Best Free Dating Sites & Apps Reviews in the UK (2023)
Online dating has become increasingly popular in the last few years, with new dating sites and apps popping up all the time. There are so many dating sites out there that it can be difficult to know which one is best for you. Thankfully, with so much competition out there, most services offer free features to help you find your perfect match.
We’ve compiled a list of the best free dating sites in the UK, whether you’re looking for casual hookups, a serious relationship, or even marriage, there’s a free dating site that’s up your alley.
List of the best UK free dating sites & apps (2023)
- eharmony: Best overall free dating site in the UK
- EliteSingles: Best for 30+ educated singles
- FreeDating: Free online dating since 2005
- Match: The largest dating site in the world
- POF: Designed for happy relationships
- Telegraph Dating: Best dating community for UK matures
- OkCupid: The first free online dating site
- OurTime: Best senior dating site for over 50 singles
- Mingle2: Free dating & chat for singles
- CompletelyFreeDating: Completely free to message & search for profiles
- More free dating sites (Top 11 – Top 20)
- Dating Sites by Categories
- Tips for Finding the Perfect Match Online
- FAQs
#1 eharmony
eharmony is our overall top choice for free dating sites for UK singles, it has helped OVER 2 MILLION singles find the right person since 2000! As one of the original dating sites, it uses a unique compatibility matching system to help users find real love.
After creating your free dating profile there, you can browse through your match list, view their basic profile information, and send them a smile or an icebreaker. It also supports users with helpful dating advice. Trying it for free to see whether it suits your dating needs or not, if you want to read all your messages and reply to as many as you like, see who’s viewed you, or adjust your search based on your own preferences, you can select the eharmony Premium Membership.
- Monthly Visits: 4.9M
- Largest Age Group: 25 – 34(23.42%)
- Overall Rating: 4.9/5.0
#2 EliteSingles
EliteSingles is a premium dating site for all educated singles of different orientations in the UK. This Europe-based dating website excels at forming matches between single professionals who are relationship-oriented and well-educated.
EliteSingles has an intelligent and thoughtful matchmaking system, based on your relationship preferences, your location, and your individual personality test answers, it delivers 3-7 potential matches a day that increases the chances of its members finding their soul mates. Some even claim that you can find a love connecting on EliteSingles in just a matter of 80 minutes, and it could also be you soon. If you are serious about dating, then this is the dating community where you can find a compatible partner.
- Monthly Visits: 1.4M
- Largest Age Group: 25 – 34(22.7%)
- Overall Rating: 4.8/5.0
#3 FreeDating
FreeDating was founded in 2005, It lives up to its claim of being a 100% completely free online dating site. The dating website is specific to UK singles, it means that you will be able to easily find your matches.
Using this website is very straightforward. You can easily use its advanced search function to find users who meet your dating preferences. Messaging is free, however, you must have an approved profile before you can send messages. The Forum feature is a great place for anyone looking for advice or tips with dating and relationships, it provides a more natural way to help users build connections.
Despite the presence of some advertisements on FreeDating, it remains one of the best UK dating sites available.
- Monthly Visits: 867.5K
- Largest Age Group: 25 – 34(23.58%)
- Overall Rating: 4.7/5.0
#4 Match
Match is one of the all-time favorite dating sites in the UK because it has been in existence for longer than other dating platforms out there. The site has used this time to hone its match formula which is driven by the personality of the members.
Match journeyed to an unknown territory in 1995, forming an empire that managed to stand the test of time. The platform boasts an active membership base in the UK and 23 other countries. More than 2.6 million singles have met their partners on the site, and it continues to grow better to cater to its relationship-minded users. The website currently offers members-only events, personalized dating coaching, and other premium services to help singles match, mingle, and enjoy themselves.
- Monthly Visits: 23.7M
- Largest Age Group: 25 – 34(22.35%)
- Overall Rating: 4.6/5.0
#5 POF
POF, founded in 2003, is a free dating website in the UK that goes beyond mere physical attraction. The platform takes a fun approach to online dating, offering a lot of options to help users find the right person.
Singles will find more meaningful connections and happy relationships with Meet Me, Livestreams, Games, messaging, and more features at no cost. However, POF also provides premium membership plans including POF Plus and POF Premium, offering additional benefits such as detailed profiles, unlimited likes, first look at new members, and message read receipts.
If you’re looking for a playful and relaxed way to date without the intention of paying for a dating website, then POF is a great choice, it offers a range of free features.
- Monthly Visits: 19M
- Largest Age Group: 25 – 34(19.92%)
- Overall Rating: 4.6/5.0
#6 Telegraph Dating
Telegraph Dating is a completely free-to-use mature dating website in the UK that gives you a chance to meet other people who share the same interests as you. The website lets you describe what a perfect match means to you and pairs you with people who meet this description. But the most important thing here is that you can be sure that you won’t encounter fake profiles made possible by the different security measures that the site has put in place. The different fun commitment offers of the site make it a great choice, including the customized search, private photos, and using keywords to search for conversations.
- Monthly Visits: 117K
- Largest Age Group: 45 – 54(21.31%)
- Overall Rating: 4.5/5.0
#7 OkCupid
OKCupid.com uses different algorithms to help you find your ideal match backed by many success stories of people who used the site. Although the site does have paid-for extra features such as profile boosts or read receipts, as well as a subscription model covering Incognito, Premium, and Basic, OKCupid’s free version already includes all the things you need to use it. The free membership will help you see all of your prospective matches, receive and send likes, get notifications once the two of you like each other, and receive and send messages.
- Monthly Visits: 14.2M
- Largest Age Group: 25 – 34(30.77%)
- Overall Rating: 4.5/5.0
#8 OurTime
OurTime is a favorite dating site for UK senior singles as it gives over 50 people a place that they can proudly call their own. This dating platform attracts interesting, active, and cultured singles who have been on the dating scene several times and consider age as one of the most positive qualities of a potential date. The website invites over 50 singles to step out of their comfort zone and start meeting new people. It doesn’t matter if you are a retiree in your 80s or a divorcee in your 50s, OurTime believes that it is never too late to look for love and make your life exciting all over again.
- Monthly Visits: 1.3M
- Largest Age Group: 45 – 54(19.44%)
- Overall Rating: 4.5/5.0
#9 Mingle2
Mingle2 is a popular free online dating platform that was originally launched in 2008 under the name JustSayHi. The online community that welcomes single women and men continues to grow by the day as it attracts over 3 million visits. If you are not a fan of dating websites with a complicated and lengthy sign-up process, Mingle2 is your best choice as it accepts new members in less than one minute. You don’t have to undergo time-consuming and tedious personality traits. The user interface is also easy to use for people of all ages.
- Monthly Visits: 2.3M
- Largest Age Group: 25 – 34(26.12%)
- Overall Rating: 4.4./5.0
#10 Completely Free Dating
CompletelyFreeDating is a free online dating site in the UK that gets straight to the point right away. The platform allows you to message, view, and search people with no need to upgrade to a paid membership. It is also strictly a website, which is different from other platforms that come with an accompanying app. To make things even better, it is also UK-specific, which means you can quickly search according to different regions.
- Monthly Visits: 100K
- Largest Age Group: 25 – 34(26.12%)
- Overall Rating: 4.4./5.0
#11 PlentyMoreFish
PlentyMoreFish is one of the most popular free dating sites that cater to UK singles. It offers its members with interesting “ponds” of singles who are looking for both casual and serious encounters. The site also caters to all singles regardless of age who wish to have fun and connect with each other. It uses award-winning software to help safeguard the online dating experience of its members. While male users dominate the site, you can be sure that it also has a good number of female users. While it doesn’t come with an app, it does offer an informative virtual help desk.
- Monthly Visits: 445.1M
- Largest Age Group: 25 – 34(26.12%)
- Overall Rating: 4.4./5.0
#12 Proximeety
Proximeety is a free dating site without any hidden catches, it connects British singles, helps them find love, or just chat with friends. Singles who share the same interests and live near each other will be able to find and meet each other easier with the help of the THE INTERNAL MESSAGE SERVICE and THE CHAT MODULE. Proximeety welcomes everyone and with more than 15 years in the industry, it is safe to say that it has withstood the test of the ever-changing times.
- Monthly Visits: 270.5K
- Largest Age Group: 25 – 34(20.69%)
- Overall Rating: 4.3/5.0
#13 Affiny
Previously known as Match Affinity, Affiny.co.uk is a dating website based in the UK under the ownership of Meetic Europe, which is the same group that owns the popular Match.com.What sets Affiny apart from Match is with the former emphasizes the need for compatibility when it comes to matchmaking. You are also required to take the personality test before you can be matched with someone who shares your interests and values. Affiny also does most of the legwork for you as it pairs you up with the most compatible people.
- Monthly Visits: 132.6K
- Largest Age Group: 25 – 34(19.84%)
- Overall Rating: 4.2/5.0
#14 MuddyMatches
MuddyMatches is the best UK dating site for singles living in the countryside. Two sisters who are farmers founded the rural dating site in the hopes of creating an environment where muddy singles can search for love. The sisters developed the platform in 2006 where people can enjoy country dating or equestrian dating and search for matches among people close to them in spirit. MuddyMatches is not just a dating site, if you are looking to meet a few country-minded people who are apart from for dating, this site still works. Join to search for your perfect partner, it has over 200,000 genuine country people from the UK and Ireland.
- Monthly Visits: 114.0K
- Largest Age Group: 25 – 34(24.07%)
- Overall Rating: 4.2/5.0
#15 FDating
FDating.com is a 100% free dating site. Before joining this website, you can use the SEARCH feature to find local users and view their profiles. This way, you can determine how many users are in your area and assess the quality of potential matches. To send messages to someone, you need to log in first.
Overall, the layout of this website is quite outdated and it has a limited number of features. However, it does have essential features that are necessary for a dating website, such as viewing online and the most popular members, as well as checking users’ last login time. This helps users avoid sending messages to inactive accounts.
- Monthly Visits: 2.7MK
- Largest Age Group: 25 – 34(29.94%)
- Overall Rating: 4.1/5.0
#16 FastFlirting
FastFlirting is a newcomer to the online dating scene, established only in 2018. This free dating site can help users find partners for a quick chat or a flirt. The registration process of this website is the simplest I have ever tried, it only takes 30 seconds. The “Hot Photos” can help you meet some hot singles and rate them, or you can search for something in particular. To communicate with someone, you can use its “Flirt with Girls” or “Flirt with Guys”, or send messages. All the features are free to use.
- Monthly Visits: 10.4K
- Largest Age Group: 25 – 34(29.94%)
- Overall Rating: 4.1/5.0
#17 C-Date
Launched in 2008, C-Date is a great dating website for you if you are only after a fling, hook-up, or short-term connection instead of a long-term serious relationship. While some of these phrases may sound like a turn-off to the general dating crowd, the truth is that not all people are looking for love to sweep them off their feet. Some just hope to make quick connections. The website caters to one-night-stand and casual dating culture without shying away from the concept. More than 25,000 casual encounters join every day, place your profile to meet someone near you on C-Date today.
- Monthly Visits: 73.5K
- Largest Age Group: 25 – 34(24.46%)
- Overall Rating: 4.0/5.0
#18 mDates
mDates is a mature women dating site for experienced women over 35. Signing up on this flirting site only takes a few steps – and it’s completely free! You can also use Facebook or Google to log into your account. Some women are looking for younger men, while other women are looking for older and more experienced for a hot flirt. This website has 6 main features to help you You can send others a KISS and browse the profiles of attractive singles for free. When you sign up, you will get 100 free coins to send a hot candidate messages or gifts.
- Monthly Visits: 2.7M
- Largest Age Group: 35-44(25.38%)
- Overall Rating: 3.9/5.0
#19 WeLoveDates
WeLoveDates is a global dating platform that has an ever-growing user base not only in the UK but also in Australia, the US, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and Africa. The mobile-friendly space also encourages deep connections through the introduction of singles sharing common hobbies and interests. You can join the site for free with the community having more than 1 million active members. Founded in 2010 in the UK, the site has slowly yet surely grown into the global dating scene. Its fast-growing membership is made up of singles of all ages, relationship goals, backgrounds, and orientations.
- Monthly Visits: 34.2K
- Largest Age Group: 25 – 34(28.79%)
- Overall Rating: 3.8/5.0
#20 Traditional Dating Club
TraditionalDatingClub has one end goal and that is to help singles find a match. The site hopes to do better considering the number of people who have had bad experiences with online dating. To help give users the best courting experience, the site manually checks every profile and doesn’t hesitate to politely recommend that they choose a different profile photo or pick a different wording in their profile. It helps them create an approachable and polished profile for the members to engage with.
- Monthly Visits: 16.8K
- Largest Age Group: 24-35(19.25%)
- Overall Rating: 3.6/5.0
Browse The Best Dating Sites & Apps by Categories
Want to find someone special who shares the same lifestyle, religion, interest, or sexual preference? We’ve made it easier to help you find the right dating service, and browse the top dating sites and apps by different categories.
Tips for Finding the Perfect Match Online
If you are single and searching for love online, then, don’t worry because you are not alone. Now more than ever, an increasing number of men and women are trying their luck in online dating.
But while there is no such thing as a perfect magic recipe to help you find the one, as long as you follow the tips below, you will be able to discover a new treasure in the big virtual world.
1. Use the Right Dating Site by Reading Our Review
Not all dating sites are made equal. It means that while others do as they claim and live up to expectations, others never live up to their promises. This is why we are here to help. The best and easiest way for you to find the right dating site for your needs is to read our reviews first. This way, you can get a good idea of whether you are using the right site that will help you find your perfect match online.
2. Create an Eye-Catching Profile
You cannot expect to find your perfect match if you don’t present yourself well. Thus, make sure you start by creating a profile that catches the eye of other members right away. The last thing you want is for people to be turned off by what they see on your profile from the get-go.
3. Be Active and Serious
Finding your perfect match doesn’t happen overnight. It means you cannot just make a profile on a dating site and expect potential matches to come flowing in. So, be sure you stay active and serious so you can get more matches.
4. Be Patient
Always be patient because again, finding a match won’t just happen out of the blue. Finding love takes time so be ready to wait.
FAQs about Online Dating Sites
Do free dating sites actually work?
Yes, free dating sites do work! In fact, many dating websites right now offer their members free features that can help them look for a potential partner. Thanks to these free features, you can get started with your online dating with no need to spend even a single penny.
However, while free dating sites can help you achieve your dating goals, dating sites with paid memberships can enjoy more privileges and features. With the help of these features, members can look forward to finding a match more easily.
It means that the next time you need to look for a match, you can always consider using a free dating site, especially if you don’t have the budget or are not willing to spend money on dating.
Are dating sites safe to use?
Yes, many dating sites today are safe to use if you are hoping to find and meet a potential partner online. However, to stay even safer, there are several things you need to do. First is to make sure you use a dating site with dedicated security teams that focus on proactively helping you stay safe rather than simply reacting to things that can be dangerous.
It is also good to use a website with a good blend of real-life workers and automatic or built-in security that takes the concerns of users very seriously. The site you choose must also keep your personal details private from third parties.
There must also be encrypted chat forms to ensure that your conversations will be safer instead of communicating through other devices or apps. Finally, there must also be access to additional content on safety education to help prolong your safety once you meet your potential match.
How to use a dating site?
Using a dating website is very easy and simple, especially if you know how to do it right. There are a few steps to help you get started with your online dating experience.
1. Create a profile: Before anything else, you have to create your dating profile first. Here, you just need to input some of your personal details and upload a few photos to give people a glimpse of who you are.
2. Search through matches based on your preference: Once you have finished making your profile, you can proceed to search through potential matches according to your preferences in terms of age, location, interests, and more.
3. Get in touch with potential: Reach out to your potential matches and get to know each other better first.
4. Build a relationship: If both of you hit it off well, you can build a relationship from there.
How to find a dating site that works for you?
When searching for a dating site that will work for you, all you have to do is follow these steps:
1. Read reviews from dating experts and real users: Make sure you read actual reviews from real users and dating experts. They are the ones who can tell you which is the best site according to their personal experiences.
2. Figure out what kind of relationship you are looking for: The only way to find the right dating site for you is to know exactly what type of relationship you are searching for, casual, hookup, or a serious relationship?
3. Try the websites yourself: Once you do find a good dating site, you can now try it yourself to experience it and determine whether it is the right one for you or not. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose by trying, right? Start now!
