As you go about your day, you might be surrounded by coworkers, acquaintances, and neighbors, but that doesn’t mean you can easily form romantic connections. Say you’re at the coffee shop, the local park, or even the grocery store, and you spot someone who catches your eye. You exchange a few smiles, but then the moment passes, and you’re left wondering if you’ll see them again.
The days of the meet-cute are past — it’s all about online dating now. A single person can use an online dating app to connect with singles nearby and set up a first date without too much hassle.
Online dating sites introduce single people to potential partners within a certain mile radius. The algorithms and matchmaking tools give you a better shot of hitting it off than if you randomly talked to new people IRL. The following dating sites help identify “singles near me” and spark conversations that could lead to relationships.
Best Overall Dating Sites for Local Singles
Online dating is an effective way to meet local singles within the same city or area code. Whether you’re looking for a casual date or a serious relationship, online dating apps have you covered! Some online dating sites even recommend highly compatible profiles, so when you meet in real life, you already know you have a lot in common.
1. Match
Match.com has come a long way since it launched in April 1995. This well-reputed dating site has honed its match algorithm to identify long-term compatibility and facilitate countless first dates, serious relationships, and successful marriages. Match’s esteemed dating experts go to great lengths to guide singles to a seriously good match.
- Match is the world’s longest running dating site
- The Discover section has search filters by interests, looks, lifestyle, and more
- Match is available in 50 countries and 15 languages
- Browse Match profiles 100% free »
Match has been helping single people find their second halves since 1995. The dating website and online dating app have matchmaking tools to spark conversations online — and Match Group hosts local events in major cities in the U.S. and abroad throughout the year. These events feature fun and low-pressure icebreaker activities to spark connections in real life.
Match Events cater to the most active users and premium members on the platform.The invite-only events tend to fill up quickly, so if you receive an invitation, RSVP right away to ensure you get a spot. If the event is showing up as full, keep checking back. Often, additional spots open up to balance the gender ratio of men to women.
2. eharmony
Since its launch in 2000, eharmony has endeavored to find the formula for love. Its 32-dimension personality test uses psychological truths to identify areas of compatibility between two individuals. The dating site’s mission is to foster relationships that last, and every potential match has a reason behind it.
- Over 2 million people have found love here
- Users can filter their match recommendations by age or city
- Compatibility Quiz identifies common interests, lifestyles, and goals
- Browse eharmony profiles 100% free »
eharmony is a great option for commitment-minded people seeking serious partnerships. eharmony’s signature Compatibility Questionnaire has helped create 15 million matches as well as countless relationships and marriages.
eharmony members can form meaningful connections quickly because they receive highly compatible recommendations every day. When it comes to online messaging, eharmony Guided Communication can help you break the ice with a potential partner.
eharmony works well for local dating. Once your dating profile is up, you can use the location filter to find local singles in your area. The eharmony algorithm will help you connect to highly compatible individuals, which gives you better results than talking to a stranger in the park.
EliteSingles.com maintains a sophisticated network of young professionals seeking a relationship. Over 80% of its members hold a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate degree, and over 90% are over the age of 30. Elite Singles uses an intelligent matchmaking system to introduce daters to someone on their level.
- Over 2 million monthly users
- Premium members receive 20 wildcard matches a day
- Search features include age, height, education, ethnicity, and lifestyle habits
- Browse Elite Singles profiles 100% free »
Elite Singles should be your go-to dating pool if you’re looking for a long-term relationship with a college-educated single. About 82% of Elite Singles members hold at least a bachelor’s degree, though they vary greatly in age, appearance, location, background, lifestyle, values, and sexual orientation. Every month, more than 165,000 people join the app in search of a quality match.
Elite Singles members have plenty of matchmaking tools to support a local dating approach. You can pick the city where you’d like to meet new people and employ the Elite Singles algorithm to find compatible profiles. The online dating site also has personalized date preferences for religion, education, height, and other important factors.
Christian Mingle is a faith-based dating website for singles who want a relationship grounded in Christian values. People of all religions and backgrounds turn to this site in hopes of meeting a good Christian man or a good Christian woman. Christian Mingle’s claim to fame is that it has the highest percentage of Christian members of any dating site or app in the world.
- For singles interested in God-centered relationships
- Over 3.5 million monthly users around the world
- Available as an app on Google Play and the App Store
- Browse Christian Mingle profiles 100% free »
Christian Mingle is one of the most successful Christian dating sites in the world. This wholesome platform is designed to help men and women find a new relationship and build a marriage based on shared faith. Since its launch in 2001, over 15 million people have created a profile, and the vast majority of them are Christian singles seeking a Christian partner.
Free members can browse the Christian Mingle database and filter potential matches by age, religion, distance, relationship type, and match percentage. If you want to find love next door, try the local dating tools to generate match recommendations around a specific location.
Best Dating Sites for Senior Singles
Senior singles don’t need to feel lonely in their golden years. Whether they’re divorced, widowed, or never married, online dating can provide another shot at true love. With proper guidance, senior people can enjoy the online dating experience and make their days more meaningful.
5. OurTime
OurTime gives singles over 50 a confidence boost by introducing them to age-appropriate dates online. The dating site offers multiple ways to connect and discover commonality, and it has led to thousands of success stories in the last few years. Whether you’re looking for a pen pal, a friend, or a relationship, OurTime has got it covered.
- Thousands of success stories from all over the world
- Find senior dates using advanced search filters and match suggestions
- The Help Center offers quick tips and guidance
- Browse OurTime profiles 100% free »
Mature singles are drawn to OurTime for many reasons, including its easy-to-use interface, simple signup process, and mature user base. Singles over 50 love this platform and its large dating pool. An OurTime membership requires some personal information, including your name, age, location, gender, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, and lifestyle habits (e.g., smoking).
You can remain an OurTime free member as long as you wish to view profiles, send likes, upload photos, and see the event calendar. This calendar gives you an opportunity to join local events to meet singles on fun date activities, including cooking classes and cocktail hours. Use the Events page to find out more about upcoming events in your city.
SilverSingles is serious about helping singles over 50 meet one another, and its network stretches across the U.S., Canada, and Europe. The secure signup process includes profile verification and fraud detection, so new members must portray themselves accurately to gain access to the platform. By fostering a safe environment, SilverSingles helps men and women meet mature dates in their area.
- An exclusively senior membership base
- Over 800,000 monthly users worldwide
- App available for free on Google Play
- Browse SilverSingles profiles 100% free »
Launched in 2002, SilverSingles is a niche dating platform for mature singles. The dating website was designed to rekindle your romantic life in your later years. The site claims to have nearly 1 million members, and about 380,000 new members join every month. When you get your profile up and running, you can enjoy one-on-one profile consultations to boost your chances of getting dates among the compatible daily matches recommended to you.
Furthermore, you can create a more engaging experience through SilverSingle Dating Events. The events give you the chance to mingle with older singles in a welcoming environment. You can choose from speed dating events, mixers, and virtual meetups. It’s a wonderful way to get active in the community and make new friends with people in your age bracket.
8. SeniorMatch
SeniorMatch is one of the most trusted names in the senior dating scene. Since 2003, the over-50 dating site has catered to divorcees, widows, and other singles seeking a second shot at love. It’s free to create an account on SeniorMatch, and you can browse profiles, discover matches, send messages to paid members without needing to upgrade or subscribe.
- Exclusively for men and women over 45
- Add a profile to your Hotlist to save it for later
- Seniors shares dating advice in members-only forums
- Browse SeniorMatch profiles 100% free »
Since 2003, SeniorMatch.com has been a prominent name in the dating scene for mature singles. This platform gives people in their 50s, 60s, and 70s a chance to be themselves and build genuine connections.
The niche site and its mobile app have connected millions of singles and sparked an untold number of matches and relationships. The best part is that mature daters can use SeniorMatch for free to find new people, get tips about online dating, and receive 24/7 backing from a customer care team.
Best Dating Sites for Casual Hookups
Not everyone is on board for traditional dating, getting engaged, walking down the aisle, having kids, and staying together until death do us part. If you simply want to enjoy yourself without the pressure of it leading anywhere, then casual hookup apps will be exactly your speed.
Ashley Madison is a breath of fresh air for single or attached folks experiencing a sex slump. This exciting dating site and app offer tons of opportunities to mingle, match, flirt, and hook up discreetly. Over 80 million profiles await you on Ashley Madison, and it’s free to create an anonymous account.
- Discreetly arranges one-night stands and extramarital affairs
- More than 80 million profiles worldwide
- Travel-friendly features for seeking matches in other cities
- Browse Ashley Madison profiles 100% free »
Ashley Madison is a dating site for discreet affairs, casual hookups, and secret relationships. This platform has a massive user base of over 80 million users. With its robust privacy features, you can do everything anonymously, including browsing, matching, and chatting. Married men and women can mask or blur their faces in photos and choose a nickname for their dating profile to protect their privacy.
Ashley Madison allows free members to filter potential matches by age, online status, location, encounter type, appearance, and ethnicity. The location filter can allow singles to find a naughty neighbor and connect instantaneously. All female users enjoy free communication on Ashley Madison, and men have a credit system to unlock target messaging. That way, online daters can skip the chit-chat and jump into the fun part.
9. BeNaughty
When it comes to arranging hookups, BeNaughty is fast, easy, fun, and safe. This dating site has built a global network of sexy men and women who want to skip the small talk and cut right to the chase. If you’re interested in short-term romance, BeNaughty is the place to go and get your flirt on.
- A global network of naughty singles over 18
- Ability to blur nude and explicit content, if desired
- Advanced search filters and one-on-one messaging
- Browse BeNaughty profiles 100% free »
If you want casual sex with a stranger, BeNaughty is a popular place to mingle and find hotties in the dating pool. This hookup site places no limits on sexual exploration. BeNaughty members can search a user base of horny individuals of various ages, genders, sexual orientations, relationship statuses, locations, and appearances.
The BeNaughty experience starts with a free account. It requires some personal information, including your gender, sexual orientation, age, and username. Everything is designed to protect your privacy, and photos are not required for a basic membership. The dating site’s community rules values respect for other people’s boundaries. If you feel uncomfortable or suspicious of anyone, you can block and report the dating profile in the membership base.
Registering for an account on Adult Friend Finder (AFF) is like speeding into the fast lane of the online dating world. This hookup site puts you in the center of action and encourages sexy singles and swingers to satisfy their secret fantasies. Anyone over 18 can join AFF and browse millions of profiles for free, but only full-fledged members have access to the revealing content in the community forums and chat rooms.
- One of the largest adults-only sex communities
- Free and fast registration process
- Dating forums and live chats foster live flirtation
- Browse Adult Friend Finder profiles 100% free »
Adult Friend Finder has been in the adult dating business for three decades and is still going strong. The AFF community boasts a global membership of over 103 million individuals, and it sees around 25.5 million monthly visitors. The hookup website claims to have validated over 98 million photos, including many nude or semi-naked images. The adult dating website offers a range of services for horny individuals who want to have fun exploring the local sex scene, international sexting buddies, or anything in between.
AFF allows free members to browse the site, enjoy erotic content, and post in group chat rooms, though the ability to send private messages and view videos is reserved for paid members. Singles and couples are equally welcome to join the sexually charged and flirtatious atmosphere at AFF, and you can express your desires and search for all kinds of kinky partners without judgment.
11. Flirt.com
If casual sex is your goal, then Flirt.com can be your wingman. This sex site offers anonymous browsing, advanced searches, and private communication, all for free, to help single men and women find a potential partner and arrange sexual encounters that satisfy their secret fantasies.
- A massive user base of over 70 million dating profiles
- Send a free private message or Flirtcast to get something going
- Exchange nude pics or adult videos with a Flirt member you trust
- Browse Flirt.com profiles 100% free »
Flirt.com was founded in 1997 as a dating site for single people looking to flirt online. You won’t find a matchmaking system on this platform and don’t expect questions about your interests, values, or background. People care only about how you look and your flirty ways. Currently, Flirt.com is available in 45 countries and over 20 languages with over 1 million registered users.
The signup process is fast and easy. Several chat options are available for newcomers, and preset FlirtCasts offer icebreakers to start a conversation. Just keep in mind these two caveats: 1) Only paid members can view full member photos. 2) Some Flirt.com members have complained about encountering suspicious users and fake profiles.
12. OneNightFriend
OneNightFriend keeps things real by offering singles the chance to mix and mingle without making a big commitment. They don’t even need a subscription to join the ranks of casual daters. This tried-and-true hookup website is part of a larger network of sex-positive communities that empower individuals to find local hookups more quickly and privately than they could at a bar or club.
- Safety settings ensure accountability for users
- Free login and browsing via search filters
- Profile pictures are recommended but not required
- Browse OneNightFriend profiles 100% free »
OneNightFriend is a dating website dedicated to finding your flirty partner for a single night. Don’t let the name fool you, as OneNightFriend has nothing to do with friendships. It’s all about sex and hooking up. This casual dating site is quite popular, with over 500,000 monthly users. Though the user base isn’t as large as those of other major swiping apps, OneNightFriend gives you an alternative way to send sexting messages and get explicit about sexual desires without worrying about being booted.
You can use this platform for free, browse anonymously to find matches, and see where the connection leads you. If this app suits your needs, consider upgrading to a paid membership to enjoy the auto history cleaning feature. It costs less than $1 a day. If you’d rather remain a free member, rest assured that this platform is designed to be a bit mysterious to shield your personal stuff.
FAQs: Is Tinder a Good Dating App for Singles?
Tinder has become a big part of online dating for casual hookups and flirty chats, with over 530 million downloads worldwide. The app started in 2012, and it quickly became a huge global brand because it gave people something they had always wanted: an easy way to connect with new people. Today, Tinder is responsible for creating over 75 billion matches, as well as more than 1.5 million first dates a week.
In 2012, Tinder pioneered a swiping-based match system that empowered singles to connect with dates who liked them back. Tinder users can message their mutual matches for free on this fast-paced dating app. Since its launch, Tinder has created over 97 billion matches worldwide.
- Supports active daters in 190+ countries
- The swiping system creates over 12 million matches per day
- Tinder Plus members have unlimited likes and 5 Super Likes
- Browse Tinder profiles 100% free »
By spending a couple of hours swiping on profiles and starting conversations with your matches, you could get some real-life dates. But landing a date is only half the battle. The Tinder app has the reputation for facilitating superficial connections, so be sure to ask good questions to dig deeper and create a real relationship.
Tinder is a good dating app for meeting a lot of people at once, but it may not be the best for you if you’re not willing to put in the effort to sort the diamonds from the duds.
Do All Dating Apps Have Fake Profiles and Bots?
When singles create dating profiles, they exchange their personal information in the hopes of meeting an attractive person. Legit online dating sites like eharmony understand the stakes are high and spend a lot of time, resources, and money to keep scammers and fake profiles out of the system. Advanced verification systems have made online dating much safer than it used to be.
It may take some time to fill out eharmony’s personality test, but the results are well worth it. This dating site goes the extra mile to get to know its members and deliver quality matches to their inboxes. Every profile has a compatibility rating to let you know your essential similarities and differences. Plus eharmony has inspired more than 2 million love connections since 2000.
- Designed to satisfy marriage-minded single women
- In-depth compatibility quiz generates high-quality matches
- Personalized Match Preferences on gender, age, income, religion, education, and more
- Browse eharmony profiles 100% free »
Of course, no online dating platform can keep out all scammers at all times. Online daters must take a proactive approach to protect themselves by reporting and blocking fake profiles. This will ensure that the dating pool fosters a real community of genuine individuals. As long as you keep your wits about you and stick to some basic online dating safety guidelines, you should be able to stay safe while meeting new people on a dating app or website.
Where Can I Find Upcoming Events for Local Singles?
Finding a new date can be challenging when you’re working, running errands, and trying to stay sane. One of the shortcuts to expanding your social circle is to join upcoming events for local singles in your area.
The easiest way to find local events is by checking out your city’s event calendar. Just type “free things to do in [enter your city]” in Google, pick the events that pique your interest and show up. If you want a more targeted method, you can use an online platform to meet new people at local events.
Meetup.com helps people with the same interests become friends and build relationships. The platform has groups that range from book clubs to hiking groups, so a single person has a lot of options to spark a shared interests. And when you find a new friendship, you might also find the fire that ignites your love life.
Eventbrite is another go-to platform for meeting new people beyond the screen. The global self-service ticketing platform promotes live experiences and allows anyone to create, share, find, and attend events aligning with their passions. You can find local events that speak to your heart. And who knows? Maybe you’re find your significant other at a music festival, marathon, yoga session, farmer market, gaming competition, or maybe even air guitar contest.
Keep in mind that Meetup.com and Eventbrite are designed for social gatherings, not necessarily romance and dating. If you want to cut to the chase and go straight into finding dates, attending speed dating events might be a good idea.
Pre-Dating™ is the largest speed dating service for single professionals seeking to find dates in a fun, safe, and convenient way. As indicated by its motto, “Ready, Set, Date!” you can skip the small talk and jump into romance. Whether you’re looking for a casual date or a long-term relationship, speed dating can work for you.
Real People Use Local Dating Sites to Connect
If you aren’t interested in dating your coworkers or mutual friends, it’s time to take a different spin on your dating life. You don’t need to sit around waiting for a Prince Charming to rescue you from singledom. Any of the online dating apps on this list can help you meet local singles who share similar backgrounds and interest. Our dating experts recommend you try multiple sites, apps, meetups, and matchmakers until you find something that works for you. Best of luck!
