Thursday, January 23rd
2025 Dating Site Reviews
Friend Finder
- Prices from $19.95 to $39.95 per month
- 1-month and 6-month plans
- Free to join, upgrade for usability
- Date men and women
- Users can blog and chat online
Friend Finder is an online dating site that offers searches for more than just your next paramour. You can find friends and get to know others in your area (especially helpful if you've just moved). Founded in 1996, Friend Finder is one of the older dating sites in our review. However, compared to many of its competitors, Friend Finder is pretty mum on the details on its website, and it's one of the lowest membership rates we've seen so far. At the time of our review, there were only 81 members online and browsing. At this time, Friend Finder does not appear to have a mobile app.
Sign up with 5 simple questions
To register, you'll have to go through 5 sections of questions. The process is pretty fast and only covers the basics like who you are and what gender you're searching for, your birthday and location, setting up your email and password (oddly, Friend Finder offers you the chance to use a username rather than your actual name), a few questions about your race, body type, and sexual orientation, and the final section is to give yourself a short introduction.
Display your orientation to other users
While you can only select men and women for your dating pool during setup, there is a section of the site that allows you to detail your sexual orientation. You can select from straight, gay/lesbian, bisexual, and bi-curious. However, there are limited filters to help you find those that match your preferences on Friend Finder. This is just something that goes on your profile.
All profiles need to be approved
There are several unique features on Friend Finder to keep in mind. One feature that helps with security is that profiles need to be approved before you'll be allowed to start chatting. However, reports show that there are still a lot of fake profiles on Friend Finder. Friend Finder also lets you chat with live webcams if you prefer a distant but still face-to-face way to get to know a new match.
Pricing from $19.95 to $39.95 per month
At the time of our review, the prices for Friend Finder depended on which membership you chose. Friend Finder offers a Silver Plan and a Gold Plan. The Silver plan offers partial access to the blog features or pictures from users. You can contact anyone you like from the site with the Silver membership, though. Silver costs $22.95 per month for a 1-month subscription and as low as $10.95 per month for a 6-month commitment. The Gold Plan includes full access to every part of the site including the use of blogs and seeing everyone's photos. The Gold Plan costs $34.95 for one month or as low as $11.95 per month for a 6-month commitment.
Not a lot of details about its success
Despite claiming a large and international user base, there aren't a lot of details for Friend Finder's analytics. Several other sites like "Friend Finder-x” have plenty of buzz, but these are unrelated to Friend Finder which only has a handful of details online and no accurate or current data about membership numbers or how frequently matches and conversations on Friend Finder turn into dates.
Not many positives for Friend Finder
As for reviews, Friend Finder comes in as an average dating site overall. On Trustpilot, the average rating for Friend Finder is 3.6 stars out of 5. Customers who liked the site enjoyed the features and the messaging. However, many users complained about the clunky and old-fashioned interface. The news wasn't great on the Better Business Bureau either, where Friend Finder has a "C-” rating overall.
Not enough benefits to compete
Considering the far more competitive dating sites out there, Friend Finder sits just below average in comparison. There aren't a lot of users online at any given time, and the free content is extremely limited. With mid-tier reviews and a concerning "C-” from the BBB, Friend Finder earns a below-average rating in our review.
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Where is the Best Dating Site Online Today?
Finding your special someone is a huge step, and it's one of the most exciting parts of your life. While usually we'd say love is in the air, it's actually showing up online. Especially post-pandemic, one of the main ways couples are meeting is through online dating or dating sites. According to analytics from the last few years, almost 60 million adults in the US are using online dating services. And of those users, over 70% said that their experience on a dating app led to a romantic, exclusive relationship.
Dating sites are a growing feature of the dating world and can be used for all sorts of things such as finding romance, friendship, or maybe just meeting new people while traveling. Whether you're coming out of a recent relationship, exploring your romantic prospects, or looking for the Mr./Ms. Right to settle down ASAP, you can find a dating site out there to support your goals.
Dating Site FAQ
Continued from above...
Dating sites have some basic features that seem to be standard. Most require a certain number of photos - so you might want to start digging through your recent pics and finding the ones that really represent you - and a bio that helps prospective dates figure out who you are before they match with you. Many modern dating sites are either fully mobile (downloadable on your phone or tablet) or a combination of website and mobile, so you'll find a very streamlined experience for dating sites that you might not have found if you tried them a few years ago.
Inclusivity and advanced filtering features have also made a major update to the online dating sphere. Whether you want someone who has similar religious beliefs, the same music taste, or you want to be more detailed about your sexuality in your profile, modern dating sites offer filters and tags that allow like-minded individuals to find you (and you to find them) faster than ever.
If you're ready to jump into your next whirlwind romance, but don't know which dating site is right for you, don't sweat it. We've put together a list of factors to help you jump into the best online dating pool for your interests:
- Cost. Many dating sites are free to use, but if you want the best chance at finding love, you might need to shell out a little for some advanced features (like extra filters or boosted profiles). In this case, you'll want to make sure you're getting a good value for your money. Check out the features you get and think carefully about how long you plan to subscribe.
- Dating pool. Putting yourself out there can feel discouraging if you don't get matches right away, so you want to make sure that the dating site you choose has plenty of options for you. Are there plenty of active members on your chosen dating site? Does the app or site have filters to help you find your ideal someone? Make sure you've got a solid number of singles to meet when you pick your ideal dating site.
- Platform. Are you a phone-only kind of person or do you prefer to chat on your laptop or PC? Most dating sites have a web version and an app, but some dating sites out there are only for your mobile device. Make sure that you pick a service that fits your preferred communication style and makes it easy to stay in touch with your potential dates.
- Reputation. As always, check out a company's reputation on third-party review sites, app reviews, and the Better Business Bureau. This way you can see how other singles like you have fared on the dating site of your choice, and get unfiltered reviews on the good, the bad, and how likely you are to get catfished.
With a new dating site at your fingertips, you're on your way to your next romantic adventure. To help you find the feeling of love-struck butterflies, Top Consumer Reviews has researched and ranked the top dating sites available online today. This way you can leave the stress of trying to meet new people behind and jump right into your local dating pool. Who knows, your special someone might just be one swipe away!
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