Choosing a Dating Site

 I'm a big fan of research when in the early stages of a decision. 

I like pro and con lists, reading reviews, reading about alternative options, and letting myself nap on the decision (I've found naps generally improve things, whether I'm in a bad mood or trying to make a choice). When it came to choosing a dating site when I decided I was ready to get serious about finding a partner, I did what I do best and went into research mode.

Over the course of a few weeks, I looked into four dating sites/apps: eHarmony, Tinder, Match.com, and Hinge. While all four have free options, I decided I am willing to pay for a subscription if it is reasonably priced (meaning under $20 a month) and has worthwhile features.

1. eHarmony

While eHarmony boasts that every 14 minutes a couple finds love through their site, they also are easily the most expensive dating app I researched. As of summer 2021, depending on which level of premium membership chosen, a membership can cost anywhere from $35 a month to $65 a month. eHarmony does have one of the more extensive questionnaires, which I liked. However, between the site's origin as a Christian-based site, the large amount of articles I found mentioning eHarmony as not a not particularly queer-friendly dating site, and the fact none of the commercials I found showed same sex couples, I decided eHarmony wouldn't be the right fit for me. 

2. Tinder

I'll be honest: I used Tinder while in college and right after graduating. While I found a few people with whom I had pleasant dates (and one person who managed to become my regular date-mate for four months - a personal record), my experiences with Tinder were restricted to casual dating. Additionally, I feel Tinder has passed its prime, and getting back onto it would more than likely give me embarrassing flashbacks to when I was 21.

3. Match.com

Since they have been around since the 1990s, Match.com is able to claim both the largest amount of married couples who met on their site and the title of longest running dating service. They previously had a Match Guarantee that stated if you didn't find your match in six months they would give you six months of membership free, but unfortunately the guarantee was removed in 2019. However, their monthly subscription fees start at $19.99, which is definitely reasonable. Match.com also features same sex couples in their commercials, and is known to be queer-friendly.

4. Hinge

I first heard about Hinge through their commercials. Their tagline "the dating app designed to be deleted" is fantastic, and the commercials not only feature several same sex couples, but are entertaining. I was deterred slightly when I looked at the app in the app store and saw negative reviews regarding the apps useability, but the reviews on dating app comparison sites were overwhelmingly positive. The pricing I found was comparable to Match.com, which keeps them in the reasonable price range. After additional research, I found Hinge is owned by Match.com, has two actual researchers on their staff to look at how users use the app and find relationships through it (which as a psychology nerd is the coolest thing I've seen from any dating app), and has recorded meditations connected to the app to help people relax before going on a date. I haven't seen any other dating site or app loop in mental health aspects to their system, and I LOVE that. Finally, according to the Hinge website, they ask for feedback after first dates in order to improve future matches.

Ultimately, I decided to go with Hinge. 

I told my dating buddy friend, Julia, my decision and she told me she used Hinge before and had moderate success with it (although it did not lead to a long-term relationship yet). She was already planning to use Hinge again, which confirmed it would be a good choice. 

What dating sites or apps have you used? Leave a comment and let me know your recommendations!

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