Top 9 Best Dating Sites for Marriage

It seems like nowadays everyone who’s single is using some sort of online dating app. There are so many people out there who are just looking for hookups and casual sex that it can be tough to find a person looking to settle down. To make your online search for “the one” a little less overwhelming, we’ve put together a list of the top 9 best platforms for singles looking for marriage.

Top 5 Best Marriage Dating Sites: Our Picks

1. eHarmony Review

eHarmony

EHarmony takes matchmaking very seriously. One of the best dating sites overall, this service has a patented method called ‘The eHarmony Compatibility Matching System.’ This is an excellent tool for finding someone who shares your goals and lifestyle. 

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Right off the bat, it’s clear that this site is for people who are looking for serious, long-term relationships, and meaningful connections. The rigorous 20-minute sign-up will pay off in the end as it’s an in-depth analysis of what you want from a partner.

In the compatibility quiz, you’ll be asked about your job, salary, sex, drinking and smoking habits, and religion. You will also be asked questions about if you want to have kids or how you feel about yourself.

Pros

Cons

  • Sends LGBTQ members to another website
  • Must pay to send or receive messages

Paid vs. Free Membership Options

Once you complete the first quiz, you will be able to access your account for free. Features for an unpaid account are limited. You will be encouraged to pay for a subscription when you see all of the photos of potential matches. A membership on eHarmony costs about $10 per month.

2. Match.com Review

match.com review

Match.com is one of the most reputable dating sites available today. The service is the longest-running online dating service. Singles on Match are looking for serious relationships, and there have been many success stories of couples who met the love of their lives. Since 1995, the site has arranged more marriages than any competitor, and about 200,000 people per year find the love of their lives.

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The profile creation is the most crucial element of Match. While it can take some time to describe yourself in all of your beauty and value, taking the time to curate an attractive profile is essential.

You can search through compatible dates and like profiles by clicking the heart icon. When you search through the Discover section, you can use various filters. Your age ranges, locations, and parameters will be automatically filled out by Match, but you can adjust them as needed.

Another helpful feature is the bookmark icon, which allows you to save your ideal search criteria. Match.com will generate seven daily recommendations that you can find under the ‘Match’ tab. The service is available in 25 countries and eight languages and supports over 15 million visitors each month.

Pros

  • Hundreds of thousands of success stories
  • Huge member database
  • Personality-based dating experience
  • Great for any niche

Cons

  • More costly than others

Paid vs. Free Membership Options

It’s free to browse member profiles and send likes through a free account. To send messages and get full access to your inbox and other fun features, you will have to sign up for a monthly subscription package.

The standard cost breakdown is:

  • 12 months: $22.65 per month
  • Six months: $23.99 per month
  • Three months: $26.65 per month

Premium plans also cost a little extra per month, but they provide even more perks. Premium account members will show up at the top of the search results.

3. LoveStruck Review

LoveStruck

This dating platform is an award-winner designed for busy singles in the UK. The service is reliable and convenient for finding a partner who understands your dreams and aspirations and who is willing to be your motivation.

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You can count on a secure and authentic dating experience with Lovestruck’s profile verification system. Each member’s single status is validated through social media accounts and SMS messaging.

The site runs different algorithms based on the database of more than 250,000 users to find the one for you. Each time you wink, interact with someone or favor a profile, the site will take this into account. The results generated are impressively accurate.

You will also have access to a message feed, exclusive events for singles, and extensive search options. Filter through profiles with categories as specific as hair color and as sensitive as religion. 

Pros

  • Easy to use
  • Most users 30+
  • Validated profiles
  • Events organized for singles
  • Detailed search filters

Cons

  • Limited to UK members

Paid vs. Free Membership Options

The free account comes with some basic benefits. You will be able to look at anyone’s profile and select your privacy level. You will also be able to wink at other members and pick favorites. Unfortunately, you can only upload four photographs while the paid account offers 8.

The cost breakdown for subscriptions are:

  • One month: £29.99
  • Three months: £59.97
  • Six months: £77.94

Premium memberships allow singles to join events, view who is interested in them, and send endless messages.

4. Plenty of Fish Review

Plenty of Fish

Plenty of Fish is one of the most popular free dating sites in the world and has a massive user pool. Many singles on this platform are looking for serious relationships and marriage. This is a great option for those looking for a free and practical online dating experience.

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With Plenty of Fish, you can see who has viewed your profile.

Advanced search features allow you to filter based on specific criteria such as education, income, and profession.

Pros

  • Free to use
  • Large user-pool
  • Advanced searches
  • Unlimited messaging

Cons

  • The site has some spammers, scammers, and fake profiles
  • Match quality

Paid vs. Free Membership Options

While you can access a wide variety of features with a free account, you will have to upgrade to view extended profiles. An upgraded account will also get rid of all of the advertisements and allow you to see if your messages have been read.

5. Single Parent Match Review

Single Parent Match

It can be hard to put a lot of effort into dating when you have kids to worry about. This dating site caters exclusively to single parents looking for a life partner. The service has an excellent reputation and is a great place to seek out like-minded individuals. Single Parent Match is easy to use and committed to your safety.

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The unique features for this dating site include single parent date ideas, forums, online chats, and a news stream. When you create a profile, you can add up to 26 photos, search for people, and send unlimited winks to those you are interested in.

Pros

  • Focused on single parents
  • Mature member base
  • Great reputation
  • Emphasis on safety

Cons

  • Not a large member base

Paid vs. Free Membership Options

Sign-up is free, but the basic membership is relatively limited. To make the most of this service, upgrade to the Gold membership that is $29.95 per month.


Top 4 Best Dating Apps for Marriage

6. OKCupid Review

OKCupid

The most hip of all available dating platforms, OKCupid is a fresh and fun way of meeting the person of your dreams. This multifaceted matchmaking tool has a low cost and puts the spotlight on social justice. This is every millennial’s dream for a love-match app, and the majority of users are between 25 and 34. This is the best app for modern love.

The app is amazingly progressive in its cheeky advertisements that redefine what “DTF” stands for. The site is very LGBTQ friendly allows people to identify with a pronoun that they are most comfortable with. This is the only app that feels like it is truly for everyone.

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The questions involved with sign-up are non-traditional. They dive into both shallow and profound elements of every relationship without being condescending. This strategy is essential to providing a well-rounded look at users and their potential, compatible partners.

Harvard math majors founded the dating site, and they have created an algorithm with a vast pool of data to calculate your compatibility. As you would expect, the results are amazingly accurate.

The mobile app has seamless usability and is aesthetically stunning. The interface is a standard swiping, and you can filter searches by hobby, musical artist, or users near you. Usability is chill yet engaging.

Pros

  • An ethical company that prioritizes millennial love
  • A progressive advertising campaign that we can all get behind
  • Super LGBTQ friendly
  • Fun to use
  • Intriguing questions
  • Aesthetically pleasing

Cons

  • No open messaging (this can be a pro if you don’t like your inbox being flooded)

Paid vs. Free Membership Options

The app is fully functional, even with a free membership. We appreciate this as it makes it more accessible to find love. If you want to upgrade your profile, you can sign up for two different types of accounts.

  • A-List: $19.95 (1 month), or $9.95 per month (6 months)
  • A-List Premium: $34.90 (1 month), $24.90 per month (6 months)

Premium features include seeing people who have liked you before you like them, read receipts, and automatic boosts. Upgrading will also get rid of advertisements.

7. Elite Singles Review

Elite Singles

Elite Singles is a dating app designed for career-oriented singles who are looking for a serious relationship. This is a mature dating site and prioritizes educated members who understand the 9-to-5 grind. The service is a great choice for those unwilling to budge when it comes to the educational values and career goals of a lifelong partner. 

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Upon sign-up, you’ll have to set up a profile and fill out a lengthy questionnaire. The quiz is kind of like a Myers-Briggs and will determine indicators such as how logical or industrious you are. While we think that this is a little pretentious, it does help those who consider these essential qualities in a partner.

Your quiz helps the app determine matches based on your answers and will show you how compatible you are based on a score out of 100. Features like ‘Have you met?’ and ‘visitor notifications’ will help provide some direction in your search. The mobile app is available in the Google Play Store and the App Store.

Pros

  • Educated member base
  • Users are mature and looking for serious relationships
  • Well designed app.

Cons

  • The personality quiz is tedious
  • Very high cost

Paid vs. Free Membership Options

With the free version, you are very limited. You have to pay for messaging, viewing photos, and receiving read receipts. EliteSingles uses an algorithm that is unique and took years to perfect. This is a much more expensive option than other dating apps and sites mentioned in this review. The cost is a hefty $240 per year.

8. Lumen Review

The modern dating app, Lumen, is specially designed for people who are adventurous, over 50 years old and seeking genuine companionship. Singles in their prime years now have a mobile dating platform that can help them find someone to spend their days with.

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All profiles on Lumen undergo a strict verification process to ensure a safe dating environment. The app is young at heart and straightforward to use. When you register for an account, you will link your Facebook account. Once you upload photos, you will have to verify them by taking a selfie. You’re still sexy! Flaunt it!

You can send messages to members you like, and they have a 72-hour timeframe to respond. You can also send an icebreaker as the first message, which will initiate a conversation. The matches that you are shown are based on your location.

Pros

  • A unique dating app for older adults
  • Find like-minded people
  • Easy to set up and use

Cons

  • No unlimited messaging.

Paid vs. Free Membership Options

It is free to download and use the app on both Android and Apple mobile devices. All of the main features will be available, but there are limitations. Unpaid members will only have five new conversations each day. If you want to exceed that, you have to pay.

Even Lumen premium does not give you unlimited messages. Upgrading your account will allow you to access the list of people who have added you to their favorites.

9. Coffee Meets Bagel Review

Coffee Meets Bagel

We love the innovative nature (and the title) of this recently released free dating app. Coffee Meets Bagel is available for iPhones and Android and is packed with great features. The site uses Facebook to match you with a mutual friend. This is a distinctive element of the app, and it makes it easier to unlock the potential of your extended network.

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This app values quality over quantity and ensures that interactions are more than superficial. Men on this site will be the ones who receive “bagels,” and they will be able to select their interest. The “bagels” or the women will be able to choose from a careful selection of curated men who have shown interest.

Men will be shown options that they are intrigued by. There are two different sections: Suggest and Discover. Under ‘Suggested,’ you will find 21 bagels each day at noon, and you can either ‘like,’ ‘pass,’ or give a ‘priority like’ which will be seen 6x faster.

Women are presented with only six options per day, and they can chat for seven days after that before the chat expires. There is a chatroom, and sending messages is free for everyone.

Pros

  • Curated choices for women
  • Local and familiar connections
  • Easy to use

Cons

  • Limited options
  • Very gender presumptuous

Paid vs. Free Membership Options

The app is free to use and is fully functional. There is a paid premium account where you will get some extra perks. This costs $20-35 per month.


3 Factors to Consider When Using a Dating Site for Marriage Purposes

There are so many dating services available today online and straight to your mobile device. The sheer number of options can be overwhelming. There are a few factors that we take into consideration when determining the best platform for singles looking for their life-partner.

Success Stories

One of the best ways to be sure if a dating site is the right place for finding a husband or wife, you should read up on customer testimonials. If an app or website is full of quotes from couples who are bragging about their love, that means that the site works! While it may take you some time, credible platforms are the best place to find someone who you enjoy.

User-base

If the site seems that it is catered to a less serious crowd and they boast successful hookups, it is probably not the best place to be searching for the one. Make sure that the marketing and branding of the site are targeted to an audience of individuals looking for more than just casual dates.

Security

No one likes being catfished, especially when they are serious about finding a relationship. Make sure that the site has verification steps and ensures that users are faithful and accurate in the representations of themselves.


Things to Know if Finding a Partner for Marriage

Marriage is the most serious deal that you will ever make in your life. It is important not to rush into the decision unless it feels absolutely right. There are a few factors that we want to go over that you should keep in mind when searching for the one.

Be straight forward from the start about your intentions. At this point, you are ready to stop playing games. Don’t reap someone into a causal relationship if you are actually looking for forever. Lies will inevitably lead to complications and heartbreak.


Verdict

We hope you found these best dating sites for marriage useful. Finding the best site for you is determined by your preferences and qualities. If you are a serious workaholic who seeks a partner who will support your career, you may enjoy a service like Elite Singles or LoveStruck. It also depends on your age; millennials may find that they enjoy the vibrant community of OKCupid, while baby-boomers may go for something more mature like Lumen. For all those looking for love, you may strike luck in any one of the platforms we have mentioned in this review. Happy heart hunting!



chelsea king - chief editor of romancescams
Written by Chelsea King

Chelsea has been a direct victim of romance scams herself losing over $35,000 in a span of a year in 2015. She joined and took over operations of RomanceScams.org in 2015. She brings first-hand experience in studying romance scams, and also experience in vetting dating sites for legitimacy. Read more of Chelsea's articles.

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