Amie’s Online Dating Sites Review

My husband and I met online so I can fully attest that online dating is a legitimate way to meet your forever partner. That being said, just because you go on online dates it doesn’t fully guarantee that it will work the same for you. Everyone’s path is different except for one factor, you have to put yourself out there and be willing to do what it takes to find love.

Smart singles do this by being open to meeting potential partners in any and all dating platforms. Inside my Online Dating Class, I share that 40% of all relationships begin in the digital space, it’s safe to say that at least some of your dating life should be spent online. The rest can be divided up between more face-to-face dating options: like meeting through friends, speed-dating, meet-ups, going to parties, etc.

If you are going to invest some of your time jumping on the online dating train, the million-dollar question is which of the hundreds of dating sites would be best for you? Although I don’t believe there’s a magic bullet answer to this question, there are ways for you to hedge your bets and locate the best site for you.

I recently came across a comprehensive study by ConsumersAdvocate.org in which they created a comprehensive guide to some of the top online dating sites. Their study compared and measured dating sites by analyzing their features, costs, services, and matchmaking platforms.

Here is a breakdown of some of the most important details I found in the assessment as well as my take on it.

#1 eHarmony (Best for Commitment-Minded People)

Estimated that more than 400 people are married every day as a result of personal connections made through eHarmony’s online dating services.
Very detailed profile creation which seriously takes time to complete.
Uses its patented “relationship-science” method.
Matches each member’s profile eliminating almost 90 percent of incompatible profiles.
Services can be costly, but this is more than compensated with the quality of matches it provides.

Amie’s Take: You have to spend anywhere from $30-$50 a month on their site and generally speaking, people who are truly looking for a long-term relationship are willing to spend the money to do so. For me, whether you choose eHarmony or any of the other sites below consider signing up for the premium services to help improve your chances at finding like-minded singles like you.

#2 Chemistry

Known for matching members using both compatibility and chemistry.
Jumpstarts your interaction with other members through a list of games and activities.

It does not provide members a free hand in surfing the site’s huge list of members. It only allows you to choose from its list of personality matches so does not offer you much leeway in terms of searching for possible matches on your own.

Amie’s Take: I have never used Chemistry.com, but I can tell you that when it comes to finding love, I am always a little skeptical of the term “Chemistry.” Long-term relationships are built on core values (aka Non-negotiables – (to learn more about those, click here). The idea that a website can find your love based on chemistry seems odd to me, but using games and activities to help understand what types of people might go best together seems like a fun and unique way to attract a partner.

#3 Match.com

Features group events that allow members to meet up in person.
One of the largest and most recognized names in online dating services available in 24 countries and territories and hosted in 15 languages.
One of the advantages is the huge number of profiles stored at the site.
It places much of the responsibility of finding a match in your hands.

Amie’s Take: No question, Match.com is one of the big boys on the dating block. And one I have used in my single life. It’s true that it requires you to do much of the work in searching for potential partners and that works great for people who are motivated and able to intelligently sift through profiles and also spot potential scammers or fibbers quickly. Its sheer size is a double edge sword in that regard. If you do go the match.com route and can afford it pay for the premium service and do your best to stick to daters who utilize that as well to improve your chances of not getting burned.

#4 Matchmaker

Demographics show that most of its members are in their mid- 30’s and are seriously searching for a relationship.
Match results are based on the information entered during your profile creation which is quite limited. This makes it difficult to find a perfect match with the few matching options available.
Matchmaker is a great place to start when you’re in your 30’s and searching for a serious relationship.

Amie’s Take: Obviously, if you are in your 50s and not interested in dating someone 20 years younger this is not the site for you. If you are dating in the 30s range this might be a good way to go after your target demo. Though the lack of profile information is a bit concerning as the less you see on a profile, the less you know if you are wasting your time communicating with them. If you do hit this site try to focus on profiles with at least 3 updated photos and those who at least attempted to fill out some of their profile. That’s because when it comes to online dating profiles, less is NOT more.

#5 OkCupid

Utilizes a series of quizzes and multiple-choice questionnaires to get a unique insight for matching its members.
Match results are based on profile information gathered through a series of questions to create more accurate matches.
Lags behind some of its competitors with more comprehensive matchmaking engines.

Amie’s Take: I think the idea of a site like this using quizzes and questions to do some of the matching for you is great, but to be honest smart daters do most of the work themselves. Regardless if you use this site or one of the others above don’t ever rely on the site to tell you if this is a good match for you. Read the entire profile, scrutinize the photos, and make sure everything you see not only passes the litmus test for truth, but also looks like someone you might like to spend time with.

#6 Plenty of Fish

Good choice for smartphone users due to its free app that lets members check their matches and message them right fromtheir phone.
With more than 30 million in member profiles, Plenty of Fish is one of the largest online dating services today.
Ask members to answer a series of questions detailing their personality and relationship needs. Unlike other online dating sites that allow you to create a profile for free but with no practical functionality, the site actually comes with solid features even without the price tag.

Amie’s Take: Having an enormous pool of fish to choose from like Plenty of Fish does is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you have tons of potential dating options, on the other hand, you have tons of potential dating options. What I mean by this contradictory sentence is that although dating options are good, sometimes it can also be overwhelming and cause choice overload. If you are going to enter a large site like this, make sure you are ok with doing lots of the searching and sifting and create strong boundaries with a well-defined sorting and sifting system.

#7 Spark

Has more interactive ways of connecting with other members with its various communication and messaging tools.
Aside from giving users the usual search functionality it also uses a Color Code Personality test to create more accurate match results.
A good site for people who would like to test the waters of online dating.
Members are required to upload a photo within 72 hours of account creation

Amie’s Take: I’ll be honest, I don’t know much about Spark dating site, but one thing that they found in their test that I found interesting and want to write about is online dating site photos. This site actually required you to upload at least one photo within 72-hours of joining. I think this is a wonderful requirement, in fact I wish all sites required at least 3 photos and at least one of them was date stamped in some way so there was no way to show old photos and pass them off as new. One unfortunate part of online dating is people do lie in both text and photo form. Do yourself a favor and make sure all of your information and photos are honest and truthful. At the same time when you come across someone who does the opposite, hold them accountable by not seeing them again. Healthy, strong relationships begin and end with trust and honesty so make sure when you connect with someone new that’s exactly where it starts.

# 8 MeetMe

Unlike more specialized online dating sites, MeetMe does not provide enhanced profile matching (personality and chemistry based).
Takes a different approach to online dating by combining the features of a social media site with the search functionality of an online dating service.
Uses games and instant messaging features for a more immersive experience.
There are three membership options that awards members with additional virtual cash for games and enhanced functionality.
A good place for people who would like to explore online dating while having the benefit of working within a social networking format.

Amie’s Take: This idea of an immersive experience online dating experience sounds different and could be fun for some, but for series singles who are looking for a meaningful relationship it sounds like a smokescreen. I would steer clear from this site unless this type of social interaction is your cup of tea.

#9 Mingle2

A free online dating site that provides a variety of search and messaging features.
Premium services are comparatively lower to competitor offers. But the price seems to reflect the lack of real features that could help in your search.
Finding a match can be tricky since no advanced matching services are available.
A good choice fit for people searching for an online dating site without the fees or restrictions of a paid membership service.

Amie’s Take: For those who can’t spend a lot of money on a dating site, this may be a good solution. The lack of matching services is not also a bad thing as long as you are willing to do more of the heavy lifting.

Listen, you can’t go wrong with any of the sites above if you are a dedicated and smart dater. In fact, I wouldrecommend for those willing, to test out a few of these sites and see how they work for you.

Do not get discouraged if at first, you don’t get the results you seek, but definitely take note of the type of people you are meeting and how the site looks and feels to you. If you need some help coming up with engaging questions, definitely check out my video:

Being in a comfortable, safe space is a crucial aspect of a healthy dating life so don’t settle until you find the one or ones for you.

And no matter what stay in there, stay focused, and have fun! If you would like to learn more about online dating and how you can get the best results possible, schedule a free Relationship Readiness Review and let’s talk!