Pros and Cons of Top 3 Old and New Online Dating Sites

Pros and Cons of the Top 3 Old and New Online Dating Sites

Internet has changed the ways we live, and the dating industry is no exception. There are many online dating sites to choose from and most of them are not even legit.

Image caption: Flickr

To me, when it comes to online dating, it doesn't really matter whether a particular site is popular or not.  You've got to choose what works best for you because we all have different preferences and criteria. Most people usually try and put up their profile on about 3 to 5 online dating services to find their dates. Online dating is a great alternative to finding a date, especially if you are too busy, want to broaden a pool of singles, or are too shy to flirt with strangers offline.

As an experienced online dater myself, I'd like to recommend you 3 old and new online dating sites. I've added pros and cons of these sites.

1. Match.com

It's like a grandpa of online dating. It's been with us forever! It focuses mainly on people who are serious about dating (long term relationships or marriage). However, since it's a really big site flooded with lots of members, you really have to invest some time into finding the right person for yourself. Also, another downside is that it costs much more than the other online dating sites.

PRO: good for serious daters, lots of marriage materials to browse

CON: time-consuming, not great for casual daters, expensive to use (but worth it if you want to settle down and get married soon)

2. POF

PlentyofFish is a pretty cool online dating service. It works the same way as most other online dating services, but it's free to use and has many daily active users.

PRO: good for casual daters, lots of active members, free to use

CON: many men were frustrated by POF because it's really difficult to get a response from women. Having too many members can be a downside too.

3. OKCupid

OKCupid is an online dating service acquired by Match.com. It's used mostly by college students. It's free to use, and typically for casual daters. They ask you a lot of questions about you and your type, and you have to fill them out to get a compatible match, which can be time-consuming.

PRO: good for college students, lots of members to choose from

CON: Answering lots of questions can be frustrating and time-consuming, not suitable for people beyond mid-20s

There are also some relatively new online dating/social dating services worth a try. I recommend trying 1-2 from the old list above and 1-2 from the new list below. Mix old and new, and you will see which sites get you the best matches.

1. Skout

Skout is not necessarily for those looking for dates, but if you think about it, friends can become dates, and dates can become wives/husbands. Skout is a location-based service, so you can find people nearby and meet them in person casually. If chemistry is there, you can ask him/her out!

PRO: lots of members, location-based, mobile-friendly, global

CON: not necessarily for dating

2. How about we

How about we is a relatively new online dating service based on dating ideas. Instead of finding compatible matches, it focuses on finding your matches by reading their date plans and ideas. Creative people would get the most responses.

PRO: new approach to dating, less shallow as people will look for something other than your looks and backgrounds

CON: not compatibility-based

3. Funfundate

Funfundate is a social matching game. It's like Hot or Not except you choose pick who's "hotter" between 2 matches you get daily. You can sign up with your Facebook account, so it takes only a minute to join the game, and there's no need to fill out your profile information. (Facebook does it for you.) You can also invite your friends to play with you!

PRO: social, fun to use, gamified, less stressful, quick to sign up, location-based

CON: only available as a desktop app

Are there other online dating sites you recommend? Let us know in the comments!