Any company needs to evolve in order to stay relevant, and given the especially speedy pace at which the world of online dating advances, it’s even more important for companies in the industry to regularly innovate.

OkCupid has remained a leading name in the market since its launch 13 years ago. But that also makes it one of the older names, facing stiff competition from younger upstarts like Tinder and Bumble.

To ensure it remains a go-to for singles in an increasingly saturated industry, OkCupid has announced a major update to its messaging system. Open messaging - which allows any user to contact any other user without restrictions - will be eliminated a favor of a system more akin to those of Bumble and Tinder, in which only users who have indicated interest in each other can easily access each other's conversations.

Recipient
MillionaireMatch

MillionaireMatch is the winner of the Editor's Top Pick - Wealthy Award for 2018. The number of members at MillionaireMatch grew by over 20% in 2017 and now has over 3.4 million. To access the service you can visit their website at Millionairematch.com or download one of their dating apps for iOS and Android. The MillionaireMatch dating service is designed to match singles who have money with those who are looking for a more luxurious lifestyle.

One of the benefits of using this service is that members can have their income, occupation, and photos verified. Verified members profiles are tagged with a special icon so others can see their verification status. It is easy to join, you need to either login with your Facebook account or use your email address. Members start off with a free profile. From there they can upload photos, finish off their profile, and search for members. Free members can also reply to other members messages but cannot initiate a conversation. To do this they must become a subscriber of a Gold membership.

Add dating to your list of New Year resolutions, because chances are, you’ll meet someone in January.

Online dating has a high season, and it seems the spirit of the holidays all the way through Valentine’s Day puts people in the mood for finding love.

A study by dating site Match revealed that more than any other time of year, people flock to dating sites between December 26^th and February 14^th. The numbers are telling – 50 million messages sent and 1 million dates happen during this time, and Sunday January 7^th is apparently the busiest day (and the best time to join – specifically 8:55pm EST).

Recipient
OurTime

OurTime in 2018 is the recipient of the Editor's Top Pick - Senior Award. OurTime is accessible not only by their website at OurTime.com but also on iOS and Android phones from their dating app. The service is designed for older singles who are 50 or more.

At OurTime the basic membership is free and can be completed in a few minutes. You can then decide either to search for members that are compatible with you and spark an interest or, continue on and complete your full profile. As a free member you can search, view profiles and pictures but your communications options are limited unless you purchase a subscription. Paid memberships can cost as little as $15 per month depending on length of term, etc.

Launched in London as 3nder in 2014, Feeld began as a dating platform for singles and couples looking for the illusive ménage à trois. The media quickly branded it “Tinder for threesomes,” and before long, the company found itself on the wrong end of a lawsuit served by Tinder itself.

Though that would be disastrous news for almost any other fledgling startup, 3nder bravely rebranded and came back better than ever. As Feeld, the app now calls itself “a space where you can find your people and experience what you really desire.” The focus is on community, and the app caters not just to those looking for group action in the sack, but to anyone kinky, open-minded, into polyamory, outside the gender-binary, or simply curious.

Feeld was recently re-released with a new design to enhance the mobile experience for iOS and Android users. This marks the first of many updates intended to bring Feeld back into the spotlight, including an account pairing option, a revamped navigation system, and a location changing feature.

We are welcoming the new year 2018 today, so it’s time to look back on the highs and lows of 2017.

The dating world has been busy over the last 12 months. We saw big breakups (Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen, Chris Pratt and Anna Faris, Fergie and Josh Duhamel) and even bigger hookups (hey, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle). We said goodbye to tiger selfies on Tinder. Plenty of Fish and eHarmony embraced embraced digital assistants. The League turned profile pictures black and white. Bumble took a stand against hate groups. And even a rhino tried to swipe for a mate.

To make sense of it all, Zoosk reviewed dating from more than 40 million members, and reviewed the biggest dating trends of 2017. What’s in: lunch dates, higher education, nice guys, guac. What’s out: sluggish messaging, mocking vegans, too many filters. Check out the highlights below.