Although online dating was once considered an option only for those too weird for the ‘real world,’ in recent years it has become not only acceptable, but often it is the preferred dating method. After all, we live in a digital society. Using the web allows us to extend our search for the perfect mate far beyond the popular offline strategies of yesterday.
In the offline world, it is difficult to know where to turn to find someone who might interest you. Is the local bar better than a night club? Are you more likely to meet someone at church rather than through a sports or hobby club?
In the online environment, we have similar questions. But, by far, the most common question is:
“Which dating site is best?”
Clearly, if one site worked best for everyone, we would only need one site. The dozens and dozens of successful sites available today just proves that different sites work well for different people.
To help you figure out which site fits you best, here’s a quick overview of some of the more popular sites:
Match.com
Cost: $35/month (lower priced plans available for long-term commitments)
Pros:
- Large member database;
- Available in 15 languages;
- Well-known because of extensive advertising.
Cons:
- Can view profiles for free, but only paying members can communicate;
- Personal information is shared with third parties (Match.com is part of a large group of online advertisers - all of whom will contact you);
- Many members report difficulty cancelling service - if you subscribe to the 6-month plan to save money, you are required to make 6 payments;
- Members can “hide” behind a false profile and out-of-date photos, you can spend a lot of time going on first dates to sort through them. Many people talk on the phone before meeting, but this means giving out at least some personal information, such as a phone number;
- Banner advertising across the site is annoying;
- You can contact non-paying members, but they cannot respond to you, which wastes your time when you are searching. Since you don’t know who is a paying member and who isn’t, it can also result in a feeling of rejection when you reach out to someone and they don’t respond.
Chemistry.com
Price: $49.95/month (lower priced plans available for long-term commitments)
Chemistry.com is owned by the parent company of Match.com, except the service provides a personality profile to generate matches for you. Otherwise, the Pros and Cons are essentially the same.
eHarmony.com
Cost: $60/month (lower priced plans available for long-term commitments)
Pros:
- Not for casual dating as the site’s focus is on helping you find a mate;
- The Personality Profile is designed to computer match you with people who share common interests.
Cons:
- The lengthy questionnaire takes about an hour to complete;
- A lot of people have reported that the matches they receive are completely wrong for them;
- The guided communication process keeps you from having a “normal” conversation for a while;
- Many people are rejected.
Yahoo! Personals
Cost: $30/month (lower priced plans available for long-term commitments)
Pros:
- Email notifications of members who meet your criteria;
- One week free trial available.
- Only paying members have the ability to send emails, which means there are thousands of profiles of members who can’t respond if you try to contact them.
- Profiles remain in the system for many years - long after the member no longer uses it.
- To take advantage of the lower price options, you have to commit to paying for several months regardless of whether or not there’s anyone who interests you.
Cons:
- Requires a Yahoo! email account which means a lot of SPAM;
- You are able to view non-paying members profiles, but cannot contact them, which wastes your time when you’re searching.
Over35Match.com
Cost: $14.95/month (pay-as-you-go, no long-term commitments)
Pros:
- Free trial available;
- Numerous communication tools in addition to just email;
- The chat room feature allows you to have multi-person discussions so you can get a better idea of someone’s personality;
- Members can create and organize offline events allowing you to meet in a group setting while enjoying common interests. This also allows members to meet and get to know many people at once;
- Deceptive profiles and photos get “outed” by other members through the chat room and forums;
- Optional private video chat feature allows you to see the other person live without waiting for a first date - no extra cost;
- Video-sharing at no additional cost;
- Members can create blogs - no extra cost;
- Payments are handled through PayPal for secure processing and easy cancellation.
Cons:
- Not for the under-35 crowd;
- Does not offer gay/lesbian relationship selections;
- PayPal account required.
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