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Not too long ago ago, people had to actively go out and speak to someone face-to-face if they were hoping to date. , Today, it’s become as simple as signing onto one of many free online dating sites. These pages allow you to experience all that online dating has to offer while giving you the opportunity to see how you stack up in the dating world.
Online dating has come a long way in a relatively short period of time. In the past, the online dating options available to singles (or people in open relationships) were fewer and further between. Worse, at the time, free online dating options were often either highly sketchy, putting your identity and privacy at risk, or simply did not have the membership numbers to give you a worthwhile experience.
The Best Free Dating Sites
Today, app-first options and mobile-friendly sites with their own custom apps – from AdultFriendFinder to Match – have changed the game thanks to massive databases of loyal, active date-seekers providing plenty of fish in the sea to choose from. That means if you’re looking for like-minded people, you won’t have to swim very hard or very far. Now, you just need to find the right dating site or app to sign up for.
That being said, services you pay for usually provide some extra user value to justify the price tag. There’s usually more advanced matching algorithms along with other bells and whistles, and because you must pay to use them, they tend 
to attract people who take online dating a little more seriously. Of course, many free sites have matching systems that work just as well as (if not better, in some cases) their paid competitors, and each dating website or app tends to have its own unique aspect that makes it stand out.
As a result, when considering what’s available these days in free online dating terms, the message is pretty clear: Finding people online to go on dates with doesn’t cost you much money – or any money, for that matter – so you can save your hard-earned cash for the dates you actually go on. If online dating is something you’re thinking about, you really have nothing to lose by trying out a free dating site.
Instead of downloading 20-plus apps and filling out dozens of different dating profiles, get a leg up on your fellow online daters by browsing through this list of the best free online dating sites available right now.
OkCupid
Of all the dating sites and apps out there, OKCupid has become one that singles flock to for their first online dating trial run. People also tend to return throughout their online dating journey unless they’ve settled down for good. The site hasn’t changed much in years, but rather banks on what it does have to offer singles, which seems to continually attract and re-attract members. The site features an easy-to-navigate interface, insightful but not obnoxiously long profiles, and a handful of question you can answer to help the site match you better and find you a meaningful relationship.
You discover potential matches based on searching instead of getting match suggestions, which gives you more control over your online dating experience. For each match you see, you also see the percentage match rate you have with that individual, giving you not just another conversation starter, but an actual data-driven indication (based on the profile questions you answered) of how well you and someone you find in your search results may match. OKCupid has a fun, laid-back feel to it, and users generally adopt a similar attitude when interacting on the site, making it a legitimate choice both for people looking for casual flings, and those in search of more serious, long-term relationships.
