Best Dating Sites Of 2024: Tested & Reviewed + Expert Advice For A Better Online Dating Experience

Eharmony has made a name for itself as one of the best dating sites for serious relationships. Dating on eharmony is definitely going to move slower than using a dating site such as Bumble or Tinder, but that might be aligned with your dating goals.

The extensive profile-building process took me at least 20 minutes to complete—and it really made me think about how best to represent myself.

It was interesting to see my compatibility score with potential suitors, and to check out their personality quiz, like if they leaned more emotional over logical. These are characteristics I’m taking into consideration if I’m looking for a long-term partner.

The site is worth it if you're willing to financially invest in finding a serious relationship and if other dating app formats are just not working for you.

Success story: A couple in their 50s who met on eharmony and have been married six years.

Cost:

6-month plan: $66/month 

12-month plan: $46/month

24-month plan: $35.90/month

Read our full eHarmony review and save 20% on any membership with code MBG20.

Match is one of the oldest dating sites, and for good reason. The profiles are straightforward but still in-depth – you fill out prompts, your physicality and many interests. You can even add up to 26 pictures.

There are multiple ways to match with others on the dating site, like using the app, which looks like Tinder, or the website, which lets you browse and search like on OkCupid. There are also different types of matching features to help you meet new people, such as the reverse matching feature, which shows people who are looking for your criteria.

The free version of Match is honestly just not worth it, in my opinion, but the paid version could be worth trying out for people who are willing to invest. On the free version, my overall experience was very OK. With the paid version, I felt like I could use the app more freely and browse many more folks, plus actually be able to message them.

Cost: Standard Plan costs $19/month for a one-year subscription, which is their cheapest monthly rate. You can also purchase a single month for $46

SilverSingles seeks to make online dating easy and approachable for people 50 years and older. When you sign up, you take an in-depth personality test about your dating style and what you value in relationships. 

Then the dating site matches you daily with about three to seven potential suitors based on your goals, values and other criteria. Like Match, you can see a compatibility score with potential matches to see if you have similar values and interests. Although there are less users than on Tinder, SilverSingles definitely puts quality over quantity.

Cost: 12 Months: $24.95; 6 Months: $34.95; 3 Months: $44.95

Tinder makes online dating super easy, and because of that, it’s a classic dating site. As one of the first dating apps on the scene, all you have to do is quickly create your profile with a short bio, photos and your preferences and then start swiping left or right.

Because of its ease and unlimited right swipes, Tinder is definitely the best dating site for casual dating. In my experience on Tinder, you’ll meet all sorts of people very quickly, and their dating intentions are going to be all over the map. I’ve met people just looking for a hookup and I’ve also met a past boyfriend on the app.

“While I haven't had many long-lasting committed romantic relationships from my time on Tinder, it's actually one of my favorite dating apps,” says Jennifer Stavros. “Tinder is hands down the best dating app for traveling. I love the range of experiences I'm able to have on the app and the fact that you can use it for friendships, hookups, casual dating, or something serious.”

One of the best dating apps for introverts, Coffee Meets Bagel focuses on quality over quantity, unlike Tinder and Bumble, which offer unlimited swiping and messaging. Each day at noon, you get new “bagels,” or matches. For women, the bagels you get are ones who have already liked you, which is good to know – it’s all up to you now. If you’re not into your bagels, you can still browse other potential matches that didn’t fit into all your preferences.

This app is a great choice if this is your first time online dating and you feel overwhelmed or you don’t want to waste time swiping through what feels like endless profiles.

Hinge is a good balance between Tinder and eharmony. The profiles are a mix of photos with cheeky captions and question prompts. You can swipe through potential matches and also check out Standouts, which are popular profiles that fit into your criteria. 

You’re only allowed to send up to eight likes a day and one rose (unless you do the paid membership), which can be annoying if you run out of likes and someone else catches your eye, or good so you’re not endlessly swiping. Once you like someone or vice versa, the other person can accept and you can start messaging. The prompts make it easy to chat too, so no more boring “hey’s.”

I actually had a successful relationship off of Hinge a few years ago and it remains one of my favorite dating apps. I think the app does a great job at letting people express their personalities through their profiles and to spark conversations. 

Cost: Hinge+ costs $15 per month and HingeX costs $25 per month.

OkCupid has been around since 2004 but went through a major rebranding recently. Now, it’s one of the most inclusive dating sites and is known for its strong algorithm.

When you sign up for a profile, you answer a wide variety of questions, which have been personalized to each user depending on factors such as geography or sexual orientation.

Think of unique questions like, “Do you often find yourself worrying about things that you have no control over?” Then the dating site will match you with others based on how you answered those questions. 

The dating site also isn’t afraid of letting people put their political views on full display either, which could be good if you have some serious dealbreakers. On your profile, you can share how you feel about abortion, immigration and guns.

HER is a dating site that seeks to create a safe and inclusive environment for queer women – there are 20 sexualities and 21 gender identities to pick. They even have a verification process where you send a selfie of yourself to the app so no cis-gender males can get onto the platform. Like Tinder and Hinge, HER has users build out a usual profile with photos and some prompts. 

The app has the typical swiping feature but also allows for you to match and add others users as “friends.” The dating site is like a networking site so you can join communities and even get off the app and into the real world and attend queer events.

Cost: 1 month: $14.99; 6 months: $60; 12 months: $90

Bumble was made as a woman’s response to Tinder, quite literally – the founder was a co-founder for Tinder too. The big selling point for Bumble is that women make the first move, so if a woman matches with a man, she has to send the first message. While this cuts down on unsolicited messages, it also means you have to be ready to take the initiative.

It’s pretty quick to set up a profile, you add photos, interests and choose three prompts. Then you have the ability for swiping. However, if a match doesn’t respond to your message or you don’t even send one within 24 hours, it disappears. The free version offers a lot for users, but the paid version allows for backtracking and more SuperSwipes.

I appreciate the women-first messaging approach with Bumble. In fact, the app is where I met my last partner. The 24-hour expiration time also encouraged me to message sooner rather than later. If you’re really serious about dating, the Premium version gives your profile an extra boost and you have unlimited swipes.

Cost: Bumble Boost costs $9/week, $17/month, $34/three months, $55/six months; Bumble Premium costs $20/week, $40/month, $77/three months, $230 for lifetime subscription