Best Online Dating Sites and Apps

Online dating websites offer a variety of methods on how to search for a mate. Some mobile apps will match you with people based on criteria, including age, gender and geographic proximity. More traditional sites may offer anything from a simple search to a highly specific advanced search. Some more seriously minded sites request that members fill out elaborate compatibility questionnaires. Deciding which process is right for you will largely be determined by whether you’re looking for a casual friendship, relationship or a lifelong partner.

• Geographic matches: Most dating sites offer a chance to look for the closest possible match. However, if you are currently looking to meet someone in close proximity, many of the mobile dating apps will provide you with your best results with little to no cost.
• User-generated matches: Unless you are using a site specifically meant for a casual or very serious relationship, it has become an industry standard to offer members the chance to whittle down their potential matches. Dating sites do this based on preferences such as income, smoking and drinking, if the match has kids and whether he or she has ever been married.
• In-depth compatibility: There are some dating sites that ask members to fill out detailed questionnaires designed to choose matches based on compatibility. eHarmony and Match.com are two famous examples of this type of dating site.

If you have a very specific set of interests, there are many sites that may cater to your niche. Some of these niche sites are Farmersonly.com, MillionaireMatch.com, Geek2Geek.com, JDate, Dandy, Pinksofa.com, ChristianMingle and PositiveSingles.

• Demographic niches: These sites can cater to people who are only interested in dating within a specific religion, income level, race and more.
• Lifestyle niches: These sites focus on daters looking for matches based on attractiveness level, occupation, same-sex relationships, people that are STD positive and more.
• Age-based niches: These sites are for people of a specific age. Baby boomers are overwhelmingly turning to the web to find a mate. Sites like Match.com and POF.com offer members a chance to search specifically for the age group that interests you, but SeniorPeopleMeet.com and OurTime.com are the two largest sites designed specifically for the baby boomer market.

Depending on the dating site, all other members might be able to see your profile and message you. Check to see what safeguards are put in place by the site, and which ones you can enable to limit who sees your profile.

• Limiting who sees your profile: Does the site allow just the bare minimum of your profile to be seen in search results? Some sites wait until you favorite, wink, or in some way OK a member before they can see your whole profile. That said, it is important that you only share information in your profile that you are okay with a stranger being able to see.
• Keeping the search results wide open: If your goal is to meet someone in the immediate future for a casual drink or get together, the best option would be mobile dating apps like Tinder, JSwipe and many others. These apps allow you to quickly find similarly minded people. On most dating sites, you can use a sort feature to see which members are currently online right now and available to talk.

Most dating sites have become extremely good about policing their members for negative or unsafe behavior. There are several sites that offer additional levels of security including background checks and photo verification.

• Social verification: Many sites employ a method known as social verification to help prevent wrongdoers from gaining access to you. This goes above and beyond just asking for your email. Many sites now ask you to verify your identity through your Facebook or Google login. This, combined with highly trained scammer prevention teams, has made online dating safer than it has ever been.
• Photo verification: Several sites now offer members a chance to prove their identity by sending additional material. This includes emailing a photo of the member, holding a piece of paper, with a set of numbers that has been randomly generated by the site. Other members do not see this, but it allows the site's staff to confirm their identity.
• Safe from hackers: Check to make sure the site has employed technology so your vital information is safe. If it is a paid site, make sure it is a secure site before entering your credit card information.

The features of the dating site should be the features you want and will use, especially if it is a paid site. These features could include private emails, proximity search, chat rooms and more.

• Features to help refine search results: Look to see which features will help whittle down the pool of suitors. These are keyword searches, mutual matching, reverse matching, the ability to save and favorite certain profiles and more.
• Mobile applications: Most dating sites now offer a mobile version that can be downloaded through the Apple or Android stores. When considering a site, it is best to also test their mobile app to see if it can help streamline your dating experience. Additionally, there are several dating apps that only exist in the mobile format. Before downloading, it is best to check for recent reviews on their download pages.
• Communicating with members: Dating sites and apps allow you to communicate in several ways ranging from "winking at someone" to setting up a video chat with a prospective date. Research which methods are available on a site and make sure they fit with your needs.
• Outside events: An online dating site might set up outside events such as mixers or speed dating to pair members. There might be an extra charge to attend these events, or it might be included within the price of the membership.