Safest Dating Sites For Seniors

A dating site for seniors is one that provides those over 50 with a safe, easy way to find companionship and more.

Senior dating sites are the fastest growing segment of the online dating industry. And with the percentage of seniors in the population growing by the day, it’s likely to stay the fastest growing online dating sector.

But, as with all online dating, some dating sites for seniors aren’t worth the free memberships they offer. To prevent you from wasting time on such sites, we’ve done the digital footwork and determined that the following are the best senior dating sites of 2021.

Rankings

1. eHarmony

Without a doubt, eHarmony is one of the most popular senior-only dating sites out there. They have an excellent reputation and years of experience in the online dating business. They offer both free and paid memberships and sign up is fast and straightforward.

– is one of the exclusive dating sites for seniors. Our research during this. SeniorDates.net offers some of the best senior dating sites 2021 has to offer, according to most online user reviews. It provides access to the best dating sites for senior singles according to its number of users, ease of use, and available options. SeniorDates.net is a website for the senior, mature people who are looking for love and romance.

What we like: We appreciate that they let you create a well-rounded picture of yourself. We love that the clientele is generally a cut above many other sites. We like the enormous worldwide pool of members. And their matchmaking algorithm is first-rate.

Flaws: Once you create your profile, they take much of the control out of our hands.

2. SeniorMatch

SeniorMatch focuses on providing companionship for those over 50 and, by all accounts, does a good job. Their free membership is nearly as good as the paid membership on some other sites. It’s not the biggest site membership-wise, but it’s one of the best.

What we like: We like that they let you compose your own blog post. The free membership is not a waste of time like it is on some sites. And it’s good to know that actual humans review the profiles.

Flaws: You can’t communicate directly with someone unless you both have paid memberships. Also, the available pool of members is comparatively small.

3. Our Time

Our Time has seemingly come out of nowhere in recent years to carve out a significant niche in the online senior dating market. One of the things that sets them apart from the competition is the ability to search by astrological sign and, we’re not kidding, blood type.

What we like: We appreciate the detailed matching questionnaire. We like that they present you with new potential matches every day. We also like that the site is free of teenage trolls. And that they offer a discount for 6-month memberships.

Flaws: If you’re not careful, they’ll automatically renew your membership whether you want to or not.

4. Zoosk

Zoosk has quietly gained a reputation for being a safe and effective site for meeting someone special. They don’t have the largest membership base, and they’re not exclusively 50+. But they produce an inordinately large percentage of satisfied customers.

What we like: Zoosk doesn’t have the largest membership, but most seem to be sincere. The website is easy to use, whether you’re on a PC or mobile phone. We also appreciate that they enforce their no-harassment policy.

Flaws: They’re not a seniors-only site, so your choices will be somewhat limited when it comes to 50+ matches.

5. Plenty of Fish

Plenty of Fish has been around a while and has an enormous membership base. While it’s not exclusively a 50+ dating site, the sheer number of members means there are plenty of other seniors in the pool waiting to meet you.

What we like: The ability to search for someone using a wide array of parameters is a plus. And we love that you don’t have to pay to see who’s been viewing your profile. It’s not a senior-specific site, but it does have a large number of 50+ members.

Flaws: Because the site is free, there are a lot of troglodytes lurking in the digital shadows. And, if you want to get rid of the ads, you’ll have to sign up for a paid membership.

6. Silver Singles

Silver Singles caters to the 50+ crowd and has millions of members. It also offers both free and paid memberships, and it’s delightfully easy to use. The site employs a leading-edge personality test to determine matches and has a generally solid reputation for success.

What we like: We appreciate that there are a lot of folks 65 and up on this site. Most of the members also seem sincere. We like the comprehensive personality test. And you can ‘like’ specific parts of someone’s profile.

Flaws: Some people are bound to find their personality test intrusive. Also, you don’t get a whole lot with the free membership.

7. OkCupid

OkCupid offers members of the LGBT community real options when it comes to finding a partner for fun, travel, or whatever. But being open-minded types, they allow anyone to sign up and see if they can find a match. Be aware; conservatives are not likely to find many kindred spirits here.

What we like: We appreciate that they provide a wide range of filters. We also like the amount of control they grant over who sees your profile. That cuts down on the clowns. They also provide a variety of ways a person can identify themselves.

Flaws: There are a lot of racy ads. Also, while they do their best to discourage weasels, there are a fair number of basement dwellers around.

8. Match

Just in case you are one of the few who has not heard of match.com, here’s a brief primer. They were pioneers in the field of online dating. They are one of the few large sites to survive the internet meltdown of the early 2000s. And every other dating site aspires to be them.

What we like: We appreciate that Match.com has more than 20 million members. We also like that there seems to be fewer aggressive losers on this site. And we like that if you don’t find a match in six months, they’ll give you six additional months free.

Flaws: Customer service is not as good as we would like. And they’re not a ‘senior site’ per se.

9. Elite Singles

Elite Singles is a hotbed of dating activity for older working professionals. While they do have some members who are 65+ and some who never climbed the corporate ladder, they mainly cater to those who have. And that’s fine. Birds of a feather and all that.

What we like: We appreciate that they let you ‘like’ specific parts of someone’s profile. We like that it’s one of the fastest growing dating sites around. And while ‘elite’ is a subjective term, the members here are generally well-spoken and accomplished.

Flaws: The signup process can be a bit of a slog. And they don’t allow you to search unless you have a paid membership.

10. Senior Friend Finder

Senior Friend Finder is a partner site of the very naughty Adult Friend Finder. Fortunately, they’ve toned things down a bit for SFF. Although those who enjoy walking on the wild side will still find plenty of what they’re looking for here.

What we like: We appreciate that the site provides seniors with edgier tastes a place to meet. We also appreciate that they keep the pornographic images to a minimum. And the paid membership offers some worthwhile benefits.

Flaws: Don’t wander into the video section unless you’re ready for hardcore imagery. Also, the paid memberships are expensive relative to other sites.

Why do Seniors Need Dating Websites?

Some people spend decades cultivating a career or raising a family. As a result, they sometimes find themselves over 50 and on their own. Perhaps their partner has passed on, or they were recently divorced, or perhaps they never married and are now retired. Whatever the reason the US Census Bureau says that there are currently nearly 20 million US citizens over the age of 65 who are single (1). For these folks, it can be difficult to find someone special. That’s where senior dating websites come in.

Senior dating websites enable older folks to make the kind of contacts younger people take for granted. Because older folks don’t spend a lot of time at concerts, clubs, or school, they don’t have as many opportunities to meet others that young people do. Senior dating websites fill that void. They provide a safe, secure environment for meeting large numbers of people of a similar age with similar interests. The person can take their time, filter out the kind of people they’re not interested in, sift through all the potentials and decide who has earned a face to face meeting. It’s a valuable service that enables many older folks to fend off the loneliness that often comes with getting older (2).

How We Ranked

Ranking senior dating websites isn’t a whole lot different than ranking dating websites for younger people. As both older and younger folks are humans, they share similar hopes and aspirations when it comes to dating sites. They want someone to share life’s special times with, to be a positive presence, and to, perhaps, fulfill the coveted role of being ‘the one’, though that’s not always a requirement.

With those truths in mind, we looked at how easy it was to access the site and whether the sites were mobile-friendly. We also took into consideration how many hoops they required a person to jump through to open an account. After that, we took into consideration how many questions they asked in the profile section and whether those questions were appropriate.

Does that site enable a variety of ways to communicate? That is, do they have their own chat feature? Can you send and receive personal messages through the site, and do they allow for things like winks and smiles etc.? Also, we wanted to know if the site was seniors-only or if there was a mix. If the site has a mixed clientele, are younger people allowed access to senior profiles and to contact seniors?

And of course, we looked at costs. Free sites are great, but the consensus is that they tend to attract more potential scammers. Whereas anytime you have to pay, it tends to weed out the low-lifes. (Whether that’s actually true is hard to quantify. But it is a common perception, and it sounds reasonable enough.) Finally, we scoured the internet looking for feedback on various sites and weeded out those that had uniformly bad reviews.

Benefits

Senior dating sites enable seniors to meet someone special. As we mentioned above, it can be difficult for people that have not dated in decades to meet someone special. Even more difficult if they are not social lions. Senior dating websites enable people who might otherwise have little chance of meeting new people a platform for doing just that. Being able to develop new close relationships later in life can pay enormous mental and emotional dividends for everyone involved.

Senior dating sites prevent seniors from becoming lonely. As we have already mentioned being lonely is a major concern for folks as they get older. Some researchers go so far as to characterize loneliness as a disease (3) because of the adverse effects it can have on a person’s health. The fact is, lonely people tend to die younger than those who have regular contact with people who care about them (4). While they don’t always wind up finding ‘the one’, seniors still often find people through dating websites that wind up being good friends or companions. And that’s a good thing no matter how you measure it.

Senior dating sites are fun. Let’s be real here, seniors are like everyone else. They want to have a good time. They want to laugh and see new places and have interesting experiences. Senior dating sites can be the door through which fun happens. For that reason alone they can be worth the price of admission. (Some are free, which is even better.) Older folks also have a sense of how important it is to savor the moment. That can make meeting someone new even more exciting and rewarding. There’s no underestimating the value of fun (5). And dating sites enable seniors to get back in touch with that most human of experiences.

Senior dating sites keep seniors involved in life. Some folks are happy to circle the wagons and live out their days tending to the homestead. And that’s fine. More power to them. Others, however, want to squeeze every drop out of life. And senior dating sites can help them do that. They hit the hot new restaurants with their new companions, go to movies, go shopping, have picnics in the park, and more. For some, a dating website is the perfect place to find someone to explore the world with. Which brings us to our next benefit…

Senior dating sites can put you in touch with a travel companion. And that can open up the world for both of you. Once the kids have left the nest, or the need to be at the office every day has passed, the world is your oyster. Or at least it can be if you find the right person to share it with. Many people believe that traveling alone beats not traveling at all. But those same people would likely admit that it’s still better to have someone with you. Traveling together is more than just fun, however. It helps build stronger, more lasting relationships as well (6).

Senior dating sites can rejuvenate your sex life. Okay, it’s time to address the 600-pound gorilla in the room: sex. Let’s start by saying it’s not a good idea to wade into the senior dating website waters with only one thing on your mind. At the same time, seniors get just as much out of a good roll in the hay as anyone. In many cases they get more out of it than young people (7). And for a bunch of reasons. They’re more in tune with both themselves and their partners. They’re more patient, and there’s less pressure to be physically perfect. At the same time, there’s more attention to the details that actually produce pleasure. Senior dating sites shouldn’t be mistaken for pleasure palaces, but there’s no sense in denying one’s humanity.

Senior dating sites enable you to determine how involved you want to be. If you have to go out to meet people, things can get uncomfortable real fast. That’s especially true if the person hitting on you turns your stomach. Conversely, if the person you’re attracted to looks like they’d rather be in bed with the plague than talking to you, it can be emotionally difficult. Dating websites allow seniors to bypass the discomfort. You can take your time sifting through the potentials, exchange some almost anonymous greetings and maybe chat online. At the end of the day, though, you can opt-out without the muss and fuss that comes with doing so in person.

Senior dating sites provide you with a plethora of choices. Whether we want to admit it or not, once we leave school, most of us operate in pretty small circles. Even during our working years that circle tends to be fairly small and consistent. As such, the older we get, the more difficult it becomes to meet new people. Dating websites for seniors can reverse that trend by opening up a world of like-minded individuals waiting to share new experiences. In a way, it’s like going to school all over again.

FAQs

Q: Is online dating for seniors safe?

A: Online dating for seniors is typically safe. But that doesn’t mean you should drop your guard before wading into cyberspace. The fact is that the online community is just as rife with undesirable types as the rest of the world. And that includes senior dating sites. While the majority of people on senior dating sites are sincerely looking for someone to share special times with, there are others who seem to live to play games. As long as you can maintain plenty of space between you and them, they’re nothing more than a nuisance.

Q: Can you be too honest with a dating profile?

A: There’s honest and then there’s the unvarnished truth. You should strive for the former and avoid the latter. For instance, a person could say, “Procrastination is sometimes an issue”, or they could say, “I never get anything done, and I don’t really care”. One is honest; one is unvarnished. The point is that the purpose of the profile is to shine a flattering light on yourself. But it can also be useful if a person suggests they’re not perfect. That shows some humility. And a little humility can go a long way in a relationship. Being too cold-light-of-day, however, indicates a person has more or less given up on themselves. Not good.

Q: What should seniors look out for when dating online?

A: First, you are bound to meet someone who interests you but who only makes short, sporadic contact. Maybe they drop you a ‘hi’ once a week but refuse to share their phone number. Or maybe they always find a reason not to meet. Give them a pass. Also, if the L-word pops up prematurely during conversation, you should pass. Either they want something, or they’re just emotionally unstable.

Q: Someone I’ve been chatting with asked me for money. What should I do?

A: Keep in mind that these websites are accessible in almost every country in the world. So if someone says they live in the States, but they struggle with English, be wary. Sure, they may be a recent arrival. But they may also be sitting in a bar half a world away fishing for desperate seniors to manipulate (9). And that leads nicely back to the question: If they ask for money end the conversation and block them. Period.

Q: Aren’t all senior dating sites the same?

A: In the sense that they all cater in whole or in part to folks over 50, yes, they are the same. But there’s more to dating at any age than simply age. And in that regard, senior dating websites are like any other dating website. They cater to different tastes and different preferences. Some put more emphasis on alternative lifestyles. Some cater more to those who are highly educated. While some state up front that they exist to bring professionals together. So while all these sites share a common mission to help older adults find companionship and more, they often differ when it comes to demographics and approach.

Q: Can I access senior dating sites through my mobile phone?

A: Yes, you can access all the senior dating sites on our list via your Android, Apple iOs, or Windows mobile phone. In fact, you have two ways of doing so. You can go to the full internet site by using a browser (10) such as Firefox or Chrome. Or you can download the company’s mobile app and access a more streamlined version of the site that way. Some folks are under the impression that installing an app is a big deal. It’s not. It typically only involves a couple of steps and takes a minute or two at most (11). Once installed, you will still be able to filter search results in the same way as if you were accessing the site with a PC.

70 Year Old Dating Sites

Q: What are some red flags in a person’s dating profile?

A: It is sometimes hard to distinguish between a red flag and poor writing. As a general rule, however, it’s not a good sign if someone fills their profile with cliches like “I love long walks on the beach”. It may be that the person just doesn’t know what to say. Or it may be they are trying to soften you up so they can separate you from your cash. So, if their profile is heavy on the sentiment but light on the photos and personal details, you might want to pass. Also, if they claim to have some high government or military position, you should be very skeptical.

Q: Is it okay to use an old photo for my profile?

A: Everyone wants to show themselves in the best possible light. That’s understandable. And if you feel that a photo from 5 years ago does that, then it’s understandable why you’d want to use it. The problem is one of building false expectations. There are a lot of do’s and don’ts when it comes to profile pictures (12) but using a current one is by far the most important. Since you never get a second chance to make a first impression, you don’t want the first impression to be that you’re dishonest. It’s okay to spend time making sure you look your absolute best for your photo. But you will always get more worthwhile results if it’s a current photo.

Q: Is over-70 dating unrealistic?

A: Not at all. In fact, both the need and desire of adults 70 and over to find companionship is growing in lockstep with the aging American population (13). Right now, as you read this, 1 in every 6 US adults is over 65. Not only that, but a larger percentage than ever are staying fit and engaged in life. That means the chances of finding someone 70+ to share the special times to come with have never been better. So don’t convince yourself there is no one out there for you. There probably is. You just need to do a bit of digital footwork to find them.

Q: Are there do’s and don’ts when it comes to meeting people in person?

A: Definitely. For example, it’s important to take a measured approach. It might be love at first sight, or that feeling might just be wishful thinking. If it’s really love at first sight, then it will still be love next time you meet. So take your time. Listen to what the other person is saying instead of just waiting for them to stop talking (14). Don’t spend all your time talking about how much you loved your dear departed husband or wife. And don’t spend time talking about how rich you are. But do talk about your love of travel. That is a good conversation starter and indicates you’re not hurting financially.

Q: Are senior dating sites all about sex?

A: Not at all. If you are looking for a sex partner you may find one using a senior dating site. But that is not what is motivating most seniors who use such sites. While sex is still important, older individuals tend to have different priorities. They want to see the world. They want companionship. They want someone in their life who knows who Paul McCartney is. And they want to have fun. Sometimes ‘fun’ includes sex. But other times it means trying new restaurants or visiting the pyramids.

Q: Which is better, a dating site or a dating agency?

Reviews Of Senior Date Sites

A: Both dating sites and dating agencies have their upside and downside. Some dating agencies that offer walk-in service are good for those who prefer personal interaction over digital interaction. Other dating agencies arrange for what are essentially mail-order brides, and still others offer something known as ‘speed dating’ (15). Dating websites, on the other hand – including dating websites for seniors – offer you much more control. You decide who to talk to and who to ignore. You can filter out the type of people that don’t appeal to you, and you can determine who you meet. Or whether you meet anyone. The downside is that sometimes undesirable types can make the experience uncomfortable.

Q: Should I bother using a senior dating website?

A: Whether or not you use a senior dating website is up to you. But if you are tired of being alone and are looking for a safe way to meet other people, senior online dating websites are a proven way to do so. Remember that websites that cater specifically to the 50+ crowd craft their profile questions to dovetail with the interests and concerns of older adults. As such, you can feel reasonably confident that whoever has made it past your filters is someone that is at least worth considering. Whether you do more than just consider will be up to you.

Q: How do I avoid dating scams?

A: The best way to avoid dating scams is to make sure you don’t let your emotions or impatience get the better of you. There are some watchdog organizations that have sprung up in recent years, including the Online Dating Association (8). These outfits exist to hold dating sites to certain standards of accountability. And that’s a good thing. The problem is, not all the major online dating sites for seniors are members of such organizations. At least not as of this writing.

Q: Is there any way to verify what someone is telling me?

A: In most cases, online dating requires that you take at least a modest leap of faith. However, there are ways you might be able to verify some of the things you’re being told. The most common way is to ‘Google’ the person. Put their name and location into Google and see what comes up. If you are intrigued but still unsure, ask if you can do a Skype call. If they are a scammer they will likely resist the idea. You can also check various social media platforms. If they have a Facebook page but there are no personal photos (or just one), and few ‘friends’, be wary.

Which Dating Site Is Best For Seniors

Recap

The best senior dating sites offer a safe and reliable way to make contact with other seniors who are also seeking companionship. Most are easy to use and can be accessed either by PC or through your mobile phone. Some of these websites are free, others charge monthly or yearly fees to become a member.

One more thing. While it is entirely possible to find a meaningful relationship through a senior dating site, there are a couple of watchwords that should guide your actions: caution and patience. Don’t rush out to meet the first person who drops the ‘L’ word. And never, ever entertain requests for money.

The dating sites for seniors on our list all have solid reputations for being easy to use, safe, and even fun. If you decide to use them, just keep the above tips in mind.