Best Online Dating Sites for 2018

September 18, 2024

Do you find yourself often swiping left instead of right? Filling out a matching questionnaire (or two), but still getting connected with people who aren't your type? Even worse, have you ever found a catch only to get ghosted after a few conversations or dates?

If you use any of the many online dating apps like OkCupid, Tinder, Zoosk, or Coffee Meets Bagel, the answer is probably yes. We don't want to admit it, but if online dating were perfect, there probably wouldn't be so many options to pick from for finding a good match.

Nearly 1 in 10 Americans have used at least one dating app on their phone ‐ and many are using more than one in the quest to find love. But with so many choices and so many opportunities for genuinely bad dates, it's hard to know which services are worth the effort. Using over 11,500 Sitejabber ratings and reviews of some of the most popular dating apps (with at least 40 reviews available to analyze), we spotted the apps that led to dead ends and the ones that were most likely to lead to either love, a hookup, or a relationship. Read on to learn more.

Declaring Their Intentions

Sex, Love, and Relationships

Not everyone has the same intentions when signing up for a dating service. While roughly 5 percent of Americans either married or in committed relationships met their significant other online, this may not always be the end goal. Take the dating service Ashley Madison for example, which exclusively caters to married men and women looking to have discreet affairs. They probably aren't in it for the long haul.

To help narrow down the commitment you might find across online dating platforms, we looked for the words "love," "relationship," "sex," and "hookup" in over 6,500 reviews for a firsthand take on setting the right expectations. Taken out of context of their full reviews, we can't say definitively what these users might have been conveying about each app, but we can infer based on their language.

It's hard to say if dating apps are at fault, but the hookup culture has certainly become a byproduct of the oversaturation of potential matches (most) apps bombard users with. On the other hand, it's also become more acceptable to be into that sort of thing. Whether you're looking to avoid or embrace hooking up, Tinder, PlentyOfFish, and Coffee Meets Bagel had the highest rate of "hookup" mentions in their online reviews. Users looking to be less overt in their quest for physical intimacy might consider MeetMe, PlentyOfFish, or OkCupid for having the greatest number of "sex" mentions.

If you're looking for love or a relationship, however, all is not lost. Despite being known for an emphasis on creating a physical connection over an emotional one, Tinder still had more mentions of "love" in reviews, while PlentyOfFish ranked first for "relationship." While users' sentiment may not have always been aimed at their online connections, these words appeared more often in reviews for Tinder and PlentyOfFish than anywhere else.

The Real Deal

Fake Profiles

If there's anything you should avoid when it comes to online dating (besides accidentally getting matched with your sibling after using phony names), it's running into fake accounts and online scams.

Online relationship scams have gotten so serious that the FBI has stepped in to help unsuspecting users identify some of the most common criminal routines. If you've ever been matched up with someone who seemed interested in you at first but eventually got around to asking for money, gifts, or other purchases, you might have been targeted by criminals. The most obvious hints at these ulterior motives (besides the request for cash) include asking to connect outside of the application, instantly latching on to you or proclaiming their "love," and claiming to be from the U.S. but either traveling or working internationally. In 2016, over 15,000 romance scams were reported to the FBI with over $230 million in losses.

With "scam" showing up most in Chemistry.com reviews, users might want to take extra care before thinking they've found the one. Following this, Coffee Meets Bagel, Match.com, and OkCupid had the highest mentions of "scam" in their online reviews.

Want to avoid getting catfished or running into fake accounts? MeetMe, Coffee Meets Bagel, and Hot or Not had the highest mentions of "fake" in their reviews, potentially indicating people's online personas might not have measured up in real life.

High Praise

Recommended Reviews

Apps with the highest average ratings were either "highly recommended" or a "great experience." Studies have shown more than 4 in 5 people trust online reviews as much as they trust a recommendation (or criticism) from a close friend.

Reviewers who said an app left them with a "great experience" typically rated the service a 4.57 on average, signaling more than complicated features or exclusive invitations, some people are looking for quality online dating apps that just work without the hassle of billing issues or scams.

People who left the lowest average review ratings commonly left warnings like "stay away from this site," "credit card company," and "save your money." Considering some dating applications charge more than others, paying for failed love connections may sting worse than being ghosted for free.

Dating App Analysis

Top Site Reviews

User reviews with the most common phrases for highly rated services were more likely to be geared toward one app in particular: Zoosk. With feedback like "highly recommended," "great experience," "love of my life," and "true love," Zoosk doesn't just earn high ratings from reviewers ‐ it earns particularly high praise. According to Zoosk, its Behavioral Matchmaking technology is what sets it apart from the competition, helping users create smarter and more personalized connections. As one reviewer pointed out, Zoosk even lets dating hopefuls filter their matches by more unique attributes, saying, "I like how Zoosk allows you to search for your match by ethnicity. I highly recommend Zoosk; I was on Match.com for about a year with little success."

Comments warning others to "stay away from this site" were more likely to reference MeetMe. As one user described, "For the second time this week, my account was reported as 'fake' and was deleted. Mind you, I was reported by somebody wanting to pay for sex! I've been a user ... for SIX YEARS, and not once had a problem. I'm disgusted; I would like some answers, and I would like my account back. Guaranteed to never return." Fake accounts and scammers might be a higher concern for MeetMe users, and the app's customer service may struggle to differentiate between real users and fraudulent customers.

If you're looking to avoid sites that make it difficult to cancel recurring payments or auto renewal memberships, Match.com had the highest mention of "auto renewal," "auto renew," and "bank account" in negative reviews.

Best of the Best

Top Dating Sites

Coffee Meets Bagel: 4.31/5.00

According to over 11,500 Sitejabber ratings, one dating application earned an average rating of more than four out of five stars, making it the best reviewed dating app of all: Coffee Meets Bagel.

Instead of overloading users with an endless barrage of potential matches, Coffee Meets Bagel introduced a new concept with "curated" match lists in mind. Every day at noon, men receive 21 possible connections (affectionately referred to as "Bagels"). After "liking" or "passing" on the selections, the app then creates the best possible matches for women, putting them in charge of moving things forward. Women only get to choose from the men who've already expressed interest in them, helping to reduce the clutter of too many possible candidates and the sting of rejection. Coffee Meets Bagel calls this #LadiesChoice, and it's at the core of what they say separates them from the competition.

OkCupid: 3.78/5.00

OkCupid is free to download, with the option to upgrade for paid features including more match search options, read receipts on sent messages, higher visibility during peak hours, and an incognito mode that keeps people from seeing your account unless you like them first. OkCupid uses a traditional personality questionnaire to help connect you with others, but lets users narrow down their potential matches by factors like keywords, activities, and even the ideal relationship status.

In 2017, OkCupid announced it was finally doing away with usernames, requiring men and women to use their real names on their profile accounts. While the move is supposed to help eliminate the "layer of mystique" that sometimes surrounds online dating, other users appreciate the added anonymity that keeps their details private.

Zoosk: 3.78/5.00

With more than 33 million profiles around the world, Zoosk is a big fish in the big pond of online dating options. Still, it tied with OkCupid for second place on our list, with a near 3.8 out of five. Zoosk uses unique smart technology to help narrow down the best picks for you based on your profile in addition to any other information you provide about what you're looking for in a partner. Constantly updating your possible connections, Zoosk attempts to eliminate the one-size-fits-all approach to digital dating by adding a personal touch to the experience.

Tinder: 3.67/5.00

Perhaps no app or service has had as big an impact on the world of online dating (or even dating in general) as Tinder. If two people happen to swipe right on each other, they're instantly matched up to chat. Based almost entirely on physical attraction, Tinder is known for putting looks ahead of a more emotional connection.

The app recently came under fire for reportedly charging singles over age 30 twice as much as younger users. In response, Tinder suggested younger users might not be able to afford the premium cost, but that hasn't stopped critics from calling the service ageist and discriminatory.

eHarmony: 3.51/5.00

eHarmony isn't the cheapest option for finding love online. If users are willing to commit to a 24-month subscription ‐ two solid years of searching for Mr. or Ms. Right ‐ the monthly cost comes down to a paltry $13.95. Looking to sign up for a single month to test the waters? That'll cost you $59.95, making eHarmony one of the most expensive dating sites on the market. Still, with 1.21 million active users each month, you'd certainly have no shortage of options in the hunt for love.

In just a few simple steps, users can answer a few basic questions about themselves and what they're looking for, fill out a compatibility questionnaire, see the profiles of everyone eHarmony's proprietary algorithm matched them with (for free), and then pick the payment option that works best before communicating with a match.

It's a Match

If you're on a mission for love, dating apps can certainly help get you there. Studies show 15 percent of American adults have used mobile dating apps or online dating services, and 4 in 5 agree online dating is a good way to meet people. Even more encouraging, 29 percent of people know someone who met their spouse or long-term partner after being connected through an online dating platform. Still, some apps and services might not be worth the trouble. According to over 116,500 ratings and unique reviews from Sitejabber.com, Coffee Meets Bagel, OkCupid, and Zoosk were among the highest rated online dating apps, while other services like Match.com and MeetMe had an above average number of mentions for fake accounts and bad billing practices.

As the leading destination for customer ratings and business reviews, Sitejabber helps you find the best companies, apps, and services on the market. Find answers to common questions, shop with confidence, and leave your own review after you've made a purchase. With more than 2.5 million monthly visitors, you could be one of the millions of consumers we've helped make their best buying decisions. For more reviews like these, visit us at Sitejabber.com.

Methodology

Using over 23,000 ratings of dating sites on Sitejabber, we analyzed the most common words and phrases and compared them to the site ratings those words were used in. We focused on the reviews of the top dating sites in the market (at least 40 reviews on Sitejabber.com), which accounted for over 11,500 ratings and 6,500 reviews. Some popular sites like Bumble and Hinge were not included because there were not enough qualifying reviews to analyze.

For unique phrases, we looked at the percentage of all phrases and compared that to the percentage of all phrases for all dating websites to see which phrases were unique for each of these dating sites.

Sources

Fair Use Statement

Are you feeling the connection yet? We think it could be a match too, so feel free to share the results of our study with your readers for any noncommercial use. No ghosting, though; make sure to include a link back to this page, so our contributors get credit for their work.

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