These Are The Top Dating Websites for Men
Back in the day, there were actual “matchmakers” that parents would hire to find the perfect spouse for their grown-up children. Many of those matches turned into meaningful relationships. Perhaps even your great grandparents were brought together that way.
Today, you’re in charge of your own matchmaking. Thankfully, there are a lot of terrific dating sites that can help you find someone for casual dating or a significant relationship.
How many of your friends are in a relationship that started online? It is time to get back into the dating game and these are the sites to activate:
Top 10 Dating Sites for Men
#1: eHarmony
542. That is the number of marriages that take place every single that eHarmony lays claim to making happen. That is impressive amount of vows being exchanged by any standard. Since 2000, eHarmony has been exclusively helping straight couples find a companion for serious relationships. They’ve helped make those marriages happen thanks to their patented Dimension Personality Assessment. This is a profile that includes 150 questions covering a wide range of topics.
If you get stuck with those conversation starters, then eHarmony has some fun options you can plug in and utilize. You can also speak to an eHarmony rep on the phone to help guide you through the process and offer tips on how to boost your profile. They will do everything short of going on that first date with you to help you find that someone special.
The easy to navigate site lets you surf through their 10 million active users. You can keep track of your “crushes” in a My Favorites, Favorited Me and Mutual Favorites folders. Given their reputation for helping couples walk down the aisle, you might sign up for eHarmony to jumpstart your marriage plans. How quick you want that to happen will be entirely up to you and your match. Fingers crossed!
#2: Match
While some dating sites have come and gone, Match has been introducing prospective partners to each other since 1995. They must be doing something right to have around 15 million active visitors each month. This is a community of straight and LGBTQ singles all hoping to make a connection.
Thankfully, you won’t have to sift through all of those 15 million profiles. It will only take around 30 minutes to upload your own profile and pictures. After that, Match’s algorithms do a fantastic job of finding “matches” that will line up with your profile. Of course, they would!
You also have the ability to save the prospective dates that you’re interested in. To get a conversation started you can send them a “wink.” Best of all, Match thinks it will only take you six months to find a compatible date.
They believe that so much that it is guaranteed. If you don’t find a date in those first six months, then the next six months are free. When it comes for finding a date, Match doesn’t want to leave anything to chance.
#3: Elite Singles
As you might guess from their name, Elite Singles caters to educated professionals who are focused on finding a partner for a long-term relationship. There are around 165,000 new members coming over to Elite Singles each month. These are straight, gay and lesbian singles who have identified as “not being afraid of a commitment.”
This site is dedicated to avoiding a “catfish” type of scenario where the picture that you're falling for isn't close to reality. Their Secure Fraud Detection System boots out any fake profiles.
To set up your profile, you will have to answer a 200-question Personality Test. That sounds like a lot, but just think of how valuable those answers will be when they are matched up with another profile that has the same answers.
You can narrow down your searches by setting up such criteria as distance, hobbies, the desire to have kids and income. As a premium member, you’ll have up to 20 matches dropped into your profile site each day. That is a much better approach to finding someone special than speed dating!
#4: Silver Singles
After a lifetime of dating, won’t it be nice to find that companion and never have to go on another first date again? Silver Singles can help get you there. Their user base is for the “mature single.” That would mean anyone over 50 who is still looking for a special friend so share some good times with.
Silver Singles is easy to navigate whether you’re searching through your computer or on their the phone app. Your personality test will generate up to 7 compatible matches per day. Those are easy to respond to without being overwhelmed.
The site allows you to set up specific criteria for your idea match. An upgraded account lets a user send messages to any other user. If it has been awhile since you’ve been in the dating game, then Silver Singles makes taking the plunge back into the game an easy one.
#5: BeNaughty
In the world of dating sites, there are nice sites and naughty sites. You can guess which category BeNaughty falls into. The 13 million monthly visitors to BeNaughty can best be described as open-minded.
Yes, this is a hookup site that allows consenting adults explore their sexual proclivities. That would be proclivities that covers men and women of all stripes of the rainbow.
BeNaughty has a “Like Gallery” that lets you play a version of “Cute or Not.” This is fun swiping game that can help you quickly build up a folder of favorites. Paid subscribers can activate the live chat and find out if their messages have been read.
There are levels of interaction that can be utilized on the site. You can browse incognito until you get a “feel” for things. There is also a Full Safe Mode that verifies members for messaging. Just because you’re going to be naughty doesn’t mean you can’t be safe.
#6: Christian Mingle
This site is the exact opposite of BeNaughty, but everyone is looking for something different.
Every dating site allows you to set preferences to find a good match. Some sites, like Christian Mingle, take it a step further for a deeper focus on those compatibility issues. As they describe it, “this is a dating site for single men and women looking for a God-centered relationship.”
Christian Mingle doesn’t just want to help you find that soulful companion, but they also want to keep you inspired along your journey. Their site is chock full of articles about dating and relationship advice. There are also plenty of success testimonials that can provide you with an extra boost to keep searching for that someone special.
Along with their Color Code Personality Test, Christian Mingle also offers a Readiness IQ test to determine if you really are ready for a relationship. Those results are just for you. When you’re ready to meet a Christian single, Christian Mingle wants to help make that happen.
#7: Zoosk
Facebook was originally started as a way for college coeds to meet up on campuses all across the country. Zoosk spun off from a Facebook application into a full-blown dating site that now boasts a 40-million-member active user base. That user base is made up of singles from 80 countries and of all ages and orientations.
After activating the Zoosk Behavioral Matchmaking algorithms, you will be offered some SmartPicks. These would be the other users who line up with your preferences. If there is on thing a Facebook offshoot would know it is about fast working algorithms.
Zoosk also has a Photo Verification feature that lets users verify their own photos. In turn, that means the photos that you’re looking at are going to be legit. You’ll also get support with the site’s Dating Insights for when you take your online relationship out into the real world.
Don’t let the “unique” name throw you. Zoosk is high-tech dating in action that has been helping thousands of users make the love connection.
#8: OurTime
Like Silver Singles, OurTime is focused on singles who have crossed over into middle age. Although they might not spend as much on television advertising as some of the bigger dating sites, they still have a very respectable 9 million visitors each month. They also have an easy to follow set-up that will guide you through the process and have you searching for singles in your area in no time at all.
You might find that when you sign onto OurTime that one of your “favorites” is online, too. You can instant message with that person in real time. That’s a great way to get a conversation going without waiting out the “pause” of an email.
When you’ve found someone that you think you would be a match with on OurTime, you can activate the “Match Me” option. That would drop your profile into that person’s daily matches. When it comes to finding a great date, OurTime doesn’t want to waste your time.
#9: BlackPeopleMeet
As dating sites develop, they will often find a niche that caters to a specific community. Black People Meet has carved out a niche that made it the largest dating site for black and biracial singles. Currently, they have over 5 million members in its network.
Meeting the right one on Black People Meet can start with a flirt. In fact, you can send flirts for free. If you have trouble coming up with that clever opening line, then the site can offer you some pre-scripted greetings that can get the back and forth flowing.
Black People Meet makes it easy to connect with someone online with their NotifyMe feature that will let you know when a user who you’ve favored is online. You can also search for profiles and respond to your own flirts with the Black People Meet app. You’ll never be far from the chance to meet someone new and special.
#10: Adult Friend Finder
Adult Friend Finder has a mission to help you find some friends. These would be special friends as in the kind of friends who come with “benefits.” The goal with most of the 25 million monthly visitors to Adult Friend Finder might not be a long term committed relationship. However, there can certainly be plenty of consenting adult companionship to be found.
The site allows you to get very specific with kind of companion that you’re looking for. There isn’t a lot of pretense because anyone signing up for the site knows what you’re looking for. If it is a match, then you can arrange for a fast meet up without a lot of small talk.
In between your rendezvous, Adult Friend Finder has extensive dating forums and member blogs that are devoted to all things physical and intimate. “Adult” is the key word with this dating site and that can mean whatever you need it to mean!
Dating For Men Frequently Asked Questions
Online dating comes with a lot of benefits. The ease of access and number of available partners has quickly made online dating a cultural norm. Many of today's relationships begin online, and there are websites and apps devoted to all kinds of different relationship styles.
Online dating may have a reputation for occasionally being frustrating, but keep these benefits in mind:
- Most dating sites take just minutes to create a profile, and the more involved ones give you much more compatible matches.
- Most dating sites are super affordable, especially when compared to the money you would be spending on drinks and cover charges at bars and nightclubs.
- Statistics show that over 49 million individuals in the US alone have tried online dating at least once.
- The setup saves you time by letting you browse multiple matches quickly without ever needing to leave the couch.
- It's great for people who want something specific or who want to skip the get-to-know-you stage of an IRL meeting.
- You know right away what shared interests and common ground you have.
- There's a lot less pressure, stress, and drain on your energy.
- Rejections can also be easier to face.
One of the big appeals of online dating for women is that it's easier to reject men who don't interest them. There's no pressure to please or guilt at seeing his face fall. Since rejection typically happens after a message, the girl gets to be just words on a screen.
But that same principle makes rejection easier to face. Any rejection is going to suck. That's just a fact of life. But being rejected by someone you didn't have the chance to become attached to makes it a lot easier to bounce back. There will always be more matches to look at.
What disadvantages and drawbacks do men deal with in online dating?
There are, of course, some disadvantages to online dating. Some things are aspects of real-life dating culture that digital technology simply can't replace. Others are unique drawbacks that are actually related to the benefits of online dating. Every coin has two sides.
Some of the most commonly cited disadvantages include:
- Because so many people are online, the digital space is crowded. It's hard to stand out and attract notice as a guy.
- Just like people lie in real life, people lie on their dating profiles. "Catfishing" is unique to the internet, though. It's a process by which someone pretends to be another person on the web and pursues a romantic relationship under false pretenses.
- Online interactions and physical interactions can be very different, and you can't always guarantee you'll be comfortable and compatible with your matches.
- Even though one in five relationships today begin online, most successful relationships still happen through mutual friends.
All things considered, though, those are pretty minor complaints when compared to the stress and hassle you're avoiding.
What dating tips do women have for men?
The internet is full of dating advice for men. Some of it is great. Some of it is... not so great.
There's a big problem with men deciding they "understand" how a woman's mind works. They then come up with rules for how to say or do the right things to woo her. Or worse, they pioneer ways to play mind games and manipulate her so that she feels insecure and unsure of herself.
So sometimes the best thing to do is to find out what actual women are saying. Once women have been on a few dates, they tend to have some pointers. Plenty of women have written guidance for men on how to date. A lot of it boils down to being respectful and considering your partner as an equal individual instead of someone to project on.
Here are some good first date guidelines:
- Pay attention to your first impression. You don't have to get dressed up in a suit for your date, but make it clear that you've put effort into looking your best for her.
- Don't plan the first date for anywhere that you won't feel at ease. At the same time, don't plan the first date in a private or isolated area - it's scary.
- Confidence and enthusiasm are great. Shy guys are cutest when they own their shyness and don't mind cracking jokes about it.
- Please, please, please, for the love of God, ask your date questions. If you talk about yourself the whole time, you're not getting a second date.
- Keep first date conversations light. Stick to common ground and try to enjoy each other's company instead of delving into serious topics.
- Don't talk about your ex. Or exes. Just don't. It doesn't matter how you feel about them. Your date doesn't care, and bringing an ex up makes a situation unbelievably awkward.
- Silence your phone. Check it only as often as she's checking hers.
- In most parts of the US, you can operate under the assumption that you'll split the bill.
- Don't tell her that you'll give her a call if you don't actually want to go out again. And if you do want to go out again, don't play any stupid games. Tell her right away and make plans to meet up again.
- Ask a female friend if she's willing to give input on how you can improve your dating game. If she says yes, talk about the last date you went on, how it went, what you did, what conversations you had, and whether it felt like a success. Not all women will have the same opinions, but she can offer her perspective on what you're doing right and what you should improve.
There's a lot of advice on dating out there. A lot of it comes from people who claim to be experts in dating, romance, sexual hookups, or any number of other things.
Please take what you see on the internet with a grain of salt.
If you follow every single piece of advice that's ever touted, you're going to end up causing chaos. You certainly won't land a successful relationship. For the most part, you don't need complicated rules or guidelines or "hacks" to do a date right. Just treat your partner like you want to be there and value her thoughts.
So here are some examples of atrocious advice that you should not follow.
- Wait a few days to call after a first date so she doesn't think you're too eager.
- Compliment her in a backhanded way so she'll be startled and disarmed.
- Text her within five minutes of every reply or she'll think she's being ignored.
- Act cool and aloof. Don't show any excitement or passion, it's a turnoff.
- Talk about your projects, career, and prospects so she knows you're a successful and solid match.
- Everything you do should be with the end goal of sex in mind.
- Don't ask a woman how she's feeling or what she wants - you have to be aggressive.
- Approach gorgeous women on the street to let them know how hot they are.
- Be a nice guy if you want to get laid. Women don't like personality. They like harmless dudes.
- Be a jerk if you want to get laid. Women don't like nice guys. They like aggressive masculinity.
Here's a quick explanation of each.
Why would you wait to call if you want to see her again? Most women have been on their fair share of first dates. Plenty of them probably haven't gotten called back afterward. You know what a woman does when you don't call right after the first date? She forgets you and moves on.
If you're excited to see her again, say so! Passion and positive feelings are what light the way for unique, lovely relationships.
Backhanded compliments are a no-go. "But what if I do it skillfully?" you ask. There is no skillful way to give a backhanded compliment. What you're doing is making her feel bad so you can get the upper hand. It's a power play. It's a terrible thing to do, and if you think it's appropriate, spend some time working on yourself before trying to date women.
Texting a lot is okay: it's that passion and enthusiasm we mentioned. But match her energy. If she's only texting once every few hours, don't blow her inbox up. And don't feel like you have to be glued to your phone to hold her interest. Contrary to popular belief, women do know that people have lives.
Being cool and aloof is boring, not hot. Women want to enjoy the night. The same goes for talking constantly about yourself and your successes and plans. It makes you come across like a self-absorbed ninny at best, and an insecure idiot desperately seeking validation at worst.
Don't manipulate women into sex. Don't make mental plans for how to manipulate women into sex. Don't calculate what you do to manipulate women into sex. Do you want to have sex without a romantic relationship? Great! Be honest. You'll find plenty of women amenable, and that avoids unnecessary heartbreak.
Talking to women on the street is a controversial issue. On the one hand, you might wonder how else you're supposed to socialize. On the other hand, women in the US and many other countries often get harassed by men on the street. It doesn't feel like a compliment to be told you're attractive in that context.
There are some very specific contexts in which it might be appropriate to approach a woman on the street. Here are the criteria you MUST meet:
- It must be daylight or brightly lit, and there must be other people around.
- She must not be walking quickly like she's late for something.
- You must not be trying to ask her out.
- Yes, really. You can't compliment her if that's just your way of getting her number. If that's a dealbreaker, don't approach her at all.
- You must get her attention with an, "Excuse me," or other polite phrase, rather than talking to her unsolicited.
- Your compliment must not be sexual. In fact, it's best to stray away from "beautiful," too. Try complimenting her attitude or her fashion taste instead.
- You must walk away if she is unreceptive. You must also walk away if she just says, "Thanks." The only time you can continue speaking to her is if she starts a conversation herself.
With the "nice guy" and the "jerk" stereotypes, there are tons of problems. In addition to neither statement being true, both statements assume that all women operate with the same hive mind that can be hacked by being the "right" person.
Women don't generally want this. It's unappealing for men to pretend to be someone they aren't on a date. And even if your date doesn't see through it, is that really who you want to show her? A completely boring and forgettable guy or a completely selfish person who will make her feel like her night was wasted?
Just act like a person. Be yourself, but the version of yourself that's friendly and open to connection. Be the version of yourself that you'd want to meet if you were looking for a new friend. You don't have to do any complicated theater or character building.
And be aware that your date is a person, too. If you go into the interaction with some kind of end goal in mind, you're liable to forget that. Your date is there to have a good time and enjoy your company. Shouldn't that be your biggest priority, too?
In Conclusion
Whatever dating site you decide to become a member of, you’re sure to meet a lot of interesting people. Will you have some “dating horror stories” to share? Possibly. Can you find someone to share your life with? Absolutely. There is no longer an excuse to be lonely. Get out there and find your match.
