Free Dating Site versus Paid

Is It Worth Paying for a Membership?

All but one of the dating sites we reviewed offered a free membership option. Since the majority of dating sites are for profit they charge for some of their services.

Below are the advantages and disadvantages of the three models of membership types.

Type of Members: All Paid vs All Free vs Both Paid and Free

All Paid Members

  • You know all, if not most, of the members are serious about finding a date or potential partner.
  • You know any member you send a message to can read it and respond, if they wish to.
  • You may not be able to find out how many members are in your geographical area until you join the site.

All Free Members

  • You can read other profiles and contact members.
  • The members may or may not be serious about finding a date or potential partner.
  • Since the membership is free, the customer service may not be up to par. To make money, there will likely be ads on the site.

Both Paid and Free Members

Paying for Membership

  • You have access to all features of the site for the particular membership level that you signed up for.
  • You can read other profiles.
  • You can initiate contact with members, although some sites don’t allow free members to read or respond to the messages.
  • Some sites allow all members (free and paid) to connect in the chat rooms (if available) or by instant message (if available) with other members who are online. The number of potential people online at any one time will vary greatly and is dependent on the number of members who use the site.

Free Memberships:

  • You can get an inside view of the site and see if its right for you before you purchase a membership.
  • While you can post a profile, some sites don’t allow you to read other profiles.
  • Many have restrictions on how free members can contact other members. Free members may not be able to read emails received, initiate contact, or use the chat rooms or instant messenger. Other sites allow free members to respond to messages and/or chat with other members who are online in the chat room or using instant messenger.

Check out our dating site reviews. We’ve done some of the research for you so you can quickly choose which dating site(s) you wish to join. Dating Site Reviews