Top dating sites

Finding your own top dating site

Finding the top dating site for you means looking through the various services that a number of top dating sites offer and then choosing the service that best matches your goals. Below is a list of some of the top dating sites. These sites are very different and are not right for everyone. Hopefully the provided descriptions of the features and matches made by each site will be helpful to you as you create your own list of top dating sites.

Match.com

Match.com is one of the most popular dating sites for a number of reasons. First of all, Match.com is actually the largest online dating service when it comes to the number of member that it has. You can choose to search through the directory of 15 million singles or choose from a variety of services that will help to narrow down your choices. With so many million members the appeal of Match.com is definitely that you have a great number of people to choose from and an even greater likelihood that you will actually find someone that you are compatible with. The choice is entirely up to the member when it comes to getting to know someone. You can choose how quickly, or slowly, you get to know someone. Match.com offers a variety of special features including: "Dr. Phil's MindFindBind" solution for successful relationships, their "Make Love Happen guarantee" where you are guaranteed to find someone special within 6 months or get 6 more months free and a free portrait toolkit to help you start creating your profile. Expert online daters like that Match.com's keyword search function has two-way matching that checks for common interests in both profiles. It also allows people who want to be found by people seeking certain things to find their profile because it contains specific words. The site has the ability to use professional matchmakers to search, qualify and narrow the field from the most obvious search results. You can also look for common themes or attributes among profiles that allow you to find people who are more like you. You can search and browse for free, but you must subscribe to send or receive e-mails from members. The estimated cost per month for Match.com is $35. Match.com also offers video profiles, instant messaging and video e-mails.

Yahoo! Personals

Yahoo Personals is another dating site that also boasts their high count member database. Yahoo Personals has over 9 million members. The appeal of Yahoo Personals is that you have the option to make your profile as detailed as possible so that you can describe yourself in the way that you want yourself described (not according to a set list of multiple choice questions and answers). Members are divers and members have multiple communication options including email and instant messages. Members of Yahoo Personals even have the option of reading Yahoo's online dating advice magazine. In addition to the profile set-up Yahoo Personals is different from other online dating sites in that the majority of people who are members are between the ages of 20-45 and are looking for casual dating and serious relationships. Yahoo Personals offers a free 7 day trial to its potential members so that you can feel better about committing to paying the monthly dues. Another one of the biggest selling points of Yahoo Personals is the high priority of safety on the site. They offer many safety features that are not offered anywhere else.

PerfectMatch

The Perfect Match dating site has a matching system that is backed by thirty years of scientific research. More than 4 million members use the service. You have the option of using the PerfectMatch system to have your perfect match found for you or you can search for your new partner on your own. PerfectMatch calls these two options for finding a partner their Duet Total Compatibility System. PerfectMatch will generally provide you with a narrower list of possible mates than some other dating sites but this is explained by the fact that the people they do suggest usually tend to be better mates for you. PerfectMatch has recently done a lot more to promote their site through movie and TV publicity. In fact, they have been featured in Dancing with the Stars, Must Love Dogs and on the Dr. Phil Show. PerfectMatch is recommended for those who are serious about finding the right person and are no longer interested in playing the dating game. PerfectMatch.com has a very high customer satisfaction rating. And frequently tops the "top dating site" lists.

Chemistry.com

Chemistry.com is designed for people who want to meet that someone special as soon as possible. Chemistry.com's main goal is to bring people together quickly. Another goal of the site is to provide an efficient means by which couples can get to know each other. In order to accomplish this goal the site uses the following features: a complete a personality profile to get your matches, guided communication process to learn about each other and the ability to meet potential matches in person as soon as you are ready to do so. The service also adjusts your future matches based on what you think of people you've already met through the service. Chemistry.com actually comes from the same people who created Match.com. Some of the services that they offer are free and you can find out what type of personality profile you are before you make any kind of permanent commitment to the site with a subscription. Chemistry.com offers a one week free trial and then after that the estimated monthly cost is $50. There are however occasional promotions where Chemistry.com will offer so many months for the price of one and other similar promotions that you might want to keep your eyes open for. The first five matches are free, but you must subscribe to the service before you can contact them. Chemistry.com is for serious singles. There is a lengthy personality test and searching profiles is not permitted; you have to wait for Chemistry.com to send you matches. The systems used by Chemistry.com are considered to be among the most accurate and the best (due largely to the fact that the systems adjust after receiving feedback on how dates with previously encountered matches went). It is also one of the fastest growing relationship sites in the US. They have been particularly successful for people who have been rejected by eHarmony.com.

LavaLife

One of the best features at LavaLife is their local search. You can enter your ZIP code and find out who else is dating online in your area. For those who are looking to have a relationship with someone in their same area, this is definitely a plus. LavaLife is definitely a more casual dating site, especially when compared to sites like Chemistry.com and PerfectMatch. The estimated cost for LavaLife membership is $30 per month. Reviews say "Lavalife.com's features and fun attitude set it apart from other online dating sites." Lavalife.com lets users choose between three different dating divisions. These divisions are: dating, relationships and intimate encounters. You can even create a separate profile for each to encounter partners that are interested in specific aspects of the dating scene. Lavalife.com offers online chats, instant messaging and video clips.

OkCupid.com

OkCupid.com is rated as the best free dating service mostly because it has more features that other free online dating sites. OkCupid features include a personality analysis. Due to the fact that this site is free, the personality analysis is not going to be nearly as detailed as those offered by sites that charge for their services, so this is what you sacrifice for not having to pay any money. Reviews say OkCupid.com has "a fast joining process and better matching based on quizzes created by members."

Matchmaker

Matchmaker is actually better known for its growing international membership.  Members will occasionally receive messages from outside their country.  Matchmaker is actually one of the first online dating sites but has since shifted its focus to an older audience.  Other top online dating sites generally stick to the 25-45 age range.

Great Expectations

Great Expectations is not available in every area so the first thing that you will need to do if you are interested in the services of the site is to submit your zip code and click continue to find out if the service is available in your area and how to get started with your free profile.  If you live in one of the cities where the service is currently available, reviewers say that Great Expectations has an impressive success rate.

eHarmony

eHarmony requires members to fill out an extensive personality profile that helps the service come up with compatible matches.  eHarmony is not for those looking to date casually.  The site is designed to have you take a good long look at your own personality and emotions to have you honestly answer questions that will lead to a match with someone who is highly compatible. eHarmony offers matches based on character, constitution, personality, emotional makeup, skills, family and values.  eHarmony also offers a guided communication feature that lets users break the ice in difficult situations when you want to make first contact with a match.  This site is also one of the largest and is the number one site for matchmaking when you are basing it on marriages that occur per match.  One of the things eHarmony.com is known for is rejecting people who don't fit the criteria to be on the site.  Some examples of the things that will disqualify you from eHarmony.com are being married, under 21, homosexual, or not giving enough answers on the 500 item personality questionnaire required for application.