A guide to dating sites: from the most popular to the most unusual

Online dating is very firmly entrenched in our daily lives. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to find someone among your acquaintances who would never use a dating site or application, if only out of curiosity. And some may even have met their love online, built a family and now live happily together.

Online dating success stories really inspire and motivate you to explore this format if you haven’t already. But as soon as you decide to try, another question arises: “Which online dating service should I choose?”

The most obvious solution at first seems to be using the most popular sites like Tinder, Bumble, Badoo and the like. After all, they have a huge audience and the chance to make a successful acquaintance seems higher. But is that so? Not really. A large audience is not always an advantage. Often this only complicates the search, and you waste time on people who are not really suitable for you. This is one of the reasons why top online dating sites are gradually losing their popularity. Less popular niche platforms, on the contrary, increase it. It is the latter that we want to talk about today.

Non-standard sites, dating apps and free video chats

Let’s qualify right away that we do not urge you to completely abandon popular dating services. It’s still possible that they will be the best option for you. But combining them with more niche platforms is still worth it. After all, they can significantly simplify the search for a soulmate.

So let’s take a look at some popular niche and quirky dating services!

1. Teamo. A well-regarded dating site, which operates based on the search for users with maximum compatibility. Each new member must pass a personality test, after which the internal algorithm evaluates it according to seventeen matching criteria. Then, the system will try to select the most suitable potential partners. And under each other user’s photo you’ll see how closely you match.

Of course, you should not completely rely on this algorithm, because it is not perfect and can be wrong. In addition, not all users honestly and frankly answer the questions on the personality test. But as a back-up guide, the percentage of matches can be useful.

2. LinkYou. The developers call this site a closed dating club where you can find a partner for life. The main advantage of the service is the ability to search for a soulmate by profession, nationality, religion and many other parameters. This is really convenient, because flexible search settings can significantly increase your chances of success. Among other things, developers note strict moderation on the site. Immoral behavior, obscene language, disrespectful statements about other users and the like are prohibited. Anyone doing this may be temporarily or permanently banned on the site.

3. The Alphabet of Loyalty. A very unusual dating service, which was created for devout Orthodox believers. The audience of the site is relatively small — less than 100,000 people. But there are convenient search tools and a lot of additional functions. For example, a built-in online library of themed literature, a Bible calendar, theological tests, photo quizzes and much more.

Of course, this site is not for everyone. But if you are a believer and are looking for a soulmate who will share your life views and position, the Alphabet of Loyalty could be an excellent choice for you.

4. Date My Pet. This is a dating site for people who cannot imagine their life without pets and want to find a soulmate with the same attitude towards animals. You can search for potential partners by location, communicate online, arrange joint walks with your favorite pets, and other leisure options.

By the way, in 2004, Date My Pet became the leading dating site for single pet lovers. And in 2014, the site became a partner of the global media group Venntro Inc, joining a large dating network that reaches millions of single people around the world.

5. VideoChat.chat. Video chat for quick and pleasant encounters with people from anywhere in the world. The VideoChat.chat website and application offer users a gender filter, a convenient built-in message translator and flexible settings for searching for people by a number of parameters.

Videochat.chat is, on one hand, a niche service. On the other hand, it is very popular, with a large and diverse audience. If you like the video chat format for communication with lots of new people, be sure to check out videochat.chat/girls. You’ll definitely like it!

6. Singles With Food Allergies. As you might guess, this is a dating site for people with food allergies. You must agree, sometimes differences in diet can affect the relationship between loving people and potentially very seriously. Therefore, the developers of Singles With Food Allergies created their own service.

Here you can easily find people with the same eating habits and unique tastes as you. No more hassle about choosing a restaurant for a first date or cooking a meal together that you both will enjoy. Be sure to consider this dating site if your diet has a certain specificity to it.

7. Playdate. This dating app is made for single parents who dream of starting a new relationship, but doubt that they will succeed. Here you can meet people who find themselves in the same situation, find common topics for conversation, get to know each other better and go on a first date.

For obvious reasons, it is more difficult for divorced people with children to find a mate. But difficult does not mean impossible. The Playdate service is designed to help parents find their long-awaited happiness and move on. After all, breaking up a previous relationship from which you have a child is not a life sentence. Sometimes this is another chance for a happy future.

Change up your approach to dating sites

The most popular dating sites are good if you are looking not for a soulmate, but for new friends or just interesting people without far-reaching plans. In such a situation, Tinder is perfect, because it has a huge audience. But if your goal is to find your love, a true soulmate with whom you can link your fate, it’s worth taking a closer look at less popular dating services.

Remember that one of the main reasons for unsuccessful online dating is the wrong choice of the communication format itself. Try to change your approach, use a niche dating service or free video chat to communicate with new people one-on-one via video. This format brings people together, and helps them get to know each other in a short time and understand whether they are ready to link their fates. More importantly though, don’t stop looking for your soulmate!