Paid vs. Free Online Dating Sites

The online dating world was limited to paid sites at the very beginning - For a small monthly subscription fee, single people could connect with others in their area, form friendships and romantic relationships, and hopefully find their true connection. But from the early 2000s, though, free online dating websites have began popping up rapidly. Usually running on advertising-supported revenue models, such sites work on a different concept to their paid websites; large, open and advertising-supported vs. exclusive, small and subscription-based. As such, they have attracted a fair bit of attention.

Free dating sites, as of today, are rapidly overtaking their paid counterparts in user-counts and sheer size. But is that a good thing? Just like the biggest restaurants don't always serve the best food, the biggest online dating websites don't always offer the best dating opportunities. When access to a website is absolutely free, where is the barrier to entry for a joke profile or a time-waster? What is there that's stopping people from registering false profiles, using deceptive pictures and going on dates with single men and single women that they certainly are not interested in for any long-term relationships.

This hole is where the free market tends to fall apart. While there are some fantastic possibilities out there, the minimal barrier for entry does nothing to keep out unwanted guests. From credit card scammers all the way to deceptive pictures and tire-kickers, the world of free online dating websites certainly doesn't lend itself to ultra-high quality. Ultimately, it is going to be difficult for the free world to compete in terms of quality. Just like cheap goods are often no match for their expensive alternatives, free online dating websites are unlikely to match paid ones in terms of quality and user experience.

But for some, that is not the goal. Rather than wanting a seamless experience, some single people want access to a large amount of potential dates, at no cost. There is certainly nothing wrong with that – people enjoy free, especially online – and the opportunity to take part in in such sites without having to pay for a monthly subscription is certainly appealing.

Talking about convenience and security, many free online dating sites may offer huge amounts of profiles, easy connections and no cost at all, but they are short on security, packed with imitator profiles and internet scammers, and generally offer a poor design and user experience. In contrast, paid online dating sites depend on user experience – if their subscribers do not enjoy it, they quit – and go out of their way to provide the best experience possible for their subscribers.

So, single people should pick according to their preferences - For those who do not mind wasting time browsing through false profiles, free online dating websites could be their choice. However, for those who value their time and demand security, the world of paid sites is the ideal choice.

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