Melissa Hyslop - Guest Author - Co-owner Single in the City
Free Online Dating VS Paid Online Dating - Does a higher price = higher quality people?
For a newly single person these days there are many options to choose from when it comes to dating services. One of the most common is online dating services. Entering into the online dating world when newly single can be daunting, so many sites to choose from, so how do you know where to start?
In the world of dating there’s a site for everyone. Some sites are particularly specified; for example if you are into health and fitness there are sites just for fit singles. If you are looking for a partner of a particular ethnicity you can find a site targeted for each specific ethnicity. Every site has something different to offer and it’s a matter of finding what is right for you.
A recent trend is “free” online dating. Using these sites is kind of like shopping at Winners – tons of items to choose from, all different types, shapes and sizes, some brand name quality…some not. You have to be willing to put in the time and effort. You have to be willing to search through these sites as you would with endless clothing racks and picking out the best finds. Many newly single people turn to free online dating sites first because, well, they are free. On a free online dating site you will find a variety of people. Some will be looking for a serious relationship, some dating and some want to “hook up” for sex. It will be up to you to figure out who is who. One risk to using free online dating sites is that you may encounter married people who want to flirt or fool around, they are less likely to pay for the service therefore, the chance of them using paid sites are far less.
Do paid sites mean “higher quality” or more serious daters? Well, quality is judged by your personal preference and is something you will have to figure out for yourself. It could be argued that single people who are serious about dating would prefer to use a paid online dating site. However, in the case of serious daters, most are on more than one site at a time so many use both the free sites as well as the paid sites. Therefore, the argument of there being more serious people on paid online dating sites doesn’t really stand. It all depends on your preferred type of browsing; you may just find a great pair of jeans at winners but you also may have to go through a lot of rejects to find that special pair – the same can be said for all sites.
If you’re trying to choose between a free online dating site and a paid online dating site, the main criteria should really be ease of use; since both types of sites offer pretty much the same pool of merchandise to choose from.
Well, tell me more. I am over 40 and still single!
Posted by: Karen Rowe | Oct 17, 2010 at 08:55 PM
I have to say in my experience free online dating is better. There's more selection in terms of people, and you get more information about people away from restrictions on communication.
I've also found there tend to me more grad students - which for me (a grad student) is a bonus. The paid ones seem to have older people, and people with money, but not necessarily people I'd be more likely to connect with. Here I can see everything, initiate conversation and get a sense of who I want to meet - without paying anything.
I think the biggest issue with online dating is you want a site with a big pool of people (with new people joining regularly) and with comprehensive profiles (that allow for a lot of writing as opposed to ticking of boxes) and no restrictions on communication.
Plenty of Fish is the most extreme in this direction - but it's a bit like the Value Village of online dating - definitely gems in there, but they are hard to find, the photos are squashed, and the website is hard on the eyes. Okcupid is nicely laid out and free, and easier to sort through people.
Posted by: Kaye | Dec 26, 2010 at 10:41 PM