Many single guys wander Reddit forums, chat rooms, and international social networks with one thought on their minds: “How do I actually meet women near me online?” A question as old as the internet itself.

Well, it doesn’t take much Googling to find popular dating sites and apps that promise a lot of swiping and chatting action. But it can be a mystery which one (or ones) can actually live up to the promise and connect single people with the woman of their dreams.

Our online dating experts have explored the swiping scene to provide reliable reviews and recommendations that can steer single men in the right direction. Here’s our breakdown of the best dating sites and apps by category.

Best Overall Ways to Meet Women Near Me Online

Meeting women in real life can be tough, especially if you work or go to school full time, so a lot guys have gone online looking for better luck with the ladies. Online dating has recently become one of the most popular ways to meet local singles, and it is always open for business.

The following online dating sites provide opportunities to spark a local romance and take things to the next level.

Category Rating
★★★★★ 4.9/5.0
  • Match is the world's longest running dating site
  • The Discover section has search filters by interests, looks, lifestyle, and more
  • Match is available in 50 countries and 15 languages

Match is the top online dating site and app in our book because it has been around since 1995 and has led to more real-life relationships and marriages than any of its competitors.

If you’re serious about getting into a relationship, Match.com can support you with some seriously impressive matchmaking chops. Its personality-driven profiles ask pointed questions about your interests, values, opinions, and lifestyles, so it can find local singles who are compatible with you.

Our Match.com review goes into more detail about how the dating service works and how successful it has been over the last two decades.

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★★★★★ 4.9/5.0
  • Over 2 million monthly users
  • Premium members receive 20 wildcard matches a day
  • Search features include age, height, education, ethnicity, and lifestyle habits

EliteSingles has gotten top marks as a dating website and app for single professionals of the world. More than 80% of its members have a college degree, and pretty much 100% of them are looking for a serious partner.

The EliteSingles dating site and app create over 2,500 matches per month. Each of these connections represents a potential new power couple in the dating scene.

“Where do you live?” is one of the first questions EliteSingles asks members during the signup process. The membership base extends to 25 countries, but its biggest following is in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. Once you submit your location, the matchmaking formula will narrow your dating pool to only people within your state or province. You can widen your search parameters by going into your Match Preferences and choosing “I do not mind” under the Distance category.

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★★★★★ 4.7/5.0
  • Send messages to premium members for free
  • Over 3 million messages sent a day
  • Premium perks include photo verification and sending virtual gifts

Zoosk took a page from social media’s playbook when it launched an online dating app in 2007. Its live communication and behavioral matching features were a game changer for singles looking for an instant connection.

Today, the Zoosk platform has over 40 million members in 80 countries. That means someone is always online ready for a chat and a new relationship. In total, Zoosk members exchange more than 3 million messages per day. Our full review contains more stats on the membership base.

Zoosk recommends potential matches based on a user’s browsing and chat history, but it also has a search page with filters for age, location, appearance, and background information. Single guys can use the search tools to help them find the girl of their dreams.

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★★★★★ 4.7/5.0
  • Over 2 million people have found love here
  • Users can filter their match recommendations by age or city
  • Compatibility Quiz identifies common interests, lifestyles, and goals

The eharmony dating site and app draws from psychology principles to identify long-lasting compatibility and inspire relationships that lead to marriage. Since its launch in 2000, eharmony has led to over 2 million relationships in the U.S.

Location plays a big factor in the eharmony match algorithm. This dating platform isn’t in business to support long-distance pen pals. It puts singles within reach of actual local date prospects, providing free icebreakers and virtual winks to get the ball rolling.

Although eharmony will automatically recommend profiles within your area, the dating website also has a local search tool available to premium members only. If you’re serious about meeting a single woman near you, then you’ll need to upgrade to a paid membership to get full access to eharmony’s advanced search filters, photo galleries, and chat tools.

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★★★★ 4.3/5.0

As the most popular Christian dating site around, ChristianMingle connects millions of singles in the Christian community with its faith-driven matching tools. It’s a wholesome dating space for a man seeking a good Christian woman.

ChristianMingle is open to people of all ages, backgrounds, and types, but it primarily appeals to local singles seeking a Christian date. Something that makes this dating service unique is the in-depth dating profiles, which have sections for Christian denomination, church attendance, and favorite Bible verses. ChristianMingle focuses on highlighting the beliefs and values that motivate a person to choose love, build deep relationships, and start a family.

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★★★★ 4.2/5.0

BlackPeopleMeet is a niche dating site dedicated to looking out for singles in the Black community. Not 100% of its members are Black, but they’re all open to dating and getting in a relationship with a Black person.

If you’re attracted to dark-skinned women, you may want to consider setting up a dating profile on BlackPeopleMeet. This dating platform helps individuals meet people they may never have run into otherwise. All you have to do is go to the Search tab to find a tailored list of date options in your area.

BlackPeopleMeet offers a diverse dating scene where Black people are in the majority and only verified members can join in the conversation.

Category Rating
★★★★ 4.1/5.0
  • Free, unlimited communication for everyone
  • Singles can swipe or search for a compatible date
  • Over 91 million connections every year

OkCupid is a completely free and completely fun dating space for anyone and everyone looking for romance. Since its launch in 2004, OkCupid has created a robust matchmaking system that puts the user’s likes, opinions, and preferences first.

A free membership on OkCupid includes unlimited browsing and chatting on the platform. You’ll also be able to answer thousands of match questions and complete open-ended sections like “On a typical Friday night I am” or “Cats or dogs” to spice up your dating profile. All this information goes into the compatibility ratings that determine how well you fit with another user.

OkCupid inspires over 91 million love connections a year and has more mentions in The New York Times’ wedding section than any other online dating service.

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★★★★ 4.1/5.0

Plenty of Fish is a 100% free dating platform with a massive following. More than 150 million singles have created an account on POF, and the platform sees something like 4 million visitors each and every day.

A single man can take a personality test and set match filters to increase his odds of encountering a compatible date online. Then he can browse profiles and send likes and messages without needing to pay anything. The only restriction is that POF members can only send 55 first messages in a 24-hour period.

Whether you’re looking for a casual relationship or a long-term love, Plenty of Fish can provide plenty of options in the local dating pool. So all you have to do is work up the nerve to say hi to a new person.

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★★★★ 4.0/5.0
  • Supports active daters in 190+ countries
  • The swiping system creates over 12 million matches per day
  • Tinder Plus members have unlimited likes and 5 Super Likes

Tinder is an undeniably powerful force to be reckoned with in the local dating scene. This dating app has created over 43 billion matches over the last decade, and it inspires about 1.5 million first dates every week.

Those stats are impressive, but they don’t tell the whole story. Tinder provides tons of swiping, matching, and dating opportunities all day every day — but it also provides filters and restraints to help individuals narrow that endless list to the most viable date prospects.

Tinder has the reputation of a hookup app, but its open-ended network can also facilitate making new friends and creating relationships. Serious online daters can use Tinder’s matchmaking tools to spot a potential partner, strike up a conversation, and build a real Tinder relationship.

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★★★★ 4.0/5.0
  • A feminist dating app puts singles on equal footing
  • 60% of Bumble matches turn into dates
  • Bumble Bizz and Bumble BFF spark non-romantic connections

Since 2014, Bumble has made a name for itself as the feminist dating app and the anti-Tinder, and many online daters have praised its women-first messaging system.

Bumble has set a more respectful and balanced tone by giving single women the power and discretion to decide which of her mutual matches turn into conversations. The Bumble system turns traditional gender roles on their head. Men no longer have to carry the burden of always making the first move, and women don’t have to be prey to unsolicited messages and pickup lines.

A recent Bumble survey found that approximately 85% of Bumble users are looking for a serious relationship, and fewer than 4% said they were only interested in casual sex.

Best Ways to Meet Senior Women Near Me Online

Seniors often find it difficult to meet new people and make new friends because they’ve been in the same routine for years, if not decades. It’s just not that easy to strike up a conversation at a coffee shop and have it lead to an actual connection.

Fortunately, online dating has created an open forum where senior singles can reach out to one another and find common ground in a more positive and promising way. We’ve ranked some of the best senior dating sites to give you an idea of what’s out there.

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★★★★★ 4.5/5.0

SilverSingles has simplified and streamlined the online dating experience to be all about you and what you want. When you create your dating profile, you can specify what sort of things you look for in a potential partner, and the match algorithm will use the data to recommend the perfect match.

As a seniors-only platform, SilverSingles can introduce an older gentleman to a single woman in his age bracket. The vast majority of users are over 50 and interested in romancing senior daters without playing any games.

Category Rating
★★★★ 4.4/5.0
  • Open to straight, gay, and lesbian singles over 50
  • Free match recommendations and conversation starters
  • Use Tokens to promote your profile and send virtual gifts

OurTime is an online dating site where seniors don’t have to be self-conscious about their age. Experience is an attractive quality in this senior network.

An older man can easily meet an older woman by using OurTime’s advanced search tools and daily match suggestions. This niche dating scene has millions of members, but it only features those who are within a certain mile radius of one another. That way, local dating opportunities can stand out and seniors don’t have to travel far to find a soulmate.

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★★★★ 3.7/5.0

Since 2003, SeniorMatch has given hope to seniors wondering if their dating days are over. Single people over 50 can create an account to find romantic possibilities nearby and abroad. Because, on this dating service, it’s never too late to find true love.

SeniorMatch can make a huge difference in a senior person’s love life. It has over 1 million members worldwide and fosters over 1.6 million conversations each month. So far, the SeniorMatch team has collected more than 36,600 testimonials from couples who met on the online dating site or app.

“Met the woman of my dreams here,” said one SeniorMatch member who is now engaged. “We have been inseparable for the past few months. Moved in together a short while ago. Bought the rings a couple of weeks ago, and we pick them up today.”

Best Ways to Meet Lesbian, Bisexual, and Trans Women Near Me Online

A single woman in the LGBTQ+ community may not enjoy mixing and mingling on mainstream apps for many reasons. For one thing, not all platforms are good about keeping creepy dudes from soliciting sex and threesomes from lesbian women. And, for another thing, LGBTQ+ date options may be extremely limited on dating networks geared more toward straight and cisgender folks.

That’s why certain lesbian dating platforms have arisen to combat stereotypes and empower single women in the online dating world. Here’s a couple good ones:

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★★★★ 3.5/5.0

LesbianPersonals is a hookup site geared toward women and couples who want to explore their sexuality and walk on the wild side. This is an anything-goes type platform where anyone over 18 can enjoy a little dirty talk in private messages or a kinky chat room.

A LesbianPersonals member can up her dating game by conducting an online search for women who are in the same area and currently online.

It’s totally free to create an account on LesbianPersonals, and single women have some free messaging options to keep them engaged in the flirtatious action. However, only premium members can exchange private photos and view raunchy videos on the site.

15. HER

Category Rating
★★★★ 3.5/5.0
  • A quirky and unapologetic womxn-only dating community
  • Queer events get users connecting IRL
  • The constantly updated Feed facilitates social networking

HER is a dating app created by a lesbian woman who was serious about bringing LGBTQ+ folks together in a positive and safe space. Since its launch almost 10 years ago, HER has been a benevolent force for love and friendship between women across the spectrum of sexuality.

Over 5 million women have joined the HER community to date, and they have all been verified as authentic women (not creepy dudes) with honest dating intentions. The moderators are quick to remove anyone spreading negativity or failing to live up to the HER Community Guidelines.

“We want to encourage love, open minds, and comfort,” the HER team says. “There will be lots of opinions in the community — respect others’ comments, engage in fun humor, and be appropriate. No judgement, no drama.”

Best Ways to Meet Women Near Me Online for Hookups

Just looking for casual sex? Then your best bet is going to be on a sex-positive dating site where adults can create adult relationships with ease. Hookup sites encourage individuals to talk about sex, view erotic content, and arrange sexual encounters in a private space, and it’s no wonder that they’ve become popular all over the world.

Check out our list of the most trustworthy adult dating sites for local sex seekers.

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★★★★ 4.2/5.0

Ashley Madison is an affair dating site where anything goes and everyone is welcome to join the fun. Married people use this discreet space to follow their passions and see where their online romances take them.

Not all of Ashley Madison’s 60 million members are exactly single, but they are all looking for a hot date or a sexting partner to spice up their love lives. In fact, over 61% of members said finding sex was their main reason for joining the affair site. All female members can read and send messages on Ashley Madison for free, so you don’t have to worry about your advances falling on deaf ears.

Ashley Madison allows members to mask and blur their faces in photos, and it does not require any identifying information beyond your age, gender, and general location.

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★★★★ 4.1/5.0

The BeNaughty dating site provides many private avenues to romantic interludes, and users don’t have to be shy about stating their intentions in their dating profile or private messages.

All BeNaughty members are adults seeking a sexually satisfying experience or relationship. They often let go of their inhibitions and indulge in fantasies while exploring this platform. Casual daters can use BeNaughty’s local search tools to find attractive people in their area, and then they can send instant messages or prewritten icebreakers to charm their way into a no-strings-attached hookup.

Category Rating
★★★★ 4.0/5.0

Adult Friend Finder hosts one of the largest online sex parties in the world. The adult dating site has over 102 million members, and it sparks new sexually explicit conversations and matches every day.

The AFF community is full of sexual tension waiting to be released through blogs, videos, and messaging. Its members-only forum has discussion groups organized by interests. The categories include everything from bondage to sexual health. Individuals can even find local dating options in city-based discussion boards and blogs.

AFF users do not need to disclose their names or even upload a picture to browse the sex site. The anonymous atmosphere can make sex seekers feel more comfortable stating their desires in the blog, forum, and videos.

Category Rating
★★★★ 3.9/5.0

Local singles can use FriendFinder-X as their wingman for sexual encounters, and it’s totally free to get started. The casual sex site has millions of members with all sorts of kinks, fetishes, and sexual desires, and individuals can organize the potential match list by distance, online activity, or popularity.

As a female-friendly sex site, FriendFinder-X gives women the chance to mingle and chat without paying for a subscription, and it has a members-only chat room for general flirting and giving advice. All in all, FriendFinder-X is an erotic platform that offers singles, couples, and groups a quick fix for their sex addiction in the form of X-rated blogs, videos, and photo galleries.

Category Rating
★★★★ 4.0/5.0
  • Over 70 million registered users
  • Naked photos, videos, and private messaging available
  • Send a Flirtcast to get in touch with all potential matches

Last of all, Flirt.com is a casual sex site that’s brimming with romantic possibilities. As soon as you complete your dating profile, you can search for local dates, swipe on profile pictures, and send messages to anyone who catches your eye. The Flirt platform provides free chat options to both men and women, but men have more limitations on how many free messages they can send.

Flirt has millions of daily active members, and they’re all interested in becoming more sexually active. Some are content with sexting with a stranger online, while others are more keen to meet in person and put all that dirty talk into action.

Can I Use Meetup.com to Meet Women Near Me?

Yes, Meetup is a great resource to meet women of all ages and backgrounds. You just have to pick a hobby or interest and RSVP to a social event in your area. The Meetup Dating and Relationships group currently has over 6 million members and nearly 4,500 groups to its name, so you certainly won’t be the only one looking for love and romance on this social website.

How Do I Use Social Media to Meet Local Women?

Social media platforms offer an open dating field where it’s tempting to send a private message to a woman who shares your views, makes funny jokes, or has an intriguing profile picture. You can slide into a woman’s DMs on Twitter, but our dating experts are skeptical about how often that actually leads to a conversation, much less a relationship.

Instead of making a cold approach to a stranger, it’s a better idea to try to connect through mutual friends. You can search through your bestie’s friend list and ask for an introduction or a phone number to start things off. Try to be as authentic and respectful as possible when reaching out — that means no pickup lines.

Facebook users can download the Facebook app to find a more straightforward avenue to romance: Facebook Dating.

Screenshot of Facebook Dating

Facebook Dating is a streamlined dating app run through Facebook

Facebook Dating launched in 2019 on a mission to revolutionize the way single people meet one another. It has the backing of one of the biggest social networks of all time, and its matchmaking potential is off the charts.

Facebook members must opt into the Facebook Dating application, and they have to create a unique dating profile that is totally separate from their public profile. They will only see other Facebook Dating members on the app, and they can choose to add their own Facebook friends to a Secret Crush list to see if their interest is mutual.

How Do Local Dating Sites Work?

Local dating sites tend to use your location to find potential matches within a certain mile radius. The dating platform may ask you to manually choose your country and city, or it may use GPS data from your smartphone or mobile device to retrieve your real-time location.

You can usually go into your settings to adjust a preferred mile radius anywhere from 10 miles to 500 miles. This doesn’t always mean the dating site or app will never show a dating profile outside your preferred mile radius — sometimes a single person exhausts local options and it’s necessary to look outside the city limits — but the algorithm will prioritize matches based on their proximity.

How Else Can I Meet Women Near Me?

If online dating isn’t for you, don’t despair — there are plenty of other ways to meet local women. You can look on Meetup to find a social event going on in the area, or you can sign up for a co-ed sports league or dance class.

You could start attending local club meetings or visting farmers markets. It doesn’t really matter what activity you choose as long as you’re putting yourself out there and joining a group of like-minded people.

Photo of a BATL tournament

Hanging out with friends in a social atmosphere is an organic way to meet women.

During the coronavirus pandemic, online social meetups became particularly popular among health-conscious folks. As a result, local groups have organized virtual trivia nights, book clubs, and cooking classes to help singles stay connected while social distancing.

Whether you’re volunteering at an animal shelter or performing with an improv theater troupe, you may have to try something new and go outside your usual routine to expand your social circle — but it’s totally worth the effort to meet that special person.

Are Local Dating Sites Safe to Use?

Yes, meeting a stranger online is about as safe as meeting a stranger anywhere. You just have to vet a new person by asking pointed questions, trusting your instincts, and doing a little background research. It’s a good idea to learn all you can about a potential date and maybe even set up a phone call or video date before agreeing to meet in person.

Watch out for spammers and scammers who may try to sell you on a sob story and ask you for money or favors. Fake profiles generally have a too-good-to-be-true vibe, so be on guard if your new love interest seems to become very into you very quickly. It could be love, or it could be a con.

Most of the people you meet on a dating site or app are going to be legit people seeking something real. But sometimes a person goes online with bad intentions, so you have to learn to spot the warning signs and use good judgment before giving your trust to any new person.

Which Local Dating Site Do I Choose?

Our experts view online dating as the overall best option for meeting women because it gives singles more control over their matching experience. They can set certain standards, use specific search tools, and mingle in the dating pool that makes them feel the most comfortable and confident.

Different types of daters are drawn to different dating networks. Coffee Meets Bagel was founded by three Asian sisters in Silicon Valley, and it has been particularly popular among college students in the U.S.

Meanwhile, Match has cultivated a more mature and global membership base. Approximately 75% of Match members are over 30 years old, and the database reaches more than 50 countries worldwide.

Category Rating
★★★★★ 4.9/5.0
  • Find quality women with advanced search filters
  • Communicate with your Top Picks for free
  • Add up to 26 photos to your profile

The best dating site or app for you will vary based on your dating intentions and where you are in life.

A guy can use Match.com to engage in interesting conversations and form a real relationship with the woman of his choice. However, if he’s most interested in playing the field and meeting as many women as possible, then Match may not be his best option. He may find the fast-paced dating networks of Tinder and Bumble are more his speed.

What are the Search Functionalities on Local Dating Sites?

All dating sites and apps will have some basic search tools or match settings at your disposal. It’s pretty standard for a matchmaking algorithm to factor in a person’s age, gender, location, and sexual orientation in the search for the potential partner. Some advanced algorithms go futher and ask singles to describe their perfect match in more detail (i.e. appearance, ethnicity, religion, etc.) or set certain dealbreakers regarding their lifestyle.

Go Online to Meet Local Women & Start a New Romance

It can be frustrating to surf the web looking for local women and find only pen pals, catfishers, and international dates in your inbox. We’ve seen a lot of comments and feedback from single men who say they’re tired of going round and round in a swiping carousel. They want to meet real women — without having to travel outside their ZIP code.

We created this list of dating sites and apps to give a morale boost to guys wondering “How can I meet women near me online?”

You don’t need to be a relationship expert to find success on a popular dating platform. Simply create a profile, conduct a local search, and put your best foot forward in every message. You never know where that next conversation may lead!

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