The Difference between Free and Paid Dating Sites
- Monday, March 22 2010 @ 08:23 am
- Contributed by: Adrie
- Views: 3,845
If you’re considering giving online dating a shot or have already been using online dating, then you’ve probably wondered about the difference between free and paid dating sites. While I personally don’t believe you should put a price on love or your quest to find it, I can tell you that some great things in life really are free, just like some things are worth paying for.
The difference between free and paid dating sites really depend on each site individually since I can think of a free site or two that are stellar in terms of selection and features and give some of the paid sites a run for their money. This doesn’t mean that I’m not a fan of the paid sites though as some are worth every penny they charge and then some. The difference between free and paid dating sites, a lot of times, comes down to personal preference. If aesthetics as far as site design go are important for you, then a paid site may be the way to go. The money you pay for some of the better known dating sites goes into the design and appearance of the site. You get the pretty colors and font, great graphics and then some great features like live chat/instant messaging, an online magazine and more. These things can help make your experience with the site a little more pleasant and entertaining, and again, these things are important to some people. A lot of these sites are also free for women to join, but require you to pay for a membership in order to enjoy some of the more elaborate features or even to contact someone directly. Then there are also the more “upscale” paid sites which use a match up process based on a series of questions to help you come up with potential matches based on your answers. These generally cost more than other paid sites but do seem to give you a lot for your money—especially if you’re in need of a little more guidance than others.
For those who don’t care about all of the bells and whistles like instant messaging with lots of emoticons, then a free site is likely to give you what you’re after, which I’m guessing are dates. Many sites start out free in order to gain popularity and attract members. Then you’ve got sites, like Plenty of Fish which are completely free for men and women. When you log on to a site like POF you’ll see the difference in appearance right away. There’s no bright red background, fancy logos or much else but, there are millions of members that you can contact for free. The site is also easy to navigate because it’s so simple. And, for those looking for something more, POF now also offers a chemistry questionnaire to help you make better matches.
Many people wonder if the difference between free and paid dating sites is somehow reflected in the quality of members that they attract. While it does make sense that those in a better financial situation can better afford the paid dating sites or those that are considered more ‘upscale’, this doesn’t mean that the free dating sites are only being used by the down and out! Most people who use online dating will use more than one site and many admit to having a paid and free membership on the go.
So in the end, while there is a difference between free and paid dating sites; one isn’t necessarily better than the other if what you care about is just meeting people and finding someone.
The most popular paid dating sites are Match.com and eHarmony.com. The most popular free dating site is Plentyoffish.com
The difference between free and paid dating sites really depend on each site individually since I can think of a free site or two that are stellar in terms of selection and features and give some of the paid sites a run for their money. This doesn’t mean that I’m not a fan of the paid sites though as some are worth every penny they charge and then some. The difference between free and paid dating sites, a lot of times, comes down to personal preference. If aesthetics as far as site design go are important for you, then a paid site may be the way to go. The money you pay for some of the better known dating sites goes into the design and appearance of the site. You get the pretty colors and font, great graphics and then some great features like live chat/instant messaging, an online magazine and more. These things can help make your experience with the site a little more pleasant and entertaining, and again, these things are important to some people. A lot of these sites are also free for women to join, but require you to pay for a membership in order to enjoy some of the more elaborate features or even to contact someone directly. Then there are also the more “upscale” paid sites which use a match up process based on a series of questions to help you come up with potential matches based on your answers. These generally cost more than other paid sites but do seem to give you a lot for your money—especially if you’re in need of a little more guidance than others.
For those who don’t care about all of the bells and whistles like instant messaging with lots of emoticons, then a free site is likely to give you what you’re after, which I’m guessing are dates. Many sites start out free in order to gain popularity and attract members. Then you’ve got sites, like Plenty of Fish which are completely free for men and women. When you log on to a site like POF you’ll see the difference in appearance right away. There’s no bright red background, fancy logos or much else but, there are millions of members that you can contact for free. The site is also easy to navigate because it’s so simple. And, for those looking for something more, POF now also offers a chemistry questionnaire to help you make better matches.
Many people wonder if the difference between free and paid dating sites is somehow reflected in the quality of members that they attract. While it does make sense that those in a better financial situation can better afford the paid dating sites or those that are considered more ‘upscale’, this doesn’t mean that the free dating sites are only being used by the down and out! Most people who use online dating will use more than one site and many admit to having a paid and free membership on the go.
So in the end, while there is a difference between free and paid dating sites; one isn’t necessarily better than the other if what you care about is just meeting people and finding someone.
The most popular paid dating sites are Match.com and eHarmony.com. The most popular free dating site is Plentyoffish.com
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