If you’re like the majority of singles out there, Match.com was probably your first stop on your online dating journey. It’s a super well-known app, it markets heavily to singles all over the world, and just seems like the logical first step.
However, also like a lot of people, Match may have left you wanting a little more. It’s a site that’s been lagging behind the competition over the past few years with updates, features, and the overall quality of the experience.
If that sounds like where you’re at today, we have two pieces of good news. Number one—you’re not alone. Number two—there are plenty of great Match alternatives that offer similar services but don’t fall short in some of these key categories.
So, if you’re ready to continue your search for online dating success, let’s get to looking at our favorite Match.com alternatives that you can join today!
The Top Match Alternative
Probably the most searched comparison in all of online dating is Match.com vs. eHarmony—and for good reason! eHarmony is quite similar to Match, though, it shines in a few areas where we feel like Match could improve. Put that all together and you easily have the top Match.com alternative.
How eHarmony is a Better Alternative to Match
The biggest difference between eHarmony and Match is that eHarmony is more heavily geared toward serious relationships, whereas Match tries to cover both serious and casual dating on one platform. While this two-pronged approach can work from time to time, it also can create a watered-down experience for both groups.
In short, eHarmony has some extra features and a more in-depth matching algorithm. If you liked aspects of Match and want something similar and possibly something with a little more attention to matchmaking help and the serious side of things, eHarmony is the Match.com alternative you’re looking for.
Best Similar Match.com Alternative
Did we just say similar and alternative in the same sentence? We did! Just because something is a Match.com alternative doesn’t mean that it has to be wildly different and reinvent the wheel. Match clearly has a good track record of success, but you might not be finding the right guy or gal on there you’re looking for.
How Zoosk is a Better Alternative to Match
In our opinion, Zoosk takes a wildly similar approach to the online dating process (you do most of the searching for matches yourself). The matching, searching, and connecting features between the two sites are quite similar. However, the major differences are that Zoosk seems to be more committed to adding new features and the userbase size at Zoosk is over 35 million—which is massive and much larger.
If you like how Match works but you want to try your hand with a brand new group of people, give Zoosk a shot. You can always use the free trial link below to search around the site to see what it has to offer before upgrading to a premium membership.
Best Alternative to Match for Christian Singles
It’s always exciting when a brand new dating app hits the market, especially when it’s one that aims to serve those looking for more serious relationships. If you are a Christian single and you’re tired of Match or looking for somewhere else to expand your horizons, it’s time to get ready for Higher Bond!
How Higher Bond is a Better Alternative to Match
Launched in the Summer of 2022, this Christian dating app aims to serve singles whose faith is the driving force behind their relationship decisions. With a faith-driven algorithm, more safety and security checks, and manual account approvals—it’s a winner.
If you’re looking for a Match.com alternative and you’re not a Christian single, this won’t be a good fit for you. But if a faith-focused relationship is on your priority list, you’ve got to check out Higher Bond.
Match.com Alternative for Young Professionals
One thing Match.com does well is market to the younger demographic. The app does do a good job of attracting young professionals who are looking for that healthy balance of career, love, and family.
Thankfully, they’re not the only ones that know how to get that job done. Elite Singles is one of the leading online dating apps for young professionals, business owners, entrepreneurs, and people with goals in life—making it a perfect alternative option to try.
How Elite Singles is a Better Alternative to Match
If you’re really looking for someone who “has it all together” with respect to their career and life goals, Elite Singles is laser-focused on that. At Match, you have to sift a bit to find the people who fit this bill. At Elite Singles, though, over 85% of the single men and single women have an above-average level of education.
If you’re looking for smart, driven singles—check out Elite Singles.
Faith-Based Dating Alternative to Match.com
Much like eHarmony, a lot of people assume that Match.com is a Christian dating site. Surprising to some, that’s actually not the case, even though a lot of the singles on there are Christian.
If you fall into that camp (which is totally normal) and you’re here looking for a Match.com alternative that has a lot of Christian singles, you should check out Christian Mingle.
How Christian Mingle is a Better Alternative to Match
Christian Mingle is 100% dedicated to Christian dating and has a lot of high-quality members—15 million+ to be exact. Match, on the other hand, does have a lot of Christian singles, but that’s not the prime focus of the platform. The style of matching and dating at Christian Mingle is fairly similar to what you see at Match.com, though. That all together makes the app a great fit for people who didn’t necessarily dislike Match, but just want something more faith-focused.
Best Alternative for Quality Singles
One of the newest online dating apps that really focuses on attractive quality singles is The League. As Match.com is known for having pretty good quality, it puts it in the same boat as The League. The big difference, though, is that Match.com goes more for the traditional quantity approach (tons of singles to sort through). The League goes more for quality with just a few expertly procured matches a day.
How The League is a Better Alternative to Match
Did we mention the The League has a waiting list? While that might not sound like something that makes it a better alternative to Match.com, think about what that means (and why they do it). It allows The League to maintain a more exclusive group of singles that fit their standards for membership.
Be aware the dating experience is going to be wildly different, so this becomes a great pick if you really just didn’t like much of what Match had to offer.
Comparing These Match.com Alternative Options
Looking for something in particular? Well, we wanted to give you some additional information to help. We’ve even included the data on Match.com in this chart to help you compare to what you’re used to (if you’ve been using the site).
| Site | Founded | Size | Memb. Type | Starting Price | iOS App? | Android App? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eHarmony | 2000 | 29 million | Subscription | $35.90 | Yes | Yes |
| Zoosk | 2007 | 40 million | Subscription | $12.49 | Yes | Yes |
| Higher Bond | Launches 2022 | NA | Subscription | NA | No | No |
| Elite Singles | 2009 | Not Public | Subscription | $44.95 | Yes | Yes |
| Christian Mingle | 2001 | 15 million | Subscription | $12.99 | Yes | Yes |
| The League | 2014 | Not Public | Subscription | $67.00 | Yes | Yes |
| Match | 1995 | 10.9 million | Subscription | $18.99 | Yes | Yes |
What Makes These Great Match.com Alternatives?
There’s a lot that goes into picking an alternative to a dating site like Match.com, and frankly, we think it’s super important that we do it well. People looking for an alternative most likely are coming off of a less-than-stellar experience. If the next dating site or app you try isn’t wildly better, that might turn you off to the idea of using technology to find love forever.
So, how do we pick the best Match.com alternatives? Here is a small sample of some of the factors we pay the most attention to.
Different and Similar Options
The reason you didn’t enjoy Match could be for one of two main reasons—either you liked how the app worked but had no luck or you didn’t like how the app handled matchmaking. For that reason, a good alternatives list needs to have some options that are similar (but hopefully better), as well as options that take a different approach.
On our list, the more similar options include eHarmony, Zoosk, Elite Singles, and Christian Mingle. The options that take some form of a different approach are Higher Bond and The League.
Different Features
Many of these Match alternatives have some of the same features that you’re going to find on Match. However, many of them employ different ways to match you with other singles. Here’s the thing; you don’t want something identical to Match.com because if Match was perfect for you, you wouldn’t be here looking for a substitute!
- eHarmony – Takes a more structured approach to matching and puts a lot more weight on the algorithm and matching features.
- The League – Gets you away from the “catalog” and “shopping” type feel of dating apps like Match. Instead of endless profiles to swipe through, you have just a few high-quality singles every day to look at.
- Higher Bond – The app uses batch-style matching and takes a much more pronounced quality over quantity approach to the dating process.
- Christian Mingle – 100% faith-focused. While this technically isn’t a technology feature, it is an important and helpful characteristic of the site.
High-Quality Singles
If you started your online journey at Match.com, the chances are high you’re not looking for mediocre singles who are looking to play games. You’re probably looking for high-quality singles who are looking to find something meaningful and special. Each of the options we’ve recommended today fits this bill nicely.
Similar Pricing
When it comes to the price for all of these online dating apps, they’re all relatively in the same ballpark. Christian Mingle is a bit less expensive than the rest, but everything is still within the same realm. You probably already know that you get what you pay for when it comes to online dating, but that’s still no reason to ever overspend. You’ll find that all of these options should fit a single person with a similar budget to those at Match.com.
Will I Have Success with Sites Like Match?
A legitimate concern that people have is that if things didn’t work out with dating on Match, what are the chances they’re going to work on sites like Match? If you couldn’t find someone special there, are you just doomed forever on anything that resembles the same setup?
Here’s the truth be told answer—no, as long as you’re willing to be honest with yourself. For most people, their ideal match just wasn’t on Match. They weren’t doing anything wrong; they just didn’t find someone compatible. And if that’s you, these apps like Match should get you excited! Why? Because as long as you keep doing what you’re doing, you’re going to find that special someone.
Think about it in terms of “real life.” If your sole mate is at one bar and you’re at a different bar, no matter what you do, you’re not going to meet them. But if you switch to the same bar they’re at, you don’t have to do anything different to meet them! You just needed to change locations. This is the case for most people who are looking for sites like Match.
That being said, we do want to add one disclaimer. Make sure you take a minute to ensure you’re not doing something to drive away the opposite sex. Is your profile good? Do you have great pictures of you? Are you sending good messages? All of these are things we assume we’re doing well but maybe aren’t.
How do you know? Well, here are a few helpful (and free) resources that should be able to help you check. We highly recommend reading these before you embark on these amazing Match.com alternatives.
- Beginners Guide to Online Dating
- Write the Perfect Dating Profile
- How to Get More Online Dates
- Sending the Perfect First Message
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Written By: Matt Seymour
Matt Seymour is a dating industry expert with over a decade of experience coaching singles, reviewing dating apps, and analyzing trends within the industry. With a Masters of Science in Finance (MSF) degree from the University of Florida and extensive knowledge of the innerworkings of the online dating industry, Matt frequently serves in an advisory role to some of the largest dating apps on the market. In Matt’s current role with Healthy Framework, he leads the interview team that regularly interviews key dating industry leaders, and leverages his financial knowledge and dating app experience to review and share what singles need to know to get the most out of dating online.