It’s safe to say we’ve all had a bad experience or two using online dating sites.
But there’s a case to be made about how pay dating sites online actually provide a much better experience than using free sites.
That’s why we decided to make a list of the best paid dating apps and sites, all tried and tested and in some ways, vastly superior to the free options out there.
Let’s take a look at who came in at #1 and why. Yes, it was Zoosk!
First Look at Top 10 Pay Dating Sites Online
- Zoosk – Best Paid Dating Sites Online Overall
- EliteSingles – Best Online Pay Dating Sites for Graduates
- Eharmony – Most Thorough Pay Dating Sites
- Silver Singles – Best Paid Dating Sites for Singles Over 50
- Seeking – Best Paid Dating Sites for Luxury Online Dating
- Friend Finder – Best Paid Dating Sites for Singles Over 40
- Hinge – Top Serious Pay Dating Sites for Millenials
- Match.com – Best OG Top Pay Dating Sites Online
- Tinder – Best Freemium Pay Dating Sites
- Plenty of Fish – Top Serious & Casual Pay Dating Sites
Best Paid Dating Sites for Serious Relationships
Want to find a companion, a one-night stand, or something in between?
We’re going to show you how the best top paid dating sites offer many options you can’t get with a free site.
1. Zoosk – Best Paid Dating Sites Online Overall
Pros
- International dating, 80+ countries
- Behavioral matching technology
- Over 40 million users worldwide
- Mobile and user-friendly app
- Free video chatting available
- Almost no fake profiles
Cons
- Limited free version
Pricing
- Basic free version
- 1 month—$29.99
- 3 months—$59.99 total
- 6 months—$74.99 total
Zoosk is one of the best paid dating sites online with 40+ million users. It was founded by Facebook in 2007 and lets you meet & chat with singles worldwide.
Zoosk’s matching algorithm will recommend matches based on your profile. You have the power to search by age, location, marital status, and more.
If you go for the premium option, you can promote your profile, send virtual gifts, and interact with your connections.
Zoosk uses behavioral matching to link people across the globe, and its sleek UI makes international dating easy.
The Behavioral Matchmaking engine filters profiles based on ones you’ve liked and becomes smarter more you use it. You spend less time weeding out unsuitable matches.
Better than other online pay dating sites, it also gamifies dating with super fun features including commenting on other users’ live streams, virtual speed dating, and a “carousel” game.
It’s also superior to other top pay dating sites online because it asks users to verify their profiles with social media, phone numbers, or photographs, making it easier to identify fraudulent profiles and scams.
Join Zoosk for the best online dating experience!
2. EliteSingles – Best Online Dating Site for Professionals
Pros
- In-depth personality tests
- Millions of users
- Available in 25+ countries
- Perfect for professionals
- Great customer support
Cons
- Best chances only if you have a degree
- Expensive – unless you get 12 months
Pricing
- Premium Light (3 months)—$37.95/month
- Premium Classic (6 months)—$21.95/month
- Premium Comfort (12 months)—$19.95/month
EliteSingles connects professionals worldwide.
One of the top pay dating sites online for singles over 40, most of its users are grads & specialists.
Its clever matchmaking algorithm helps thousands find love every month in 25+ countries. The site’s questionnaire analyzes 29 personality variables to find matches with compatible incomes, communication styles, and more.
EliteSingles premium plans let you message compatible members. You can also browse its media galleries and leave comments to stand out.
EliteSingles is a space where you can find a variety of people who share your professional beliefs for those who won’t compromise on their partner’s educational values and drive for success.
The site boasts 82 percent college graduates (most being between the ages of 33 and 50). It’s one of the best paid dating sites online for people who are comfortable professionally and are seeking romance with a partner at the same stage in their lives.
Try EliteSingles if you want a dating site for graduates!
3. eHarmony – Most Popular Top Pay Dating Sites Online
Pros
- Insanely thorough matching process
- Compatibility scores
- Very unlikely to find people looking for hookups
- Advanced search tools
- Millions of active members
- Free trials available
Cons
- Free memberships are very limited
- Lengthy signup process
Pricing
- Free trial
- 1 month—$59.95
- 3 months—$39.95/month
- 6 months—$29.95/month
- 12 months—$19.95/month
eHarmony is one of the largest and top paid dating sites, and it is credited with starting two million marriages in the United States.
In the past, eHarmony hasn’t always been the most LGBTQIA+ friendly website, and some users think it was only for heterosexuals.
They’ve been correcting this issue over the last several years, and today, it’s becoming a better space for people of all sexual orientations.
eHarmony has many questions to map your likes, dislikes, and values that are highly practical and help find a better match according to compatibility scores.
The main drawback is that without a paid subscription, the app and website will have blurred features and limited chat functions.
But the premium version is 100 percent worth it.
As most best paid dating sites online, it lets you filter search results by age and area. Hence, you can find your match faster.
You also have video and live chats at your disposal so you can better communicate with matches and see if you click.
As it’s one of the top pay dating sites online, it offers one of the top 24/7 customer service teams. To swiftly answer any questions or concerns you might have.
Sign up to eHarmony if you’re using online dating for marriage!
4. Silver Singles – Top Dating Site for Over 50 Singles
Pros
- Perfect for users over 50
- Website and app available
- Useful personality test
- Only for serious dating
- Reasonably priced subscriptions
Cons
- Only 50+ singles can join
- Limited free version
Pricing
- 3 months—$22.95/month
- 6 months—$13.95/month
- 12 months—$11.95/month
Dating after a certain age is difficult. But Silver Singles is the best out of all best paid dating sites online for singles over 50.
Online dating apps sometimes neglect elderly daters in favor of millennials or Gen Z-ers. But Silver Singles is only for 50-plus daters.
Knowing that people your age are looking for love might be comforting. And with so many active members on this website, your chances of finding your perfect match are exponential.
Silver Singles uses a Big Five personality test to match users.
All members undergo a detailed personality test to find matches, and this makes it stand out from other best paid dating sites online.
The site is only for seniors looking for love and serious dating.
The personality test will make sure that the site matches users according to who they are and what they want so that they won’t be subjected to all the mind games common in dating.
Buying a subscription will help a lot as it’s one of the top pay dating sites online, the free version is very limiting. When you have a subscription, you can submit images, view other users’ galleries, communicate unlimitedly, and see read message receipts.
Over 50? Join Silver Singles for serious dating today!
5. Seeking – Top Luxury Dating App
Pros
- Huge dating pool
- Advanced search
- Daily matches
- User-friendly
- Thorough background checks
- 40M+ users
Cons
- Quite expensive
- Some escorts
Pricing
- 1 month—$95.33/month
- 3 months—$89.99/month
- 1 month Diamond—$249.99/month
Seeking is another top option of the online pay dating sites. Previously known as Seeking Arrangement for sugar dating, now it’s all about luxury dating.
Seeking helps you find partners based on a personality test and relationship questionnaire. The website sends matches daily. It helps successful people find matches and has many members.
Signing up is fast and easy – you just enter a username and set a profile photo. After verifying your Seeking account, you can browse for free. If you find your perfect match, you must pay to send messages.
Searching for matches is free, but verification costs money. Verification makes others trust you and provides evidence that you are who you say you are.
As with all the top paid dating sites, Seeking protects members’ data. After receiving your data, they encrypt it using complex methods.
The dating site also has competent customer service, and questions about their services are answered quickly.
Join Seeking if you want a unique dating site!
6. Friend Finder – Perfect Dating App for Singles Over 40
Pros
- Very large dating pool
- Location-based matches
- Free to sign up
- Feels like a social media network
- Great security
Cons
- Limited free interactions
- Mostly users over 40
Pricing
- 1 month—$34.94
- 3 months—$19.98/month
- 6 months—$15.82/month
Friend Finder is one of the largest online pay dating sites, but it’s more like a community as it resembles a social media network that matches singles romantically.
As one of the top pay dating sites online, Friend Finder welcomes all genders and sexualities, and while everyone over the age of 18 can join, most users are over 40.
They strictly check profiles and ban fakes, catfishes, and bots for your protection.
Friend Finder is a community rather than a dating site, so there are many ways to meet people and enjoy the site, like interest groups and forums.
The website uses geolocation, which means that matches are made by proximity. That way, you’ll find local partners and not long-distance relationships.
It’s also user-friendly, with search criteria to find exactly who you want. The search tool finds by location, age, gender, and marital status, as most top paid dating sites do.
If you splurge on the gold memberships, you can access other users’ profiles, intro videos, and images and message new members first.
Try Friend Finder: social media meets online dating
7. Hinge – Serious Online Dating for Younger Generation
Pros
- Several ways to like profiles
- Video chat & voice recordings
- Easy-to-use interface
- Many users
- Great success rate
Cons
- 8 likes per day
- No desktop version
Pricing
- Basic version is free
- 1 month Hinge+—$29.99 (packages available)
- 1 month HingeX—$49.99 (packages available)
Hinge is one of the top paid dating sites – the ultimate icebreaker dating app. “Designed to be deleted” is a tagline that shows its understanding of dating apps.
The app’s statistics speak for themselves. “We Met”, a questionnaire sponsored by Hinge, reporting on first dates, stated that 90 percent of users were satisfied. They called their first date “fantastic”, while 72 percent indicated they’d like a second date.
As with most newer online pay dating sites, its profile creation is fun but time-consuming.
After selecting photographs and settings, you can add dozens of funny or serious suggestions to your profile.
Because of the restricted number of likes per day (eight), you have to spend time on your profile.
Try to say something intriguing or humorous to matches instead of just liking them, and be more intentional about who you’re picking out from the crowd.
You can start video chats from the “Dating From Home” option. Get intimate with audio recordings that answer Hinge’s unique opening prompts that differentiate it from other top paid dating sites.
Hinge+ and HingeX are similar, but X has extras: Priority Likes, Up Front, and Enhanced Recommendations.
Pick Hinge if you want a cool dating app!
8. Match.com – First Well-Known Serious Relationships Site
Pros
- Most well-known serious dating site
- Will filter out what you don’t want
- In-depth questionnaire
- All users have profile photos
- Mobile verification
Cons
- It’s only worth it in the paid version
- Many ads in free version
Pricing
- Standard—$45.99/month
- Premium—from $50.71/month
Since 1995, Match.com has been one of the top pay dating sites online today as it has helped millions find long-term relationships and has 39+ million users.
Match’s familiarity and role as a model for other online pay dating sites comfort many. Also, it has spent years refining its strategy.
They promise that you’ll be dating someone within six months, or they’ll give you six months free.
Match.com is ideal for long-term relationships because of its matching algorithm.
Signing up requires a thorough personality quiz. The questionnaire will take some time to fill but do it thoroughly if you want the best results.
While all dating profiles must have photographs, it prioritizes profile quality over looks, in order to match users. This way, you can make informed decisions based on similarities rather than attractiveness.
This is a more quality-control approach than most other top paid dating sites offer.
Premium Match.com accounts provide unlimited chatting, ad removal, monthly boosts, and Like alerts.
Join Match.com – the OG serious dating app!
9. Tinder – Top Freemium Online Dating App
Pros
- Best freemium app
- Billions of swipes every day
- Both casual and serious dating
- Fast and easy signup
- Available worldwide
Cons
- Free users can only connect with locals
- Users over 30 pay more for premium
Pricing
- Free basic use
- Plus—$4.99/month
- Gold—$14.99/month
- Platinum—$19.99/month
Due to its massive global user base, Tinder is one of the top free and top paid dating sites for singles from all over the world.
They revolutionized online dating with their swiping feature and now get over 1.6 billion swipes every day. The process is super simple: swipe right if you like the photographs, and left if you don’t.
Matches occur when both parties express interest.
Tinder doesn’t position itself as a serious dating site or even a hookup app. Some people use it to hookup, others for serious relationships, and others for casual relationships.
With their new “Relationship Goals” tool, it’s easy to tell from a profile if someone wants a long-term relationship or not. This new feature helps it gain its place among the best paid dating sites online.
All important features are free like limited daily swipes and free messaging with matches. There are also three premium upgrades: Tinder Plus, Tinder Gold, and Tinder Platinum.
They include canceling a left swipe, sending “Super Likes” to those you’re really into, viewing which users have liked your profile (for Tinder Gold members), and, for Tinder Platinum users, messaging someone before you match with them.
Try Tinder, the best freemium dating app!
10. Plenty of Fish – Best for Casual & Serious Dating
Pros
- Good for serious and casual relationships
- Affordable subscriptions
- Screen prompts available
- Easy signup
- Advanced filters available
Cons
- Many ads in free version
- Does not support long texts
Pricing
- Free basic use
- 3 months—$19.99/month
- 6 months—$14.99/month
- 12 months—$9.99/month
Plenty of Fish is one of the oldest online pay dating sites, with over 20 years in the industry, which means they have the experience to help find your mate.
To enhance your chances of finding a compatible partner, fill out all sections of your profile. Once you’ve found a suitable mate, you can begin talking to learn more about one another.
No matter if you’re seeking a serious relationship or a casual hookup, Plenty of Fish has you covered.
Those who use POF as one of the top paid dating sites (premium) get access to more features, including more refined search filters that allow them to narrow their results down to the color of their potential pair’s hair.
We also love the Cue’d Up dating game, a benefit to regular members.
With POF, you may like an infinite number of photos, see profiles without any ad interruptions, and see new users before anybody else when you use it as one of the top pay dating sites online.
It’s an ideal site if you just want to explore the dating pool and then decide later if you want something casual or long-term.
Join Plenty of Fish if you want an experienced dating site!
11. Reddit R4R – Best Not-An-App Online Dating
Pros
- You can use it anonymously
- Different subreddits that cover anything
- Millions of people use it
- Post personal ads or stories
- 100 percent free
Cons
- Not a dating app
- No special features at all
Pricing
- Completely free
Not technically one of the online pay dating sites, Reddit R4R is a subreddit for users who are interested in interacting & online dating, virtually or in person.
Short for “Redditor for Redditor,” this forum-style dating site connects you with women and men from all around the world, where you can chat, flirt, and share images.
You can create a real account or just post anonymously. Use the Reddit app without spending a dime. Your sent messages are all encrypted for security.
Since it’s such a wide pool of people, that also includes members from the LGBTQIA+ community. You can post an ad stating what you’re looking for and easily find someone on R4R.
Check out Reddit R4R for forum-style online dating!
12. HER – Best for Lesbians, Bisexuals & Trans Women
Pros
- Solely for bisexual, trans & lesbian women
- Decently priced premiums
- 10+ million users
- All types of relationships
Cons
- Frequent ads in the free version
- Sign up just with Facebook or Instagram
Pricing
- Free basic version
- 1 month— $14.99
- 6 months—$10/month
- 12 months—$7.50/month
What sets HER apart from other best paid dating sites online is that it’s just for women (lesbians, bisexuals and trans) and for all types of relationships.
It combines a dating app with a social media network. This means that you can meet people, go on dates, find a serious relationship or a hookup, and make connections.
Registration is required through either Instagram or Facebook, but at least it’s free.
There’s a “Looking for” section on every profile, so this way, you can choose people who want the same thing as you – a serious relationship or more of a “wait and see” kind of deal.
You get a dating newsfeed, status updates, and access to the Groups section of the site, which is great for initiating conversations.
One of the things that makes HER one of the top pay dating sites online is that, in addition to swiping, it also allows users to send friend requests.
Join Her – the dating site that’s just for LGBTQIA+ women!
Tips for Finding Love on Online Pay Dating Sites
Sure, you could find hundreds of dating tips, but what applies to someone on some best paid dating sites online might not apply to you.
Here are some things you should consider when you start using one of the top paid dating sites.
1. Figure Out Which is the Best Dating Site for You
While we thoroughly reviewed each site and made observations, only you can determine what is the best dating site for you.
Some users feel that free dating sites are good for casual fun but paid dating sites are better for finding long-term relationships. This is because of better matchmaking tools and higher-quality profiles in general.
Don’t Post Photos with a Lot of Filters
For the best success rate you should post at least a few really good photos of yourself.
Don’t use a lot of filters (preferably none). Try to avoid “hiding” behind large clothes or accessories, or even your friends.
Try to include, at the minimum, a headshot and a full-body shot, no matter if you pick best paid dating sites online like Zoosk or Seeking.
Be Yourself & Make It Easy to Chat with You
Your dating profiles, no matter what top paid dating sites you choose, allow you to present yourself to potential partners. Don’t leave them empty or write super basic and impersonal things.
Put some effort in, reel them in, and give them something to make it easy for them to start a conversation with you.
To attract more people, don’t be afraid to be yourself on the best paid dating sites online. People look for green flags and avoid red flags, but they also avoid those with no flags at all.
If you only give super basic info or respond to prompts on Hinge like everyone else, you won’t stand out.
Be creative, fun, and try to connect with humor or by telling a story. It’s better to make a super corny joke than be like millions of other people on online pay dating sites who just start with “hi” or “How’s it going?”.
Be Direct about What You Want from the Relationship
No matter what online pay dating sites you choose, always be very direct about what your intentions are and what you want. If you want something casual, say so. If you want a serious relationship that leads to marriage, say so.
And depending on what you’re interested in, pick the right online pay dating sites. If you want something serious, go for Zoosk. If you want something more casual, try Tinder.
If you were looking for a soulmate, then shared values, including religious affiliation, would play a bigger role. Joining a niche site like Christian or even Catholic dating sites, would help you find a more compatible partner who understands your lifestyle and outlook.
Top Pay Dating Sites Online FAQs
Have more questions about using paid dating sites? Here are some common Q&As.
Which Paid Dating Site Is Best?
Many feel the best paid dating site is Zoosk on account of its live video streaming community.
In addition, the site also offers behavioral matching technology, which matches you up with someone you’re more likely to connect with, based on your own dating patterns.
However, you will also notice when reading dating sites reviews sites are clearly targeted at specific audiences.
For example, Zoosk, Silver Singles, and Friend Finder cater to users over 50.
On the other hand, Hinge is millennial-friendly, while Tinder is more popular with zillennials.
Knowing the type of person you want to attract is all part of the dating process.
How Do Online Pay Dating Sites Work?
Online pay dating sites all have a free version and a premium version.
The free version gives you the ability to sign up and use the basic functions of the site.
To access all features and make the most out of any top paid dating site, you must go for the top paid dating sites and get the premium version.
What Are Red Flags for Online Dating?
When discussing online dating, “red flags” refer to future problems or “signs” of trouble.
These might include noticing subtle things about your date that might make you feel uneasy or that something is off.
Examples include:
- Incomplete profiles
- No pictures
- Asking for money
- Not wanting to meet IRL
- Professing love too soon
Always try to stay objective when it comes to online dating. Give everything more time.
If you’re falling in love, then waiting a few months won’t matter. But if you are patient you’re more likely to see red flags which might be a big deal later on.
Conclusion – What Are the Top Pay Dating Sites Online?
There are hundreds of online pay dating sites out there, but only a handful are going to be helpful for you, on your very personal journey.
Our top paid dating sites choice is Zoosk.
Many agree that Zoosk is the best out of all top pay dating sites online for its impeccable behavioral matching technology, 40+ million users from all over the world, and its live video streaming community.
The face-to-face meeting feature ensures there are almost no fake profiles since you can test chemistry instantly and see if your crush is a real person or not.
Your own top choice may differ, and that’s fine. We encourage you to compare sites and see which one fits your needs the best.
What matters is that you’re getting out there again, and that’s a huge step in the right direction!
