List of Online Dating Services
In the movie, "Fiddler on the Roof," a young woman asks the local matchmaker to make her a perfect match. Yenta the Matchmaker would not have a job in today's high-tech society. Online dating services have replaced her. Most online dating services have a complicated fee structure. Many will say that you can browse for free, or set up a free profile, but, in most cases, you will have to pay to make contact with people who are interested in you. Be sure to read the fine print.
EHarmony
EHarmony is the brainchild of Dr. Neil Clark Warren, a psychologist and author of relationship books. This online dating site is designed to find matches for marriage-oriented heterosexual couples. The eHarmony creators believe that psychological compatibility is more important than similar interests and hobbies. As such, members are asked to fill out an extensive psychological profile. In March of 2009, eHarmony launched a gay and lesbian online dating service called Compatible Partners.
eHarmony.com
CompatiblePartners.com
Match.com
Match.com is an international online dating service. It was launched in April of 1995, and is one of the largest online dating services. Match.com profiles can include up to 26 photos. The audience for Match.com runs the gamut from people looking for a casual relationship to people looking for eventual marriage. Compared to eHarmony, Match.com functions more like a traditional dating site. The questionnaire is shorter than the one used by eHarmony and you have the option of looking at the profiles of a variety of people you may find interesting, even if they are not the "perfect match." While serious relationships are possible on Match.com, simply flirting is acceptable.
match.com
Chemistry.com
Chemistry.com is the sister site of Match.com. It was launched in 2005 by the creators of Match.com and claims to be able to predict the chemistry between two people. Chemistry.com is open to both gays and heterosexuals.
chemistry.com
Fitness Singles
As its name implies, Fitness Singles is an online dating website dedicated to helping fit individuals find a perfect match. Find a match by searching through a variety of categories, such as running, skiing, weight lifting, mountain biking, cross training and swimming.
fitness-singles.com
AthleticMeet.com
AthleticMeet.com is similar to Fitness Singles, but with a subtle difference. While it can be used as an online dating site for active singles, it can also be used to find a coach, a workout partner or a roommate for an active vacation. The site can also be used to find team partners for various athletic events.
athleticmeet.com
Plenty of Fish
Plenty of Fish is one of the few completely free online dating sites that offers some of the same features offered by the expensive sites. One of its distinct features is the ability to ban certain types of members from reading your profile, such as people from a particular part of the world or people looking for a specific type of relationship. Plenty of Fish also has a popular message forum, which covers topics such as sports and fitness.
plentyoffish.com
About this Author
Lisa Marie Mercer is the author of Open Your Heart with Winter Fitness, 101 Fitness Tips for Women, Breckenridge: A Guide to the Sights and Slopes of Summit County and a novel, Reflections in the Snow. She's been a fitness professional since the 1970s, and has lived in NYC, Boston and Italy. She and her husband now divide their time between Colorado and North Carolina.
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