Top 5 Best Dating Sites Australia

Meeting someone new, finding a partner for a long term relationship or simply just “putting yourself out there” is usually a pretty daunting prospect. The way in which we go about doing these things in recent years has actually made the prospect of dating, much less scary and way more accessible. It doesn’t have to be an anxiety-inducing experience and any butterflies you feel should be coming from nerves laced with excitement, not worry. Throughout this article, we are going to explore the different avenues available to people in Australia who are looking to find a special someone and what makes them unique.

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Best Dating Apps

It’s fair to say that the dating game has evolved in a major way over the last few years. Time, convenience and the advances in technology have made the use of online dating sites and apps the easiest and sometimes safest way of meeting new people. Let’s not be naive and pretend there are no dangers to it, but as long as you are sensible, these companies put a lot of safety measures in place to help protect you. We’ve listed below our top 5 dating sites and the services they offer. Most sites let you sign-up for free but offer different paying membership levels which then open up different benefits. Each has its pro’s and con’s and we can explore them in a little more detail.

eHarmony

eHarmony is one of the top-rated dating sites out there, with over 1.5 million singles in Australia using their service to look for love. First, it’s available in a website version and in-app form, so it’s makers have done everything possible to make it accessible. This dating app is a good option if you’re looking for a more serious relationship. It has a rigorous sign-up questionnaire that is both lengthy and in-depth (including things like your religious beliefs and your passions) which is a sure-fire way to put off anyone not looking to use the site seriously. This also means they have a lot of information to work with when finding you matches based on compatibility rather than simple interests.

New members can create their profile and browse other user’s profiles with ease, but there’s only so much you can do under the free membership. Unless you opt for one of the subscriptions that finds you paying per month, for example you cannot upload or view profile pictures. This is both a good and a bad thing. Not having a profile picture frees you of any worry about people judging you based solely on your physical appearance, but likewise, you have to reserve that judgement on any potential matches too. If you do choose one of the pay-per-month options, you should also read up and be aware of what you’re signing up to.

Eharmony policy is that if you sign up for 12 months and find a love match within the first 3, you still have to continue paying until you reach the end of your 12 month contracted period. Keep an eye out for auto-renew as well, this can be a pain! Safety-wise, it’s also important to know what all of these sites offer in terms of privacy and support. Does Eharmony offer much in the way of security? The answer is actually yes, they try to do their best in terms of supporting your security and safety. Their privacy policy can be found on the website but they also try to educate their users on online safety when looking for love, see the link for more information.

Bumble

Bumble is an interesting option when you’re looking to meet people, its niche is that it is designed specifically to empower women. The premise of the app is that women make the first move. This may sound like it has sexist undertones but in reality, it adds an extra layer of safety for users of any gender.

New members set up their profile for free and can browse potential matches straight away, you can even express your interest in someone after browsing their photos and profile, but unless the woman has also expressed interest, no communication can take place. I should mention that same sex matches can communicate at any point. This whole idea signals an end to unwanted messages and crude requests, making it a nicer and somewhat safer environment for its users looking to find a quality match.

Its sign up process is in no way as in-depth as others such as match.com, for example, and if you’re looking for a serious relationship, it may take a little more work as often the free apps and websites encourage people who aren’t looking for long term commitment or are looking to simply hook up. This doesn’t mean it won’t help you find your perfect match, it just means you may have to put more time and effort into figuring it out.

One of the best features of Bumble is that it is not just designed for relationships, although that is its primary focus. Bumble encourages you to build a “Hive” which is not only for love interests but meeting new friends, which is great if you’re dating as a single mum, for example, and you’re just looking for someone to talk to. Bumble also wants you to use your “hive” for networking and business purposes! It’s truly a communication focussed app and it is only growing more popular as time goes on.

Plenty of Fish

Plenty of Fish has been a staple in the online dating world for a long time now. It’s a completely free online dating site and doesn’t put restrictions in place that may hold you back from meeting your perfect match. Free being the operative word here, whether you’re someone on a budget, or someone who just doesn’t like the idea of paying to find love, this site is a good option. It has plenty of members (with a name like Plenty of Fish, that’s no real surprise!) and it allows you to interact and message straight away. It’s easy to use and members are encouraged to fill out a profile where they ask you some standard “dating” questions but nothing too difficult or profound.

A much-appreciated prompt it gives its members is not to give out personal information on their profile. This is a good reminder and shows they do have user safety in mind. The whole profile set up isn’t the most user-friendly process according to reviews but it does allow unlimited messages to an unlimited number of users.

Plenty of Fish encourages talking as much as possible, which in reality is actually a good thing. The more you can message someone, the more you can get to know them. The downside here is that it’s a lot more work finding someone like-minded if you haven’t filled out an in-depth personality questionnaire to begin with, as you end up asking the same questions over and over which can be tiresome and take some of the fun out of meeting people.

RSVP

RSVP is another great app if you’re looking for love. It is easy to use and completely free to sign up, but as with other dating service providers, you get more from it if you opt for one of their monthly paying memberships. The cost ranges from free to $29.99 per month (as of writing) which in comparison to other companies is actually a pretty fair price!

If you choose the RSVP free membership, you can browse through other singles profiles from the off. What you aren’t able to do is initiate any conversation with any other users unless you are one of their paying members. This is absolutely fine if you’re happy to sit back and wait for love to come to you. It may be the slower choice, but if you lead a busy life or particularly if you have children taking up a lot of your time and energy, it can be nice not to have the extra pressure of initiating conversation yourself!

Tinder

We couldn’t discuss dating apps or websites and not include Tinder. It’s infamous for hookups and for good reason! Tinder’s profile process is very basic. It consists of asking your name, age, gender and contact details and that’s it. Nothing else required to get started on swiping left or right. The long and the short of it with this app is that you swipe left if the person displayed isn’t “your type” and swipe right if you think they are. If they have also swiped right, you then get the opportunity to communicate.

The app version is the most popular but it does also have a desktop version, keeping it versatile, it is a completely free service to sign up to and use with but also has the option to upgrade if you really think the extra benefits are worth the cash!

The premise of swiping left or right on a person based solely on their physical attributes isn’t necessarily the best start to a long term relationship, but that doesn’t mean it is impossible to find your special someone through it.

I personally know of 2 couples who have met on tinder, one couple is married with a child now and the other one has recently bought a house together, which only goes to show that even though it has a certain reputation, Tinder could still help you find your match!

Apps to Meet Specific Criteria

No-one will judge you for having your ideal match in mind. Often, this means there are specific criteria you expect them to meet. I don’t mean this in the sense that they have to be tall, dark and handsome, but they do need to resemble your ideals. If you’re a devoutly religious person for example you want to know that your partner shares your belief system.

If you are looking for someone of the same sex or of a particular sexual preference, thats another factor to think of. Everything from religion, race, sexual orientation and even location can be catered for if you know where to look. Different dating apps and websites offer so much in terms of finding like-minded individuals for you to get to know. Sometimes it just takes a little digging to unearth the best site for you.

If you are looking for love in your local area, there are plenty of apps that offer a location filter so you can narrow down the area in which you’re looking to meet people. Hinge is a location-based dating app that shares some attributes with the likes of Tinder and Bumble. It’s a simple to use option and shows you who you may have crossed paths with recently. This is a great option if you live in a city, but reviews show its matches become more sparse the further away you live.

Love is love whether you are heterosexual, bisexual, gay, pansexual or consider yourself any other orientation. There are so many apps out there that cater specifically to people with certain preferences and they are easier to find and more popular than you might expect. There’s nothing stopping you from using the same dating sites as mentioned above to find matches, but there are apps out there designed to help make your life easier. PinkCupid is a dating site specifically designed for lesbians for example and there are other more well-known ones such as Grindr along with a whole host of others. They each have their benefits and are good options if you’re looking to meet like-minded people.

If you are a single parent and you’re looking to enter the dating pool again, it can feel a bit like staring into the abyss. Where do you even start? There are so many sites to choose from and you really do have to consider what you want out of a relationship first. At the end of the day, you aren’t just thinking about how someone will match with you, you have to consider if your children will get along with them. That usually means you’re more likely to be looking for a serious relationship rather than a casual hook up. eHarmony is one dating site that prides itself on being inclusive and has different options allowing you to specify everything from religious beliefs to whether you are a single parent. You may not choose to specify to this level but if you do the help is out there. Otherwise, pick the app you like the sound of and take your time with it. After all, they do say you can’t hurry love!

Traditional vs Technological

In previous years, there was a certain stigma around online dating, dating apps and the less traditional ways of meeting someone new or looking for love. This has all but disappeared lately however as the majority of people look to these methods nowadays BUT there will always be some people who ask “Why can’t you meet someone the old fashioned way?”

The answer is simple. You could.

Yet in doing so, you seriously limit your potential matches as well as your control over the situation. You could find yourself meeting someone by chance in a bar, a supermarket, through a friend or even out walking your dog. That’s great, but it’s not a guarantee and you’ve got next to no control over the situation.

Many more people are taking to apps and websites simply for the fact they can control what happens and when. By this I mean, they can search through eligible profiles, they can create a profile of their own, sharing only what information they want people to know, and they can simply log out if they have other commitments. In short, the technological options are a much quicker and more convenient way of meeting like-minded people and potentially your perfect match.

One of the biggest concerns when it comes to online dating is safety. Understandably, you can’t trust everything that you hear online or even see in pictures. What you read in someone’s profile could be complete and utter fiction, or it could be all true. Just because you are honest, doesn’t mean that everyone out there is and the same can be said whether you meet someone in real life or online. It’s important to be aware that not everything you see is the truth, but in the same respect, you shouldn’t be afraid to look because of this.

There are people out there with good intentions who want to meet someone for a serious relationship. The important thing is that you keep an open mind and follow online safety guides for help in keeping you and your information secure. The Australian Government website is a great source of information on what to do and what not to do when using online dating sites or apps.

Dating as a Single Parent

Being a parent isn’t always easy. There’s always a fear of judgement and believe me, everyone has an opinion on how you should be raising your children – whether they voice it out or not. Being a single parent can be even harder because, on top of everything else, it can be really lonely.

If you’re a single parent and you decide to branch out into the world of online dating, people are going to have their opinions on that too. If anybody decides to share that opinion with you, please take it with a pinch of salt. Some will encourage you and others condemn you for it but ultimately, it’s your life and as long as you consider your children’s feelings and most importantly their safety, why should you miss out on meeting someone special?

Children are remarkably adaptable but it’s always best to hold off on introducing little ones to any new partners until you’re absolutely certain that both your children and your relationship are ready for it.

Many people wait until they have been dating for a significant amount of time before allowing their children to meet their new someone. This is great for a number of reasons.

Firstly, you will have had time to talk to your child if they are of an age to understand the changes and make sure they are happy with the situation.

Secondly, you will have had plenty of time to get to know your partner, made sure that you understand who they are and that you feel happy and comfortable introducing them to your children. Safety and security are paramount when it comes to your children and the right partner will always be understanding of that.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best dating site in Australia?

The answer to this one is simple… there is no right answer. You can research the most popular, the most expensive or even the one with the most matches, but it doesn’t mean it’s going to be the best one for you. This depends entirely on your circumstances, your preferences and what you’re looking to get out of meeting someone new. Take a read through the article above for more information on what is on offer.

What is the safest dating app?

Again, this one is really subjective. All websites and app providers have legal and moral obligation to keep your information private and your safety as their priority but in reality, there’s only so much they can do. Getting to know someone new can be really scary, without worrying about what they may do with any information you tell them. The best thing to do is keep it light and only share information you’re comfortable with.

Are any dating sites worth it?

As with any situation where you have to put in work, the reward is often proportionate to how much time and effort you’re willing to put in. No one said finding someone special would be easy, and there will be times you try and it doesn’t make it to the long term – but if you’re willing to put the effort in who says you can’t find your happy ending?