When it comes to dating websites, you've got the good, the bad, and the ugly. Some come with hidden fees, and some just come with hidden annoyances. Here are the top four best dating websites that are worth your time.
- OkCupid
OkCupid is, first and foremost, completely 100% free. It's free to sign up, browse profiles, and communicate with people. They have a very in-depth matching system based on answering questions and taking quizzes. You can go at your own pace, but their mathematical system for measuring compatibility is pretty accurate, as long as you answer the questions truthfully. OkCupid is available to people of any sexual orientation. There are optional plans you can purchase ranging from $4.95 to $9.95 per month that allow you more storage for messages, removal of ads, and to browse others' profiles invisibly.
- Plenty of Fish
POF, at first glance, doesn't appear to be the most user-friendly website. It is, however, completely free unless you want to upgrade to pay for a few perks, like receiving read receipts for your sent messages or seeing who viewed your profile. Their matching system is not as thorough as OkCupid's, but there are quite a lot of users on POF; you may get more matches simply due to the sheer volume of users. To determine compatibility, you answer questionnaires about your dating chemistry, romantic needs, psychological tendencies, and other preferences. The overall vibe leans toward hooking up or casual dating and steers away from long-term relationships or marriage. POF is available to straight and gay individuals, but does not include options for people with differing gender identities or orientations.
- Match
Match has the largest community out of all the online dating websites. Once again, this website isn't very pretty to look at it, but it seems to be more user-friendly than Plenty of Fish. When viewing your matches, Match works similarly to the website Hot or Not: it provides you with pictures of two people and you decide which person you like more. It's free to use, but like most other sites, you can choose to upgrade to other services like email read receipts and to see who has viewed your profile. The compatibility tests are less accurate than OkCupid or Plenty of Fish due to the fact that they are less detailed. Match does have a neat feature called "Behavior-Based Predictions" which compares your patterns of online behavior with other Match users in order to recommend potential matches for you.
- eHarmony
By far, the most user-friendly interface belongs to eHarmony. The first thing you are required to do is to fill out a detailed questionnaire. Then, eHarmony takes you through a short website tutorial to help you understand their site navigation. However, in order to really know your compatibility and take part in the deeper personality analysis, you have to subscribe and pay for your membership. You also cannot send messages to your potential matches unless you pay for a subscription. If you're looking for long-term commitment and a website that is easy to navigate, eHarmony is probably the best site for your needs.
