Dating sites can offer us a lot of benefits in meeting the next person to spend time with. After all, finding romance is tricky in today’s age. We all know how hard it is to connect with people we...
Dating sites can offer us a lot of benefits in meeting the next person to spend time with. After all, finding romance is tricky in today’s age. We all know how hard it is to connect with people we already know. Everyone moves so fast, and people tend to move away when new things happen or jobs come up. Some of us have learned that connecting with someone we've only just met can be next to impossible. To say nothing of how difficult it is to meet new people in the first place.
Dating sites can help us sort through how complicated dating can be, these days. They can be especially helpful for people in their 50s who might not be sure exactly what they are looking for.
Dating After 50
There are also factors that older adults have to consider that we didn’t have to think about in our earlier years. For instance, we may lack the blind confidence, we used to have, or we just don’t feel like we’ve got the rules of the dating scene figured out. After all, times have changed.
Another factor at play is how much pressure we put on ourselves. We may be used to succeeding as a parent, in our careers, and even in previous relationships. Now that we’re looking at the next chapters in our lives, we may put too much pressure on ourselves to find ‘the one.’ And that can lead to settling for the first person we find even a small connection to.
Why You Should Try a Dating Site
Of course, we all know someone who’s done the online dating scene. And we’ve all heard some things. Which is why we looked into five websites, ourselves, to find out which would be best for a person in their 50s, if they wanted to go the online route.
One benefit of going to the online dating world is that the risk is a lot lower. We can look at someone’s profile and read about them without the pressure of a face-to-face. We can also take our own time putting the best foot forward. We can spend as long as we want to write our profiles. You can’t take that much time on a first date!
Another benefit of dating sites is the security of having the support of the website. Let’s be honest, there are people out there trying to take advantage of older adults. With a dating website, you will have access to a customer support team that will help protect you.
Also, after our reviews, keep reading below for some tips on how to protect yourself on dating websites.
The Reviews
We didn’t just rank some random dating sites, “best to worst.” Because each of us might be looking for something a little different, we chose the best dating sites for specific people. There’s a website below for someone with a PhD, and there’s a website below for someone who’s looking for their spiritual soul mate.
We’ve sorted the five websites based on how good they are dating in our 50s, with some specific reviews for each.
Best Overall Site for Over 50 Adults: eHarmony
One of the best parts of using eHarmony is that you’re not locked into finding someone just on their website. They offer a lot of useful tips and personality quizzes that can help you make a connection, anywhere. Before you even sign up, they have a whole page dedicated to dating in your 50s (click here to find it). That means that even if you don’t find the match you were looking for, eHarmony is dedicated to you making a connection.
But we do recommend you stay on their site, and give their relationship finding software a try. They have been the industry standard in dating profiles ever since they came on to the dating site scene. Their search filters (how they’ll help you narrow down the dating pool) can help you find someone based on everything from income to education level. After all, we’re not trying to waste time with finding someone we might find attractive but with whom we’re not compatible.
The focus at eHarmony is on meaningful relationships. That means that they’ve geared their dating site to longer term relationships, not just casual flings. This means that it’s not only the ideal website for you if you’re looking for something long-lasting, it also means that if that’s definitely not what you’re into, you can move on right away to a site elsewhere on our list.
In addition to their search filters and their dedication to meaningful relationships, eHarmony also has easy-to-use features that will help you connect with your matches. That means it will be easier for you to show your interest in people that you find compatible.
Lastly, what sets eHarmony apart is their compatibility quiz. With the results of that quiz you can feel more confident reentering the dating scene, and also feel more comfortable about whoever eHarmony matches you with.
They offer a free trial at eHarmony that lets you look at your matches and respond to one of them. If you want the full services of eHarmony, you can upgrade after signing up. For six months, it is $65.90. Plans get cheaper if you sign up for a longer subscription, but all the features are the same.
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Best Dating Site for Professionals over 50: EliteSingles
As we’ve gotten older, some of us have found it more and more important to find people we have things in common with. At EliteSingles, they have focused on finding matches for people that would like to find someone with similar education and professional achievements. If those sorts of things aren’t important to you, then EliteSingles might not be the best site for dating over 50, for you.
At EliteSingles, they boast that over 85% of their client base has an above average education. That means that any singles you match and meet there will have the same or a similar background as you. This can make conversations and connecting easier. Especially during those first couple of dates, when we know finding common ground can be difficult. Also, like eHarmony, EliteSingles is focused more on establishing long-term relationships, not just fly-by-night flings.
Another great benefit of EliteSingles is that they manually verify each profile. That means there aren’t any people lurking on EliteSingles pretending to be someone they’re not. It also helps assure you that everyone you meet is looking for the same things you are. This is a great security and peace-of-mind feature that not many dating sites have.
EliteSingles also knows their audience, and provides a lot of frank and research-based perspective on the benefits of dating over 50, and dating sites. Because of their dedication to the process, we can say that EliteSingles is committed to finding educated professionals and a lasting relationship with someone of a similar background. Also, on their welcome page for adults over 50, they also have links to dating based on country, city, or even religious or orientation preferences.
Also, right on their website, they feature great posts for finding someone in a niche profession, like computer sciences, law enforcement, or nursing. That kind of insight shouldn’t be overlooked.
Elite Singles has a one month cost of $59.95, which goes down a few dollars per month if you sign up for longer.
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Best Dating Site Just for Over 50 Adults: SilverSingles
Silver Singles is the first website we’ve reviewed that’s exclusively for people over 50. And that alone counts for a lot, in our book. Being over 50 means that we have a unique look at life and our next chapters. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to use a website or a service that doesn’t know what it’s like being over 50.
And that’s where SilverSingles comes in. By offering a dating site that’s only for people over 50, SilverSingles takes a lot of the groundwork out of finding that next match. On nearly every other dating site, part of the work is filtering out the people who aren’t in your age-range. At SilverSingles, you already know that everyone you will meet is in the same boat you are in: embarking on the new chapters of life, and looking for a companion to share the journey.
It also means that once you meet a match, you already have a common language. You won’t have to explain anything to your new partner about what it’s like being over 50.
Because SilverSingles has tailored their market to only adults over 50, a lot of the questions that they ask make more sense. After all, if the dating pool is open to people in their 30s, the question “what’s important to you in a partner” will be totally different. In our later years we might be a lot more financially independent than we were when we were younger, and we might like to keep it that way. And that’s just one aspect where SilverSingles offers a more nuanced dating site for people over 50.
Also, because they are there just to help people our age, SilverSingles has a great customer service department that knows how to answer all the questions we’re likely to have, because they’ve answered them before. Click here to see their Frequently Asked Questions.
So far as we could tell, SilverSingles was also one of the best deals, with a three month subscription available for $44.95 per month.
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Best Site for Conscious Dating Over 50: Spiritual Singles
For some of us, as we’ve gotten older, we’ve become more spiritually-minded. And so it only makes sense that when we want to find a companion for that next chapter in our lives, we’d want someone just as spirit-conscious as we are. That’s where Spiritual Singles comes in.
One of the oldest dating sites on the web, Spiritual Singles offers a unique take on dating. For starters, they recognize that the first step to finding union is being conscious of ourselves and other people. To that end, Spiritual Singles offers tools and articles on everything ranging from Astrological projections to meditation and manifesting your perfect match. Click here to check out their articles.
Outside of the personal angle on spirituality, Spiritual Singles also caters to the person who is conscious of eating organic foods, protecting the environment, and alternative health, among other things.
Spiritual Singles also understands that finding a match is more than about finding a physical companion, and so they don’t shy away from offering long-distance matches, and they don’t shy from using the word “soulmate.” After all, some of us are looking for our soulmates. So why not use a site that speaks that language?
Another unique offering of Spiritual Singles is that they offer events and retreats. That means that if you have been making a connection online with people, but want to immerse yourself in like-minded activities, like hiking or yoga, Spiritual Singles can help you meet and connect with people like yourself.
One of the best parts of Spiritual Singles is the cost. They offer a two month free membership that allows you to post your profile, add pictures, and even respond to other members who have reached out to you. And when you decide to switch to the paid version, Spiritual Singles is still one of the most affordable dating sites, for people over 50 or otherwise. Their subscriptions start at only $23 dollars a month, going as low as $12 a month if you subscribe for six months.
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Best Christian Dating Site for Over 50s: ChristianCafe
For many of us, getting older means focusing on the fundamental things most important to us, like family and faith. For too long, many of us felt that there was a conflict between dating after 50 and maintaining our chosen faith lifestyle. Finally, now there’s ChristainCafe to help us feel free in expressing our faith, and exploring a connection with another person.
By taking the time to build a dating site with nothing but Christians, it helps you get to the heart of matters more quickly when you think you’ve found a match. It can be difficult in today’s age to talk openly about our faith. And it can be even more difficult if we’re in a dating situation.
With ChristianCafe, we have a comfortable, non-judgemental atmosphere to look for someone on terms with our faith and our heart. ChristianCafe also has a focus on finding relationships outside of dating, as well. So if all you’re looking for is someone with a similar faith for fellowship or companionship, ChristainCafe is still for you.
Another great part of ChristianCafe is that you can join groups by Country, State, City, or even by Denomination. After all, this is no time to compromise. ChristianCafe makes it possible, even easy, to not only find someone who shares your faith, but who even shares your doctrine.
If you click here you can read testimonials from other Christians who have found their spouse on ChristainCafe, and you can read details about their free 7-Day trial.
ChristianCafe is also Christian owned. They are very affordable, with plans starting at $34.97, but dropping below $9 a month if you sign up for a year.
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Conclusion
It’s a big decision to start looking for a relationship. Especially if it’s been a while since you’ve been on the dating scene. One of the best ways to jump back in is with a dating site. This can help you rediscover what’s important to you in a partner or relationship, and it can help you get comfortable, again, with dating people.
We don’t recommend casting a wide net just to guarantee you catch a fish. Instead, we suggest you read carefully through the reviews, again, now that you’ve seen what’s on offer. Then, select a website that will work just for you. We’ve carefully looked through dozens of sites to make sure that we could find the best one for nearly every person.
Things to Watch For
Of course, there are some things to be careful about when you’re dating, online or otherwise. Especially if you’re over 50. You should always rely on the customer service and Frequently Asked Questions of whatever dating site you decide to use. We’ve only included sites, above, with good reputations and customer support. But here are some things to be careful of.
Never Reveal Financial Information: Scammers will always try to get credit card or debit card information from you. Remember, no one who’s looking for a real connection is also looking for your money. Also, report anyone who does try to get your information to the dating site.Be Careful of People Who Won’t Video Call: We know, video calls can be a little hard to get the hang of. But scammers pretending to be over 50 will avoid the video call at all costs. So if someone doesn’t have a legitimate reason to not video call you, stay away. Also, be wary of anyone who claims to have a job that keeps them traveling too often to meet you or call with you.Don’t Fall in Love Right Away: It can be hard to not be swept off of our feet. Especially if we haven’t been on the scene in a while. But it’s important to remember that while we’re not getting any younger, there’s no emergency, either. Take your time, and protect your heart.Have Fun
Remember to have fun. When you’re on a dating site, be honest with yourself and with the other people. Over 50 is the time to