A friend of mine recently gave a shot at her hand with online dating after a scant few years away from the scene. She enrolled in one of the biggest dating sites on the market and, like many others, found herself swamped with messages and unscreened matches. It quickly became work, not fun, and she gave up before she even met anyone. She's not alone: Roughly 1/3 of Americans say they know a couple who met online. The good news is that there are a plethora of other sites and apps https://bestlifeonline.com/meeting-singles-over-40/ out there to try. The key is identifying one that aligns with your dating goals and meets your needs.

The following eight dating sites are some of the most popular in the U.S. and are targeted at different audiences. Some, such as eharmony and Match, are intended for those looking for serious relationships; others, including Tinder and Bumble, are more focused on casual hookups. Some sites have a gratis membership that lets you create a profile and view matches, while others require a subscription-based subscription for messaging and other features.

OkCupid

This site says it creates over 90 million matches a year and boasts that it's "the very scientifically proven dating site on the planet." It has a wide-ranging questionnaire that helps seek out compatible mates, but isn't as long as the one on eharmony. It also prompts users to answer questions about things they're impassioned about, ranging from climate change to cilantro (it's not for the faint of heart).

Coffee Meets Bagel

After a successful launch in New York City and a stint on Shark Tank, this app has quickly escalated beyond its home base in the Big Apple. The app claims to eliminate endless swiping by only showing you one match a day, and requires women to make the first move in heterosexual matches. It also offers a paid version that provides more potential matches and eliminates ads.

HER

This dating app targets lesbian, bisexual, and queer people. It's free to join and browse profiles, but a subscription is required to contact matches and send gifts. The app uses location data to show you potential matches in your area. It also has a chat room and a feature that allows you to see who has viewed your profile.

Ourtime

Owned by Match, this site caters tailored to adults over 50 who are interested in serious relationships and companionship. Its members must have no less than 25 years' experience to join, and it offers a specialized customer service team to help with any issues. The site has an ample library of articles about dating and relationships, and members can upload a ceiling of ten photos.

While Ourtime doesn't have as many active users as some of the other options on this list, it is a reliable choice for those who are over 50 and are serious about finding a romantic partner. Its user base is fairly diverse and the site https://medium.com/@datersearch/italian-mail-order-bride-f9acb94c7aa6 includes a great many active senior singles.