Dating sites and dating apps are among the most popular of ways to meet people. Sure, you may have imagined yourself finding your perfect match after making the first move at a bar IRL (or confidently sliding into their DMs on social media), but with more single people than ever signing up to one of the UK’s 1,400(+) online dating services and dating apps, they’re definitely worth considering.
According to Match.com’s Dating Expert Hayley Quinn, free dating sites and dating apps are a breath of fresh air when all you seem to receive is creepy winks from strange old men in the pub. For both serious relationship and casual hookups. “If you’re looking to connect with people who want serious partnerships, then using a site that really focuses on compatibility is a real win,” she told us.
English dating site
But with Match.com, eHarmony, Coffee Meets Bagel, Bumble and SilverSingles all promoting their success stories, how can you know which paid subscription will be home to the most appropriate dating pool for you? Below, find GLAMOUR’s hottest dating advice as well as an edit of the best dating sites for queer women, heterosexual daters and LGBTQ+ singles. Happy potential date-hunting.
How did we test the best dating sites?
We’ve marked these dating sites according to the GLAMOUR team’s real life experiences and according to trusted reviews. We’ve scored the sign-up process, in-depth questionnaires and compatibility matching systems – as well as offer features like unlimited messages or icebreaker video call options to help avoid scams.
Which is the best dating site in the UK?
- Best dating site overall: eHarmony
- Best dating app: OkCupid
- Best dating site for serious relationships: Match.com
- Best app for hooking up: Tinder
- Best dating site for over 50s: Ourtime
For more from our Commerce Editor Sophie Cockett, follow her on Instagram @sophiecockettx**.
Scroll for our full edit of the best dating sites and apps to help you find love this year.
Best for: long term relationshipseHarmonyCost: Free membership, though this is limited, and you have to pay for more premium plans.Pros: According to the site’s ‘Married Couples by the Numbers’ facts report, 71% of women and 69% of men meet their spouse on eHarmony within a year of joining the site. Setting up a profile is simple, and the algorithm filters matches by personality, habits and interests.Cons: You need to subscribe if you want to send customised messages and receive unlimited access to your match’s profile. Subscription costs start at £7.95 per month for 24 months.Sign Up Now
Best for: varietyMatchCost: £29.99 for a month with prices decreasing to £9.99 per month for 6 months.Pros: Match.com is one of the biggest dating sites in the UK, boasting over 3 million UK users. And according to their site 1.6 million people have, umm, met their match. While some dating sites can be a minefield of ads, notifications and messy layouts, Match’s interface is very user-friendly. A bit like Tinder, Match will show you one profile at a time, and you can decide whether to match or skip them. But unlike Tinder, you’ll be given more information on the potential match as a person, so you’re not just judging their hotness.Cons: The demographic on Match does tend to be a little older, so if you’re dating in your twenties, it might not be the dating website for you.Sign Up Now
Best for: totally free online dating sites UKOur TimeCost: Membership is free.Pros: Our Time is a dating website owned by the Match group, with free membership and over 150,000 active users. It’s a fairly new addition to the dating site scene, but it’s perfect for anyone who is tired of swiping left and right and just wants to meet someone in person for a walk in the park or a takeaway coffee. Your profile will appear on other dating sites owned by the Match group when you sign up, but that can only be a good thing, since it widens your pool of potential partners. They also host regular singles events which you can actually take up to three friends along to for moral support. No need to panic.Cons: It’s aimed at over-40s, so consider what you’re looking for before you sign up.Sign Up Now
WATCHThe Prom’s Jo Ellen Pellman Becomes Your Agony Aunt In #ProblemSolved
Best for: fussy datersOkcupidCost: Free membership.Pros: There are more than four million users worldwide, and with OKCupid, you can choose everything from the type of relationship you’re looking for (marriage/hook-up/short-term fling) to the gender you’d like to date (from 22 different genders, FYI) and the sexual orientation of the person you’d like to date (from 13 orientations). It’s very inclusive. You then get to answer a tonne of questions about lifestyle, religion, politics and more, leaving you with matches who finally might fit into your very specific criteria. Hoorah!Cons: You have to pay to upgrade to the Premium membership for extra features.Sign Up Now
Best for: serious online datersParshipCosts: Free limited membership, or from £14.90 per month.Pros: Parship is a great dating site, which uses a pretty complex test to analyse your personality traits when you first sign up. Sounds complicated, but it really does mean you’ll be able to start chatting to like-minded people more quickly. Prices start from £14.90 a month, and it’s great for finding long-term relationships with other professional people. Most members on the site have fairly similar incomes and education levels, and there’s a specific gay version of Parship for those looking for a committed and long-term same-sex partner.Cons: You can to pay above the basic free membership to be able to message your matches.Sign Up Now
Best for: personalised matchesZooskCost: £29.99 for a month, £20 a month for 3 months, £15 a month for 6 months.Pros: An all-rounder, whether you’re looking for a short term fling or something longer-lasting, Zoosk has had over 30 million downloads since launch. Zoosk is often hailed one of the best dating sites in the country, though it’s lesser-known, so it’s a good one to try if you’re bored of Tinder, Hinge and eHarmony. Instead of completing the usual personality test upfront, Zoosk’s Behavioural Matchmaking algorithm gets to know each member as they use the dating site, then their SmartPick function gathers matches to pair you with singles you’re likely to be attracted to.Cons: There aren’t options to register as anything other than man or woman when you sign up to the site.Sign Up Now
Best for: daters over 40Single SolutionCost: It’s free to register and become a member of the site.Pros: The Single Solution is a dating site for anyone between the ages of 25 and 60, although their typical members tend to skew slightly older and be professional. There’s an Asian version of the site – Asian Single Solution – which, as the name suggests, is tailored towards Asian professionals looking for love.Cons: Single Solution isn’t as user-friendly as some of the other dating sites in this edit, and the website does look a little old.Sign Up Now
Most Popular
- ENTERTAINMENTWhere is Jude Law’s daughter from The Holiday now? TikTok star has a child of her own and looks *so* differentBY BIANCA LONDON
- LIFESTYLE43 gifts for mum that’ll score you endless brownie points this ChristmasBY GEORGIA TRODD
- BEAUTY47 best gifts for girlfriends this Christmas that will *actually* impress herBY DENISE PRIMBET
Best for: young peopleHingeCost: Free to download, with Hinge Subscription options from £10.49Pros: Hinge is great for seeing someone’s personality (as well as their looks) at first glance. It lets you customise your dating profile to add three key bits of personal information. You can add videos and voice notes to your profile but, even more essentially, the latest Hinge ‘Date from Home’ feature allows you to flag to your match when you’re ready for a virtual date but just like when you match, they won’t know until they’ve done the same.Cons: You can certainly tell more about your potential partners from their profiles on Hinge than other dating apps, but the catch? It comes with the pressure of coming across as witty, fun and effortlessly debonair. Plus the answers might get a little old – we get it, people hate slow walkers.Sign Up Now
Best for: curing dating app fatigueThursdayCost: Free to download.Pros: It was only released to the masses back in May of last year and, as its name suggests, has been working only on Thursdays ever since. It encourages users to spend time on themselves six out of seven days of the week, then exchange numbers – and meet up – with people close to them when they can log on. Your matches disappear at midnight on a Thursday, so you have to act fast.Cons: It’s only available in London and New York City.Sign Up Now
Best for: Indian datersShaadi.comCost: It’s free to sign up to Shaadi.com. There are also more comprehensive packages which you can sign up to: Gold, Gold Plus, Diamond, Diamond Plus and Platinum Plus.Pros: Shaadi.com is the best dating site for single Indians who are looking for love. In fact, you have to set your preference to “bride” or “groom” when you sign up, showing that it’s exclusively aimed at those looking for marriage. You can get a personalised membership which means you get a personal relationship advisor to help you out. Under the basic membership? You can still filter your choices based on height, religion, whether you have children etc.Cons: Shaadi is probably not for you if you’re after something a little more casual.Sign Up Now
Best for: dating people nearbyHappnCost: Free, with starter packs of coins available from £1.99.Pros: Happn aims to connect you with people you regularly cross paths with. If you pass them IRL, they’ll appear on the app – and Happn will rack up how many times you come close to each other. There’s no doubt about it – this is the best dating app for approaching that guy you always stare at on the Northern Line without looking like a stalker.Cons: Living in a big city can cause issues – think needle in a haystack…Sign Up Now
Most Popular
- ENTERTAINMENTWhere is Jude Law’s daughter from The Holiday now? TikTok star has a child of her own and looks *so* differentBY BIANCA LONDON
- LIFESTYLE43 gifts for mum that’ll score you endless brownie points this ChristmasBY GEORGIA TRODD
- BEAUTY47 best gifts for girlfriends this Christmas that will *actually* impress herBY DENISE PRIMBET
Best for: live video chattingBadooCost: Free membership for the most basic package. You can sign up to premium packages which start at £4.99 a week.Pros: Badoo will leave you spoiled for choice; it’s a great app for keeping for options open. Dating profiles are made up of basic information, and you can drop in on people’s live video chats. There are over 497 million users worldwide, so you’ll be spoiled for choice. What’s more, you can select what you’re looking for when you sign up: a chat, casual dates a serious relationship or to stay open-minded.Cons: You get notifications every time someone messages you or sends you a like, but since there are SO many users, things can get overwhelming.Sign Up Now
Best for: casual datingTinderCost: Free, with Tinder Plus options from just 79p.Pros: It’s no secret that Tinder is one of the most widely used, most saturated apps and if you’re looking for a whole host of options, Tinder’s the place for you. It even has a catfishing-proof feature called Loops where you can see GIFs of potential matches.Cons: Tinder seems geared towards casual dating, so if that’s not your bag, you might look towards a dating site or app like Hinge. What’s more, profiles aren’t quite as detailed as they are on other apps – it’s just your name, job, education, location and links to your Spotify and Instagram accounts which can be included.Sign Up Now
Best for: Jewish datersJdateCost: Membership is free.Pros: JDate is the internet’s largest Jewish dating service, and it has been around for nearly two decades. You simply upload a bio of around 100-150 words and up to six photos. Then, you can browse other dating profiles to your hearts’ content, filtering by physical features, hobbies, religious practise and the type of relationship they’re after. There’s a Look Book feature which makes it super easy to track who has liked you, and who you’ve liked in return.Cons: There aren’t quite as many members as other dating sites.Sign Up Now
Best for: ambitious and career-driven peopleElite SinglesCost: £89.95 a month or £29.95 a month for 12 months.Pros: Elite Singles is best for finding someone with similar aspirations. If career goals and intelligence are what turns you on, then Elite Singles is definitely the site for you. According to their website, 82% of its members are graduates and with pretty steep fees, it’s clear this dating site is targeted at those who have not only have disposable income, but have grown out of quick hook-up culture and want a mature relationship.Cons: It’s quite expensive in comparison to some other dating sites, particularly if you pay monthly.Sign Up Now
Most Popular
- ENTERTAINMENTWhere is Jude Law’s daughter from The Holiday now? TikTok star has a child of her own and looks *so* differentBY BIANCA LONDON
- LIFESTYLE43 gifts for mum that’ll score you endless brownie points this ChristmasBY GEORGIA TRODD
- BEAUTY47 best gifts for girlfriends this Christmas that will *actually* impress herBY DENISE PRIMBET
Best for: ChristiansChristian ConnectionCost: Free membership, though this is limited.Pros: This award-winning dating site is the best dating site for Christians. If you want someone with the same religion as you, make a beeline. It’s for those who want a long-term relationship, but who struggle to find likeminded people outside of their church and work. There are more than 110,000 users worldwide, and all it takes to strike up a conversation is a simple “wave”.Cons: There are lots of questions to answer when you first sign up, but that can only be beneficial in the long-run. Membership is free but this only allows you to match, send waves and preset replies.Sign Up Now
Best for: music loversTastebudsCost: From £5 per month, depending on how long you sign up for.Pros: When you sign up, you select the gender(s) you’d like to date, and enter three bands or artists who float your boat. (Does Mamma Mia count?) Then, you chat to people who have the same music tastes as you, and you can agree to go to gigs for your first date. Sounds fun, right?Cons: Tastebuds is lesser-known, so there aren’t quite as many dating profiles to scroll through as you might expect on Match or eHarmony.Sign Up Now
Best for: setting up your matesMysinglefriend.comCost: It’s free to create a profile.Pros: Find dating websites super cringe? Hate blowing your own trumpet? Too shy to strike up a conversation with someone? Wish your friends could do all the hard work for you? Well, you’re in luck. My Single Friend is the best dating website for shy/cringed-out singletons, because every person on this site (including yourself) is recommended by their mates. The result? A fun and friendly space for you to chat to likeminded people – sans personal trumpet blowing – and hopefully fall in love.Cons: You can only select “man” or “woman” as your gender when you sign up, making it a little less inclusive than others.Sign Up Now
Best for: country bumpkinsMuddy MatchesCost: Membership is free, but limited.Pros: Aimed at those who live in the countryside in the UK and Ireland (or those who have a thing for anyone that does), Muddy Matches plays on the idea that you need someone with similar interests and ideas of the “perfect lifestyle” to embark on something long-lasting and fulfilling. There’s a fab, easy-to-use app, and you can take the brand’s quiz to find out just how “muddy” you really are.Cons: Membership is free but you can only send messages to your potential matches if you pay the £94 annual subscription free.Sign Up Now
Most Popular
- ENTERTAINMENTWhere is Jude Law’s daughter from The Holiday now? TikTok star has a child of her own and looks *so* differentBY BIANCA LONDON
- LIFESTYLE43 gifts for mum that’ll score you endless brownie points this ChristmasBY GEORGIA TRODD
- BEAUTY47 best gifts for girlfriends this Christmas that will *actually* impress herBY DENISE PRIMBET
Best for: dating over 50Plenty of FishCost: There’s a free version, with options to upgrade your membership at various costs.Pros: Like eHarmony, Plenty of Fish has been around since the early 2000s and has focused on modernising its technology, aesthetic and approach. When you sign up, you upload a photo, basic info, and answer a pretty lengthy ‘chemistry test’, which is how the site matches you with those of similar character. Subscription rates for dating sites can be pricey, so if you’re looking to match on a budget, PoF has got your back.Cons: It isn’t the prettiest of websites, and others are definitely more user-friendly. But they do have more than 150 million registered users worldwide at last count, and they claim to be responsible for creating more relationships and conversations than any other free dating app. So do the graphic really matter?Sign Up Now
Best for: those who care about looksBeautifulpeople.comCost: Prices start from £7.50 for a six month membership, and there are regular members’ events to attend if you fancy it.Pros: The people behind this dating site claim that by filtering daters based on their looks first, they’re removing the first hurdle of dating. Whether you agree or not is a different story.Cons: Whether or not you’re beautiful enough to join is decided by members of the opposite sex, who “vote you in” when you apply to join, which is quite shallow.Sign Up Now
Best for: young professionalsInner CircleCosts: The app is free but you can spend on premium packages.Pros: This is the best dating site for 25-35’s looking to take dating more seriously. With over 3.5 million members worldwide (it’s available in 57 cities across 27 countries), the dating site helps likeminded, ambitious people meet their match. In fact, members get together every 6.9 seconds with Inner Circle! It has a human screening process (the screeners behind the app are a group of stay-at-home mums, also the matchmakers of the app), to verify each profile is genuine and protect against cat-fishing.Cons: The app is free to download, but to get the most out of it, you’ll want to upgrade to the premium packages on offer.Sign Up Now
Best for: music loversPomCost: Free.Pros: POM is a unique and inclusive dating app that says goodbye to the traditional swipe-left and swipe-right dating experience. POM connects you to like minded people based on your music tastes and your emotional responses to music.Cons: It’s exclusively in London right now.Sign Up Now
Most Popular
- ENTERTAINMENTWhere is Jude Law’s daughter from The Holiday now? TikTok star has a child of her own and looks *so* differentBY BIANCA LONDON
- LIFESTYLE43 gifts for mum that’ll score you endless brownie points this ChristmasBY GEORGIA TRODD
- BEAUTY47 best gifts for girlfriends this Christmas that will *actually* impress herBY DENISE PRIMBET
Best for: LGBTQIA2S+ datingHERCost: Core features are free, with premium options from £13.99.Pros: A top pick for lesbian, bi, queer, trans and non-binary or non-conforming gender identities, HER offers a safe space for non-cis and non-heterosexual singles alike to meet and connect, not to mention being an ‘editor’s choice’ app on the Apple app store. Great for meeting new friends in the community as well as potential partners and, for users in sleepy towns, it allows them to extend their dating scope into busier, neighbouring cities with a more thriving LGBTQIA2S+ scene.Cons: You’ll have to bypass a paywall to unlock unlimited swipes and gain access to certain intel, such as who’s already liked you.Sign Up Now
Best for: millennialsBumbleCost: Free to download and use, with premium options available for a surplus.Pros: The world of dating is filled with tiresome tropes like ‘you’ve got to wait 72 hours before you send them a message’ or rather, in heterosexual relationships, ‘only the man can propose!’ Bumble sets out to dismantle those archaic traditions and seeks out forward thinking individuals as the crux of its user base. Suitable for both Apple and Android devices, Bumble takes a somewhat feminist stance and challenges long outdated norms of the dating world – i.e. that men have to make the first move. Yep, for heterosexual couples, Bumble asks its female users to start conversations and then gives their male counterparts 24 hours to respond before the connection expires. Plus, for those not up for an intimate relationship, Bumble’s also well know for its BFF finder – great for users just moving to new towns and cities.Cons: For same-sex relationships, both parties are encouraged to message first, thus rendering the unique ‘quirk’ of the app a little targeted in favour of straight couples.Sign Up Now
Best for: hook-upsGrindrCost: Free to download and use with XTRA and Unlimited add ons available for a cost.Pros: Designed to close the gap between gay, bi, trans, and queer people and their community, Grindr has been around for over 10 years and, unlike some of its equally successful competitors – namely Tinder – the hookup app removes some of the barriers of dating, for instance, requited attraction. Users needn’t wait for potential hookups to ‘like’ them back and anyone on the app can message anyone.Cons: Said free-for-all messaging can result in unsolicited pictures in your DMs.Sign Up Now
Best for: those who put deem intelligence to be importantThe leagueCost: Free for entry-level features, upgrades after that start at £89.99 for a month.Pros: Designed for individuals who put intelligence, ambition and achievement above most else, The league is dominated by a mostly ‘successful’ user base and sets out to avoid compromising on any one user’s dating standards. All profiles are put through a 24-hour (minimum) validation process to verify that each user is real and not a bot, and is a top pick for individual looking for a serious, fulfilling relationship.Cons: Not our recommendation for those looking for a casual flirt, not to mention the app is quite exclusive and certain users without the desired academic background might not be approved.Sign Up Now
Most Popular
- ENTERTAINMENTWhere is Jude Law’s daughter from The Holiday now? TikTok star has a child of her own and looks *so* differentBY BIANCA LONDON
- LIFESTYLE43 gifts for mum that’ll score you endless brownie points this ChristmasBY GEORGIA TRODD
- BEAUTY47 best gifts for girlfriends this Christmas that will *actually* impress herBY DENISE PRIMBET
Best for: non-conformist datingFeeldCost: Free to download and use with membership options with added features for a fee.Pros: For individuals with a penchant for exploring new things and looking beyond the age-old outdated archetype of a nuclear family, Feeld will likely be worth your time. Eliminating the judgement barrier that those open to polyamory and sexual fluidity (to name a few preferences), Feeld makes accessing your romantic and sexual passions more of a reality – play the Feeld, as it were.Cons: Some users claiming the app needs a bit of work, curation wise, with sex workers using to the app to advertise paid services.Sign Up Now
Best for: the Muslim faithMuzzCost: Free to download and use with gold membership available for a fee.Pros: Designed for Muslim users who want to guarantee respect towards their religion and views, Muzz – formerly Muzmatch – has over 200,000 relationship successes within its vast community. Muzz makes meeting a partner in a halal manner possible and, for those worried about bumping into friends and family on the app, it gives users the capacity to keep photos and names obscured.Cons: Said privacy feature makes finding a match for those with looks at the forefront of their non-negotiables a bit trickier.Sign Up Now