With both paid and free online dating websites out there, it can be overwhelming and confusing for a single gal to decide which one to use. When I was single, I used both types. Here are my conclusions about what I found to be the best online dating websites, free or paid. In other words, do you have to spend money to find love online?
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by We Love Dates and Older Dating. All opinions are mine and mine alone.
The Assumption about Paid vs. Free Dating Websites
Many people assume that paid sites are better because they’ll only have those people who are serious about dating. Well, that’s what I thought too. I signed up for a dating site and paid up for several months, only to find there were few active users. Then I sent messages to users there and remember not getting any replies.
I later researched the site – I know, groan, I ought to have done that beforehand – and found out that I was not the only one not getting replies to my messages to online dating users on that particular site. Likely those non-responsive people had found matches already or simply gave up on the site but kept their profile there as they had paid to do so.
Talk about disappointing. I was out a chunk of cash too that particular year.
The Reality: You Don’t Have to Pay to Date Online
Now that I’ve dispelled that myth about the paid platforms, I want you to know that I had much more success with the free dating sites. The freebie ones didn’t seem any lower in quality of the web pages or have slower load times. And here’s what was better:
Male users actually responded to my messages there, and others even took the initiative and messaged me first. Yes, there were lots of active users. I was thinking, wow, I didn’t have to pay a cent!
While I didn’t meet everyone in person who I messaged through these platforms, I did meet a few of them for in-person dates. They were nice guys but for one reason or another none of them were my forever guy. My point here is that the men were just as nice as I had anticipated would be the case for the paid online dating websites.
And when you really give it some thought, you shouldn’t have to pay to find love. You deserve to find that special someone, and if you choose to do so through the digital dating world then you needn’t be stuck with a bill for the process of looking for him or her.
If you’re looking to connect with new people, random video chat is the way to go, and ChatSpin is one of the vehicles that can take you there. The best part is that it’s completely free, and it’s a lot more fun to talk to people instantly instead of having to wait around for them to reply to your messages.
More Benefits of Free Dating Sites Over Paid Ones
Also, if you look back on the start of the online dating trend, there were a lot fewer sites to choose from. And they weren’t paid ones.
Now you can join a free dating site easily, filling out a profile and gaining access to pages of users who just might be a love match with you. The websites are a lot better quality than before, even for the ones at no cost.
Another thing I didn’t like about that paid dating site I used? It only gave me access to those men who I “matched” with. These matches were based on my profile (interests, age range, etc.).
I would rather have had access to all users of the site. That way I could look through them at my leisure, which most free platforms do allow users. That’s true of both sites for casual dating and those looking to be in a serious relationship.
I realize that just because software says I’m not a match for someone doesn’t mean that’s the case… Sometimes opposites do attract! So, choosing for yourself who is a good fit is a benefit of free sites.
Last Words on Free vs Paid Dating Websites
Ultimately, you’re going to do what you like. But, just for the record, I had more fun dates with the free websites than the paid websites.
Now I’m in a relationship, so I’m no longer on the dating scene. But I’m still glad about those experiences. Why? Now I can offer advice based on my findings. I wish you all the best in your journey to find love.
Definitely not is the answer. If you think about it, more people will use a free dating website/app v’s a paid one and therefore there is more choice for you. Big apps such as Tinder and Bumble are the most popular partly because they are free but also because Tinder has now shelved it’s original reputation as being an app if you were looking for sex only.
That’s true about Tinder’s reputation!
All About Love
Love is true and forever,
Love is saying goodbye never.
Love is never going astray,
Love is only loving more with each passing day.
I love you my baby.
A LOVEly poem!
A Pure feeling
Love is a pure feeling of heart,
Love is true when love is new,
Love makes the world go round,
The passion and compassion that surround,
When you fall in love, you are not you,
Everything looks awesome,
Everything looks new!
From my heart, I wish to confess,
That I love you!
I’ve really enjoyed your post! I wrote something awhile ago about dating apps. I’ve always found my experience quite limiting with free apps. Especially, when you think about the age group that gravitates toward free apps. It creates a certain culture that I don’t think is conducive to finding a soulmate lol. But I enjoyed the read.
Thanks for sharing your view on the free options. I suppose whether it’s free or not, it’s an adventure :)
I did both back when I was online dating. Ultimately, I met my husband on a paid site. (ps, nice website!)
It’s amazing the experiences gained back when we were single and dating, isn’t it?! Thanks for noticing the redesign, Loretta; a webdesign friend did this and I’m so thankful.
I’ve only used one dating site, which was a paid one. I found that nearly all the guys there were only interested in one thing, whatever their age was (even 70s)… and I think you can guess what that was!! A lot of guys messaged me just based on my picture, and didn’t even bother reading my profile. After a few weeks I had had enough of it, but I did end up dating one guy (who was also fed up of the site) and we did date on and off… but he kept dumping me, as he doesn’t really know what he wants. Anyway, we have remained good buddies, which is something, but at this stage I’ve had enough of romance with him.
I have heard a few rather mixed tales of a free site called Plenty Of Fish, and while one or two have found nice guys, there have also been a fair share of time wasters and also some emailing porno/explicit photos.
Time will tell whether I will try another site again…..
A positive point was that you got a friend out of it… And that perhaps by meeting those men who are not ideal you’ve come to learn more about what you ARE looking for.
This was a fantastic article comparing the two choices. :)
Your positive feedback makes me smile :)
Then my work is done! :) xx
PS: I like the new look of your blog!
Thank you for appreciating my experiences here and conclusions about free vs paid dating sites, Resa :) I’m also pleased you like the redesign of the blog. After my donations campaign, a friend who designs websites came to me with an offer to improve its look –>> So kind! I’m truly blessed.
I like this article, a lot! I’ve never use a dating site, and found this fascinating.
It’ll be a while before I feel like testing the dating waters again, but I’d likely try a free site over a paid one. I did have decent luck with Match, but I suppose the level of activity of users is impacted a large number of factors.
Taking a break is good too… It can give you time to evaluate what you’re looking for in a romantic partner.
I enjoyed your informative article. It often takes time for a ‘newbie’ to discover all the mechanisms of online dating. Also, many of the same men were on both paid and free sites. For fun I clicked on your hyperlink. Australia – oh dear, I’m in USA. :-) Long distance!
Oh yes, I’ve written about long distance dating too ;) It would be interesting to know how many dating sites the average person is on as you indicate many users overlap…
It’s not possible…!
I met my man of 2. years on a non paying site.. I did have a few bad experiences but it does work.
I’m glad to hear you found your special someone :)