5 Best Online Dating Sites for Marriage

Listen to this article

Are you looking to date in a serious way? And by serious, do we mean not looking online for hookups, one-night stands, or just a series of casual relationships? 

In other words, your dating goal is marriage. This is a great time to be alive, then, because there haven’t been as many successful online dating sites for marriage around as they are today.

If you are single and looking to date, there are plenty of online dating sites for marriage available to you. 

This sector has exploded, from the first online dating site which appeared in 1994 and is still around today—match.com—to the hugely segmented market it is currently, with sites specialized for every city, every sexual orientation, every age group, every type of relationship, every religion, race and even hobbies. 

Remember when people used to try and hide the fact they met online, like online dating was only something for losers who couldn’t meet people in real life? 

Nowadays, there are zero stigmas attached to searching for your partner online, and nearly 20 million people worldwide visit an online dating site each month. The great news for those whose aim is to find a spouse this way?

There are 120,000 marriages each year that result from online dating sites<span style=”font-weight: 400;”>.

Let’s look at some of the top online dating sites for marriage and see what they have to offer.

You’ll want to pay to play. If you are new to the world of online dating, know this: if the site is free, you’ll have a huge number of “players” using it. This means that many of the people there are not looking for a serious relationship. 

And you cannot always rely on the profile description to know what the person is looking for. 

Men especially know that if they self-describe as merely looking for fun, sex-only friends, they will have fewer women click or swipe right (“swiping right,” in the language of Tinder—a site with a hookup culture– means you are interested in that person). So they may not specify anything in their profile.

If you want to be interacting with a more-serious potential dating pool, it is worth it to use a paying site. This weeds out a great number of “players,” especially if you want to use dating sites for marriage, simply because these people are usually too cheap to pay for a dating website. 

Paying members tend to be people who are truly looking for a serious relationship and are willing to pay in order to match with like-minded partners. People are more serious and more invested in finding a serious relationship if they are paying for the service.

5 benefits of using online dating sites

Online dating is a great way to find someone you may be compatible with. You can search by location, interests, and even age. There are many websites to choose from, and the options are always changing. Here are a few benefits:

1. Convenience 

You don’t have to worry about going online and searching on your own. You can create an account with an online dating website and start browsing right away.

Related Reading: Why Marriages of Convenience Don’t Work?

2. Wide selection 

You can find people from around the world and connect with people from different cultures and backgrounds. This helps to broaden your horizons and make you more accepting of other people.

3. Privacy 

You can get to know someone before actually meeting them in person. It’s up to you whether or not you want to meet that person in real life. Some couples have met on dating sites and have been together for years.

Related Reading: How Much Privacy in a Relationship Is Acceptable?

4. Popularity 

Millions of people use online dating websites to find love, companionship, and more. You can get an idea of what people are like and what their interests are before you meet in person. 

If you’re not sure what type of person you’re interested in dating, you can type in different interests and hobbies in the search field and see what comes up.

5. Support 

If you run into any problems or have any questions, you can contact customer support via email. You can also contact other members through the website or your mobile app to ask questions or start conversations.

Pro tip: if you do put up a profile on free dating sites for marriage, it is in your interest to specifically specify that you are not interested in hook-ups or a one-night stand and will only communicate with people interested in dating with an eye for marriage. 

That way, you are clear, and no one can accuse you of being ambiguous.

Related Reading: 15 Ways to Improve Emotional Support in Your Relationship

Our picks for 5 best online dating sites

Some of our top picks for dating sites for marriage:

1. OkCupid.com

OkCupid is a free site, so there are loads of profiles looking for everything under the sun, from casual sex to committed relationships. Help refine your search process by upgrading to a paid plan, so you focus on the paying, more serious members.

Making frequent modifications to your profile will help your profile show up at the top of searches. Don’t let it become stale; it will have less chance of being seen.

2. Match.com

Another free site, but you can opt for a paid membership to eliminate the players and cheap members. Match.com is well-known as a serious site, so the participants tend to be looking for long-term relationships and not just sex. 

But read the profiles carefully, so you don’t waste time on those who aren’t looking for what you want.

Match.com also offers real-life events, so you can participate in singles evenings, cooking classes, pub crawls, and other fun get-togethers where everyone is looking for a partner, so you all have that in common.

3. eHarmony.com

Alongside Match.com, eHarmony has a reputation as being a marriage-minded dating site. They have an extensive set of questions that members are required to complete before putting up their profile. 

The answers to these questions help the site match you with people based on common interests and goals. In that way, the site does a lot of the search work for you. 

It is also one of the most expensive dating sites, but successful users of eHarmony say it is money well spent.

4. EliteSingles.com

This marriage dating site’s advertisement says it all: If there’s one thing our members all have in common, it’s this: they’re searching for a deeper connection, a meaningful relationship, and long-lasting love. Are you ready to make a commitment?

If you’re looking for marriage-minded singles, this really is the place to start.” They claim that 2,000 members per month find their match on EliteSingles, worldwide. 

This is a fee-paying site with a subscription price that is not inexpensive. So, if you are looking for a dating site for marriage only, this helps in sorting out those people just looking for fun from those who are truly invested in finding their soulmate.

5. Hinge 

• Open to people of all sexual orientations
• Downloadable for both iOS and Android devices
• Free registration
• Simple profile setup process
• Matches you with people based on mutual friends

Hinge is different from other dating apps and is one of the best sites for marriage, in the way that it matches users up based on their shared interests. 

The idea behind the app is simple – instead of swiping through hundreds of profiles to try and find someone new, Hinge shows you people, you’re already connected to on Facebook- making the whole process much more intuitive and efficient. 

Once you match with someone, you can easily send them a message and let them know that you’ve matched – it’s that easy! The app is completely free to use, and there are no in-app purchases required – so check it out today if you’re looking for something a little more unique than the standard dating app.

• Is there a website for people who want to get married?

Many people get married after meeting on an online dating site. There are websites for different types of relationships – casual dating, long-term dating, best dating sites for marriage, and more. 

You can find free dating sites for married people that cater specifically to people who are looking for a marriage and those who are seeking a relationship or want a better sex life. There is something for everyone! 

Online marriage counseling is another service that is offered on some websites. Couples can chat online or over the phone with a marriage counselor to get advice on any marital problems they may be having. They can get tips on improving communication and strengthening their relationship.

• Which is the best app for a serious relationship?

It depends on the types of things you’re looking for in your relationship. If you’re looking for a more casual relationship and website for singles, then apps like Tinder might be a good fit. 

If you’re looking for something more serious, then sites like eHarmony might be a better fit for you. There are several different dating apps on the market, and each caters to a different audience.

Podcaster and entrepreneur Christina Wallace invents a “zero date” approach and gets off swipe-based apps — and how you can, too. Check out this video:

Takeaway

Grady Shumway, LMHC, says

Online dating can offer individuals a convenient and accessible way to connect with potential partners, expanding their social network and increasing the likelihood of finding compatible matches.

It provides opportunities for individuals to clarify their preferences and values, facilitating more targeted searches and reducing the ambiguity often encountered in traditional dating settings.

Additionally, online platforms can offer a sense of control and autonomy over the dating process, allowing individuals to pace their interactions and explore relationships at their own comfort level.

More and more marriage-minded people are using online dating sites for marriage. And with great success: one in three marriages in the United States are of couples who met online. So even if it takes a while to meet that special someone, do not give up hope. 

It is not only possible to meet your future spouse online, but probable! Keep clicking and swiping until you find that one person that makes your heart beat a little faster and puts a smile on your face!