For some, online dating is all about the thrill of meeting new people or finding some short-term partners. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that, but we aren’t all looking for something so fleeting. If you are one of the millions of singles looking for something long-term and lasting, you need to make sure you are using the right dating apps.
Dating sites that lead to marriage
To help you along, we’ve narrowed down the long list of options to the absolute best dating apps for marriage. If true love and a life partner are your goals, then these websites for marriage are exactly what you need.
| Rank | Site | Free Trial Link | |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | eHarmony | Free Trial | |
| #2 | Higher Bond | Free Trial | |
| #3 | Elite Singles | Free Trial | |
| #4 | Zoosk | Free Trial | |
| #5 | Christian Mingle | Free Trial | |
| #6 | Jdate | Free Trial | |
| #7 | Catholic Match | Free Trial |
1. eHarmony – #1 Overall Pick
The debate over who holds the title of the best serious dating site for marriage is an easy one. eHarmony is widely known as the leader when it comes to connecting singles who are looking to date with the intention of hopefully finding someone to marry.
This is our top pick for two reasons. One—the site is responsible for over 2 million people finding love. Impressive. Two—the matching process is driven by a complex matching algorithm that takes your desire to get married and your feelings on the process into account.
If you’re ready to find someone special to hopefully marry and you don’t want to settle, you have to check out eHarmony.
> Start a Free Trial Account Now!
2. Higher Bond – Best New Christian App
For Christian singles who take their faith seriously, the ultimate goal of dating is always to find someone to marry. And now, we’re getting a brand new option that is focused solely on people whose faith is the driving force behind their relationship decisions.
The 35-question matching questionnaire that powers the algorithm looks at things like prayer, relationships, family, kids, shared finances, and more.
If you want to meet the perfect match for you who shares the same faith and relationship goals, you should get excited for Higher Bond.
> Start a Free Trial Account Now!
3. Elite Singles – Best for Building a Family
One of the things we’re really big fans of with Elite Singles is that you can set preferences on whether or not you want to have children in the future and how important that is to you. While we know that kids usually come after marriage, it can be a major deal breaker and impediment in the process if both people aren’t on the same page.
When you pair this focus with the overall high quality of the educated singles on Elite Singles (just under 400,000 new users monthly), you’ve got the recipe for a great marriage dating site with a special focus on people wanting to build a family at some point.
> Start a Free Trial Account Now!
4. Zoosk – 35 Million+ Options
As you can see, Zoosk takes the cake when it comes to number of singles with an impressive 35 million and counting. Something we really like about the Zoosk dating app for marriage is that you can set the preferences of what type of relationship you’re looking for to weed out anyone that doesn’t have the same goals.
Specifically, you’ll want to select “long-term dating.” Notice, it doesn’t say marriage or something like that. This is a good thing. It also weeds out people who just want to get married but don’t care about the quality of the relationship or the connection. This ensures you get the best of both worlds.
> Start a Free Trial Account Now!
5. Christian Mingle – Best Established Christian App
For the same reasons we talked about above, any Christian dating app is by nature going to be an ideal choice for finding someone to marry. And while you won’t get the new excitement coming with Higher Bond or the matching algorithm, you are going to get access to 15 million Christian singles.
The app gives you a lot more control in picking who you want to message and who you might connect with. If you’re someone who likes being in the driver’s seat of your search for a spouse, give Christian Mingle a look
> Start a Free Trial Account Now!
6. Jdate – Ideal for Jewish Singles Looking to Marry
Normally, we’re not too keen on niche-dating apps because either the user pool is too small or there aren’t enough resources to create a quality product. With Jdate, that’s not the case. As the #1 dating app for Jewish singles, the app enjoys the same marriage-focus by nature that the Christian dating apps do.
With over two decades in the business of helping make meaningful connections, it’s a must check out if you’re a Jewish single looking to get married. If you aren’t Jewish or you’re looking for casual dating—it’s probably not an ideal spot for you.
> Start a Free Trial Account Now!
7. Catholic Match – Best for Catholic Marriages
Closing out our list of the best dating sites for marriage is another niche app focused on the Catholic dating community. At the possibility of sounding like a broken record, again, this faith-based dating app naturally rings in as a great dating app for finding someone to marry.
The one thing that always stands out to us about Catholic Match (and we mention it a lot) is that the app is backed by several prominent Catholic leaders. What this means is you can search for a spouse in a safe, welcoming environment that has the blessing of the Church.
> Start a Free Trial Account Now!
Table of Contents:
- Why These Are Our Favorite Marriage Dating Apps
- The Editor’s Favorites for Marriage Apps
- Tips to Find a Spouse Through Online Dating
- Marriage Dating Site FAQ
Why These Are Our Favorite Marriage Dating Apps
Before we continue on with our article, we thought it was important to showcase the reasons that we’re in love with these dating apps for marriage. You could consider these like our vows if you’re feeling festive? Here they are.
- The primary focus of the app is a committed relationship. – This is a non-negotiable for us. Any dating site that wants to be classified as a marriage dating site needs to have that as the primary focus. This means that the importance of commitment needs to be felt in their marketing, messaging, website, the profiles, and everywhere else. Otherwise, you end up with a casual dating app masquerading as a serious one.
- Security and a proactive approach to fake accounts are paramount. – When you’re looking to find someone to marry, you’re looking for someone to share your most intimate secrets with. You’re also looking for someone who is going to be financially and legally bound to you. This, unfortunately, attracts spammers and scammers. The best marriage dating sites work hard and proactively to rid their platforms of all of these fake accounts and unsavory characters.
- You have the ability to set your preferences to long-term dating or looking for marriage. – A small few of the dating sites for marriage listed in this guide also double for a little more casual dating. This is okay because these apps give you the ability to share that you’re looking for something long term that could eventually lead into marriage. Without the ability to make that distinction, you’d spend most of your time sifting through casual daters who aren’t serious.
- The dating app has a proven track record of helping people meet and marry. – Can the app do what it promises? It’s as simple as that. Are they able to share real stories and provide data and facts that back up their claims about helping people meet. Are we able to find real-life stories of people who have met on the platform and gotten married? It’s an arduous research process, but it’s critical to truly find the best marriage dating sites.
- It’s an inviting and welcoming community. – Finding someone to marry is an intimate process and for many a sacred one. If the dating app doesn’t have an inviting and welcoming feel, the delicacy of that process will be tainted. The best marriage dating apps know how to take a normally awkward and rigid process and smooth it out to where it’s not only successful, but exciting, fun, and romantic along the way.
The Editor’s Favorites for Marriage Apps
“Sometimes it’s hard to pick a favorite for these best app lists. However, when it comes to singles looking for marriage—no one holds a candle to eHarmony. The app not only has the technology to make it happen, but it has the track record to back it up. Worth every penny to me.”
– Jason Lee, Chief Editor of Healthy Framework
“While it’s fun to disagree with Jason, he’s spot on when it comes to eHarmony’s effectiveness for helping people find marriage. The thing I like the most, though, is that even with the site being marriage-focused, it’s not a bunch of bridezillas running around trying to rush the process. It’s just singles who are serious about the process and dedicated to finding something special.”
– Christina Anne, Contributing Writer
“If marriage has taught me anything, it’s that there is value in doing something right the first time. Why not start with that idea when you’re looking to find that special someone? eHarmony may be a few dollars more expensive than the other options on the list, but it’s worth it. If you are looking to save, though, Christian Mingle and Jdate are quite nice options.”
– Linda Morris, Associate Reviews Editor
Tips to Find a Spouse Through Online Dating
Finding a spouse through online dating doesn’t need to be difficult. Follow our tips and you’ll see that there are plenty of eligible singles out there who want all the same things as you.
Be Open About Looking For Something Serious
There is no need to beat around the bush when it comes to your relationship goals. Make it clear from the get go that you aren’t looking for a fling or weekend hookup. You can express this information on your profile, during any preliminary questionnaires, and during conversations with your matches. This way, you know that the people you talk to are serious about looking for a long-term relationship.
Don’t Be So Marriage-Minded That You Scare Someone Off
Just because you and your partner are both open to marriage, doesn’t mean they want to put a ring on it as soon as possible. Be open to a long courting period before marriage and don’t dive headfirst into talking about marriage and children as soon as you meet somebody. It can come off as desperate and clingy, which can make your potential partner feel that you care more about the title of husband or wife than you do about them.
Have a Realistic Timeline
These online dating apps for marriage are the real deal, but that doesn’t mean you are going to meet your future spouse in the first week. You need to understand that all successful relationships take time and work. Chances are, the first person you click with won’t be your forever partner, but that doesn’t mean your journey to marriage is a bust. Patience and persistence are key.
Don’t Compromise for a Faster Marriage
Desperation for marriage can create a bad situation in your life. If you make major compromises to your wants and standards just to find the quickest way to the altar, you are likely going to be disappointed. You might get that marriage, but if you aren’t compatible, the chances are higher it ends in divorce. You need to take the time to find a truly compatible partner.
Be Honest About Your Wants and Needs
If you want to find a spouse that truly understands and loves you, you need to be honest about who you are. Whether you are informing your partner of a chronic illness or a general distaste for cats as pets, you need to disclose any information that might influence that partner’s opinion of you or the relationship. It isn’t fair to your matches to be blind sided with your wants and needs after you become emotionally invested in one another.
Utilize All the Tools at Your Disposal
Every online dating app for marriage will have its own set of features and community networks. Whether it be chat rooms, blogs, games, or anything else, you should try utilizing all the features available to have the best chance at successfully finding your perfect match.
Marriage Dating Site FAQ
What is the best dating site for marriage?
The current best dating site for finding marriage is eHarmony.
Can online dating lead to marriage?
Yes! In fact, statistics show that a surprising amount of modern marriages began as online relationships. The trick is looking at other singles who are also interested in marriage. This can save you a lot of time and heartache, so sticking to one of these dating apps for marriages is your best bet.
Are there good dating apps for Christian marriage?
Most of our list of dating apps for marriage are fantastic for Christian singles. Specifically, Christian Mingle is a top choice for those seeking to marry a fellow Christian. The site has more Christian singles than any other option, plus the users are heavily focused on marriage and finding partners who truly love and understand them.
Can you meet someone international online to marry?
International marriage is just one of the ways online dating excels. You can meet singles from all around the world, and even find those with your specific religious beliefs. Whether you want to find someone in another country who wants to move to you, or you plan to move to them, these dating sites are all great options. Their users are from all over the world. All you have to do is set your search parameters to find them.