Dating apps for older professionals

Dating over 50 can be fun, exciting … and a little bit daunting! After all, many older adults haven’t dated in a long time as most people return to dating after the loss of a partner. You might find things have moved on quite a bit and the senior dating scene is not the same as it used to be.

Finding a new love can be extra challenging for adults in more rural areas and smaller towns or those who don’t have a wide social circle.

List of the Best Senior Dating Sites in 2020

Enter the Internet. The world of online dating has really taken off in the last few years. Nowadays, online dating is as normal as any other kind, and a great way to meet new people. We set out to find the best dating sites for those aged 50+ who are looking to meet someone new.

Top Matchmaking Dating Sites

It’s Just Lunch – Best Professional Matchmaking

About: It’s Just Lunch is a professional matchmaking service that has been serving singles for the last 28 years. The matchmakers get to know each of their clients and have a high rate of success matching up singles in the major metro markets It’s Just Lunch serves.

Connecting: The professionals at It’s Just Lunch act not only as a matchmaker, but also help arrange the details of your face-to-face meeting with a potential match. No match? No problem. Provide feedback to your matchmaker and the fine-tuning begins.

Cost: Depends on location

Top Over 50 and Specifically Senior Dating Sites

Silver Singles Senior Dating – Best Month-to-Month

About: Silver Singles is a senior dating site designed especially for the 50+ crowd who are looking to meet new people, and hopefully a new love. Silver Singles is open to men and women, gay or straight, over the age of 50. Because it’s specifically for over 50s, members know that everyone on the site is in their age bracket and stage of life.

Connecting: Free members can view profiles and see who’s in their area. Paid members can reach out and send messages, and also take advantage of Silver Single’s matching algorithm that searches for matches based on lifestyle and views, to help members find someone they’re likely to click with. Members can also take a fun personality test that helps them understand and communicate their views, values, and preferences.

Cost: Starts at $12.95 monthly if you sign up for a 12-month plan.

OurTime Senior Dating – Best Senior Specific Site

About: OurTime is also designed especially for members aged 50+. Members can fill out detailed profiles covering everything from age, weight, ethnicity and religion, to lifestyle, job and preferences. Because everyone on the site is over 50, members don’t have to worry about screening by age, and there are lots of options for connecting.

Connecting: OurTime offers many ways to connect with members. You can “like” people, and the site will keep an easy to use record of who you liked, and who liked you. Members can search by a range of criteria, or by using a Tinder-style “swipe right” search function. They can also send one another virtual gifts, and browse 10 hand-picked daily matches.

Cost: Starts at $17.96 monthly if you sign up for a six-month plan. Sending virtual gifts and some features such as “match me” and “promote me” are unlocked using extra tokens that cost $0.99 for 25 tokens.

Top Faith-Specific Dating Sites

Christian Cafe – Best for Christian Singles

About: Christian Cafe is a dating site aimed at people of the Christian faith. The community is pretty diverse – some are deeply committed Christians, while others place some importance on their faith but aren’t as deeply attached to it. There are plenty of members of all ages and backgrounds and a wide variety of interests, which makes it a great place to meet partners who are 50+. The main benefit of is that people whose faith matters to them can connect with others who share the Christian faith.

Connecting: Christian Cafe is a Christian-owned membership dating site not just for people looking for love, but they also offer a robust forum for those looking for fellowship and advice. Chrisitan Cafe offers a 10-day free trial for all new members to try out the features they offer like sending and receiving messages. Some members login several times a day to participate in the active online community.

Cost: Starts at $18.32 monthly if you sign up for a six-month plan.

JDate – Best for Jewish Singles

About: JDate is a dating site for Jewish singles looking for others in their faith. It’s a big community – some 2 million members – so Jewish seniors have got a great chance of finding someone in their age range and their locality. For Jewish seniors who want to meet someone of their faith, JDate is a fantastic resource.

Connecting: JDate‘s in-depth profiles include not only the basics but beliefs and religious practices so users can connect with someone who shares their practices and approach. It’s free to search and favorite members, though users need to pay to send messages. Daily Matches makes it even easier to find the right person by suggesting ideal matches based on members’ profiles.

Cost: Starts at $19.99 monthly if you sign up for a six-month plan.

CatholicMatch – Best for Catholic Singles

About: CatholicMatch is a dating site specifically for Catholics. The attention to detail is impressive – members aren’t just categorized as “Catholic.” Profiles include extensive details about practices, how often they attend mass, which church doctrines they accept and so on. The folks behind CatholicMatch have taken great care to make sure everything about the site fits with Catholic beliefs and morals, down to the content that’s posted and any events that are organized. Although it’s an all-age site, Catholic seniors who want to find someone who shares their faith will appreciate the extensive search options. Read our CatholicMatch review here to learn more.

Connecting: New users can search for free and see what kind of matches are in their local area, so they know whether it’s worth the cost of signing up. However, you do need to become a paid member to send messages. Members can search by level of involvement with faith, as well as many other options, so it’s easy to find people who share your commitment and values.

Cost: Starts at $12.99 monthly if you sign up for a six-month plan.

Popular Dating Sites for all Ages

eHarmony Online Dating – Best Overall Dating Site

About: eHarmony is one of the most well known dating sites on the web today, with over 33 million members. However, older adults needn’t worry about getting lost in the shuffle – eHarmony’s unique matching system makes it easy for users to find other compatible people to strike up a conversation with. Although it’s not a senior dating site specifically, with so many members you are sure to find someone in your age range. Read our full eHarmony review here.

Connecting: eHarmony is unusual in that there isn’t a search function. Instead, members start their eHarmony journey with an extensive questionnaire that takes around 45 minutes to complete. eHarmony’s unique search algorithms then match members with those who are the best fit – up to 10 at a time. This matching technique has worked for eHarmony and its many happy members for 17 years, so there’s a real history of success behind it. There’s also a fun “What If?” feature that matches members with up to 30 people that the system has determined are not an exact match, but are close enough for there to be a spark.

Cost: Starts at $19.95 monthly if you sign up for a 12-month plan.

Elite Singles – Best Questionnaire

About: Elite Singles combines the values of MatchMaker with the “done for you” search functionality of eHarmony. The focus is on professional people who are searching for a serious long term relationship (82% of members hold a university degree.) The majority of the user base is aged 35 – 55, so seniors in the 50 – 55 age bracket should see plenty of potential matches.

Connecting: Members get started with a detailed questionnaire asking about their demographics, lifestyle, opinions and preferences. The survey takes around 45 minutes to complete. Just like eHarmony there is no search function. Instead, users get 7 – 10 ideal matches daily. If any catch their eye they can register their interest and reach out. There’s also a wild card function that shows matches that don’t fit their profile quite as clearly.

Cost: Starts at $19.99 a month if you sign up for a 12-month plan.

MatchMaker – Most Affordable

About: MatchMaker is a long-running dating site (it first went live in 1996!) that is geared towards those looking for long-term commitment and the marriage-minded. Although it’s not a senior dating site, Match Maker caters to the over 35 crowd as part of its values of commitment and finding long-term relationships. Match Maker is quick and easy to sign up for.

Connecting: Members can view and search, and even send a few complimentary messages, for free, but need to upgrade in order to reply, and send unlimited messages. Match Maker offers a basic search function (age, gender, location etc) and a more advanced option where members can screen by lots of criteria. Members can also save their favorite searches to use again in the future.

Cost: Starts at $11.66 monthly if you sign up for a 6-month plan.

With so many different options to choose from, older adults are sure to find a dating site whose user base and ethos closely matches what they are looking for. With so many people to meet and such affordable options, it’s never been easier for seniors to meet new people, right from the comfort of their own homes.