Dating websites have been around for decades; however, today it has never been easier to find a friend, acquaintance, or long-term relationship. The technological age has advanced to a point where singles are no longer going out to a bar or party to socialise. More than ever dating apps and websites have become the most popular platform to connect with other like-minded people around the world.
Australia is home to more than 4.5 million citizens and dating is no longer just for the younger generations. From teens to over 50s, heterosexuals to the full LGBTQIA community, here are the best online dating sites if you live in Australia.
How did we pick this list?
The following suggestions for online dating apps have been selected based on the best reviews online, the number of Australian users joining and paying for online dating services, and the ease of use of the platform.
The 24 most popular online dating platforms in Australia were compared, but these best options were detailed around popular consumer reviews, highest success rates, levels of security, and the best value for money. App-only sites were excluded.
Best Overall: eHarmony
eHarmony currently has over 1.5 million users in Australia that have signed up since its inception and it is completely free to join. The website boasts that a match is made every 14 minutes but it is mostly used by adults over the age of 30. eHarmony is definitely worth the five-part personal questionnaire upon joining because it asks hundreds of questions about your personality, interest, and hobbies. This questionnaire is designed to match you up with someone who shares similar ideas and thoughts. eHarmony has a successful reputation for matching people that eventually get married.
This popular online dating website has the highest success rate and the lowest divorce rates of its users over any other app out there. If you are looking for a serious relationship that is value for your money, look no further than eHarmony. While joining is free, the paid subscription is worth the extra fee. eHarmony is slightly more expensive than other paid online dating websites but you can choose the length of your membership.
All Premium Light memberships grant users access to 100% of eHarmony’s features, starting from $65.90/m for 6 months, $45.90/m for a year, and $35.90 per month for two full years. The discounts when registering a membership become higher the longer the term you choose. The only major downside to not paying for a membership is that you won’t be able to see profile pictures of other users.
Pros
Cons
Cost: $35.90 – $65.90 depending on the length of your membership
Best Free App: Tinder
Tinder is the easiest free online dating app out there. You simply swipe left or right and if someone has done the same on your account, this will determine if you are matched or not. In Australia, Tinder has almost 5 million users and there is no limit to how many people you can swipe over. There are 26 million matches made on Tinder per day; however only a few of the people that get matched contact each other and set up a date. There are tons of options and opportunities to find someone you are interested in, but if they do not reciprocate, there is no way for you to contact them with a private message with the free membership.
Tinder has a reputation for being used only for hook-ups and very casual encounters, with very few leading to a serious relationship. This is not to say that you won’t find a suitable partner, only that the functionality might hinder your chances. Tinder is free and most users advise that if you have more than 10 matches in a month, it is worth paying for the Tinder Plus subscription. The starting price is $19.99 and allows you to message someone before you have even matched with them. The paid subscriptions also offer the option to hide ads, see how many people have liked your profile, and unlimited “rewinds”.
Tinder is an internationally popular dating app and website that has made millions of matches. However, not everyone is looking for commitment or long-term relationships, and Tinder is the best fit for this. For the paid premium subscription, users gain access to video chat features and there is even a rewind option if you accidentally swipe someone’s profile the wrong way. This app is catered more to the younger generations and it has had a bad rap in the past. Initially, Tinder’s users were looking for simple hook-ups, but recently more users are finding long-term relationships through this app.
Pros
Cons
Cost: Starting price is $19.99
Best Gay Website: Gay Match Maker
Gay Match Maker is home to more than 300,000 Australian members and it focuses on connecting gay and bisexual men looking for long-term and casual relationships under a safe and secure platform with its SSL encryption. The website offers free chat rooms with webcams and your profile can have as many pictures as you like. Gay Match Maker posts LGBTQ events on their websites so that their users are up to date and can arrange social activities. There are even workshops available to registered members.
All of the account options have access to all services Gay Match Maker has available; however, if you want to open unlimited access you can pay a subscription fee. The starting cost per month for a short-term subscription starts at $12.91 and you can choose how long you want to pay for it.
The only real upside to paying for the subscription is if you want your daily wink, message, and gallery limits to be increased. If you are not a very active user, you can get away with the free account. Gay Match Maker is the most popular online dating app connecting gay and bisexual men internationally, and it has been verified that no fake or catfishing accounts exist. The system asks for verification using your photo as identification, such as a driver's license, and each member is evaluated before they are accepted.
Possibly the best part about this app is that it hosts gay cruises and exciting tours where users can choose to travel to meet or just have fun. This app is the best gay online dating website if you are looking for something safe, sociable, convenient, and easy to use.
Pros
Cons
Cost: Starting price is $12.91 for the shortest membership
Best Lesbian Website: Pink Cupid
The reason Pink Cupid is on this list is that it is linked to more than 30 other dating sites worldwide, so their social community is massive. Since its inception in 2006, Pink Cupid has taken the lesbian community by storm, and in Australia alone, more than 1,600 members log in daily with a total of 400,000 members joined. The app is free for a basic membership but this does not allow the messaging feature. If you want to chat with other users you will need to pay a minimum of $11.67. The highest subscription is $39.98 depending on the length of the subscription you choose.
Currently, Pink Cupid has been rated the best dating site for only lesbians looking for close friendships and long-term encounters, but it seems to be more than just a dating app. There is a community growing and many women have been able to make lasting friendships by connecting through this app. The number of users joining Pink Cupid has increased substantially and thousands of members are signing up each day. Although catered specifically to lesbians, Pink Cupid has a ratio of 40% Australian males to 60% females. Probably the best feature about the online dating app itself is that it has a built-in translator so you can communicate with any other person in the world regardless of the language you speak.
Pros
Cons
Cost: Starting price is $11.67
Best for Over 50s: Singles50
If Tinder is not your thing because you feel it is geared more towards millennials and Gen Z, Singles50 is the place to go. It has an almost perfect ratio of men to women so you know there are plenty of options for you to choose from. With most of the users being as young as 40, the app is very easy to use and all members will remain completely anonymous when messaging unless they decide to release personal information. This is a very secure system, especially if you are worried about fake accounts and being catfished.
More than 250,000 Australians have joined Singles50, making it one of the best online dating platforms currently available to older people looking for love. Reviews show that this app has a 41% success rate of its members and a very low divorce rate. This can be attributed to the scientific personality test that Singles50 uses to match members. The only disadvantage is that messaging is only available to Premium memberships.
Singles50 knows exactly what their users want. As there is a defined age group of users, Singles50 is adamant that users have to be 40 years old or more. The personality test that must be filled out upon joining is a long process, yet this is often more acceptable to more mature adults. At this age, people know what they are looking for in a mate and are already well established in their careers and friendships. This allows for serious members to look for a specific mate that is guaranteed to hold the same interests and ideals as you.
One major downfall is that Singles50 is not catered to homosexuals and bisexual individuals. When you register as a female, the system generates that you are looking for a male, but this can be changed. Singles50 is generally heteronormative but you do still have the option to change the “looking for” field.
Pros
Cons
Cost: $59.99 for a 1-month membership
Best for Teens: MyLOL
It wasn’t until recently that teens have been allowed to utilize online dating apps. Purely for the possibility of illegal accounts and inappropriate sexual messages, online dating for teens needs to be monitored carefully. MyLOL is one of the most-used apps for teens aged 13-19 and has over 300,000 users. Members have to validate that they are older than 13 but younger than 19, and teens can connect to thousands of friends using MyLOL’s online chat rooms. Parental consent is required to register for this app and even Google Playstore will deny any teen under the age of 13.
This platform is free and easy to use, allows a member to wink at each other, and has a shake function that initiates a chat room with random members. MyLOL has been the main platform for young teens to connect through social media and chat rooms in the last decade. Teens can connect to their friends or even find new ones across the globe.
Pros
Cons
Cost: Free
Best for Seniors: eHarmony
eHarmony is not only the best-rated online dating app; it is revered as the best for seniors. This app is the perfect blend of a trusted secure online dating app that is easy for anyone to use. eHarmony claims to be fully committed to helping older people find love even later on in life. It has a clever Compatibility Matching System that is calculated using a five-point questionnaire. The questionnaire takes into account your demographics, race, religion, and cultural habits to identify the most suitable single seniors.
Although eHarmony is open to anyone 18 years and older, the rate at which elderly people are looking for love online has increased substantially.
Reason for Being the Best
Overall, eHarmony is the most joined online dating website in Australia currently and it is easy to see why. Each user’s profile offers free relationship advice and promises a fully secure online matching experience. The website states that its complex algorithms to match people to their perfect mate come from years’ worth of research into various relationships and how long-term ones last. The app and website are easy to use and can be filtered to show any type of profile you prefer. If you want to only look at other users who are in your area, follow the same social media groups, or listen to the same music, eHarmony can do it all. Although eHarmony is only really worthwhile if you pay for a membership, their terms promise not to badger you about buying it.