Best 5 Dating Sites

Overview

SpeedDate.com offers a unique approach to online dating. On SpeedDate, users are 'set-up' with a number of random short dates or chat sessions: the online version of speed dating! The site is the largest of its kind, with over a million registered members – so you're sure to have your pick. SpeedDate.com has even been featured on a number of media channels including USA Today, Time, and People Magazine. The site is incredibly easy to use and many of its visitors end up finding a date very quickly. Combined with a free trial, what have you got to lose?

Features

Hands down, the best feature of the site is the speed with which it operates. You simply sign up for a free trail and start meeting people right away! You can search and send IMs or speed date requests to others as well as accept (or decline) incoming requests. After a quick initial online meeting, you can both decide whether to move forward and spend more time together, or move on to your next date. With over a million members, there is always a lot of action and buzz on-site. Better still, there are a number of communication tools including instant messaging, live webcam, and live audio chat.

Signing Up

Signing up to SpeedDate is about as easy as can be. You simply fill in the search toolbox that automatically pops up when you visit the site. This takes you through a series of about 3 or 4 screens which require basic information like your name, birth date, and location. You will then have a free basic membership. This does give you a fair amount of functionality, although it is really just a taste of what the full site has to offer. There are several options for becoming a paid member. The prices vary according to the length of the term of your membership. If you think you would like to use the site for a full year, this would be the best value, at a 57% savings over going month to month. Of course, many members have found someone much sooner than this, so it really depends on your personal wishes.

Pricing

OPTIONS	COST PER MONTH	SAVINGS
1-Month Membership	$35.99	-
6-Month Membership	$15.95	-
30-Day Free Trial	$12.95	57.00%

Safety and Security

As with any dating site online, staying safe should be a top priority. Obviously, you are always in control of whether or not to give out any personal information (not generally a good idea until you have spent more time getting to know someone). And you can always reject an invitation anonymously.

Ease of Use

SpeedDate has a very clear and easy to user interface. The back office actually is laid out very nicely. The buttons are large enough that they can be seen and everything takes you exactly to the place you would expect. Searching is also simple enough, just click the button and then choose your options and enter in your criteria. From here you may choose to send speed date invites or connect with others in a more traditional fashion. Perhaps the best part of using this site is that you always remain in control as to how you want to meet others.

The Search

Searching is perhaps the most important user function when it comes to an online dating site. Upon signing up the site actually present you with a number of preselected “matches.” Beyond this, of course you can execute a simple basic search. This only includes the following criteria: country, distance (presumably from your location or zip code), and age range. So, the idea here is to get more of an idea as to how many people might be of interest.