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Popular Dating Services Through the Years

Match.com is an online dating service that is available in 25 countries and 8 languages. Starting out as a free service, it became a subscription company in 2001 with members paying $24.95 per month. Now, a subscription is $42.00 per month, although the managing company also owns OKCupid and PlentyOfFish which feature free basic memberships.

eHarmony is a paid dating service that pioneered the use of algorithms to match couples based on core traits and values. Users answer a 258-question profile, and some are rejected for reasons including that they are currently married, provided inconsistent answers, or is identified as possibly having severe depression.

PlentyOfFish is based in Vancouver, British Columbia. As of 2015, the site had more than 100,000,000 registered users and was sold to The Match Group which also owns Match.com, OKCupid and Tinder.

ChristianMingle is an faith-based, online dating service that is geared toward Christian singles. Starting out as a website, the app was launched in 2014. In July 2016, ChristianMingle began serving gay men and women as well, as a result of a non-discrimination lawsuit.

OKCupid was the first major dating website to offer unlimited messaging for free. The site uses multiple-choice questions and member-created quizzes to create matches between users.

Badoo is the most widely used dating network in the world. Based in London, it operates in 190 countries and is available in 47 difference languages. Founded in 2006 the service has evolved from a website to a mobile app.

Grindr is the first social networking app designed for gay and bisexual men to meet other men in their area. The app is available for free and paid subscription, and (as of 2014) had more than 5,000,000 monthly users.

Boasting the tagline “City folks just don’t get it!” Farmers Only is an online dating website. From reviews by many users, most users are working people who don’t have time to get out and meet new people. Although the name may suggest otherwise, the app is used in the city and country alike.

Bumble is the most recent and has continued to gain popularity for its concept that girls must send the first message. It also has a feature to search for friendships. The app was created by the founders of Badoo (Andrew Andreev) and Tinder (Whitney Wolfe) to create a “women-focused dating app.”

Tinder is a location-based social app that shows users photos of singles based on preferences you select when joining. You swipe left if you don’t like them and swipe right if you do. If two people both swipe right on the other's photo, you've matched and can start a conversation. Tinder was the app that brought this new type of dating to the mainstream.

Coffee Meets Bagel is a free dating app that markets itself as a way to get to know “real people.” The app includes a feature called “Video” where users film themselves responding to a daily prompt question. The use of video gives users a chance to show their personality.