If you’re a single woman in your 50s, you might be debating signing up for one of the many online dating sites to help you find your forever someone. But which dating company is the right one?
We’re going to discuss the seven best dating sites for women over 50. Each of these sites has a reputation for safety, member success, and being a place to find like-minded partners looking for a serious relationship. You won’t see any sites for quick hookups here.
By the time you’re done, you’ll be ready to start your journey towards finding true love online. More people over the age of 50 are using online dating to make connections than trying it the old fashioned way. And we’re sure you’ll be ready to try too. Let’s get started.
What to Consider When You Are a Woman Over 50
When you’re considering dating sites, it can be frustrating trying to figure out which one to choose. Believe me when I say there are a ton! Some sites like Tinder or Plenty of Fish have many users, but they’re known for casual hookups instead of serious relationships.
Sites like eHarmony and Match are popular sites for finding long-term love. But the issue with signing up for these signs when you’re over the age of 50 is that a large percentage of the users are younger. You might end up with matches younger than you. Or you’ll have to compete with users half your age. That type of competition can be hard on your confidence.
Choosing a dating site exclusive to users over the age of 45 to 50 means you’re more likely to get paired with someone your age. You can even tailor your results to include specific criteria like specific travel plans, hobbies, and careers.
Let’s look at seven of the best dating sites for women over 50. Some of these sites have age restrictions, so you have access to more users similar in age. Other sites have a sizable mature user pool, but there are also younger users, in case you decide to date younger. There’s no shame. I’m four years older than my boyfriend, and it works just fine for us.
Silver Singles
Silver Singles is a dating site exclusively for people over the age of 50. Most users are looking for serious relationships, which gives an advantage over other dating sites where more users prefer casual hookups.
In addition to the website, you can also download the dating app, which is compatible with iOS and Android. This app gives you easy access to hundreds of potential partners. You can update your profile, view matches, and even get and receive messages from other users.
SilverSingles uses a unique matchmaking algorithm to analyze your responses to a thorough personality test. The program then matches you with users based on a five-factor model that analyzes personality, lifestyle, and preferences.
Each day, you receive three to seven recommended matches. You can also use a swipe feature to browse through the “Have you met” category. Swiping approves or rejects the matches, but be careful because once you pass on a match, they won’t come back up.
There is no way to search through users manually, so you don’t end up with mismatches and clashes of personalities. We like that you’re protected from swiping yes on an attractive partner that you share no interest in after a few too many sips of wine.
A shaded heart marks the similarities between you and your match for an easy understanding of your compatibility. If you want to check messages from your matches or to view their photos, you will have to upgrade to a paid membership account versus a free account.
Pricing fluctuates based on the popularity of the site, but you can save money by paying for longer terms. You pay $24.95 a month for 12 months versus $44.95 a month for a three-month deal.
eHarmony
eHarmony has become a popular dating site for all ages, with over 20% of its users being over the age of 50. You can start an account for free, but it is a lengthy process that requires you to take a personality test.
Your test results determine your compatibility matches, so you only get matches that share your same interests and preferences. Ensure you get the perfect connections by listing all the essential features you want in a partner, from physical characteristics to religion, politics, family, hobbies, and career.
Every morning, you get matches sent straight to your inbox, so you don’t have to spend hours browsing through mismatches.
And eHarmony sets the bar to create outstanding dating profiles that reflect your personality, with the option to feature music, movies, pictures, interests, and an elaborate About Me section.
The more information you supply, the better results you will get. You can even read eHarmony’s blog for helpful dating advice if you’re trying to get back into the swing of dating in a new era. It’s not uncommon for people over the age of 50 to feel some anxiety and confusion about online dating.
eHarmony has multiple plan options, including a free plan, the basic plan which costs anywhere from $59.95 for one month, or $19.95 a month for a whole year. With this plan, you get to have communications and member photos, and see who has viewed your profile.
But with the Total Connect plan, you get access to more in-depth personality analysis, verified ID, and safe phone calls for only an extra $4 a month. However, you can only subscribe to three, six, or twelve months.
Match
Match is another popular dating service for people of all ages, including a large number of users over the age of 50. With this dating site, most users are looking for a serious relationship rather than a casual hookup.
However, be aware that if you use this site, you could get matched with someone younger than you. It all depends on the responses for your questionnaire as to who comes up as a match.
You can access your matches through the website or the mobile app, which lets you flirt and browse through potential candidates right from your phone or tablet.
Your matches display one at a time, based on your answers to a thorough questionnaire. As you accept or reject the suggestions, Match uses your responses to customize future recommended dates, so you get more tailored picks.
With over 9.9 million users, you’re sure to find your one true love. Match does have a free version. But you’ll get more benefits with the paid version, which allows you to communicate with your matches and see who viewed your profile.
There is no option for monthly billing. You can only do plans for three months at $17.99, six months at $14.99, or twelve months for the low cost of $13.49. The longer you subscribe to a plan, the higher the discount you will get.
OurTime
OurTime is a dating site that claims to have over a thousand new members each month for over a million users, including a broad range of singles over the age of 50. Additionally, OurTime has an easy to use dashboard and setting up a profile takes just a few simple steps.
Unfortunately, there is no personality test or detailed questionnaire to get the best matches possible. But the search features are extensive, allowing you to narrow down results based on criteria like:
- Age
- Location or zip code
- Religion
- Marital status
- Zodiac sign
- Height
- Ethnicity
- Gender
- Blood type
A swipe of the screen approves or rejects matches. If you like the photo, you can click “I’m interested,” which sends a flirt to the user. If you find someone you’re interested in, you can send digital gifts, which would cost real money to purchase.
You even get notifications when someone views your profile. And OurTime also lets you spruce up your profile with audio and video clips, something other sites don’t do. You can view your profile and matches from a computer or your mobile device, so you have access any time you want it.
For two weeks, you get a full free preview of all the features of OurTime. After your trial ends, you can revert to a free profile, which allows you to browse matches without communicating. If you want to interact with potential partners, you will need to upgrade to a paid membership.
The cost is cheaper for six months than monthly. You pay $29.99 a month for single month subscriptions, $17.99 for three months, or $11.99 for six months. There is no option for a 12-month package.
Elite Singles
Elite Singles is another excellent site for women over 50 looking for a serious relationship. The majority of the users (over 80%) have college degrees like Bachelor’s, Master’s, or doctorates. And Elite Singles uses a Fraud Detection System to verify all users’ identities, so there are no fake identities.
To sign up, users must answer a 200 question test to get an in-depth understanding of your personality for better results when pairing you with potential companions. Every morning, you get 3 to 7 matches right to your inbox, hand-selected to match your dating criteria.
You will have to answer questions about lifestyle, habits, character, temper, and ideal candidate qualifications.
When searching for partners, you can sort the results by age, height, location, children, income, education, personal habits (drinking, smoking), religion, and ethnicity.
In addition to your daily matches, you also get recommendations for singles through the “Have you met?” section, which shows singles profiles you might not have seen yet. If you upgrade to a premium account, you get twenty matches instead of just seven.
This company makes it easy for you to get past the inevitable awkward first interaction with options like sending a “smile,” a personalized message, or one of five opening lines written by EliteSingles.
You can set up a profile and browse matches with a free membership. But if you want to communicate with your matches, you’ll need to sign up for a paid subscription. A one-month membership costs $99.95, with a 3-month membership costing $52.95 a month ($158.85 total) or $39.95 a month for a six-month subscription ($239.70).
We will say that the price of EliteSingles is way steeper than other dating sites, probably intending to reflect the fact that most users have higher degrees and are more career-oriented, ready and able to invest the money into meeting like-minded people.
Christian Mingle
Christian Mingle is another dating site that can appeal to those over the age of 50. This site does have users of all age demographics, so it’s not solely for seniors. But a vast majority of the registered candidates are over the age of fifty and looking for a serious relationship.
This site is geared towards people of faith, so if your religion plays a massive part of your life, you’ll be able to find like-minded candidates that meet your views. There are over one million registered users, although you should be aware that the ratio has a higher proportion of available women to men.
To create your profile for Christian Mingle, you will have to answer a lifestyle questionnaire, including those about your religious views. This process can take between 20 to 30 minutes, and it’s free.
You get recommended matches daily.
But you also have access to all users registered to the site, which is welcome given that other sites limit access to anyone that doesn’t match your interests or preferences.
Browse users by swiping, which allows you to view each user one at a time. When you like a profile, hit the heart button. The user will get a notification, and they can decide whether to respond. If they like your profile in return, you get an alert for “mutual like.”
It even says on each profile when the user was last active, so you don’t waste time on old users that are no longer using the site. But in general, this site isn’t as user friendly as other dating sites.
With a free account, you can register and create a profile, get personalized matches and conduct match searches, see who is checking you out, and send smiles to other users. You cannot send messages to users. However, you can respond to paid users who send you a message.
With a paid subscription, you can exchange messages with users, hide your profile, get notifications, and browse privately. The pricing looks like $49.99 a month for one month, $34.99 per month for three months (total of $104.97), or $24.99 a month for a six-month subscription ($149.94 total).
Senior Match
Senior Match has been in business since 2003, helping hundreds of singles over the age of 50 find lasting love. Whether you’re looking for friendship, a travel companion, or a long-term partnership, Senior Match could be the site for you.
The site claims to have over a million registered users, with over six thousand members active every day. To register, you have to be at least 45 years of age, so it’s a guarantee that you will be matched to older adults.
The site is very user-friendly, starting with creating a profile with a few simple steps. You upload a few photos to demonstrate your life and hobbies. Then fill out some personal information that helps users learn about you and find out whether you may be compatible.
To communicate with your matches, you can send virtual winks or pre-written messages. Your match can respond with their own wink, or they can send you a secure email to start talking. Once you’re ready to speak directly, SeniorMatch has instant messaging for real-time interactions.
You can use SeniorMatch with a free account. You get more benefits with the Gold membership, which gives you advanced searching, unlimited messaging, hotlists and daily news, and advanced privacy features.
Plans will run you $29.95 for one month, $19.95 a month for a three-month subscription, 50% savings, or $15.95 a month for a six-month membership, saving you 60%. Payment can be made by a debit or credit card, or by PayPal if you don’t want to link your bank info to your profile.
Conclusion
Dating after the age of 50 can seem scary. For many people, signing up for a dating website might not be the first way you think of meeting new potential partners. But there are a lot of advantages to online dating, including a considerable candidate pool.
The pool of singles over the age of 50 is one of the fastest-growing demographics, so there’s no longer the excuse of having limited options when dating. And online dating sites let you meet people who share your same interests.
Talking to someone online also removes a lot of the awkwardness that can come with the get-to-know-you stage. Your profile provides a lot of necessary information, so there’s plenty of conversation starters. And it’s easier for many people to talk to a stranger through instant messages or emails instead of face-to-face.