- Accessibility: Moderate membership fee ($/month or less), large membership base, many formats for finding matches, excellent mobile app, 4/5
- Capability: Sends matches based on your profile, offers many custom search options, organizes live events where members can meet, 5/5
- Reputation: Members seeking all types of relationships (from casual to committed), plentiful search options, viable matches, 4/5
- Overall CreditDonkey Score: 4.3/5
Match, a pioneer in the online dating industry, has been introducing couples for nearly 20 years and remains one of the largest dating websites in the world. It allows new members to browse during their free trial, then unlock a whole system of matchmaking and communication tools with a paid subscription. Although the service still relies on a traditional model where members search profiles and contact those that interest them, features have been added in recent years to enhance the process. Members now have the option of completing a personality test to learn more about themselves (to ensure they’re searching for the right type of mate), and they can create a custom quiz for potential matches to get a conversation started. Match has even begun hosting themed social events where members can meet face-to-face.
The site is available in 24 countries and 15 languages. There are singles seeking both casual and serious relationships through Match and success stories of each type commend the site.
Match, rated the #1 online dating website by The Telegraph, is the second most searched for online dating service via Yahoo, according to Mashable
Why We Like ItMatch helped launch the online dating revolution and has built a solid reputation. Creating a profile is easy, and new members can begin chatting with potential matches as soon as they subscribe. The new custom quiz feature and optional social events make it even easier to break the ice with a promising profile.
Match is the only site that offers a guarantee. If you pay for six months in advance ($120) and don’t find love, your next six months are free. (Be sure to pay attention to the fine print as Match will automatically renew your subscription and charge your credit card, even after you’ve found love. However, the site does make it easy to cancel.)
DownsidesThe fact that members can contact any member may lead you to receive attention from people who don’t match your desired criteria at all.
OKCupid
- Accessibility: Free to join, simple sign-up, excellent mobile app, 5/5
- Capability: Open to all, creative questionnaires, adequate search features, fun match-up process, 3/5
- Reputation: Fast-growing membership base, popular among millennials, suitable for any type of relationship (casual to committed), minimal match screening assistance, 3/5
- CreditDonkey Score: 3.7/5
OKCupid is one of the best free matchmaking programs. Social networking takes on a whole new meaning at OKCupid, which matches members based on their profile information and answers to creative questionnaires. It also allows users to search for matches on their own 
, email, chat, and even get set up on blind dates for free.
Due to its casual, open interface, OKCupid might attract fewer marriage-minded singles than Match and eHarmony. You can answer as many questions as you want to continue to improve the chance you will be matched to a suitable candidate. Nonetheless, it is the most searched-for online dating website on Yahoo, according to Mashable. As Lifehacker stated in its online dating review, “People who like to get to know a potential date from the safety of their own home before they venture out into [the real world] will probably appreciate OKCupid. The amount of work it takes to get somewhere may be higher than most, but it can pay off.”