hybrid of OkCupid and Tinder with a relatively small user base, even though I live in an urban area with plenty of people who use a wide variety of dating apps. Clover says it has nearly 6 million users, 85% of whom are between the ages of 18 and 30. Plenty of Fish. Plenty of Fish launched in 2003 -- and it shows. The problem I come across over and over again is that POF is filled with bots and scams, even though it may have the most users of any dating app. POF's issues don't mean you won't be able to find love on it, but the odds might be stacked against you. Unless you're into dating bots. Match. Match.com has a free version, but the general consensus is that you'll need a paid subscription to have any luck. That's a hangover from the early days of online dating sites, when a paid basic membership to a site meant you were serious about settling down. But my friends and I have long since come to the conclusion that you might be a little too eager to find a significant other or the perfect partner if you pay to get dates, particularly given the abundance of free dating apps. There are definitely paid features on some dating apps that are worth the price, but I've yet to be able to justify shelling out cash for love. eHarmony. eHarmony was one of the pioneers among online dating site options, and -- while I haven't personally used this one -- we all remember the pitch for online daters, thanks to years of TV commercials: The service matches couples based on "29 dimensions" of compatibility and interests (as determined by a thorough relationship questionnaire and personality test). While you can review the profiles of your prospective matches for free, you'll need to pay to unlock the full features of the service. There's a three-month plan and a six-month plan, and they come with a guarantee: If, after three months of paid membership and communicating with at least five members, you're not satisfied, eHarmony will refund your money. Despite a rocky road that eventually involved a high-profile lawsuit, the site finally added same-sex dating in 2013. I have mixed feelings about using the site myself, but it's at least technically more inclusive now. Have you had a good (or bad) experience with one of these services?

Do you have any other online dating sites you'd recommend?

Share your experiences in the comments or on social media. Share your experiences in the comments or on social media. The best dating sites and apps. Follow the author of this article. Follow the topics within this article. D uring the lockdown, more and more of us have turned to dating apps – especially those with video call functions. Even when lockdown restrictions eventually lift, and we can meet prospective partners in the park or pub, dating apps still have a part to play. Online dating and dating apps are one of the most popular ways to meet a new partner and there are more than 1,400 sites in the UK alone, catering for people from all walks of life and interests. So whether you’re mad about dogs, passionate about green issues or a connoisseur of fine wines, you’re sure to find someone who shares your interests. The best dating sites and apps in the UK. 1. Eharmony. Modern matchmaking service, eharmony, claims over two million people have found love through their site. Users are required to fill out a short quiz to determine their core values in relation to others, and this powers many useful tools to help them find love (including compatibility scores, personality profiles, and relationship advice). It’s free to register and download the app, send ‘smiles’ and pre-written Icebreakers to get the conversation started. However, you need to subscribe for customised messages and unlimited access to your match’s profile. bscription costs from £7.95 per month for 24 months. 2. Match.com. Synonymous with online dating, Match.com has someone for everyone. Create a detailed profile, then find your potential partner through a criteria search. You can go on “zen mode” to be only contacted by those who meet your criteria. It’s free to become a member but you can only send and receive messages if you are a subscriber. bscription costs from £12.99 per month for six months. 3. EliteSingles. Those averse to swiping left may enjoy EliteSingles - a site that uses a personality test to match users based on their compatibility. The comprehensive compatibility test takes into account looks, personality (with questions on how optimistic and ambitious you are, your social skills, how friends would describe you, and more), and what you're looking for in a partner - including whether or not you want children. Most users are looking for a long-term commitment and intellectual match, and 85 per cent of users have a degree and are between 30 and 55 years old. Y ou need to subscribe to send messages to your matches, as well as see all of their photos and leave comments. Premium membership costs from £19.90 per month for 12 months; or you can trial it for three months (£39.95 per month) or six months (£21.95 per month). 4. Silver Singles. While Silver Singles is most popular in the States, it is starting to catch on in the UK, too. To register for the site, you must fill out a comprehensive personality test, which takes between 15 and 30 minutes and aims to partner you with your perfect match. While profiles are quite detailed, they are kept behind a paywall. Likewise, you will need to pay in order to send messages to prospective matches. This premium membership costs from $24.95 for 12 months. 5. Our Time. Fairly new to the dating app scene, Our Time is a breath of fresh air for those who are tired of swiping and want to meet someone IRL (that's 'in real life' in text speak). The site hosts regular events for mature singles in your area, where you can meet likeminded people. Feeling shy? You can bring up to three friends with you for moral support. T he app is owned by Match Group, meaning your profile will appear on other dating sites - which widens the pool for meeting your potential partner. 6. Telegraph Dating. The Telegraph Dating site is a straightforward way to meet like-minded singles. As you set up your free profile, simply describe the type of person for whom you’re searching. Then, browse the site and view others’ profiles; once you find someone who you feel is a good match, send them a message. A free membership allows you to read messages from potential matches and reply with a one-liner. Only paying subscribers can start conversations and write personal, customised messages. It costs from £12 per month for 12 months for a subscription. For an additional £10 per month, you can upgrade to Premium, where anyone can reply to your messages for free. 7. Parship. Parship has a scientific approach to helping you find love. Relying on 40 years of findings on how to build a successful relationship, the site categorises users into 36 personality traits, and uses a matching algorithm of 136 rules. The compatibility questionnaire is extensive, and covers everything from what you look for in a partner to whether you sleep with the window open. T here is a fairly even male/female split in the users, and 52 per cent of them are graduates. The site welcomes 23,000 new members every week, and almost four in 10 find their partner through Parship. However, whilst it is free to sign up, take the comprehensive personality test, view your matches and send them 'smiles', you have to pay to be able to message your matches. Membership costs from £14.90 per month for 12 months, but you can trial the site for six months (£19.90 per month) or three months (£29.90 per month), too. 8. Original Dating. Tired of swiping right? Original Dating is unlike other apps in that it focuses on singles meeting up in real life. There are speed dating events (and now virtual options, due to Covid) where you will typically meet between 15 and 20 people in one night. Unlike the speed dating events of old, Original Dating ensures there is an even ratio of men:women by asking all attendees to book online. You can subscribe for discounts and access to more exclusive events, or just give an event a go (prices start at just £10). 9. Lumen. Some dating apps can be soul-destroying when conversations consist of boring pleasantries. Not so with Lumen. Your icebreaker message needs to be at least 50 characters long, which encourages interesting chats. All accounts are verified, and profiles are detailed - with at least three photos and a lengthy bio. There are no paywalls on the site but you can only start six conversations per day as a free member. You can upgrade to 12 conversations per day if you subscribe for £24.99 per month. 10. OkCupid. OkCupid has an extensive personality questionnaire, designed to increase compatibility. You can then inject personality into your profile by answering quirky questions, such as “Do you make your bed every day?” Instead of being bombarded with messages, you can only message those with whom you have matched. Downloading the app and speaking to users is free but you can upgrade to Premium for extra features. I n 2014, the OKCupid app was the first to introduce 22 genders and 13 sexual orientation options. This inclusive outlook has made OkCupid particularly popular, making 91 million connections every year according to their site. 11. Bumble. To redress the gender imbalance of dating apps, women have to begin the conversations on Bumble. Profiles are not as detailed as on some apps, but you can make video calls and get to know your match before you meet. Lazy users are penalised on Bumble, as you only have 24 hours to initiate a conversation before the match expires. The app is free to use but you can upgrade to Bumble Boost, where you can see users who have already ‘liked’ you, for £11.16 per month for 6 months or even just £2.49 for the day. 12. HER. HER is a much-needed breath of fresh air on the dating app scene, as it's dedicated to helping queer, bisexual and lesbian women find their ideal partner. The app is free and you can view profiles, add friends and start chats at no extra cost. Upgrade to HER Premium to filter users by sexuality, see who is currently online and more. H ER also shares LGBTQ+ news and events taking place in your area, and there are smaller chat groups where you can meet other users. 13. Inner Circle. The adverts for Inner Circle look like promotions for Glyndebourne, featuring couples in black ties and cocktail dress. This dating app is selective and there’s even an application process. In 2016, there were 450,000 applicants on the waiting list. Tailored to matchmaking ambitious, career-savvy young professionals, Inner Circle claims to have made 10,000 successful matches. The app is free to download, but you can upgrade to premium packages. There are also exclusive members events. Polo in the park, anyone?

14. Happn. In the films, people lock eyes on the train, start a conversation and then fall in love. In reality, we are too awkward (and British) to act on impulse. That’s where Happn comes in. If you have crossed paths with another user, they'll show up at the top of your Happn page. If you like what you see, you can send a heart and, if they send one back, instigate a conversation. Y our exact location is not shared - just the approximate area. The app is free but you can upgrade for Premium benefits including up to 10 ‘Hellos’ and access to the list of people who like you. 15. Hinge. Hinge is the new kid on the dating game block, known amongst millennials as ‘the relationship app’. To set up a profile, you need more than just photos and a one-line bio. Instead, you must answer three questions (e.g. "My childhood crush. Andrew Garcia") and potential matches can 'like' your answers and start up a conversation. T he app is free to download and you have unlimited access to profiles, swiping and sending messages. However, you can upgrade to a Preferred Membership, which allows you to better filter results (i.e. to find someone over 6 ft.) 16. Tinder. It’s the Godfather of dating apps. Tinder, the photo-heavy app with 2 billion views per day, allows you to swipe right to potential partners, then message and arrange a date. The app is responsible for 1 million dates per week, according to the site. T inder seems geared towards casual dating. Profiles are not as detailed as on other apps, but you can include your name, job, company, education, location and links to your Instagram and Spotify accounts. 17. Badoo. If you want to be spoiled for choice, give Badoo a go. When you sign up for the app, you select what you're looking for - just to chat, casual dates, a serious relationship or stay open-minded. The app has a swipe function but it’s also possible to drop in on people’s live video chats. Profiles consist of basic personal information and you get notifications when someone likes or messages you. This, however, can be overwhelming as there are so many users. Premium prices depend on the package and subscription you sign up to, but start at £2.29 a week. 18. Coffee Meets Bagel. As you can probably tell from its moniker, this app’s main fanbase is in the States. However, it certainly brings something different to the dating game. Its stand-out USP is that the site only sends you one match every day, which means you have to really consider whether this person is a good match, as opposed to swiping left without giving them a second thought. T hat being said, you can click on the ‘Discover’ tab and like a handful of people per day. If you match, the app suggests a personalised icebreaker (e.g. “Ask Thomas about his recent trip to Thailand!”). It’s free to download the app and speak to your matches. However, you can upgrade for a Premium membership to see if your messages have been read and to access stats on your match - how long they typically take to reply, for instance. 19. Qemistry. Designed for 18-35 year olds of all genders and orientations, Qemistry is a breath of fresh air on the dating app scene. It's still in its infancy (it only launched on September 3 this year) but it has great potential. To use it, you upload videos to your profile – whether that be TikToks, Instagram Stories or a video of you telling a joke or having a boogie. Unlike curated photo profiles (with their emphasis on abs) this lets your personality shine through. Best religious dating sites and apps. 20. Christian Connection. O n Christian Connection, users can create detailed profiles, outlining their jobs, political views, dream holiday destinations, favourite films and, of course, religious standpoints. If you find someone you like, you can ‘wave’ at them and send a message. Membership is free but this only allows you to match, send waves and preset replies. There is a free 3-day trial for a taster of the subscription service; if you subscribe, from £24 per month, you can send unlimited messages and get discounted entry to social events. 21. Muzmatch. You may recognise Muzmatch from their fun advertising campaigns (“Halal, is it me you’re looking for?”). Yet the free dating app has plenty of other stand-out features which may explain its 25,000 success stories. Firstly, it protects your privacy - you can use an alias and keep your photos hidden or blurred until a later date, so there’s no danger of friends or family stumbling across your profile. All users are verified and you can opt to have a chaperone (a ‘Wali’) in your chats. The app is free for you to swipe, match and chat. However, you can upgrade to Instant Match, where you can talk to someone before they have liked you back. 22. JDate. The net's biggest Jewish dating service, JDate, has been around for nearly 20 years. Following its redesign in 2017, it is now a more streamlined service. After uploading a bio (typically 100-150 words) and up to 6 photos, you can browse others’ profiles to assess their physical features, hobbies, religious practice and what they’re looking for. It’s easy to keep track of potential partners with the Look Book, a list of who has liked you back. Plus, there’s a community feel to the site due to the Kibitz Corner, where the site provides daily questions and you can compare answers with your matches. How to avoid dating scams. If you’re suspicious about a profile report it to the dating website or app so they can investigate it. Try doing your own detective work – ask them for their full name and look them up on Google and social media. Don’t be afraid to question their authenticity – if they are genuine they won’t mind you trying to verify them. Remember, they may spend months building a relationship with you and will only ask for money once you’re emotionally involved. Ask a friend for advice as they are not as emotionally involved as you, they may be able to see something you can’t. Look out for fake or stolen photographs. You can use sites like TinEye.com to check the authenticity of a photo and you can try doing a reverse image search on Google (by clicking on the camera logo in the search bar and uploading an image) to see if they are using a fake picture. Never give out too much personal information, such as your home address, phone number or email. Consider setting up a new email address to use for online dating and perhaps even get a cheap Pay As You Go phone to use for making phone calls. A ll products and brands mentioned in this review are selected independently by our journalists through a combination of hands-on testing and sourcing expert opinions. We may earn revenue if you click one of our links and buy a product, but this never influences our reviews or recommendations. The best dating sites and apps. Follow the author of this article. Follow the topics within this article. D uring the lockdown, more and more of us have turned to dating apps – especially those with video call functions. Even when lockdown restrictions eventually lift, and we can meet prospective partners in the park or pub, dating apps still have a part to play. Online dating and dating apps are one of the most popular ways to meet a new partner and there are more than 1,400 sites in the UK alone, catering for people from all walks of life and interests. So whether you’re mad about dogs, passionate about green issues or a connoisseur of fine wines, you’re sure to find someone who shares your interests. The best dating sites and apps in the UK. 1. Eharmony. Modern matchmaking service, eharmony, claims over two million people have found love through their site. Users are required to fill out a short quiz to determine their core values in relation to others, and this powers many useful tools to help them find love (including compatibility scores, personality profiles, and relationship advice). It’s free to register and download the app, send ‘smiles’ and pre-written Icebreakers to get the conversation started. However, you need to subscribe for customised messages and unlimited access to your match’s profile. bscription costs from £7.95 per month for 24 months. 2. Match.com. Synonymous with online dating, Match.com has someone for everyone. Create a detailed profile, then find your potential partner through a criteria search. You can go on “zen mode” to be only contacted by those who meet your criteria. It’s free to become a member but you can only send and receive messages if you are a subscriber. bscription costs from £12.99 per month for six months. 3. EliteSingles. Those averse to swiping left may enjoy EliteSingles - a site that uses a personality test to match users based on their compatibility. The comprehensive compatibility test takes into account looks, personality (with questions on how optimistic and ambitious you are, your social skills, how friends would describe you, and more), and what you're looking for in a partner - including whether or not you want children. Most users are looking for a long-term commitment and intellectual match, and 85 per cent of users have a degree and are between 30 and 55 years old. Y ou need to subscribe to send messages to your matches, as well as see all of their photos and leave comments. Premium membership costs from £19.90 per month for 12 months; or you can trial it for three months (£39.95 per month) or six months (£21.95 per month). 4. Silver Singles. While Silver Singles is most popular in the States, it is starting to catch on in the UK, too. To register for the site, you must fill out a comprehensive personality test, which takes between 15 and 30 minutes and aims to partner you with your perfect match. While profiles are quite detailed, they are kept behind a paywall. Likewise, you will need to pay in order to send messages to prospective matches. This premium membership costs from $24.95 for 12 months. 5. Our Time. Fairly new to the dating app scene, Our Time is a breath of fresh air for those who are tired of swiping and want to meet someone IRL (that's 'in real life' in text speak). The site hosts regular events for mature singles in your area, where you can meet likeminded people. Feeling shy?

14. Happn. In the films, people lock eyes on the train, start a conversation and then fall in love. In reality, we are too awkward (and British) to act on impulse. That’s where Happn comes in. If you have crossed paths with another user, they'll show up at the top of your Happn page. If you like what you see, you can send a heart and, if they send one back, instigate a conversation. Y our exact location is not shared - just the approximate area. The app is free but you can upgrade for Premium benefits including up to 10 ‘Hellos’ and access to the list of people who like you. 15. Hinge. Hinge is the new kid on the dating game block, known amongst millennials as ‘the relationship app’. To set up a profile, you need more than just photos and a one-line bio. Instead, you must answer three questions (e.g. "My childhood crush. Andrew Garcia") and potential matches can 'like' your answers and start up a conversation. T he app is free to download and you have unlimited access to profiles, swiping and sending messages. However, you can upgrade to a Preferred Membership, which allows you to better filter results (i.e. to find someone over 6 ft.) 16. Tinder. It’s the Godfather of dating apps. Tinder, the photo-heavy app with 2 billion views per day, allows you to swipe right to potential partners, then message and arrange a date. The app is responsible for 1 million dates per week, according to the site. T inder seems geared towards casual dating. Profiles are not as detailed as on other apps, but you can include your name, job, company, education, location and links to your Instagram and Spotify accounts. 17. Badoo. If you want to be spoiled for choice, give Badoo a go. When you sign up for the app, you select what you're looking for - just to chat, casual dates, a serious relationship or stay open-minded. The app has a swipe function but it’s also possible to drop in on people’s live video chats. Profiles consist of basic personal information and you get notifications when someone likes or messages you. This, however, can be overwhelming as there are so many users. Premium prices depend on the package and subscription you sign up to, but start at £2.29 a week. 18. Coffee Meets Bagel. As you can probably tell from its moniker, this app’s main fanbase is in the States. However, it certainly brings something different to the dating game. Its stand-out USP is that the site only sends you one match every day, which means you have to really consider whether this person is a good match, as opposed to swiping left without giving them a second thought. T hat being said, you can click on the ‘Discover’ tab and like a handful of people per day. If you match, the app suggests a personalised icebreaker (e.g. “Ask Thomas about his recent trip to Thailand!”). It’s free to download the app and speak to your matches. However, you can upgrade for a Premium membership to see if your messages have been read and to access stats on your match - how long they typically take to reply, for instance. 19. Qemistry. Designed for 18-35 year olds of all genders and orientations, Qemistry is a breath of fresh air on the dating app scene. It's still in its infancy (it only launched on September 3 this year) but it has great potential. To use it, you upload videos to your profile – whether that be TikToks, Instagram Stories or a video of you telling a joke or having a boogie. Unlike curated photo profiles (with their emphasis on abs) this lets your personality shine through. Best religious dating sites and apps. 20. Christian Connection. O n Christian Connection, users can create detailed profiles, outlining their jobs, political views, dream holiday destinations, favourite films and, of course, religious standpoints. If you find someone you like, you can ‘wave’ at them and send a message. Membership is free but this only allows you to match, send waves and preset replies. There is a free 3-day trial for a taster of the subscription service; if you subscribe, from £24 per month, you can send unlimited messages and get discounted entry to social events. 21. Muzmatch. You may recognise Muzmatch from their fun advertising campaigns (“Halal, is it me you’re looking for?”). Yet the free dating app has plenty of other stand-out features which may explain its 25,000 success stories. Firstly, it protects your privacy - you can use an alias and keep your photos hidden or blurred until a later date, so there’s no danger of friends or family stumbling across your profile. All users are verified and you can opt to have a chaperone (a ‘Wali’) in your chats. The app is free for you to swipe, match and chat. However, you can upgrade to Instant Match, where you can talk to someone before they have liked you back. 22. JDate. The net's biggest Jewish dating service, JDate, has been around for nearly 20 years. Following its redesign in 2017, it is now a more streamlined service. After uploading a bio (typically 100-150 words) and up to 6 photos, you can browse others’ profiles to assess their physical features, hobbies, religious practice and what they’re looking for. It’s easy to keep track of potential partners with the Look Book, a list of who has liked you back. Plus, there’s a community feel to the site due to the Kibitz Corner, where the site provides daily questions and you can compare answers with your matches. How to avoid dating scams. If you’re suspicious about a profile report it to the dating website or app so they can investigate it. Try doing your own detective work – ask them for their full name and look them up on Google and social media. Don’t be afraid to question their authenticity – if they are genuine they won’t mind you trying to verify them. Remember, they may spend months building a relationship with you and will only ask for money once you’re emotionally involved. Ask a friend for advice as they are not as emotionally involved as you, they may be able to see something you can’t. Look out for fake or stolen photographs. You can use sites like TinEye.com to check the authenticity of a photo and you can try doing a reverse image search on Google (by clicking on the camera logo in the search bar and uploading an image) to see if they are using a fake picture. Never give out too much personal information, such as your home address, phone number or email. Consider setting up a new email address to use for online dating and perhaps even get a cheap Pay As You Go phone to use for making phone calls. A ll products and brands mentioned in this review are selected independently by our journalists through a combination of hands-on testing and sourcing expert opinions. We may earn revenue if you click one of our links and buy a product, but this never influences our reviews or recommendations. Meet Someone New. Join Meetup, the fast and easy way to meet new people. You start a group, we find members. Looking for a social group?

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Dating can sometimes be a troublesome area of our lives. For something that should give us great joy, dating can be a perilous journey for many until we find the one. In the past, some people have found it difficult to meet someone using traditional routes. More and more, therefore, we are using online dating sites and apps to further our romantic lives and our success there. But has the huge growth in online dating sites and apps actually helped us be more successful in our love lives? How many of us who have ever used a dating site as a way to meet someone, have met someone that we have started a serious relationship with?

Has the increased usage of dating sites and apps simply improved the quantity we date as opposed to the quality?

Here in this article, we look at online dating statistics and what users say about their success with using online date sites to help their love lives. We investigate what online daters say about any relationship that they have started online. We ask if they say they have ever found true love and whether they like someone seriously through the use of online dating sites and apps. Online Dating Statistics By Year. It goes without saying that the use of dating sites or apps has increased and that there are more and more online dating users looking to start a relationship with men or women around the world. Below, we look at the exact number of online dating users in the US between 2017 and the projected usage up to 2024. While the rate of growth slows down, we can see that over 7 years, from 2017, there are going to be an extra 10 million people using online dating platforms as a way to meet someone. That’s a huge increase. That’s just under a 50% increase in under a decade - and that’s without knowing what the technology will be like in 2024 too. If you consider that apps like Tinder were established less than 10 years ago, who knows how we will use a dating site or app 4-5 years in the future. More and more dating sites or apps will use our online information to target us so that we make more efficient use of the online dating experience. That’s not to mention that more and more dating sites and apps will be established that fill more and more holes in the market. People are increasingly more open about their sexual orientation and sexual preferences. This gives dating sites and apps more scope to focus on specific sections of the population. Online Dating Demographics in the US. So what are the sections of the population that have used a dating site or app? It perhaps goes without saying that more and more people have online dated, but who are the biggest users exactly?

And more importantly, what percentage of those have ever married or been in a committed relationship with someone they met on a dating site or app?

In the below graph, we see that just under a third of the US population have ever used a dating site or app. That’s a huge section of our society that makes use of the internet to find someone to start a relationship with. Plus, over 10% of the population have met their other half online. While that doesn’t sound like a huge amount, if you consider that every 10th person you meet has had a successful online dating experience, that’s a lot. The types of people that use online dating platforms also produce a lot of interesting online dating statistics too. While the race of those using online dating users is broadly equal, as well as the usage by gender being about equal, the LGB community is the far more prevalent online dating users. Interestingly, it is this section of the population that has the greatest number of successful relationships, too, when it comes to meeting someone online. Over 20% of their relationships that began through an online dating site or app went on to end in marriage or at least become a committed long term relationship. Another way to categorize online daters is to see what age range they fall into. The biggest users in that respect, by far, are those in their twenties. Almost half of those that have ever used a dating site fall into this bracket. And almost 20% of them have found themselves in a committed relationship as a result or even marriage. By Gender. Even a different study by YouGov confirms the differences between men and women when it comes to using online dating sites. While the figures are not exactly the same as those found above, YouGov found that almost 40 percent of all men have used online dating as a way to find a partner online. Conversely, that is in the face of 70% of women saying that they have never used a dating site. Female users and online daters, according to YouGov, only make up 27% of the population. By Region/Location. Breaking down online daters and online website users into where they come from in the USA also generates some enlightening online dating statistics. There are some apps that are used by perhaps predictably larger amounts of the population in certain regions simply down to the natural makeup of the public - like 69.7% of all the users of Black People Meet being from the South, or 50.7% of all users of Coffee Meets Bagel being from the West. However, eHarmony sees most of its users, at 58.4%, coming from the South and only 10.1% of them coming from the Midwest. That is a huge proportion of their users that come from just one area. By Age. As briefly alluded to from our first graph, the younger generations seem to be the main users of online dating sites and apps. According to YouGov, it is almost half of the population of 18-34-year-olds in the US that say they have ever used a dating site or app. However, that is in stark comparison to 81% of all the people aged over 55 who say they have never used a dating website. By Sexual Orientation. By far the biggest stand out dating statistics studies, that see who has ever used a dating website, highlights that the huge section of society that have logged onto a dating site or app are members of the LGB community. In one of our first graphs above, we can see that 55% of all people who say they have ever used a dating site or app are not straight. This could be because it still remains easier to find other members of the LGB community online, so this could be set to change with more and more people far more open about their sexuality. Platforms Used In Online Dating. So now we know what type of people have used online dating platforms, what online dating statistics are generated if we look at what platforms are the most popular?

While some online dating statistics vary in some findings, there is a particular area that seems to stand out across any study. The resounding answer is that Tinder seems to be the most used by far. According to Survey Monkey, over a quarter of all online daters, use Tinder as their app of choice. Tinder statistics are perhaps not surprising - it is so well known and the ease of use within the app is undoubtedly a reason why it has been so successful. Other well-used sites are Bumble, Plenty of Fish and OKCupid. What Online Daters Look For First In The Profile. Sadly there are no hard statistics that will prove what online daters look for first in the profile of either female users or male users. All men and women will typically look for something different in many online profiles. However, if you use online dating as a way to meet men or women for romantic purposes, there are a number of things that can improve your chances of striking up a connection with someone. Firstly, it can be a great idea to ask your friends for help. This is something that statistics won’t often show, but friends will know you really well and suggest ways to put your best characteristics forward. These could well be traits that you would have otherwise overlooked. Also, they’ll help you avoid any cliches that can work against you in a profile. Cliches often have the effect on making people roll their eyes when they read many online dating profiles. It’s also a good idea to remain as honest as possible but also using a really positive and optimistic tone. Statistics do show that people in general - if they use online dating or not - are all drawn to those that tend to be happier. There seem to be no statistics that prove which interests or hobbies larger sections of the population are drawn to over others. Finally, in terms of photos, again there are no hard statistics that have an overriding direction on what we should all use online dating profile dating-wise. Presumably, this is because it points towards how we all have highly diverging wants and needs in a partner. With honesty in mind, it is better in the long run to use an up-to-date photo. Some statistics say that action shots get the most hits but some statistics argue that photographic portraits are the best for use online. Intent When Dating Online. It is all very well looking at online dating statistics in terms of demographics, but before users decide whether dating sites or apps will be useful for their purposes, they need to know what other users intend when they sign up to online dating platforms. So what are the reasons people use online dating?

Is it really to find a lifetime partner?

Or is it more often than not only ever used to find a sexual partner? Kaspersky did some work on generating online dating statistics behind why both male users and female users sign up to online dating sites. Some of their findings were quite surprising. While the majority of people did admit that they have used a dating site simply for fun, a large proportion of people use them to find friends, too. The next largest reason is perhaps an intention that sits somewhere in between finding friends and just having a good time - around a quarter of all users or online daters users say they sign up to sites or apps to have a good time with an interesting person. There are, of course, people who use it with the more commonly believed stereotypical intentions in mind. Almost 20% of the men asked say they use online dating for sex, while only 5% of women admit that this is what they have ever used online dating sites for. However, in terms of people using online dating sites or apps to find a serious relationship or marriage partner, men still were the biggest group to admit to using them for this intention. For example, 20% of all male users admitted they online dated to find a partner, while 12% said they used it for marriage. With respect to female users and women, 17% of this demographic admitted to using online dating sites or apps for a serious relationship and 10% for marriage. This is perhaps surprising - many people would imagine that it is women who used online dating as a means to find a committed partner. Is Online Dating Safe? Dating online in the main remains safe. If you use online dating as a way to meet other female users or other male users, you will be totally secure as long as you follow a few recommendations to maintain your safety at all times. These measures protect two parts of your life - both physically if you ever meet someone you have contacted online and also your online data. Both are crucial to keep secure so that you do not fall victim to any crimes. With respect to your online data, it is imperative that you secure your networks and your devices. This means using strong passwords and password management systems to ensure that your devices cannot be hacked into. Secondly, ensure that you are always using a secure network. If you are in your home, protect your own network by using a password - again with the help of a password management system - and if you are out, ensure that you either do not divulge any passwords over the network you're using or any sensitive data. This means you never tell the people you are contacting your address, your bank account details or any other unique identifiers that can work towards a picture that helps an online criminal commit identity theft. Secondly, ensure you do not become part of another horrible set of statistics as a person that has an ill-fated meeting with a person they have met online. Both men and women are both capable of falling victim to someone who says they are someone they are not. There are some men and women out there that use online dating sites to meet others with wrongful intentions. To ensure that you protect yourself against these men or women when you use online dating, try to meet them in public places up until you are sure they are safe. Always tell others where you are going and who you are meeting too so that they know your movements in advance. All these things will work towards maintaining your safety at all times. Other Concerns On Online Dating. With the rise of internet dating, there has also been a rise in how people abuse the system of online dating sites and apps. As such there are, quite rightly, a number of concerns the public has when they are dating online and meeting other men and women through the use of the internet. In fact, 63% of all online daters say that they worry about their handset or computer being infected by a hacker’s virus, malware or spyware. The implications of this are large and can have a material impact on a user's life if hackers do in fact manage to get their illegal software installed on users' handsets and networks. Additionally, 61% of all online daters say that they are scared of their data being stolen from their chosen dating site or app in a data breach. Many more concerns continue along the same vein with a similar portion of all users admitting their worry. Additionally, there are some other more physical worries and concerns that users say prey on their minds. Some male users and female users of a dating site or app say that they worry about meeting up with someone in real life who is not who they say they are. From there, users either are anxious that at best the person they eventually meet has simply lied about their physical appearance or worse that they are a criminal seeking out vulnerable people to attack in either a physical or psychological way. How Long Does It Take Before People Start Giving Out Personal Information? Given all the pitfalls that can happen from being too relaxed about giving out your personal information over a dating site or app, many people do try to hold back on what they say about themselves. This can be counter-productive, however, when you are trying to meet someone online, so how long does it take before online daters start giving out personal information. The general statistics from Kaspersky found that there was broadly a fairly balanced approach to how long divulging details take. For some, it takes more than several months, yet for others, it takes just minutes or hours. More specifically, 19% of both female users and male users that have ever used a dating site or app say that it takes more than several months for them to give out information. Breaking down these online statistics further, a quarter of all female users take more than several months to give out information. Yet 13% of the same group of online daters say that they have given out some sensitive information in just minutes. Within that group, it is the male users who are more likely to give out information, with 16% of them admitting to telling someone important information about themselves quickly. How Many People Lie On Their Profile?

Arguably, a big bugbear about the statistics behind online dating is the lying that takes place on someone’s profile. But in this day and age, where we all use online dating far more and it is so much more accepted by our culture, how many users lie on their profile?

Looking at the statistics, the biggest proportion of users that lie on their profile tend to be those in their late 30s to mid-40s. Of that group, the ones most likely to lie are male. They say that they do this for fun, though it is not clear what they lie about to get their kicks from. Other interesting statistics are that younger women or men, in the 16 -24 age group are likely to lie on their profile to protect themselves. It is female users in this group particularly that are most prone to do this. Finally, one very interesting set of online statistics comes from those that want to use online dating as a way to meet people, but they lie as they are afraid that they will be recognized by others that they know already. Given the growing acceptance of online dating and the increased usage and success that it breeds in relationships, it is a little surprising that 15% of male and female users asked in the Kaspersky dating online statistics study, claim that they lie so they are not spotted by friends. Plus, broadly speaking, this is a reason that is common across all age groups and both genders. Younger women are just as likely as older men to lie on their profile to stop themselves from being recognized by friends or acquaintances. How Many Get Replied To? Finding out the statistics behind how many messages or online dating profiles get responded to is a tricky business because online dating websites don’t want to inadvertently promote the failure rate of their sites. While they can be very successful, a lot of people still have to go through a lot of rejections or radio silence from people they message. Bearing this lack of statistics in mind, it is good to take a more qualitative approach to improve your hit rate if you are struggling to make a match. Ensure that you are actually messaging people that say they are into someone with your character or physical traits. If you message someone who has specifically said that they want their prospective men or women partners to be a certain age or height, then you can’t expect to have a reply from them if you are not within these parameters. It is, therefore, recommended that if you use online dating, wherever you are in the world to be as honest as possible. If you like someone, you would be crushed to find out that they were not who they say they were after you continued to contact them. You, therefore, need to have a similar approach to the men and women you contact when you use online dating as a means to meet people. That respect for their wants will go a long way. Negative Interactions On Online Dating. There are a couple of categories of downsides to online dating. The obvious is that the relationship started after using an online dating site is not what they wanted it to be. By far, women are the biggest of the online dating statistics that have found themselves to be on the receiving end of negative behavior, like being contacted continually after asking not to be. According to the statistics, some have even been subjected to being sent sexually explicit texts or images when they were not asked for. Sadly, a large portion has been called offensive names and just over 10% have been threatened physically. That is not to say that only female online daters say they have experienced this type of behavior. A large percentage of male users found in our statistics say that they have been subjected to the same sorts of actions from the users they have interacted with. While this seems to be a huge downside to online dating, it is possible to argue that this would happen in the realms of dating that started in more traditional routes too. Bearing that in mind, it is important to also be aware of a downside to online dating that cannot occur when meeting potential partners in more traditional ways. Being the victim of identity theft is a huge problem with online dating, and online dating statistics have shown that the technical or data leak problems that have come about due to the use of online dating are substantial. For example, 12% of people who don’t use online dating have been infected with a virus online or with malware. This increases to a massive 29% when someone has continued to contact dates through an online dating site or app. These statistics are quite stark. Another large increase can be seen when users are asked to share private or sensitive details. 13% of people who have online dated share such details, while only 3% who have never used a dating site have suffered the same mishap. Downsides Of Online Dating. There are a number of downsides to the use of online dating - a few of which we have mentioned here already which a number of statistics and studies have emphasized. One of the biggest downsides is when you meet someone who has different intentions to you for the results they want to see from using dating websites and apps. This can mean that you may want to meet men or women that want just sex after they contact a person they have met online, while you were actually signing up to a site's service to start relationships. Other downsides include meeting someone who is not who they say they are. This lying can have small or large ramifications. It could be that the men or women you have been messaging are simply lying about their height or true hair color. However, it could also be that the men or women you are messaging are wrongful intentions behind meeting others online. They may be using websites as a means to find their victims for their sex crimes or other physical abuse, or they may be trying to meet others who are vulnerable so that their financial status can be taken advantage of. Finally, sadly the statistics show that being a victim of online crime is also a possibility when you use online dating as a means to meet other men or women. The reason being is that you are more likely to divulge sensitive information to a person you believe you can trust. Online criminals around the world sometimes use online dating websites as a way to build up that trust with naive members of the public. Their tactics can be very underhand and sophisticated so that some do not even notice that they are providing the person at the other end of the internet connection with sensitive data. Plus many statistics show that too many of us are guilty of not using strict or stringent enough security measures while we are online. This means protecting our devices with passwords and ensuring that our accounts in whatever apps or dating websites we use are protected with strong passwords too. Importantly these passwords all need to be different and it also helps if we all use antivirus software to protect against any infections that hackers may spread through dating websites or apps. Success Rate In Online Dating (Ended Up Together) Many members of the public who are considering online dating will be interested in the statistics of the success rate in online dating. In a study conducted by Statista, it was found that 17% of online daters have ended up in a long term relationship after meeting someone online. Additionally, it was found that almost a third of all asked knew someone who had met their partner online. However, 40% of those asked in this statistics study asked said that they did not know anyone who had successfully met a partner through a dating site or app. Realistically, this means that this is fairly evenly balanced or distributed in the investigation’s findings. While potential online daters may have wanted better-looking statistics, it may be a good idea to bear in mind what the answers would have been if the question had asked if people knew any men or women who had ended up in a long term relationship established via more traditional means. It is important to bear in mind that not every couple stands the test of time when they meet in a bar, through friends or at college. Do The Compatibility Algorithms Work? It is hard to answer whether compatibility algorithms really work as there are too many variables to create a scenario where there is a fair test involved. The reality of the situation behind online dating is that, as it increases your chances of dating at all, you are more likely to hook up with someone - arguably that could be the algorithm working or simply your increased dating that has helped. How Do People Protect Themselves When Dating Online? Perhaps one of the less thought about online dating statistics is how to stay safe while dating online. Yet, it is incredibly important for us all to do this so that when we meet someone, we know we are going to meet someone who has been telling us the truth. While some people may tell the odd white lie about their height or other parts of their appearance, some people lie about their true intentions of being on a dating site in the first place. Their intentions may not be honorable, and it is those users that you have to protect yourself against. To ensure that they stay safe online, there are a number of practices that both male users and female users can and do use. A large portion of men and women search their potential partner’s name online as well as looking at their social media profiles to ensure they are who they say they are. Worryingly, however, almost a quarter of all users do nothing at all to ensure that they are safe when they use online dating. The above actions tend to be ones that you can carry out when you have met a match online. However, if you have ever used a dating site, there are a number of things you can do to maintain your online security too. This means that you do not leave yourself vulnerable to being the victim of online fraud by hackers or online criminals that take advantage of learning about sensitive information through dating profiles. Bearing this in mind, over a third of all users, employ the use of strong passwords while online and about a third also share very limited information over an internet connection. Ensuring that antivirus software is installed on their handheld devices and computers is also a popular option as well as making sure that apps do not have full access to contacts and social media accounts. This is so that online criminals cannot get access to your sensitive information over an internet connection and get hold of your sensitive data to help them commit identity theft. Dating VS Online Dating. Ultimately, a lot of us who are tempted to start online dating don’t sign up as we are unsure as to whether it is successful. eHarmony, one of the first online dating sites, conducted studies to find out where couples meet. They found that a fifth of all couples now meet through online dating. While the majority of couples meet through a friend given that over half of all relationships start in this way, it is still a large portion of all relationships that start due to an online dating experience. Why Do People Prefer Online Dating? There are many reasons that people prefer online dating than relying on friends to set them up with a potential partner or simply meeting in a bar or club. Many users say that many online websites and apps simply connect them with other single people in a far more efficient process than leaving it to find a mate down more traditional routes. It possibly can improve the chances of success too. This is thanks to more and more niche sites and apps connecting more like-minded people and finding more like-minded people too. While meetings through friends can increase your chances of meeting people like you, a website can do this in a far quicker and more efficient way. It has huge databases of potential partners that have already admitted to having similar likes to yours. Do You Save By Dating Online?

Arguably, there are two elements of your life where you will save by using websites to meet others for relationships. You can save time and money by meeting other guys or women through an internet connection on a specialized website because you are meant to be increasing your chances of meeting others with the same intentions in mind. Online dating is now incredibly common. According to the statistics, in the US for example, around 30% of the population have used a website to meet other people online. It can be hard to put exact numbers and statistics on which dating site has the highest success rate as dating websites around the world are likely to try to skew the statistics and underlying data when asked. However, if you are choosing websites purely on their success rate, it is beneficial to either choose a very popular one so as to increase your chances of meeting anyone - or to use one that has a niche that interests you. Again this will increase your success rate of finding someone to love. The statistics behind the success rate of online dating around vary slightly according to the studies you look at. Plus, some studies can be skewed by what type of users are asked and what those users say about their experiences. However, it is fair to say that online dating can at least increase your chances of dating men or women in the first instance, and so the likelihood of meeting someone you may start a serious partnership with is therefore increased. That being said, in some studies, it has been shown that around half the US population knows at least someone who is in a couple thanks to meeting their significant other online. According to a Stanford sociologist, meeting a person through the means of the internet is the most popular method of meeting someone romantically around the world. Within the US, the same investigation found that it was how most heterosexual partnerships started. Share your experiences in the comments or on social media.

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