A friend of mine recently attempted her hand with online dating following a scant few years away from the scene. She enrolled in one of the most popular dating sites in existence and, like many others, found herself swamped drowned in messages https://medium.com/@datersearch/baltic-brides-9063298fc582 and unscreened matches. It quickly became work, not fun, and she gave up before she even met anyone. She’s not alone: Roughly 33% of Americans say they know a couple who met online. The good news is that there are a variety of other sites and apps out there to try. The key is uncovering one that aligns with your dating goals and meets your needs.

The following elite 8 dating sites are some of the most popular within the U.S. and are geared at different audiences. Some, such as eharmony and Match, are intended for those looking for serious relationships https://www.askmen.com/dating/dating_advice/20-different-ways-to-successfully-find-love-in-2020.html; others, for example, Tinder and Bumble, are more focused on casual hookups. Some sites have a membership that lets you create a profile and view matches, while others require a premium subscription for messaging and other features.

OkCupid

The platform says it creates over 90 million matches a year and boasts that it’s “the leading scientifically proven dating site on the planet.” It has an exhaustive questionnaire that helps identify compatible mates, but isn’t as long as the one on eharmony. It also prompts users to answer questions about things they’re enthusiastic about, ranging from climate change to cilantro (it’s not for the faint of heart).

Coffee Meets Bagel

After a successful launch in New York City and a stint on Shark Tank, this app has quickly advanced beyond its home base in the Big Apple. The app claims to eliminate endless swiping by only showing you one match each day, and requires women to make the first move in heterosexual matches. It also offers an version that provides more potential matches and eliminates ads.

HER

This dating app targets lesbian, bisexual, and queer people. It’s free to join and browse profiles, but a subscription is required to contact matches and send gifts. The app uses location data to show you potential matches in your area. It also has a smartphone-accessible chat room and a feature that allows you to see who has viewed your profile.

Ourtime

Owned by Match, this site caters aimed at adults over 50 who are interested in serious relationships and companionship. Its members must have at least 25 years’ experience to join, and it offers a customer service team to help with any issues. The site has an extensive library of articles about dating and relationships, and members can upload as much as ten photos.

While Ourtime doesn’t have as many active users as some of the other options on this list, it is a choice for those who are over 50 and are serious about finding a romantic partner. Its user base is fairly diverse and the site includes an array of active senior singles.