Top 10 Best Sites
Looking for a dating site you can trust? Search no more.
Online dating sites and apps have been a game-changer for many helpless romantics. A Pew Research survey indicated that 12% of American adults say they’ve found love or tied the knot with someone they met online.
However, some singles shy away from online dating due to concerns about the price they need to pay for a subscription. Fortunately, nowadays, you can find completely free dating sites without payment. Read this article, join one or some of the platforms, hang out, and boom! You can get what you want: a hookup partner, a serious partner, or anything in between. Enjoy!
1. Match
Relationships: Friends, Dates, and Relationships
Match System: Browse by zip, age, appearance, more
Our Experts Say: “As the largest and most diverse dating site in the world, Match features profiles of millions of local singles and a popular app. If you only try one dating service, make it Match…” Full Review »
Browse Free: View Photos Now
| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Free Trial
|
| All Singles* |
49%*
51%*
|
39.7 Million* | Get 3 Days FREE |
If you’re on a budget and looking for free dating sites that don’t skimp on quality, look no further than Match. Most people on this platform are seeking someone who wants a committed long-term relationship. Singles can’t go wrong with Match, as the dating site has been around since 1995, with plenty of success stories.
You can pave your way toward a serious relationship by creating a free online dating profile detailing your interests and match preferences, exploring singles who live nearby, and staying informed about exclusive Match events. But that’s not all. You can also chat with your Top Picks, the most compatible potential matches according to the algorithm. This gives you a good chance of getting a date with someone you hit it off with, free of charge.
2. eharmony
Relationships: Casual Dates, Deep Relationships
Match System: Personality test suggests matches
Our Experts Say: “Simply put, eharmony is where you go if you’d like to speed up the marriage process. Complete a free questionnaire, get matched for free, and find your lifelong partner all in one fell swoop…” Full Review »
Browse Free: View Photos Now
| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Free Trial
|
| All Singles* |
48%*
52%*
|
4.1 Million* | Join eharmony FREE |
Putting eharmony on this totally free dating sites list is a no-brainer. With the motto, “Get who gets you,” the platform focuses on helping singles build genuine connections that will last a lifetime. Over the past 20 years, eharmony has played a role in writing more than 200 million successful love stories and counting.
To set up an eharmony dating profile, you only need a valid email address. This basic free account allows you to upload photos, take compatibility quizzes, and send likes to show interest. Many serious daters find that the eharmony personality test works better than superficial swiping in terms of recommending compatible matches from the start. Notes that only paid members can view photos and send unlimited messages. This can be a dealbreaker for those who are in the budget.
3. EliteSingles
Relationships: Serious Relationships
Match System: Search, Receive Partner Suggestions
Our Experts Say: “EliteSingles is a leading dating site just for busy, single professionals. More than 80% of members have earned a college degree, and most are looking for a serious commitment…” Full Review »
Browse Free: View Photos Now
| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Free Trial
|
| All Singles* |
44%*
56%*
|
2 Million* | Sign Up Free |
Elite Singles stands out by targeting the upper crust of the dating world. If you have a solid career and are looking for someone similar, this platform could be your best bet. You can expect simple features to give you extra assistance in meeting high-quality individuals who are ready to settle down.
“I was impressed with the quality of my partner suggestions,” said Mark, a user in Boston. “I have to admit I have been pleasantly surprised.”
You can create a free account in EliteSingle with no hidden fees. It costs you nothing to browse, and enjoy certain forms of communication. The app requires you to take a personality test and it filters your matches based on the results of this test. Unfortunately, you must upgrade to a paid membership if you want complete access to your inbox and other members’ photos.
4. OurTime.com
Relationships: Dates and Relationships
Match System: Search by profiles by zip and more
Our Experts Say: “OurTime is our top choice for free senior dating, with a simple interface and tons of mature and senior users. Its site, app, and free trial are for those 50 and older only…” Full Review »
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| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Free Trial
|
| Mature Singles (50+)* |
48%*
52%*
|
8.9 Million* | Over 50? Start FREE |
Competing in the swiping game with people half your age isn’t an ideal situation for mature singles looking for dates. That’s why OurTime was launched. It’s a seniors-oriented dating pool where mature singles can connect with new people in their age bracket without feeling awkward. You must be over 50 to join this free dating service.
On OurTime, you can create a free dating profile in less than two minutes. The interface is user-friendly, as it was designed to help seniors who are not tech-savvy. With a free membership, you can sign up, add photos, search for a date, and have a good time. Without giving your credit card number, you can also message senior adults in your Top Picks list. These are people who are compatible with you according to the OurTime matchmaking system.
Relationships: Friendship, Casual Dates, Serious Relationships
Match System: Search by age, location, height, education, ethnicity, and religion
Our Experts Say: “SilverSingles is a fast-growing, easy-to-use niche dating site exclusively for active daters over the age of 50…” Full Review »
Browse Free: View Photos Now
| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Free Trial
|
| Mature Singles (50+)* |
41%*
59%*
|
800,000* | Sign up for FREE |
SilverSingles is another alternative for senior daters over 50 who are trying to find a partner. With easy-to-use features, personality tests, and advanced search filters, you can connect with new people to see if there’s a spark. One thing to note is that most SilverSingles members are looking for friendships and long-term relationships, not casual hookups.
As with every free dating site on this list, you can join SilverSingles for $0 and your free account won’t expire. Senior daters can create a dating profile, browse for local matches, and gain limited access to messaging. If you’re ready to upgrade to premium membership, you can see photos of other members and message anyone who matches with you.
Relationships: Dates and Serious Relationships
Match System: Search by gender, age, education, more
Our Experts Say: “If you’d like to try Christian dating for free, ChristianMingle is your site. Its Christian-only user base and excellent search functionality make finding a like-minded match easy…” Full Review »
Browse Free: View Photos Now
| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Free Trial
|
| Christian Singles* |
44%*
56%*
|
3.5 Million* | Free Search, Then $14.99/Mo. |
If you’re a Christian seeking a partner who shares the same religion, using mainstream dating apps to find dates can be challenging. After all, asking about religion on your first coffee date can be awkward. And if you keep postponing asking the question, you may end up falling in love with someone who doesn’t align with your beliefs. This is where Christian Mingle comes in handy.
Since its launch in 2004, Christian Mingle has become a reputable brand for dating apps in the religious niche. With over 16 million members, it offers a dating pool to help Christians find their other half. Using a basic membership, you can upload information and photos, search for date prospects, receive match suggestions, and communicate in a variety of ways. After 20 years in the matchmaking business, Christian Mingle has been responsible for 29% of Christian marriages that began online, and over 80% of members would recommend this dating service to a friend.
Relationships: Hookups Only
Match System: Search by location, interest, more
Our Experts Say: “Make no mistake: this site isn’t about making friends, it’s about finding hookups and casual encounters. No adult site has a larger or more active user base of those seeking discreet fun…”
Browse Free: View Photos Now
| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Free Trial
|
| All Singles* |
65%*
35%*
|
25.5 Million* | 3 Months @ $19.95/Mo |
AdultFriendFinder is the only sexually charged dating app on this completely free dating site article. This app is for those seeking a one-night stand, threesome, or hookup partner without the bells and whistles involved in maintaining a relationship. With over 100 million profiles in its database, AFF allows you to mingle in a never-ending sexy crowd.
On AdultFriendFinder, you can join public dating forums, read erotic blogs, and watch live video strip teases. You can cut right to the chase and use the search tab to find the hottest singles nearby. The best part is, that you don’t have to be a mutual match to send a message; you can message anyone who catches your attention.
8. OkCupid
OkCupid is a haven for singles who want to build true connections without breaking the bank. Since 2004, OkCupid has drawn millions of members, creating an active and diverse database catering to young people. On this free dating site, singles can enjoy unlimited messaging without paying any membership fees. You can even chat with someone without having to match first. However, if you want to keep the conversation going, they’ll need to like your dating profile to respond.
On this platform, you can find any kind of relationship, from casual hookups to something more serious. OkCupid requires users to state what they’re looking for so that people don’t waste their time. The algorithm also provides compatibility ratings to help you focus on people who share your values and goals. It’s no wonder this platform claims to be responsible for making 91 million matches every year.
9. Plenty of Fish
Plenty of Fish is another totally free dating site that allows you to chat with new people without paying a cent or requiring mutual matching.
Having begun in 2003 as a Canadian dating site, POF quickly became a global sensation with 1 billion messages exchanged per month. Other impressive stats include the fact that it has over 150 million members, 70,000 new people join daily, and the site creates over 57 million new connections each week.
Plenty of Fish reviews are overall positive and upbeat. A user named Marlene James wrote on Google Play: “The selections of partners are a bit diverse. The app works great very easy to send and receive and flip through. In general, it’s a decent dating app but you also have to take more initiative to meet someone you might find suitable. Use your own discretion as to who and where you wish to meet someone.”
10. Facebook Dating
Facebook Dating is an online dating service created by Facebook. It’s currently accessible only through the Facebook mobile app on Android and iOS, with no web version available. At no charge, people can use their Facebook accounts for their love life. Facebook Dating takes profile information from your Facebook account to jump-start your dating profile. But don’t worry: Your activity on Facebook Dating will not appear in your main Facebook account.
The most fun feature of Facebook Dating is the Secret Crush section, where you can see if someone in your Facebook or Instagram account is interested in you. This may ignite a long-forgotten love from your teenage days. If someone adds you to their crush list on Facebook Dating, you’ll get a notification when they join Facebook Dating.
11. Tinder
This completely free dating sites list wouldn’t be complete without the king of swiping apps: Tinder. By inventing swipe-based matching in 2012. Today, the app changed the way people find dates. Today, it is responsible for over 75 billion matches, and it inspires over 1.5 million first dates every week.
Although Tinder is famous as a place to find casual hookups, you can also find real Tinder love stories that lead to marriage. At the end of the day, it depends on how you use Tinder to find someone who is seeking the same thing as you. After all, online dating is a numbers game, and Tinder has the biggest numbers in the market, so it’s worth your time to download the app and start chatting with new people.
12. Bumble
If you’re not interested in being bombarded by random guys in your inbox, Bumble may be the best online dating site for you. Having launched in 2014, this platform distinguished itself through the rule that only women can send the first message after a match is created. This allows women to pick and choose whom they want to start connecting with. Also, guys love this approach because they will be chatting only with women who are interested in them.
In addition to connecting with potential romantic matches, you can connect with people as BFFs to network. As of today, Bumble has over 100 million users and reaches more than 150 countries. Simply swipe, and chat; before you know it, you could be on a flirty first date.
13. Hinge
If you’re looking for an online dating app that allows you to find the right partner and stop swiping forever, you must give Hinge a try. With the tagline “designed to be deleted,” this platform sets up 200,000 first dates every week. Even better, Hinge’s founder, Justin McLeod, claims that three out of four of those first dates turn into a second date.
One detail that sets Hinge apart from its counterparts is that you must like or comment on something specific on the profile to create a match. That means generic greetings like “Hi” or “What’s up” won’t work. You can comment or ask a question on one of the six photos in someone’s profile, or you can respond to one of their three personal prompts. Hinge also offers 80 prompts to help you show your personality in your dating profile.
14. Coffee Meets Bagel
If you’re looking for true love without the need for payments, you should consider downloading Coffee Meets Bagel. In this app, you have a limited number of likes and matches per day, and you won’t see them again once they pass. This rule forces you to be super-selective and to slow down when giving likes to other profiles.
CMB users tend to find serious relationships; those looking for fast and easy matches should go elsewhere. Here’s what Dave Disselkamp said about this app in his review in the Google Store: “Easy to use, good matches. I met a wonderful woman through this app and things are going very well. We’re even talking about getting married! To all you singles out there, persistence pays off!”
15. HER
HER is a woman-only dating app that offers a safe space for queer women to explore their community and sexuality. To date, this dating site has 13 million members who are verified as women seeking women. The app is equipped with social media feeds, personality profiles, and event listings, and it doesn’t allow men or couples to hunt for unicorns on this platform.
You can access HER core features such as creating a profile, browsing other user profiles, and instant messaging without any payment. However, if you upgrade to become a premium member, you can remove ads and get additional perks such as seeing who’s online in real-time and accessing incognito mode for even more anonymity.
16. Grindr
Grindr is famous as the gay Tinder, but it’s more like an older brother, as it launched in 2009, three years before Tinder. It has become the number one app for gay, bi, trans, and queer men to find dates. Today, Grindr is available in 196 countries, has 3.6 million daily users, and altogether has over 27 million users.
As with Tinder, most of Grindr’s users are looking for hookup partners. Using location-based matches and live chats, you can find your nearest date, say hi, and see where it takes you. You can enjoy all these features for free. If you want to enjoy an ad-free experience, swipe outside of your location, or expand your search filters, you can upgrade to Grindr XTRA.
17. Happn
If you’re interested in finding love next door, Happn is the best dating app for you. The app uses your smartphone’s location data to match you with people you cross paths with in daily life—whether it’s once, twice, or more.
Once you get a Crush, which is a match, you can start chatting right away and have a second chance at winning over local sweethearts. This platform has over 90 million users, most of whom live in big cities in the U.S., India, the U.K., and France.
It’s worth mentioning that Happn keeps everyone’s exact location private, so safety is not an issue. Instead, the app simply shows places you have in common, like frequenting the same bars, grabbing coffee at a particular café, or browsing in the same bookstore.
FAQs: Which Free Dating Site Doesn’t Require a Credit Card?
Yes, many of the dating sites mentioned in this article are free. You can create a dating profile and chat with people without providing your credit card number. OkCupid is one of the best forever-free dating sites because it never charges members to search, chat, or match. Tinder is also famous for delivering good results with its free membership.
Ashley Madison always gives women a free ride on all its features, including unlimited messaging. Regardless of its controversial concept of helping married people discreetly share their love and pleasure with someone other than their spouses, this platform is popular, with 65 million monthly visitors.
At the end of the day, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. You must decide what you’re looking for, pick a platform, and experience it first-hand. Additionally, a paid subscription helps you to get the best experience regardless of the platform you choose.
How Safe Are Free Online Dating Sites?
Online dating is fairly safe, assuming you play your cards right. Compared to traditional dating, in which you might meet strangers at a bar or another public place, online dating is pretty easy to navigate. If you feel uncomfortable, you can simply push the block and report buttons.
In addition, when you meet online, you can learn a lot about your potential date by checking their social media profiles, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter. When you finally meet in person, you can be sure they are who they say they are.
However, our experts still recommend investing in an online dating subscription if you want to meet someone special. A paid subscription will eliminate most scammers and fake profiles so you have one less thing to think about. Also, the fact that the person you’re talking to is also investing in their future relationship ensures that you won’t waste time on a flaky individual.
Can I Find a Serious Relationship On a Free Dating Site?
Yes, you can find a serious relationship on a free dating site. The most important thing is your willingness to put in the work involved in connecting with people. After all, online dating apps only help you connect with new people who align with your preferences; you still need to learn about each other and see if you both want the same thing.
For a better shot at finding your match, choose an online dating app that dives deep into profiles and uses advanced matchmaking. These apps understand that attraction goes beyond looks; often, they offer tools to help users find common interests. Apps like eharmony have serious relationships in mind and encourage users to invest in their love lives.
Relationships: Casual Dates, Deep Relationships
Match System: Personality test suggests matches
Our Experts Say: “eharmony’s unique matching system is based on what it calls “Christian-based principles” and leads to 2% of all U.S. marriages annually…” Full Review »
Browse Free: View Photos Now
| User Base | Gender Ratio | Popularity (Visits/Mo.) |
Today’s Deal
|
| All Singles* |
48%*
52%*
|
4.1 Million* | View Profiles FREE |
Free mingling has limits on some paid dating platforms because profile pictures and unlimited messaging are reserved for premium members.
Another concern is that free dating sites may be breeding grounds for scammers and fake profiles. That means you’d better stay alert when connecting with people there.
Search for Love Online Without Paying a Dime
Online dating may have once been stigmatized as a place for lonely and desperate singles, but nowadays, if you’re running out of people to date in your social circle, your next step should be a given: Go online.
We’ve created this list of completely free dating sites to give you a place to start without paying a dime. Now that you know about their most helpful features, you can forge your way to a relationship that meets your needs. Have fun!
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