#1 choice for over 50
If you are new to online dating in the United Kingdom, you might be wondering where to start. Is paying for a full membership to UK dating sites and apps worth your money? Are you better off paying for a dating site?
Before you make a decision, here are some of the things you should know about free dating websites in the United Kingdom and the benefits of becoming a premium account holder. Most importantly, you should note that most dating sites are free to sign up and create a profile, but to use any messaging or chat features, you will need to pay for a premium membership. In other words, they are not totally free.
Recommended Dating Sites
These are some of the most recommended dating sites in the UK that include some completely free features:
Problems with 100% Free Dating Sites
1. Catfishers and Scammers
Online dating is a great way of testing the waters, but you will soon notice that most totally free dating sites are filled with fake or inactive user profiles. Since it does not cost a thing to open a profile and start messaging away, everybody can do it. Completely free dating sites are, therefore, incredibly tempting to catfishers and scammers.
2. Members Who Aren’t Serious About Dating
Not everyone is a criminal, though. There are also a lot of people on free dating sites because they just aren’t serious enough to pay for a premium site. They aren’t sure they’re really interested in dating, so they make a free profile for fun. Either way, even the top free dating sites tend to have a much lower quality of matches than you’ll find on premium dating sites like EliteSingles.
Moreover, since the only source of revenue available to 100% free dating sites is advertising, these sites don’t have the capacity for periodic clean-ups. Profiles that haven’t been active in years are still displayed in search results.
What you save in money, you end up spending in wasted time and effort.
3. Limited Matchmaking Features
While free dating sites in the UK offer you a database of thousands of people who are “single and looking”, premium platforms invest in providing professional matchmaking algorithms that will give you personalised matches.
They usually have their own custom-built matchmaking algorithm, for example, matches specifically for those using dating apps in the UK. These algorithms offer suggestions of other online daters you are compatible with based on shared interests, educational, and social background. You can specify whether you’re only open to meeting local matches or if you’d be ok with traveling outside of your city for love. eHarmony and Match are famous for these sophisticated algorithms.
Since free dating platforms can’t afford to invest in algorithms and customised matches, they end up being a lot less efficient and more time consuming than the paid ones. If you want to find someone who is more likely to be the perfect match for you without having to go through thousands of profiles yourself, you should avoid 100% free dating sites. It’s better to use a paid dating site that can give you the quality service you deserve.
Making the Most of Free Registration
The best way to go about things is to take advantage of the free registration and trial period most premium dating sites offer to check the site out and see if free online dating is something worth pursuing altogether. You can experiment with some of the best dating sites, without opening up your wallet.
A free dating account usually allows you to browse user profiles, and send smiles or winks, but if you want to interact with other online daters or calculate compatibility chances, you will have to become a premium member. In other words, to have the most success with meeting someone special on an online dating site, it’s worth it to pay for a subscription.
Discover the top dating sites that include free features, with millions of active members across the UK, with the help of our always-updated list of recommendations from our review team.
Our top picks for April 2025
9.8
9.8
For senior singles, ages 50+
