Best Dating Sites for Real Relationships


Long gone are the days when online dating was a taboo. These days nearly 50% of urban singles are using some or the other online dating sites to find love. Online dating is as normal as internet banking.

Moreover, the possibility of meeting a potential match is higher on online dating. Only because online dating gives you the freedom to meet a larger number of people than you would in your daily life.

However, the idea of finding the best dating sites for real relationships can be intimidating for many, especially when you are a newbie. We understand this daunting feeling. There are plenty of dating options for hook up, but only a handful dating sites are there for long-term relationships.

So, which dating site is best for a serious relationship? Or which is the number 1 dating app? These are the common questions that we receive from our readers.

Following are the 10 best dating apps for real relationships that we have come up with. We selected them based on various factors and elements like religious preferences, choice of career, type of relationship you are looking for, etc.

Top 10 Dating Apps for Real Relationships

eHarmony


eHarmony Dating Site

Relationships: Long term, serious and deep relationships
Profile: All singles*
Gender Ratio: 48% male and 52% female*
User Base: 4.2 million visits/month*
Popularity: Over 9 million active users worldwide*
User Rating:  4.8/5.0*

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Our expert review:

If you are looking for someone special then eHarmony is the name for you. eHarmony takes matchmaking very seriously and prefers to have members looking for a serious and committed relationship. They are so serious that they have patented their compatibility matching system which is based on extensive research of 35 years.

So, when it comes to matchmaking they are not joking. Their matching tools are created by algorithms that can help you find true compatibility. You can find people of all age groups on this, and eHarmony Senior Dating is explicitly designed for senior singles.

 Stand out features :

  • Patented 29 Dimensions Personality Assessment with 150 questions covers an extensive range of topics.
  • Elaborate dashboard which is easy to use.
  • Premium members have the luxury to browse anonymously and receive personalized assistance over the phone.
  • Go premium and get 30 additional profile matches a day.
  • Additional 3 months membership for free if you are not satisfied with your first 3 months subscription.

eHarmony has an excellent average of 542 marriage a day in the US, which is roughly 2% of marriages. The site provides quality over quantity and it is something to go for a serious relationship.

Go to eHarmony >> Sign Up for FREE

Zoosk


Relationships: Flexible dating, fun & short term dates, serious relationships
Profile: All singles*
Gender Ratio: 48% male and 52% female*
User Base: 3.9 million visits/month*
Popularity: Over 40 million active users worldwide*
User Rating:  4.7/5.0*

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Our expert review:

Zoosk is the highest-grossing dating app with over 40 million users in over 80 countries and is available in 25 languages. They have a super simple registration process, and extremely user friendly system. Zoosk is quite popular among the young crowd because of its attractive design and engaging features.

Keeping the fun part aside, they are serious when it comes to security. They have strict procedures for verifying their users. All the profiles on their website are verified. Their behavioral match-making algorithm upgrades itself based on your chats, profile preferences and other factors. It leads you to your perfect match.

Stand out feature :

  • Great platform, clutter-free design
  • Verified profiles
  • Highly customizable
  • Millions of users worldwide offer a wide range of profiles to choose from.

Overall, it is a great online dating site for singles and has the full potential to be your most favorite site.

Go to Zoosk >> Sign Up for FREE

Match.com


Relationships: Casual dating, friendship, romance, long-term relationship
Profile: All singles*
Gender Ratio: 45% male and 55% female*
User Base: 37 million visits/month*
Popularity: Over 10 million premium members worldwide*
User Rating:  4.9/5.0*

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Our expert review:

Match.com had over 9 billion paid subscribers in 2019, and it is continuously growing. Its network is spread over 50 countries and is available in 12 languages. Frankly, this dating giant doesn’t really need much introduction or recommendations. It is unarguably one of the best dating sites out there. Various stats confirm that it has facilitated more marriages in the US than any other online dating site.

 Stand out features:

  • An in-depth questionnaire which can help you find a highly compatible match.
  • Match events: Opportunity for singles to mingle and meet new people in real-world events like wine tastings, bowling nights, etc.
  • Provide a safe and secure way to interact with your potential date without exchanging phone numbers.
  • If you are unable to find anyone in the first 6 months, then you will receive another 6 months free subscription.

The popularity of Match.com is almost the same as eHarmony. But if you compare eHarmony vs Match.com, the latter is preferred more for casual dating. Thanks to its unique features, excellent mobile app, and efficient customer support team. Match.com is the preferred choice of several million people. Read detailed Match.com Review.

EliteSingles


Relationships: Serious committed relationships
Profile: All singles*
Gender Ratio: 43% male and 57% female*
User Base: 2 million visits/month*
Popularity: 82% members are university educated*
User Rating:  4.7/5.0*

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Our expert review:

If you are looking for educated working professionals like doctors, lawyers, and top-level employees, then this is the site for you. Elite Singles has established itself as a premium online dating site for serious and committed relationships. It is one of the best dating websites for professionals. 

Over 80% of its members hold either bachelors, masters or doctorate degree and are reputed professionals. Even after being tagged as a pricey dating site they have 2 million subscribers.

Elite Singles ensure that all its members have a safe, efficient, and fun experience while dating online.

 Stand out feature:

  • Strong privacy and safety measures. ID authentication, manual profile verification, SSL encryption, and a proven fraud detection system.
  • A long and extensive questionnaire to find you a perfect match.
  • Articles and blogs from popular relationship experts on topics such as dating and relationship.
  • Premium members get 20 extra matches every day.

Elite Singles is a great choice in the sea of online dating sites promoting casual dating and hookups. The high-quality user base sets them apart from other dating platforms. Read our complete EliteSingles Review

SilverSingles


Relationships: Friendship, companionship, casual dating, serious relationships
Profile: All singles over 50*
Gender Ratio: 42% male and 58% female*
User Base: 900,000 visits/month*
Popularity: 25,000 new signups every month*
User Rating:  4.6/5.0*

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Our expert review:

With easy to use interface and high success ratio, SilverSingles has managed to support an international network of thousands of senior singles. Silver Singles is the sister site of EliteSingles, thus have similarly high standards when it comes to service and member profiles. They use high-end filter process to weed out scammers, keeping your online dating experience pleasant.

Stand out feature :

  • A free in-depth personality analysis
  • Daily 3-7 match suggestions
  • Manual verification and SSL encryption to ensure utmost safety

Thousands of members have joined Silver Singles for finding a potential partner to have heartfelt conversations and maybe a happily ever after. SilverSingle ensures that putting yourself back out there shouldn’t be scary.

Go to SilverSingles >> Sign Up for FREE

OurTime.com


Relationships: Friendship, dating, serious relationships
Profile: All singles over 50*
Gender Ratio: 48% male and 52% female*
User Base: 8.9 million visits/month*
User Rating:  4.5/5.0*

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Our expert review:

A potential online dating service which serves to singles over 50. The website has over 8.9 million users and ever-growing. OurTime is extremely advanced and yet amazingly easy to use. It has a simplified and straightforward online dating process keeping in mind its target members. Step-by-step instructions make the sign-up process as easy as ABC.

Stand out feature :

  • Instant messages and chats
  • Guided process, with step-by-step instruction
  • Expert articles on dating and relationships

Mature adults who want to meet like-minded dates who are at the same turning point of their lives must give Our Time a try. Sign-up and get back in the game to experience this new age cupid of online dating.

ChristianMingle


Relationships: Dating, serious relationships
Profile: Christian singles*
Gender Ratio: 44% male and 56% female*
User Base: 3.5 million visits/month*
Popularity: Over 16 million active users worldwide*
User Rating:  4.5/5.0*

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Our expert review:

Christian Mingle is an online dating site specifically for Christian men and women. People who are seeking wholesome relationships rooted around Christian faith must give this site a try. It is one of the best faith-based online dating sites which has 9 million registered users worldwide. It is owned and operated by Spark Networks which also operates dating giants like EliteSingles, SilverSingles, and JSwipe. The majority of its users are in between the age group of the 20s to early 40s, which means that most of them are ready to settle down.

 Stand out feature :

  • Layout for the mobile version is very user-friendly
  • Strict verification system which ensures all members are legit
  • Straightforward questionnaire about commitment, religious beliefs, and future expectations

The site lives up to its goal of allowing single Christian men and women to find potential life partners. It makes up for the lack of fun features by providing high security and legitimate member profiles. So, to find out whether your happily ever after awaits at ChristianMingle go ahead and sign up for free.

BlackPeopleMeet


Relationships: Casual dates, romantic dating, serious relationship
Profile: Black singles*
Gender Ratio: 47% male and 53% female*
User Base: 5.7 million visits/month*
Popularity: Over 5 million active users worldwide*
User Rating:  4.3/5.0*

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Our expert review:

Whether you are looking for a casual date or in search of your soulmate, BlackPeopleMeet is your go-to website for black and interracial singles. BlackPeopleMeet is used by over 5 million people every month to find friendship, romance and love online. Despite being a target online dating service, they don’t restrict people from other races from registering. With thousands of success stories, it has managed to create a lasting impression in the African American community.

Stand out feature :

  • Lots of fun features to keep members engaged
  • Users can report profile if they feel some profiles are fake
  • Four first message ideas to assist members to break the ice
  • Premium token system to help people upgrade their experience

Black People Meet is the number one dating site and app for African Americans. It offers a fascinating online dating experience for anyone who is willing to try. The site is a great place to look for friendship with potential life partners.

BeNaughty


Relationships: Dating, Hookups
Profile: All singles*
Gender Ratio: 48% male and 52% female*
User Base: 13.3 million visits/month*
User Rating:  3.7/5.0*

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Our expert review:

BeNaughty claims to provide its users with a whole new adult dating experience. It is designed to facilitate hookups and other adventure sexual encounters among consenting adults. This is your go-to website if you are looking for fun-casual, no strings attached kind of hookups. The site boldly encourages you to pursue your naughty sexual desires.

Stand out feature :

  • Active community in chatting function, available 24/7
  • The design is simple, useful and attractive.
  • Aside from photos, members can also upload videos.

BeNaughty is a popular dating platform for setting hookups and meeting people within a few minutes. Members on this website are very responsive, mainly women. If a serious relationship isn’t on your agenda and you identify yourself with the idea of BeNaughty, it will not disappoint you.

AdultFriendFinder


Relationships: Affairs, Hookups
Profile: All singles*
Gender Ratio: 65% male and 35% female*
User Base: 25.5 million visits/month*
Popularity: Over 100 million active users worldwide*
User Rating:  3.5/5.0*

Visit Site

Our expert review:

It is a “fun-tastic” hook up site for open-minded people. Adult Friend Finder or popularly known as AFF offers everything that your dirty mind can think of. Whether you join it for hookups, raunchy video sharing, or simply to blow off some steam by sexting, you can find it all here.

 Stand out feature :

  • Massive user base
  • LGBTQ friendly
  • Naughty Chemistry questionnaire
  • Groups for specific kinks

You may not be able to imagine how wild this site can get. It has no dearth for diverse and potential matches. You will surely find like-minded individuals who are on the same page with you. So, if you can get past the shady appearance of the site, we are sure that you will get the satisfaction that you are looking for. Read Full Review of Adult Friend Finder.


Final thoughts

The online dating world is crazy and crowded. There are way too many sites and apps to choose from. Thus, we compiled this list based on positive feedbacks, ratings, ease of use and success rate. The above list offers varieties and assures that you find best of whatever you are looking for.

Online dating is all about experiences. It can be terrible, or it can be great. You may get disappointed at times, but don’t be discouraged. While looking for your potential match enjoy the ride and gain experiences that every date brings you.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)


What is the best dating app for real relationships? 

The online dating industry has evolved at a tremendous speed in the last couple of years. Most people trust online sites and apps to meet their personal relationship goals. Many of these sites and applications can be classified as the best dating apps/sites.

The best app for a date is the one that meets your personalized dating goals. For example, for a person whose aim is to find people to flirt with and indulge in casual affairs, an app like Tinder or OkCupid would probably be the best place to be present. If you want a serious committed relationship, then Tinder may not be the right platform or app for you. In that case, you should choose apps like eHarmony which has made a name for itself as a trusted site for serious daters.

Similarly, if you are a widow or a Wiccan and wish to date within your peer community, you will find some exclusive apps that cater to your specific goals. You could check out the widow dating sites review before stepping forward. Similarly, for Wiccans, people from the LGBTQ community, seniors, professionals, etc, there are community-specific dating sites and apps. It is imperative to read the reviews first because it helps you understand the credibility of the app/site and whether or not it is aligned with what your requirements are.

What are the highest rating dating sites?  

The four highly rated sites for romance and relationships (in order of rating) are eHarmony, EliteSingles, Zoosk, and SilverSingles.

eHarmony: If you are single, ready to mingle, and probably settle down, then this is the site for you. After all, eHarmony is responsible for about 4% of marriages in the US. And, to top it off, this site is known to create about 15 million matches every single day. Thanks to its famed Compatibility Quiz which is the result of about 35 years of research by a clinical psychologist, Neil Clark Warren. You can get started with the free membership model and then take up the premium membership. This site is a big asset when it comes to finding a committed partner because most of the people present here are looking for long-term relationships.

EliteSingles: This site is comparatively new to the dating scene having been introduced in 2013. But, like eHarmony, its powerful matchmaking algorithm has made it a popular dating app in no time. This is a dating site for professionals and most people trust this platform to find long-term partners and dates. It’s no surprise that almost 80% of its members have professional qualifications like master’s, doctorate, or bachelor’s degrees. Members here are mostly aged above 30 years. Here too, you can start browsing for free and take up a premium membership when you are convinced and ready to go to the next level.

Zoosk: This site is not as feature-rich as many other competing sites like eHarmony, but it is pretty clutter-free. The user-friendly design of the site helps it win over hearts with as many as 35 million registered accounts at the site. As per statistics, about 3 million messages are exchanged on this every day. So, it has a big database of potential people helping you find the right date for you. On the con side, though, you may come across some people who are looking for casual relationships. So, this is not a dedicated platform for serious daters. If you are fine with that, Zoosk is a good dating platform.

SilverSingles: If you are a senior single, SilverSingles is the ideal site for you to find a committed date. Irrespective of whether you are single, widowed, divorced, or separated and looking at a casual hookup to test the waters or are keen to find your soulmate, for people above 50 years, this platform delivers a lot of promises. Additionally, there are members from the UK, Canada, France, Australia, and Germany other than Americans from the US.

What is the most genuine dating site?

Here’s a list of the most genuine dating sites as per the different relationship goals of daters:

  • eHarmony: The best one for serious relationships and marriages.
  • Her: The best site for queer women.
  • OkCupid: The best dating site with no premium or paid membership.
  • Bumble: Genuine dating site for professional women.
  • Tinder: The best for casual and no-attachment relationships.
  • SilverSingles: The best one for seniors above 50 years of age.

Which dating site is the best for serious relationships?  

Are you looking at a life-long relationship? Maybe consider getting married to your date? Then, the best site for you is eHarmony which literally acts as a cheerleader through your dating journey. What works in favor of the site is – it has been rated as A by the Better Business Bureau, it offers a free membership plan where you can take its 150-questions compatibility quiz that drills down to very basic things to know you better, video dating option for paid members, and more.

Another aspect of eHarmony that makes a difference is that all the profiles are vetted by the platform for authenticity. Hence, you can be sure of meeting people serious about relationships rather than spammers and fraudsters looking for one-night stands or casual relationships.

The compatibility quiz is powered by psychological understanding and powerful algorithms. Thus, you do not spend time browsing pictures and profiles, wasting time finding the right person. The matches generated by the platform are flawlessly synched with what you are looking at and trying to find in a potential partner.