The following pages are an attempt by me to organize the vast majority of online dating related statistics and facts available on the Internet. Almost every week there seems to be a new report or study produced that tries to top the last one. While statistics can be spun to make almost anything look good, I've tried to report just the basic facts. The data has been gathered from such sources as blogs, online newspaper and magazine articles, company financial statements, company advertising information packages (including media packages), the actual dating service website (or their parent company website), and multiple website measurement services.

1. The Best Dating Site to Get Married Tinder is among the most popular dating sites, in fact it is the best internet dating web page for marriage. With above 54 mil members, really one of the biggest sites out there, as well as its matching criteria focuses on individuals who are ready to marry.
2. Dec 13, 2021 The most popular dating services in the US are Tinder (42%), Match (32%), Plenty of Fish (26%) and OkCupid (25%). 60% of people in the US between the ages of 18 and 29 have used online dating at some point in their lives. Online daters pursue partners who are, on average, 25% more desirable than themselves.
3. The best dating sites. Best for confident women. Best for quick and easy hookups. Best free dating site. Best for serious relationship seekers.

Another site that’s been used by the 50 and older crowd for decades is the beloved eHarmony, one of the true classics of online dating. If your heart aches for a committed partner.

I've decided to organize the statistics and facts into two main areas. The first which starts on this page will deal with the general online dating industry as a whole. This section also includes any relevant facts about dating, relationships, and marriage that I thought would be of interest to the dating industry. The second part is for actual dating services (this includes dating sites and dating apps). In the contents below you will find them divided up accordingly. Each service has their own page.

Please note that the information is also sorted by year but this is the year the information was published and not always the year the information is for. If this is the case then, the date will be noted.

This is an ongoing project that I plan to add to regularly. If you have any questions or wish to include some information please contact us.

THIS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS WITH NEW INFORMATION ADDED DAILY...

If you would like to find out more about the history of matchmaking from the 1600's which was the start of personal ads in newspapers, up to the 1960's when the first computer was used and beyond, you may want to check out our essay on The History of Online Dating.

Contents

Online Dating Industry

Online Dating Services

• Bumble Inc - Majority stake owned by Blackstone - May include info about their specific dating brands
  • Badoo - Owned by Bumble Inc.
  • Bumble - Owned by Bumble Trading Inc.
• Coffee Meets Bagel - Owned by Coffee Meets Bagel/SOMA Central
• FriendFinder Networks - Owned by FriendFinder Networks Inc. - Includes information about all FriendFinder brands
• Facebook - Owned by Facebook Inc.
• Grindr - Owned by Grindr LLC (which is owned by Kunlun Group)
• Happn - Owned by FTW & Co
• Match Group - Owned by IAC (InterActiveCorp) - May include info about their specific dating brands
  • Chemistry - Owned by Match Group Inc.
  • Hinge - Owned by Hinge Inc. (which is owned by Match Group Inc.)
  • Match.com - Owned by Match Group Inc.
  • OkCupid - Owned by Match Group Inc.
  • POF.com (Plenty Of Fish) - Owned by Plentyoffish Media Inc. (which is owned by Match Group Inc.)
  • Tinder - Majority stake owned by Match Group Inc.
• ParshipMeet Group - Owned by NuCom Group (which is owned by ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE) - May include info about their specific dating brands
  • The Meet Group - Owned by ParshipMeet Group - Includes information about all The Meet Group brands.
  • eHarmony - Owned by ParshipMeet Group.
• Spark Networks SE - May include info about their specific dating brands
  • Christian Mingle - Owned by Spark Networks SE
  • JDate - Owned by Spark Networks SE
  • Zoosk - Owned by Zoosk Inc. (which is owned by Spark Networks SE)

Out of Business

• Date.com - Owned by Avalanche, LLC - Includes information about Matchmaker.com and Amor
• Yahoo! Personals - Owned by Yahoo Inc. (partnered now with Match.com)

Summary of Popular Online Dating Statistics

Industry Started:

First online dating site domain was registered in 1995 (see The History of Online Dating)

Industry Revenue:

$7.1 billion (2020 Global) [2021 #35]

Number Of Services:

Estimated 2,000 in North America and 8,000 worldwide [2019 #11]

Number Of Users:

59 million who on average use 2.4 different dating services each (2017, US only [2018 #15])
Online dating is responsible for how 40% of hetrerosexual couples met (2017, US only [2019 #32])

Gender Ratio:

40% Female : 60% Male (average) [2018 #25]

Most Popular Dating Services:

Tinder (42%), Match (32%), Plenty of Fish (26%) and OkCupid (25%) (2017, US only [2018 #15])

General Online Dating Industry

2021

• General Information
  • Users are sharing when they have received the COVID-19 vaccine on their dating profile in the hope of capturing more matches. [5]
  • 91% of college students use dating apps to meet people. [7]
  • 42 percent of users surveyed said they would cancel a date with someone who didn’t want to take the vaccine. [9]
  • 137 percent increase in mentions of “vaccine” in user profiles around the world since January. [10]
  • 60% of female online dating users younger than 35 said that they had continued to be contacted by people they met even after they told them they weren’t interested. 57% said they had been sent a sexually explicit message without being asked or giving their consent. [12]
  • Apple will be rolling out its new privacy notification for users who download any app from its store. Facebook and Match Group says that this will hurt their revenue and sales numbers. [14]
  • 65% of online daters who have been on a video date, plan to keep virtual dating after the pandemic. It allows them a low-pressure step to further assess compatibility. [15]
  • 1/3 of seniors who have dated in the last 5 years have used a dating app. Of these 2/3 have found a relationship. [16]
  • 11% of seniors that were dating said social media was a good place to meet people and 21% said dating apps and sites. [16]
  • Fight for the Future and China-based GreatFire published a report that claims Apple is “actively helping governments around the world isolate, silence and oppress people.” The report shows that 27 LGBTQ+ dating apps where removed from the App Store in China. [21]
  • Apple has pulled a 'Unjected' dating app for unvaccinated people stating that the app was spreading misinformation about Covid-19 and vaccines. [27]
  • Apple has announced that it will relax its app store rules. Apple says companies can provide a link to their websites from the apps for users to sign up for subscriptions, allowing the developer to bypass Apple’s cut, which was anywhere from 15 to 30 percent of sales. [29]
  • The FTC in September issued a statement urging people using LGBTQ+ dating apps to be cautious amid the growing number of scammers who operate on these apps. [30]
  • Scammers stole more than $1.4 million from users of popular dating apps in a scam dubbed “CryptoRom”. The scammers feigned romantic interest with victims to build trust, and then lured them into downloading fake cryptocurrency apps. [33]
  • The dating app global market size in 2020 was $7.1 Billion. The industry is expected to grow to over $11 billion by 2028. [35]
  • The online dating industry is doing better than ever and will only continue to grow at a rate of 5.6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) through 2028. [35]
  • North America currently holds the largest market for dating app users, but other markets are closing in and will likely surpass it by 2028. [35]
• United States
  • Dating app users are purposely matching with Trump supporters to identify participants in the attack on the U.S. Capitol, and then turning them into the FBI. [4]
  • The Judiciary Committee in the Utah House of Representatives passed a bill that allows people to search the legal records of anyone they meet online. It will use a service called Xchange. [7]
  • 2020 was a Record Year for Online Dating Scammers. The FTC Reports found: [8]
    • The total amount of stolen funds on dating apps in 2020 was estimated to be $304 million, or about $2,500 per victim (which is around 121 thousand victims). This was double the amount stolen from dating app users in 2019.
    • Reports from victims aged 20-29 doubled over the past year, while people 40 to 69 were the most likely to report being scammed. Those 70 and older reported the highest individual losses, averaging about $9,475 per person.
    • The type of scams varied, with some scammers actually sending money to targets and asking them to return it or send to someone else. As it turned out, they were laundering the money, most often from stolen unemployment benefits. Requests for gift cards and wire transfers were also a popular way to extract money from victims, with scammers claiming they needed the money for medical expenses.
  • Governor Doug Ducey of Arizona signed into law a bill that requires online dating companies to inform their users when they have communicated with potential scammers. [13]
  • The total amount of stolen funds in the US on dating apps in 2020 was estimated to be $304 million, or about $2,500 per victim. This was double the amount stolen from dating app users in 2019. [13]
  • Tinder, Bumble, OkCupid, Hinge, Match and Plenty of Fish are providing incentives for vaccinated users to help the US Government reach the goal of 70% of American adults getting vaccinated by July 4th. Currently 134 million people in the U.S. are fully vaccinated, or just over 41% of the population. [17]
  • More than 50 million people in the U.S. use dating apps. [17]
  • A Michigan State University study about how dating app users found: [18]
    • Most dating app users make their decisions on whether to swipe right or not on superficial factors like attractiveness and race in less than a second.
    • Men tended to swipe right more often than women, but most people overall did not consider any profile information
    • People tend to swipe right on those matches who liked them first.
    • People who consider themselves attractive were more likely to swipe left then those who don’t think of themselves as highly.
  • A study by Censuswide about dating and being vaccinated found: [22]
    • 30% said they wouldn’t consider going on a date or having sex with someone who wasn’t vaccinated.
    • 90% of respondents want to date face-to-face.
    • 91% of respondents said they were fine with meeting someone via a dating app.
    • 38% of respondents agreed that they prefer a virtual first date before meeting in person.
    • 46% said they would be fine with a “normal” date now and another 41% said they’d still want to keep socially distanced.
    • 65% of users feel it’s possible to fall in love with someone without meeting in person.
    • 39% feel that ghosting has declined over the past year, and another 31 percent feel that catfishing has also declined since the start of the pandemic.
  • Google revealed that searches for dating content have reached a five-year high. Over the last month dating searches has risen significantly: [24]
    • Searches for 'top dating apps 2021' rose 3,400%.
    • Searches for 'dating apps for older people' rose 3,500%.
    • Searches for 'virtual first date ideas' rose 450%.
  • 46% of Americans view dating apps to be unsafe. They are primarily concerned with other app users lying and misrepresenting themselves. [25]
  • Dating apps set records in user activity and subscription numbers in 2020. [25]
  • For 2020, reported losses from dating app scams totaled $304 million, up 50 percent from 2019. [25]
  • Google is cracking down on “sugar dating” apps in its Play Store, and will shut them down as of September 1st, 2021. [26]
  • Active daily users on the most popular dating apps jumped to almost 15 million in July. [28]
  • 40% of all relationships in the U.S. start online, and 65% of all LGBTQ+ couples met online. [31]
  • Match releases Singles In America Study for 2021: [34]
    • 11% of singles want to date casually, while 62% say they seek more meaningful, committed relationships.
    • 76% said they want a partner who is looking to get married. This is up from 58% just two years ago, and interestingly, younger adults and men are most interested in marriage.
    • 65% of singles prefer to date only vaccinated people.
    • Half of young singles had a video date before meeting in person. And 1 in 4 singles overall had one.
    • 78% of respondents say that finding someone who is physically attractive is important to them, compared to 90% in 2020.
• United Kingdom
  • Bumble recently conducted a survey of 1,003 U.K. residents and found that 23% of participants had been body-shamed on a dating app or social media. [6]
  • In the U.K., August 1st is predicted to be the most popular day to schedule a date in 2021, thanks to the rollout of the vaccines for COVID-19. [9]
  • Popular dating apps in the UK are offering vaccine stickers for user profiles, so potential matches can know vaccination status right away before swiping right. Apps like Tinder and Hinge are also offering additional perks like a free Super Like or Rose. [20]
• Japan
  • About 25 of Japan’s 47 prefectures offer state-run dating services where people complete basic profile information and are given a list of people who match their criteria. [2]
  • Japan's Cabinet Office is asking for budget approval for a new dating service that is driven by artificial intelligence. [2]
  • The number of annual marriages in Japan fell to 600,000 in 2019, down from about 800,000 in 2000. They also have one of the lowest birth rates in the world, with not enough babies to replace an aging population. The country has the highest percentage of people over 65 of any country in the world. [2]
  • Japan's most popular matchmaking dating app is Omiai with 6.8 million accounts. [19]
  • The matchmaking market more than doubling in size over the past four years in Japan. It’s expected to grow another 70% by 2025 according to a study. [19]
• India
  • Lamour was the most downloaded dating app in India in 2019, gathering 14 million users in the first six months. [11]
• Iran
  • 307,000 marriages took place in Iran in 2020 and 99,600 divorces. Iran also faces declining birth rates. [23]
  • To incentivize young people, Iran officials proposed a law to offer significant financial incentives for those who choose to get married and have more than two children. [23]
  • Iranian singles have a new state-approved dating app called Hamdan to help them find spouses. To sign up you need to verify their identity and undergo a psychological test. [23]
  • The Hamdan app introduces families, not just the singles who match, and it also provides a so-called “service consultant” to not only introduce the families, but “accompany” the couple even after they get married, for a period of four years. [23]
• Dating, Relationships & Marriage
  • In a 2021 Switzerland study about long-term relationships and of those people who use dating apps found: [1]
    • People do use dating apps to find long-term relationships and those that do usually have a higher level of commitment.
    • People who had met over a dating app were more likely to live together than others who met offline.
    • Women who met their partner over a dating app are more likely to want a child within the next three years compared to those who met their partners offline.
  • An endless stream of profiles increases feelings of dissatisfaction, which in turn causes them to reject even more potential dates, and become more pessimistic about being chosen themselves. This happens more with women than men. [3]
  • According to a recent study 34% of respondents from India said they were “more open to exploration” when it comes to sex, ahead of dating app users in the U.S., Australia, Canada and the U.K. [32]

References

2020

• General Information
  • Tinder ranks as the number one non-gaming app in 2019 in terms of total revenue. [1]
  • Facebook ranked as the number one downloaded app in 2019. The top 3 actually are owned by Facebook including Facebook Messenger at number 2, and WhatsApp at number 3. [1]
  • In a study of the popularity of online dating and how singles want to meet it was found: [2]
    • 7 in 10 couples found each other online and not in real life.
    • 75% of singles rather meet their match in real life than on a dating service.
    • On average someone who is single only approaches someone they’re interested in offline once every 2.4 years. Only 3 in 10 singles said they had been approached by someone in the last 3 months.
  • In a survey of the use of dating apps during the Coronavirus outbreak it was found: [5]
    • There is a spike in dating app activity among users in countries around the world as the Coronavirus becomes widespread.
    • 60% of those surveyed were already using dating apps before the pandemic was declared.
    • 82% of singles are turning online as they self-quarantine in their homes.
    • 50% of daters said that they would be interested in conducting online dates to get to know people they’ve met online to avoid spreading or catching the virus.
    • 30% of those surveyed said that they are going to just stick with messaging and chatting with matches using their dating apps until they are able to meet up in person.
    • 5% of singles reported that they are going to stop dating altogether until the virus passes.
  • Despite this uptick in dating service usage during the pandemic, dating app revenue is on its way down. It’s likely that in-app virtual dating features will not only stick around and may become another valuable revenue stream. [8]
  • What is the preferred method of communicating to get to know someone on a dating service: [9]
    • 51% rather send text messages.
    • 26% like to video chat.
    • 17% want to talk on the phone.
    • 6% rather wait until after the pandemic.
  • What is the preferred Virtual Date activity: [9]
    • 31% shared activities like a game.
    • 29% want to have drinks or dinner.
    • 25% rather just chat.
    • 15% said watch a movie or TV show.
  • In a survey from Hinge about video chatting and Covid-19 it was found: [11]
    • 85% consider video chats a good way to get to know someone rather than meeting in person first.
    • 52% said they would continue to use video chatting even after the threat of contracting COVID-19 passes.
    • 63% said they felt a growing connection with someone they met over a video chat, with a third of those considering being exclusive with the person.
  • A study by Cornell University looked at 25 popular dating apps and deduced that race was “innately entwined in their tech” because the apps’ algorithms worked to identify a user’s preferred ethnicity through the choices they made on the app and who they tended to message. [12]
  • 26% from a survey said that dating apps have helped them with their confidence and to feel more desirable, compared to 18% who said they felt less desirable and less confident. [14]
  • Tinder topped the non-gaming app list for revenue earned by apps across all platforms for the first half of 2020. This is followed by YouTube, TikTok, Tencent, and then in 5th Netflix. [15]
  • The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has blocked Tinder, Grindr, Tagged, Skout, and SayHi on the grounds of having “indecent and immoral content”. [19]
  • The global dating market is expected to grow to $9.9 billion by 2026. This is up from $6.7 billion in 2018. This is an compound annual growth rate of 5.2%. The North American market will be responsible for 37% of this growth. [23]
  • RAINN says that about 40 million people in the U.S. use online dating platforms, and sexual violence is a pervasive problem. [26]
• United States
  • A committee from the U.S. House of Representatives is investigating popular dating apps following a report that found underage users and sex offenders were using the apps. Letters where sent out to the companies asking for information on users ages, procedures for verifying ages, and any complaints about assaults, rape or the use of the services by minors. [3]
  • The U.S. government is cracking down on potential online security risks by banning dating, gaming and bitcoin mining apps from phones issued to those serving in the Military. [17]
  • Campaign staffers working for Democratic candidates were warned that they could be targeted by bad actors through dating apps. [18]
• United Kingdom
  • More than 600 reports of fraud on dating services by members to other members were reported during June, July and August. This is up 26% compared to last year where the average was 400 per month. [21]
  • Over the past year victims of fraud by members of dating apps lost over 66 million pounds. [21]
  • 21% of singles are looking to find partners now (Oct) as potential lockdowns loom. 40% of those looking to couple up will do so because they spent the previous lockdown alone. [24]
  • 18% are looking to move in with a partner to escape their current living situation. [24]
• Dating, Relationships & Marriage
  • In a 2020 study of the happiness of American couples it was found: [4]
    • 82% of Americans are happy in their relationships.
    • 78% of couples who have sex monthly and 66% who have sex a few times per year are less happy than their counterparts.
    • Couples in 2020 are significantly more likely than couples in 2019 to argue about politics at least once per week.
    • Women are more likely than men to be concerned about climate change and terrorism, while men are more concerned about an economic crisis and epidemics.
    • Men are 9% happier than women in their relationships.
    • 73% of men want to spend the rest of their lives together with their partners.
  • In a survey from Bumble about dating and Covid-19 it was found: [10]
    • 80% of singles in the U.S. are open to meeting a match in person rather than going on a virtual date.
    • 44% are confused as to what will be acceptable when dating in the “new normal”. They are not sure what dating will look like after COVID.
    • 60% of singles said that if they are forced through another lockdown, they want to find a quarantine buddy so they can shelter together the next time around.
  • In a survey from eHarmony about relationships during Covid-19 it was found: [13]
    • 63% of respondents say their relationship feels stronger after quarantining together, and 58% say they know they want to be with their partner forever.
    • 36% of respondents agreed that two months in quarantine felt like the equivalent of two years of being in a committed relationship.
    • 36% said they have reached relationship milestones like moving in together much more quickly than they would have without the lockdown.
    • Turbo charged relationships (Partnerships formed in quarantine) led 23% of respondents to agree that they have had more sex, 28% said they had better communication, and 18% said they had shared passions with their partners.
    • 14% of couples said quarantine made them realize their relationships were over.
  • 60% of daters said they want to ease back into the dating scene slowly and remain cautious. [14]
  • 27% of men admitted to breaking lockdown restrictions to have sex, as opposed to only 11% of women who did this. [14]
  • 93% of singles want someone to fall in love with them for who they are, not what they look like. 90% of daters feel that chemistry, not attractiveness, is more important to long-term relationship success. [16]
  • 63% of those in a survey admitted to ghosting people before the pandemic. Only 36% admit to ghosting someone during the pandemic. [20]
  • In a study of Singles in American it was found: [22]
    • 59% of daters were considering a wider range of potential partners and 55% were fast tracking their new relationships compared to before the pandemic.
    • 75% of daters felt that it was important that their dates share their political affiliations. This is up 25% when compared to 3 years ago.
  • A study by Bumble found 40% of singles admitted they no longer knew how to date in person, and 2/3 of respondents said navigating the COVID dating landscape made them uncomfortable. [25]

References

2019

• General Information
  • Research has shown over the years that the first Sunday of January (this year it is Jan 6) )is generally the busiest day for online dating. More people are also motivated to find love thanks to New Year’s resolutions (and the cold weather). [2]
  • Around the world 600 million singles have access to the Internet. 400 million of these have never used a dating app. [5]
  • There were 500 million singles globally online in 2017 and that number is expected to hit 670 million by the end of this year. [6]
  • In 2018 venture investors put $127 million globally into 27 startups. In total $300 billion in global venture investment happened across all sectors. [8]
  • In the last 5 years global venture investment in dating startups leans heavily toward companies based in China. This year Blued, a China-based dating app for gay men, received nearly 80 percent of dating-related capital. [8]
  • Online dating is the most popular way for heterosexual couples in the United States to meet. Meeting online eclipsed meeting through friends and family for the first time in 2013. [9]
  • The percentage of heterosexual couples who met online rose from 0% in 1995 to about 22% in 2009. [9]
  • In 2019, 39 percent of American couples meet online. [9]
  • There are now around 2,000 dating services in North America and an estimated 8,000 around the world. [11]
  • The dating industry revenue grew by 11.9% over a five-year period and as of 2018 has reached $3 billion. The number of businesses has grown by 1.0% and the number of employees has grown by 5.6%. [11]
  • Mobile dating applications now account for nearly a quarter of industry revenue. [11]
  • More than half of Americans who have used dating services said they have a positive view of online dating. [11]
  • 72% of singles said they think relationships that begin online are just as or more successful than those that begin offline. [11]
  • 49.7 million Americans have tried online dating, a number that’s not far off from the total number of single people in the country: 54.4 million. [11]
  • With the Zoosk acquisition, Sparks Networks will become the second largest online dating platform in North America and the second largest publicly-listed dating company in the world. In both cases the Match Group is the largest. [10]
  • In Southeast Asia there are more than 400 million singles and two-thirds have not tried a dating app. [15]
  • Depending on your country and gender your job could significantly boost your desirability. Those who work in finance is the most desirable profession for both men and women. [17]
  • People who use dating apps are 2.7 to 16.2% more likely to have an eating disorder than those who don’t use the apps (Women 2.3 to 26.9 times and Men 3.2 to 14.6 times). [20]
  • People who used more social media applications were more likely to consider plastic surgery. Users of Tinder, Snapchat and YouTube were found to be especially accepting of cosmetic surgery and interested in undergoing a procedure. [24]
  • In a study of what personal information Dating Apps have access to it was found: [26]
    • 70% of apps can find contacts and accounts on the user’s mobile device.
    • 60% have access to the camera and phone status.
    • 30% have access to the microphone to record calls and audio.
    • 10% are allowed to read, send and receive user’s SMS messages.
  • People are more likely to match when they share similar backgrounds, particularly religious affiliation, education, and even their initials. For example when potential matches both attended Ivy League schools, they were 64.3% more likely to match. [31]
  • In a study of Romance Scams it was found: [33]
    • 70% of apps can find contacts and accounts on the user’s mobile device.
    • 60% have access to the camera and phone status.
    • 30% have access to the microphone to record calls and audio.
    • 10% are allowed to read, send and receive user’s SMS messages.
  • In a study of typos in Dating Profiles it was found: [35]
    • 75% of online dating users were turned off by dating profiles when they notice that they had spelling errors.
    • Only 33.5% of participants noticed the errors and called attention to them
    • Simple spelling errors were perceived by respondents as a sign of inattentiveness, while grammatical errors were seen as a sign of lower intelligence. However, both types of errors were linked to lower attraction scores.
  • The global dating market is expected to surpass $8.4 billion by 2024. [36]
  • In 2017 found that 21% of women ages 18 to 29 have reported being sexually harassed online. About 53% of those women said they had been sent explicit photos without their consent. [38]
  • In 2017 found that 9% of men ages 18 to 29 have reported being sexually harassed online. [38]
• United States
  • Top grossing dating apps overall (in order): Tinder, Bumble, Match, Zoosk, Hilly, Grindr, POF, OkCupid, Tagged, Hinge. [14]
  • U.S. Presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is the first candidate to have met his spouse on a dating app. The app was Hinge. He is also the first millennial. [16]
  • Since the Supreme Court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage in 2015, more than one million LGBTQ people in the U.S. are married to someone of the same sex. There were more than 547,000 same-sex marriages in the U.S. in 2017, up from 491,000 in 2016. [19]
  • In 2018 dating apps saw their collective user base grow by 6.5% to 25 million. This year it is expected to be lower at 5.3% increase. [21]
  • By 2022, it is predicted that dating app growth will slow down to only 2.2% for a total user base of 28 million. [21]
  • The top 10 dating apps in the U.S. saw $679 million in gross revenue between the beginning of 2018 to early 2019. [21]
  • On the Fortune’s Ranking Of The 100 Fastest-Growing Companies In 2019, Chinese social and dating service Momo beat out companies as big as Facebook, Amazon, and Netflix to be named the fastest growing company in the world. [27]
  • In 2010 online dating was responsible for 20% of how heterosexual couples met. By 2017 this number has reached 39%. [32]
• Russia
  • Russia has clamped down on U.S. tech companies like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchap, and Tinder. Russia is requiring them to be added to Russia’s special register of companies obligated to hand over user data, including messages, to Russian law enforcement. These companies risks fines and a possible ban on user access to services in Russia if they don’t comply. [29]
• Japan
  • The arranged marriage industry (or omiai) in Japan is worth $500 million USD. [28]
• India
  • As of 2018 2.7% of people in India used a online dating service. This tripled the amount over 2017. In 5 years (2023) it is expected to rise to 3.2%. [22]
  • The market value of the online dating industry in the next 5 to 8 years is expected to be $100 million USD. [22]
  • The majority of users are 24 years and younger (which is half of India's population). Males out number females 7 to 5.[22]
  • 20 to 30% of the user base comes from small towns. [22]
  • In the last year Tinder, Bumble, and OkCupid have all made an effort to penetrate the India dating market. [22]
• Dating, Relationships & Marriage
  • In a study by Match UK it was found: [1]
    • 36% of couples and 33% of singles said they feel their relationships fall short of Instagram standards.
    • 29% feel jealous of other couples on social media and 25% compare their relationship to relationships they see online.
    • Heavy social media users are 5x more likely to feel pressure to present a perfect image of their own online and they are 2x as likely to be unhappy with their relationships.
  • In a study of singles researching their dates it was found: [3]
    • 77% of daters research matches on a regular basis. Most spend 15 to 30 minutes conducting their investigations online.
    • 11% of daters never research their dates at all.
    • 88% said Facebook is their go-to source of information, followed by Google (77%), Instagram (53%), Twitter (29%), and LinkedIn (21%)
    • 25% have reverse image searched a picture.
    • Women are most interested in a match’s criminal background and work history.
    • Men are most interested in finding pictures and videos of a match.
  • 98% of female wouldn’t date someone who is attractive but has poor manners. 83% of males agree. [4]
  • In a study of the happiness of American couples it was found: [7]
    • 83% of Americans are happy in their relationships.
    • The happiest couples in America are those who have similar political views, education and personality. They are in good health, have frequent sex, and believe in open communication.
    • 6 in 10 people have sex at least weekly.
  • Between 1967 and 1995 interracial marriages went from 3% to 9%. In the 2000s interracial marriages went from 10.68% to 15.54%. Numbers jumped to 17.24% by 2014. [10]
  • Only 14.5% of the U.S. male population are actual 6 feet tall or higher. [13]
  • In a study called Singles & Desirability it was found: [7]
    • Over 50% of all singles said honesty is the most important attribute to consider when deciding who to date. Kindness at 44% came in second and a sense of humor at 34% was third. Fourth is attractiveness which men are 2 times more likely to prioritized.
    • The four most desired professions are doctor or nurse, teacher or professor, veterinarian, and firefighter or police officer.
    • 70% of men and women said they want a partner who is looking for a serious relationship, not a casual fling.
  • Couples who met online are more likely to date someone with a different education level, political ideology or race/ethnicity than couples who met offline. [23]
  • 30% of people who met their partner online reported that their partner is a different race or ethnicity, compared to 19% of respondents who met their partner offline. [23]
  • In Match's 2019 Single in America Study it was found: [25]
    • 70% of Gen Z singles and 63% of Millennial singles say they’re searching for romantic love.
    • 75% of Gen Z and 69% of Millennials believe they will find the kind of partner they want.
    • Gen Z and Millennials went on an average of five first dates in 2018.
    • 46% of older singles believe they will find what they’re looking for in a partner.
    • Older singles went on an average of two first dates in 2018.
    • 59% of singles say the #MeToo movement is important to them and nearly half say it has sparked vital conversations.
    • 19% of men and 10% of women (14% of total singles) think the #MeToo movement has made dating more challenging.
  • A study about the finances of dating in America it was found: [30]
    • The average single American spends $168.17 per month on dating. This works out to over $120,000 over his or her lifetime on dating.
    • 62% of singles said their financial situation holds them back from having a more robust dating life.
    • 51% of singles said they’ve canceled a date when they were unexpectedly strapped for cash, and 28% said they would go into debt in order to keep dating.
  • A study about breakups and the ex's Social Media, it was found: [34]
    • Over 25% of Americans continue to log in to an ex’s social media accounts after a break-up.
    • Of those 69% said they logged into Instagram and 58% Facebook.
    • 58% claimed they have logged back in only to see if an ex has met someone new.
    • 11% admitted that they logged in to seek revenge and to talk to others while pretending to be their ex.
    • 87% said they felt depressed after logging into their old partner’s accounts.
    • 48% of people remain friends with their exes on Facebook.
    • 88% browse their ex’s page to see what they are doing.
    • 31% post pictures to try to make their ex jealous.
  • A study about the pressures and stresses of dating it was found: [37]
    • First date jitters are a big concern among 78% of daters. 40% were worried if they were interesting enough, 16% were concerned about whether they talked enough, and 12% worried if they were considered fun.
    • 32% of singles reported that they feel the most pressure to impress a date with conversational abilities. 21% are concerned with appearance and sense of style.
    • Women are more concerned with appearance at 26%, compared to only 17% of men.
    • Interests and hobbies are a concern among daters, with 51 percent feeling the need to embellish this aspect of their lives to impress a date. Career and income came in at at 34%, and level of education at 31%.

References

2018

• General Information
  • 46% of dating app users met their current partner online. [1]
  • Men are 4% more likely than women to fall in love and get married when meeting through a dating app. [1]
  • 52% of online daters admitted that dating apps have made them more judgmental of people’s looks. [1]
  • 49 million people from the United States have tried online dating. [4]
  • Romance scam victims in the United States and Canada have reported losing nearly $1 billion in the last three years. [5]
  • On average there are 25,000 scammers online with victims at any one time. [5]
  • A company that screens profiles for dating companies says that 500,000 of the 3.5 million profiles it scans every month are fraudulent. [5]
  • It is estimated that there may be more than a million victims of romance scams in the United States. [5]
  • According to the FBI the greatest dollar loss of any scam that affects individuals is investment fraud, second is romance fraud. [5]
  • In a study of dating apps by Ogury it was found: [6]
    • Men are twice as active on dating apps than women.
    • According to a study most dating apps uninstalls occur within the first day of usage.
    • Thursday proved to be the busiest day on dating apps across most countries.
    • California has the worst male to female ratio on dating apps (77.8% male to 22.2% female) while Wyoming is the most balanced state (63.5% male, 36.5% female).
  • The Facebook data breach has sparked outrage in the United States. Many users have deleted their accounts. But as many dating app users have found, this can also mean deleting your messages and matches, or even your entire dating profile if the dating app they use requires a Facebook account. [9]
  • The worldwide online dating industry employees directly over 9,000 people. [10]
  • According to Facebook, one in three marriages in the U.S. begins online. [12]
  • In a study by POF about conversation it was found: [13]
    • 74% of singles identify good conversation as the single best indicator of great chemistry on a date.
    • 60% believe it’s possible to start falling in love from the very first exchange.
    • 58% of singles said they couldn’t live with subpar grammar.
    • App users place conversation well above reading profiles and swiping through photos as the most effective way to identify a compatible partner.
  • A study of 641 university students found that using dating apps does not lead to more casual sex. It is at about the same percentage as you find in dating other ways. [14]
  • Singles aged 18 to 25 who use dating apps, use 2 or 3 at once. [17]
  • Online dating is a $3 billion market. [21]
  • The online dating market is projected to grow to $12 billion by 2020. [24]
  • About half of internet users are single, and it is estimated by 2020 about 20% of them will be willing to use one or more online dating services (was 15% in 2015). This means about 310 million people globally (excluding China) will be using an online dating service by 2020. [24]
  • The gender ratio on most dating apps is about 40% females and 60% males. [25]
• United States
  • With the passage of the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) Craigslist has decided to shutdown their Personals Section in the United States. [8]
  • A Finding Love Online US Study found: [15]
    • In 2017, the online dating industry was reportedly worth $2.4 billion.
    • People that use online dating services on average belong to 2.4 websites and/or apps.
    • 46% of people have a positive attitude towards dating services.
    • 19% of adult singles in the US say they are registered on a dating service.
    • Only 26% of people have paid for an upgrade on a dating service.
    • 58% of singles meet dates through friends, making it the most popular method of matching. Bars, coffee shops and other public areas were next, with 37%, followed by the workplace and events or hobbies (both with 27%).
    • The most popular dating services in the US are Tinder (42%), Match (32%), Plenty of Fish (26%) and OkCupid (25%).
  • 60% of people in the US between the ages of 18 and 29 have used online dating at some point in their lives. [16]
  • Online daters pursue partners who are, on average, 25% more desirable than themselves. [20]
  • In one study, a popular woman living in New York, received 1504 messages during a 1 month period. This is equivalent to one message every 30 minutes 24 hours a day. [20]
• China
  • 12 Chinese dating apps run by 21 firms in China have been shut down amid allegations of fraud for using bots posing as women. [2]
  • Police in Guangdong arrested members of 13 gangs who posed as attractive women in order to con men into purchasing pricey products. A total of 1,310 suspects was arrested, each of whom could approach up to 1,500 victims per month. [18]
• United Kingdom
  • Men are 30 percent more likely than women to initiate conversation on a dating service. [23]
  • 'Average' looking men receive the most messages from women. [23]
  • Men are most likely to message attractive looking women. [23]
• India
  • A survey shows that gender ratio on dating apps in India is immense. Only 26% of users are female, while 74% are male. [25]
• Dating, Relationships & Marriage
  • Including the word ‘flowers’ in your dating profile increases inbound messages by 52%. Including ‘Old-fashioned’ boosts your inbound messages by 16% and including ‘hopeless romantic’ boosts your inbound messages by 38%. [3]
  • 75% of singles say ‘snuggling in front of the fireplace’ is the most romantic date. Other popular suggestions include ‘candlelight dinners’ (58%) and a ‘picnic in the park’ (45%). [3]
  • In a study by eHarmony of relationships in America it was found: [7]
    • 64% of people are “very happy” in their romantic relationships and just 19% say they're unhappy to some degree.
    • Men and women aged 25-34 report having the happiest relationships of all.
    • 80% of men reported that they're 'in love' with their partner or spouse compared to 76% of women.
    • Men are almost twice as likely as women to have relationship therapy.
  • In a study by Badoo about profile photos it was found: [11]
    • Women love profile pictures that are set in the countryside, feature a dog, or show off a man’s tattoos.
    • Men like countryside photos, pictures taken in the gym, and women wearing their underwear or a bikini.
    • No one likes group photos, nor does anyone want to see their prospective match in a photo with an attractive person who might be competition.
    • Women do not like shirtless photos.
    • Men do not like Snapchat filters.
  • Up to 42% of cheaters believe people with tattoos are more spontaneous and 27% say people with tattoos are more sexually adventurous. [19]
  • The average woman’s desirability decreases from the time she is 18 until she is 60. For men, desirability peaks around 50 before declining. [20]
  • The divorce rate in the USA has plummeted 18% from 2008 to 2016. Credit for this goes to Millennial women, as on average, they have waited past the age of 25 to marry. [22]

References

2017

• General Information
  • 84% of its singles say they use tools like Yelp to review potential date venues. [5]
  • A Consumer Reports study found online dating stressful and time-consuming to users but it does produce the intended result if you continue to use it. [11]
  • Among singles reluctant to try online dating, 21% of women and 9% of men said it was because they knew someone who had a bad experience. [11]
  • Of those who have yet to try online dating are reluctant because 50% describing themselves as private people, 48% worried about their information security, and 46% worried about scams. [11]
  • 44% of online daters who had success said that their use of online dating led to marriages or serious long-term relationships. [11]
  • Men and women both send unsolicited sexts in equal amounts which is 50% of the time for each. [14]
  • The largest share of adults worldwide who are actively paying for a dating service are from United States (26%), United Kingdom (21%), and Germany (17%). [18]
  • The smallest share of adults worldwide who are actively paying for a dating service are from France (13%), China (11%), and Saudi Arabia (5%). [18]
  • The use of online dating services (sites and apps) among young adults (ages 18-24) nearly tripled from 2013 to 2016 (from 10% to 27%). [22]
  • Real life events seem to be the latest trend with dating services. [27]
• United States
  • In order Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, West Virginia, Connecticut, Minnesota, and New Jersey came out on top as the safest states for online dating. [6]
  • Only 1.6% of 18-26 year-olds who are on dating apps pay for premium services. [18]
  • In 2017 revenue is expected to be over $3 billion for US companies. The annual growth rate from 2012 to 2017 is 5.3%. [28]
  • There are 6,747 companies in the dating business who employee 9,592 people in the United States. [28]
  • It is estimated that Match Groups market share (includes Match.com, Tinder, OkCupid, POF, etc..) to be 25.7%. In second place is eHarmony with 12%. [31]
• United Kingdom
  • Half of British singles have never asked someone out on a date face to face, only online. [33]
  • 46% of singles had never broken up with someone in person, it was done online or via texting. [33]
  • 25% felt dating apps allowed them to feel more comfortable and to be themselves in dating scenarios. [33]
• Australia
  • Every year Australian singles spend $11.65 billion on dating. [25]
  • Australians spend an average of $79 on a first date, with one third of singles going on at least one first date per month, and a further 32% going on two or more first dates per month. [25]
  • 18% of Australians have paid for dating services, this works out to $80.7 million each year. [25]
• India
  • New regulations will require dating websites to keep IP address records, and require users to upload documents proving their identity. [2]
• China
  • China revises cybersecurity law which now requires dating services to have users to sign up with their phone numbers, which are linked to citizen's national ID numbers. [29]
• Dating, Relationships & Marriage
  • In a study of first dates by Coffee Meets Bagel it was found: [1]
    • 37% of couples chatted for a week before going on that first date.
    • Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays are the most popular days for first dates.
    • 33% of couples went out to dinner for their first date rather than going out for drinks or coffee.
    • 80% of men paid for the first date, while 20% split the check.
    • 73% of first dates cost less than $50.
    • 45% of singles kiss on the first date.
    • 77% of couples planned their second date during the first date.
  • We tend to view our own traits favorably, so we also look positively on those same traits in others. This applies to both personality traits and physical characteristics. [3]
  • A study found humans are likely to pick partners with similar DNA. This 'assortative mating' strategy helps ensure our genetics are successfully passed on to future generations. [3]
  • Online daters tend to select partners who have completed the same level of formal education. [4]
  • Older educated online daters care less about how educated their matches are. [4]
  • In the 2017 Singles In America study it was found: [7]
    • 15% of singles say they feel addicted to the process of looking for a date on a dating service. Millennials are 125% more likely to feel addicted than older generations.
    • 33% of Millenial singles have had sex before a first date
    • 22% of Millennials say they think technology has made finding love more difficult and 57% say they’re lonely.
    • Millennials are 30% more likely than other generations to have a first date that leads to a second date.
  • In the 2017 Singles In America study it was further found: [8]
    • Millennials are 125% more likely to say they feel addicted to dating than older generations.
    • 75% of singles said they are turned off if their dates answer their phones while they are together.
    • 66% of singles said they don't like when their dates texts while they are together.
    • 55% of singles say technology has made dating harder.
    • Millennials are 75% more likely than Boomers to have dated someone online, and 57% more likely than those of other generations to have created a profile on a dating app.
  • A recent study found online daters are less willing to hold out for the “perfect” person and more interested in finding someone who might have potential. [9]
  • Regarding Tech and love, in the 2017 Singles In America study it was found: [10]
    • 29% of singles said that actual phone calls are big turn-ons.
    • 26% of singles think it’s a turn-on if you’re not on social media at all.
    • Millennials are 270% more likely to think it’s hot if you’re binge-watching the same TV shows.
    • The biggest tech turn-offs are constant social media activity (50%) and complaining openly on Facebook (58%).
  • 62% of singles said they prefer to eat a heartier dish on a date, while 38% percent said they prefer a lighter meal. [12]
  • The average unmarried American spent $1,596 on their dating life in 2016. $1,855 for men and $1,423 for women. [13]
  • 35% of online daters say 'I love you' within the first three months of being in a relationship, compared to 30% of offline daters. [14]
  • People who date online are likely to have more committed relationships than those who do not date online. [15]
  • In the 2017 Singles In America study it was found about lying: [16]
    • 57% of daters claim they do not tell white lies while they’re dating.
    • 19% of daters have lied about their sexual history, 17.6% have lied about their dating history. 12% have lied about their finances, and 8% have lied about their age.
    • 27% of men said they had a date view a social media account and have been busted in a lie, and 17% of women said the same.
  • 85% of singles say that a date’s sense of adventure was an attractive quality, and 76% said they’d like to try something new in the coming months. [17]
  • Heterosexual couples are generally around the same age, even as they get older. [19]
  • Same-sex couples display the stereotypical age gap as they grow older, leveling off at about 4.5 years difference after age 38. [19]
  • How much interest couples have in each other is a better predictor of love than having a lot of friends in common. [19]
  • 1 in 2 online dating users say traveling is one of their favorite things to do. [20]
  • 57% of singles take one or more vacations per year. [20]
  • 72% of singles think that someone’s voice makes a person really attractive. [21]
  • 90% of Millennials say they would find enjoyment in acting as matchmaker for their friends. [23]
  • 61% of singles find with the rise in technology usage that it has impacted our ability to have meaningful, face-to-face conversation. [24]
  • 50% of singles said they’d rather have a great conversation with their crush all night. 25% chose a romp between the sheets, and another 25% said they’d take a good night’s sleep over anything else. [26]
  • A survey about how and why people cheat: [30]
    • 44% of males said they had cheated on a partner. 55% said they had at least thought about it.
    • 39% of females said they had cheated on a partner. 35% said they had at least thought about it.
    • 78% of people blamed a lack of sex as the reason for them cheating on their partners.
  • A study of online dating and marriages: [31]
    • One third of marriages start online.
    • 70% of gay relationships start online.
    • The increase of interracial marriages rapidly becomes steeper around 2004 when online dating became more popular.
    • Marriages founded through online dating services are less likely to break up within the first year.
  • A study of food and when mentioned in a dating profile, how it affects the number of messages sent: [34]
    • Writing about food in your profile results in an increase in inbound messages. Mention the word “cook” and you could receive 26% more messages. Call yourself a “foodie” and that number might jump to 82%.
    • Mentioning guacamole, potatoes, or chocolate in your profile earned over 100% more incoming messages than the average.
    • 59% of women said they have a negative perception of dates who suggest going to fast food restaurants, while 10% said it’s an immediate dealbreaker. Only 25% of men said fast food is a no-go.

References

2016

• General Information
  • It is predicted that the busiest day and time (most users logged in) for online dating this year will be Sunday, January 3, at 8:52 pm EST. [1]
  • 72% of adults in the United States are active online. [10]
  • You are 56% less likely to get a person's number if you use the word 'sorry' in your opening line when you message someone on a dating service. [11]
  • Messages on a dating service that used words associated with laughing like 'haha' and 'lol' have a 17% higher chance of ending in an exchange of phone numbers. [11]
  • 15% of all American adults used online dating sites or mobile dating apps in 2015. [12]
  • 80% of Americans who have used online dating agree that online dating is a good way to meet people. [12]
  • 61% of adults who have tried online dating agree that it is easier and more efficient than other ways of meeting people. [12]
  • 31% of online daters agree that online dating keeps people from settling down, because they always have options for people to date. [12]
  • 2 spelling errors in a man's profile will reduce the chances of a response by 14% from a women. Spelling errors by women don’t affect their chances of getting a response. [13]
  • Women receive 17 times as many messages as men on dating services. [13]
  • Men use 21.9% more words than women do in their responses to questions about their dating profile. [13]
  • Between 2013 and today, the share of 18 to 24 year olds who use online dating has roughly tripled from 10% to 27%. For 55 to 64 years old this number has gone from 6% to 12%. [15]
  • 33% of online daters have never actually gone a date with someone they met through a dating service. In 2005 this number was 53%. [15]
  • 20% of online daters have had someone for help with their dating profile. 5% of Americans who are in a marriage or committed relationship say they met their significant other online. [15]
  • 5% of Americans who are in a marriage or committed relationship say they met their partner online. [15]
  • Generally on a dating service the most attractive men send the most messages. [17]
  • Women are much less likely than men to initiate contact on a dating service. [17]
  • Women are 2.5x more likely than a man to receive a response if they initiate contact. [17]
  • In a study, 57% of female respondents and 21% of male respondents reporting experiencing harassment on a dating service. [19]
  • Members of dating services who share photos of themselves laughing have over 3 times more chances of communicating with other members. [21]
  • Your dating profile is judge in part based on the last profile the person saw before yours. If it is more attractive then yours will be considered more attractive. [26]
  • Christian Mingle has the highest ratio of women on their service at 58.6% while Grindr has the most men at 70.3%. [27]
  • People looking for long-term relationships tend to log into their dating service the most on Tuesdays at 2pm. For younger singles and those looking to hookup the best time to find them online is 9pm. [28]
  • 33% of women and 20% of men retouch photos for their dating profile. Most do slight tweaking like removing blemishes, whiten teeth, and/or change skin tone. [29]
  • 47% of men and 27% of women have encountered a first date who looked nothing like their dating profile image. [29]
• United States
  • Michigan with Vermont are the most romantic States according to a study by POF. Louisiana is the least romantic. [9]
• United Kingdom
  • About seven million UK residents are currently using online dating. [8]
  • Between 2009 and 2014, the number of reports of serious sexual assaults during first face-to-face meetings following initial contact online rose in the UK from 33 to 184. This is a 450% increase. [8]
• Dating, Relationships & Marriage
  • 11% of men who admitted to sending an unsolicited photo of their private parts on a dating service, 90% reported that they would stop if they knew a match could review them. [2]
  • 78% of singles are more likely to “like” (or swipe right) someone who has good reviews from other singles, while 88% are less likely to “like” someone with a bad reviews. [2]
  • 35% of people have dated someone at work (37% of males, 34% of females) and 55% of them did not even try to hide the romance. [3]
  • 57% of men vs. 29% of women fantasize about having sex with one of their co-workers, and 46% of men vs. 15% of women would consider having a one-night stand with someone they work closely with. [3]
  • 57% of males and 56% of females say that a happy relationship is more important to them than their careers. [3]
  • 40% of the female surveyed said they prefer messages from other members on a dating service that are longer than the a tweet (140 characters). [4]
  • 94 percent of online daters said they expect a response from their message within 24 hours . [4]
  • Mentioning a movie date in a message increases the response rate by 91%. Other compelling keywords include the beach at 59% and a park at 39%. [4]
  • 4 to 5 percent of Americans are now involved in polyamorous relationships. [5]
  • According to a study of over 2,000 men and women in the United Kingdom, the average couple gets engaged at 743 days, gets a pet at 813 days, gets marriage at 1190 days, and has their first child together at 1422 days. [6]
  • Netflix found that 27% of respondents from a study said TV show compatibility with their partner was important. [7]
  • 72% of respondents of a study who were married or in a relationship said that staying in and watching Netflix was a favourite way to spend date night. [7]
  • Women are on average 36% more romantic than their single male counterparts. Washington DC is the only state in the United States where men are more romantic than women. DC women are 38% less romantic than the national average. [9]
  • 88% of women judge their dates’ grammar mistakes, compared to 84% who judge their dates by their level of confidence. For men, it was 75% and 69% respectively. [13]
  • 33% of singles met their last first date through online dating, while 26% met their last first date through a friend. [14]
  • 107% less likely to get a second date if you skip dinner or drinks on the first date. [14]
  • 60% of singles prefer an evening date, but 22% of singles would rather go out in the afternoon. 39% of singles rather to go out on Saturday nights, followed closely by 34% who prefer Friday night dates. [14]
  • 25% of singles said they've hooked up with an ex. [16]
  • 25% of singles have turned a one-night stand into a relationship. [16]
  • Boomers are 118% more likely than Millennials to have a one-night stand on vacation and 53% more likely to have a threesome. [16]
  • Millennials are 165% more likely than Boomers to have filmed sex and 236% more likely to be completely drunk the first time they sleep with someone. [16]
  • 50% of singles have had 6 or fewer partners. [16]
  • 47% of singles have had fewer than 15 partners. [16]
  • 80% of Millennials (18-33 year olds) have at some point in their dating lives been ghosted. [18]
  • 75% of Millennials (18-33 year olds) who are using online dating are looking for a serious relationship. [20]
  • Dating men who are for Donald Trump winning the Presidential Election alienate 40% of the potential women they can date thanks to their political views. [22]
  • 91% of over-70 singles considered sex to be ‘important’ in a relationship, with 33% rating it as ‘very important’. [23]
  • 75% of over-70 singles said there is no need to postpone sex until a solid relationship commitment is made. Only 56% of younger singles share the same sentiment. [23]
  • On a dating service Men who name-dropped Shakespeare were 27% more likely to receive a response from women. [24]
  • Between the ages of 20-29, many men indicate a preference for a partner 3-6 years older than themselves. [25]
  • Women over the age of 50 would ideally like a match who is 6 years older than their own age. For 30-39 year old women, they indicated the average age difference desired was up to 8 years, while women aged 20-29 sought a partner up to 10 years older. [25]
  • During this election a survey concluded that 50% of online daters would not date someone with opposing political views. This is higher than in previous elections. [30]
  • 15% of Millennials aged 20 - 24 said they had no sexual partners since turning 18. [31]
  • Millennials are the most sexually inactive group since the Depression (1920's). [31]
  • According to a study your online profile stands the best chance of attracting people if you appear more humble and real (revealing some flaws, either in your profile or photos). Also providing evidence about your achievements and accomplishments on a dating profile, like a link to another website increases your trustworthiness. [32]
  • More than 50% of online daters say they have broken up with someone because they have been too negative or pessimistic. [33]
  • 56% of daters are talking less about politics on a date than they used to. This is to avoid getting into a heated debate. [33]
  • 59% of men and women do not expect to feel chemistry until the second date. 35% reported they have fallen deeply in love with someone they didn’t initially find attractive. [34]
  • In a recent study: [35]
    • 75% of women and 58% of men said they rather be 'alone, successful and happy' then in a disappointing relationship.
    • 52% of single participants said they’re not actively looking for someone.
    • 30% of singles are open to online dating and 28% have used an online dating service.
    • 20% of Americans believe online dating is a good way to meet a romantic partner, and only 19% of online daters report having significant success with it.
  • In a study by Badoo for the U.S. it was found: [36]
    • During the holidays 45% of gay males reported feeling considerably more pressure to have a partner, whereas 30% of straight people feel the same.
    • 44% of men said that money was no object to spend on a first date, whereas only 24% of women said the same.
    • 40% of of singles admitted to lying to family and friends about having met their dates online.
    • 62% of singles admitted to checking out a prospective date online through social media before meeting in person. This percentage gets much higher the younger the person is.
    • 33% of singles use photos on their dating profile that are 3 years or older. This percentage is reported higher if the person is gay.

References

2015

• General Information
  • According to a number of the major dating sites the busiest day to try out online dating is the first Sunday after New Years day between 5pm and 8pm. This year it happened on January 4th. [1]
  • More search options can triggered excessive searching which can make it hard for people to discount the incompatible options. [2]
  • IBM Researchers found that of the 41 dating apps they reviewed, 60% of them had security issues which made them potentially vulnerable to cyberattacks. [5]
  • There are 91 million people around the world using dating apps. 61 million (2 out of 3 people) of them are men and 64 million (7 in 10) are between 16 and 34 years old. [6]
  • In 2005 44% of Americans felt online dating was a good way to meet people. In 2013 59% agree that online dating is a good way to meet. [7]
  • A study of 2,300 people between 18 and 34 years old reveals that 39% met through friends, 22% social situations, 18% work, 10% online dating, 6% social media. [9]
  • A message from a woman to a man is 40% more likely to get a response if it's longer than a tweet. [10]
  • Women are 73% more likely to get a response from a man if they mention “dinner,” “drinks,” or “lunch”. [10]
  • Singles who attend speed dating events that have more than 24 potential dates tend to feel overwhelmed. At this point they usually make the decision of who to date solely on physically characteristics. [11]
  • 80% of gay men now meet their long-term partners online. Back in 2001 this statistics was only 14%. [12]
  • Iran launches a state run dating site to draw users away from western dating sites. [14]
  • Rhode Island released a health report in June stating that there has been a 79% rise in syphilis cases in the state between 2013 and 2014. The blame in part has been put on the popularity of hookup dating apps. [15]
  • Rhode Island health officials stated that between 2013 and 2014 the numbers of newly diagnosed HIV patients increased by 33% and cases of gonorrhea increased by 30%. [17]
  • Gay dating app Hornet prompts its users to update their HIV status every three months. [17]
  • The amount lost to romance scams averaged out to a whopping $14,000 per complaint in 2014 for a total of $85 million. [19]
  • In 2014 women over 40 reported loosing $68.5 million to romance scams while men over 40 reported losses of $13.7 million. [19]
  • 50 percent of all relationships could begin online by 2031. By 2040, that number could jump to 70 percent. [28]
• Canada
  • The Canadian dating industry earned $153 million in 2014 and has grown 6% since 2010. [3]
  • There are 255 businesses in the dating industry who employ 523 people. [3]
• China
  • The most popular online dating scam in China is fake profiles which promote escort services. [20]
• Japan
  • Due to busy work schedules Japanese singles are not dating much. 49% of respondents to a study said they have had no sex in 6 months. 18% of men said they had no interest in sex. [22]
• Latin America
  • Online dating is growing at a rate of 20 percent year over year in Latin America according to market research. [28]
• United Kingdom
  • Over 15.7 million adults (35% of those aged 16 and over) in England and Wales had never been married in 2011. [26]
  • There were 23 million (51%) ‘not married’ (meaning never married, divorced, or widowed) people in 2011. [26]
  • The highest proportions of individuals who were either never married or unmarried were in London. [26]
• Dating, Relationships & Marriage
  • According to a popular dating site, women who took selfies received 4% more messages but guys recieve 8% less. A women who takes a full-body selfie receives a whopping 203% more messages. [4]
  • Most women prefer to wait 1-2 years before moving in, whereas men prefer to move faster at 6-12 months. [4]
  • 62% of singles who use emoji in their text conversations want to get married. They are also more likely to be actively dating than non-emoji (emotion icons) users. [8]
  • Men find beautiful profile photos more attractive but less trustworthy. On the other hand women find beautiful profile photos not only attractive but trustworthy. [13]
  • Tall men and curvy women both have more social connections online than their opposites (shorter men and slender women). Younger people (18-20) also have more connections than singles in their 20's or 30's. [16]
  • 49% of teens have experienced abuse in dating. 29% of girls and 24% of boys admitted to playing the role of both victim and abuser in their relationships. [18]
  • Young adults tended to enhance their profiles using first-person singular pronouns like “I” and “me.” They also tend to focus on work and achievement. [21]
  • Single women outnumber men by 230,000 in New York City. [23]
  • If you are a man the easiest cities in the world to date are (in order): Hong Kong, Sydney, New York, London, Toronto, and San Francisco. [23]
  • If you are a woman the easiest cities in the world to date are (in order): Sydney, London, San Francisco, Toronto, New York, and Hong Kong. [23]
  • When dating, 12% of singles said they're in the market for casual hookups, while 70% said they want a relationship and 11% said they're searching for their future spouse. [23]
  • Women are 40% more likely than men to respond to openers that are food-related. Men were most responsive when asked out directly, and particularly if those messages were assertive. [24]
  • 88% of women and 75% of men in a survey of 5,000 singles said they cared about grammar most, putting it ahead of a person’s confidence and teeth. [25]
  • Researchers from several universities found that women have more deal breakers than men. [27]
  • People who believe they are a good catch have more dealbreakers. [27]
  • Everyone has more dealbreakers when considering a long-term relationship rather than a short-term one. [27]

References

Popularity isn’t everything. But it’s pretty dang important for dating sites and apps.

Singles have the best chance of meeting someone on dating apps with the largest and most diverse user bases. But finding the most popular dating apps can be tricky because the dating world is in a constant state of flux. Fortunately for you, our job is to keep tabs on the comings and goings of today’s single population.

Dating platforms are notoriously tight-lipped about exactly how many users they have, but we’ve done our homework to find the most recent and accurate stats we can regarding daily active users and overall membership numbers. That way, you can get a sense of just how popular these industry leaders are.

1. Badoo — 480M Users

The top app may surprise you. Badoo was one of the first dating apps on the scene, and it has amassed a large following around the world. Badoo boasts having over 480 million users — and counting!

Every day, the Badoo database adds about 300,000 new members, its photo gallery grows by over 10 million photos, and its members send more than 350 million messages.

The Badoo dating site connects singles in 47 languages and across 190 countries.

Badoo has the largest singles database in the world, and these aren’t all inactive profiles. The dating platform has over 60 million monthly active users, and it sees over 12 billion swipes per day. You can download the Badoo app for free on Google Play or the App Store.

2. Tinder — 300M Users

Tinder is truly a monster dating app with a lot of impressive stats to its name. The Tinder app reached and then surpassed 100 million downloads in 2016. It now has been downloaded over 300 million times, and it is currently available in 190 countries.

In 2019, Tinder reported having 5.2 million paid subscribers and seeing over 2 billion views per day, so it’s safe to say people are pretty busy here.

Since 2012, the Tinder dating app has inspired over 30 billion matches worldwide.

Tinder users go on over 1 million dates per week, and 95% of Tinder users say they arrange first dates with their online crushes after just a week of chatting.

3. Plenty of Fish — 150M Users

Plenty of Fish has been topping lists like these since its launch in 2003. The dating site and app offer free, unlimited messaging, so it has an undeniable appeal to singles exploring the dating scene.

The POF community has over 150 million members total, and it sees over 4 million daily active users.

As a free dating platform, Plenty of Fish adds 65,000 new users every day.

In the average week, Plenty of Fish makes about 57 million love connections by using a smart matchmaking algorithm.

“We recommend POF to any and all singles looking for their perfect match,” said Camille and Nigel in a POF success story. “We can’t wait to continue to share our love story and wedding with you all!”

4. Bumble — 100 M Users

Bumble began in 2014 with a simple idea: Ladies first. A former Tinder executive named Whitney Wolfe Herd decided it was time to take online dating into the 21st century and empower women to make the first move (by sending the first message) in an online match.

In 2020, Bumble surpassed 100 million users in 150 countries, leaving no doubt that it is one of the most popular independent dating apps out there.

Bumble, aka the feminist dating app, has over 11 million monthly active users.

Bumble has been hailed as the fastest growing dating app because it saw 70% year-over-year growth in its first three years. People also know it as the feminist dating app because of its progressive values and female-friendly policies.

5. Adult Friend Finder — 99M Users

What can we say? Sex sells. Since 1996, Adult Friend Finder has dominated the online hookup scene and established the world’s largest sex and swinger community.

According to the hookup site, Adult Friend Finder has over 99 million members around the world, and it sees about 1 million views per day.

Our expert ratings are based on factors such as popularity, usability, value, and success rate of each site.

Relationships:Hookups Only

Match System:Search by location, interest, more

Our Experts Say:“Make no mistake: this site isn't about making friends, it's about short-term 'hookups' and affairs only. Note that a basic account costs $14.95/month, but it's well worth it if casual sex is your goal...”

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The AFF community is all about owning your sexuality and getting laid. Adult Friend Finder has created over 4.5 million love connections thanks to its live chatting, discussion forums, and video broadcasts.

6. MenNation — 99M Users

MenNation supports one of the largest gay hookup sites on record, and it doesn’t take much to get into the swing of things here.

In terms of popularity, MenNation has 99,462,356 active members — and counting — and it has over 67,000 men mingling online at any given moment.

Our expert ratings are based on factors such as popularity, usability, value, and success rate of each site.

Relationships:Daters & Hookups

Match System:Search by age, zip code, more

Our Experts Say:“MenNation is a well-established gay dating and hookup brand, having been founded in 1996. It's totally free to join, view profiles, receive matches, and flirt...”

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MenNation is an adult dating site for men only, and it works great for local guys seeking a hot date. It’s free for singles and couples to create an account on MenNation and anonymously browse its personals section.

7. Match — 96M Users

Launched in 1995, Match.com is the longest running dating site in existence, so it makes sense that it would have one of the largest membership bases as well.

According to the internet’s best estimate, Match has over 96 million registered users, most of whom live in the U.S. While Match is available in 25 countries, it is by far most popular in the States, and Match Group’s headquarters are in Dallas, Texas.

Our expert ratings are based on factors such as popularity, usability, value, and success rate of each site.

Relationships:Friends, Dates, and Relationships

Match System:Browse by zip, age, appearance, more

Our Experts Say:“Match has facilitated the most dates and relationships of any dating site, and its large audience and high success rate make it our top review...” Full Review»

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Match has over 7.7 million paid subscribers, the majority of whom are serious about meeting someone special. Match has positioned itself as the premium alternative to free swiping apps. About 75% of Match members are over 30 and have clear relationship goals.

“This is definitely a great app for dating,” said Santana S. in a review. “I really appreciate that you have to pay for things to take off.”

8. Ashley Madison — 65M Users

Ashley Madison is an undeniably scandalous dating site — and it’s also undeniably popular. Over 65 million people have created dating profiles on Ashley Madison, the dating site where not-so-single folks can explore romantic relationships.

The motto at Ashley Madison is “Life is short. Have an affair.” And, if that piques your interest, you’re not alone.

Our expert ratings are based on factors such as popularity, usability, value, and success rate of each site.

Relationships:Hookups, Casual Dates, Affairs

Match System:Search by age, location, appearance, and more

Our Experts Say:“With its massive user base and advanced privacy features, Ashley Madison is the #1 site for discreet hookups, dates, or relationships...” Full Review»

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Ashley Madison encourages men and women to explore their desires in the discreet and safe online setting. After a 2015 data breach, Ashley Madison has cracked down on security and put a vast amount of resources into protecting the secrets of millions of users.

9. Happn — 50M Users

Happn is a unique dating app that uses location-based data to create serendipitous matches. The app will tell you where you cross paths with singles in your city, and you can discover matches who share similar tastes, interests, and lifestyles.

In 2018, Happn reached 50 million users and became one of the all-time most popular dating apps.

Happn claims to have over 6.5 million monthly users.

Happn is currently available for singles in 50 major cities spread across 40 countries, and it has plans to grow its reach in other urban areas in the coming years.

10. Zoosk — 40M Users

The Zoosk nation extends around the world, reaching over 80 countries and including over 40 million users. This highly effective dating site is among the top 10 largest dating sites available, and it allows singles to search for love all over the globe.

Our expert ratings are based on factors such as popularity, usability, value, and success rate of each site.

Relationships:Fun Dates, Serious Relationships

Match System:Search and get match recommendations

Our Experts Say:“Zoosk is integrated with social media sites, like Facebook and Google+, so it's very popular with singles on the go...” Full Review»

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Zoosk members exchange over 3 million messages in a single day, and many of those messages lead to IRL meetings and relationships.

It’s free to set up a profile on Zoosk and browse profiles by age, distance, and online activity. You can also read and respond to certain free greetings to get your flirt on.

11. eharmony — 37M Users

Since 2000, eharmony has distinguished itself as a serious dating site on a serious mission to strengthen marriages in the U.S. and beyond. The eharmony algorithm uses a 32-factor questionnaire to identify long-term compatibility between two heart-driven individuals.

BusinessInsider reported that eharmony has over 10 million active users and 750,000 paid subscribers, a number that has held steady for the last few years. Taken as a whole, the eharmony database exceeds 37 million users.

Our expert ratings are based on factors such as popularity, usability, value, and success rate of each site.

Relationships:Casual Dates, Deep Relationships

Match System:Personality test suggests matches

Our Experts Say:“Accounting for 2% of U.S. marriages, eharmony's compatibility-based system and commitment-minded user base are ideal for those seeking a serious relationship...” Full Review»

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The eharmony dating site and app have inspired over 2 million relationships so far, and the platform creates a new love connection every 14 minutes.

12. OkCupid — 30M Users

In 2004, OkCupid launched on a mission to create a sure-fire formula for love, and it began collecting a wealth of personal data to measure compatibility. Over the years, OkCupid’s free dating services and personality-driven matchmaking has attracted millions of users.

Today, OkCupid has over 30 million active users, and it sees more than 1 million unique views on an average day.

OkCupid’s free matchmaking services facilitate over 91 million love connections a year.

OkCupid offers free, unlimited messaging to anyone feeling flirty, horny, or chatty. Its users exchange over 7.3 million messages per day and go on over 50,000 dates per week.

13. Grindr — 27M Users

Grindr has been a leading gay dating app since 2009, and many single men have given it a whirl. To date, Grindr has over 27 million men in its database, and it sees around 3.6 million daily active users.

Grindr has an international membership base in 234 countries and territories.

Grindr puts gay singles in touch with the most viable date prospects in the area by using the smartphone’s GPS data to prioritize profiles that are close by.

Thanks to Grindr, men can find dates who are in the same bar, club, or neighborhood, and they don’t have to put in much effort to pick up a date.

14. Coffee Meets Bagel — 21M Users

Three women founded Coffee Meets Bagel because they were disappointed and frustrated with online dating, and they decided to change it.

From the beginning, Coffee Meets Bagel has prioritized quality over quantity, but that doesn’t mean the dating app doesn’t have a large user base. Over 21 million users have joined the CMB community seeking a better dating experience.

Coffee Meets Bagel has made over 50 million matches since 2012.

In 2015, the Coffee Meets Bagel team turned down $30 million from “Shark Tank” investor Mark Cuban because they wanted to maintain control over the direction of the app and the user experience.

Coffee Meets Bagel curates a list of matches for singles and slows down the swiping process, so users can really take their time and consider each dating profile.

15. ChristianMingle — 16M Users

In the last 20 years, ChristianMingle has built a faith-driven community that reaches 29 countries and is available to English, French, German, and Spanish speakers.

ChristianMingle has over 16 million members, making it one of the largest niche dating sites in the world.

Our expert ratings are based on factors such as popularity, usability, value, and success rate of each site.

Relationships:Dates and Serious Relationships

Match System:Search by gender, age, education, more

Our Experts Say:“ChristianMingle is among the largest dating sites in the industry that only caters to single Christian men and women, and the site has some of the best search filters and safety features...” Full Review»

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ChristianMingle is a subsidiary of Spark Networks, a German dating company with over 1 million paid subscribers.

16. BeNaughty — 13.3M Users

BeNaughty is an extremely popular hookup site full of sexy profiles organized by distance, age, online activity, and popularity.

In the average month, BeNaughty sees over 13 million users, and over 433,000 people flirt there on a daily basis.

Our expert ratings are based on factors such as popularity, usability, value, and success rate of each site.

Relationships:Hookups, Chats

Match System:Search by encounter, location, and more

Our Experts Say:“BeNaughty is a premier hookup app where you can feel comfortable expressing your desires. Plus, it's free to join, browse, and flirt...” Full Review»

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BeNaughty catches people’s attention with its free messaging tools, and you can even save time by mass messaging everyone who meets your dating criteria.

17. EliteSingles — 13M Users

The name says it all. EliteSingles is a highly selective dating site for singles who are successful, desirable, and serious about making a quality match.

EliteSingles isn’t a dating site for the masses, but it has attracted a massive number of educated and wealthy individuals. The site has over 13 million users, and it adds over 381,000 per month.

Our expert ratings are based on factors such as popularity, usability, value, and success rate of each site.

Relationships:Serious Relationships

Match System:Search, Receive Partner Suggestions

Our Experts Say:“EliteSingles is a leading dating site just for busy, single professionals. More than 80% of members have earned a college degree, and most are looking for a serious commitment...” Full Review»

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EliteSingles helps over 2,500 singles find love each month, and it is the perfect wingman for busy professionals seeking high-quality dates.

18. OurTime — 8.9M Users

OurTime has drawn attention as the leading senior dating site with a large population of over-50 singles.

As a People Media site, OurTime has access to a massive database of singles. Currently, OurTime hosts nearly 9 million monthly active users, and it adds almost 20,000 members in the typical week.

Our expert ratings are based on factors such as popularity, usability, value, and success rate of each site.

Relationships:Dates and Relationships

Match System:Search by profiles by zip and more

Our Experts Say:“OurTime is well-known in the over-50 dating crowd, particularly because it has a ton of helpful search features and an easy layout...” Full Review»

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OurTime is free to join, and it has led to many success stories in the U.S. and abroad. “I’ve found my soul mate,” said a single woman from Illinois. “We are in a serious relationship. He is one of the nicest, sweetest men I have ever met.”

19. BlackPeopleMeet — 5.7M Users

BlackPeopleMeet is a niche dating site where black and biracial singles can enjoy being in the majority.

Since 2002, BlackPeopleMeet has built the world’s largest network of African-American singles with over 5.7 million monthly active users.

Our expert ratings are based on factors such as popularity, usability, value, and success rate of each site.

Relationships:Deep Relationships or Just Casual Dates

Match System:Search by location, age, more

Our Experts Say:“BlackPeopleMeet.com is the one of the largest and most popular dating sites for black and biracial singles, and the site is used by more than 5 million people a month...” Full Review»

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2017 Most Successful Dating Sites In The Usa For Marriage Couples

BlackPeopleMeet allows singles to find dates who share similar backgrounds, values, and perspectives, and that has inspired many love stories in the U.S. and Canada.

20. Hinge — 5.5M Users

Hinge has been around since 2012, and it has recently gained traction as the “dating app designed to be deleted.” Hinge’s goal isn’t to rack up a lot of swipes and active users who aren’t finding what they want — the team wants its users to find dates, get in relationships, and delete the app ASAP.

Hinge has been downloaded 5.5 million times worldwide, and about 4 million of those users are in the U.S.

Hinge is a quality-driven app where users can get to know one another on a deeper level online.

Hinge users arrange 200,000 dates a week, and it has a remarkably high success rate when it comes to turning first dates into second dates. In fact, three out of every first dates between Hinge users lead to second dates.

21. HER — 4M Users

The HER dating app was built to help LGBTQ+ womxn overcome the challenges of dating as lesbian, bisexual, or queer single. A lesbian named Robyn Exton quit her job to create a female-friendly space for flirting, mingling, and making friends.

Today, the HER community encompasses 4 million womxn of all ages, orientations, and backgrounds. All profiles have been verified as authentic females — the moderators remove men and delete fake profiles to ensure a positive dating experience.

HER is a social dating app where lesbian, queer, and bisexual womxn can find their perfect match.

HER offers an events calendar and an engaging newsfeed to help LGBTQ+ womxn feel comfortable socializing with one another. It’s free to download HER and start swiping on ladies who catch your eye.

22. SilverSingles — 800,000 Users

When singles reach a certain age, they often feel isolated from or ostracized by the mainstream dating scene. Fortunately, SilverSinglesis there to offer a helping hand and a senior-friendly dating zone.

SilverSingles has over 800,000 monthly active users, and it maintains a sure-fire Fraud Detection System to keep the fakers and frauds at bay.

Our expert ratings are based on factors such as popularity, usability, value, and success rate of each site.

Relationships:Friendship, Casual Dates, Serious Relationships

Match System:Search by age, location, height, education, ethnicity, and religion

Our Experts Say:“SilverSingles is a fast-growing, easy-to-use niche dating site exclusively for active daters over the age of 50...” Full Review»

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As of 2019, SilverSingles had over 50,000 monthly subscribers in the 50+ demographic. “The success of SilverSingles is not only great news for our business, but also represents an outstanding new opportunity for singles,” CEO Jeronimo Folgueira said.

23. LesbianPersonals — 500,000 Users

LesbianPersonals invites singles, couples, and groups to find the woman of their dreams with a simple online search.

This naughty hookup site sees over 500,000 visits per month, and it claims the title as the largest lesbian dating site in existence.

Our expert ratings are based on factors such as popularity, usability, value, and success rate of each site.

Relationships:Hookups Only

Match System:Search by location, interest, more

Our Experts Say:“LesbianPersonals provides a fun, quick, and easy experience for gay and bisexual women looking for sex online. Join for free, and you'll be able to search and communicate immediately...”

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LesbianPersonals offers live chat and video messaging to help women get the ball rolling, and it encourages local singles to explore their sensuality and arrange a no-strings-attached hookup, threesome, or orgy.

24. FriendFinder-X — 40,000 Users

Finally, FriendFinder-X is a popular hookup site that’s open to singles, couples, and groups seeking hot dates.

FriendFinder-X deserves a spot on this list because it sees over 40,000 daily active users — which means it has a larger population than Monaco.

Our expert ratings are based on factors such as popularity, usability, value, and success rate of each site.

Relationships:Hookups Only

Match System:Search by location, interest, more

Our Experts Say:“A hookup site specializing in casual encounters, secret affairs, live chats, and member videos, FriendFinder-X skips the awkward 'dating' stage of a relationship and fast-forwards straight to the sex...”

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As you can see, FriendFinder-X has a lot to offer sexually active singles, and this discreet dating environment can help men and women come out of their shells.

Which Dating Site is Best for Serious Relationships?

If you’re ready to settle down, the swiping scene may not be quite your style. It can be exhausting to match, chat, and ghost on loop just to find one compatible person to go out with you. Fortunately, singles with swiping fatigue can switch things up by joining a more quality-driven dating site or app.

Match.com can offer a premium dating experience for singles in search of a loving relationship.

Our expert ratings are based on factors such as popularity, usability, value, and success rate of each site.

Relationships:Friends, Dates, and Relationships

Match System:Browse by zip, age, appearance, more

Our Experts Say:“Match has facilitated the most dates and relationships of any dating site, and its large audience and high success rate make it our top review...” Full Review»

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Since 1995, Match has paired up countless couples and made a difference in the dating scene. You can search the Match database by age, location, looks, interests, lifestyle, and other personal factors to find the most compatible profiles within seconds.

What are the Top 5 Dating Sites?

We have reviewed the top dating sites in detail and ranked them according to our own editorial standards. We consistently rank Match.com as the cream of the online dating crop because of its user-friendly interface and time-tested features.

Match is responsible for more relationships and marriages than any other dating service, and we think that’s worthy of the #1 dating site spot.

1. Match.com

• Relationships: Fun Dates, Serious Relationships
• Match System: Browse by location, age, interest, and more
• About the App: Available via the App Store and Google Play, Match is a fantastic app for dates and relationships. With a user base of 30 million singles, Match is where you'll have a high chance of success. It's free to download, create a profile, search for date prospects, and receive compatible matches based on personalized preferences. Free members can also chat with select members and send unlimited likes.
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Next, we have EliteSingles, the dating site for the well-to-do. Singles with high standards and serious intentions will feel right at home here.

2. EliteSingles

2017 Most Successful Dating Sites In The Usa For Marriage Women

• Relationships: Deep Relationships
• Match System: Search by education, lifestyle habits, age
• About the App: Commitment-minded, professional daters will feel at home with EliteSingles, which can be downloaded for free in the App Store or Google Play. Not only is everyone looking for a long-term partner, but 80% of members hold a bachelor's, master's, or doctorate degree. EliteSingles sees 210,000 visitors and 2,500 users finding love every month, so it's one of the fastest growing and most reputable apps.
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In the #3 spot, we have eharmony, which became popular thanks to its heartfelt commercials and psychology-driven matchmaking system. To date, over 2 million couples have found love here, and you could be next!

3. eharmony

• Relationships: Long-Term Relationships, Marriages
• Match System: Get daily match suggestions
• About the App: Responsible for 4% of marriages in the U.S., eharmony is among our top picks for relationship-minded heterosexual singles. To become a member, add the app to your phone (iOS or Android) and then take its 29 Dimensions® of Compatibility Matching Quiz. It's absolutely free to do both these things — as well as receive matches and communicate during other special events.
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Zoosk has over 40 million users, so we’d be remiss to leave it out of this list. Conversation rules the day on Zoosk, and its members exchange over 3 million messages in the average day.

4. Zoosk

• Relationships: Casual Dates, Relationships
• Match System: Search for and receive matches
• About the App: Zoosk is the number one app for finding dates, and if you sync up your Google+ or Facebook account, you can have a profile in seconds. The app has 38 million members and will deliver matches to your inbox on a daily basis based on your behavior such as who you search for, like or don't like, and message. The Carousel is another section for matching (tap the heart if it's a yes and the X if it's a no).
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Last but not least, SilverSingles has done a great job of making online dating more approachable and senior-friendly. Over 120,000 members join the SilverSingles network every month, and you can mingle with them for free.

5. SilverSingles

• Relationships: Serious Relationships
• Match System: Filter by age, height, and distance
• About the App: SilverSingles runs an exclusive dating community for single men and women over the age of 50. Its database includes recently divorced singles as well as singles who have never been married. The dating app matches people based on their similarities in age, lifestyle, hobbies, and relationship goals. If you want to show your interest in someone online, you can send a smile, message, or request that they upload a profile picture. Either way, they'll know you care.
• Browse Free:View Profiles Now

Those five dating sites and apps have won us over, but plenty of other sites and apps can also work well for singles seeking dates. Our dating experts have reviewed hundreds of dating sites, and more crop up all the time, so you should never run out of options in the online dating world.

Which Dating App Has the Most Success?

Success is in the eye of the beholder, but Tinder beats the competition in most metrics. Not only does it see over 2 billion views per day, but it also arranges over 1 million dates per week.

Tinder is the most successful dating app in terms of sheer size; however, the #SwipeLife isn’t for everyone. When it comes to inspiring relationships, Hinge has been a great success — and I’m not just saying that because it’s where I met my boyfriend.

Hinge has changed the swiping system to allow singles to get to know each other on a deeper level.

Hinge is one of the few dating apps that checks in with its users and asks how their first dates went. The We Met feature allows singles to give feedback on the quality of their experience. According to its internal stats, 90% of Hinge members enjoyed their first dates, and 72% said they would go out with that person again.

Are Paid Dating Sites Better?

That depends on what you’re looking for. Some singles say paid dating sites are better because they offer a more serious dating crowd. Everyone there has paid a cover charge to get in, so you don’t have to worry as much about spammers, scammers, and fakers getting in touch with you. In fact, the members on paid dating sites tend to be more educated and career-minded folks who can afford to pay for a subscription.

Paid dating sites, like eharmony, also tend to have better security features and more hands-on matchmaking tools, and that can help singles who are new to the online dating scene.

eharmony

• Relationships: Long-Term Relationships, Marriages
• Match System: Get daily match suggestions
• About the App: Responsible for 4% of marriages in the U.S., eharmony is among our top picks for relationship-minded heterosexual singles. To become a member, add the app to your phone (iOS or Android) and then take its 29 Dimensions® of Compatibility Matching Quiz. It's absolutely free to do both these things — as well as receive matches and communicate during other special events.
• Browse Free:View Profiles Now

Of course, if you’re on a tight budget, then you may be better off on a dating site or app with unlimited free messaging. OkCupid doesn’t charge a cent for its private chatting features, and it offers a world of romantic opportunity free of charge.

It’s up to you to decide what you can afford. Don’t worry, though, because you can join just about any dating site for free and see if you like it before paying for its dating services.

The Most Popular Dating Sites & Apps Keep Growing & Matching

You never really know what a dating site or app is like until you create a profile and discover it for yourself. Sometimes you take the time to set up an account only to discover the membership base is too small to have any viable options in your area, and that’s just plain disheartening. However, if you choose a dating site with millions of active users, you won’t be disappointed by your prospects and matches.

Popular dating sites have a lot to offer today’s singles. These high-grade platforms have a virtually endless list of potential love interests just waiting to be contacted and wooed. All you need is a free membership and the right pickup line (nothing fancy — just say hi and ask an icebreaker question) to land a hot date on a site or app. Good luck!

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2017 Most Successful Dating Sites In The Usa For Marriage Women

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2017 Most Successful Dating Sites In The Usa For Marriage Over 40

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