The best dating site for…?

You know who you’d like to find but you don’t know which dating site you should be using to have the best chance of getting what you actually want.

You could try out a bunch of them or you could read our thoroughly honest dating reviews, which we’ve written to help you find your way around all the various online dating sites. However, we can also give you a little glimpse as to what we think are the best options for certain types of people and interests.

So, where should you turn if you want to find the best dating site for…

… finding a real date?

The reality of some dating sites are they’re better suited for killing time rather than finding a soulmate. Some are more geared towards entertainment purposes than others. Some have chatrooms, audio or video messengers. All this is fine and we’re happy these sites exist. However, if you’re looking to find someone who you can go on a real date with there’s no better option than Match.com. Yes, we know this sounds like a cliche, but with such a huge and solid membership base you are almost guaranteed to find a few options who live near you and seem and sound compatible. Not only is Match trustworthy and reliable as a site, it’s also very user-friendly, thus guaranteeing that even a complete online dating newbie should do just fine here.

… flirting?

However, if you’re not sure what you want to get out of your online dating experience and if you’re not sure you even want to go on a real date at all, you’d do best joining a site that offers you a lot of different options for getting in touch. If you’re just dipping your toes in the water and aren’t too serious about online dating, you’re probably looking for similar-minded people on a site where neither of you would feel like you’re their under false pretences. Nobody wants that. We suggest the best dating sites for flirting are either OK Cupid or Zoosk, both of which have a lot of members and are also seen as social networking sites rather than strictly dating sites. Both are also very much affordable (OK Cupid is completely free to use), thus it’s an ideal option for those who merely want to figure out what they want to do and how serious they want to get with the whole dating business.

… looking for a serious relationship?

The truth is that you can find true love on just about any site. Or not even on a dating site at all – true love could just hit you one day on a street, in a coffee shop, at the gym. However, if you want to maximise your chances of finding proper marriage material we suggest you turn your attention to eHarmony. You’ll find little to none timewasters here (it’s too big a financial investment!) – the whole concept of eHarmony is matching you with compatible members and then facilitating the communication between you. Like having your own personal dating butler who knows a thing or two about compatibility matching. It’s a thorough site that requires its members to invest a lot of time in order to get the best experience out of it. If you’re prepared to put in the time, you can also expect good results.

… gay and lesbian dating?

Thre are, of course, numerous special sites for LGBT dating, meant for the specific audience only. However in our opinion none of them is as good as Match.com. As an universal dating site, Match is meant for any kind of dating and with its huge membership numbers it works just as well for gay and lesbian daters. As a big site it has the advantage of being well-develeoped, user-friendly and safe and secure, which is something that the smaller independent websites often tend to lack. Anyone, regardless of orientation can count on the experience and popularity that Match offers.

… adventurous people?

Most of the dating sites are just that – dating sites. They find a lot of matches for you, give you an opportunity to get in touch and then… leave you to deal with the next steps. Real life dating can be very stressful as we all know and sometimes it’s really hard to come up with a good idea for the first (or second or third) date. Especially if you’re really not the standard dinner and drinks type of a person and would like to do something slightly more exciting on your night out. We can advise you try out Doingsomething. It’s a UK dating site with lots of good ideas as to how to spend your first evening together with a date. It doesn’t only have a database and search facility of nearby members – you can also search date ideas and get together with people who want to do the same kind of stuff.

… older folk?

There are daters out there in their second or even third youth. For them the idea of finding love online doesn’t perhaps come as naturally as it might to younger people but it doesn’t mean they can’t be just as successful finding a date online. Again, while there are specific sites out there for older people, we think Match.com is still the best option. You can count on Match, it provides you with a sense of safety and security, which is naturally important for older users who might not be as experienced on online dating sites and are therefore more vulnerable to falling victim for the scammers and frauds. Match is very trustworthy, intuitive and easy to use and it also has a solid base of members to choose from. eHarmony gets an honorable mention here too, check our eHarmony or match.com article to help you decide which site is best for you.

… finding a truly compatible match?

If you’re the type that really believes in compatibility testing and letting the system find the closest matches to you, your best option from the pool of dating sites would be Matchaffinity. With their comprehensive questionnaire based on a unique psychometric test you’re guaranteed to get as accurate a report as possible out of it. You get similarity percentages with every user on the site, thus making it easier for you to pick the best match out of the lot. Again eHarmony is a viable option here too so check our reviews to help you decide between them.

… for busy people?

We know how it’s especially hard to find time for dating if you’re a busy professional in a big city. You often won’t have time for proper use of the dating sites – searching, screening the profiles, spending ages sending messages back and forth. If all you have is a half an hour at lunchtime then look no further than Lovestruck – a perfect site for busy people from big cities. You don’t even have to be by your computer in order to use it – there’s an iPhone app to help you get the best out of this site.

… if you’re a little shy?

To some people online dating comes as naturally as sending emails or surfing the net. And then there are those people for whom this is rather more stressful – who agonise over putting together their profiles, who struggle with replying to messages and find it hard to make the first step – even if it is only sending a wink to someone they like on a dating site. Maybe they haven’t even signed up yet because they are too embarrassed or shy. Or maybe they just always seem to stumble upon dates who are not right for them. However, this is where their friends can step in and help them along. Mysinglefriend is a fantastic site where friends can sign up their single mates and help find them a suitable date. If all you need is a little encouragement and a little push to help you along, Mysinglefriend is the right place for you.

… international dating?

Let’s say you’re not just interested in finding a date in your own town and maybe not even in your own country. It’s exciting to meet people from different countries and with different cultural backgrounds. However, it doesn’t make sense to just join foreign dating sites – there’s often a language barrier you need to deal with and you can also feel a little out of place. Plus, what’s the point of having another dating profile on another site and perhaps even pay another membership fee if you can get all of it from the same place? Match has spread all around the world and therefore it’s a legitimate place where you could also search for international dates. At the risk of sounding like a broken record – it is the biggest and most popular dating site in most of the world and therefore you can’t go wrong with it, wherever you are and whoever you’re looking for.

About the Author

Aet Suvari has been reviewing and writing about the world of online dating since 2008 and the launch of Online Dating Help. A stickler for promoting ethical practices within the UK dating industry she champions the sites that get it right while highlighting those holding it back. You can follow her on Google+