Today, there is a dating app for everyone – whether you’re looking for something casual, friendship, or just browsing. Therefore, it’s pretty daunting having to wade through the many websites and apps to find something more serious. 

So, we’ve narrowed it down for you with our best dating sites for serious relationships.

These platforms are designed for users who are in it for the long-run and are looking for that special someone to settle down with, so read on to see which one suits you best!

Top-Rated Dating Sites for Serious Relationships

  1. Best Dating Site for a Serious Relationship Overall – eHarmony
  2. Best Serious Dating Site for All Ages – Zoosk
  3. One of the Best Serious Dating Apps – EliteSingles
  4. The Best Site for Dating Older Members – SilverSingles
  5. Best Serious Dating Site for Meeting Other Christians – Christian Mingle
  6. Best Serious Dating Site for Jewish Members – JDate
  7. Best Free Dating Site for Serious Relationships – PlentyofFish
  8. One of the Most Successful Dating Sites for Professionals – Match.com
  9. Voted as One of Time Magazine’s Top 10 Dating Website – OkCupid
  10. Best Dating Site for Serious Younger Members – Hinge
  11. Best Serious Dating Site for Women – Bumble
  12. Best Dating App for Serious Career-Oriented Singles – The League

1. eHarmony – Best Dating Site for a Serious Relationship Overall

eharmony

Pros

  • In-depth personality quiz
  • Created for serious singles
  • User-friendly

Cons

eHarmony has been around since 2000 and is already responsible for up to 15 million matches every day and a staggering 600,000 marriages! Their success is hugely based on their unique and in-depth relationship questionnaire that understands your true personality and finds matches based on that.

eHarmony is definitely not a site for casual dating since its platform is mainly centered around serious, long-term partnerships. What makes eHarmony so great is its unique algorithm, which pairs you with someone with whom you’re truly compatible, and weeds out the unsuitable matches.

Many members rave about eHarmony and how they found the love of their life a short time after registering on the site. Though for some, the site is too expensive.

Still, this didn’t stop Laura from finding love! Laura was surprised to find her ideal match just two weeks after joining the platform. She wasn’t initially feeling too hopeful since she’s often busy with work and didn’t have much time to dedicate to dating sites. 

Laura is just one example of the many real users who have found their partner on eHarmony.

2. Zoosk – Best Serious Dating Site for All Ages

zoosk

Pros

Cons

  • Premium features are expensive
  • Messaging available to premium members

Zoosk, founded around 2007, currently boasts 27 million singles of all ages on their platform in over 80 countries worldwide. Similar to eHarmony, Zoosk also features a distinctive Behavioral Matchmaking technology to really understand you as a person and find someone ideal for you.

Through its matchmaking system and Smart Pick technology, you’re able to find someone who is as invested in a long-term relationship as you. However, Zoosk coins, which are used to pay for extra features, end up being quite pricey.

One of their happy couples, Olivia and David, connected on Zoosk over a shared love for spirituality and similar interests. After meeting for the first time, their connection was instant, and they are currently married!

Olivia and David are just of the many happy couples who found love on Zoosk.

3. EliteSingles – One of the Best Serious Dating Apps

elite singles

Pros

  • Personality quiz available
  • Most members are 30+
  • Great online safety tools

Cons

  • Can’t view photos without a subscription

EliteSingles is the number one dating website and app in the U.S. for serious, educated singles who are looking to settle down. This matchmaking site recommends matches based on a thorough personality survey.

EliteSingles personality report will help you narrow down your search to someone who suits your long-term goals and lifestyle preferences. However, some users found the test to be too lengthy, taking them over 45 mins to complete.

EliteSingles have been responsible for countless relationships and marriages. For example, Lauren had almost given up on the idea of finding someone serious online. However, after deciding to try EliteSingles, she wound up in a happy, still ongoing relationship. Laura is one of the many real members who benefited from this matchmaking website.

4. SilverSingles – The Best Site for Dating Serious Older Members

silver singles

Pros

  • Best serious dating platform for 50+
  • User-friendly
  • Great matching system

Cons

  • Doesn’t have extra features
  • Pricey

Catering to mainly older members, SilverSingles is one of the best senior dating sites in the United States. An affiliate of its parent company, EliteSingles, SilverSingles employs similar in-depth personality quizzes to find someone compatible with you.

It goes without saying that SilverSingles is an ideal space for meeting serious, older potential dates. And while it might not be as jam-packed with features as EliteSingles, its primary purpose is to connect with you like-minded individuals without all the bells and whistles.

Mark, one of our editors recently reviewed SilverSingles and found it was a great place to meet potential partners. Being 60 years old, Mark thought it would be difficult to find a date, let alone a new partner. However, after joining SilverSingles, he has been on multiple dates so far and is happy with his decision to join the platform.

5. ChristianMingle – Best Serious Dating Site for Meeting Other Christians

christian mingle

Pros

  • Over 9 million members
  • Strict verification system

Cons

Online dating has become more diverse than ever, especially with the rise of religion centered dating sites like ChristianMingle. As the name already suggests, this dating platform is designed for Christian members who seek other religious partners.

While its features are pretty basic, it’s created that way so users can focus more on getting to know each other through messaging since they already have one big thing in common. Users on ChristianMingle are generally 25 and up and are looking for other serious, like-minded individuals.

Many members have found love on Christan Mingle, including Jane, a devout Catholic, who at 38 thought it was too late to find the one. After joining ChristianMingle, she quickly started chatting with men who share the same values as her.

6. JDate – Best Serious Dating App for Jewish Members

jdate

Pros

  • Ideal for serious Jewish singles
  • Offers singles offline and online events
  • User-friendly site

Cons

  • Not all members are Jewish
  • Messaging is a premium feature

JDate is the largest Jewish dating platform around today, with a staggering 200,000 members. While it claims to be mainly a Jewish site, non-Jewish individuals can also join to find a Jewish partner. JDate features a more fun design with an abundance of engaging features.

While JDate employs a more relaxed approach to dating, it’s still a very much serious dating app. People who join JDate are often looking for a like-minded partner who shares their same values and faith.

For example, Claudette joined JDate hoping to meet someone more compatible. While initially, she found the premium features a little pricey; she was impressed by the overall response from the other men, and she also likes the fact you can set specific preferences to narrow down the options more.

7. PlentyofFish – Free Dating Site for Serious Relationships

plentyoffish

Pros

  • Lots of free features 
  • Personality assessment available
  • 90 million global members

Cons

PlentyofFish claims to be the largest dating website with over 90 million global members today. It also offers a free personality assessment to find more compatible matches for you and plenty of unique features to play around with.

Since there are plenty of members on PlentyofFish, there are individuals looking for both casual and serious dating. Nevertheless, men currently outnumber women by 20%, making it more competitive.

One real-life user, Brian, was initially very skeptical about PlentyofFish and whether it will help to find someone more long-term for him. However, after joining the app and setting up his profile, he was pleased that the girls were much more responsive than on other online dating apps.

8. Match.com – One of the Most Successful Dating Sites for Professionals

match logo

Pros

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Premium members can send messages

Match.com has been around since 1995, and since then, has been responsible for countless marriages and long-term relationships. It also includes an abundance of features, including live events where members can gather in a relaxed environment.

Match.com features a large pool of members who are seeking something more serious or even marriage. But don’t worry! There’s no pressure, as the platform offers an abundance of exciting features that’ll help you get to know the other person better and get over the initial awkward hurdle. Still, there are a number of fake profiles as well, so users should take care.

So far, there are plenty of success stories on Match.com, like Ian and Kelly. They met on Valentine’s day last year, and after chatting for a bit, they realized they have a ton in common and really enjoyed going on dates together. Now, they are planning a wedding in October this year!

9. OkCupid – Voted as One of Time Magazine’s Top 10 Dating Website

okcupid

Pros

Cons

  • Fake profiles
  • Free members can’t see who liked them

OkCupid provides a large user base that’s growing more every day, and in just three years, they listed it as one of Time Magazine’s Top 10 dating websites. That’s mainly to do with its user-friendly interface, availability of interesting features, and in-depth personality quizzes that determine your most compatible matches.

Upon signing up, you’ll be asked to state whether you’re looking for something casual, friendship, or a more serious relationship. This will effectively narrow the pool of potential singles and help you land the one much faster. However, a user can only message someone if they both “like” each other, which is limiting.

Ryan and Nikki are just one of the very happy couples who met on OkCupid. Originally, they bonded over the outdoor hobbies they shared and a similar sense of humor. After they met, the sparks were instant, and they are currently married. 

10. Hinge – Best Dating Site for Serious Younger Members

hinge

Pros

Cons

  • Free users get only 10 daily matches

Hinge is unique in the sense that it doesn’t want users spending too much time on it. Once you’ve met someone you truly connected with, it encourages you to delete the app altogether. Hinge is available to download onto your phone or desktop.

Hinge is primarily designed for users who are looking for something a lot more concrete and serious. While most of its users are in their twenties and thirties, it’s mainly advertised to singles who are looking to settle down.

For example, Courtney was a young, single 24-year-old who just moved to a new city and wanted to find love. Upon joining Hinge, she didn’t expect to connect with Lee so soon, but they bonded over music and other things both liked. Long story short, they’ve been out on multiple dates and have gotten rid of the app since then!

11. Bumble – Best Serious Dating Site for Women

bumble

Pros

  • User-friendly
  • Equal male to female ratio
  • Aesthetic mobile app

Cons

  • 24-hour time-frame to reply to messages
  • Men can’t send the first message

Bumble is a dating app that puts the power in the woman’s hands. In heterosexual relationships, the woman has to make the first move, therefore avoiding any unwanted attention. The app is also filled with inviting features to break the ice with and an aesthetic user-interface.

Bumble is a safe space for women who are seeking a serious partner. While the members’ profiles aren’t as filled in with info as on other dating apps, it’s still a great place to look for long-term partners.

When Jamie and Ivana initially matched, Ivana didn’t see the notification for 24 hours and lost the match since Bumble only allowed a 24 hour reply time period. However, as luck would have it, Jamie matched again with Ivana, which led to them dating and planning their marriage only a year later!

12. The League – Best Dating App for Serious Career-Oriented Singles

the league

Pros

  • Every member has been vetted
  • Plenty of successful, serious singles

Cons

  • Very expensive membership

Launched in 2015, The League is a highly elite app that’s created for career-oriented, high-class individuals. Its membership prices are hefty, and the approval process takes a while, but once you get in, you can choose from a wide pool of ambitious and serious singles.

According to the New York Times, The League is up to 1,082 times more successful than the current leading dating app. It makes sense since the people joining the app are also looking for a like-minded person to get serious with. While its prices are high, it helps to weed out the ones who are more into the hookup culture.

Lloyd & Erik are just one of the couples who were successful at finding love on The League. After matching, they quickly discovered they have a ton in common and are currently deep into their two-year relationship.

Top-Rated Dating Sites for Serious Relationships FAQ

Is It Really Possible to Find a Serious Partner Online?

Judging from the countless successful dating stories we have seen, it’s definitely possible to find a serious relationship online. 

Nowadays, the best online dating sites come with in-depth personality questionnaires that get deep into your personality to find suitable matches for you.

What Makes a Dating Platform Better for Serious Relationships Than Others?

Dating websites like eHarmony and Zoosk put great emphasis on creating unique matchmaking algorithms to find you the ideal partner, while a lot of the other best online dating sites tend to focus more on outward appearances. 

These, more serious platforms value personality, values, and long-term goals more, which is ideal when seeking long-term relationships.

Which Dating Website Has the Highest Success Rate?

eHarmony has the highest success rate when it comes to couples finding love. The fact that it’s responsible for up to 4% of U.S. marriages alone says a lot about this dating platform. 

We believe it’s because of its in-depth compatibility questionnaire and a wider pool of serious singles.

Tips for a Successful First Date When Looking for a Serious Partner

While online dating is fun, it can also be nerve-wracking meeting the person you’ve been chatting to online in real life.

Therefore, the best tip is to be as authentic as possible. Try to also have fun and treat the first meeting as lighthearted as possible, because chances are the other person is feeling just as nervous too.

Additionally, be sure to prepare some topics to talk about in case it gets a little awkward, subjects that you have previously touched on while chatting can come in very handy.

Best Dating Sites for Serious Relationships: Our Takeaway

Looking for a long-term partner online can be tough. Luckily, there are a ton of different apps available, like eHarmony and Zoosk, created primarily for serious relationships.

These sites include features such as personality questionnaires, in-depth quizzes, and advanced search options that will help you find someone with whom you’re truly compatible.

Whichever site you decide to join, we wish you the best of luck, and thanks for reading.

 

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