Dating Services

Recipient
eHarmony

The 2015 Editor’s Top Pick - Match System award recipient is eHarmony. For those of you who follow the Dating Sites Reviews Choice Awards this is no surprise as eHarmony has been winning this award since 2008. With over 66 million members since launch (way back in 2000), in our opinion eHarmony is still by far the online dating service which is best at figuring out the top matches between its members. To date eHarmony has been responsible for over 2 million marriages and of those marriages only 3.86% have gotten a divorce (which is well below the national average of over 40%).

eHarmony's matchmaking algorithm is about quality and not quantity. When you first join as a member you are required to fill out the eHarmony relationship questionnaire. It is made up of multiple choice questions designed to determine your 29 dimensions of compatibility. Once complete eHarmony then compares your results with others in their matching models to determine your ideal match which are scientifically proven to predict healthier and happier long-term relationships. After much research into relationships and how they work, eHarmony has determined which personality traits, values, and beliefs are most compatible with each other. This information is what makes up their matching algorithm and the questionnaire you fill out helps deduce traits like curiosity, intellect and conflict resolution which is used by the matching algorithm to find your matches.

Read our review of eHarmony for more information about this dating service or visit eHarmony directly.

This Year's Runner Up for this award is:Hinge

Recipient
Tinder

The Editor's 2015 Top Pick - Dating App Award recipient is Tinder. 2015 was a huge year for Tinder. With over 1.6 billion swipes a day and with over 9 billion matches since it launched in 2012, Tinder has become one of the most popular dating apps (it was the most mentioned dating service on Twitter in 2015). It currently has over 40 million active members and it has recently launched a paid upgrade feature called Tinder Plus. Tinder Plus is a set of new features (Rewind and Passport) designed to make the Tinder power user become a subscriber (so the service can actually make money). From all of the swipe rights every week, more than 1.5 million in-person dates are thanks to Tinder with more than half of those making it to a second date.

The funny thing with Tinder is that it has a reputation on being a hookup app but a number of surveys online have found that 80% of singles who use Tinder are looking for a long-term relationship. Tinder also has a fairly even ratio of men and women. For every 4 women on Tinder there are 6 men. Tinder also has become a bit of a celebrity hot spot (Hillary Duff, Katy Perry, Lindsay Lohan). Celebrity accounts are now verified and have brought a lot of media attention for not only the celebrity but Tinder as well.

Read our review of Tinder for more information about this online dating service or visit Tinder directly.

This Year's Runner Up for this award is: Match.com

eHarmony is having a 7 day free trial here in the United States and Canada. It starts Wednesday January 13th, 2016 and runs to the end of day on Tuesday January 19th, 2016.

What the eHarmony free trial gives you is the ability to communicate via email with all of your matches for no charge. To access the 7 day trial all you need to do is create a free membership account if you already don't have one. Once completed you can then take the eHarmony questionnaire which takes the average person between 30 to 40 minutes to complete. The questionnaire is a very important step and I would recommend taking your time answering the questions as truthfully as possible since your answers is what eHarmony's matchmaking algorithm uses to determine your matches. The algorithm is very complex and eHarmony has invested millions of dollars over the years in research to make sure it will produce matches that lead to long-term relationships. Most of the questions are multiple choice based so it is easy to skim through it and answer all the questions quickly but then, you would be decreases your chances of finding that special someone.

These free trials eHarmony has (about once a month) are an ideal time to try out this dating service to see if it is the right fit for you. If you are looking for a meaningful relationship which is not just a hookup then eHarmony is a good dating site for you to try out. The trial is available on all of the platforms including the website and dating apps (Android and iPhone). Please note the free trial does not include viewing photos and skipping the guided communication process and going straight to email.

For more information about this popular online matchmaking service, you can read our review of eHarmony.

Recipient
OkCupid

The 2015 Editor's Top Pick - Free Award recipient is OkCupid. OkCupid has always been a favorite of ours and it continues to be a favorite of our visitors as well. Google recently ranked OkCupid as the fourth most searched online dating service in 2015. OkCupid sees more than 1 million app installs (combine count of iTunes and Android) every week and over 7.3 million messages are sent between OkCupid members every day. You will also find between 125 thousand and 180 thousand users online at any one time. Most of these users are from the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

OkCupid also has one of the highest app ratings of any dating app on Google Play. Over 200 thousand people have rated the app and have given it a 4.2 out of 5 stars. On iTunes they have a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars. OkCupid has a staff of 45 employees (most of them software engineers) who are dedicated in bring it's members a high quality online dating experience. Being a free service means their first priority is not about generating paid subscriptions but about generating matches between members and having those members communicate as easy as possible. Being free also means that you can send messages with any member you find on OkCupid that sparks your interest for zero cost. With most paid dating sites both members have to have a paid subscription to be able to communicate with each other. OkCupid does offer a paid upgrade called the A-List. This upgrade gives you enhancements like advanced search options, message read receipts and no online ads.

Matchmaking on OkCupid is more than your basic filter for age ranges and matching people together with who have the same interests. OkCupid uses real math and algorithms that help provides matches based on the Match Questions you answer. Match Questions are not only provided by OkCupid but by other users as well.

Read our review of OkCupid for more information about this online dating service or visit OkCupid directly.

This Year's Runner Up for this award is: POF

2015 was the biggest year yet for online dating. Ten years ago, digital dating was still viewed with skepticism. Today, a majority of Americans believe it's a good way to meet people and 5% of Americans in committed relationships say they met their significant other online.

Now that singles have fallen head over heels for online dating, services have exploded. From the basics like Match and eHarmony, to youth-centric options like OkCupid and Tinder, to hyper-specific sites for bacon lovers and beard aficionados, there's something for everyone. So which dating services are a cut above the rest?

Bustle teamed up with Google to reveal the top-searched dating apps and sites in 2015. The list is surprisingly diverse:

1. Plenty Of Fish: Plenty of Fish sounds like a throwback to an earlier era of online dating, but the site is alive and well as we start 2016. Its inexpensive options draw 50,000 new members every day and even hooked The Match Group, which acquired POF in July 2015. See our full review of Plenty of Fish.
2. Tinder: It's no surprise that Tinder nearly took the top spot. The time-killing app made “swipe” an important part of everyone's vocabulary and totally changed the dating game. See our full review of Tinder.
3. Match: Match.com has been connecting singles since the primitive days of online dating and is still a prime choice. Over the years, the site has perfected its matching technique and remained a favorite for daters all around the world. See our full review of Match.
4. OkCupid: OkCupid revolutionized the online dating industry as an entirely free service. Today paid options have popped up, but OkCupid remains largely free to use and scores highly for its excellent compatibility algorithm. See our full review of OkCupid.
5. eHarmony: Though it began as a dating service strictly for Christians, eHarmony has expanded its service to welcome a wider variety of singles. The site has built a reputation as a go-to service for serious relationships. See our full review of eHarmony.
6. Zoosk: Zoosk quietly continued its quest for world domination in 2015. With service available in 80 countries, 25 different languages, and on your computer, phone, tablet, and Facebook, Zoosk is practically inescapable. See our full review of Zoosk.
7. Bumble: Bumble got a lot of press last year for its “Feminist Tinder” approach to online dating. The app takes the infamous swiping set-up, but attempts to lower the creep factor by putting female members in charge.
8. Hinge: Scared of meeting strangers online? Hinge solves the problem by using Facebook to connect users with mutual friends. Members can breathe easy knowing that their dates have been vetted by someone they trust. See our full review of Hinge.
9. Grouper: It's impossible to take all the awkwardness out of a first date, but Grouper helps lessen it by adding friends to the mix. The app connects groups of friends to take the pressure off.
10. Farmers Only: Yes, believe it or not, the uber-niche Farmers Only made the cut. Although perhaps it's just from people searching Google to find out if it's actually real.

Recipient
Senior People Meet

Senior People Meet is the recipient of the 2015 Editor's Top Pick - Senior Award. This popular dating service by People Media is designed to match singles 55 years and older. It can be accessed via the website at SeniorPeopleMeet.com or via your phone through the dating app available at iTunes and Google Play.

It takes about 2 minutes to create a basic free membership account on Senior People Meet. From there you are allowed to search and view member profiles and photos, and send flirts. You also get access to Today's Matches which gives you 5 matches every day that meet your criteria and location. After viewing the profiles of these matches you can answer Yes, No or Maybe if you agree that they could be a possible match. If you both agree that you are a possible match then communication can start.

After creating a free account it is recommended that you upload a photo since only member's with photos appear in the search results. You should also update your profile as it will only be about 15% completed after registration with only the basic information entered. Under your profile you will also find Message Ideas that you can select which one's you would want singles to ask you. These are present to members who wish to message you and are are great way to break the ice.

When you find some matches you like and you wish to chat live with them or send a message, you will need to pay for a subscription which can cost under $2 a week.

Senior People Meet takes your privacy and safety seriously. Under My Account you can setup features to control who sees your profile, block users, and change your online status.

Read our review of Senior People Meet for more information about this dating service or visit Senior People Meet directly.

This Year's Runner Up for this award is: OurTime.com