7 Dating Sites for Seniors

Still not persuaded to log on? Online dating commonly allows you to filter for criteria important to you in a partner, like someone with a similar religion, a date who doesn’t smoke and/or a person who shares similar interests. Here are 7 dating sites for seniors to consider checking out:

eHarmony

On eHarmony, users typically fill out a detailed personality profile, based on 32 characteristics. An algorithm then uses that information to find matches that are likely to fit your specific criteria. A free basic account usually lets you browse through the eHarmony site. A one-month paid membership costs $59.95, a three-month membership is $23.95 per month, and a twelve-month membership is $19.95 per month.

Silver Singles

Silver Singles is primarily geared towards users ages 50 and up. The service matches around 2,000 singles a month and has an average of 50,000 new signups weekly. When you register, you’ll generally be asked to fill out a questionnaire with over 135 questions that help categorize your personality. Silver Singles claims to do daily profile checks on new members and use software like ID Authentication, SSL Encryption, and a Fraud Detection System to help ensure their users feel safer online. They also have professionals who can help you write your dating profile (for an additional fee). The basic version is free to use but you can only view photos of singles on the paid premium version; a 12-month plan runs $27.95 per month.

Our Time

This dating service is specifically designed for use by those in their 50s, 60s, 70s and beyond. The free app, which you can download in the App Store or Android Store, typically lets you receive emails from other users, view profiles and photos and see who has been viewing your profile. Once creating an account, you may fill out a form with your personal information, which helps potential matches find out some information about you. Premium memberships start at about $30 for one month, $60 for three months, and $90 for six months. Paid memberships may also let you filter results by options like age, body type, religion, children, and more.

Match

Match has been around since 1995 and has been considered by some to be a staple in the online dating industry ever since. While it caters to ages 18 and up, the service says 37% of its users are 50 and older. Match generally allows users to search by a variety of features, such as their age preference, smoker/nonsmoker, sexual orientation, location and more. Match is also said to have one the largest dating pools out of all the dating sites. You can sign up for a free trial, but to really dive into the service, you may want to go premium ($35.99 a month for one month, $19.99 a month for three months, $17.99 a month for six months, or $15.99 a month for twelve months). Users can also link their profiles to their Facebook accounts. If you don’t find a match within six months, the company currently offers another six months for free.

SeniorMatch

This is another site focused on individuals ages 50 and up, and is designed for seniors looking for love, as well as travel mates, activity partners and companions. Thus, it can be a good place to search for everything from friendships to long-term romantic relationships. When you sign up, you typically begin by creating a dating profile and uploading as many as 20 photos. SeniorMatch searches primarily by location, so the amount of matches it pairs you with is largely based on how many users are in your area. The service claims to offer more free options than its competitors, which can give you a good taste of what it’s all about before signing up for premium. Paid service plans start at $15.99 per month.

Zoosk

Zoosk is generally popular with seniors, as it’s fairly easy to navigate and doesn’t usually require a lengthy profile-making process or filling out a massive questionnaire. You can simply create an account, add photos and write a short profile about yourself and what you’re looking for. The site reportedly verifies the profiles to make sure they’re real, authentic users. Zoosk is able to show you profiles in a “Carousel mode” where you can quickly swipe through area singles or you can search in a more traditional way, by using filters on potential matches like age, religion, education, etc. When you sign up, you can enjoy a free basic account, or you can pay for a membership to the dating site, with a one-month membership for $29.95 per month, a three-month membership for $19.98 per month, or a six-month plan for $12.49 a month.

Love Begins At

This is another service with a generally easy-to-use interface and a relatively hassle-free profile creation process. Love Begins At is also made primarily for singles over 40. After registering, you can simply upload your photos, fill in some personal information and answer just a handful of questions. The site has a chat room feature, where you can connect with other singles, as well as a video chat function, which allows you to meet a user virtually before connecting in person. The site also features blogs that provide dating tips from relationship experts. And Love Begins At also hosts singles night events for its members. A paid membership is $59.97 for one month or $64.90 for three months.

Before meeting a date in real life, keep these safety tips in mind.

Talk ahead of time: “Before meeting up with your match, I recommend talking to them via a phone call or video chat,” says Emily Lovz, co-founder of matchmaking and dating coaching service Emlovz. That, she says, will help to confirm that they are who they say they are.

Tell a friend or family member when and where you are going: “If you choose to meet in real life, people [should] know where you are meeting and the time and person,” says Anthony Oyoga, co-founder of personal safety app UrSafe. 

Be careful of scams: “Do not send anyone money under any circumstances,” says Matchmaker and relationship expert Susan Trombetti. She warns that this is often a red flag for a scam and it’s important not to fall for it. 

Never have anyone pick you up at your home address:  When going out for the first time, Trombetti says, it’s better to meet out at a public place where you feel safe. “Do not leave in their car to go anywhere else,” she adds.

Keep personal information personal: During the first date, you may want to refrain from revealing a lot of personal information that could potentially lead to your home address or work address. “You need to be careful,” says Trombetti. This can also help to fend off scammers.

Have fun! Dating can be awkward, but it can also be a blast. Don’t forget to share some laughs and make the best of the outing. If it’s a match, great—you’ll have a date #2 to look forward to. And if not, at least you got out and had some nice conversation.